Chapter 54 - 42: Mentality Collapsed

[3, 2, 1...]

[Battle, begin!]

"Oh? It’s you?"

The countdown hadn’t even ended when Zhou Yu raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in her cold voice.

She clearly recognized the "newcomer" who, a month ago, had been decapitated by a single strike from her, utterly powerless to resist.

Qin Feng didn’t respond. He simply lowered the standard Long Spear in his hands, its tip pointing diagonally at the ground. He assumed the most standard and stable opening stance of the Thousand Army Spear—"Coiling Dragon."

At this moment, his heart was as still as the abyss.

Facing Zhou Yu was slightly unexpected, but more than that, he felt a battle intent welling up from deep within.

It had been a month.

He looked at the opponent’s information displayed on the light screen, his gaze lingering for a moment on the words "Heavy Alloy Armor" and "Ninefold Thunder Saber."

Scenes of his countless training sessions with Shi Potian in the public Martial Arts Room over the past month flashed through his mind.

’This is my first time facing an opponent in Heavy Armor in a formal duel. Its Defense Power is astonishing. Ordinary attacks will likely be ineffective. I’ll have to rely on a finishing move to break through.’

Qin Feng’s mind raced.

’The Ninefold Thunder Saber... I couldn’t be more familiar with this saber art. Shi Potian uses this very style—it’s wide, sweeping, and relentlessly aggressive. Its greatest feature is the stacking of momentum. Once it builds up, each strike becomes stronger than the last, one after another, culminating in the thunderous might of the ninth slash. If she builds that momentum, defeat is certain.’

He knew he absolutely could not let her comfortably unleash the full power of her saber art.

’So, the strategy must be clear: from the very first second, I have to suppress her completely. I need to break her rhythm, interrupt her power generation, and prevent her from stacking even a single layer of the Ninefold Thunder Saber.’

His gaze fell upon Zhou Yu’s thick, heavy armor.

’With my current mastery of Thousand Soldiers’ Evasion, shattering this level of Heavy Armor would probably require landing three consecutive hits on the same spot, or more than five hits on different spots. That’s not realistic; she won’t just stand there and let me hit her. So, I can’t be hasty and focus solely on breaking her defense. I must be patient, apply constant pressure, and create—or find—an opportunity for a single, fatal blow.’

A clear, complete, and highly targeted battle plan formed in Qin Feng’s mind within seconds.

[Weapon Selection: Standard Long Spear; Armor Selection: Light Composite Material Armor]

[Weapon Selection: Standard Long Saber; Armor Selection: Heavy Alloy Armor]

The light screen in the great hall clearly displayed the difference in their equipment.

Zhou Yu was clad in Heavy Armor, wielding a Standard Long Saber.

Meanwhile, Qin Feng wore light armor and held a standard Long Spear.

An inch longer, an inch stronger.

In this perfectly fair environment where all life force indices were locked at 10.0, a pure contest of skill officially began.

"Go, Senior Sister Zhou Yu! Crush him!"

"Heavy Armor versus light armor, is this even a fight? If she just tanks her way into close range, it’s an instant kill!"

"Hard to say. It’s tough to get close to a spear expert."

In the spectator stands of the Thunder Martial Hall, the students’ discussions began to buzz.

They had witnessed the dominance of the Ninefold Thunder Saber and trusted in Zhou Yu’s strength.

However, the few Martial Hall instructors seated at the front all narrowed their eyes in unison, their expressions focused.

They could tell that while the spearman with the ID "Qin" stood motionless, his "Coiling Dragon" opening stance had a certain flair to it.

The moment the battle began, Zhou Yu moved.

Without any probing, she stomped her foot, her heavy body surging forward with astonishing explosive power. Like a high-speed chariot, she instantly closed the distance to Qin Feng.

The Long Saber in her hand, infused with the first layer of Thunder Power, carved a vicious arc from top to bottom, cleaving straight down at his head!

The strike was heavy, powerful, and utterly imposing!

Facing this earth-shattering blow, Qin Feng’s figure swayed like a willow in the wind, shifting half a step to the left.

This single half-step allowed him to perfectly evade the direct path of the blade.

Immediately after, the Long Spear in his hands moved.

"CLINK!"

A crisp sound, so faint it was almost negligible.

The spear tip, like the most precise scalpel, tapped an imperceptible power-generation point just below her right elbow joint as she swung her saber.

The Thunder Power that was about to erupt seemed to halt for an instant, like a balloon pricked by a fine needle.

Zhou Yu felt a wave of numbness in her right arm. The power she had been building was interrupted, and the force of her saber strike instantly weakened by thirty percent.

"Huh? Why did it feel like Senior Sister Zhou Yu didn’t put any force into that strike?"

"He dodged it, so she must have held back."

"..."

Zhou Yu’s classmates chattered among themselves, unable to see the finer points of the exchange.

But the experts from the Martial Hall all took immediate interest, each one suddenly sitting up straight with intrigued looks in their eyes.

Her first strike having missed, Zhou Yu was not discouraged. She spun with the momentum, sweeping her Long Saber horizontally. The second layer of power was instantly stacked on, the blade whistling with a low hum as it aimed for Qin Feng’s waist.

Ninefold Thunder Saber—the longer the battle, the stronger it grows, becoming unstoppable!

However, just as she twisted her waist and hips, about to fully unleash the second layer of power...

Qin Feng’s Long Spear appeared once more.

"CLINK!"

Another crisp sound.

This time, the spear tip struck a gap in the armor plates where her left waist and hip connected.

That was the precise pivot point for the power in her horizontal sweep.

Zhou Yu felt a numbness in her waist as the force she had just gathered was scattered again. The momentum of her sweep instantly became weak and limp. With a light flick of his spear shaft, Qin Feng redirected it off course.

"Missed again? What is she doing?"

"This ’Qin’ guy is so slippery, like an eel!"

"..."

An expert from the Martial Hall, his gaze sharp as a torch, spoke softly to clear up the confusion: "He’s not being slippery. He’s not dodging, he’s dismantling. This Martial Artist, ’Qin,’ has fought against the Ninefold Thunder Saber before—many times, by the looks of it. He’s very experienced."

The ensuing battle completely proved the instructor’s judgment correct.

The entire arena became a one-man show that left Zhou Yu feeling utterly stifled.

She wanted to build momentum and launch a relentless assault, relying on the power of her Heavy Armor. But Qin Feng’s spear tip would appear like a shadow, striking her joints, her power-generation points, and the brief pauses as she shifted her breathing rhythm.

"CLINK! CLINK! CLINK! CLINK!"

The crisp, dense sounds of the spear tip’s jabs became the only melody in the arena.

Qin Feng’s spear art was born from the ever-changing battlefield; it contained no superfluous, flashy moves.

Every thrust was concise, efficient, and aimed straight for a vital point.

He was like a master Hunter, patiently and calmly whittling away at his prey’s stamina and spirit.

He wasn’t rushing to attack, but perfectly executing the strategy he had devised before the battle.

Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on Zhou Yu’s forehead.

The more she fought, the more agitated she became.

It was too damn frustrating!

Her opponent’s spear art was like an invisible Heaven and Earth Net, trapping her firmly within.

No matter how she charged or roared, she couldn’t break free from the restraints that seemed so casual yet were in fact indestructible.

She was completely unable to execute her saber art properly.

Every time she was about to generate force, the elusive spear tip would precisely sever the connection.

This feeling was a hundred times worse than suffering a crushing defeat in a head-on clash.

"AHH!"

Zhou Yu finally couldn’t take it anymore. With a furious roar, she abandoned all technique, pouring all her strength into her Long Saber and unleashing a wild, undisciplined slash at Qin Feng.

Faced with this strike, which was full of openings, Qin Feng still chose not to press the attack.

His figure drifted back like a phantom, easily evading it. At the same time, his spear shot out like a dragon, once again striking the wrist Zhou Yu had exposed by overextending herself.

"CLANG!"

Zhou Yu felt a violent tremor in her wrist, nearly losing her grip on the Long Saber.

A profound sense of powerlessness washed over her.

’Surrender?’

The thought flashed through her mind, unbidden.

’If this goes on, there’s no chance of winning. I’m just being toyed with, adding to the humiliation.’

"Senior Sister Zhou Yu’s composure has shattered..."

"This fight is so frustrating. If it were me, I’d have broken down too."

"This guy ’Qin’ is disgusting! If you’ve got the guts, fight him head-on!"

"You guys are such noobs. If Zhou Yu wasn’t wearing Heavy Armor, she would’ve been skewered long ago. Martial Artist ’Qin’ is playing well! His strategy is spot on!"

"Zhou Yu’s martial heart is being tested. If she can endure this, it will be immensely beneficial for her future growth."

"..."