novelraw Chapter 128: 3 Factions
Chapter 128: 3 Factions
On the Dueling Platform, Sheng Qiyuan was wondering how he would parry Senior Brother Fang’s attacks when the battle began.
But he didn’t need to think about that now.
Senior Brother Fang was giving him the chance to unleash his full power.
Since that was the case, he was determined to cherish this opportunity!
After the two finished speaking, the Elder on Dueling Platform Number Two announced the start of the Magical Combat.
Because he had promised Sheng Qiyuan, Fang Yun didn’t make a move at the start, instead waiting for Sheng Qiyuan to attack.
Sheng Qiyuan stood in place for a moment.
His aura began to surge, and his skin turned a deep, flushed red. From the outside, it looked as if his entire body had been roasted.
’This power-up is taking a while.’
Fang Yun mused as he watched Sheng Qiyuan.
’A technique like this could be easily interrupted if you don’t put up a few layers of protection for yourself.’
"Senior Brother, be careful!"
Sheng Qiyuan roared, still in control of himself.
The next moment, his eyes turned red. After locking onto his target, he could see nothing but Fang Yun.
By using his full power, he found it difficult to control himself.
This was the reason he hadn’t used this move in their previous Magical Combat spar.
Wielding his axe with both hands, Sheng Qiyuan closed in on Fang Yun at extreme speed, hacking and slashing at him with brutal force.
He used his Spiritual Power to drastically increase his strength and destructive force.
This was a Secret Technique designed specifically for Cultivators who trained in both Body and Qi Refining.
A normal Qi Refining Cultivator’s body would definitely be unable to withstand such a Secret Technique.
As for Fang Yun, two Upper-Grade Magical Artifact-level Profound Iron Shields were already protecting his entire body. The spinning Profound Iron Shields flawlessly blocked every one of Sheng Qiyuan’s strikes.
Fang Yun simply stood his ground, as unshakable as a mountain.
"That Spiritual Power fluctuation... I’m afraid I couldn’t even block a single blow from Junior Brother Sheng."
"Junior Brother Fang is just giving Junior Brother Sheng a chance. If he had attacked while Junior Brother Sheng was preparing, this Magical Combat would already be over."
"That would be so boring. This is way better to watch."
"Yeah, it’s incredible!"
It wasn’t just the fluctuations of Spiritual Power, but also the sheer impact of the scene on the Dueling Platform.
Sheng Qiyuan was like a crazed bull, relentlessly attacking Fang Yun. Many disciples had never seen such a spectacle—his red, swollen body.
The Elder on Dueling Platform Number Two, however, had no intention of appreciating the view.
His attention was focused entirely on Fang Yun.
He was terrified that Fang Yun might accidentally be struck by Sheng Qiyuan.
As the Elder presiding over the Magical Combat, it was his duty to prevent anyone from getting hurt. The bottom line was to avoid serious injuries.
’If Sheng Qiyuan really manages to land a hit, it’d be hard *not* to get seriously injured, right?’
Fang Yun, who was on the defensive, hadn’t expected this is what Sheng Qiyuan meant by "using his full power."
He had originally planned to give Sheng Qiyuan a chance to go all out, and then defeat him.
But in Sheng Qiyuan’s current state, it would probably be difficult for him to return to normal anytime soon.
This was a purely offensive mode with no defense whatsoever.
Under these circumstances, if he were to attack, Sheng Qiyuan not only wouldn’t defend himself, but he would even charge right into the path of his sword.
Noticing the Elder’s cautious expression off to the side, Fang Yun thought for a moment and decided not to attack.
’Ending the Magical Combat this way would be the most stable option anyway.’
As time went on, the force behind Sheng Qiyuan’s blows began to wane.
By this point, the clarity had returned to his eyes.
After one final swing of his axe, Sheng Qiyuan was left gasping for breath.
"Senior Brother Fang, you win. I have no strength left to fight." After using the Secret Technique, Sheng Qiyuan felt completely drained. "Thank you, Senior Brother, for giving me this chance!"
As the breathless Sheng Qiyuan finished speaking, the two Profound Iron Shields returned to Fang Yun’s Storage Pouch.
"Don’t mention it. Junior Brother Sheng, your Secret Technique is quite impressive."
Fang Yun noted that only seventy percent of the Spiritual Power in his Qi Sea remained, giving Sheng Qiyuan a very high evaluation.
It wasn’t easy for an opponent to deplete thirty percent of his Spiritual Power these days.
In the future, if Sheng Qiyuan could successfully reach Foundation Establishment, he would surely become a powerful Sect Elder.
"I’m still a long way from reaching your level, Senior Brother."
After this battle, Sheng Qiyuan had an even clearer understanding of the gap between himself and Fang Yun.
Even after his all-out assault, Fang Yun remained perfectly calm, continuously controlling his Magical Artifacts to defend. The mental strain on him seemed to be minimal.
’The Seven-Aperture Exquisite Body?’
While reading books on Body Cultivation, Sheng Qiyuan had also read some books on special constitutions. One of them was the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Body. Cultivators with this body type could easily control multiple Magical Artifacts in battle during the Qi Refining Stage, with minimal mental strain.
"The winner is... Number 116, Fang Yun!"
Once the two began to chat, the Elder announced the result of the Magical Combat.
Fang Yun had successfully advanced to the fourth round of the Inner Sect Grand Competition.
"After watching this Magical Combat, I’ve changed my mind. I think Senior Brother Fang’s defensive abilities are still superior to his offensive ones."
"Congratulations, Senior Brother, on joining the ranks of us Turtle Immortals."
"What do you guys know? Senior Brother Fang has only shown a fraction of his offensive skills, but he’s already demonstrated so much of his defense. That proves his offense is even stronger!"
After brewing for three days,
Fang Yun’s supporters had already split into three factions.
They were the Turtle Immortal faction, the Sword Immortal faction, and the neutral faction.
These supporters of Fang Yun were almost all Outer Sect Disciples; Inner Sect Disciples were few and far between.
As he stepped off the Dueling Platform, it was hard for Fang Yun to avoid hearing the disciples’ arguments.
To him, none of these were particularly good factions.
He wasn’t particularly fond of either title.
However, it was precisely because of these disciples that his influence within the sect had grown so much.
Therefore, he still maintained a very friendly attitude toward these junior brothers and sisters who supported him.
’Let the junior brothers and sisters say what they want...’
This was a reflection of Fang Yun’s tolerance.
"Junior Brother Fang, you should have no trouble winning tomorrow. The important match will be your opponent the day after," Bai Qinying was the first to say after Fang Yun stepped off the Dueling Platform.
She was still looking forward to the situation three days from now.
Assuming Fang Yun could make it past the fifth round.
"Mm," Fang Yun nodded at Bai Qinying, then turned to Song Qiaoqiao. "Senior Sister, I’ll have to trouble you again."
"Of course."
Song Qiaoqiao understood. It was the same job as yesterday.
Just as Bai Qinying was about to say something else to Fang Yun, he vanished in a flash.
...
「The sixth day of the first lunar month.」
Today was the fifth round of the Inner Sect Grand Competition, with a total of eight Magical Combats to be held.
Yesterday, Fang Yun had won the fourth round of Magical Combat without any suspense. His opponent had been a Ninth-Layer Qi Refining Inner Sect Senior Sister.
This Senior Sister’s overall strength was even a bit weaker than Hong Lingfeng, his opponent from the first round.
Even though this Senior Sister knew of Fang Yun’s methods, she was still sent flying off the Dueling Platform with a single sword strike.
Much like the first round, Fang Yun ended the fourth round just like that, advancing to the top sixteen.