Chapter 61: Victory and Defeat

With the Windstride technique under his feet and relieved of the hundreds of pounds of weight he'd been carrying, Du Long could scarcely believe his own speed. At this moment, he felt an urge to soar, as if he might take flight at any second!

A whole year of arduous training—truth be told, he'd never fully understood the methods of the Spirit of the Ring's beautiful trainer. Yet, the instant his burdens were lifted, he instantly grasped the immense benefits of that regimen. From leaping dozens of meters in a single bound to now darting circles around Fan Tong with terrifying speed, excitement coursed through him.

Moreover, his weighted vest had also suppressed his combat strength. Once removed, the power erupting throughout his body made him feel as though he could shatter the heavens with a single punch!

“Eh? Why is Fan’s speed so much slower?” Watching Fan Tong launch the Sky-Splitting Palm attack, Du Long sensed his opponent moving sluggishly. In truth, it was the shocking contrast from his own newfound speed.

A fleeting thought flashed through his mind—a desire to clash head-on with his opponent—and in a burst of impulse, he acted upon it!

‘Xuan Yang Twin-Wave!’

With a silent shout, Du Long unleashed the Twin-Wave through both palms. The air exploded as his hands collided fiercely with Fan Tong’s Sky-Splitting Palm!

Boom!

On the challenge platform, two figures met and immediately recoiled, revealing Du Long and Fan Tong. Although Du Long was pushed back farther, he suffered no injury; his formidable physique revealed its strength in that instant.

Buzz!

The audience was stunned for a moment before erupting into murmurs and buzzing debate!

“Isn’t Du Long just a freshman who’s reached the ninth stage of Qi Accumulation? Judging by the aura he just unleashed, he must have strength at least equal to the Cyclone tier!”

“He actually clashed head-on with Fan Tong and wasn’t outmatched—can he really be a first-year student?!”

Regardless of the spectators’ speculation, Du Long and Fan Tong continued their duel. After their initial collision, Du Long felt only a soreness in his arms—far better than after facing Yang Yunfeng. Fan Tong’s Sky-Splitting Palm couldn’t harm his resilient body!

“Again!”

Rubbing his slightly aching arms, excitement gleamed in Du Long’s eyes. With a low shout, he darted toward Fan Tong once more!

Staring in horror at the oncoming black figure and feeling the pain in his own arms, Fan Tong was full of disbelief. How could a freshman who’d been enrolled less than a month possess the strength to challenge him?

‘Impossible!’ Gazing at the aura exuding from Du Long, roughly at Cyclone stage two, Fan Tong refused to accept it. Even if this boy had reached Cyclone stage two, he shouldn’t be able to contend with him!

With this thought, he gritted his teeth and lunged forward, not the slightest bit inclined to evade. He simply wanted to confirm whether he’d made some mistake in their previous exchange.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Though it seemed a long tale, all this transpired in mere moments. On the platform, the two figures collided several times in quick succession. Outwardly, Du Long appeared to be at a disadvantage, but after the first clash, the excitement in his eyes only intensified!

In the audience, countless eyes widened. Those who knew Du Long and his background stared dumbfounded at the black figure repeatedly clashing with Fan Tong atop the platform.

“Is it really Du Long fighting Fan Tong up there?” Princess Fire Phoenix muttered, her face blank with disbelief, wondering if her eyes deceived her.

“It’s definitely Du Long! This is incredible! He seems so much weaker than his opponent, yet he’s able to withstand repeated direct clashes without falling behind!” Su Jinbao replied instinctively.

“Qinglian! At this point, stop covering for him and tell us—what strength has this rascal achieved?” Du Caini turned to Summer Qinglian, who watched anxiously from the sidelines.

“Uh…” Summer Qinglian hesitated, reluctant to reveal any secret Du Long wished to keep hidden from outsiders.

“Miss Qinglian! Du Long is likely going all out now—his strength is hardly a secret anymore. Why not tell everyone?” Zeng Wan’er added.

With a soft sigh, Summer Qinglian finally spoke: “Alright then! The young master has only reached Cyclone stage two, but his physique is exceptionally strong, so he can remain unbeaten before Fan Tong.”

Though many had already guessed Du Long was at least at Cyclone stage two, hearing it confirmed by Summer Qinglian left everyone secretly awed. Especially Du Caini, who exclaimed excitedly: “That rascal really hid his strength during the public test! In just a year, he’s gone from nothing to Cyclone stage two—far more monstrous than back then!”

On the platform, Fan Tong and Du Long exchanged heavy blows again and again. Gradually, Fan Tong began to falter; after all, he’d just fought a fierce battle with Yang Yunfeng, exhausting much of his energy. Now, unable to defeat Du Long after repeated clashes, his internal energy was nearly depleted.

Losing to Yang Yunfeng earlier would have been acceptable, since they were peers. But to lose to a freshman—how could he ever hold his head up at the Royal Academy again?

‘Hmph! This loser thinks he can beat me? Not a chance!’ Fan Tong quickly made up his mind. Humiliated in public by this fellow, if he lost the challenge as well, what face would he have left?

“Sky-Splitting Palm: Mountain-Breaking Strike!”

With an angry roar, Fan Tong unleashed the third form of the Fan Family’s Sky-Splitting Palm. This technique required Qi Sea stage to execute, and using it without sufficient strength would severely impact the body—a warning his grandfather had long given him, to never use it unless absolutely necessary.

For Fan Tong, this was now an emergency. Though his life wasn’t actually at risk, his pride meant more to him than survival—a matter of face, plain and simple!

Du Long sensed Fan Tong's aura weakening, knowing his opponent was exhausted and planning to finish him off in one final push. But suddenly, he felt a surge of terrifying energy from Fan Tong’s body.

A vague sense of danger crept over him. In his mind, the Spirit of the Ring’s beautiful trainer warned, “Be careful! He’s about to break his limits and use his ultimate move. Remember, your vest absorbs impact—make the most of it!”

Du Long made his decision. Using Windstride at full speed on the platform, he tried to evade Fan Tong’s frontal attack. With the situation so favorable, he didn't want to risk a head-on clash at this moment.

Unfortunately, many ultimate moves can lock onto an opponent’s energy, making them nearly impossible to dodge. No matter how Du Long moved, he felt himself trapped, unable to fully avoid the blow within the limited space of the platform.

Fan Tong’s palms struck out gracefully, seemingly a single blow, but actually layered atop each other—seven or eight palms overlapping, each with a distinct imprint, lending the strike a profound complexity.

It seemed this move consumed vast amounts of Haotian Force. Fan Tong felt his dantian emptied in an instant, his face turning pale, cold sweat beading on his brow.

With nowhere left to evade, Du Long was forced to focus his mind, channeling Haotian Force throughout his body to protect his vital points. Then, he punched with all his might—not at Fan Tong’s palms, but aiming to bypass them and strike at Fan Tong’s chest.

Observing Du Long’s do-or-die approach, Fan Tong realized he was being forced to withdraw his attack, so Du Long could escape the inevitable strike.

Fan Tong knew that he was staking everything on this attack. If he didn’t defeat his opponent, he would certainly lose, for his energy would be spent. But if Du Long’s punch landed, he might only be injured—his life wouldn’t be at risk. If his own third form of the Sky-Splitting Palm struck Du Long, it would surely be fatal!

With such reasoning, he saw no cause to hold back. He chose to meet Du Long head-on, unleashing the Mountain-Breaking Strike of the third form, striking fiercely at the gap in Du Long’s defenses.

Du Long’s right fist swung upward as well, landing hard on Fan Tong’s right flank!

Boom! Boom!

With a sudden cry, Fan Tong spat a mouthful of blood, his body flung into the air, losing consciousness before he even landed, finally collapsing lifelessly on the platform.

Du Long felt as though a mountain had crashed into his chest—a tremendous force slamming against his leather vest. The vest’s inner flexible material dispersed the impact evenly throughout his body, and he was sent flying off the platform like a kite with a broken string!

Wow!

Around the platform, countless spectators cried out in alarm. Fan Tong had not been knocked off the platform, though unconscious. But if Du Long fell from the stage, it would count as his defeat!

‘Looks like Du Long has lost after all!’

Watching the black figure soar off the platform like a severed kite, everyone’s hearts echoed the same thought.