At the sight, the academy's senior members and disciples alike shuddered, both in the stands and below.
Ye Li even rose directly to his feet, staring wide-eyed, anger, alarm, and concern showing in his eyes.
This no longer looked like a contest in the arena, but a fight to the death.
No one had expected things to take this turn.
"Institute Master, they're both badly injured. Should we stop the match?" the Heavenly Workshop Hall elder asked with some concern.
"No, let them continue." The Institute Master clearly hesitated for a moment, but soon gave his answer.
Though the scene was brutal, it was nothing extraordinary to those who had experienced battles of life and death.
Besides, the academy's selection process had always been about the strong prevailing and the weak being eliminated. He could stop this match today, but he could not stop other disputes tomorrow.
Given Fang Qianyuan's and Ye Tianming's circumstances, their rivalry was all but inevitable. He could not possibly watch them every moment and intervene whenever the slightest hint of conflict appeared.
Letting them fight in the arena was actually a good thing.
Hearing the Institute Master's answer, everyone immediately understood his intentions.
Within the rules, these two had to determine who was stronger before this could end!
The Heavenly Workshop Hall elder understood as well. He sighed inwardly and offered no further objections.
Gong Yuan and Ye Li likewise said nothing, silently watching the arena.
In the arena, Fang Qianyuan crouched on the ground with one hand pressed over the wound in his waist, gritting his teeth as he held on.
The pain of his injury was even greater than he had imagined.
I'm badly hurt...
If I hadn't shifted aside at the last moment, even my liver and kidneys might have been smashed...
But he's definitely suffering too! I tore his shoulder open!
At that thought, excitement surged through him again, and he forced himself to stand despite his injuries.
His face was deathly pale, and beads of sweat kept pouring from his forehead. Just then, however, a tingling sensation like an electric current emerged from nowhere inside his body, swiftly spreading through his limbs and every bone.
The Mysterious Treasure Pill had begun working again.
Fang Qianyuan felt the pain ease slightly, while his nearly exhausted Spirit Essence and strength rapidly recovered.
He turned to look and saw that Ye Tianming had also just turned back, one hand covering his shoulder, pain written across his face.
"Just as I thought. When you attack with all your strength, you have far less Spirit Essence to put into that turtle shell. Otherwise, it wouldn't have failed to block my strike."
"You're insane... You actually staked your life on that! Weren't you the least bit afraid of dying just now?" Ye Tianming stared at him in disbelief, finally unable to maintain his cold expression.
"Even a sage's expression changes before thunder and raging winds. Who isn't afraid of death?" Fang Qianyuan scoffed, thinking Ye Tianming must have been beaten senseless.
"Then why did you still dare charge at me?" Ye Tianming's expression shifted slightly as he pressed him.
Fang Qianyuan pondered for a moment, then said, "Because I wanted to win!"
Fang Qianyuan's answer was very simple: he wanted to win.
Because he wanted to win, he had disregarded the danger and traded injury for injury, seeking only to seize that fleeting opportunity.
Otherwise, there was no telling how long it would take to break through Ye Tianming's defenses and seriously injure him.
Though Fang Qianyuan was confident in his abundant Spirit Essence and stamina, Ye Tianming was no slouch either. Moreover, throughout their exchanges, Fang Qianyuan had to keep moving strenuously, while Ye Tianming could await his weary opponent at ease, holding an overwhelming advantage. Dragging the battle out would only work against Fang Qianyuan.
Thus, when Ye Tianming unleashed a lethal strike, Fang Qianyuan had charged straight into it, finally securing a result that left them both wounded.
In truth, Fang Qianyuan was bold but meticulous, not nearly as reckless as he appeared to outsiders.
His counterattack had indeed risked his life, but as long as he avoided injury to his vital organs, the Mysterious Treasure Pill's power could restore him quickly.
He had the resources to gamble. All he needed was to win the bet.
And so, this time, he finally saw the first light of victory.
Hearing Fang Qianyuan's ringing answer, everyone in and around the arena was shaken.
"He wanted to win..."
"Does wanting to win mean gambling with your life?"
"What kind of madman is he?"
"No wonder he chose a Spirit Creature like the Berserker Wolf. He's a berserker wolf of Cang Mountain Academy himself..."
"The Cang Mountain Berserker Wolf..."
Without realizing it, Fang Qianyuan had earned the first nickname of his life through his madness and courage.
It was a mark of everyone's recognition, a name they all acknowledged.
"Wanted to win..." At those words, the pain on Ye Tianming's face deepened, his features seeming to twist.
Through gritted teeth, he said, "What kind of joke is that? Who in this world doesn't want to win!"
Almost losing control, he roared, "I, Ye Tianming, come from a distinguished family! I have solid foundations, profound cultivation, powerful Secret Arts, and an Inscribed Talisman! Do you think I don't want to win?"
"How could I possibly lose to someone like you!"
"I... want to win too!"
Fang Qianyuan smiled, his emotions gradually settling instead. "Then there's nothing else for it. Since we both want to win, let's fight for it with our own hands!"
As he spoke, his Spirit Essence and strength had already recovered somewhat. He immediately activated Shadow Step, his body becoming a blur as he lunged straight at his opponent.
Ye Tianming was alarmed. "You can still move that fast!"
Fang Qianyuan's physical advantage was simply too great. His severely injured body had already recovered somewhat during their brief conversation, and his fighting strength had recovered along with it.
By contrast, although Ye Tianming's injuries were much lighter than Fang Qianyuan's, the wound affected his arm and had not healed, leaving him hampered at every turn.
Under everyone's incredulous gazes, he gradually fell into a disadvantage. After more than ten exchanges, Fang Qianyuan suddenly caught his wrist with a reverse-handed grapple and twisted hard.
His body reacted almost instinctively, moving with the force to dissipate it, but that tugged at the wound in his shoulder, making him stiffen.
Fang Qianyuan showed no mercy. He lifted his lower leg and drove his knee fiercely into Ye Tianming's abdomen, the heavy blow folding him at the waist.
But Ye Tianming still had his Moonlight Garment, which blocked most of the attack. He retaliated with another claw swipe, tearing away a patch of flesh from Fang Qianyuan's chest.
Fang Qianyuan grimaced in pain, but did not retreat. Instead, he pressed forward again, unleashing a surging, savage assault.
Punches, kicks, Claw Strikes, palm blows...
Both men rained attacks madly upon each other.
At this point, no technique or fighting skill was as efficient as these direct attacks that traded injury for injury. Facing an enemy who was staking his life on the fight, neither had any choice. Whoever failed to hold on first would fall.
"Hahahaha! What a rush!"
Fang Qianyuan roared loudly, distracting himself from the pain while also rousing his fighting spirit and stirring his Spirit Essence.
As a result, his Spirit Essence and stamina grew ever more abundant, and his attacks became ever fiercer.
After several more exchanges of injury for injury, Ye Tianming finally could no longer withstand him, and the silver light around his body suddenly dimmed.
Fang Qianyuan seized the opening. With a roar, he drove a heavy straight punch into Ye Tianming's face.
Ye Tianming's head snapped sideways on the spot, bloody spittle spraying from his mouth as he flew away headfirst.
"D-damn it..."
His face covered in blood, he struggled to get up, but his entire body ached and lacked strength, as though even his bones were about to fall apart.
Endless humiliation, anger, and pain surged over him. At last, he could hold on no longer and collapsed limply.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
Fang Qianyuan gasped for breath in great gulps and, under the gaze of every disciple, raised his fist high.
"I won!"