Chapter 21

The training ground was already crowded with a large number of students, and the front row was entirely occupied by members of the Xuan Sect. They all stood with their arms crossed, exuding a powerful aura that made people hesitant to approach. They were trying to intimidate their opponents even before the competition began, making them feel intimidated by their aura alone.

But to their disappointment, after the aura had been spread for a long time, there was still no sign of Li Yunxiao. The Xuan Sect members were now sweating profusely and looking somewhat exhausted.

"Is that kid not coming?"

"It's normal for him not to come. Losing face is better than losing his life, right?"

Everyone started to murmur, cursing Li Yunxiao in their hearts, thinking they had been fooled. Lan Xuan's face turned slightly green as he sat in the training ground, listening to the discussions. He simply closed his eyes and waited.

"Han Fatty, do you think Li Yunxiao will come?" Qin Ruxue was also extremely anxious, hoping he would come but also hoping he wouldn't.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him for days. Could he have run away?" Han Bai suddenly thought of this possibility and was somewhat taken aback.

Chen Zhen was also stunned for a moment, then shook his head vigorously. "Absolutely not! If that were the case, he wouldn't be worthy of being a descendant of the Li family, and we wouldn't be worthy of following him. A man can die on his knees, but he cannot live in humiliation!"

Qin Ruxue felt irritable and angrily said, "What nonsense about life and death! Speak more politely!"

"Look, that waste of space is here!"

Just as everyone was getting impatient, a voice rang out. Everyone quickly turned their heads and saw, about a hundred meters away, under the statue of Wu Di Gu Feiyang, a figure in a green robe completely bathed in the morning light, walking leisurely as if on a郊游 (outing), humming a tune.

"Wow, he really dares to come, what a hero!"

"Haha, he's brainless, relying only on his foolishness. Today, his foolishness has reached its limit."

"Lan Xuan is a peak Ninth Star Warrior. How many moves do you think he can withstand?"

"A few moves? Haha, if he can survive one move, that's impressive!"

The originally crowded training ground cleared a path for him as the students moved to the sides. Most of their faces were filled with schadenfreude, as if they were watching a show.

"Move out of the way!" Qin Ruxue, furious, pushed through the crowd and rushed to Li Yunxiao. "You fool, why did you really come? Go back quickly, he will kill you!"

Chen Zhen also pushed through. "Young Master Yun, what are you thinking?"

Li Yunxiao felt a warm feeling in his heart; only these few friends truly cared about him.

Suddenly, a figure flashed, and Luo Yunshang appeared in front of him, angrily saying, "Go back quickly, no fooling around. I hereby declare the duel canceled!"

"What? Canceled?" Everyone was shocked and began to curse. "No wonder this kid is so confident, he has this trick up his sleeve!"

"Damn, he's really disgracing the Li family!"

"He's a waste of space anyway, he's already disgraced them, so it doesn't matter anymore!"

Various curses echoed, and Chen Zhen and Han Bai's faces turned green with anger, their bodies trembling.

"Teacher Luo, this is a duel between students. How can you cancel it arbitrarily?" A teacher named Xuan Ping stood up and said sternly, "Moreover, Teacher Luo, you are a member of the National Guard, and it's inappropriate for you to be involved in this matter."

The duel had attracted many teachers, not because of the disparity in their abilities, but because of their special backgrounds, representing the two major forces in Tianshui Kingdom. The teachers were not isolated; many belonged to the two major factions. The National Guard was the strongest military institution in Tianshui Kingdom, directly under the command of the king.

Luo Yunshang's eyes flashed with a sharp light, staring at Xuan Ping. "I only know that Li Yunxiao is my student, and I have the duty to protect his safety. What faction do you belong to, Teacher Xuan?"

Xuan Ping's face changed, and he firmly shook his head. "I don't belong to any faction. As a teacher, I cannot be involved in private duels between students. I must be fair and impartial, not favoring any side."

Before Luo Yunshang could respond, Li Yunxiao said, "Teacher Luo, I am your student. Why do you always protect Lan Xuan? Teacher Xuan is right; we must be fair and impartial. You all step back, I'll cripple him in a minute."

Luo Yunshang and the others were stunned. Is this kid's brain broken? Has he been scared silly by the scene?

While they were stunned, Li Yunxiao had already stepped onto the training ground, walking step by step toward Lan Xuan.

"Ha, I thought you wouldn't dare to come," Lan Xuan stood up, sneering.

"Do you think talking more will prolong your existence? Dream on!" Li Yunxiao coldly shouted, taking a step forward, and a surge of energy emanated from his body.

"Warrior? This kid has really advanced to the Warrior stage!" Luo Yunshang's heart was shaken. Although Zhong Lishan had told her, seeing it with her own eyes was still extremely shocking. She was certain that a few days ago, Li Yunxiao was still a waste of space with no pulse wheels activated.

"How is this possible? This kid is actually a First Rank Warrior!" The students outside were stunned, and Yu Hezheng, standing in the crowd, was even more shocked.

"No wonder my useless brother couldn't match you. You've hidden your abilities quite deeply!" Lan Xuan sneered. "But your good luck ends here!" His aura suddenly burst out, and waves of energy surged out, making the air around him swirl rapidly. The students near the training ground felt a subtle pressure.

"Indeed, a peak Ninth Star Warrior. This Lan Xuan is truly remarkable. He will likely break through to the Second Rank and become a Martial Master within a month!" Xuan Ping praised from the viewing stand. "How many moves do you think Li Yunxiao can withstand?"

"A few moves?" Another teacher laughed. "Judging by the contrast in their auras, he will likely be crushed in one move. Even Commander Xiao Chen praised Lan Xuan and had intentions to recruit him."

"Really?" Xuan Ping's eyes lit up, and he said happily, "Lan Xuan is just one step away from becoming a Martial Master. Joining the National Guard is a sure thing. If Li Yunxiao can survive one move, he would be a prodigy."

Wang Feng, standing nearby, remained silent, his eyes dark. Although he was part of the Lan family faction, he only supported his nephew. Now that his nephew had been expelled, seeing this rival gain attention was extremely frustrating. He wished Li Yunxiao would give him a big surprise and cripple Lan Xuan. But he knew it was just a dream.

"One move? I don't think so." Suddenly, Zhong Lishan, who had been silent, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, said meaningfully, "You all underestimate Li Yunxiao. This duel might be more interesting than you think."

The other teachers were stunned, and Luo Yunshang was also surprised. She looked up and saw Li Yunxiao slowly approaching Lan Xuan, his movements extremely slow, as if struggling under the pressure. Each step seemed to require great effort.

Among those present, only Zhong Lishan sensed something was off. As a Fifth Rank Martial King, he noticed that the air around Li Yunxiao was unusual. With each step, the entire space seemed to vibrate. For a moment, he had the illusion that the rules of the world around him were pulsating with life in sync with Li Yunxiao's steps!

"Whoa!" Zhong Lishan drew a sharp breath. How is this possible! But this kid's steps are definitely a secret technique, at least harmonizing the surrounding aura with his steps' frequency. What a profound martial skill!

Thanks to Zhong Lishan's hint, Luo Yunshang also seemed to notice something and fell into deep thought.

"Waste of space, you're already struggling under my aura, and you still want to fight me!" Lan Xuan laughed contemptuously, as a large amount of energy surged into his right hand, creating waves of energy that spread out like ripples on water, forming a vortex.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll beat you to your knees and make you admit your mistake. I'll make your Li family lose face forever!" Lan Xuan planned to win in one move to establish his authority.

"Flowing Cloud Sword Technique, Star Spin Palm!"

With a palm thrust, the surrounding energy surged, forming a vortex that enveloped Li Yunxiao!

"Transforming the sword into a palm, the palm like a star spin, impressive!" Xuan Ping couldn't help but cheer, and the other teachers, though they didn't like his obvious flattery, also showed admiration. Only Zhong Lishan's expression became serious as he stared at Li Yunxiao.

Li Yunxiao's face showed a cold smile, and his energy suddenly gathered in his feet, bursting forth. His body instantly turned into a blur, soaring into the air! The ground's diamond rocks were instantly crushed under his feet.

"What's happening? So fast!"

Lan Xuan's face changed. Li Yunxiao's speed had broken through his palm's energy field. He was shocked and angry. "Trying to escape? Dream on!" He changed his right palm, and the vortex suddenly expanded, increasing the attack range several times. Li Yunxiao, soaring in the air, had nowhere to dodge!

"Hmph, Moon Step, Phantom Shift!"

Just as everyone was wide-eyed, waiting to see how he would withstand the attack, his body in the air suddenly turned into a blur, moving horizontally several feet in a strange posture, forcefully dodging the attack!

"How is this possible? What kind of movement technique is this? Moving horizontally in the air?!" Lan Xuan's pupils constricted, his eyes wide open!

As everyone was stunned, Li Yunxiao's figure took a step in the air, as if moving horizontally, without falling! With that step, it seemed some force in the void was drawn, causing a slight tremor in everyone's hearts.

Zhong Lishan's pupils constricted, and he jumped up from his chair in shock. Others didn't understand, but he saw clearly that Li Yunxiao's step was a continuation of his previous steps. The frequency and timing were exactly the same, perfectly in sync!

In other words, he didn't dodge Lan Xuan's move to resist. Instead, he was completing this strange set of steps. With the final step, the rhythm of the world began to follow him.

Suddenly, golden light burst from his body, and he fell from the sky. The aura of the world seemed to be drawn to him, surging into his body, giving the impression that the sky was collapsing, and the power of all things was converging on him.

"Harnessing the power of the world!"

Zhong Lishan was shocked, his eyes wide open. He finally understood the purpose of Li Yunxiao's steps: to harness the power of the world, to borrow its force!