Chapter 282: Chapter 282: One Man, One Spear

Leaving the meeting room, Shen Wei couldn’t help but sigh.

"Old Xu, we’re counting on you this time." He clapped Xu Wuyi on the shoulder. "Old Zhou and I will do our best to hold out for as long as possible."

Xu Wuyi shook his head. "It doesn’t matter which courtyard we face. I’ll go first. I’ll aim to finish it so neither of you has to fight."

...

Meanwhile, in the West Courtyard rest area.

Qin Rui stared at the tournament bracket on the light screen, his brow slightly furrowed.

His gaze was fixed on the name "Xu Wuyi" and didn’t move for a long time.

One year.

In just one year, the opponent he’d had to fight tooth and nail to defeat in the inter-courtyard tournament had left him completely in the dust.

Level 33.

That number, laid bare before him, filled Qin Rui with a sense of helplessness.

"Qin Rui," Tana’s voice said from beside him. "Thinking about the match the day after tomorrow?"

Qin Rui pulled his gaze back and nodded.

"Nothing to think about," Tana said bluntly. "We can’t beat him, and that’s that. That guy, Xu Wuyi, isn’t in our league anymore."

She was direct, without a hint of tact.

Qin Rui was silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "I know."

He knew he couldn’t win.

But that didn’t mean he would give up.

The path of Martial Arts was never just about victory and defeat.

Every challenge against a stronger opponent was an opportunity to see one’s own shortcomings clearly.

"I’ll give it my all," Qin Rui said, the fighting spirit rekindling in his eyes. "Even if I lose, I want to understand why I lost."

Tana grinned. "Now that’s more like it! I also want to fight Xu Wuyi again and see just how strong he’s become."

Similar scenes were playing out in the North and South Courtyards.

Zhao Qingwei silently polished her longsword. Images of fighting alongside Xu Wuyi flashed through her mind, followed by the memory of her defeat six months ago.

In a Cultivation Room, Li Hao practiced his Saber Technique relentlessly, his twin sabers carving vicious arcs through the air as if dicing an unseen opponent.

...

The atmosphere in the Battle Network’s main arena district was even more fervent than the previous year.

The virtual stands were packed to capacity, filled not only with first and second-year students, but also with many third and fourth-year upperclassmen who had made a special trip back to watch the tournament.

Normally, they paid little attention to campus affairs, but a genius underclassman who had broken through to become a Martial Artist as a first-year was clearly an exception.

They had all heard the rumors about Xu Wuyi and wanted to see for themselves just how powerful this "monster" of an underclassman truly was.

Inside the East Courtyard’s rest area, Xu Wuyi, Shen Wei, and Zhou Mingxuan were ready.

"Old Xu, are you really going first?" Shen Wei couldn’t resist asking again.

"Yes." Xu Wuyi nodded. "Let’s end this quickly."

A massive light screen lit up in the center of the arena, displaying the matchups for the first round.

First round: East Courtyard versus South Courtyard.

The format was a gauntlet-style match, with each side sending out three members. The South Courtyard’s lineup was: Sun Xiaoyu (Life Energy Level 29.5), Chen Fan (Life Energy Level 29.6), and Li Hao (Life Energy Level 30.4).

Clearly, the South Courtyard had placed their two weakest members first, hoping to wear down the East Courtyard’s combatants as much as possible.

But when the East Courtyard’s roster was revealed, the entire arena erupted in an uproar.

East Courtyard: Xu Wuyi (Life Energy Level 33.0), Shen Wei (Life Energy Level 29.8), Zhou Mingxuan (Life Energy Level 29.7)

Xu Wuyi was first!

"He’s leading the charge?"

"Isn’t that a waste? Shen Wei or Zhou Mingxuan should have gone first."

"Is Xu Wuyi going for a clean sweep?"

Amid the discussion, Xu Wuyi’s figure teleported into the arena. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

His opponent was Sun Xiaoyu from the South Courtyard, a girl with a ponytail who wielded a Foil.

Her face turned pale the moment she saw Xu Wuyi standing across from her.

"Begin!"

The instant the referee’s electronic voice sounded, Sun Xiaoyu took a deep breath, forcing down the fear in her heart. She knew defeat was certain, but she had to at least make a decent showing.

Her Foil danced in a complex flourish as she took the initiative and charged!

However—

The very instant she took her first step, Xu Wuyi moved.

He used no Body Technique, simply taking a single step forward and thrusting his spear.

The Spear Thrust was unadorned and not particularly fast, but at its tip, a point of incredibly condensed Spiritual Cold Radiance suddenly flared to life!

Sun Xiaoyu felt an invisible pressure instantly envelop her.

It wasn’t pressure from his Qi and Blood, but an impact that directly struck her on a spiritual level.

Her vision went black. Her Sword Momentum dissolved into chaos, and even the circulation of her Qi and Blood faltered for an instant.

By the time she came to, the tip of the spear was hovering three inches from her throat.

The entire exchange had taken less than two seconds.

"East Courtyard, Xu Wuyi is victorious!"

As Sun Xiaoyu dissolved into white light, her face was still a mask of confusion—she hadn’t even seen the Spear Thrust coming.

The crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting into astonished cries.

"What happened? Why did Sun Xiaoyu just freeze?"

"It was a Spirit Shock! A signature ability of the Martial Master Stage!"

"How can a Martial Artist have such a powerful Spiritual Attack? He’s truly worthy of being called a Martial Artist!"

In the South Courtyard’s rest area, Li Hao’s brow was deeply furrowed.

He had seen it clearly. The Spiritual Power contained in that single Spear Thrust from Xu Wuyi was strong enough to affect a Martial Artist of the same level. He suspected he would have fared no better.

This wasn’t simple oppressive pressure, but a true technique that converted Spiritual Will into an attack.

The South Courtyard’s second member, Chen Fan, took the stage.

He was a well-built young man specializing in Defense Martial Techniques. With a Life Energy Level of 29.6, he was just a hair’s breadth away from the Martial Master Stage.

Before stepping into the arena, he deliberately regulated his breathing, circulating his Qi and Blood to its absolute peak. A layer of earthy yellow light shimmered across the surface of his skin.

"Mr. Xu, please give me your guidance!" Chen Fan said in a deep voice, assuming a defensive stance.

He knew he couldn’t win, but he had to at least force Xu Wuyi to reveal more of his abilities, creating an opening for Li Hao.

Xu Wuyi nodded in acknowledgment.

"Begin!"

Chen Fan let out a low roar, guarding his vital points with his fists as the earthy yellow glow around him flared intensely. This was the sign that he had pushed a C-level Defense Martial Technique to its absolute limit.

According to his calculations, he could withstand a single blow even from a level-30 Martial Artist.

Yet, Xu Wuyi’s response was still just a simple thrust of his spear.

The spear shot forward, the point of Spiritual Cold Radiance at its tip even more condensed than before.

This time, everyone saw it clearly—

In the instant before the spear tip could touch Chen Fan’s protective Qi Force, the cold radiance erupted!

The invisible Spirit Shock, like a sharpened spike, bored viciously into the depths of Chen Fan’s consciousness.

Chen Fan felt as if his brain had been smashed by a Heavy Hammer. Excruciating pain flared, and his consciousness went blank.

The earthy yellow glow on his skin dimmed and scattered at a visible rate, his once-stable defensive stance completely crumbling.

The spear passed unopposed through the dissipating Qi Force and tapped gently on his chest.

"East Courtyard, Xu Wuyi is victorious!"

Chen Fan vanished in a flash of white light without having mounted any effective resistance.

Two matches, two strikes.

In the South Courtyard rest area, the atmosphere had grown heavy to the extreme.

Li Hao slowly rose to his feet, taking a deep breath.

He could tell that Xu Wuyi was using the same technique.

It was an instantaneous burst of highly condensed Spiritual Power, used to directly assault an opponent’s consciousness, create a momentary opening, and then seal the victory with a single strike.