Chapter 588 - 370: Challenge
Chapter 588: Chapter 370: Challenge
"The Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique!"
"Sun Tao has mastered the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique."
The scene unfolding on Sun Tao left many completely speechless.
This was one of the top-tier cultivation techniques in the Celestial Strategy Academy. It was said that once mastered, a practitioner could stand toe-to-toe with Spirit Bone Celestial Prides. Although this was the crowd’s first time witnessing it, they would never mistake it.
That unparalleled, domineering aura could only be emitted by a top-tier cultivation technique like the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique.
"Brother Sun is certainly decisive!" Gu Qingfeng chuckled.
While Gu Qingfeng was still stubbornly cultivating a Spirit Bone Technique, vainly trying to prove he was no weaker than a Spirit Bone Celestial Pride, Sun Tao hadn’t even bothered attempting it. He had decisively chosen the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique.
"Senior Brother Sun hasn’t had much time since his rise to prominence. He can’t afford to take his time experimenting," Xu Yang murmured.
Xu Yang understood his choice. Sun Tao had too many shortcomings; to catch up to geniuses like Gu Qingfeng, he couldn’t afford to waste a single second. More importantly, Sun Tao knew how to take advice instead of being blindly arrogant. Xu Yang had previously warned him about the extreme difficulty of cultivating a Spirit Bone Technique, and Sun Tao had clearly taken those words to heart.
BOOM!
Purple Gang Yuan surged around Sun Tao’s entire body. With a vast aura crashing like a raging storm, he struck out with his palm to meet Wan He’s incoming attack.
This palm strike was like rumbling thunder, sweeping away everything in its path with overwhelming force. Following a resounding boom, Wan He was immediately sent flying backward even faster than he had approached.
He let out a muffled groan as his bones and sinews popped and cracked. The Martial Dao Imagery behind his back instantly dissipated. He was nearly blasted right off the arena. Only at the very last second did his Martial Dao Imagery reemerge, arresting his backward momentum.
"Another one trying to pick up a cheap win, only to kick a steel plate."
"It’s been three months since entering the Celestial Strategy Academy, and Sun Tao has truly grown."
"He actually thought Sun Tao was still the same guy from the Dragon Ascension Selection."
"With Sun Tao’s comprehension, three months is more than enough time for him to undergo an earth-shaking transformation."
The crowd erupted into an uproar, completely astounded by Sun Tao’s performance.
After all, Wan He was the nineteenth-ranked genius on the Lingyun List. Yet, he had nearly been knocked out of the ring with a single palm strike. The gap in strength between the two was simply too immense.
"Is this the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique? It’s so fierce! He’s only achieved a rudimentary mastery of it, unleashing just a fraction of its potential."
"There’s no need to stubbornly cling to Spirit Bone Techniques. The Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique is in no way inferior."
Sun Tao’s entire display could be attributed to the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique. In an instant, many students who still harbored hopes of mastering a Spirit Bone Technique finally let go of their obsession.
"Sun Tao isn’t this fierce just because of the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique. Didn’t you see? His Eight Ferocious Hidden Dragon Strength has also reached the Minor Achievement Realm! The boost it gives to his Combat Power is even higher than Xu Yang’s."
"The Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique is powerful, but just look at Sun Tao’s Gang Yuan—his energy conversion hasn’t even finished yet. That palm strike had a lot to do with the Eight Ferocious Hidden Dragon Strength."
A few discerning spectators recognized that Sun Tao had also cultivated the Eight Ferocious Hidden Dragon Strength. The amplification to his Combat Power was already around one-and-a-half times—an even greater boost than what Xu Yang had achieved.
The Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique was undeniably formidable, but that palm strike largely owed its success to the Eight Ferocious Hidden Dragon Strength. Because Sun Tao’s mastery of the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique was only at the beginner level and his energy conversion remained incomplete, its raw might was still somewhat limited.
"Well, do you want to continue?" Sun Tao slowly withdrew his palm. Light purple Gang Yuan flowed across his flesh as he looked at Wan He with a smile.
"Brother Sun’s talent is astounding. I concede." Wan He retracted his aura, harboring no intentions of dragging this fight on.
Now that Sun Tao had mastered the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique, he was no longer a match for him—unless he could master the technique as well.
Soon, the two stepped off the arena. A flock of Basic Class A students immediately swarmed Sun Tao, peppering him with questions about the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique. Xu Yang wanted to go over and congratulate him but couldn’t even squeeze through the crowd.
"Are there any other challengers? If anyone wishes to challenge someone from Basic Class A, you may speak up now," Jin Yu called out, standing on the arena and sweeping his gaze across everyone present.
Li Chuyang’s battle intent abruptly flared up as he looked at Xu Yang, but he ultimately held himself back. With Xu Yang’s physical body having advanced another step, Li Chuyang currently didn’t have much confidence in securing a victory against him.
After a brief moment of thought, Xu Yang spoke up, "This student wishes to challenge the nineteenth-ranked Wan He."
He had an enormous deficit in credits. He could only do his best to secure the credits that were within his reach without exposing his true bottom line. As for why he chose Wan He? Since this guy had tried to treat Sun Tao like an easy target, Xu Yang saw no need to be polite. Besides, defeating him would smoothly place Xu Yang in the top twenty. That way, over the next three months, his subsidized credits would slightly increase.
Everyone’s gaze instantly snapped toward Xu Yang, their surprise mixed with a bit of understanding. With the breakthrough in his Body Refining Cultivation, he had become the third person after Lu Wei and Tu Gang to achieve Qi and Blood Transformation. His ranking really could be pushed up a bit further.
"He certainly deserves a higher rank, but challenging Wan He is far too unwise. Wan He only bowed his head and conceded because Sun Tao cultivated the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique. What does Xu Yang have?" Yuan Chengji laughed, not thinking highly of Xu Yang’s chances.
"To think he actually wants to break into the top twenty. He’s overestimating himself," Huo Xiaochen sneered.
"Xu Yang, don’t be impulsive. There’s still a gap between you and Wan He. Just because Senior Brother Sun defeated him easily doesn’t mean you can, too," Lu Ren said, tugging at Xu Yang’s sleeve, equally pessimistic.
"Xu Yang, did you think that beating a piece of trash like Du Ziming makes you qualified to challenge me?" Wan He shot him a dark, gloomy glare, acting as though being challenged by Xu Yang was some sort of deep humiliation.
In his eyes, the underlying message was glaringly obvious. He had just suffered a defeat at Sun Tao’s hands, and in the blink of an eye, Sun Tao’s junior brother was stepping up to challenge him. This wasn’t just targeted; it was outright contempt. Xu Yang clearly thought that because he couldn’t beat Sun Tao, he was an easy target.
"Wan He, you absolute idiot!" Before Xu Yang could even reply, Du Ziming, who had been meditating on the ground, couldn’t help but curse out loud. "If you want to talk, just fucking talk—why the hell do you have to step on me while you’re at it?!"
"You were beaten half to death with a single punch. If you aren’t a piece of trash, what are you?" Wan He mocked.
Du Ziming flew into a rage. "You shameless prick! You couldn’t beat Sun Tao yourself, so you’re throwing a tantrum at me? It’s fine for you to challenge others, but no one is allowed to challenge you? The look on your face right now is downright pathetic!"
The crowd was left entirely dumbfounded. Xu Yang hadn’t even started fighting Wan He yet, but Du Ziming had already gotten into a shouting match with him.
But honestly speaking, Wan He was indeed acting like a sore loser. Xu Yang had merely challenged him, yet he had reacted as if someone stepped on his tail—mocking Xu Yang and dragging Du Ziming through the mud in the same breath. His pettiness was glaring. When he challenged Sun Tao earlier, Sun Tao had accepted it with a smile.
"Shut up, all of you!" Jin Yu shot a cold look at Wan He. "Enough nonsense. Xu Yang has issued a challenge. Now, set the time."
Faced with Jin Yu, Wan He didn’t dare act unruly. He turned his chilling gaze back to Xu Yang. "There’s no time like the present. We’ll do it right now."
With that, he took a step forward, tearing through the air to land heavily on the arena. "Come up and fight. I’ll make you realize that even if I lost to Sun Tao, I am far beyond your ability to challenge."
He truly didn’t put Xu Yang in his eyes. If Sun Tao hadn’t suddenly mastered the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique, it would still have been completely unknown who would emerge victorious today. He had only surrendered so decisively because he realized he wouldn’t be a match for Sun Tao if the fight dragged on—not because Sun Tao had outright defeated him in a single move.
"Be careful. This man’s Palm Force is extremely ferocious." Sun Tao ignored the ongoing chatter from the crowd, squeezing his way through to warn Xu Yang.
"Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I know what I’m doing." Xu Yang nodded, then turned and stepped onto the arena.
"Sparring must stop at the appropriate point. You are not allowed to intentionally injure or kill. Begin," Jin Yu warned the two impending combatants as per usual. Real animosity had flared up between the two; this was no longer a simple challenge. If he didn’t give a stern warning, they might end up crossing the line.
Xu Yang smiled at Wan He and cupped his fists. "Brother Wan, excuse my offense."
Wan He snorted coldly. "Cut the crap. Exchange a blow with me first, and let me see exactly how capable a Qi and Blood Transformation body really is."
BOOM! BOOM!
A tyrannical aura exploded from his body, causing the Power of Heaven and Earth to tremble in resonance. Although he verbally looked down on Xu Yang, he had never actually fought a Body Refining Martial Artist who possessed Qi and Blood Transformation. The very first thing he did was circulate his Combat Power-amplifying Secret Technique and his Martial Dao Imagery.
Taking a single step, the Gang Yuan beneath his feet erupted. Wan He’s body abruptly vanished from his original spot. The Gang Yuan surging all over him gathered into his hands like rushing water. Driven by the Power of Heaven and Earth, his large hand—covered in thick layers of Gang Yuan—barreled straight toward Xu Yang’s chest, carrying a tyrannical Force akin to a landslide or an earth-shattering quake.
"Then let’s exchange a blow!"
At the exact same time, Xu Yang activated both the Bright King Unmoving Body and the Eight Ferocious Hidden Dragon Strength. A Ming King Illusion stepped out from the void, taking a single stride to merge seamlessly into his body.
Vigorous Qi-Blood erupted from his frame like roaring flames. Amidst a cacophony of popping bones and cracking sinews, he instantly transformed into a towering giant over two meters tall. The muscles covering his body coiled like massive pythons, straining his clothes to the point of nearly bursting.
"I still lack a Treasure Robe," Xu Yang thought, frowning inwardly. If he didn’t restrain himself and pushed the Bright King Unmoving Body to its absolute limits, his height would swell to roughly two and a half meters, shredding his shirt and pants entirely. Thus, the Bright King Unmoving Body he was currently utilizing wasn’t its strongest state; a portion of its power remained deliberately suppressed.
BOOM!
Pure physical strength exploded. As Xu Yang took a step forward, his body tore through the air, producing a muffled roar. With Qi-Blood boiling all over him, he faced Wan He’s incoming palm and countered with a palm strike of his own, not dodging in the slightest.
His extreme physical strength punched a hole right through the air, causing white waves of vapor to continuously churn. His spine coiled tightly like a drawn bow, sending wave after wave of power straight into his arm.
BANG!
As the two palms collided, dazzling light completely engulfed both of them. A deafening blast, like a clap of thunder, pierced eardrums as a visible shockwave swept outward from the epicenter of their palms. Even the Power of Heaven and Earth they had drawn upon was violently shattered.
The rune-carved arena seemed to tremble under the impact, its runes suddenly lighting up all at once.
Below the stage, those Basic-level Students at the Celestial Essence First Layer revealed expressions of pain. Feeling their eardrums throb and a stifling weight press down on their chests, they couldn’t hide the sheer horror written on their faces. Even separated by a distance of over twenty zhang, they still couldn’t withstand the aftershocks of the clash. If they had been any closer, they might have been shaken to death on the spot.
It had to be known that they weren’t ordinary martial artists—they were geniuses talented enough to enter the Celestial Strategy Academy. Yet, when compared to those at the forefront of the Lingyun List, the disparity was simply too vast.
"Xu Yang blocked it!"
"He actually met Wan He head-on!"
"It looks like Wan He couldn’t do anything to him."
With the dazzling light submerging both combatants, the crowd couldn’t see clearly what was happening.