Chapter 40

Gu Fei violently shook his bones, and immediately a thunderous explosion sounded throughout his body. Then, he pushed off the ground with both legs, leaping up like a spring, charging forward like an extremely fierce tiger descending from a mountain, straight towards Li Hao on the opposite side.

As he lunged forward, Gu Fei extended his hands, fingers curled, tips pointing downward, resembling tiger claws, and raked them directly at Li Hao. This was a move akin to a tiger pouncing on its prey, but Gu Fei applied it in combat.

With the momentum of a tiger pouncing, a gust of wind instantly arose, surging towards Li Hao, and a fierce aura immediately spread across the arena.

Seeing Gu Fei pounce, Li Hao was taken aback, the wind stinging his face, making him feel as if a tiger was charging at him.

The Cui Ling Peak lineage did not practice Daoist techniques, a fact known to all disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect, and Li Hao was no exception. He had prepared to deal with Gu Fei's attack, but never expected such a unique assault.

This was beyond Li Hao's expectations, making him secretly alarmed.

"Five Elements Transformation, Earth Concealment!" Li Hao was no ordinary person; being able to step onto the arena made him an outstanding disciple of the Shao Yang Peak lineage. He certainly wouldn't be intimidated by Gu Fei's pounce. He quickly recited the spell, and a misty, dust-like light immediately enveloped his body. In the next moment, Li Hao's figure disappeared within this dust-like light.

"Earth Daoist technique?" Gu Fei's heart sank. The dust-like aura did not dissipate but instead enveloped the entire arena, obstructing Gu Fei's vision.

The spectators below also had their view obstructed, unable to see the situation on the arena. When the Shao Yang Peak lineage disciples saw Li Hao use an Earth Daoist technique to trap Gu Fei, they couldn't help but cheer loudly, encouraging Li Hao.

To them, it seemed far too easy for their outstanding disciple to win this match, especially since Gu Fei was known as a failure, and no one believed he could defeat Li Hao.

However, no one knew that Li Hao had broken out in a cold sweat from Gu Fei's pounce. Gu Fei's strength was not to be underestimated, and Li Hao sensed danger from him.

Hidden within the misty, dust-like Earth energy, Li Hao activated his Daoist technique, driving the vast and heavy Earth energy towards Gu Fei.

Gu Fei immediately felt the space around him seem to solidify, with powerful forces surging from all directions, the misty Earth energy about to envelop him.

"Hmph!" Gu Fei let out a cold laugh, his bones shaking, producing a sound like thunder. The vast essence and energy stored in his muscles and blood surged forth, and a wave of energy immediately spread from his body, pushing back the misty Earth energy.

However, Li Hao was hidden within the aura, and for a moment, Gu Fei couldn't pinpoint his exact location.

In the dark, I am in the light. Gu Fei carefully sensed the surrounding vibrations, his eyes bursting with intense light, scanning the area as if trying to pierce through the thick layer of Earth energy surrounding him.

"Bind!" Suddenly, a cold, hostile voice came from the misty Earth energy, and Gu Fei felt a powerful magical fluctuation coming from the right.

Immediately, the rolling, dust-like Earth energy around him was filled with "swoosh" sounds, and thick, earth-colored chains, as thick as a child's arm, shot out from the mist, wrapping around Gu Fei from all directions.

As Li Hao launched his attack, the magical fluctuation from his body was immediately detected by Gu Fei. Gu Fei suddenly crouched on the arena, then his body slithered like a python along the surface of the arena, shooting to the right in a flash.

The numerous Earth energy chains that were about to wrap around Gu Fei immediately missed their target, and a cry of surprise came from the misty Earth energy.

A "thud" sound echoed from the misty Earth energy on the arena, and then the thick Earth energy that enveloped the arena seemed to lose its binding force, quickly dissipating. Finally, the thick Earth energy completely disappeared, revealing the two people on the arena.

One was standing, the other lying on the arena, seemingly unconscious.

When the Shao Yang Peak lineage disciples below the arena saw the person standing, they immediately erupted in excitement, "What happened? What happened? Why did he win?"

Not only the Shao Yang Peak lineage disciples, but also the disciples of other lineages were greatly surprised when they saw the winner on the seventh arena.

Seeing this, Zhao Zirou smiled. Dongfang Chen and Wang Yuanzhi, who were closely watching the seventh arena, changed their expressions when they saw the person standing on the seventh arena.

The Grandmaster of the Tai Xuan Sect, Xuantian Daoist, sitting on the steps in front of the Tai Xuan Hall, watched the person on the seventh arena with interest, not feeling surprised.

However, the seven lineage leaders sitting beside Xuantian Daoist all had a strange look in their eyes when they saw the winner on the seventh arena.

"The Cui Ling Peak... It seems they have a decent disciple!" The seven lineage leaders were well aware that the ancient cultivation method of the Cui Ling Peak lineage was difficult to practice, but once mastered, it could display far superior strength compared to other cultivators of the same level.

This was why, after obtaining the ancient cultivation method, the Cui Ling Peak lineage abandoned Daoist techniques and focused on this method. However, no one could cultivate it to the Transcendent realm, leading to the decline of the Cui Ling Peak lineage.

On the seventh arena, the person standing as the winner was Gu Fei. Over the past year, besides practicing in his cave, he often ventured deep into the mountains to fight fierce beasts.

Over time, he learned some simple, direct, powerful, and practical combat techniques from the beasts he killed, such as the tiger pounce and the snake slither.

Gu Fei used the snake slither technique to avoid Li Hao's Earth Daoist technique, instantly darting to Li Hao's side, and with a hand strike, hit Li Hao's carotid artery, causing him to collapse and lose consciousness. Li Hao's Daoist technique immediately failed.

The difference between victory and defeat is often this simple. In close combat, cultivators are no match for martial artists. Gu Fei once again proved this, instantly defeating Li Hao.

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