Chapter 1221: Sparring Advice
Zhu immediately invoked her authority as ruler of the world to isolate the fight between Zhang Lie and Fang Yi. Transparent barriers of energy partitioned them from the outside world and prevented their attacks from reaching those outside.
"[Tiger's Howl, Dragon's Bellow]!"
Fang Yi's spear took on the aspect of a dragon of the winds and a storm tiger as he charged forward.
Wind and storm roared around him, and his spear resonated with his genetic energy. The spear which the king of chaos had granted him demonstrated shocking strength, infusing chaotic energy into the mix.
"Very good. You've improved significantly from before, and the king of chaos' spear is an invaluable weapon. Unfortunately, it's not enough." Zhang Lie struck casually, but somehow still more quickly than Fang Yi.
Despite the relative languidity of his actions, Zhang Lie's technique struck Fang Yi first. As temporal energy surrounded him, he extended a finger and flicked the tip of Zhang Yi's spear, dissipating the wind and storm around it. The tip of the spear, which could even penetrate space, was apparently no match for Zhang Lie's finger. The spear flew out of his hands, spun a few times in the air, and then stuck into the ground.
Zhang Lie stepped forward as Fang Yi's field of vision suddenly shifted upward. The next thing he knew, he was looking up at the sky.
Fang Yi reacted in the blink of an eye. Zhang Lie had thrown him into the air, so he somersaulted and recalled the spear into his hand.
"[Shadow and Light]!"
Fang Yi's appearance blurred into a hundred clones. Spear thrusts and strikes came toward Zhang Lie from every direction.
A spear penetrated Zhang Lie—but it turned out to be an afterimage.
Even so, the afterimage seemed to be able to speak. "You've improved your understanding of time as well. Not bad indeed."
Fang Yi wasn't the hunter he had been in the second realm. He had suffered dramatically at Zhang Lie's hands because of the latter's improved understanding of time, and he had worked with Yang Ze to shore up his weakness in that regard.
"[Heaven's Judgment]!"
Wind and storm combined and crackled at the tip of Fang Yi's spear, and a dragon's howl echoed resoundingly in the air. As he manipulated his spear, a fusillade of lightning shot through the arena. The combination of wind and lightning generated a frightening force that seemed to be able to penetrate space.
Even so, Zhang Lie frowned. "Is this all you've got?"
This technique was stronger than the last that Fang Yi had demonstrated, but to Zhang Lie, it still wasn't of sufficient strength.
Again, Zhang Lie extended a finger and dissipated the wind and storm surrounding the spear—but this time, Fang Yi suddenly accelerated.
"[Floating Clouds]!" The wind and lightning formed a loop around Fang Yi's body. Wind and storm surged throughout the loop, providing explosive strength that pushed back Zhang Lie's finger.
"Interesting."
That single confrontation had been sufficient to demonstrate Fang Yi's improvement and progress; he had grown far beyond the version of himself from the second realm.
Reaching Zhang Lie's level of strength had been Fang Yi's goal, and Fang Yi had been steadily growing stronger ever since.
Even Zhang Lie had to admit Fang Yi's strength now.
Pale blue energy surrounded Zhang Lie, dissipating the chaotic mix of wind and storm. Zhang Lie reached out and gripped the tip of Fang Yi's spear, lifting it up and Fang Yi along with it.
"[Born of Lightning, Swallowed by the Wind]!"
As Fang Yi shouted, his spear traced a half-moon in the air, surrounded by an aura of time. Light and shadow flashed by its tip, just like the wind and lightning that made up the core of Fang Yi's techniques. The spear pierced space abruptly, spawning a rift that turned its surroundings gray. All movement was locked in time.
The only color in the space, the only movement, came from Fang Yi.
Within the temporal domain, Zhang Lie snorted.
The gray world shattered in an instant, sending Fang Yi flying out and tumbling across the ground. He was unable to maintain his grip on his spear, which fell embedded to the ground. It quivered visibly before remaining in place.
Zhang Lie beckoned at Fang Yi. "Well, that's the warm-up. Show me your strongest attack."
Fang Yi wiped at the sweat beading on his forehead and nodded. "Right, I suppose this level of technique isn't enough against you, Captain. Well, be careful."
"[Wheel of Time]!"
Fang Yi's spear took on the aspects of time and age. Temporal winds buffeted the spear, and a mysterious light began to circle the spear like lightning.
A wheel of light appeared behind Fang Yi, taking on the form of a clock.
The members of Team Zenith were watching the fight from within the pocket of isolated space. Yang Ze critiqued, "Fang Yi has improved significantly, but he's still visibly weaker than our captain."
Li Feng nodded. "Our captain called it a warm-up, but it clearly wasn't one for either of them."
Jun Jiuxiao seemed perplexed. "Really? Both of them seem to be in the thick of things..."
Zhang Hanxiang cried out, "Are you blind? It's obvious that my brother has the advantage! Fang Yi's attacks haven't landed a single time. If my brother wanted to, he could have defeated Fang Yi easily. This is just a training match."
Li Feng elaborated, "I said that this wasn't a warm-up for either of them. Look at our captain—he hasn't even moved a single step, and this can hardly be considered a warm-up for him. On the other hand, Fang Yi's been sent flying twice. It's way more than a warm-up for him, but he just doesn't want to admit it."
A clock began to toll in the pocket dimension.
Zhang Lie put both hands to his back, waiting patiently as Fang Yi took the opportunity to manifest a few wheels of time.
Then, he struck.
Five wheels of time were layered to his back, and he moved at astonishing speed.
"[Floating Clouds]!"
It looked as though Fang Yi had morphed into lightning itself. Storms rose up all around him, and he left a flurry of afterimages behind. Fang Yi's figure darted back and forth among his afterimages, causing even the members of Team Zenith to lose track of where he was. It was difficult to imagine from which direction Fang Yi would attack.
Zhang Lie remained calm and placid, waiting for Fang Yi to strike.
As another wheel of time appeared on Fang Yi's back, he made his move.
"[Heaven's Judgment]! [Tiger's Howl, Dragon's Bellow]!"
Fang Yi's spear took on the aspect of a dragon of the winds and a storm tiger as he charged forward. Wind and storm combined and crackled at the tip of Fang Yi's spear, and a dragon's howl echoed resoundingly in the air.
All the afterimages struck simultaneously, making it difficult to distinguish an illusion of the attack from the real thing.
The combination of wind and lightning generated a frightening force that seemed to be able to penetrate space, as though the spear had transformed into an electric saw.
With six wheels of time to his back and chaotic energy infusing him, Fang Yi was so strong that the pocket space that Zhu had set up was starting to crack. Wind and storm buffeted all the spectators.
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