Jialong had barely opened his eyes when the water whip reached his face. He roared and raised his wolf claws to block.
"Smack!"
The water whip lashed his forearm hard.
Even through his thick, beast-transformed hide, the blow stung fiercely. Its tremendous force drove his arm down and pushed him another half step back.
Before he could recover.
A second water whip lashed his knee.
"Smack!"
Jialong's knee buckled, and he nearly dropped to the ground.
On the other side, Mosi raised his sword across his body to block.
"Clang!"
The water whip struck the blade of his shortsword.
Water spread along the blade, clinging to it and sapping his strength. Mosi felt his wrist sink, and his shortsword nearly drooped. He hurriedly tightened his grip, but the power he had been gathering for Gale Slash was cut short.
Wang Haoxuan reacted fastest, ducking low and darting sideways.
The water whip skimmed his back, tearing away a trail of shredded cloth.
He had just steadied himself.
When he caught a flash of fire out of the corner of his eye.
Dozens of Fire Needles shot through the gaps in the water curtain, densely packed and flying straight at the three of them.
The Fire Needles were faster than the water whips and carried a scorching heat.
"Watch out!"
Lin Zunyuan shouted urgently from behind, waving his Staff repeatedly. Three rays of Amplification light landed behind the three of them at once.
Bolstered by Amplification, all three felt their spirits lift.
Jialong gritted his teeth, shielded his head with his arms, and charged straight into the Fire Needles. They stabbed into his arms, burning painfully, but his charge did not slow.
Mosi wove a flurry of sword flourishes with his shortsword, deflecting the Fire Needles with a string of clangs. He drove off the ground and charged forward again.
Wang Haoxuan flickered, slipping back into the shadows and circling to the side.
The three pressed forward in a triangular formation once more.
Hu Fangyuan stood where he was, his gaze calm.
Still trying to charge me?
He gently raised his left hand.
The film of water on the ground instantly bulged.
Several Water Threads sprang from the ground, winding precisely toward their ankles.
Jialong was farthest ahead, and something tightened around his ankle.
The Water Threads instantly pulled taut.
His charge abruptly stalled.
In that very instant.
Hu Fangyuan flickered into motion, moving forward to meet him.
He clenched his right fist, quietly activating the Copper Bone Gu's power. His bones gave a series of fine cracks, and a faint layer of fire covered his fist.
The power of Fire-Refined Scarlet Force poured into his knuckles.
Straight toward Jialong's face.
Jialong growled and smashed his wolf claw toward the oncoming fist.
"Bam!"
A dull impact rang out.
Jialong felt a terrifying force surge through his fist, heavy and hard, with a scorching heat.
He grunted and staggered three steps back. His fist trembled slightly, his knuckles numb.
Hu Fangyuan stood rooted to the spot, not moving an inch.
"Is that all the strength you have?"
The corner of Hu Fangyuan's mouth lifted. He pushed off the ground and closed in again. A water blade swept sideways from his left palm, while a Fireball blasted straight from his right fist. Elbows, knees-his entire body became a weapon.
Water and fire burst forth in alternation, each strike faster than the last.
Jialong was forced back again and again, scrambling to defend himself on every side. After just a few exchanges, his arms bore several cuts from the water blades, along with charred marks where Fireballs had burned him.
He had brute strength to spare, yet he could not even touch the hem of Hu Fangyuan's clothes.
Just then.
Mosi charged in from the side. His shortsword shone with Gale Slash's blue-green light as it cleaved straight toward the side of Hu Fangyuan's face.
The angle was tricky, the timing perfect.
Hu Fangyuan did not even turn his head.
He flicked his left hand backward.
Several Water Threads shot out, wrapping precisely around Mosi's wrist.
The Water Threads tightened.
Mosi's wrist sank, and his shortsword instantly veered off course.
Hu Fangyuan drove an elbow backward.
It slammed hard into his chest.
"Pff!"
Mosi grunted and went flying backward. He hit the ground and clutched his chest, unable to get up for a long while.
The second was out of the fight.
The instant he dealt with Mosi.
The wind stirred behind him again.
Wang Haoxuan sprang from the shadows, pushing Shadow Strike to its limit as his twin short blades drove straight toward the center of Hu Fangyuan's back.
He was just about to succeed.
Hu Fangyuan seemed not to have noticed.
Just as the short blades came within half a foot of his back.
The clothing across his back suddenly billowed.
A curtain of water instantly spread behind him.
"Pff!"
The twin short blades stabbed into the water curtain, and most of their force was instantly dissipated.
Wang Haoxuan's heart lurched.
He wanted to retreat.
It was already too late.
Hu Fangyuan reached back with his right hand.
His fingers spread, then clenched hard in Wang Haoxuan's direction.
Several Fire Needles shot through gaps in the water curtain, heading straight for his face.
Wang Haoxuan hurriedly pulled his hands back to block.
"Clang, clang, clang!"
The Fire Needles struck his short blades one after another, sending sparks flying. The tremendous impacts numbed his arms and drove him back repeatedly.
Before he could steady himself.
Hu Fangyuan turned.
He swept his left hand.
A densely condensed water blade sliced across toward him.
It moved so fast that it drew a white line.
Wang Haoxuan only had time to twist slightly aside.
"Hiss-"
The water blade grazed his left arm, drawing a trail of blood droplets.
The wound was shallow, but the force was heavy.
Wang Haoxuan's arm went numb, and his short blade clattered to the ground.
He staggered back two steps, clutching his arm, his face pale.
The third was finished too.
In the field, only Jialong and Lin Zunyuan in the rear were still standing.
Jialong panted heavily, his arms covered in wounds, his wolf-transformed body trembling slightly.
Lin Zunyuan gripped his Staff, his face pale. He was only a support and did not even have an offensive Soul Skill. All three fighters had fallen; left on his own, he was no use at all.
Hu Fangyuan slowly turned toward Jialong.
At an unhurried pace, he walked toward him step by step.
Water still flowed slowly around his feet, and fire still flickered faintly at his fingertips.
The twin auras of water and fire swirled around him.
Jialong gritted his teeth and growled, about to charge again.
Lin Zunyuan hurriedly spoke. "Wait!"
Jialong stopped and looked back at him.
Lin Zunyuan gripped his Staff so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. He looked at Hu Fangyuan, then at the three people lying on the ground, and finally gritted his teeth.
"We... surrender."
His words fell.
The battle ended.
Hu Fangyuan withdrew his Soul Skills.
The water and flames around him instantly vanished without a trace.
He stood in the center of the field in clean, tidy cloth clothes, barely even sweating.
Around him, some had collapsed and others lay sprawled on the ground. Not one of Class Four's four members could stand.
Barely a minute had passed from start to finish.
One against four. A complete victory.
The lingering water vapor on the arena mingled with a faint burnt smell, spreading throughout the field as the wind blew. Hu Fangyuan casually brushed a little dust from his cuff and walked steadily off the arena.
Wu Changkong stood at the edge of the arena, his white clothes crisp. Watching him approach, he gave a slight nod, his face showing little expression.
Hu Fangyuan shrugged. "The opponents were too weak. It wasn't much fun."
"Don't get carried away." Wu Changkong glanced at him. "We're fighting Class Three tomorrow. You're up again."
"Got it."
Hu Fangyuan answered, then added, "Teacher Wu, I'm going to stop by the East Sea Trading Company first. I need to pick something up."
"Mm." Wu Changkong waved a hand. "Go on. Be careful on the way."
Hu Fangyuan did not linger. He turned and headed for the academy gates. His retreating figure moved unhurriedly, mingling with the departing crowd, and soon disappeared from view.
Only after he had been gone for quite some time did those around the arena seem to suddenly come to their senses.
Before you continue