Abyssal Dragon Spear, Unleash

By the shores of Weiming Lake.

A duel platform stood.

Gale-force winds swept up mist from the lake, lashing against the hard alloy surface of the arena.

All around, students of Jingwu Martial Arts University had gathered in dense, packed crowds.

Everyone held their breath, eyes locked on the two figures at the center of the platform.

On the elevated stand.

Chu Kuang, the head of the Spear Department, stood with arms crossed, brows slightly furrowed.

As the temporary referee of this duel, his sharp, eagle-like eyes were analyzing the power comparison between the two combatants at lightning speed.

"Chen Feng, that kid—though he's a fool fighting over a girl—has an absurdly solid foundation."

Chu Kuang calculated inwardly.

The Chen family's resources ranked among the top tier in the capital.

The internal cultivation technique Chen Feng practiced was the earth-grade, top-tier art known as the Illusory Phantom Technique (Huan Ming Jue).

The vital essence cultivated by such a high-level technique wasn't ordinary red—it carried a sinister, ashen hue.

Because within that vital essence lurked a special power of mental corrosion!

Even more deadly.

Chen Feng also wielded his family's ultimate treasure—a Heaven-grade, top-tier spiritual martial art: the Formless Calamity Blade (Wu Xiang Jie Ren)!

Chen Feng was only a sophomore, and he had likely only scratched the surface of this Heaven-grade martial art.

But.

That was a spiritual martial art!

Impossible to defend against!

It bypassed physical defenses entirely, striking directly at the opponent's brain and soul!

When a martial artist of the same rank faced a spiritual-type fighter, it was almost always a one-sided massacre.

Not to mention.

Chen Feng's current vital essence value was a full three thousand points!

Mid-stage Martial Master!

And Su Yu?

Chu Kuang's gaze shifted to the youth who stood calmly with the Abyssal Dragon Spear in one hand.

One thousand points of vital essence.

Early-stage Martial Master.

Between the two—a full two-thousand-point gap in vital essence!

That was an absolute difference of one minor realm!

"Whether Su Yu can win—the key lies in how deep his understanding of the spear intent he comprehended yesterday truly goes."

Chu Kuang stroked the stubble on his chin, his eyes solemn.

"Can he use the pure, killing intent of spear mastery to forcibly break through Chen Feng's spiritual attack?"

"Difficult."

Chu Kuang shook his head inwardly, delivering his judgment.

"An entry-level spear intent might barely offset the gap in vital essence."

"With that Emperor-tier Abyssal Dragon Spear amplifying the power of his spear intent immensely, he might just have a fighting chance."

"But the problem is..."

"This kid has likely never fought a spiritual-type martial artist before!"

Inexperience was the most fatal flaw.

Spiritual martial artists attacked from impossibly tricky angles.

They struck only when ready, and when they did—it came down like a thunderbolt.

Su Yu would most likely lose.

After all, spear intent that had just barely entered the gate could only bridge a single minor realm.

"Unless—this kid has grasped Bead-as-Fine-as-Dust (Ru Wei) level spear intent."

That thought flashed through Chu Kuang's mind, and then he let out a wry chuckle.

"Impossible."

"He only comprehended the first spark of it yesterday."

"Not even twenty-four hours have passed!"

"I've trained with a spear my entire life, crawled through mountains of corpses, and it still took me years to reach Ru Wei-level spear intent!"

"If he can achieve Ru Wei, I'll eat this entire platform on the spot!"

Chu Kuang made up his mind.

At Su Yu's current level, he definitely couldn't win.

But Su Yu was the jewel of Jingwu—a special-grade freshman.

When the moment of real danger came, he'd step in without hesitation.

Forcibly interrupt the match.

Declare it a draw, or rule Chen Feng in violation—and in the process, owe Su Yu a massive favor.

And once the kid was touched by that gesture, he'd come straight to the Spear Department voluntarily!

Perfect!

A satisfied smile curled at the corner of Chu Kuang's mouth.

Meanwhile.

Below the platform.

Lin Xiaoxiao stood at the very front row, arms crossed.

As she listened to the upperclassmen around her writing Su Yu off, her fresh, pretty face showed not a trace of worry.

On the contrary.

At the depths of her eyes lurked a deep sympathy.

Sympathy for Chen Feng.

Because others didn't know Su Yu's true background.

But she knew—absolutely clearly!

This morning, in the foyer of the apartment.

Su Yu had, right in front of her, conjured with his bare hands a spear of dark-red light—solid, tangible, real.

Materialized spear intent!

The third realm of martial will!

Turning the formless into the physical!

Overriding reality itself!

Lin Xiaoxiao knew full well that the amplification brought by martial will was terrifying beyond measure.

Just grasping entry-level spear intent already allowed one to challenge a minor realm above.

Ru Wei-level spear intent could nearly leap a full major realm, slaughtering enemies as easily as reaching into one's pocket.

Let alone the intangible realm.

And even further—what Su Yu had mastered: Materialization!

That was a qualitative leap!

That was a strike from a completely higher dimension!

Forget Chen Feng's measly three thousand vital essence.

Even if a Grandmaster with twenty thousand vital essence stood there—facing materialized spear intent—they probably wouldn't survive a single exchange!

That was the absolute domination that came when martial will reached the uttermost depths!

Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head.

Chen Feng had come rushing up—just to gift Su Yu some techniques.

On the platform.

Chen Feng's eyes were fixed on Su Yu, murderous.

He couldn't wait any longer!

Three thousand points of vital essence erupted in a full-scale detonation!

Ashen, murky light swirled furiously around his body.

The very air around him groaned under the weight of this pressure, letting loose an unbearable, straining cry.

He would—right in front of Lin Xiaoxiao—crush this arrogant freshman beneath his heel!

He would make everyone understand.

That he, Chen Feng, was the true prodigy!

"Su Yu!"

Chen Feng's pupils burned red, his voice carrying a hint of madness.

"Let's begin!"

"I'll show you—you don't deserve the title of special-grade freshman at all!"

Su Yu stood where he was.

One hand gripping the Abyssal Dragon Spear.

Spear tip angled toward the ground.

On the elevated stand.

Chu Kuang took a deep breath.

Channeling his vital essence, his voice boomed across the entire arena like a great bell.

"The duel."

"Begins now!"

Boom!

The instant those words landed.

Chen Feng moved!

He didn't charge like an ordinary fighter.

Instead, he stayed rooted in place, hands forming a bizarre, arcane seal.

Buzz!

An invisible, yet hair-raising wave of spiritual power surged outward from his brow in a flood!

The Formless Calamity Blade!

This spiritual force gathered in midair, condensing into three invisible soul-blades—undetectable to the naked eye.

Streaking in at razor-sharp, soul-rending angles—straight toward Su Yu's brow, his heart, and his dantian!

Striking without warning!

Utterly vicious!

The upperclassmen below gasped, their faces paling.

"Spiritual attack!"

"Chen Feng's pulling out his ultimate move right from the start!"

"Su Yu is done—he can't possibly dodge this!"

On the elevated stand.

Chu Kuang's eyes tightened.

His right foot slammed forward a step, his vital essence roaring to a boil.

He was ready to intervene.

There was no way Su Yu could survive this hit!

But then—

At the very moment everyone was convinced Su Yu was about to be shattered by the spiritual strike...

Su Yu moved.

He didn't retreat.

He didn't dodge.

And—he didn't even use his materialized spear intent!

Within Su Yu's perception.

The world, in that instant, slowed to a crawl.

Ten million years of solitary meditation in the void.

Ten million years of ceaseless spear-drawing, infinite inference.

Had long since forged his body into a battle instinct that surpassed all human limits!

Chen Feng's so-called peerless spiritual attack.

In Su Yu's eyes, the trail of air displacement, the faint ripples of spiritual force tearing through space—was as clear as reading the palm of his own hand.

Flaw after flaw, gaping open.

Su Yu's gaze was deep as an abyss.

He did nothing more than simply raise his right hand.

A slight twist of the wrist.

Abyssal Dragon Spear, out!

ROOOAAR—!!!

A low, domineering cry, like the roar of an ancient dragon, erupted from the spear.

It blasted through the air above the arena in an instant.