Luo Liang felt a sharp, piercing pain in his wrist, but his defense held, the golden-jade luster swirling around it unbroken.

He steeled himself. ’Just as I thought. As long as he doesn’t use a Spiritual Attack, his Spear Technique can’t break my defense!’

Just as he was about to press forward, Xu Wuyi’s spear struck and retracted in a flash, clinging to him like a persistent shadow. It then transformed into a sky full of afterimages, engulfing him like a sudden, violent squall.

Slashes, thrusts, taps, flicks, sweeps... Xu Wuyi executed the Basic Spear Technique with casual mastery, his movements flowing together seamlessly.

Every thrust of his spear contained immense Qi and Blood Power, along with a latent Intention that grew hotter and hotter.

Luo Liang roared again and again, his fists a blur as he tried to meet offense with offense and break through the flurry of spear strikes.

But for all its ferocity, his Fist Technique was always a beat too slow against Xu Wuyi’s spear, which moved as if it had eyes of its own, easily deflecting his blows.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!

The sound of relentless collisions filled the air.

Relying on the formidable defense of his Golden Jade Skills, Luo Liang often didn’t even bother to dodge, taking the spear strikes head-on with his body in an attempt to close the distance.

However, Xu Wuyi’s Body Technique was just as agile. He used Instant Shadow Step to pull away at the last possible moment every time.

The situation on the stage devolved into what looked like a stalemate, but was in reality a war of attrition where one side was completely on the defensive, taking a relentless beating.

...

「West Courtyard Rest Area.」

"Xu Wuyi’s Martial Arts are brilliant!" Qin Rui couldn’t help but exclaim. "If this were just a match of Martial Techniques, Luo Liang would’ve been dead ten times over. It’s only his Golden Jade Skills keeping him in this."

"He was the top scorer on the entrance exams. Of course he doesn’t have any weaknesses," Xu Zhi said with a smile.

He was one of the first people at the university to have sparred with Xu Wuyi.

Back then, Xu Wuyi didn’t have all these inscrutable techniques. Even after lowering his Energy Level to match him and competing purely in Martial Arts, he still hadn’t fallen behind.

...

「On the stage.」

Xu Wuyi’s Qi and Blood was deep and enduring, his control exquisite. The power in each thrust was focused and didn’t dissipate, making his energy consumption minimal.

Luo Liang, on the other hand, was completely different. Every time he blocked a spear strike or unleashed his Fist Force in a counterattack, he had to consume a massive amount of Qi and Blood to maintain both the defense and offense of his Golden Jade Skills.

What horrified him even more was the searing aura on the tip of Xu Wuyi’s spear. It seemed to pierce through the golden-jade luster on his skin, seeping into his body bit by bit.

The aura clung to him like a plague, slowly burning his Qi and Blood and meridians.

At first, the sensation was faint, and Luo Liang paid it no mind, assuming it was just a peculiar attribute of his opponent’s Qi and Blood.

But as time went on, the burning sensation grew more and more intense.

The circulation of Qi and Blood within him grew sluggish, as if he had been thrown into an invisible Melting Furnace, where it was being slowly refined and boiled away!

’What’s happening?! His Qi and Blood... there’s something strange about it!’

Sweat began to bead on Luo Liang’s forehead. The golden-jade luster on his skin still shone brightly, but his face was gradually turning flush red, and his breathing grew ragged.

He felt like a frog in slowly boiling water. He couldn’t see any fatal blows, yet his strength and energy were draining away at an alarming rate.

In the stands, many sharp-eyed spectators also began to notice something was amiss.

"It looks like Xu Wuyi isn’t using his Spiritual Power?"

"Is this a pure contest of Martial Techniques and Qi and Blood?"

"Luo Liang’s defense is holding, but... have his movements gotten slower?"

In the North Courtyard’s rest area, Zhao Qingwei’s fine brows knitted together, a flicker of gravity in her cool eyes.

She could see that Luo Liang’s defeat was already certain.

Xu Wuyi’s fighting style was even more despair-inducing than Tana’s brutal Heavy Hammer.

The Heavy Hammer was about brute-force destruction, whereas Xu Wuyi’s method was an insidious refinement, specifically designed to counter opponents with strong defenses like Luo Liang.

More importantly, while Luo Liang had his Golden Jade Skills, his Martial Arts and explosive power were subpar. He was completely incapable of threatening Xu Wuyi.

’It seems I can’t even count on him to complete the plan,’ she thought. ’Forget about draining Xu Wuyi’s Spiritual Power or injuring him; he probably won’t even be able to drain much of his stamina.’

Over in the East Courtyard, Shen Wei watched, dumbfounded. He muttered, "Old Xu... this is just too vicious. Is he trying to refine Luo Liang like a medicinal herb?"

On the stage, Luo Liang’s struggles grew increasingly feeble.

He tried to unleash a burst of power and force his way closer, but Xu Wuyi’s Spear Technique was like an iron wall, always forcing him back.

He could feel his Qi and Blood thinning, and waves of searing pain pulsed through his meridians. Even maintaining his Golden Jade Skills had become incredibly difficult.

The golden-jade luster on his skin remained, but it seemed to have lost its inner support, appearing somewhat ethereal and unstable.

"No... impossible!" Luo Liang’s eyes were bloodshot, a mixture of indignation and fear swirling within them.

He had painstakingly cultivated a Spirit Defense Secret Technique, only for his opponent to not use a single Spiritual Attack.

He had been confident in his invincible defense, only for his opponent to use this "boiling a frog" method to slowly drain him of his life!

Xu Wuyi’s expression remained perfectly calm from start to finish.

When he had advanced to the rank of Martial Artist, his Qi and Blood had been tempered by Heart Fire, transforming it into a purer form. Its total volume and purity were already far beyond that of his peers, and the trace of the Heart Fire’s characteristic that came with it granted a continuous burning effect.

This burning effect was a product of the Spirit interfering with reality, but because it originated from his Heart Fire, it didn’t require Xu Wuyi to expend his own Spirit to use. It was a passive effect.

Against an "iron-shelled turtle" like Luo Liang, this was the most effective method.

Finally, after another futile charge was repelled by a tap of the long spear, the golden-jade luster on Luo Liang’s body flickered violently like a candle in the wind, then suddenly winked out!

The Qi and Blood in his body had been completely burned away by the Heart Fire!

Luo Liang’s face was deathly pale. His body swayed, and he struggled just to remain standing.

Xu Wuyi gave him no chance to recover, not even bothering to use a Martial Technique.

He simply took a step forward and, with an almost casual motion, thrust his spear forward like a common jab.

SHINK!

The tip of the spear slid into Luo Liang’s throat without any resistance.

Luo Liang’s eyes widened. A gurgling sound escaped his throat as, filled with endless frustration, he dissipated into a flash of white light.

"East Courtyard, Xu Wuyi is the victor!"

The referee’s announcement rang out, but the arena fell into an eerie silence.

Many people were still processing what had just happened.

Compared to Tana’s smashing hammer or Zhao Qingwei’s swordplay, this battle had been far from visually spectacular. It also lacked the bizarre dominance of Xu Wuyi’s instant kill against Li Hao.

The entire fight had seemed overly "plain," even a little dull.

But it was this very plainness that sent a chill down everyone’s spines.

They had just witnessed how a powerful defensive opponent had his Qi and Blood ground away bit by bit, until he was left powerless and easily killed.

Such a defeat was more demoralizing than being killed in a single blow.

Xu Wuyi withdrew his spear and stood tall, his breathing even, as if he had just completed a simple warm-up.

He had barely broken a sweat.

His calm gaze shifted to the North Courtyard’s rest area, falling upon the coolly aloof young woman who was slowly rising to her feet.

Zhao Qingwei.

The real challenge was about to begin.