Chapter 31: Astonishing the Crowd!

"This guy is really a pig!"

Hearing Fei Qingping's arrogant offer of concessions in the arena, Wan Yuan below the stage gritted his teeth in anger.

Over the past few days, he had repeatedly warned this guy not to take things lightly. As a result, the guy's strength had improved, but his habit of underestimating opponents had returned.

Wan Yuan was different from Fei Qingping. He also looked down on Ye Yuan, but if he were to step onto the stage, he would never spout nonsense like "I'll let you have three moves"; instead, he would go all out to defeat Ye Yuan.

Liu Ruoshui beside him covered her mouth and laughed: "Senior Brother Wan, don't be angry. Fei Qingping is a bit arrogant, but now he has the capital to be arrogant. Fifth level of Yuan Qi against third level of Yuan Qi, no matter how you look at it, he won't lose, right? Even if he lets three moves, it won't affect the overall situation."

Since Liu Ruoshui said so, Wan Yuan found it hard to pursue the matter, but he thought to himself that he would definitely give Fei Qingping a piece of his mind later.

"Sister Liu, you flatter me. But this is a life-and-death battle; Qingping shouldn't be so reckless. Still, I doubt Ye Yuan can cause any trouble." Wan Yuan shook his head with a smile.

"Of course. Senior Brother Wan helped Junior Brother Fei with his closed-door cultivation these past few days, and he has an overwhelming advantage in realm. I think nothing will go wrong. It's laughable that Ye Yuan was showing off just now, as if all the senior and junior brothers' Yuan Qi pills were already his. From this point of view, he's no different from the old Ye Yuan." Liu Ruoshui's words carried a hint of resentment.

"Hmm, that's true! Maybe I'm being too cautious, but this behavior does fit Ye Yuan's character."

Spurred by Liu Ruoshui's words, Wan Yuan came to his senses. Thinking back to Ye Yuan's actions just now, they were indeed as reckless as before.

But this would be the last time.

...

In the arena, a middle-aged man in black stepped in. He was the instructor presiding over this life-and-death battle, named Hu Yanyong.

Hu Yanyong glanced at the two indifferently, his expressionless face showing no concern for the life-and-death battle.

"Since you're both here, the life-and-death battle begins now. In a life-and-death battle, you bear the consequences of life and death."

"Begin!"

With that, Hu Yanyong directly withdrew.

Ye Yuan, now dressed in a white martial arts uniform, stood there with a somewhat heroic and dashing demeanor.

But his handsome and elegant appearance was utterly disproportionate to his strength, making everyone feel an indescribable strangeness.

"Hey, you said three moves. If I hit you, you can't fight back!" Ye Yuan suddenly grinned.

Fei Qingping sneered: "With you?"

"Hehe, try it and you'll know? Here I come!"

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Ye Yuan's figure was already in front of Fei Qingping.

"Overlapping Wave Heart Palm, First Wave!"

"Bang!"

Fei Qingping's body flew out like a cannonball, crashing heavily to the ground.

Silence!

Dead silence!

Everyone stared incredulously at Ye Yuan in the arena, not knowing what had just happened.

No, to be precise, they couldn't believe what their eyes had seen!

How could it be so fast?

No, what technique did he just use?

Overlapping Wave Heart Palm?

He... he actually mastered it?

How is that possible?

"Was that just now... the Overlapping Wave Heart Palm?" On the hidden viewing platform, Zuo Bugui's cynical expression had vanished, replaced by shock.

His question seemed directed at Long Tang, or perhaps just to himself.

Long Tang's face was also filled with shock, but he still replied: "Yes, that's the Overlapping Wave Heart Palm's First Wave."

"But... hasn't he only practiced for three days?" Zuo Bugui felt his brain struggling to keep up.

Mastering the Overlapping Wave Heart Palm's First Wave in three days—could it be that this Ye Yuan was even more monstrous than Long Tang before him?

But...

Even if Ye Yuan was more monstrous than Long Tang, how could he master it in three days?

Long Tang took a month, while Ye Yuan only took three days. The time Long Tang spent was actually ten times that of Ye Yuan?

That's too demoralizing, isn't it?

Long Tang didn't know what had happened, but among the students of the Danwu Academy, no one was more familiar with this martial technique than him.

What Ye Yuan had just used was absolutely the genuine First Wave.

"If this was the first time Ye Yuan viewed the jade slip, then he must have mastered it within three days!" Long Tang's words revealed a very complex emotion.

Zuo Bugui obviously realized this too and said: "Do you mean... he practiced it before? This time was just a cover? If that's the case, it makes sense."

The more Zuo Bugui thought about it, the more he felt it was true. His trademark smile reappeared, though still somewhat forced: "I knew it. How could anyone be more freakish than you? And to such an extent!"

Long Tang shook his head and said calmly: "I didn't say that. I only proposed a hypothesis. In fact, I'm more inclined to believe that he saw the jade slip for the first time."

Zuo Bugui: "..."

On the field, Hu Yanyong, who had been expressionless, had a glint in his eyes.

He was also impressed by Ye Yuan's strike, but what impressed him was not the Overlapping Wave Heart Palm, but Ye Yuan's footwork!

Ye Yuan had previously displayed Flash Step, so everyone was familiar with his footwork, but their understanding of it was still at the mastery level.

But just now, the Flash Step Ye Yuan executed was definitely at the perfection level!

Ye Yuan's movement just now didn't produce afterimages, so it fooled all the students.

Afterimages are a sign of Flash Step reaching perfection, but that doesn't mean a perfected Flash Step always produces afterimages.

The subtlety of its application lies in the mind.

That is the true essence of a perfected martial technique!

Coincidentally, Hu Yanyong had also put a lot of effort into Flash Step back in the day. He was one of the few who had mastered this technique to perfection!

Although he later practiced higher-level footwork techniques, he was most familiar with Flash Step.

But just now, he distinctly felt that Ye Yuan's Flash Step was somewhat different, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly where.

However, there was no doubt that Ye Yuan's understanding of this technique surpassed his own!

This kid is not simple!

Hu Yanyong, who had been indifferent to this life-and-death duel, now felt a hint of anticipation.

"This fool! I told him not to underestimate the enemy!" Wan Yuan on the viewing platform gritted his teeth.

Wan Yuan hadn't expected that Ye Yuan had really mastered the Overlapping Wave Heart Palm!

What had happened to this guy?

Only three days!

What Senior Brother Long took a month to accomplish, Ye Yuan had done in just three days!

Is this really the Ye Yuan I know?

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Wan. Junior Brother Fei was just caught off guard. Even if Ye Yuan has mastered the Overlapping Wave Heart Palm's First Wave, he can't defeat Junior Brother Fei." Liu Ruoshui was still confident.

Wan Yuan nodded. Of course, he knew that this strike couldn't truly harm Fei Qingping.

"Caught off guard? Even if he wasn't, he probably couldn't have dodged that strike just now, right?" Hu Yanyong, not far from Wan Yuan, overheard their conversation and made this assessment in his mind.