Lei Yi racked his brain, constantly changing his tactics amidst the high-speed battle.
He tried using a series of feints to bait Qin Feng into attacking, searching for an opening in his spear’s defensive perimeter.
But Qin Feng’s Thousand Soldiers Guarding was like an unassailable Wall of Sighs, utterly impenetrable.
He tried concentrating all his power into a single point, using explosive, consecutive heavy strikes to forcibly break through that spear perimeter.
But just as Lei Yi’s strength was about to falter, Qin Feng would always use an effortless Thousand Soldiers’ Evasion to send him and his staff flying back several meters.
Their life force indices were nearly identical, so there was no way for Lei Yi to break through Qin Feng’s defense with absolute power.
After all, with Thousand Soldiers Guarding, Qin Feng’s defense was extraordinary. Not even Sun He, a master of the Great Success Stick Skill, could break it with pure force. How could Lei Yi, who had only just mastered his Thunderbolt Staff, possibly breach Qin Feng’s defense?
Lei Yi burned through a massive amount of stamina, circling Qin Feng in high-speed arcs, attempting to launch a surprise attack from his side and rear—the most difficult angles for a Long Spear to defend.
But Qin Feng’s Dragon Body Technique clung to him like a shadow, a persistent plague.
No matter how he moved, that cold Long Spear, glinting with a frosty light, always remained between him and Qin Feng, like an impassable, cruel chasm.
The high-intensity battle took a massive toll on one’s stamina.
This was especially true for Lei Yi, whose style relied on speed and explosive power.
Fine beads of sweat had already formed on his forehead, trickling down his cheeks.
His breathing had also become much more ragged.
Qin Feng, in contrast, remained as calm and unruffled as a placid well.
The Thousand Army Spear, born from the chaos of the battlefield, placed greater emphasis on controlling tempo and conserving energy.
His breathing was steady and long, his stamina seemingly endless.
In the stands, the audience was completely enthralled.
"He’s too strong! That Qin Feng’s defense is a wall of iron! Lei Yi can’t get through at all!"
"This is a classic counter. A long weapon versus a short one, the advantage is huge! An inch longer is an inch stronger!"
"No! You’re wrong! This isn’t about weapon length at all. This is an absolute suppression of skill level! Look at Qin Feng’s footwork—it’s perfectly integrated with his spear technique. There are no blind spots! He’s anticipating every single one of Lei Yi’s intended attacks!"
Lei Yi knew that if this continued, the only outcome awaiting him was defeat from exhaustion.
He refused to accept it.
As the top genius of Dubhe Martial High School, as this year’s top scorer in the high school entrance exams, he had his pride!
A tragic aura, one that feared no death and sought to take his opponent down with him, erupted from his body!
"HRAAAGH—!"
Lei Yi let out a heaven-shaking roar.
He abandoned all defense and evasion. His entire body transformed into a straight bolt of lightning, hurtling toward Qin Feng in a do-or-die, mutually destructive charge!
The ultimate move of the Wind and Thunder Staff—Thunderbolt Staff!
At that moment, his two short staves seemed to transform into two bolts of judgment thunder, capable of destroying anything!
In reality, the moment Lei Yi roared, Qin Feng had already subconsciously unleashed his own ultimate move, Flowing Light Chasing Shadow!
A head-on clash!
Flowing Light Chasing Shadow!
’So naive!’
’The upperclassmen would never roar before using their ultimate move...’ Qin Feng complained internally as the Long Spear in his hand transformed into a single, supreme point of cold light and shot forward fiercely!
Because Qin Feng had anticipated the move and struck first, his spear tip was already in the danger zone before Lei Yi could even finish channeling his power!
"Such a fast spear!"
"That’s the move he used to defeat Shi Dang!"
Lei Yi’s face paled in shock.
He didn’t realize that it wasn’t Qin Feng’s spear that was fast, but his prediction!
A head-on collision was now impossible.
Lei Yi made a decision that horrified everyone in the arena!
He actually abandoned his defense against the fatal spear tip, twisting his body at a forced angle and risking grievous injury!
"SCHLICK!"
The sickening thud of sharp metal sinking into flesh.
Qin Feng’s impossibly fast spear tip plunged deep into his left shoulder blade without any resistance!
The intense pain instantly contorted Lei Yi’s face, but his eyes revealed a crazed, almost savage smile.
SHHCK—
Blood dyed the Long Spear red as Lei Yi endured the pain and slid forward, instantly closing the distance to Qin Feng.
At the same time, with his other short staff, he unleashed a bolt of vengeful lightning, smashing it directly toward Qin Feng’s temple from an extremely perilous and unavoidable angle!
At the cost of a ruined arm, he had forcibly broken through the spear perimeter that he couldn’t breach no matter what he tried!
This was a killing blow!
A roar like a tsunami erupted from the stands; the audience was stunned by Lei Yi’s desperate, all-or-nothing gamble!
「 」
Faced with this sudden, lethal strike, Qin Feng’s face showed no trace of panic, only the near-frigid calm that comes from surviving countless battles.
In the instant before the short staff made contact, he executed two inconceivable counters.
First, he redirected the force!
He clamped the Long Spear that had pierced Lei Yi’s body tightly under his arm, sank his stance, and abruptly lifted his right hand, which was still gripping the spear shaft!
This maneuver instantly threw Lei Yi, who was already charging forward with a spear through his shoulder blade, completely off balance.
An irresistible force violently flung him upward!
His feet left the ground, his body suspended in mid-air!
Although his fatal strike was still aimed at Qin Feng, his loss of balance caused its power to diminish instantly!
Second, he engaged in close-quarters combat!
In the fraction of a second that Lei Yi was airborne, Qin Feng’s left hand moved!
He abandoned all defense, using his own flesh-and-blood fist to fearlessly meet the alloy staff hurtling toward his head!
Lei Yi was shocked, but he had already bet everything!
He swung his staff wildly, delivering dozens of strikes in an instant.
"BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG—!"
A series of sickening, terrifying cracks of bone against hard metal echoed across the arena!
Within a single second, the off-balance Lei Yi, relying on pure combat instinct, swung his staff madly, creating dozens of lethal afterimages!
And Qin Feng, with just his one hand, precisely blocked and intercepted every single one of Lei Yi’s attacks!
A second later.
Qin Feng’s left hand was a mangled ruin of flesh and blood. The stark white of his finger bones was clearly visible; every bone from his elbow to his wrist, down to his fingers, was shattered. The pale bone fragments were a jarring sight amidst the bloody mess.
But he had succeeded.
At the cost of one hand, he had neutralized a fatal situation.
Seizing the moment when Lei Yi’s momentum was spent and he had yet to gather new strength.
The muscles in Qin Feng’s right arm, still gripping the spear, bulged. He let out a suppressed roar and violently exerted his strength!
"HAH!"
With a savage flick, he whipped the Long Spear that was still piercing Lei Yi’s body!
Like a broken sack of grain, Lei Yi was flung through the air, trailing a gruesome arc of blood. He slammed heavily against the edge of the arena’s energy shield, coughing up a spray of blood. He struggled a few times, but could no longer get to his feet.