“The combatants are Lin Zhengli of Wangjiang City and Zhao Tiehe of Sanshan City. Begin!”

At the referee’s command, both cultivators began weaving hand seals with dazzling speed.

The only difference was that Lin Zhengli stood still, his expression calm and collected, while Zhao Tiehe advanced, all the while completing his seals.

This was a clash of two distinct styles, and the outcome remained uncertain.

Earth-elemental energy gathered, and sharp stone spikes erupted from the ground.

Like Yang Xingyong before him, Zhao Tiehe opened with Earth Spikes, but while Yang Xingyong used it defensively, Zhao Tiehe used it to attack.

A wave seemed to materialize from thin air, lifting Lin Zhengli aloft, just barely avoiding the stone spike assault.

This was the Upper-Grade D-Rank Dao Technique, Wave Riding, a technique that used water-elemental energy for movement.

Zhao Tiehe completed his hand seals, and with a lift of his hands, the ground spikes rose from the earth, showering towards Lin Zhengli in the air!

Unlike Yang Xingyong, who used brute force to propel the spikes for a second attack, Zhao Tiehe completely manipulated the Dao Technique itself, revolutionizing the spell in a true second-stage transformation!

Lin Zhengli was in mid-air, Wave Riding already used, seemingly with no recourse. But his fingers, which had never stopped moving, flicked suddenly, causing the wave carrying him to surge violently. Another wave erupted from within the first, carrying Lin Zhengli away from the deadly barrage of earth spikes by a hair’s breadth.

He, too, had displayed a second-stage transformation of Wave Riding!

It could be said that the battle between Zhao Tiehe and Lin Zhengli truly showcased the power of Dao Techniques.

These advanced variations of basic techniques also reflected the profound foundation of the Sanshan City Dao Academy and the Wangjiang City Dao Academy. Such innovation in fundamental Dao Techniques was essential for substantially improving the overall strength of a Dao Academy.

Lin Zhengli evaded again and again, but Zhao Tiehe’s assault never ceased. With a stamp of his foot, he shot into the air.

He launched an uppercut from below, his fist already encased in layers of stone, the Stone-Covering Fist!

He almost perfectly replicated Yang Xingyong’s Dao Technique, responding to Lin Zhengli’s earlier jab about “chickens pecking at each other.”

Lin Zhengli, still airborne, had almost nowhere to go, but he flicked his fingers once more.

From within the wave, another wave surged, propelling him away from the attack yet again.

Triple Wave!

Wave Riding, a common movement technique, had displayed three stages of transformation.

If the second-stage Earth Spikes had pushed that D-Rank Dao Technique to its limit, this Triple Wave had elevated the D-Rank Wave Riding into the ranks of C-Rank Dao Techniques. This was a qualitative improvement!

Zhao Tiehe’s Stone-Covering Fist missed once more. He had no time to be shocked, for Lin Zhengli’s counterattack had arrived.

Relying on Triple Wave as his trump card, he had surprisingly evaded repeatedly, finally completing his Dao Technique.

All the water-elemental energy in the arena suddenly surged. Currents swirled, and waves crashed. The surging waves crashed in from all directions, and Zhao Tiehe, unable to dodge, was struck head-on. He felt as though he had been hit by a powerful blow and flew backward uncontrollably.

While he was still in the air, another wave struck, sending him spitting blood.

The waves crashed to and fro, battering Zhao Tiehe like a broken sandbag, emitting dull thuds.

This was the undisguised C-Rank Dao Technique, Raging Tides!

Lin Zhengli’s expression remained calm, devoid of the flippancy from before the battle. He exuded a sense of control. He rapidly weaved hand seals, and as Raging Tides subsided, he produced a long, whip-like vine, which he lashed out with a piercing whistle.

Zhao Tiehe had almost no way to fight back in the Raging Tides, but he merely held his head and curled into a ball, minimizing his exposed area.

As soon as the waves subsided, he straightened, reaching out to grab the vine.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His clothes were tattered, revealing bruises all over his body. But he seemed oblivious to the pain, as if all cultivators from Sanshan City possessed such grit. He grasped the vine tightly, intent on pulling Lin Zhengli closer!

But Lin Zhengli released his grip. The vine snapped back like a serpent, snaking around Zhao Tiehe and binding him tightly.

It turned out that Lin Zhengli had not used the Mid-Grade D-Rank Green Vine Whip, but the Upper-Grade D-Rank Entangling Vine!

He used the Entangling Vine without first using it to bind his opponent, instead disguising it as the Green Vine Whip to lure Zhao Tiehe into grabbing it, perfectly trapping him.

From the start of the battle, Zhao Tiehe’s every move had been calculated. His words to Zhao Tiehe before the fight might well have been deliberate foreshadowing.

Now, Lin Zhengli could reap his victory.

He calmly finished his hand seals, preparing to unleash the true Green Vine Whip, striking his bound opponent with all his might.

But the vines binding Zhao Tiehe suddenly exploded. Zhao Tiehe rolled away on the ground, dodging the merciless whip.

Only then did onlookers notice the blood trickling down Zhao Tiehe’s body and the countless cuts. The ground was covered with rubble mixed with the remnants of the vines.

It turned out that Zhao Tiehe had encased himself in a layer of stone armor as the Raging Tides subsided. Lin Zhengli may not have noticed, or if he had, he had not cared.

Stone Armor was simply a defensive technique that did nothing to break free of the Entangling Vine.

But the stone armor had exploded.

The explosion tore Zhao Tiehe’s flesh and shattered the vines binding him.

The scene was so brutal that many couldn’t bear to watch. Linghe even covered Jiang An’an’s eyes.

Zhao Tiehe, covered in blood, charged towards Lin Zhengli once more.

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He did not know why he would not give up, did not know why he should keep trying.

It was just a Dao discussion battle, after all.

It was not the County Academy examination in November, and nothing about anyone’s future was on the line!

This was a battle between first-year students. The other contestants were watching from the sidelines.

Sun Xiaoman was watching the arena intently.

Lin Zhengren turned to her and said, “Do you think it needs to go on, Miss Xiaoman? Someone will die.”

“Life or honor… I can’t decide for him.” The petite barefoot girl did not even turn to look at him.

“Smack!”

This time, Zhao Tiehe could not avoid the whip.

A deep welt appeared, tearing his skin.

But it was as if he had no intention of dodging. Taking advantage of the whip’s retraction, he grabbed the end of the vine! He spun repeatedly, wrapping the Green Vine Whip around himself.

Pulling on the vine, he walked toward Lin Zhengli, his fist slowly accumulating stone, the Stone-Covering Fist.

Lin Zhengli had no choice but to let go, abandoning the Dao Technique-formed vine. He jumped backward, retreating as he said, “Surrender! You’ll die if you keep fighting!”

“Surrender?” Zhao Tiehe looked at Lin Zhengli, his smile widening. “We people of Sanshan City can’t be looked down upon by you!”

He lunged forward, his Stone-Covering Fist slamming down!

Boom!

Lin Zhengli leapt away. The stone fist hit the ground, leaving a deep crater.

“Courting death!” Lin Zhengli shouted as he landed. His hands were already moving through the hand seals. He refused to admit that he was afraid, but he had decided to use an even more vicious Dao Technique, even if he couldn’t control it, even if… it killed his opponent.

As the Dao Technique was taking shape, he landed perfectly. He almost wanted to praise himself.

But, for some reason, a pit appeared on the ground…when had it appeared?

It was a trap Zhao Tiehe had set beforehand, guiding earth-elemental energy to create a depression in the ground—a low-level Dao Technique, Lower-Grade D-Rank, called Pitfall.

But it was so perfectly timed.

Lin Zhengli’s foot twisted, throwing him off balance and dispersing the Dao Technique he had been preparing. Although he twisted his body immediately, preventing himself from falling.

But Zhao Tiehe had already pounced on him like a wild beast, knocking him to the ground! He pinned him down firmly.

With the two so close, any Dao Technique beyond instant-cast was meaningless.

Thwack!

The sound of a fist hitting a face.

“I’m not some hillbilly!”

Thwack! Thwack!

“I’m from…Zhuang Country, Qinghe Prefecture! A cultivator from Sanshan City! Zhao, Tie, He!”

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Zhao Tiehe threw punch after punch.

Lin Zhengren’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably, as if each punch was landing on his own face.

“Concede!” he shouted.