Chapter 280: Chapter 280: Head-to-Head Clash
As Luo Feng entered the square, all eyes immediately converged on him.
Luo Feng was the top emerging star of the Flowing Cloud Region, and Qin Honglie was also a genius student, one of the Four Grand Young Masters of the Red Maple Lead.
The duel between them was a pinnacle competition among the younger generation of the two territories.
Although everyone felt there was little suspense about the battle’s outcome, they were nonetheless intrigued.
In the second pavilion, Zhu Huo, the dean of Ivy School, fixed his gaze on Luo Feng. His eyes flickered, and he condensed his Yuan Qi into a thin line to transmit a message to Qin Honglie, "This battle will determine whether the four emerging stars of the Flowing Cloud Region are qualified to enter the Secret Realm and compete for treasures. The stakes are high; you must not lose!"
Qin Honglie gave a barely perceptible nod, a savage smile playing on his lips as he looked at Luo Feng. He had finally waited for this moment!
Luo Feng walked to the center of the square and faced Qin Honglie. "You just dueled Xin Wuyue and must have expended a great deal of Yuan Qi. I’ll give you the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn to recuperate."
Hearing Luo Feng’s words, the entire square burst into an uproar.
"What an arrogant young man! He dares to talk to Qin Honglie like that."
"A year ago, Qin Honglie was already a household name as one of the Four Grand Young Masters. Who even knew where this upstart was back then?"
"Just wait and see. We’re in for a good show."
The people in the square shook their heads in disbelief at Luo Feng’s words.
The Unibrow Swordsman, who had placed a bet with Wu Xiaoye, sneered at the silk-clad youth beside him. "Is such an arrogant brat really the so-called top emerging star? That’s hilarious! Wu Xiaoye, it looks like your renowned winning streak at gambling is about to end today."
The silk-clad youth remained unperturbed, smiling lightly. "Actually, I find him quite straightforward."
"Hmph! Let’s see how long your stubbornness lasts!"
The Unibrow Swordsman snorted coldly, clutching his sword as he turned his attention back to the square, no longer bothering to argue.
In the square, Qin Honglie’s mouth twitched fiercely a couple of times. His eyes, fixed on Luo Feng, held a strange, almost-smile. "Big talk! You don’t have the right to be arrogant in front of me!"
A brutal smile on his face, Qin Honglie returned his sword to its sheath, clenching his fists so hard they crackled. He stared at Luo Feng, saying, "No need for your fake kindness, letting me recover my Yuan Qi. I don’t even need to draw my sword to deal with you!"
The next moment, Qin Honglie gripped his fists, his body bursting with dazzling crimson light.
The crimson light flowed around him like flames, exuding an incredibly dreadful aura, as if an ancient, ferocious beast was gradually awakening.
"This is the opening stance of the Sky Fire Gold Kong Fist. It seems Qin Honglie intends to use this fist art to defeat Luo Feng."
"The Sky Fire Gold Kong Fist is the most powerful offensive technique among Ivy School’s Profound Level Martial Arts. If cultivated to the third stage, Sky Fire Prairie, the fists descend like divine fire from the heavens, incinerating everything with incredible power! It can even be used to fight those with higher Cultivation levels."
"No wonder Qin Honglie sheathed his sword. With his Cultivation, using the Sky Fire Gold Kong Fist is indeed enough to defeat Luo Feng. The only question is how many moves Luo Feng can endure."
The surrounding Martial Artists recognized the fist technique Qin Honglie was about to unleash, all their faces filled with anticipation.
"Ivy School’s Sky Fire Gold Kong Fist?"
Luo Feng squinted, appraising Qin Honglie for a moment before nodding. "Just right. I’ve also practiced a fist technique. I wonder whose is stronger."
At this summit, the only opponent Luo Feng considered truly worthy was Young Master Hanshan, Li Hanshan. Thus, he didn’t plan to reveal his full strength yet.
Qin Honglie wanting to confront him with a fist technique suited him perfectly.
VMM! As he spoke, Luo Feng’s body quivered. The sound of wind and thunder rumbled from his Dantian as a violent aura erupted from him.
In an instant, the space around him twisted and vibrated. He seemed like a drawn sword, his momentum soaring to the heavens!
The Second Stage of the Condensation Yuan Technique, Wind and Thunder Have No Shape, combined with the Shattering Heaven Fist Intent of the Sky Collapse Fist, were surprisingly well-suited.
The entire Star Gathering Square erupted again. Many people here knew Luo Feng’s strongest martial art was the Sky Slayer Saber Technique.
But now, Luo Feng was actually abandoning his Saber Technique to fight Qin Honglie using fist techniques!
What shocked everyone most was that Luo Feng, despite being only in the mid-stage of the Eighth Level Hell Realm, exuded an aura no less powerful than that of Qin Honglie, who was already in the late stage of the Eighth Level Hell Realm!
Seeing that Luo Feng intended to use fist techniques against him, Qin Honglie’s tiger-like eyes flashed with a sharp light. He sneered, "Luo Feng, if you don’t draw your sword, you probably won’t be able to withstand even one of my punches."
Luo Feng smiled faintly. "Well, you’ll have to earn the right to make me draw my sword."
"If that’s the case, I’ll defeat you utterly!"
Qin Honglie sank his stance, his crimson Gang Qi suddenly condensing, giving him an unshakeable, mountain-like presence. Each breath he took sounded like a drumbeat.
The next moment, Qin Honglie unleashed a punch.
Instantly, Qin Honglie’s presence completely transformed.
If he was a quiet mountain moments ago, now he was a raging volcano. Crimson flames billowed, and molten rock seemed to churn within him. His violent aura made onlookers feel as if a cataclysm was upon them, shaking them to their very core.
The punch was simple and direct, yet its explosive force tore through the air, creating a sound like a deafening thunderclap.
"I’ll take this punch!"
Luo Feng had no intention of retreating. He stepped forward, a glint like a drawn blade flashing in his pupils. A blade-shaped Gang Qi fist surged from his hand, so substantial it seemed to part the air before it.
"He’s channeling Grand Momentum into his fist technique! It seems Luo Feng’s Grand Momentum has advanced even further since the New Star Grand Meeting." Zhou Zhiyun’s beautiful eyes lit up, a hint of delight in her voice.
Hearing this, Bing Ruolan and the others nearby tensed slightly, their expressions growing serious.
They had all witnessed the power of Grand Momentum. To hear now that Luo Feng’s grasp of it was even closer to true Grand Momentum left them all astonished.
The blade-shaped Gang Qi fist and the crimson, flame-wreathed fist collided violently. The air compressed and then expanded rapidly within a radius of over ten zhang before finally exploding.
BOOM!
The violent shockwave ripped outwards, gouging a deep pit over ten zhang in diameter in the center of the square. Jagged cracks, shocking to behold, spread from it, and the fierce gale forced the onlookers to squint.
WHOOSH!
Luo Feng and Qin Honglie were each thrown back more than ten steps.
Many people gasped at this sight.
"He blocked it! Luo Feng blocked Qin Honglie’s punch!"
"It’s not just that he blocked it! Didn’t you see? In that exchange, they seemed evenly matched!"
"Luo Feng is only at the mid-stage of the Eighth Level Hell Realm, yet he can unleash such incredible power! To fight Qin Honglie head-on and not be at a disadvantage... Incredible!"
"Indeed, this Luo Feng is truly formidable. However, Qin Honglie probably hasn’t used his full strength. His Cultivation is higher than Luo Feng’s, and his foundation is deeper. If he goes all out, Luo Feng will find it much harder to resist."
"That’s true. But for Luo Feng to take a blow from Qin Honglie and not be at a disadvantage is already remarkable. Qin Honglie made his name two years ago; how long has Luo Feng been around?"
Most people were astonished that Luo Feng and Qin Honglie seemed evenly matched after that exchange.
Qin Honglie had been renowned as a young expert throughout Red Maple Lead for two years and had become one of the Four Grand Young Masters a year ago. His strength was profound and unfathomable.
In contrast, Luo Feng had only risen to prominence a few months ago; many people had never even heard of him.
Initially, many had thought this match unfair, but the outcome was proving to be unexpectedly different.
No one noticed that Young Master Hanshan, Li Hanshan, who had kept his eyes closed until this point, had now opened them.
BANG!
Stomping his foot hard on the ground, Qin Honglie looked up. Beyond the initial ferocity in his eyes, there was now an astonishment he couldn’t conceal.
He had broken through to the late stage of the Eighth Level Hell Realm half a year ago and had been cultivating diligently since, facing numerous dangers. His Yuan Qi was several times more potent than that of an ordinary martial artist at the late stage of the Eighth Level Hell Realm. Combined with his formidable Sky Fire Gold Kong Fist, the power of his punch was extraordinary.
Just half a month ago, while cultivating in the Red Chain Mountain Range, Qin Honglie had killed a high-rank Level Three Demon Beast with a single punch! He hadn’t expected Luo Feng to take his blow head-on and emerge completely unscathed.
"Let me see how many punches you can withstand!"
I refuse to believe you can take that! Puzzled as to why Luo Feng was unharmed, Qin Honglie decided not to dwell on it. His expression hardened, and the Yuan Qi throughout his body surged violently.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM...
It was as if colossal waves were crashing within Qin Honglie’s body. The crimson glow around him intensified, coalescing into a pillar of fire that seemed to vie with the blazing sun in the sky.
"Fire Refined Kong!"
With a thunderous shout, Qin Honglie’s fists ignited with raging flames, unleashing layer upon layer of crimson fist shadows that hammered towards Luo Feng.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each of Qin Honglie’s punches was delivered with his full strength. Wherever the fist shadows passed, the air seethed and was torn apart layer by layer.
So, you want to compete with Yuan Qi? Luo Feng narrowed his eyes. Qin Honglie’s overwhelming fist shadows had sealed off all his escape routes and room to maneuver, leaving him no choice but to meet them head-on.
The opponent’s intention was clear: they would compete to see whose Yuan Qi was more profound.
A contest of Yuan Qi? I’ve never been afraid of anyone in that regard.
A slight smile touched Luo Feng’s lips as his aura surged explosively. His blade-shaped Gang Qi fists coalesced into a torrent, roaring outwards.
Separated by more than ten steps, they exchanged blows furiously. A storm of Gang Qi fists erupted, and for a moment, the entire square was filled with the sound of their detonations.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM...
The intense shockwaves from the exploding Gang Qi fists created a whirlwind, making the figures of the two combatants blur and distort.
Amidst the storm of Gang Qi, Qin Honglie’s savage laughter echoed. With his late-stage Eighth Level Hell Realm Cultivation, he believed he was already in an invincible position in a direct confrontation of Yuan Qi with Luo Feng!
Ten punches!
Fifty punches!
A hundred punches!
Two hundred punches!
The fierce exchange continued, and soon, no one could clearly count how many punches they had thrown.
They could only see that every inch of the square had been pummeled by their Gang Qi fists, leaving no part of it unscathed.
The two in the arena fought like madmen, continuously unleashing Gang Qi fists. The earth-shattering explosions made the hearts of the onlookers tremble.
"So intense! They’ve been fighting for so long and show no signs of stopping."
"If I were up there, a single one of those punches would probably blast me to death! These two are simply inhuman!"
"Qin Honglie is at the late stage of the Eighth Level Hell Realm. His Yuan Qi, both in quality and quantity, should far surpass Luo Feng’s. Yet, after all this time, Luo Feng isn’t showing any signs of faltering. What in the world is going on?"
"Luo Feng has cultivated the Condensation Yuan Technique and reached its second stage, Wind and Thunder Have No Shape. That technique can enhance a Martial Artist’s Yuan Qi. That must be why he’s been able to hold out for so long."
"Even so, the second stage of the Condensation Yuan Technique only increases a Martial Artist’s Yuan Qi by fifty percent. With such an intense and continuous outburst of Gang Qi, he shouldn’t be able to last much longer..."
"To be able to hold out this long against Qin Honglie, one of the Four Grand Young Masters... even if he loses, it’s an honorable defeat!"
"I don’t necessarily think Luo Feng will lose."
Imperceptibly, some among the crowd had begun to lean towards Luo Feng.