Translator: AnubisTL
The whip's shadow danced like a storm as Gu Feng unleashed a flurry of strikes, chasing Shu Yuheng across the field as if beating a drowning dog.
Shu Yuheng's veins bulged on his forehead, beads of sweat rolling down like beans. He wailed incessantly. His will was undoubtedly strong, but the sensation of his soul being torn apart was excruciating. Only by howling could he keep himself from falling unconscious.
What was even more absurd was the silver whip in Gu Feng's hand. It was some kind of bizarre object that couldn't be defended against. Whether it struck his arms or legs, the pain of soul-rending agony was the same.
Furious, his eyes bloodshot, Shu Yuheng knew his current state of being in a sorry escape was undignified, but there was nothing he could do.
He tried to block with his longsword, which had some effect, but not much.
"How can this low-grade Mystic Artifact be so powerful?"
"This weapon is quite formidable, targeting the weak souls of cultivators. It's a pity Shu Yuheng doesn't have a soul-defense treasure. He'll likely suffer a humiliating defeat!"
"Why didn't Gu Feng use this from the start? Always playing with our nerves."
"..."
Watching Shu Yuheng rolling around the field, completely devoid of dignity, the crowd whispered among themselves.
"He's won! Boss Gu has won! Beat that bastard who disrespected me!" Sima Juncong laughed heartily.
"It's not that simple. This weapon likely harms the user as well. Didn't you notice Boss Gu's forehead is also drenched in sweat?" Chao Yuan, frowning, pointed out a subtle detail.
"That's right. This whip is indeed powerful, but it consumes a lot of soul energy." The Soul Shattering Whip originally belonged to A Fei, who had some understanding of its properties.
The truth was indeed so. If it weren't for the whip's special effect on souls, capable of interrupting Spirit Nurturing, Gu Feng wouldn't have brought it out.
At this moment, his head felt heavy, as if his spirit was swaying. According to Zhu Qingyan, the Soul Shattering Whip required a specific Cultivation Method to wield properly. Unfortunately, the Great Ming Divine Master had perished before he could pass on the method to her.
"Stop using it. It's not worth it!" Zhu Qingyan couldn't bear to watch and spoke in a low voice.
"Just a bit longer. It's been a while since I've felt this exhilarated." Gu Feng smirked stubbornly, continuing to wield the whip.
"When you have time, try to find the descendants of the barbarian tribe. You might recover the Cultivation Method for the Soul Shattering Whip!" Zhu Qingyan believed that since A Fei existed, the barbarian tribe couldn't have been completely wiped out. As long as they found the tribe's gathering place, they could likely retrieve the corresponding Cultivation Method.
"Hahaha, so this is your trump card? Too bad, you can't kill me!" After being chased for a while, Gu Feng's movements noticeably slowed, and Shu Yuheng sensed something.
"Ah"
"Can't kill you? Watch my Dog Beating Staff Technique! No Dog Under Heaven!" Gu Feng took a deep breath and unleashed another hundred lashes.
"Staff strikes the mangy dog... Staff flips the dog's body... Staff smashes the dog's head... Chasing the dog in a narrow alley..."
As he struck, Gu Feng muttered under his breath!
The crowd rolled their eyes. It was just a chaotic beating, yet he had come up with technique names!
Shu Yuheng, disheveled and with blood-red eyes, was utterly humiliated. Hearing the scattered laughter around him, he knew he couldn't continue like this.
So, gritting his teeth, he roared, planted his feet, turned around, and clashed head-on with Gu Feng.
Bang—Clang—
The two weapons clashed with intense fervor, sparks flying everywhere, and the sound reverberating through the heavens.
Looking at Shu Yuheng, who was gritting his teeth with a twisted expression, Gu Feng also felt a headache. This was indeed the best way to counter the Soul Shattering Whip at the moment.
The two of them stood face to face, neither willing to retreat even half a step.
This bizarre scene lasted for a long time. At a certain moment, Gu Feng suddenly withdrew the Soul Shattering Whip and once again unleashed the Ten Thousand Beasts Manual, relentlessly pummeling Shu Yuheng.
From this point on, their fierce battle formed a cycle.
Gu Feng would use the Ten Thousand Beasts Manual—Shu Yuheng would open his defenses and counterattack with his sword—Gu Feng would unleash a flurry of fist shadows, pushing the sword's radiance forward—Shu Yuheng would employ Spirit Nurturing—Gu Feng would take out the Soul Shattering Whip, swing it wildly, and then use the Ten Thousand Beasts Manual again...
Over and over, the cycle repeated!
The spectators on the stands exchanged glances, having never seen such a synchronized duel. Both sides countered each other's moves as if they had rehearsed it.
"If they keep fighting like this, it's likely to end in a draw!"
"That's fine, everyone's happy. But what about the Inner and Outer Sects of the Sunset Glow Sect?"
"Gu Feng keeps using the same few moves. Has Shu Yuheng lost his mind? He should know plenty of martial skills!"
"This is probably Shu Yuheng's most helpless choice. Using other martial skills would only make the situation more embarrassing."
"..."
The battle was thrilling, but as time went on, even the audience began to feel a sense of fatigue. Some of the elders yawned, on the verge of dozing off.
In truth, Gu Feng was also at a loss. He still had two ultimate moves he hadn't used: the soul attack Asura and the Ancient Buddha Finger!
It wasn't that he didn't want to use them, but he simply didn't have the chance. These two martial skills were incredibly powerful, either of which could defeat Shu Yuheng. The problem was, they required a long wind-up time—basically a quarter of a breath.
Gu Feng and Shu Yuheng were evenly matched, with victory hanging by a thread. That quarter of a breath, though seemingly short, was enough for Shu Yuheng to seize the opportunity and turn the tables.
Gu Feng was waiting, waiting for Shu Yuheng to make the first move. The hesitation in Shu Yuheng's eyes told him that Shu Yuheng must still have a trump card up his sleeve.
The high-frequency battle lasted for a full hour. Both sides were gasping for breath, drenched in sweat, clearly reaching their limits.
If this continued, the fight would end in a draw. But how could the proud Shu Yuheng accept such an outcome?
And so—
At a certain moment, Shu Yuheng let out a roar and suddenly retreated a hundred meters. The Light-Concealing Shadow Python surged out from his consciousness once more.
The expected attack from Gu Feng didn't come. A cruel smile appeared on Shu Yuheng's lips: "It's over!"
The Light-Concealing Shadow Python coiled and floated in the air, encircling Shu Yuheng's body. Then, both Shu Yuheng and his Spirit Nurturing entity's pupils simultaneously emitted a strange, eerie light.
A dark aura spread across the battlefield, blocking out the sunlight, and an overwhelming pressure descended.
"This... this is the initial stage of Spirit Fusion, which can only be performed at the third level of Spirit Nurturing?" one of the elders exclaimed in shock.
"It's not true Spirit Fusion. Shu Yuheng has only touched the threshold of the third level of Spirit Nurturing. He's forcing the fusion, and it looks like he might succeed," another elder said gravely.
"Shu Yuheng must have used a secret technique. It will damage his martial foundation, which is why he waited until now to use it."
"Gu Feng was careless. He didn't attack immediately, missing the best opportunity."
"This is the disaster caused by the difference in realm understanding. Gu Feng is still in the Innate Realm, unaware of some techniques of the Spirit Nurturing Realm, and thus unprepared."
"..."
The elders whispered among themselves, feeling somewhat regretful.
Gu Feng, who had been dominating the entire match, lost his advantage at the last moment due to carelessness, squandering a great opportunity.
A dark, flowing aura enveloped the martial arena, making it impossible for cultivators below the Innate Realm to see what was happening inside. They could only sense the terrifying, heart-palpitating aura.
Suddenly, two phantom figures appeared at Gu Feng's position—one black and the other golden.
"Amitabha... Amitabha..."
A low chant of Buddhist scriptures began, quickly resonating throughout the entire arena.
Behind Gu Feng, a golden light bloomed, swiftly coalescing into a radiant golden ancient Buddha.
The ancient Buddha's eyes were tightly shut, exuding an aura of compassion and mercy!
Everyone stared at the arena in shock, their eyes filled with awe.
Gu Feng's technique was not yet complete. Almost simultaneously, a pitch-black Asura, wielding a divine sword, burst forth from his forehead and also appeared behind him.
The Asura and the ancient Buddha shone in tandem, their black and golden auras intertwining!
At this moment, Shu Yuheng on the opposite side finished gathering his strength. The Light-Concealing Shadow Python coiled around him opened its mouth and inhaled, sucking in all the Spiritual Power within a radius of several kilometers!
The suction force was so powerful that many disciples in the audience seats were nearly pulled in.
The Light-Concealing Shadow Python's body swelled tenfold, becoming ten times more ferocious.
"Die!!!!"
Shu Yuheng roared, his body and the hundreds-of-meters-long python simultaneously descended.
Instantly, the ground caved in, the audience seats collapsed, and countless cultivators were thrown into disarray. They stared at the colossal python in the sky, their pupils shrinking, feeling an overwhelming sense of insignificance.
Such a formidable move, as if it could annihilate the world!
At the same time, Gu Feng below let out a soft shout. His body slowly lifted off the ground, floating into the air.
The Asura and the ancient Buddha behind him simultaneously attacked!
"Ancient Buddha Finger!" "Asura!"
Golden light scattered across the sky, more intense than the afterglow of the sun. A massive golden finger, over a meter in diameter with clear fingerprints, appeared out of nowhere.
The demonic sword, capable of slaying gods, unleashed its terrifying power. With a single slash, the entire audience felt their heads splitting in pain.
The two attacks merged instantly after being unleashed, striking horizontally at the descending python!
Boom—
A thousandth of a breath later, the collision was fierce.
A hurricane, countless times more violent than a typhoon, swept in all directions.
The Array Formation surrounding the martial arena collapsed in an instant.
Thousands of cultivators were sent flying.
They tumbled through the air, spitting blood, but fortunately, the elders blocked the impact, preventing any casualties.
Everyone, including the elders, stared at the arena in shock, awed by the strength of these two juniors.
They were too powerful. If placed in any other era, they would undoubtedly be the top among the younger generation.
But alas—
Cough—cough—
As the arena calmed down slightly, the figures of the two became visible.
Gu Feng stood to the side, breathing heavily, his body swaying slightly. Shu Yuheng, on the other hand, was kneeling on one knee, vomiting blood profusely.
It was immediately clear to the discerning eyes that Shu Yuheng's aura was weak, his meridians seemed to be severed, and his dantian was severely damaged, leaving him unable to continue fighting!
He had lost!
Shu Yuheng had lost!
"Cough... cough... I... I actually lost!"
Shu Yuheng's face was pale as he muttered to himself, unable to accept the fact of his defeat. He hailed from the capital, where his father held the prestigious position of the Imperial City Guard Commander. From a young age, he had been hailed as a prodigy, and even in the capital, few could match his talent.
He had always been ambitious, believing himself to be second to none. He was the one who challenged others beyond his level; no one could challenge him beyond theirs.
Gu Feng's provocation was seen as an insult by him, as he genuinely believed the other party was unworthy of challenging him.
But—
Reality was too cruel; he had actually lost.
He tried to get up, but it was futile, and he collapsed to the ground.
A wave of sighs filled the air, marveling at Gu Feng's strength and lamenting Shu Yuheng's defeat.
At this moment, the outcome was clear, and the only suspense was whether Gu Feng would kill Shu Yuheng.
"To be fair, there is no life-or-death enmity between us, but unfortunately, this battle was to the death..."
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Gu Feng slowly stepped forward, directly approaching Shu Yuheng: "If you have any last words, say them now, as your final testament."
"I had hoped to seize the position of the Sunset Glow Sect Master... return to the capital in glory... enter the Grand Harmony Academy... and if a great war were to come, I would go to fight the enemy... gain some status... have my father arrange a marriage for me... but alas... I lost!"
Shu Yuheng spoke slowly, his tone tinged with sorrow.
Only then did the crowd realize that Shu Yuheng's aspirations were simple. He harbored no ambition to dominate the world, nor did he aspire to reach the pinnacle of power. He merely wished to marry the woman he loved.
But all of this was just his wishful thinking.
Alas—
He was a pitiable man.
Gu Feng remained silent. Seeing that Shu Yuheng had nothing more to say, he extended a finger, pointing it at the other's forehead.
Regardless of the reason, since enmity had already been formed, he would kill.
"The Crown Prince wishes to spare Shu Yuheng's life!"
(End of the Chapter)
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