Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

Chapter 322: Chapter 182: Face Stomping

WHOOSH!

The entire arena was in an uproar over Xie Zhan’s defeat.

Xie Zhan had once been the sixth of the Ten Heroes. He became the seventh after being defeated by Lu Ren, but he later underwent Marrow Cleansing before Lu Ren did. Everyone had believed he was the rightful sixth.

To think that after losing to Lu Ren, he would once again be defeated by someone ranked below him—and it was none other than Xu Yang, the one who had always been the most overlooked.

"He even defeated Xie Zhan. He might actually be able to challenge for the top three," Ding Xu said, his eyes wide.

He hadn’t thought Xu Yang could make it into the top three before, because both Xie Zhan and Lu Ren had their breakthroughs earlier than Xu Yang did.

Now that Xu Yang had defeated Xie Zhan, he only needed to beat Lu Ren to secure a spot in the top three.

And from the look of things, it looked very likely that Lu Ren would lose, too.

’I was so foolish. If I had just listened to Sujie, he would be the pride of the Yuan Family right now, our future Stabilizing Needle.’

Yuan Gang was filled with bitter regret as he watched Xie Zhan fall.

The Yuan Family, as it was now, was in no position to recruit a genius like Xu Yang. He wouldn’t even glance at the pittance they could offer.

’Xie Zhan actually lost!’ Lu Ren was shaken to the core.

He had fought Xie Zhan last year and knew just how formidable he was. Even this year, he wasn’t confident he could beat Xie Zhan.

Yet Xu Yang had still defeated Xie Zhan, and he’d made it look easy.

Although they had fought for over a hundred moves, Xie Zhan’s saber had never once struck Xu Yang.

’Xie Zhan was no match for him!’ Su Zhe’s face was filled with astonishment. He increasingly felt like a pathetic clown.

"Thank you, Brother Xu!"

Xu Yang carried Xie Zhan’s saber off the stage. After returning it to him, he made a show of finding a corner to sit down, meditate, and recover.

The competition continued. It was Lu Ren’s turn to go on stage and fight Xiong Kun.

After a fierce battle of two hundred moves, Lu Ren was blasted off the stage by Xiong Kun.

Lu Ren gasped for breath, feeling indignant. He could still fight; he had only been knocked off the stage due to a moment of carelessness. If the fight had continued, he felt he could have beaten Xiong Kun.

Now, he had to defeat both Xu Yang and Xie Zhan to place in the top three.

As for Han Feng, he had no confidence. Han Feng was far stronger than Xiong Kun.

"Which one of you is coming up to fight me?"

Han Feng, who had a bye, stepped onto the stage. His gaze fell upon Xu Yang and Xie Zhan. Since all five had to fight each other, there was no need for drawing lots.

Xie Zhan hesitated. That finger strike from Xu Yang had been terrifying, and his hand was still aching. He didn’t want to go up yet.

"I’ll do it!" Xu Yang said with a smile.

He wasn’t aiming for first or second place anyway; securing third was enough. After getting on stage and fighting for a hundred moves, he deliberately revealed an opening to Han Feng and was blasted off the stage.

"Brother Han’s Cultivation is profound. I am impressed," Xu Yang said, clasping his hands earnestly.

"Brother Xu isn’t weak either!"

Han Feng was suspicious. ’Something is off about this victory. We fought for a hundred moves, and he showed no sign of losing. How did I suddenly blast him off the stage?’

After a short rest, Xie Zhan and Xiong Kun took the stage. In less than two hundred moves, Xie Zhan was defeated by Xiong Kun.

"It’s you and me now!"

Lu Ren opened his eyes from his meditation. A sharp light burst forth from them, his fighting spirit soaring.

After three years, he finally had another chance to fight Xu Yang. His fighting spirit was higher than ever before.

In the Martial Arts Arena, everyone’s eyes turned toward the two of them.

It was common knowledge that the two were fated rivals. They had been compared since their very first day of martial arts training. Whenever Xu Yang was mentioned, Lu Ren’s name was sure to come up.

This was because Lu Ren, the one with the greater reputation as a genius, had once been defeated by Xu Yang.

"You seem to have used up a lot of energy just now. Why don’t you rest a while longer? I’m not in a hurry. I wouldn’t want you to lose and then complain that you weren’t in peak condition," Xu Yang said with a smile.

Lu Ren’s surging fighting spirit instantly faltered. He snorted coldly and said, "No need."

The battle intent he had been building up all day was effortlessly shattered by Xu Yang just like that. He could only stride toward the stage.

"Finally, we get to see Brother Xu and Lu Ren face off again," Qiu Wenjie said, a little excited.

Only someone like him, who had witnessed Xu Yang’s journey from the beginning, could understand the significance of another showdown between Xu Yang and Lu Ren.

"My brother will definitely put him in his place. If he can beat him once, he can beat him twice," Xu Qing said confidently.

Zhang Yong shook his head. "Don’t underestimate him. Lu Ren’s character might be lacking, but his talent is truly formidable.

There’s a reason he’s so resentful. Back in that year’s Martial Arts Examination, he really did have to fight through many grueling matches before facing Xu Yang.

If both of them had been in peak condition for that fight, it’s hard to say who would have won."

Zhang Yong was well-qualified to speak on Lu Ren’s talent.

Even though Xu Yang had also undergone Marrow Cleansing and had even revealed his Golden Gang Qi, he still believed their chances of winning were fifty-fifty.

Lu Ren held a deep grudge against Xu Yang. In a duel between them, Lu Ren was bound to erupt with extraordinary combat prowess.

"Lu Ren will definitely lose!" Sun Tao said with a laugh.

Even Li Chuyang might not be able to beat Xu Yang, let alone a mere Lu Ren.

’As if what Xu Yang has shown in this tournament is the full extent of his power.’

"Can he really defeat Lu Ren again?"

This thought rose in the minds of everyone in the audience.

"Come on! Back in the Martial Arts Examination, my hands were tied, and I couldn’t fight to my heart’s content. Today, let’s fight it out!"

Lu Ren declared heroically, unleashing his Cultivation without reservation as his fighting spirit soared.

A powerful pressure swept out, and the stage rumbled. The fighting spirit radiating from him was far greater than when he had faced Xiong Kun.

Crimson Gang Qi flowed around his body, burning like a blazing fire.

BOOM!

Lu Ren moved, striking first.

He stomped his right foot hard on the stage. With a loud RUMBLE, the platform itself sank slightly.

Using the force of that rebound, his body suddenly vanished from its spot. Wreathed in a tidal wave of Gang Qi, his large hand crashed down on Xu Yang like a monstrous billow.

His bones and sinews boomed, and his arms swelled a size larger as Gang Qi frantically poured into them.