Chapter 58: Chapter Fifty-Four: Winning Strategy
Translator: 549690339
Tang Luo glanced briefly at the three students from Cultivation Ground No.2 on the stage, only to feel a splitting headache.
Chai Pengfei 999 (1516), FangXinghan 999 (1002), Teng Liyan 999 (788).
All of them were at the peak of the Mortal Realm, especially the gatekeeper Chai Pengfei. He was halfway to breaking through the Mortal Realm within the next year or so. How could they fight against that?
In spite of the fact that the modified martial arts did have a lot more power, the problem was that Tang Luo had already submitted many of his improved techniques to the Martial Hall when taking Yellow Rank techniques from the library room.
These students of Cultivation Ground N0.2 were undoubtedly beneficiaries of the improved techniques.
At this point, Tang Luo truly felt as if he had bound himself in his spin.
Their realm fell behind, and the advantage in martial arts techniques had been levelled.
For the three students before him to defeat the lineup on the other side, even Tang Luo himself felt it was asking the impossible.
Regardless, things do not always go as planned. All they could do was to strive to live without regrets.
“You three, as long as you can draw out the gatekeeper, Chai Pengfei, it’s enough,’1 Tang Luo set the tone for the first battle.
The three students looked at each other in dismay. It wasn’t that they were afraid to fight; it was just that the mortal rank armor reward for the first place was too appealing. If they lost in the first round, they would not be satisfied no matter what.
They all have the same spirit, so who would fear whom?
The three of them suddenly erupted in high spirits, seemingly wanting to prove something, their eyes staring intently at Tang Luo.
It was truly difficult to explain to these hot-blooded youths. If their few months of intense training and fighting spirit could defeat the trio, then what was the years of gruelling training of the others for?
But since they had decided to do what they could, Tang Luo still needed to do the detailed planning.
He began to deploy tactics and gave instructions to the first youngster to go out: “Teng Liyan practices the ‘Heart Piercing Kick’. Remember, dodge it but never block it. The moment you block the first kick, it’s all over.”
“Why?” The stubborn Zhan Ping wanted answers.
Tang Luo’s looked grim. “I discovered that ‘Heart Piercing Kick’ and ‘Flying Stars Serial’ are similar in energy movement and the Explosion Acupoint used, so I improved it by combining the advantages of both. The current ‘Heart Piercing Kick’ contains residual power and has the effect of force stacking. Hence…”
Seeing the desperate look in Zhan Ping’s eyes, Tang Luo felt sorry and thought he should comfort him.
“But it’s not all bad news!”
A glimmer of hope sparked in the youngster’s eyes.
Tang Luo coughed once before speaking, unsure if he was offering any real advice: “Because the first chain of Flying Stars Serial’ requires a massive condensation of Spiritual Power and carries the residual force of the ‘Heart Piercing Kick’, the recovery time is long and it can’t be used as an opening move. As Teng Liyan isn’t good at fist techniques, once you get on stage, use the ‘Shadow Moon Fist’ to shroud the entire stage in black fog for close combat. There may still be a chance.”
“Really, Instructor Tang?” Zhan Ping’s eyes were glittering with stars as he looked at Tang Luo.
“Would I lie? Go on, young man!” Tang Luo encouragingly patted Zhan Ping’s shoulder, a look of guilt on his face.
Zhan Ping, full of confidence, stepped onto the stage and began the first match of the competition.
Teng Liyan, now sixteen years old, reached the peak of Mortal Realm two years after his Foundation Building at the age of ten. He was now accumulating power to break through the Mortal Realm but originally did not want to participate in this competition. Unfortunately, he had bad luck and drew one of the only three short straws from the bamboo tube.
Right, that’s how casual Cultivation Ground N0.2 was. Not just who participated, but the very decision was determined by drawing straws.
They believed that except for students who had been in Cultivation Ground N0.2 for less than two years, everyone else had the strength to challenge anyone from Cultivation Ground N0.3, regardless of their might in Spiritual Power.
The fight between Cultivation Ground N0.2 and N0.7 was arranged on the central stage. After all, being the seed cultivation ground of the Martial Hall, they deserved to be put in the spotlight.
Tang Bin, however, felt torn that Cultivation Ground N0.7 had to face Cultivation Ground N0.2 in the first round. As one of the few people who knew the inside story, he understood that if Fang Han were here, there might be a chance to compete with Cultivation Ground N0.2 this year. Alas, if only…
With a sigh, the two fighters for the first round had already taken their positions on the stage.
“Begin.” As the referee for the main stage, Tang Bin kick-started the fight.
As soon as the referee’s words were uttered, Teng Liyan charged toward Zhan Ping with agility, using only one step. For him, staying on the same stage with a greenhorn who wasn’t even at the peak of the Mortal Realm was a humiliation every second.
To resolve this in one move, Teng Liyan focused his energy on his legs. His already tall and sturdy legs swelled once more, fitting his trousers tightly like two iron pillars.
At the other end, Zhan Ping adhered to Tang Luo’s instruction, not dealing with his attacking opponent but using the “Shadow Cloud Dark Shield” from the “Shadow Moon Fist” to shroud half of the stage in shadow.
Teng Liyan plunged into the black fog, losing his sight. However, his rich combat experience led him to switch to “Battle Axe Large Whirl”, where he inverted his body with his hands supporting the ground, and his legs spinning like a windmill, slashing towards the center of the black fog.
If Zhan Ping initially considered defeating Teng Liyan possible upon entering the stage, the “Battle Axe Full Circle” move made him realize there was no chance. Even when his opponent lost sight, the attack itself was enough to result in death. And with Teng Liyan spinning upside down, upper body facing downward, his only option to attack would be entering Teng’s spinning axis.
This scenario overwhelmed Zhan Ping, who was only proficient in hand combat.
Although he also lost his vision, the shadow casting over the area was formed by Zhan Ping’s spiritual power, acting as his sense of touch. Hence, he understood Teng Liyan’s positioning very well. Zhan Ping had no other choice but to discreetly hide in the dead zone of Teng’s rotation.
Blinded and unable to locate his target, Teng Liyan was secretly anxious.
Although the “Battle Axe Full Circle” provided both offensive and defensive strengths, the energy consumption was not less than maintaining the shadow cast. If the opponent decided to engage in a prolonged hide-and-seek battle, he would not last long, and humiliation from his peers at the Cultivation Ground would ensue.
Having considered this, Teng Liyan made a cold hum and prepared to break through the situation. His legs abruptly stopped spinning towards the sky, and pushing his palms forcefully, his body sprung into the air.
After one somersault, he raised his right leg high, like an upright letter “I”. His spiritual power wildly flowed into his right leg, causing it to glow brightly.
The “Giant Spirit Stomp” crashed down from the heavens.
“Boom!”
Amidst the colossal noise, Teng Liyan once again stepped into the shadow. His powerful strike created a large pit in the center of the shadowy ground, making spider-web-like cracks that instantly spread across the entire stage.
The earth relayed a substantial amount of information to Teng Liyan, enabling him, despite his blindness, to sense the enemy’s location on the stage.
Zhan Ping was just behind him!
Startled, Teng Liyan wanted to turn around hurriedly and seize the attack. However, his right leg was still numb from using the Giant Spirit Stomp, which caught him off guard, freezing him in place.
In a bad situation. Teng Liyan cursed inwardly, already sensing the incoming punch on his back.
If he was hit, the consequences would be more severe than just losing face.
Cold light flickered in Teng Liyan’s eyes. Ignoring the numbness in his right leg, he forcefully kicked backward with his left leg.
While his leg was longer than his hands, it was still a bit too slow.
As Zhan Ping’s fists hit Teng Liyan’s back, Teng’s stomach received a strong kick in return.
The immense power threw Zhan Ping off, caused him intense stomach discomfort, and even his strength to maintain the shadow faded.
The black shadow that covered half of the stage dispersed. Teng Liyan was knocked to the ground, while Zhan Ping was sent flying.
It was a draw, much to the surprise of the spectators.
Tang Luo, however, sighed in disappointment from beneath the stage.
If Zhan Ping had directly dissolved the shadow maintaining strength on the stage and seized the opportunity when Teng Liyan was catching his breath to counterattack with the “Broken Moon” style from the “Shadow Moon Fist”.
The opponent would not have merely been knocked to the ground. With a deathblow on his back, just one heavy punch would have disarmed Teng Liyan completely, ensuring a sure victory in the ring fight.
In the end, Zhan Ping was still fond of the cumbersome shadow, missing his only winning chance.
By the time Teng Liyan managed to roll and stand again, Zhan Ping had just fallen to the ground and was still reeling from the severe pain in his stomach.
Before Zhan Ping had stood up, Teng Liyan had already stamped his foot beside his face. The sound of the ground cracking and the dust stirred left Zhan Ping momentarily stunned.
“Victory to Teng Liyan,” Tang Bin declared the result of the fight loudly.
Did he lose? The painful closure of his eyes scores Zhan Ping’s disappointment. Not merely due to the loss, but because he realized that if he had intentionally dissolved the shadow himself, he could have won the match.
“You are strong.” Teng Liyan extended his hand to help Zhan Ping up, praising him.
Zhan Ping stumbled off the stage, ashamed of facing his teammates. He sat, head hung low, next to Tang Luo.
“You fought well,” Tang Luo consoled in a soft voice.
Tears blurred Zhan Ping’s eyes instantly. He covered his face with his hand, hoping to hide them.
That is, don’t dwell too much on those cumbersome shadows.”
Tang Luo patted Zhan Ping’s back, and he finally succumbed to a loud cry.
Some simple lessons may become apparent only in life or death situations. Getting insight through a single stage fight was a bonus..
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