Volume Three: Rising Fame Chapter Nine: None Stands Above in Martial Prowess

Before the referee’s voice had even faded, another voice rang out.

“Qing Yuan, victory!”

The two arenas were not far apart. Li Yu turned his head and met Qing Yuan’s gaze.

“You’re quite lucky!” Li Yu mouthed silently.

The first round had narrowed twelve down to six, the second round six to three. With three finalists, the martial tournament was at its end—there was no need for further ranking, as the Qing clan only required the top three.

“Isn’t it you who’s lucky?” Qing Yuan replied with a smile.

Just as the referee was about to announce the results, both men called out at the same time.

“Wait a moment.”

Li Yu raised his brows. “In the world of letters, there is no undisputed number one; in the world of martial arts, there is no number two. We want to fight again.”

“That’s exactly what I want!” Qing Yuan retorted without backing down, fixing his gaze on Li Yu. “You arrogant fool, I’m going to teach you a lesson—next time, you’ll know better than to take the wrong seat!”

Li Yu intended to avenge Qing Anqi; who knew when another opportunity like this would come? There was no time like the present. Qing Yuan, on the other hand, simply couldn’t stand that Li Yu had taken his seat before the tournament, and that his name had appeared above Qing Yuan’s on the sign-up sheet. If one dug deeper, it was likely because Li Yu belonged to the Duke’s faction.

Both demanded another match.

“This…” The referee hesitated. This was the first time such a situation had occurred; he didn’t know how to handle it.

“Let them fight,” a voice commanded.

“Duke!”

The referee turned. Qing Heng was walking over. He looked at the two young men and spoke.

“Well said. In literature, there is no undisputed number one; in martial arts, there is no number two. Every member of the Qing clan should harbor such ambition, so that the martial path may flourish!”

Wrapped in spiritual energy, Qing Heng’s voice resonated across the entire arena.

He looked at them. “This time, I will act as referee. The rules remain the same. This match will also determine who will lead the Hundred Houses Assembly!”

Qing Yuan was already at the fifth rank. If they were to assign a fifth-rank referee and something went wrong, there might not be time to intervene.

No one knew who started it, but soon the entire crowd was shouting in unison:

“In martial arts, there is no number two!”

“In martial arts, there is no number two!”

Li Yu smiled. “Just as I hoped.”

Qing Yuan said nothing, but wrapped himself in spiritual energy and soared straight onto the stage.

This ordinary display of fifth-rank skill sent the crowd into a frenzy, everyone chanting his name.

Qing Yuan closed his eyes, basking in the adoration.

Li Yu shrugged, then leapt lightly onto the stage as well.

Qing Heng, fulfilling his duty, did all that was required of a referee, then stepped aside, his gaze fixed intently on the arena, ready to intervene at the first sign of danger.

“To be honest, you’re quite brave,” Qing Yuan said as he flexed his hands and feet, flashing a cruel grin. “I hope, when I break your limbs, you don’t scream too softly!”

“You do talk a lot.”

With a single thought, Li Yu sent spiritual power coursing through his body, simulating the surge of vital energy; his strength and speed soared in an instant.

The next moment, his figure vanished, reappearing at Qing Yuan’s left side. With a swift kick, he aimed for Qing Yuan’s head!

“So this is the source of your confidence?” Qing Yuan was startled, but in that split second, he released his spiritual energy, enveloping his body.

With spiritual energy solidified, Li Yu’s lightning-fast kick missed its mark; Qing Yuan dodged with just a tilt of his head.

“Are you imitating a martial technique?” Qing Yuan remarked with an air of ease, still having the leisure to comment. “A flashy trick. Don’t you know that the Divine Path surpasses the Martial Path? The higher the rank, the greater the gap!”

What Qing Yuan said was a universally acknowledged truth in this world.

Perhaps the gap between low-ranked cultivators was not obvious, but from the sixth rank—especially the fifth—the Divine Path stood above the Martial Path. Thus, all those with high-grade bloodlines chose not to cultivate the Martial Path.

From the sixth rank, Divine Path cultivators could project spiritual energy, which was already a great threat to Martial Path cultivators. After reaching the fifth rank, Divine Path cultivators gained the ability to fly. At that point, Martial Path practitioners stood no chance against them.

Qing Yuan regarded Li Yu’s simulation of vital energy with utter disdain for this reason.

With a thought, the wood spiritual energy around them surged, transforming into a massive fist that struck Li Yu and sent him flying.

“If you can’t break through my Spirit Domain, what empty boasting is this? What kind of hero do you think you are?”

Qing Yuan’s eyes were cold. Upon landing a hit, he gave no chance to recover, pressing the attack. He manipulated the wood spiritual energy within his Spirit Domain, shaping it into various weapons that rained down upon Li Yu.

Each blow shattered the stone blocks of the arena, clouds of dust billowing.

“Are you just tickling me?” Amidst the swirling dust, Li Yu’s voice rang out. His figure loomed, half-naked, emerging from the haze.

Li Yu stared at his opponent, who was momentarily stunned, and sneered, “What’s wrong? Your strength is as feeble as a girl’s!”

“How could this be?” Qing Yuan was incredulous. Staring at the unharmed youth, he was stunned. That blow would have been difficult even for a sixth-rank Divine Path cultivator; how could it not even break the skin?

The Spirit Domain was the signature skill of any fifth-rank Divine Path cultivator. Not only did it grant the ability to fly, but it also gave them an overwhelming advantage over lower-ranked cultivators.

At the sixth rank, they could project their internal energy outward; at the fifth, they could manipulate the spiritual energy within a certain range, even expelling or assimilating it.

This was the Spirit Domain.

It was the first time Qing Yuan had encountered a lower-ranked opponent who could ignore his Spirit Domain.

Clearly, he had already assimilated all the spiritual energy within his range, extending his own power—yet Li Yu seemed unfazed, moving freely within the Spirit Domain, as if unrestrained.

“It’s the Thunder Nodes!”

Qing Heng, observing from the side, saw it clearly. Li Yu was releasing thunder from within his body, thus neutralizing the pressure of the Spirit Domain.

The Seven-Star Thunder Manual Li Yu cultivated was designed to open seven Thunder Nodes within the body, allowing him to contain lightning internally. That was why his meals later included so many thunder-attribute spiritual plants: they provided him with the thunder he needed.

“I wonder how many Thunder Nodes he’s opened? And how long can he sustain such a drain?” Qing Heng mused, watching Li Yu intently.

At this moment, the two young men were locked in combat.

Qing Yuan, a clan prodigy, had studied only the most advanced secret arts, and had trained not only longer but started much earlier than Li Yu.

Yet the fight was not one-sided.

“Li Yu is actually holding his own against Qing Yuan for so long? That’s unbelievable!”

“If someone had told me a sixth rank could fight a fifth rank, I’d have laughed in their face. But today it’s happening before my eyes. It’s incredible!”

“Qing Yuan must be holding back. Li Yu’s defeat is only a matter of time, right?”

“You’re missing the point—we’re amazed Li Yu has lasted this long!”

The crowd under the arena erupted in commotion.

On the stage, Qing Yuan was equally astonished. Panting, he asked, “How are you doing this?”