Wu Changkong had just reached the edge of the net of fire when he caught three cold flashes out of the corner of his eye. Alarm jolted through him. With no time to think, he snapped the belt in front of himself to block.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three muffled impacts rang out.
The high-pressure Water Blades slammed into the belt. The tremendous force drove even Wu Changkong back nearly half a step. Three gashes instantly tore through the frost on the belt's surface, and water streamed down it.
Wu Changkong glanced down at the belt. Besides the marks scoured by the water, it bore tiny blackened spots scorched by the Fire Needles earlier. The once-smooth ice was now pitted and uneven.
He raised his head and looked at Hu Fangyuan across from him, a measure of seriousness finally entering his eyes.
"Water and fire combined, open spears and hidden arrows. You've practiced that tactic well."
Hu Fangyuan grinned without speaking.
He used fierce fire attacks to suppress his opponent in the open while launching sneak attacks with water in secret. One open, one hidden; one hard, one soft. They were all but impossible to guard against. Had Wu Changkong not reacted quickly, those three blades would have made him suffer a small setback.
"Again!"
Hu Fangyuan gave a low shout, channeling power through both hands at once.
Flames and watery light lit up simultaneously within the Heaven Refining Furnace.
For a moment, Fire Needles, fire spears, nets of fire, Water Blades, Water Spears, and all manner of attacks bombarded Wu Changkong without pause.
The fire attacks were fierce and explosive, focused on frontal suppression and cutting off his movements. The water attacks were supple and devious, lurking in the gaps between the flames and striking every so often, targeting only openings.
Two streams of energy, one red and one blue, intertwined in midair, sometimes separating, sometimes merging, shifting through countless variations.
Wu Changkong darted and dodged through the dense barrage.
The belt in his hands whirled faster and faster, its icy aura growing ever stronger.
The ice armor coating the belt grew thicker and thicker, turning it into something like a long whip forged from refined steel.
Clanging collisions ran together in an unbroken chorus.
Firelight and icy light crisscrossed, making the entire training ground flicker between brightness and darkness.
Hu Fangyuan stood in place, his hands constantly shifting through seals as Soul Power surged into the Heaven Refining Furnace like a tide. Fine beads of sweat gradually seeped from his forehead, and his face grew slightly pale. Unleashing Soul Skills at such intensity consumed an enormous amount of Soul Power.
Not to mention that the Spiritual Power required to control the flames and water so precisely far exceeded what an ordinary person could expend.
Yet his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
He could clearly feel his control over his water and fire Soul Skills becoming increasingly practiced. Many subtle variations he had previously been able to imagine but not execute now came naturally under Wu Changkong's pressure.
Real combat truly was the fastest way to improve one's strength.
Wu Changkong nodded inwardly as he blocked and dodged. This boy's talent for combat was truly beyond reproach. His tactics were flexible, and his use of Soul Skills was highly creative. Most remarkable of all, even with such intense output, his Soul Power continued to circulate steadily, without the slightest sign of disorder.
Still, it was about time to end this.
The thought had only just crossed Wu Changkong's mind.
Hu Fangyuan, standing in the training ground, suddenly drew a deep breath.
He abruptly brought his hands together, then thrust them forward hard.
The Heaven Refining Furnace let out a deafening hum.
All the flames and water instantly converged toward the center.
A massive spear of mingled water and fire slowly took shape in midair.
Crimson flames wrapped the spear's exterior, while deep-blue water flowed within. Water and fire twined together, spinning ceaselessly. Its tip pointed at Wu Changkong, radiating an aura of extreme danger.
This was the strongest strike he could currently unleash.
"Take this!"
Hu Fangyuan roared, pointing both hands forward.
With the wind howling around it, the water-and-fire spear trailed a long red-and-blue tail of flame as it hurtled toward Wu Changkong like a meteor.
Wherever it passed, the air sizzled from the heat, and even the black stone beneath it glowed faintly red.
Wu Changkong's gaze sharpened. He could feel that this strike was more powerful than all the previous attacks combined.
He stopped dodging and planted himself in place. Gripping both ends of the belt, he poured his Soul Power into it without reserve.
The entire belt instantly swelled, thick ice armor coating its surface as it became a giant ice-blue cudgel.
"Break!"
With a low shout, Wu Changkong swung the ice cudgel in both hands and brought it crashing down on the water-and-fire spear.
BOOM!!!
An earth-shaking explosion rang out.
The water-and-fire spear and the ice cudgel slammed together.
A terrifying shock wave instantly spread outward. Dust rose from the ground, forming a ring-shaped wave that swept in every direction.
Tang Wulin and the other two involuntarily staggered several steps backward, raising their hands to shield their faces. The gale lashed their faces painfully, leaving them unable to open their eyes.
At the center of the training ground, white light blazed dazzlingly.
Countless sprays of water vapor and sparks scattered everywhere, pattering and crackling against the surrounding barrier.
Several seconds later, the light gradually faded.
The scene within slowly became clear.
Wu Changkong stood where he was, still holding his striking pose. But the belt in his hands had snapped in two. He held one half, while the other lay on the ground beside him. The broken ends were charred black, still trailing faint wisps of white smoke.
The ice armor had long since melted away completely, exposing the leather beneath. It, too, had been burned black and brittle, ready to crumble into powder at the lightest touch.
It had actually snapped!
Xie Xie's eyes flew wide, his mouth gaping enough to fit a fist inside.
"Holy shit! He broke Teacher Wu's belt?!"
His voice had gone shrill. That was Wu Changkong! The academy's legendary strongest teacher! A first-year newcomer had actually broken his weapon?
Tang Wulin was dumbfounded too, staring blankly into the training ground, forgetting to speak.
Gu Yue's breath also caught slightly. Her black eyes were filled with shock. She knew Hu Fangyuan was strong, but she had never expected him to be this strong. She had seen how hard that belt was earlier, comparable to refined steel. And he had actually broken it?
In the training ground, Wu Changkong stared at the half-belt in his hand, stunned for two seconds. Then he gave a quiet chuckle.
"Well, you little rascal. You really do have some skill."
He casually tossed the half-belt aside. Raising his head, he looked at Hu Fangyuan across from him. Every trace of amusement vanished from his eyes, replaced by genuine seriousness.
Forcing him to the point that even his testing belt broke-this boy had earned the right to make him use his Martial Soul.
Wu Changkong slowly raised his right hand.
A soft hum sounded.
An ice-blue longsword slowly emerged from his palm.
The longsword was about three feet long, its blade as clear and translucent as if it had been fashioned from ice crystals, with cold air seeming to flow within it. Delicate frost-flower patterns were carved into its guard. Its tip curved slightly upward, emanating an intensely frigid chill.
The instant the longsword appeared, the temperature throughout the training ground plummeted. The puddles left on the ground by the battle instantly developed a thin coating of white frost. Water vapor in the air condensed into tiny snowflakes that drifted slowly down.
His Martial Soul, the Heavenly Frost Sword!
Wu Changkong held the sword's hilt and gave it a gentle flick.
A clear sword note rang throughout the training ground.
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