Happy Valley.
Ling Yiyi was pissed.
There was no referee and no introductions. They had no need for them.
When they finished exchanging their first words, the petite Ling Yiyi hacked her ax skyward with might that could halve mountains.
A strong gust of wind blew. The spectators around them were startled into taking stepping backward, their faces pale.
They had been more than ten meters away, but their faces smarted as if cut by the wind.
The battle between the two top-tier Peak Rank-3 martial artists was not any less frightening than one between Rank-4 martial artists.
Among the million martial artists in Sino Nation, how many of them could stand on the zenith of Rank-3?
The force behind Ling Yiyi’s attack was so strong it even made some Rank-4 and 5 martial artists who had come to spectate recoil.
...
Fang Ping did not dare to underestimate Ling Yiyi in the slightest.
When Ling Yiyi’s ax swung down, Fang Ping moved out of the way quickly only to materialize behind her. He hacked in retaliation, the move so powerful the air around him crackled.
“You’re gonna die!”
Ling Yiyi growled. She did not attack at once; she retracted, and the handle of her ax jabbed backward.
Bang!
A loud noise. The alloy ax handle collided with the saber’s blade in a show of fireworks. Fang Ping took a step back, withstanding the huge force, while Ling Yiyi leaned forward.
At that moment, Fang Ping’s arms suddenly swelled, accentuating his musculature. He no longer hacked his saber, jabbing it toward the other’s back.
Ling Yiyi, just in time, regained her footing on the floor. Cracks appeared on the spot she stood. She leaped up into the air, making a 360-degree turn mid-air, swinging her ax, which was headed toward the ground!
Fang Ping’s feet trod lightly on the ground as if he was standing on a cloud. The way he moved seemed to be slow, but he appeared behind Ling Yiyi in no time and hacked his saber downward, again!
Ling Yiyi was adrift at that moment. She kicked her left leg to the side and her foot landed on Fang Ping’s blade. She used the force to propel herself backward and land safely on the ground. Once she did that, she turned a serious gaze toward Fang Ping.
...
“This kid is quick on his feet! He practiced Cloud Steps quite well!”
Midair, Old Grandmaster Chen inclined his head slightly, commending.
Chen Yunxi flushed. Old Man Li kept silent.
‘You know nothing!’
‘He mastered Cloud Steps ahead of other techniques. Why? Because he needed it to run fast!’
Fang Ping’s escape from a Rank-6 powerhouse is a bona fide one. If he exerted himself fully, he might be able to escape from a Rank-6 martial artist’s grasp if the Rank-6 was not careful.
...
On the other side of the arena, on the top of the Happy Valley’s Ferris wheel.
Some CCMAU powerhouses were also spectating the match.
Those powerhouses did not elect to stand midair in a flashy move, but they looked ethereal from their spot on top of the Ferris wheel, with their clothes blowing in the wind.
Now, a pale-faced, built man seemingly of middle age said, “This MCMAU kid moves fast. Yiyi would have to work to win against him.”
“Rest assured, Dean Wu. Yiyi will definitely win!”
Another middle-aged man standing beside him laughed, saying calmly, “Speed is both an advantage and a disadvantage. If Fang Ping only relies on his speed, he’ll lose!”
...
Before the two separate groups of people could finish their conversation, Fang Ping flitted about in the arena as swift as lightning, hounding Ling Yiyi consistently. His saber was so fast it tore through the air.
Ling Yiyi remained in her spot. Although her ax was cumbersome, Ling Yiyi maneuvered it like an extension of her arm, parrying Fang Ping’s attacks swiftly.
Sparks flew!
After a continuous deluge of ten attacks, Ling Yiyi suddenly harrumphed. “Have you done fooling around?”
Fang Ping materialized a few meters to her left. He smiled, closed-eyed. “Just sussing your skills. You’re decent, but this doesn’t give you the right to boast. Ling Yiyi, you disappoint me...”
His voice was still echoing around the arena when he reappeared on top of her head.
This time, it was silent.
His saber gleamed a subtle crimson as he hacked down with a speed imperceptible by humans.
...
“Manic Explosion!”
Someone in the crowd identified Fang Ping’s signature technique.
He had hacked from all directions with varying force, but they were all individual moves that were not parts of a combat technique. Manic Explosion’s defining characteristic was the explosive force accumulated from consecutive moves.
Fang Ping had opted to cease with his previous bout of mania. Now his moves were silent and seemingly with no force behind them, but the martial artists knew better. They could feel the flowing, majestic force behind his saber.
“I’ve been waiting for you to do this!”
Ling Yiyi seemed to not be taken aback at all. She growled under her breath as she stomped on the ground. She formed her right hand, which she loosened from her ax, into a fist, which she used to counter the changdao swinging down toward the top of her head.
Bang, bang, bang...
Several loud explosions could be heard. The next moment, everyone saw as Ling Yiyi, who had swung only her right fist in retaliation to Fang Ping’s attack prior, wield her ax with only her left and hack it upward, swift and packing massive power.
Bang!
Another loud noise and Fang Ping was sent flying.
He staggered to get his bearing, but ultimately fell on the ground. His left sleeve was torn to shreds by the aftershocks, revealing the bleeding gash on his shoulder.
Ling Yiyi was also bleeding profusely from her right fist, but she stood proudly.
Her small stature seemed tall at that moment.
“Fang Ping, so this is your ultimate move? Six consecutive slashes? If that is so, you greatly disappoint me!”
Ling Yiyi did not follow up with another attack. She sneered at him. “Your attacks are feeble and weak. You paused two times in between these six hacks too. There are many flaws in your attack. You want to defeat me with that? Are you joking?”
Fang Ping stood and let his Vitality calm. He had been full of frivolous words before battle, but now he did not speak a word. The next second, he appeared before Ling Yiyi, his gaze sharp and with intent. His Mentality surged.
Ling Yiyi stopped in between her rambling abruptly, as if she was intimidated.
At that moment, Fang Ping’s changdao was already hacking toward her face!
As some in the crowd yelled in alarm, Ling Yiyi’s eyes suddenly lit up. The spectators opposite her shied away from her gaze as if what they had seen was a blinding light.
As for the martial artists, they saw as Ling Yiyi transformed into a murderous demon, her thirst to kill palpable in the air.
That aura was invisible and cannot be touched.
Martial artists sure could feel it, though!
The diminutive and cute Ling Yiyi’s aura was so potent it was as if she was the Devil herself. It surged against Fang Ping’s Mentality, shaking it to its foundations. Fang Ping’s brain became all but blank all of a sudden.
His changdao, which was hacking downward, paused. The previously unmoving Ling Yiyi did not swing her ax. Her injured right fist punched the air, and her arm seemed to elongate and elongate until her fist landed on Fang Ping’s chest!
Crack!
There was a muted crackling sound, and Fang Ping flew up again, his bones broken.
...
“Ah!”
Chen Yunxi shouted in surprise. She said hurriedly, “Fang Ping’s hurt!”
Old Grandmaster Chen’s brow was also furrowed as he nodded. “They’re both prodigies.”
Fang Ping, a Mentality-wielding Rank-3 martial artist, had used his Mentality to intimidate the other.
He had overestimated his Mentality and became careless, though.
Ling Yiyi could not harness her Mentality, but her first place on the ranking list did not go to her because she looked cute.
She had entered and exited the Capital City Catacomb tens of times and killed countless enemies. She had even killed an upper-stage Rank-4 martial artist.
After killing hundreds of people, she had already cultivated an aura of murder.
She had been reining it in before letting it go. Fang Ping’s Mentality was neither solid enough nor strong enough to withstand it and so he was struck by her aura. Even his honed sternum was broken after withstanding the force.
Old Man Li’s expression changed. He made to move.
This was not a small matter–one could be thoroughly broken beyond repair if the aftermath of an attack on his Mentality was serious!
Just as Old Man Li was getting antsy, Fang Ping, who was previously sent flying, got up and back to normal within the blink of an eye. He stood midair and growled, sending Ling Yiyi upward with a hack of his saber!
“You’ve pissed me off, you dwarf!”
Fang Ping’s face was flushed terribly red. Blood kept streaming out of his mouth.
Ling Yiyi furrowed her brow after being repelled by Fang Ping’s saber. “You’re fine?”
“I’ll be even after you die!”
Fang Ping cursed. ‘Of course, I’m fine! Did you think getting my Mentality attacked is a walk in the park?
‘But... I’ve cheated!’
Just as his Mentality got dented, he replenished 100Hz.
He had only promised not to replenish his Vitality but not his Mentality. One would easily become a moron if his Mentality was damaged.
She had been keeping a low profile before killing an upper-stage Rank-4 martial artist and rising to the top of the ranking list.
She was not weak. It was that she was always killing people.
Yes, she was.
In the Catacombs, she had killed at least a hundred martial artists in the Lower Three Ranks. Or more.
Naturally, it was hard for her to ascend to the higher rankings when she was only killing lower-ranked martial artists to hone her skills.
She had only started to appear in the public eye after she suddenly went on a Rank-4 martial artist killing streak. An upper-stage Rank-4 martial artist had also been one of her victims.
That half-assed Mentality of Fang Ping’s could suffice to intimidate anyone else but using it on Ling Yiyi was equivalent to him courting death.
Fang Ping took a deep breath. His chest puffed as some of his fractured bones recovered and his pain subsided.
“Don’t you worry, I’ll defeat you even without the help of my Mentality!”
Fang Ping sneered under his breath. He then dashed out, saber in hand, to surround Ling Yiyi, moving swiftly and attacking Ling Yiyi from all directions.
Metallic clangs could be heard nonstop as Ling Yiyi retaliated without pause. The battle turned into a standstill.
...
Midair, Old Grandmaster Chen appeared to be somewhat surprised, as with Old Man Li, who said, “Fang Ping’s Mentality is quite flexible.”
“It is. This is interesting.”
Old Grandmaster Chen nodded. A Rank-3 martial artist could be considered decent when he could sense the existence of Mentality. Not only could Fang Ping use some of it, but he could also bounce back instantly after injury. That spoke of an unexpected mastery of his skill.
Some martial artists as high as Peak Rank-6 had Mentalities so feeble that they dared not use it in battle.
If their weakness was sensed and thus their Mentalities crushed, their persons would be severely injured, and their Mentalities would rebound on themselves.
Even if one was a Grandmaster, if his Mentality was torn to shreds or reduced to dust, only one path was left for him to walk–a path to his demise.
Fang Ping’s swift recovery alone was already surprising and even shocking.
...
Down there in the arena, Fang Ping was not thinking about so many matters. Replenishing his Mentality but not using it again was not counted as cheating, was it?
Indignant, he flitted around Ling Yiyi and struck consistently.
His moves seemed to be useless, but in reality, he was trying to land seven consecutive slashes.
There would be no mastering combat techniques without combat.
He had hacked and slashed on boulders and the air, but none of those served more effectively than a human in the flesh.
He would not need to be cautious of accidentally killing someone like Ling Yiyi with a slash gone south, but he did need to stay vigilant in case this woman got pissed off and gave him a good beating.
He had slashed tens of times. Although not much of his strength and Vitality was exerted, he was still panting from exhaustion.
Ling Yiyi was not only staying on the defense. She pounced on her opponent when they were indisposed. Fang Ping’s breath was just starting to become erratic when she swung her ax down!
Fang Ping retreated hurriedly, airborne.
The ax’s blade slammed on the floor, the force behind it fissuring the ground.
“Weak! Is this what the rumored woman-bully Fang Ping is capable of? Seems mediocre to me. Come and hit me if you can!”
Ling Yiyi started to aggravate him again.
Fang Ping was first angered, to the extent that he wanted to duke it out with her on the spot, but he then calmed down. He laughed. “What a childish way to rile up someone! Also, are you even a woman?”
Fang Ping had just finished with that when Ling Yiyi leaped up and hacked her ax down swiftly.
Fang Ping held his saber up to parry. Ling Yiyi did not retreat after a move, though. She quickly hacked her ax tens of times consecutively within a short time.
“Whew...”
Fang Ping was panting rapidly. Opposite him, Ling Yiyi was also sweating profusely.
“Heavens-opening Axe!”
Ling Yiyi suddenly shouted. The speed of her ax increased twofold.
At this stage, both of them had not suffered serious injuries, but their Vitalities and both mental and physical stamina were exhausted.
Ling Yiyi did not want to prolong the battle more. She channeled a strong surge of her Vitality and hacked her ax down!
It was as if Fang Ping felt Death near him when she struck... The aura she exuded was similar to Qin Fengqing’s when he had killed those Rank-4 martial artists with a slash of his knife!
Fang Ping gritted his teeth hard. His bones and joints were whirring as Vitality traveled to his arms from all over his body!
He neither dodged nor ran away. The next moment, a slash!
“Seven consecutive slashes!”
...
“Seven consecutive slashes!”
In the crowd, Fu Changding and the others exclaimed. Fang Ping was improving real fast.
Just after they had finished screaming, Fang Ping retreated afar in a swift move.
He took a few steps back and yelled, “It’s not fun, using big moves! I don’t wanna kill you!”
“Bastard! I’m gonna hack you to pieces!”
Ling Yiyi was furious. Using big moves was not fun, his ass. Fang Ping had yelled the words himself when he struck; he had probably wanted to get lucky and finally land the move but realized that it was not going to happen after he had slashed the first time and retreated.
Ling Yiyi caught up to him in no time. Fang Ping growled again.
Changdao and ax barely clashed when Fang Ping retreated again.
The CCMAU instructors quickly flew down and yelled, “Get back!”
Fang Ping was almost to the crowd. At this moment in which Fang Ping could not land seven consecutive slashes, he was not a match for Ling Yiyi. He had to retreat after the barest touch.
The crowd backtracked.
Fang Ping kept on trying, yelling and retreating when the move failed, but he still felt something missing.
Ling Yiyi was persistent in her chase after Fang Ping, ax still in hand. ‘Escape from Happy Valley if you can. I’ll let you go then!’
‘This feels like sh*t!’
‘So embarrassing!’
Fang Ping screamed in his mind. There were so many people here watching as he was forced to retreat by a woman. This was so embarrassing!
‘Why can’t I successfully slash seven consecutive times?
‘Didn’t I succeed when I yelled ‘Six consecutive slashes!’ back then?’
At that moment, a voice rang in Fang Ping’s ears.
“Idiot, your essence, spirit, and soul are one. Even if you can’t use your Mentality alone against your opponent, it doesn’t mean that you should give up on using it completely! F*cking pissed me off!”
The familiar voice woke Fang Ping up. ‘I was being too deliberate!’
He did not want to use it against his opponent because he had replenished it, but he forgot that his Mentality was a part of himself, and so he could not treat it as something external from his body.
The reason why he could not succeed in his seven consecutive slashes or set it into motion was this.
His mind was clear now. Fang Ping’s aura changed. He yelled again, “Seven consecutive slashes!”
“F*cking stop it!”
Ling Yiyi cussed. She took the opportunity before her to catch up to Fang Ping. Her ax came down on him again!
Fang Ping growled lowly, face flushed red. He no longer retreated. He slashed his changdao six consecutive times. The ground beneath them had completely given out. The two of them sank, along with the ground, into the approximately 1.5-meter-deep crater that appeared beneath their feet.
When he was supposed to slash the seventh time, Fang Ping furrowed his brow, but he replenished some of his Vitality almost without any hesitation, and slashed!
Bang!
An explosion and Ling Yiyi was sent flying, blood spurting everywhere from her mouth.
Fang Ping exhaled. He did not think his actions not right. He had been short of a little Vitality when he was on the brink of successfully pulling the seven consecutive slashes off. Who still cared about his previous promise? Being too stringent about what he could and could not do brought no good to him.
Mastering seven consecutive slashes was more important than the possible guilt over violating his promise, but Fang Ping did not feel any guilt whatsoever.
Now the two of them recovered before they went against each other again. Fang Ping had slashed seven consecutive times successfully, so that meant that he had already mastered the technique. Ling Yiyi would have to withstand seven consecutive slashes one more time.
...
Ling Yiyi flew backward and fell on the ground. She shook her head before raising her gaze to look at Fang Ping, grinding her teeth. “You’ve really learned the move?”
The original version of Manic Explosion was unremarkable among middle-ranked combat techniques.
Zhang Dingnan had made improvements to it after he became a Grandmaster, though, and the improved version was a really excellent middle-ranked combat technique.
Fang Ping’s seven consecutive slashes were stronger than most average ultimate moves.
At this point in their battle, their Vitalities were on par with each other. Fang Ping had replenished some of his when he forced out the seven consecutive strikes, so Ling Yiyi ended up falling short to him in that regard.
Fang Ping said nonchalantly, “Meh, I won’t bully you. You look like you can still fight!
“I won’t use my Vitality. We’ll fight relying on our physical strength alone!”
“B*st*rd, you dare patronize me? I’ll kill you!”
Ling Yiyi suddenly rose in fury at his words. She leaped up and dashed toward Fang Ping at the next moment, raising her fist and slammed it toward him!
A Peak Rank-3 martial artist was still strong even if his Vitality was exhausted and physical strength was all that was left.
Fang Ping froze for a while seeing her manic actions. He then ceased to care about just why the woman was working herself up into a frenzy. He tossed his changdao somewhere and met her with his fists.
...
Loud noises everywhere.
The fight between the two of them became even more violent after they stopped using their Vitalities.
When they had, they had used their combat techniques well, but the battle appeared a little lukewarm to the inexperienced eye.
Now they relied only on their physical strength. Deep craters appeared wherever they stepped foot on. Buildings that their fists landed on seemed on the verge of collapse, even the parts made of steel, eliciting screams of awe from the average person.
...
“Yiyi is going to lose...”
Among the CCMAU instructors stood Fu Changding’s grandfather. He sighed, helpless.
The tall middle-aged man raised his head to look at the sky. He harrumphed. “Li Changsheng cheated!”
Fu Changding’s grandfather said nothing. This was not a life-or-death battle. Li Changsheng had instructed Fang Ping on the spot only once, and it was just before he achieved a breakthrough on his combat technique, so that was acceptable.
Fang Ping had successfully slashed seven consecutive times because of that, though, and started a physical match with Ling Yiyi after both their Vitalities were exhausted. Fang Ping was stronger physically, so Ling Yiyi’s falling into a disadvantaged position could not be helped.
“He honed his bone marrow.”
Old Man Fu confirmed something. He sighed. “He can intimidate someone using his Mentality and has already honed his bone marrow. By the time he’s Peak Rank-6... He might be able to skip Rank-7!”
Everyone’s expressions changed!
Someone asked, unsure, “He hasn’t honed his cranial bones yet. He can go through Rank-7 faster, maybe, but he can’t just skip it, can he?”
The difference between Rank-7 and Rank-8 was one’s cultivation of a golden body.
A golden body was one where all of one’s bones, including his cranial bones and bone marrow, were honed.
If Fang Ping had honed all his internal organs, he could very well achieve golden body status immediately after he honed his cranial bones and marrow as well.
Old Man Fu shook his head. “I’m not sure. Depends on the situation. This is good, though, the Rank-7 cultivation... Won’t be that hard for him...”
Fang Ping was no longer said to be a mere potential Grandmaster. Saying that he was a potential golden body martial artist was more accurate.
...
Midair, Old Grandmaster Chen’s Mentality jumped into action. He muttered, “All bones are completely honed except for the cranial bones!”
Old Man Li stared up toward the sky!
‘If I didn’t remember wrongly, the kid hasn’t honed his bone marrow when I wanted to beat him up!
‘This kid... Maybe he really has to be cut up into pieces and studied!’
...
Just as everyone was surprised and amazed, Fang Ping punched straight on Ling Yiyi’s chest, threatening ferociously, “Come at me again!”
Ling Yiyi took a few steps back. Her face was pallid as she grinded her silver teeth and bit out furiously, “This won’t end if you don’t kill me!”
Saying that she pounced toward Fang Ping ferociously once again, poised to attack!
Fang Ping exhaled lightly before rising to the challenge. He did not think what he did was inappropriate; she would die if he hit her head, hitting her limbs was ineffective, so her chest was naturally the best place to strike!