There was no astonishing aura, no magnificent technique.
It was just a simple, unadorned thrust.
And yet, in Sun Yi’s eyes, that single thrust instantly filled his entire field of vision.
Striking second but landing first, the tip of Qin Feng’s spear appeared with unerring precision at the weakest, most awkward point in the trajectory of his saber.
It was the point where his old force was spent and new force had yet to be generated—a theoretical, instantaneous opening in his entire technique that should have been impossible to exploit in actual combat.
But now, that opening had been caught.
DING!
A crisp, clear ring of metal on metal echoed.
The spear tip and the saber had only touched lightly.
Sun Yi felt an irresistible, exquisitely refined force travel up from the blade.
The force wasn’t overpowering, but like the most precise lever, it instantly dismantled all the strength he had accumulated.
His ferocious, tide-like saber momentum was like a punctured balloon, instantly vanishing into thin air.
Immediately after, he saw the shaft of the Long Spear bend slightly at an unbelievable angle, then snap straight with a vengeance.
CRACK!
The shaft whipped against his wrist. A piercing pain shot through him, his grip loosened, and the Alloy Battle Saber flew from his hand, spinning through the air before embedding itself in the ground far away.
Before he could react, a cold touch came to rest against his throat.
It was the tip of Qin Feng’s spear.
The entire process, from the exchange to the end, took less than three seconds.
Sun Yi stood there in a daze, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
He had lost.
"I... concede."
Sun Yi struggled to force out the two words, his voice hoarse and dry.
Even after he walked off the arena, his mind was still a complete blank.
He had finally experienced firsthand the chasm-like gap between himself and a Demon.
After a brief moment of shock, the entire audience erupted in a tsunami of applause.
If the last match against Chen Tian had showcased unparalleled, domineering "killing," then this match displayed exquisitely subtle "control."
"That was too easy! It was like he was teaching a junior!"
"And that Sun Yi guy is a master of a Perfect Killing Skill, for crying out loud! In front of Qin Feng, he was like a child!"
"His strength is just ridiculous!"
With every move, Qin Feng was constantly redefining their understanding of the word "genius."
The following round of sixteen and quarter-finals were practically a repeat of the round of thirty-two.
Qin Feng’s opponents, whether they excelled in speed or were renowned for their defense, all found their meticulous strategies to be pale and powerless in the face of absolute strength.
The outcomes of the matches were never in doubt.
They were either disarmed within three techniques...
...or forced out of the arena within five.
There was even an opponent famous for his unpredictable Body Technique who couldn’t even touch the corner of Qin Feng’s clothes before being struck in a vital point by the spear, completely immobilized.
Qin Feng’s path of advancement was so smooth it didn’t feel like a clash between top geniuses, but more like a teaching demonstration conducted by a Grandmaster.
The audience went from initial shock, to acceptance, to eventually becoming somewhat numb to it all.
Their only remaining curiosity was: who could possibly make Qin Feng take things a little more seriously?
Who could force him to use his other killing techniques?
-----------------
「The competition entered the semi-finals.」
Qin Feng’s opponent was the biggest dark horse of this year’s tournament: Lu Yuan, a third-year student from Qiming Fifth Martial High School.
This person had a life force index as high as 30.2 and had mastered two Perfect Killing Skills—the defense-oriented Rock Fist, and the assassination-focused Shadow Bee Blade.
In his previous matches, he had relied on a fighting style that was at times steady as a rock and at others as swift as a phantom. He defeated one famous expert after another, storming into the semi-finals and stunning everyone.
Many believed Lu Yuan’s strength was now on par with Feng Ruyun, the so-called "Light of Number One High," who had first made her name as a second-year.
Surely, an opponent like this could cause Qin Feng some trouble, right?
On the arena stage, Lu Yuan took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and assumed the opening stance of the Rock Fist.
His gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s, the muscles all over his body rippled slightly, and he exuded an aura as heavy as a mountain.
"Begin!"
Lu Yuan did not attack rashly like the previous opponents.
His feet seemed to have grown roots into the ground. He sunk his qi into his Dantian and adopted a purely defensive posture.
He knew very well that trying to out-offense Qin Feng would be like an egg smashing against a rock.
His only chance of victory was to use his proudest defense to wear down Qin Feng’s edge, then search for a fleeting opportunity to counterattack.
Qin Feng didn’t hold back. With a single movement, his Long Spear shot out like a dragon as he unleashed the Flowing Light Chasing Shadow technique.
The spear tip left an afterimage in the air that was nearly impossible for the naked eye to follow, arriving before Lu Yuan in an instant.
Lu Yuan’s pupils shrank!
’So fast!’
With no time to think, he crossed his fists in front of his chest. He settled into his Rock Fist stance, creating what seemed like an invisible, heavy stone wall.
CLANG!
The spear tip struck his gauntlets, producing a deep, heavy sound.
Lu Yuan felt an overwhelming force he couldn’t possibly resist. He slid backward several meters uncontrollably, his feet carving two glaring white marks into the hard alloy stage. His arms went numb, and his heart pounded with horror.
His first strike repelled, Qin Feng attacked anew.
The Long Spear in his hands seemed to come alive, transforming into a sky full of spear shadows. The attack was at times as fierce as a torrential storm, at others as untraceable as a phantom, enveloping Lu Yuan from all directions.