"How is that possible?"
"He actually forced himself to stop in the middle of a charge, then changed direction and circled behind her at such close range!"
"Those reflexes..."
At the sight, cries of astonishment rose one after another. Quite a few people were badly startled.
Ma Wenhua's face went pale as well. "Damn, he's a monster! How could anyone suddenly change direction at such a critical moment? Just how fast would your reflexes have to be?"
"That's where you're mistaken, Junior Brother Ma." A deep, resonant voice sounded beside him.
Ma Wenhua turned to look and hurriedly said, "Senior Brother Wen, what brings you here?"
This Senior Brother Wen was a disciple who had joined the Training Institute long ago and had reached Eight Turns. However, he was already close to obtaining his Wandering Permit and leaving the institute's rolls, so he had not entered this selection.
People like him had little to gain from winning and would be even more embarrassed if they lost. Generally, they did not join the excitement.
"I heard a gifted junior brother had appeared among this year's disciples, so I came to take a look out of curiosity." Senior Brother Wen smiled as he spoke, but then his expression grew solemn. "Now that I've seen him, he really is formidable."
"What is it, Senior Brother?" Ma Wenhua asked.
"Can't you see it yet? The key just now wasn't how fast his reflexes were. Plenty of people could react that quickly, but an ordinary person simply couldn't withstand that kind of strain!"
Senior Brother Wen said, "I've tried it before myself, only to discover that the slightest carelessness could make me lose my balance and fall, or wrench a joint. I couldn't circulate and adjust my Spirit Essence in time, either..."
Ma Wenhua drew in a sharp breath, finally understanding. "Then that means his muscles, bones, and meridians are all incredibly strong!"
"Exactly. That's why I said he was formidable. This probably doesn't come from his cultivation, but from an exceptional innate gift that lets him withstand those dangerous movements."
Senior Brother Wen said, "Look at how relaxed he is, without even a hint of breathlessness, and you'll know he hasn't gone all out."
"Think about it. What does that tell you?"
Ma Wenhua did not answer. He was already dumbstruck.
"Yes, I lost."
On the platform, Lan Mei looked somewhat dejected, but she soon graciously admitted defeat.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Fang."
She was more perceptive than Ma Wenhua, and having experienced it firsthand on the platform, she already understood just how frightening the abilities Fang Qianyuan had displayed in that brief exchange were.
Fang Qianyuan had pushed his advantages to their limits, making full use of the legacy his father had left him. Such deep reserves were absolutely beyond what disciples like them could contend with.
"Fantastic, he won!"
"This is great! He even defeated Senior Sister Lan. His strength is undeniable now. Surely he's at least qualified to compete for victory?"
"He might really be able to contend for those four places!"
Wei Wen and the others were delighted for Fang Qianyuan and voiced their excitement.
The selection continued afterward, but some of the senior brothers and sisters began avoiding their matches with him, either unwilling to risk losing face or having other plans.
Previously, some might have thought Fang Qianyuan's string of victories came down to luck. But now that even Lan Mei had lost, they no longer wanted to invite that misfortune upon themselves. They treated him just like the other elite disciples, selectively forfeiting their matches.
This surprised Fang Qianyuan somewhat, but when he considered that sparring could cause injuries as well as consume Spirit Essence, he understood. He therefore focused on handling those who had not forfeited.
Another day passed, and a new opponent appeared before him.
"Fang Qianyuan versus Ba Ming... would both contestants please take the platform!"
"Ba Ming?"
"A Seven Turns expert has finally appeared!"
This was only to be expected. As Fang Qianyuan kept winning, sooner or later he would encounter the strongest group in the Training Institute, young disciples whose cultivation had reached Seven or Eight Turns.
"It's actually him?"
Below the platform, Ba Ming was talking with Ye Tianming. Hearing the announcement, he could not help looking surprised.
"Ba Ming, Fang Qianyuan has been making quite a splash lately. You were busy with your matches all day yesterday, so you probably haven't heard, but he even defeated Lan Mei," Luo De said.
"That's right, Senior Brother Ba. You can't underestimate Junior Brother Fang," added several disciples who also served as stewards in the Merit Hall.
"Hmph." A shadow crossed Ba Ming's face, but he said nothing more and strode toward the platform.
"Junior Brother Fang, Ba Ming is a Seven Turns expert. I heard he even received support from the Ye Household and spirit-linked with a high-grade Spirit Creature, the Two-Headed Gray Wolf. You mustn't let your guard down!"
Wei Wen and the others spoke to Fang Qianyuan with some concern.
"The opponents you faced before either lacked cultivation or primarily cultivated mid-grade Spirit Creatures, so they didn't have much of an advantage over you. But Ba Ming has both high cultivation and an excellent Spirit Creature. He won't be so easy to deal with."
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing," Fang Qianyuan said.
With that, he too headed toward the platform.
Before long, the two stood facing each other on the platform.
For some reason, Ba Ming remembered what he had told Fang Qianyuan in the Demon Cave two months earlier.
"In actual combat, cultivation is only one factor. You also have to rely on your Spirit Creature, combat arts, equipment, fighting spirit, surroundings, and even luck."
"An increase in cultivation doesn't necessarily make you stronger. It still depends on how you perform in actual combat..."
Thinking back on it now, he could not help feeling a faint sting in his cheeks.
This brat really is damned uncanny. Winning one match after another until he's standing right in front of me-is he going out of his way to oppose me?
Through his performance, Fang Qianyuan had proved Ba Ming's words correct, but in precisely the opposite way.
His cultivation was indeed lacking, yet his Spirit Creature, combat arts, equipment, fighting spirit, surroundings, and even luck were all exceptional. His performance in actual combat was beyond reproach as well.
That was why he could stand here with an unbroken record of victories.
If I lose to him, I'll lose every shred of face.
The thought suddenly flashed through Ba Ming's mind, then inexplicably sparked a surge of anger born of humiliation. How could I possibly lose to him?
"Are you both ready? Ready... begin!"
On the platform, the steward disciple made the announcement, and the bronze gong rang out.
Clang!
Ba Ming snapped back to his senses and hurriedly circulated his Spirit Essence. A tremendous power rose from his Spirit Sea.
Two-Headed Gray Wolf!
The creature he had spirit-linked with was none other than the high-grade Spirit Creature, the Two-Headed Gray Wolf.
It was a mutated breed of Gray Wolf, similar in size to the Blue-Eyed Gray Wolf, but with two heads and two hearts in a single body. Both its vital energy and its endurance were extraordinarily abundant.
Ba Ming was already burly, and spirit-linking with this creature complemented his physique perfectly. Power instantly surged throughout his body as he lunged forward with an oppressive force.
Yet Fang Qianyuan moved even faster. He had already called upon the Gale Berserker Wolf's power, turning into an afterimage and vanishing from his spot.
He had already built up his power and called on it instantly? Ba Ming's pupils contracted.
Then attacks swept in from every direction like a raging storm.
Fang Qianyuan used Shadow Step repeatedly, constantly condensing energy into Gang and shaping it into wolf claws that raked at Ba Ming.
With his extraordinary speed and the advantage of seizing the initiative, he left Ba Ming barely able to fend him off.
Still, Ba Ming lived up to his standing as a Seven Turns disciple. Even under such conditions, he relied on a foundation far superior to that of ordinary disciples to defend himself as best he could. Fang Qianyuan adjusted his footwork several times, trying to circle behind him and strike at an opening, but found no suitable opportunity. It seemed ending the match quickly with a single decisive blow would be difficult.
But as the saying went, even the longest defense must eventually crack. Before long, several bloody cuts from Claw Gang appeared on Ba Ming's body, and he had clearly fallen into a disadvantage.
Fang Qianyuan had anticipated this, so he simply continued drawing out the fight, intending to exploit his superior stamina and finish Ba Ming off once his strength was exhausted.