Facing the battlefield god of war, Xue Can, clad in armor and charging forth, Luo Yu smiled faintly.
With nary a sound, the ethereal image of a dark-skinned old farmer holding wheat-sheaf-like plants, radiating a luminescent green light,appeared behind him.
Similarly employing Human-Spirit Fusion, Luo Yu pinched the green plant.
"Transform!"
The verdure burst forth, the green plant elongating and enlarging, instantly transforming into a green mace.
"Go."
A glint of gold flashed in Luo Yu's eyes, his arm's veins bulging, qi and blood coursing through his veins as his muscles tensed with each inch.
A unique spiritual power coursed from his arm to his palm, and eventually, with a special technique, he flung the green mace.
"Whoosh——"
"Crash!!!"
The mace broke through the air, exceeding everyone's line of sight. A green arc flashed by, unstoppable, just as Xue Can arrived wielding the Heaven-slaying Halberd to parry, releasing a thunderous sound.
After the loud noise, the mace flew back, and Xue Can's once torrential offensive was forcefully halted, frozen in place.
Luo Yu once again shifted his footing and leaped into the air to retrieve the mace, nodding slightly.
"This new move seems quite useful."
On another arena, Wei Chi Instructor, watching this scene, widened his tiger-like eyes.
"That just now was..."
"That was..."
The students also quickly came to their senses.
"Holy shit, was that Wei Chi Instructor's signature skill, Sonic Boom Mace Throw?"
"How did Xiao Luo learn it?"
"He didn't just watch it once and..."
"And he used it to block an attack from a Third Grade Strongman."
Li Zhenyue had personally sparred with Wei Chi Instructor, and recognizing that familiar technique, his heart trembled for a moment.
"He's learnt it just like that?"
"And he managed to unleash its full power?"
Cheng Jinjin was astounded, speechless.
Xue Can saw his offensive thwarted and instinctively paused for a moment.
It wasn't too outrageous to lose the physical contest without spiritual power enhancement, but now he was in a state of Human-Spirit Fusion, his strength and combat prowess multiplied by far more than tenfold, and yet he was blocked again?
Xue Can gritted his teeth ferociously, knowing he had to take down the young man quickly, or it would be disgraceful even if he won today. Wielding the Heaven-slaying Halberd, he struck out with a sound like tiger roars and dragon chants; Sonic Booms resounded with every move, like an eagle in flight or a tiger descending the mountain.
But Luo Yu kept transforming the green plant in his hands, first into a long-handled Pu Dao, proceeding forward with the Dragging Blade Slash, and then with a slash, exhibiting the momentum to cleave mountains and split rocks, pushing Xue Can back. Afterward, the blade transformed into a long spear; the spear struck like a dragon, turning into a shadow.
"Clang clang clang!"
The sound of weapons clashing rang out, vibrating everyone's eardrums. If an ordinary person were here, they would likely be covering their ears and fleeing in pain.
"Who saw Xiao Luo's last strike clearly???"
"Was that Instructor Hua's Dragging Blade Slash?"
"Stop dragging the blade out, look at his spear technique now, holy shit, isn't that Instructor Yang Cang's Yang Family Thirty-Six Spear Techniques?"
Many students initially found Luo Yu's techniques familiar, and after someone pointed it out, they realized that these were the secret techniques the instructors had just displayed. How long had it been? Xiao Luo was already using them?
And it certainly wasn't just for show, without the true spirit of the techniques; after all, his opponent was a Third-Rank Expert.
Hua Yourong's eyes were somewhat glazed over: "Isn't that the Dragging Blade Slash that she took many years to master? How did this kid learn it??"
"And why is he performing it so well?"
Looking towards Yang Cang, she saw the white-haired elder equally astonished. It never crossed his mind that Xiao Luo would be able to wield the Yang Family's Thirty-Six Spear Techniques as if they were an extension of his own body, the complexities of the technique manifesting effortlessly – an incomprehensible feat. He had only demonstrated the technique in its entirety to Li Zhenyue just before.
Initially, Yang Cang thought that Xiao Luo might have secretly learned it before, but he could tell that Xiao Luo was inexperienced with the Yang Family Spear Technique at first, with many coarse movements and even some obvious flaws. However, as the battle with Xue Can continued, his spear technique was improving at a terrifying rate, becoming ever more skillfully dreadful.
"This..."
"What kind of monster is this?" Yang Cang, always mature and steady, couldn't help but let out a sigh. If not for decorum preventing it, the curses in his heart would have been openly displayed.
"He has learnt it, learnt it all?" Li Zhenyue's mind was caught in a violent tremor. Initially, he had simply thought to do Luo Yu a favor, but after the three instructor challenges, he had felt somewhat naïve. Not even a god could learn the three great secret techniques so quickly.
The result... he really learned it?
And to use it right after learning about it, pulling it out to take down a Third-Rank Expert?
"Clang clang clang!"
A series of metallic clashing sounds rang out, and Xue Can grew more and more alarmed as he fought; the opponent's martial arts skills were in no way inferior to his, even rapidly improving and starting to surpass him?
He let out a low roar, fully stimulated his Spiritual Power, and after a feint, lifted his Heaven-slaying Halberd and swept it downward.
Luo Yu unexpectedly stepped aside to avoid the attack, shifting backward.
"Where do you think you're going!" Xue Can's heart was burning with rage, his head throbbing and eyes bloodshot.
"No way." As Yang Cang witnessed this scene, he murmured incredulously.
The next moment, Luo Yu, who appeared to be retreating with his back turned, suddenly stopped and twisted around, his entire body shifting like the stars in the sky, holding his long spear from front to back, drawing an arc like the trace of a startled swan, the roar of the spear resembling a dragon's chant, as he pierced towards the ferociously approaching Xue Can.
"Yang Family's secret technique."
"Return Horse Spear?"
The knowledgeable ones in the crowd let out cries of disbelief.
Spear shadows filled the sky, Xue Can was shocked, waving his Heaven-slaying Halberd to defend, but in an instant the spearhead blasted him away while continuing its relentless advance.
"Clang!"
The Heaven-slaying Halberd smashed into the ground in the distance.
"Drip, drip!"
Drop by drop, the bright red blood slowly fell on the platform, and two, three strands of black hair gently fluttered down.
"Huff—"
Xue Can gasped for breath, his eyes wide, his body trembling. If he hadn't dodged in time just now, the spear wouldn't have slashed his cheek, but shattered his skull.
Luo Yu held the long spear in one arm, aimed at Xue Can, his black hair moving with the wind, his deep eyes intently watching him.
"Third Grade?"
"Xue Can, you're nothing more than this."
Everyone in the audience watched the scene in astonishment, finding it utterly unbelievable.
"Return Horse Spear?"
"He even learned the Return Horse Spear?" Hua Yourong's throat felt dry.
Yang Cang forced a smile, "What kind of monster is this, learning our skills so thoroughly after just one look? This is a slap in the face."
Li Zhenyue took a deep breath, his inner amazement indescribable.
"Too fierce, way too fierce! Big Brother is too awesome," Little Fatty shouted loudly, his coarse language not prompting mockery from the people around, but rather nods of agreement.
The seniors watching the live feed were in a dazed state.
"Is this a freshman?"
"Can a freshman be this strong?"
"Barely mature enough and still a virgin, he suppressed Xue Can?"
"This isn't suppression, this is outright defeat."
"Don't joke, Xue Can hasn't used his Domain yet; the biggest difference between Third Grades is whether they have a Domain or not."
Bai Feng and Li Heizi looked at each other, speechless for a long time, stupefied.
Xue Can's gaze was vacant.
"How is this possible!"
"I am a Third Grade, I am Third Grade, even without a Domain, I should be able to crush anyone below Third Grade, let alone a green newcomer."
"I don't believe it!"
Before the battle, Xue Can would never have imagined such an outcome. Before the fight, he felt that not even using his Domain, or fighting with one hand tied behind his back, would make winning any less meaningless or uninteresting.
The result...
"I haven't lost, kneel before me!" Xue Can utterly erupted, no longer caring about any fighter's pride; with a burst, his whole body emitted a brown halo that rapidly spread to envelop the space of the entire platform, the Domain creating a storm of flying sand and dust.
Xue Can's figure loomed larger, his momentum skyrocketing, wiping away all signs of defeat, as if he were the absolute ruler of this world. He glared fiercely at the diminutive Luo Yu, and in an instant, a vast amount of the Power of Heaven and Earth converged, pressing down like a great mountain flying towards him...