Chapter 282: Chapter 282: Li Hanshan’s Challenge
Huge cracks spread around Luo Feng. The air seemed like shattering crystal, crumbling bit by bit, as if a cataclysm was descending—a true Sky Collapse Earth Splitting.
Zi Yuan paused in shock, exclaiming, "This is the third stage of Sky Collapse Fist, Sky Collapse Earth Splitting! Luo Feng’s Sky Collapse Fist has reached the third stage!"
She’d already been amazed to discover that Luo Feng had broken through to the late stage of the eighth-level Hell Realm.
He had progressed from the early stage to the late stage of the eighth-level Hell Realm in just two months—a Cultivation speed she’d never heard of.
What surprised her even more was that Luo Feng’s Sky Collapse Fist had also broken through to the third stage.
Sky Collapse Fist is a Profound Level, low-grade martial art. Its Cultivation difficulty is extraordinary; those with insufficient comprehension might spend a year or more just to grasp the basics.
Luo Feng had been practicing Sky Collapse Fist for less than three months and had already reached the third stage. This truly surprised Zi Yuan immensely.
CRACK... CRACK...
Cracks spread in all directions from Luo Feng at the center, as if the entire square was about to collapse, his momentum soaring to the heavens.
CRACK... CRACK...
The cracks quickly reached the colossal sword light unleashed by Qin Honglie. The crimson sword light vibrated fiercely before abruptly shattering into countless fragments, vanishing completely, like spring snow meeting the blazing sun, melting into nothingness.
SPURT!
As the sword light shattered, Qin Honglie spat out a mouthful of fresh blood in mid-air. He had just achieved Human-sword Unity; his aura and the sword light were intimately connected. With the sword light destroyed, he too suffered serious injuries.
His face contorted as he stared intently at Luo Feng.
His Great Sun Destruction Sword had once slain Martial Artists at the peak of the eighth-level Hell Realm. Discovering Luo Feng was a late-stage eighth-level Hell Realm Martial Artist hadn’t overly concerned him, yet he never imagined a single strike from his opponent would severely wound him.
"I will not lose!"
Qin Honglie gritted his teeth, his sword’s edge once again erupting with crimson sword light, ready to fight more.
"Get lost!"
Luo Feng gave a cold smirk and suddenly thrust his right fist forward. Amidst the cracking sounds, a massive fissure surged towards Qin Honglie like a monstrous python.
SPURT!
Qin Honglie felt as if struck by lightning, spitting out another mouthful of blood. Like a kite with a severed string, he crashed to the ground, unable to stand firm.
Having endured Sky Collapse Earth Splitting twice, he had sustained significant internal injuries. Recovery would require at least two or three months of recuperation. His current strength was less than that of an early-stage eighth-level Hell Realm Martial Artist.
Retracting his aura, Luo Feng stated calmly, "You have lost."
While cultivating in the Red Chain Mountain Range, Luo Feng’s Sky Collapse Fist had already broken through to the third stage.
However, this move was extremely draining on his Yuan Qi, and he had been unable to use it at that time.
Today was the first time he had used Sky Collapse Earth Splitting, and he hadn’t expected its power to be so astonishing.
Qin Honglie stood there in a daze, seemingly unable to accept the reality of his defeat.
Seeing this, Luo Feng inwardly shook his head. Failure itself isn’t terrifying for a Martial Artist; what’s truly frightening is a Martial Artist’s inability to accept defeat. Such a Martial Artist has already lost their heart for Martial Arts, like a blunted sword; their future achievements will be limited.
The entire square fell eerily silent. All the Martial Artists stared blankly, their mouths agape in disbelief.
By the time everyone came to their senses, Luo Feng had already left the square.
"Incredible! He’s far too powerful! Luo Feng actually seriously injured Qin Honglie, one of the Four Great Young Masters! If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t dare imagine such a thing could happen."
"Yes, I still feel like I’m dreaming. That Qin Honglie could lose... it’s simply inconceivable."
"This means Luo Feng also possesses the strength of a Young Master-level figure! The Flowing Cloud Region has truly produced a wealth of talent this year. Two individuals comprehended Sword Intent, and Luo Feng is even a Young Master-level expert. The four major academies are starting to rise!"
The square erupted with gasps of astonishment. The outcome of this sparring match was far beyond anyone’s expectations. No one had imagined Qin Honglie would be defeated by Luo Feng, and so cleanly and decisively at that!
That final punch was something many of them would never be able to forget.
"Luo Feng, I never imagined you were hiding your strength so deeply! You’ve fooled us all." Zhou Zhiyun smiled as Luo Feng returned to the pavilion.
Beside her, Zi Yuan patted her budding chest, pouted, and said, "So you had Young Master-level strength all along! Why didn’t you say so earlier? You made me worry for nothing."
Luo Feng touched his nose and smiled faintly. "I only broke through recently."
Recalling Luo Feng’s previous feat of traversing the Red Chain Mountain Range, their expressions all tensed slightly, a sense of sudden realization dawning upon them.
Even Martial Artists at the ninth-level Heavenly Court Realm wouldn’t dare to venture deep into the Red Chain Mountain Range.
For Luo Feng to enter with his strength, it was a gamble between life and death, with survival being highly unlikely.
Not everyone possessed such courage; it was no wonder he had achieved so much.
Inside the second pavilion, Zhu Huo, the dean of Ivy School, wore an extremely gloomy expression.
He hadn’t expected Qin Honglie to lose to Luo Feng. Consequently, he would have to allow the four new talents to enter the Secret Realm.
Furthermore, the fact that several of his students had been successively defeated by members of the four major academies made Zhu Huo, who was usually proud and arrogant, feel extremely uncomfortable.
Qin Honglie was helped into the pavilion to recuperate, and the summit continued.
The subsequent battles involved some quasi-Young Master-level experts and were also quite exciting.
However, after witnessing the battle between Luo Feng and Qin Honglie, the crowd showed little enthusiasm for these subsequent fights.
"Young Master Hanshan hasn’t sparred with anyone yet."
"I thought Qin Honglie would challenge him (Young Master Hanshan) earlier. Now that Qin Honglie has been defeated by Luo Feng, I wonder if Young Master Hanshan will challenge Luo Feng."
"Probably not. Li Hanshan is extremely proud; he doesn’t even think much of Qin Honglie, and it’s likely the same for Luo Feng. There’s only one person he wants to challenge: the First Young Master, Young Master Haitang."
"Unfortunately, Young Master Haitang isn’t here. Otherwise, we could have witnessed a duel between the First and Second Young Masters. It would surely be incredibly exciting!"
As the summit neared its end, everyone’s expectant gazes turned towards Li Hanshan.
After another sparring match concluded, Li Hanshan suddenly stood up.
"Luo Feng, would you care to step out for a fight?"
With no discernible movement, Li Hanshan’s figure appeared in the square, his gaze fixed on Luo Feng.
Li Hanshan stood there casually, spear in hand, yet his aura was exceedingly sharp, his gaze like that of a hawk that had spotted its prey.
AN UPROAR!
The entire square instantly boiled with excitement. Many exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Young Master Hanshan is making a move! He’s actually challenging Luo Feng!"
"I didn’t expect Li Hanshan to be interested in Luo Feng. Truly surprising!"
"For Young Master Hanshan to challenge Luo Feng, it means Luo Feng possesses strength that could threaten him. It seems we’ve all underestimated Luo Feng’s capabilities!"
"Hmm, I didn’t expect such a major event right at the summit’s end. Who do you think will win this duel?"
"Previously, I would have definitely supported Young Master Hanshan, but now... I’m not sure who to back."
"Young Master Hanshan’s aura is complete and perfected; he has clearly reached the peak of the late-stage eighth-level Hell Realm. His strength far surpasses Qin Honglie’s. And Luo Feng, who has comprehended Grand Momentum, might genuinely possess the strength to rival Young Master Hanshan."
"Don’t get too excited yet; Luo Feng hasn’t even agreed to the challenge."
"That’s true. By defeating Qin Honglie, Luo Feng has already proven he has the strength of one of the Four Great Young Masters. If I were him, I definitely wouldn’t accept Young Master Hanshan’s challenge."
While the crowd was speculating, Luo Feng walked out from the pavilion.
Gazing at Li Hanshan opposite him, Luo Feng smiled faintly. "I appreciate you thinking so highly of me. I accept your challenge."
Li Hanshan exhaled slowly. His breath was long and powerful, visible for several meters before gradually dissipating. "No need for modesty. My intuition is rarely wrong. Your strength is sufficient to fight me."
Hearing this, many in the square were quite surprised. They hadn’t expected the typically arrogant Li Hanshan to regard Luo Feng so highly. This made the crowd look forward to the match even more.
"Humph!"
Qin Honglie, still recuperating, snorted. Watching the two figures in the square, his expression was extremely grim. He had privately challenged Li Hanshan several times before, only to be rejected each time. And now, Li Hanshan was placing such importance on Luo Feng... flames nearly burst from his eyes!
Li Jun, sitting nearby, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately remained silent. Luo Feng was a Young Master-level expert, one who had even defeated Qin Honglie. He definitely didn’t dare to offend him.
"Then, let’s begin." Luo Feng slowly exhaled, his gaze fixed on Li Hanshan.
From the beginning of the summit, Luo Feng had sensed that among everyone present, only Li Hanshan possessed the strength to threaten him. For the first time, a true seriousness settled in his heart.
Li Hanshan twirled his silver spear but didn’t attack. "You expended a considerable amount of Yuan Qi in your fight with Qin Honglie. If you haven’t recovered, I can wait."
Luo Feng shook his head and smiled. "To be honest, when I fought Qin Honglie, I didn’t even use my true strength."
"What! He didn’t use his true strength when fighting Qin Honglie?"
"I admit he’s strong, but to claim he didn’t use his full ten-tenths of his strength against Qin Honglie? That’s just boasting!"
"Could he be deliberately mystifying things to confuse Li Hanshan?"
Upon hearing Luo Feng’s words, the entire square immediately buzzed with doubtful voices.
In the pavilion, Qin Honglie, who was recuperating, turned pale and nearly spat out another mouthful of blood. Luo Feng’s earlier display of strength had already made him feel powerless to resist. And now, his opponent was claiming it wasn’t even his full strength!
"Hmph! Utter nonsense!" Qin Honglie clenched his fists and snorted coldly, clearly not believing Luo Feng’s words.
Surprisingly, Li Hanshan didn’t refute Luo Feng. Instead, he brandished his long spear and laughed heartily. "Excellent! If you were only at Qin Honglie’s level, you wouldn’t be worth my effort."
As his laughter subsided, Li Hanshan wasted no more words. His feet blurred, and like a fish gliding through water, he skimmed close to the ground, rushing towards Luo Feng with lightning speed.
SWISH!
Coordinating his footwork with his spear technique, Li Hanshan gripped the spear with both hands, his eyes and the spear tip seemingly forged into a single, fine line as he thrust. The strike was unadorned, without any flourish. Yet, the instant the silver spear shot out, Li Hanshan himself seemed to transform into a perilous mountain peak, imbued with a heart-stopping explosive force. The spear’s speed was immense, tearing through the air and creating a conical hurricane.
Luo Feng’s expression turned solemn. Such a simple strike from Li Hanshan, yet it possessed such immense power! His mastery of the spear was truly unfathomable.
As expected of an expert!
Facing the oncoming spear tip, Luo Feng felt not the slightest nervousness in his heart; instead, he was somewhat excited and expectant.