Martial Arts Master

Liang Yifan smiled and said nothing else. His aura intensified.

The light around him turned somber and the air moistened. Everything was covered by a mantle of gloominess.

Whoosh! A gust of wind came sweeping into the arena from every direction, the foreboding of an imminent storm.

For some reason, Lou Cheng felt impatient, irritated by everything like a beast trapped in a cage.

The 7th Style of the Water Sect, Incoming Mountain Rain!

Impending events cast their shadows before!

This was a mental aura secret art that could effectively affect the enemy’s status, like how weather can affect the mood of ordinary people.

However, it wasn’t simply an offensive aura, since it could merge with its surroundings and create an environment suitable for Water Sect Physical Invulnerability experts to battle in.

Lou Cheng drew a breath and secretly used Forwarding Formula to smother his anxiety and impatience.

He focused his mind and a layer of ice formed on the waters as his heart slowly contracted and expanded, as though breathing crystals were socketed in it.

Thump, thump, thump! His emotions weren’t swaying anymore. The weather could no longer affect him.

The 5th Style of the Ice Sect, Enemy Heart Freezing Move!

This was the counter to Incoming Mountain Rain.

Of course, that was only relative. If Liang Yifan’s mind overpowered Lou Cheng by too much, his Ice heart would be shattered, leaving him nervous and impatient.

However, at the level of Physical Invulnerability, it was impossible for him to overpower Lou Cheng completely. It wasn’t possible even for the wise Living Buddha. As for Warrior Sage, who could do what others couldn’t, Lou Cheng wasn’t completely sure since they had never fought fair and square. The Warrior Sage was someone who was at the doorsteps of the Forbidden Sect, so it was best to not measure him by common standards.

Whoosh!

The wind was cold and humid. Around Liang Yifan, droplets of water condensed. The air was moist around Lou Cheng as though it was the wet season, making his skin uncomfortable and his clothes heavy from the water they absorbed.

Lou Cheng wasn’t bothered by these effects, but he had to retaliate against the pressurizing aura. It wouldn’t do to lose from the get-go by falling into a passive position.

Whoosh! The wind grew shriller, blustering at their faces like blades. The water around Lou Cheng turned into white mist and fluttering snow, and the water on his skin evaporated and turned to steam.

His body was like a furnace, while the cold manifested around him. The perfect harmony between the two was what defined the Cosmic Universe Sect.

The frigid northern winds blew towards Liang Yifan and disrupted the wet environment, causing ice crystals to form in the lake that had formed from droplets and giving off a white light. Closer to his environment, the flowing water was blue and clear, endless and heavy.

“This is the perfect time to play ‘Set Fire to the Rain’,” said a certain streamer, as though he had predicted it. He played the music, and the tense, exciting ambience immediately turned wistful and emotional.

“Damn, you’re good!”

“I’m impressed!”

“You really are knowledgeable when it comes to martial arts!”

“Give me back my tense anticipation!”

“Ugh, that can’t be unheard…”

…

In a commentator box at the TV station, guest commentator He Xiaowei chuckled as he watched the aura contest in the arena.

“Liang Yifan is slightly stronger, but Ice Sect moves do counter Water Sect moves, so it’s hard to say who will win.”

“I agree,” nodded the host, looking towards his partner with gleaming eyes. “Say, who would you put your money on?”

Tsk, you’re trying to help one of them, huh? Or are you just waiting to see my guess be wrong? He Xiaowei had been in the business for years, and he could read these people like a book. With a Buddha-like smile, he said,

“It could go either way!”

Then he swerved the subject. “Though Lou Cheng announced his intention to stand on the final stage, no one will mock him or make light of him even if he gets eliminated today. In the previous rounds, he proved himself and his strength as super-class with multiple upsets. This proves that his declaration arose from confidence, not arrogance.”

“I take that to mean you’re betting against Lou Cheng today,” said the host, smiling as he set the subject back on track.

Damn you, thought He Xiaowei. He smiled and shook his head.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m merely analyzing the possibilities that might arise when either of them loses. Even if Liang Yifan loses, it won’t affect him mentally, given his disposition. He’d soon be back stronger than ever. Listen up, everyone, here’s the deal. If Liang Yifan doesn’t claim a title by the time he’s forty-two, I’ll have a tattoo of your choice fixed on my head for an entire year!”

For the sake of maintaining popularity, an occasional publicity stunt is a must.

The host was a little stunned by his words, and after a moment, he put his hands together in prayer.

“Let us pray for Liang Yifan…”

…

As they spoke, the aura contest between Lou Cheng and Liang Yifan reached a climax. Snowflakes fluttered in the air to the roaring of the tides.

Then the referee, an umbrella in his left hand, swung down his raised right hand.

“Begin!”

Bam!

Channeling his Qi and blood to stimulate the mysterious parts of his body, he took a quick step forward.

As he took the step, light blue fire sprayed out from the back of his heels, propelling him at his opponent like a rocket.

Counter Jet Spray plus Simplified Attainment Formula!

The combination of the two nearly gave him supersonic speed.

He had been re-watching his fight footage the day before and came to the realization that he had been on the defense ever since the second round of Battle of Warrior Sage. Not once had he attempted an early assault. It seemed to have become his standard method of dealing with a stronger foe.

Therefore, he decided to switch it up today and attack fiercely, trying to catch Liang Yifan off-guard. He didn’t form the Five Flames earlier so that it wouldn’t affect his speed.

When the sonic boom entered Liang Yifan’s ears, Lou Cheng was already close with his fist poised to strike, which was able to do a good amount of damage with its kinetic energy alone. The friction ignited a layer of flames on his fists.

All in the blink of an eye.

Bam!

The waters before Liang Yifan parted around Lou Cheng’s figure, spreading to both sides like how Moses parted the ocean.

Pressure travelled through the water. Liang Yifan flowed back with the waves as though weightless, an oddly perfect combination with Lou Cheng’s advancement.

Bam! Lou Cheng punched through the liquid but missed the mark on his opponent’s face. The distance between them was shortening inch by inch, but at a slower rate.

For a moment, in Lou Cheng’s eyes, Liang Yifan was like a sailboat at the end of a river, far away and unreachable.

The 4th Style of Water Sect, a movement technique, Lone Ship!

It all happened so fast. After the long pursuit, Lou Cheng’s fist finally caught up to his opponent, but Liang Yifan had thrown his arm into a glancing blow, blocking his punch.

Bam! As the waters shook violently, the two arms froze midair.

The sound of knuckles cracking came from Liang Yifan’s blocking fist as his fingers snapped open, shooting five streams of fearsome water spouts at his foe’s face. Their speed was so terrifying that they seemed like they could pass right through steel and alloys, and probably Physical Invulnerability experts, too.

The 5th Style of the Water Sect, Blustering Tides, more commonly known as High-Pressure Water Blades!

In close range, there was almost no dodging it.

However, its greatest weakness was that its power would decrease sharply if fired from a long distance, so it was only suitable for close-range combat.

Lou Cheng knew what was going to happen the moment he heard knuckles crack. Detonating his hidden Fire Force, his fist arced and crashed into his foe’s wrist.

Bam! Liang Yifan’s palms were forcibly raised, his water knives hitting the air and sprinkling down like rain, just missing Lou Cheng.

Lou Cheng borrowed strength and punched again, unleashing a flurry of attacks. At the same time, Liang Yifan controlled his body and launched an endless assault, like tidal waves that crashed down harder with each wave.

Bam, bam, bam! Bang, bang, bang!

The fight was fierce and they were both on offense. Wind shrieked, rain fell, and snow and ice swirled and fluttered.

Bam, bam, bam! In less than a minute, they had exchanged countless moves. Lou Cheng was starting to feel tired, and the discomfort in his left shoulder increased.

This was mainly thanks to Liang Yifan’s agility as he moved about here and there as he attacked.

He was targeting Lou Cheng’s weak point, trying to whittle him down.