Chapter 36: No-Sword Style

A few minutes earlier before Feng Qin's fight against Fei Kui.

"Man, I can't believe I managed to get a ticket to watch the fights for the final National Youth Competition that occurs every three years!"

"Yeah, we really got lucky. The tickets always almost sell out just after a day of being put out."

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Yeah! Go for that guy's leg!"

The atmosphere of the audience was filled with excitement and enthusiasm for the matches, as everyone either started yelling towards the arena or gossiping with others.

"By the way, which ones did you bet on getting on the top four to enter the final competition?"

"Pfft! Who do you think? You know there're only a handful of talented youths in our city. I obviously betted on the city's well-known young spirit masters from the Sky Fortune Academy, all of whom aren't even nineteen yet! Derek, Cang Yuyue, Li Fuji, Sarah, Su Fei, and...Cain."

There was brief grim silence when that last name was uttered.

Everyone had expressions of fear, respect, and admiration.

Because that name, that student was a monstrous genius in their city that had been making waves for the last two years.

It wasn't long before their conversation continued.

"Those are obvious! Anyone who's anyone would, I expectedly as well, but I'm asking on who's your top four picks?"

The man blinked his eyes and tilted his head, rubbing his chin, "Well, Cain is a given. The others...well, I'm not so certain. I've merely heard rumors of their strength."

"Did you forget about the potential dark horses in this tournament?" Suddenly, a middle aged man cut in their conversation.

"Dark horses?"

"That's right. You see, I have a very gossipy daughter who studies in the Sky Fortune Academy. She told me and my wife last night about a few particular students in the academy."

The man started to sagely stroke his thick, bushy beard, as if he was imparting some insightful knowledge of the world,

"There are four peculiar students that may overtake the top students of the academy due to unknown reasons. Lin Tong, although he's 16 years old, he's already a rank 25 Spirit Grandmaster with great talent as a Control System Spirit Master with his Emerald Viper Vine."

"Mary Ann, a 19 year old girl who had been living a low profile life in the academy, didn't show any sort of great potential as a Spirit Master, having only reached rank 28, it wasn't until she had been harassed by some older students that she was forced to reveal her true capabilities as a Agility Attack System Spirit Master with her Netherworld Yin Cheetah Spirit."

"Fei Kui, 18 years old, a very serious and arrogant boy due to his background as a noble but the most impressive thing about him is that he's a great Assault Power System Spirit Master with his Spirit, Long Iron Whip."

"And lastly, Cao Fengzi, one who's said to match Cain's personality."

"P-personality?" Everyone who heard that smacked their lips nervously.

"That's right. True to his name, he's an insane boy who's hellbent on walking the path of thunder and lightning, having gone to the treacherous Ten Thousand Thunder-Hammer Mountain almost every day to get struck by lightning because he wanted to strengthen his body and spirit."

"And it worked because just a month ago, he showed off his cultivation base at rank 31 and his Spirit mutated into the Yin-Lightening Hammer! And he's just 17!"

"Holy Emperor...Just what the hell is with these kids?! Why are they so crazy?" A woman exclaimed in disbelief.

"And they all entered this competition..."

"Well, that's the thing about talented youth. They're either eccentric or madmen," the middle aged man chuckled. "But mark my words, these four students will definitely give the top students a run for their money."

A man shook his head, "I've always known, but Spirit Masters are truly different than us ordinary folk."

A lot of them nodded in agreement.

"Hm? Oh hey! I think I just heard Fei Kui's name being announced on that stage."

"Huh? Wait! Isn't that one of the four students' names you told us, old man?"

All of them then turned towards the stage and saw two young men on stage, facing each other. One had an aloof expression as he carried a sword on his back while the other had a serious and angry expression.

"Oh? He sure does look like the description Huo'er told me... Yeah! Win this for us boy! I've put a lot of money on you four dark horses!!"

"..." Everyone around him had dark lines on their faces.

They've put so much attention on Fei Kui, due to the man's rambling, that they didn't think much about Feng Qin.

The anticipation was high as the referee raised his hand and lowered it, yelling,

"Begin!"

The spectators were on the edge of their seats as they watched the optimal two yellow spirit rings rising under Fei Kui's feet.

"Yeaaah–!"

"Destroy him!"

"Kyaaaaa–"

Cheers and applause were an all time high, as it seems almost every spectator knew who the boy was from a similar source like the middle aged man and are extremely favorable of him.

Unfortunately however, the epic fight that they were expecting didn't happen.

Because Feng Qin defeated him with one, straight punch to the face, knocking him out of bounds and into unconsciousness.

"..."

The audience was in shock, as the fight ended in a matter of seconds.

Feng Qin calmly walked off the stage, not even bothering to glance at the fallen Fei Kui.

The silence in the arena was deafening, as the spectators tried to process what had just happened.

It wasn't until the referee announced Feng Qin as the winner that the audience erupted in a mix of outrage, amazement, and disbelief.

"He...he did it with just one punch!"

"I can't believe it! Fei Kui was supposed to be one of the top contenders!"

"What just happened?!"

The middle aged man looked at the stage with a stunned expression. "I...I didn't expect him to be that powerful..."

"He's one of the four dark horses you spoke of, right?" The man's companion asked.

"I believe so...Cao Fengzi." The middle aged man muttered, a dark cloud hung over his head as he profusely sweated.

'My wife's going to kill me!'

Everyone in the audience couldn't help but feel a sense of fear and excitement for what was to come in the rest of the tournament.

"Cao Fengzi! Cao Fengzi! Cao Fengzi!"

And from that moment, a misunderstanding had occurred.

...

"Cao who?" Feng Qin was bewildered at the loud cheers, looking around at who they were cheering on.

He shrugged and had quickly arrived at a bench to rest, waiting for his next match but without any high expectations.

Especially since he just one-shotted his opponent like that.

Feng Qin wasn't surprised, although he has a lower cultivation base than his opponent but his body strength and martial skills was just above Fei Kui.

He wasn't going to lie, although initially he entered this tournament for the sake of the first place prize but he couldn't help but expect a thrilling fight.

Cultivation and mastering martial skills are essential to martial artists but a battle of life and death is as important as well.

A true fight could not only help one develop battle experience and battle instincts, but also make a martial artist's potential blossom even further than just mere meditation.

Unfortunately however, he hasn't seen anyone noteworthy...except for one.

To kill time, he spent the time watching the other matches, since the stage had a large space enough to occupy thousands of people, it was split into seven sections and monitored by several staff members with Spirit King cultivation so the matches would be fair and honest.

He was mainly interested in Long Yuyin and Mei Lin's matches.

Long Yuyin, either wanting to warm up or show off, took two minutes to finish off her opponent with a kick to the...family jewels of the man.

Feng Qin, and every man in the audience, winced. He hopes to whatever God in this world that when he finally severs their master and servant connection, she wouldn't go as far as make him an eunuch.

Mei Lin's match...it went like his, ending with a single move but instead of a punch to her opponent's face, it was a severely dislocated right arm.

She turned around to walk away, her once braided blue hair was left undone and was left blowing in the wind like beautiful ocean waves.

She halted in place as her eyes made contact with Feng Qin.

Was it on purpose or a coincidence when their eyes met?

It wasn't important...

Feng Qin felt a distinct energy attacking his mind, furrowing his brow, his eyes flashed red.

In the martial world, there are three ways for one to self-cultivate and ascend to a higher state of existence.

They were essence, energy and spirit.

And the spirit had another term, mental energy.

That was what he was feeling coming to attack his mind.

Fortunately however, his mind wasn't easily penetrable.

Having been forged from bearing eons of otherworldly memories, Feng Qin's mind became as solid and firm as an iron shield.

Moreover, he had also unknowingly harnessed some measure of mental energy, though it was just a tiny amount. Not enough to make a counterattack against 'Mei Lin'.

Mei Lin's eyes slightly widened in surprise before her expression went back to normal as she went down the stairs of the stage, heading off to a far distance away from where Feng Qin was.

'....Just who are you?'

Feng Qin's gaze stayed on her for a long while before he took back his gaze to turn towards Long Yuyin, who was walking towards him.

Feng Qin gave her a high five and congratulated her on her first win, making Long Yuyin blush as she also returned the compliment but vehemently.

And for the next several matches, Feng Qin kept winning each round with a single punch.

No-Sword Style, First Form, One Punch

After all, the second most trusty weapon he has was his fists.

That, and all the opponents he met were much weaker than Fei Kui.

"Begin!"

*One Punch!*

"Begin!"

*One Punch!*

"Begin!"

*One Punch!*

"Begin!"

*ONE PUUUUUUNCH!*

[❄️❄️❄️]

All hail the fist ✊

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