Chapter Five: A Complete Victory

This was the third day of the competition, and also the final day. Only one yellow light array remained in the arena, specially prepared for the championship duel. The yellow light array had a diameter of sixty yards, with runes flickering across its dome.

"Today’s last match pits Lei Xiang against Lei Yunlong. The winner will be this year’s champion of Thunder Fortress." Lei Xiang was the first to step inside the yellow circle. The applause from the spectators was sparse, but the murmurs were loud.

"What stroke of luck did Lei Xiang have? How did he transform from a useless weakling, bullied by everyone, into a genius overnight?"

"Yeah, did he eat some miraculous pill? He’s in the top two this year, when he’s always been at the bottom."

"Don’t think too highly of him. The eldest young master—who is he? At twenty years old, he’s at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, on par with the masters. I’d bet Lei Xiang will be flattened as soon as they exchange blows."

"Not necessarily. Anyone who makes it to the finals isn’t ordinary. Besides, Lei Xiang snatched the Red Luan Blade talisman bare-handed—what terrifying strength! Even the eldest young master couldn’t do that."

Suddenly, the crowd fell silent, their gazes converging on a single figure. This young man always stood ramrod straight, his face adorned with a half-smile, half-smirk. Wherever he went, he was the focus of all attention, for he was the brightest elite of Thunder Fortress—Lei Yunlong.

Lei Yunlong strode confidently into the yellow circle, holding the hem of his purple robe in his left hand. His eyes, as if seeing through everything, gazed arrogantly at Lei Xiang.

Lei Xiang smiled, showing his small tiger teeth. "Senior brother, here’s Lei Xiaowu’s Red Luan Blade talisman, returning it to you."

Lei Yunlong lifted his chin slightly, took the talisman, and tucked it into his chest. "Lei Xiang, I misjudged you before. I didn’t expect you to be a genius too. But today, you’re destined to lose."

"I’ve reclaimed the talisman, but I won’t use it in this duel. Please—"

Before the word was fully spoken, he rapidly formed several seals with his right hand and then thrust his palm forward.

"Heaven and Earth Vanishing Palm!"

Lei Xiang barely had time to cast a protective shield. A wave of spiritual pressure surged toward him like a tidal wave. Without thinking, Lei Xiang invoked Windwalking on his legs, his figure blurring as he moved through the yellow array.

Palm shadows filled the air.

Lei Yunlong’s casual strike enveloped the entire sixty-yard arena. Lei Xiang, dodging and weaving, felt the crushing weight of the palm shadows pressing down on him, omnipresent and suffocating.

Truly, there was nowhere to run. Lei Yunlong, though arrogant, was no fool. He knew Lei Xiang was now his greatest rival, so he unleashed his ultimate technique right at the start.

"Bang!" Lei Xiang’s left shoulder was struck, sending him careening uncontrollably. His left arm hung limp, blood rushing up. Lei Xiang clenched his mouth, took two deep breaths, forcing the blood down, and pushed himself upright with his right hand.

He realized he was only half a foot from the edge of the circle—half a foot from defeat.

After all, a master like Lei Yunlong, with just a casual palm, nearly knocked him out of bounds. Next time, with a bit more force, Lei Xiang would surely lose.

Unknown to Lei Xiang, Lei Yunlong was even more astonished. "This kid is truly formidable, his constitution extraordinary. I used seventy to eighty percent of my spiritual power with my signature move, yet failed to defeat him. Winning the championship won’t be easy this time."

Yet his face retained its half-smile as he declared arrogantly, "Lei Xiang, you’re strong, but you’re not my equal. Admit defeat!"

Lei Xiang smiled, showing his tiger teeth again. A trickle of black blood slid from the corner of his mouth.

This smile infuriated Lei Yunlong. He raised his right index finger and shook it at Lei Xiang. "I advise you to withdraw now, or don’t blame me for showing no mercy. Ha, you’re not worthy to compete with me for the championship!"

Lei Xiang kept smiling. The blood at his lips had dried, but suddenly his whole being surged with vitality. He circulated his energy, not only healing his injuries but also making progress in his cultivation. The Thunder Tempering truly paid off.

"Not worthy? Fine, let’s see who’s stronger." Lei Xiang stood, cast a spell, and a seven-colored shield rose around him.

He placed his left hand behind his back, and raised his right hand, four fingers straight like a blade. His incantations were swift and complex, spiritual power gathering in his right hand.

"Blue Light Spiral!"

A pale blue, crescent-shaped blade shot toward Lei Yunlong.

Lei Yunlong was startled. Was this the Hand Blade Technique? It seemed even more refined—could it be a mid-level spell? But no one in Thunder Fortress could wield mid-level spells, not even his grandfather. How did he master it?

Lei Yunlong hurriedly channeled his spiritual power into his right arm. Purple light flashed, and a misty purple haze wrapped around his arm.

The blue blade arrived. Lei Yunlong lifted his right arm to block with full force. "Clang!" The blade was deflected; Lei Yunlong smiled faintly. "Such petty tricks—do you really think to show off?"

He charged forward, right fist striking out, encased in a faint purple mist.

"Boom!"

No fancy moves—a direct punch to the shield. Lei Xiang’s protective barrier flickered and shattered into sparkling fragments.

Lei Xiang remained calm, his right middle finger twitching. Lei Yunlong’s iron fist was already at his face.

"Devouring Eight Desolations Shattering Fist!"

Lei Xiang didn’t use Windwalking this time. He knew, like the Vanishing Palm, the Shattering Fist was unavoidable, blocking every escape route.

Strangely, Lei Xiang neither dodged nor flinched, his expression serene. Even more curious, the Shattering Fist, poised to strike his chest, suddenly bent low, almost scraping the ground, turning and smashing behind him.

A pale blue blade was knocked aside by the Shattering Fist—it was Lei Xiang’s Blue Light Spiral, cleverly controlled to loop back and counter.

A classic maneuver—flanking to save the besieged.

Lei Yunlong sighed inwardly. "Lei Xiang truly is a talent. To remain so composed in deadly combat—what a strong heart he must have. And such resourceful tactics. How was he stuck at third level for years?"

Lei Yunlong brushed the dust from his purple robe, stood tall again, and sneered coldly, "Let’s see what other tricks you have." His Shattering Fist sped up, now at full power, striking Lei Xiang’s chest once more.

Suddenly, Lei Xiang’s concealed left hand moved, flicking something as casually as scattering flowers. A palm-sized object flew out, expanding to the size of a tabletop, meeting Lei Yunlong’s Shattering Fist head-on.

Lei Yunlong was surprised—Lei Xiang’s tricks seemed endless. What was this, able to withstand Thunder Fortress’s ultimate move?

Black and yellow patterned, irregularly round, crudely made—a dogskin.

The hide of a Grade One demon beast, the Wealth Beast.

"How humiliating!" Lei Yunlong steeled himself, took out a scarlet pill, swallowed it, and activated his inner power. His gaze at Lei Xiang was no longer scornful, only respectful and resentful.

Lei Xiang smiled at him, as if to say, "Aren’t you Thunder Fortress’s number one? Defeat me then."

"Heaven and Earth Vanishing Palm!"

"Devouring Eight Desolations Shattering Fist!"

In a fury, Lei Yunlong unleashed both moves simultaneously—left hand Vanishing Palm, flooding the arena with palm shadows; right hand Shattering Fist, the wind slicing toward Lei Xiang’s chest.

Lei Xiang tapped the dogskin shield before him, which expanded further, barely holding off Lei Yunlong’s assault. His right hand, four fingers as a blade, chanted even faster, the incantations like wild horses racing across the desert, or rainstorm beating banana leaves.

"Blue Light Spiral!"

A three-foot-long, pale blue, crescent blade shot forth, slicing through palm winds and fist shadows, aiming for Lei Yunlong’s right arm.

Lei Yunlong poured spiritual power into his right fist, unwavering, the purple mist scattering the blue blade, then all force hammered onto the tiger-hide shield.

The shield dented under the blows, and the Vanishing Palm left it even more battered, nearly shattering.

Lei Yunlong let out a long howl, his voice stripped of arrogance. "After all, there’s a level’s difference in cultivation. Lei Xiang, no matter your tricks, you’re bound to lose."

Lei Xiang grinned, tiger teeth flashing. "Not necessarily… Try my magical weapon!"

At the mention of a magical weapon, Lei Yunlong was momentarily stunned. Lei Xiang had been waiting for this lapse in confidence. A black-and-yellow Sword Dog Whip struck at Lei Yunlong’s head.

Lei Yunlong blocked with his purple-misted left arm, but the whip suddenly softened, twisting around his neck. Lei Yunlong was alarmed, instantly grabbing the whip’s tip—such reaction and strength, unmatched in Thunder Fortress.

Suddenly, pain shot through his wrist and elbow, and both arms lost sensation.

The Sword Dog Whip slipped from his grasp and lashed his chest, sending Lei Yunlong flying, breaking through the yellow array and landing over ten yards away.

Silence!

The arena was utterly silent; even the sound of blinking could be heard. Everyone seemed stunned, even those few who favored Lei Xiang could hardly believe their eyes.

People kept asking themselves, "Lei Xiang won? Thunder Fortress’s prodigy Lei Yunlong lost so completely? Is this real?"

At last, the arena erupted with noisy uproar—exclamations, doubts, sighs, envy, jealousy, regret…

Over there, Lei Xiang’s expression remained calm. He put away his beast-hide shield and Sword Dog Whip, and was about to turn when Master Lei Zhennan jumped into the arena. He bent over Lei Yunlong’s chest, massaged him until he awoke, then carefully examined his wrists.

After a quarter of an hour, Lei Zhennan extracted four fine, hair-like threads from Lei Yunlong’s wrists and elbows, holding them up to the sunlight.

He walked over to Lei Xiang, opened his palm, "What is this? Is this what you used to defeat Yunlong?"

Lei Xiang answered calmly, "These are the whiskers of the Wealth Beast. Are they forbidden weapons?"

Lei Zhennan smiled wryly, "Demon beast’s whiskers? I can only say you’re incredibly talented."

"The other day, I was training on Spirit Mist Mountain, killed a Wealth Beast, used its hide for my shield, its tail for the Sword Dog Whip, and its whiskers processed into Wealth Needles."

Lei Zhennan asked in surprise, "You made them yourself? Defeated Yunlong by hiding Wealth Needles in the whip? How did you suddenly get so clever?"

Lei Xiang thought, "I can build sniper rifles, let alone these." Outwardly, he touched his head, "I don’t know, maybe it’s the lightning strike. Now, any hidden weapon I see, I can make easily."

Lei Zhennan kindly patted Lei Xiang’s head. "Good child, not only are your hands nimble, but your mind is sharp. The future of Thunder Fortress rests on you."

Then he turned to the just-risen Lei Yunlong, "Yunlong, don’t be discouraged. Work harder in your training, and we’ll see your performance next year."

Lei Yunlong’s face no longer carried that half-smile; his back was no longer straight. He only nodded slightly and left quickly, dragging his injured arm.

But Lei Xiang could still read unwillingness and resentment in his eyes—above all, disbelief. From now on, the title of Thunder Fortress’s number one would no longer belong to Lei Yunlong.

ps: Second update