Chapter 142 : Swift Victory

Chapter 142: Swift Victory

Lu Wenjie stood frozen in place, his face filled with disbelief.

The Seven-Colored Flowing Light Art he had painstakingly cultivated for years had been broken so casually by the other party.

The crucial point was this: if Nan Yuchen had chosen to withstand it head-on with a defensive technique, or relied on a magical artifact to maneuver and evade, he could have accepted it. However…

This sixteen-year-old youth before him had chosen the most difficult—and also the most perfect—method of breaking through.

At this moment, among the spectators below the Golden Core Realm, the vast majority merely felt that Nan Yuchen had simply brushed aside the seven streaks of flowing light with his hand.

Some even whispered, questioning whether the Seven-Colored Flowing Light Art was nothing more than flashy decoration—impressive in appearance but lacking in substance.

Only a handful of experts, including Fang Wuqi, truly understood what kind of inconceivable event had occurred in that instant.

Seeing Long Tao still standing there in a daze, he knew that what had just happened had clearly exceeded his junior brother’s level of comprehension.

Thus, for once, he took the initiative to speak into the “microphone.”

“Everyone may not yet have realized the subtlety behind Junior Brother Nan’s series of parries just now.” Fang Wuqi’s voice spread across the entire venue through the Speech Pivot Pearl, brimming with barely restrained excitement. “Allow me to explain—this was by no means a simple block!”

He took a deep breath. “Within those brief few breaths, Junior Brother Nan continuously adjusted the oscillation frequency of the True Essence condensed in his hands according to the unique properties of each incoming streak of light. To the ordinary eye, it appeared that he simply knocked them aside with his hand. But in reality…”

Fang Wuqi’s voice suddenly rose.

“At the very instant of each contact, he precisely tuned the oscillation of the True Essence in his hand to match the exact frequency of the incoming light! Only then could he deflect them so perfectly! If there had been even the slightest deviation, he would certainly have been injured by the flowing light. Given the difference in cultivation between the two of them, even if Junior Brother Nan’s arm had not been crippled, the consequences would not have been pleasant!”

At the side of the arena, Fang Wuqi watched Nan Yuchen’s almost divine display, unable to suppress the excitement on his face.

A fiery desire to test himself against such an opponent burned in his eyes.

“To be honest, I was so engrossed in the match that I nearly forgot I was on commentary!” Fang Wuqi admitted candidly. “This level of absolute control and application of spiritual power and True Essence is simply breathtaking. And he’s only sixteen! Unbelievable! At his age, I absolutely could not have done this. That single instant just now fully proved the gap in talent between Junior Brother Nan and myself. Compared to him, I, Fang Wuqi, am nothing more than a mediocre talent!”

Though the spectators still could not fully grasp the intricacies involved, Fang Wuqi’s explanation allowed them to roughly understand the extraordinary nature of that move.

The entire martial arena erupted in an uproar. To hear Fang Wuqi—the sect’s number one prodigy—openly admit inferiority gave them a much clearer sense of Nan Yuchen’s strength.

In the stands, True Person Liuxia’s expression turned rather unsightly. She knew that the move could indeed be broken in such a manner—but it should never have been something a disciple of Nan Yuchen’s age and cultivation level could accomplish.

Yet the facts stood before her.

She had no choice but to admit that a true genius was someone capable of shattering conventional understanding and achieving what ordinary people could not even imagine.

Among the prodigies of the various factions, reactions varied.

Some, like Fang Wuqi, grew excited at the sight of a formidable opponent, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Others looked pale and dispirited, as though their confidence had collapsed in an instant, their heads lowered in silent contemplation.

A few wore expressions of stubborn defiance, dismissing it as mere flashy technique and good luck.

Meanwhile, the young female cultivators’ gazes carried a trace of deeper meaning, exchanging subtle looks with one another.

Amid the roaring clamor, Nan Yuchen remained standing calmly in place, as if his earth-shattering display moments ago had been nothing more than a trivial matter. He quietly looked at Lu Wenjie across from him, waiting for the next exchange.

Lu Wenjie stared at the scene that had nearly overturned his entire understanding of cultivation, his body trembling slightly. That return-to-simplicity, perfect breakthrough had almost caused cracks to form in his Dao Heart.

Yet as the personally transmitted disciple of True Person Liuxia, a genius crowned with that title since childhood, and bearing the responsibility of upholding his master’s reputation, he forcibly suppressed his instability.

Taking a deep breath, spiritual power circulated around him, and in an instant, he regained his usual composure.

“So this is what a true genius looks like?” Lu Wenjie muttered softly, a complicated smile curling at his lips. “Now I finally understand how those who once fought Fang Wuqi must have felt. The gap in talent is truly despairing.”

Before his words even faded, his figure blurred and he lunged toward Nan Yuchen at astonishing speed.

This time, he completely abandoned spell techniques, condensing all his spiritual power into the jade-bone folding fan in his hand.

The rosy glow flowing across the fan’s surface converged into a solid, sharp edge, slicing through the air toward Nan Yuchen’s vital points.

In terms of technique and combat instinct, Lu Wenjie knew he had no chance of victory.

Then the only option left was to rely on his superior cultivation realm—close-quarters combat, overpowering through brute force.

Though such a method was disgraceful for someone older and of higher cultivation, this was no time to care about face.

“Good.” Nan Yuchen had deliberately used that method to break the first move in order to shatter his opponent’s confidence. But seeing Lu Wenjie immediately recover his fighting spirit and calmly choose the optimal strategy filled him with excitement. Only such a person was worthy of being his first opponent in the Grand Competition.

Fist and fan collided with a thunderous boom that echoed across the entire martial arena.

Lu Wenjie felt a tremendous force surge through the fan’s handle, numbing his tiger’s mouth and nearly forcing him to lose his grip. Shock filled his heart.

Though the other party was only at the Foundation Establishment Third Layer, the purity and density of his spiritual power were not inferior in the slightest to his own at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer!

Although Lu Wenjie still held the advantage in total spiritual power due to his two minor realm superiority, this meant he would need to adopt a prolonged battle strategy.

Yet facing a monster of combat talent like Nan Yuchen, dragging out the fight would only grow more dangerous. With such astonishing insight and intelligence, his weaknesses and flaws would inevitably be exposed over time.

No dragging this out! It had to end quickly!

The thought flashed through Lu Wenjie’s mind. Without hesitation, he mobilized every ounce of spiritual power in his body, holding nothing back.

His decisiveness drew approving nods and smiles from the Golden Core True Persons observing from the sidelines. Beside True Person Liuxia, a long-time Golden Core friend stroked his beard and praised,

“Nan Yuchen’s talent is extraordinary. Most people would have had their will shaken after witnessing that exquisite parry. Yet Wenjie was able to instantly regain composure and choose the most appropriate tactic. Though his talent may not match those top-tier prodigies, this steadiness of heart—his cultivation of temperament—means his future will be boundless.”

Though True Person Liuxia felt comforted by her disciple’s composure under pressure, a bitter smile still appeared at her lips.

With her discernment, she had already seen through the outcome of this match.

The gap in combat talent and technique was simply too great. If her disciple had been at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer, perhaps he could have suppressed his opponent through realm advantage. But at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer…

On the field, the two entered direct close-quarters combat.

Nan Yuchen’s palms flickered in motion. His moves appeared simple and unadorned, yet each strike precisely targeted the crucial nodes in Lu Wenjie’s technique circulation.

Another plain, straightforward punch tore through the air, striking precisely against the fan’s ribs. Lu Wenjie let out a muffled grunt, sinking his legs slightly to channel the force into the ground.

The surface beneath him cracked instantly, spiderweb fissures spreading outward.

Suppressing the surging blood and energy in his chest, he seized the fleeting opportunity and drove his knee upward, striking Nan Yuchen’s forearm and briefly disrupting his rhythm.

In that lightning instant, Lu Wenjie tossed the folding fan into the air and formed hand seals at blinding speed. Spiritual power surged toward the fan like a breached dam.

The fan spun rapidly midair, seven-colored rosy light gathering into a dazzling light wheel that radiated heart-palpitating pressure. This was his ultimate, life-risking strike—victory or defeat would be decided here!

Facing this thunderous assault, Nan Yuchen also mobilized all his spiritual power. His right foot stepped half a pace back, his right fist drawing to his waist.

True Essence gathered toward his fist like rivers converging into the sea. There was no dazzling brilliance, no mysterious runes—only the purest force condensing within his fist.

With a clear shout, his right fist pushed forward. The punch seemed slow, yet the instant it moved, it tore through the air, meeting the light wheel with unstoppable momentum.

The two forces did not collide violently as the crowd expected.

Instead, just as at the opening, Nan Yuchen once again dissolved the attack with exquisite technique. His fist shifted slightly, True Essence flowing like water to coil around the light wheel, using finesse to overcome force.

However, this attack was far more ferocious than before. Even with Nan Yuchen’s refined control, the shockwave tore his garments apart along his right side, leaving him covered in wounds.

The True Essence protective barriers around his head and dantian fluctuated violently, nearing the brink of danger.

In the end, Nan Yuchen’s fist force barely neutralized the light wheel’s power and, riding the remaining momentum, struck precisely against the True Essence protective barrier over Lu Wenjie’s abdomen.

Lu Wenjie was already at the end of his strength. His spiritual power failed to follow through as five straight punches landed in succession upon his abdomen.

Finally, with the fifth strike—

The True Essence protective barrier at Lu Wenjie’s dantian reached its limit.

Silence fell over the entire arena.

“Victory decided! Nan Yuchen wins!”