C520 The Roar of the Furious Dragon Shaking the Mountains!(1)
“Thud...”
Woo Zhengyang's iron fist was blocked by Hee Tianye's horizontal blade. With the hardness of the Profound Heavy Gathering Silk Gloves and Woo Zhengyang's strength, an ordinary weapon would likely have shattered on impact. However, the long blade in Hee Tianye's hand remained intact, suggesting it was no ordinary weapon, likely of a high spiritual caliber. This world’s spiritual weapons seemed different from those of the previous world, lacking the usual resonant hum when drawn, much like the No Life Sword in Woo Zhengyang's hand, indicating an ancient crafting technique.
Though the blade held firm, Hee Tianye was not unscathed. Woo Zhengyang fought with increasing vigor, and with the Great Completion Stage of the Dragon Countering Nine Steps, the force of his punch left Hee Tianye's arm numb. The grip of his right hand tore, blood dripping down the already crimson blade, making it even redder.
“If you want to fight, then let’s fight. Let’s see who survives!”
With those words, a faint red glow enveloped Hee Tianye as he swung his blade at Woo Zhengyang. Fueled by a mix of shame and anger, Hee Tianye's ferocity was unleashed. He burned his life force to launch a frenzied counterattack against Woo Zhengyang. Although Woo Zhengyang's cultivation was slightly lower, Hee Tianye's sudden madness quickly turned the tide of the battle.
Woo Zhengyang was eager to test his strength after mastering the "Dragon Countering Nine Steps." Just as he was about to draw his sword, he paused, deciding to engage in hand-to-hand combat instead. Woo Zhengyang and Hee Tianye clashed fiercely, without the spectacle of blazing swords or dazzling lights—just raw, close-quarters combat.
For body tempering cultivators, fighting up close and personal was common, but for Woo Zhengyang, it was a rare opportunity. In his previous world, once cultivators reached the Shape Gathering Stage, they avoided close combat due to the immense power of their true energy, which could be deadly if mishandled. Their bodies were fragile, and any mistake could be fatal.
In this new world of body tempering cultivators, Woo Zhengyang found sparring partners, especially in battles with the Zhan brothers, Yifei and Yinuo, which were beneficial but limited by constraints. However, this fight with Hee Tianye was exhilarating—every punch landed with satisfying impact. Woo Zhengyang was so engrossed that he didn't want it to end.
While Woo Zhengyang relished the battle, Hee Tianye grew anxious as his relentless attacks failed to yield results.
Burning the power of blood is just like burning true energy; it destroys the foundation of a cultivator. He chose to burn his blood power to finish the fight quickly.
At first, he did turn the tables and gained the upper hand. But Woo Zhengyang was a monster, growing stronger as the battle went on, gradually evening the odds until they were deadlocked.
What made Hee Tianye most anxious was that this guy refused to let go. There were several chances to injure him, but Woo Zhengyang let them pass, just to keep him from escaping the fight. Was he trying to exhaust Tianye's blood power?
The thought terrified Tianye. Distracted, his body lagged for a moment, leaving a vulnerable spot exposed to Woo Zhengyang's iron fist!
Yet, Woo Zhengyang deliberately avoided striking Tianye's weak point!
This time, Tianye was sure: Woo Zhengyang intended to drain his blood power completely!
Tianye was on the brink of collapse!
Watching from the sidelines, Fong Jiaojiao and Zhan Yinuo grew more and more alarmed.
"Are you sure he's from a rural village?" Fong Jiaojiao asked.
"Positive. He was the champion of this year's Thousand-village Martial Competition!"
"Champion? But even as the champion, he shouldn't have Inner Stage abilities! And even if he did, his combat skills shouldn't match Hee Tianye's!" Fong Jiaojiao said, puzzled.
"I'm not sure about that. Back at the Martial Mansion, he was indeed at the Skin Stage..." Zhan Yinuo quickly stopped himself, refraining from mentioning that when Woo Zhengyang challenged Zhan Yifei, he was actually just at the late Skin Stage. Otherwise, Fong Jiaojiao would be even more skeptical.
Among the three present, Zhan Yinuo understood Woo Zhengyang the best. Because of this understanding, his shock was even greater than Fong Jiaojiao's, as Woo Zhengyang's progress was astonishingly rapid.
"You, go up and help Hee Tianye!" Fong Jiaojiao suddenly commanded, snapping Zhan Yinuo out of his thoughts.
"Uh..." Zhan Yinuo was taken aback, unsure how to respond.
"What? Are you planning to side with that kid?" Fong Jiaojiao raised an eyebrow.
"Of course not. It's just that with their level of combat, I really can't intervene. Besides, Hee hasn't shown any signs of defeat. If I step in, wouldn't it hurt his pride?" Zhan Yinuo explained, trying to find the right words.
"Ugh..." Just as Zhan Yinuo finished speaking, Hee Tianye, who was struggling, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. This wasn't from Woo Zhengyang's attacks but from sheer frustration...
He was burning his energy to fight, and not showing signs of defeat was supposed to be honorable? Moreover, the reality was nothing like what they perceived!
