Afterward, Chu Ziping called Chu Feng over and whispered a few words, and his face finally calmed a bit.
"Brother Chu, congratulations, congratulations! Your son is truly exceptional!" The Fourth Prince laughed heartily as he said to Chu He. He understood better than anyone else that if Chu Ming had shown his true strength from the start, the previous Chu family disciples would have been severely injured rather than lightly hurt. This indicated that Chu Ming had been hiding his strength, and no one could be sure that what he had displayed now was his full capability.
"Hahaha," this time Chu He did not defer modestly but instead laughed heartily, displaying his inner joy, while Chu Ziping remained grim-faced.
Chu Ru was somewhat curious at this moment. After all, Chu Ming had been a good-for-nothing when he returned last year, yet now he had become a genius. Anyone in his position would find it hard to accept.
The second match was between Chu Qiwen and Chu Ru. Because Chu Ming had seriously injured Chu Yong, he could not participate in the subsequent matches, confirming the top five participants. Chu Yong ranked sixth. Chu Yue was filled with melancholy, thinking that if she had faced Chu Ming from the start, she wouldn't be in the top five either since she didn't believe her strength surpassed Chu Yong's by much.
Chu Yue had envied Chu Yong's luck when he drew Chu Ming as his opponent initially, but now thinking back, she was filled with fear. She reckoned she wouldn't stand a chance against Chu Ming either and would likely be defeated with a single punch.
Unconsciously, the Chu family disciples had developed a certain amount of fear of Chu Ming.
Chu Qiwen and Chu Ru stared at each other from opposite sides of the ring, and the atmosphere in the arena became tense instantly. The referee Elder walked to the center of the ring, seeing the two of them, and a look of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. Both were young talents of the Chu family and future pillars of the clan.
"The match begins now!" The referee Elder announced loudly, then quickly retreated, leaving the ring.
"Chu Qiwen, we haven't met for a year. Let me see if you've improved any today!" Chu Ru, dressed in a white warrior outfit, looked valiant and heroic, with a longsword at her waist that glimmered with a cold light.
"Heh heh, over the past year, I've followed my master to the billion-people Black Rock Empire, hunted sharks in the Celestial River, lived in the Yellow Earth Desert for three months, and during the most difficult times, I went three days and nights without closing my eyes or eating anything. Achieving first place in this clan competition is not something I take to heart!" Chu Qiwen said lightly.
Chu Ru frowned and said coldly, "Do you think training experiences are so impressive? Without staying in the Sect, you'll never understand the importance of it."
"Indeed, the Sect's training is more comprehensive, but what portion of your strength can you exhibit in front of someone like me who has killed dozens of people?" Chu Qiwen said disdainfully.
"Killings? I thought you were going to say something important. Killing techniques are what we practice in the Martial Extreme Sect." Chu Ru's face remained unchanged as she slowly drew her longsword, instantly shrouding the entire ring with layers of sword shadows.
"Enough talk, strike!" Chu Qiwen said, spreading his legs and standing calmly.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
As soon as the words fell, Chu Ru's figure moved like a wisp of white smoke, appearing five steps in front of Chu Qiwen. Her longsword trembled violently, and dazzling sword auras like fireworks erupted from the tip, covering the area in front of her.
"Good timing!"
Chu Qiwen praised, lightly pushing both palms forward to form two purple pillars that spun rapidly around him. The speed was so high that any sword light touching the pillars shattered instantly without suspense.
Chu Ming watched quietly from below. Chu Qiwen must be using a defensive martial technique, and his master surely taught him some hidden tricks for participating in the clan competition.
Seeing that the sword aura couldn't affect Chu Qiwen, Chu Ru remained calm. She changed her sword momentum, continuously striking the air with her sword, causing the air to shatter inch by inch, and the sword light erupted furiously at a certain moment.
"Ice Kill!"
Like a volcanic eruption, the sword light instantly reached Chu Qiwen, slicing his body into pieces, but it was only a remnant shadow.
Chu Ru quickly turned and reversed her grip for an ice sword strike. With her peripheral vision, she saw a figure rushing out from the dust cloud—it was Chu Qiwen. He spread his arms wide like a great roc spreading its wings, launching a series of powerful kicks.
"Innate Kick!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
The fierce energy friction raised the temperature of his legs, and they gradually emitted a dazzling flame, filled with an explosive feel, each move aiming to kill.
Chu Ru didn't dare stay put, leveraging the recoil from her earlier strike to propel herself three meters forward. With a light shake of her feet, she leaped and flipped as her ice sword changed color, turning fiery red in an instant.
"Fire Kill!"
Fiery red sword auras enlarged in Chu Qiwen's eyes, resembling a massive firewheel, instantly annihilating the surrounding air.
Chu Qiwen changed his leg stance, and his legs suddenly rose. Phantom-like leg auras erupted, destroying all the explosive sword auras around him completely, like a mirage.
Clang, clang, clang...
Sword shadows, leg shadows, and countless sparks flew. Chu Ming watched Chu Ru intently from below, frowning slightly. If he was not mistaken, the martial technique Chu Ru was practicing should be the top-tier Yellow Level Ice Killing Swordsmanship. He had seen this sword technique in the Martial Arts Pavilion, which was why he was worried for Chu Qiwen.
The Ice Killing Swordsmanship had three moves: Ice Kill, Fire Kill, and Ice and Fire Double Kill!
The first two moves were of average power, but the third move, with ice borrowing the momentum of fire and fire borrowing the momentum of ice, greatly multiplied their power respectively.
Even now, Chu Ming would have to use half his strength to counter Chu Ru's Ice and Fire Double Kill.
The situation in the arena changed dramatically, with the fierce clash of sword and leg techniques. The air shattered completely, and the two fighters quickly retreated. Chu Qiwen's face showed a serious expression; though he had talked lightly before the match, Chu Ru's strength was indeed slightly superior.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
He suddenly stopped retreating. His legs kicked dozens of times from all directions, creating countless phantom images and friction with the air. His legs crossed suddenly, forming a strangling posture like two dragons emerging from the sea.
"Innate Strangulation Kick!"
Chu Qiwen quickly rushed at Chu Ru. Chu Ru's expression remained unchanged as she suddenly raised her longsword, the ice and fire colors intertwining on the sword, instantly forming an ice and fire duality.
"Ice and Fire Double Kill!"
Two lights merged on Chu Ru's sword, creating a magnificent sword aura that erupted like a volcano when Chu Qiwen approached.
Whoosh...
Explosive sounds continuously resonated in the air. The intertwining red and blue lights collided and exploded, creating a reverse air flow and forming a vacuum area where they met.
In the intense collision, Chu Qiwen's eyes narrowed, and his expression changed dramatically. He retreated at an even faster pace, vomiting blood while mid-air. Chu Ru stopped pursuing and stood calmly, though her face was somewhat pale.
"Chu Ru wins!" The referee Elder announced slowly atop the pillar. Immediately, two Chu family disciples jumped up carefully to carry Chu Qiwen down for treatment, while Chu Ru returned to her seat and took out a Spirit Stone to recover her spiritual power.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, I think the first place this time will be between Chu Ru and Chu Feng." The Second Elder in a gray robe watched Chu Ru and Chu Feng from a distance, speculating lightly.
The Third Elder beside him heard this and disagreed, saying, "I think Chu Ming also has a chance. He severely injured Chu Yong with a single punch, a strength not inferior to Chu Feng's."
The Second Elder wasn't annoyed, smiling as he said, "In explosive power, Chu Ming indeed matches Chu Feng. However, in endurance, Chu Feng, after all, is only at the First Layer of the Transcendence Realm. If he gets dragged into a prolonged fight by Chu Feng, there's no doubt he will lose."
"Nonetheless, Chu Ming is indeed a monster, able to compare with ordinary Fifth Layer Transcendence Realm martial artists even at the First Layer. Such a genius is rare even in intermediate countries and might lead our Chu family to further heights."
The Fourth Elder sighed at this time.
"Let's just say this among ourselves. Make sure that the Grand Elder doesn't hear it," the Second Elder reminded with a warning. The Grand Elder, Chu Ziping, was extremely narrow-minded. If he heard them praising Chu Ming, he would surely get angry.
The rest of the elders nodded and then fell silent.
The next match was between Chu Feng and Chu Yue. This match was destined to be unremarkable as the outcome was already determined. Chu Feng was at the Fifth Layer of the Transcendence Realm, while Chu Yue was only at the Fourth Layer, not to mention Chu Feng had cultivated a Profound Level martial technique.