The competition stage, built of stone, was now a ruin, riddled with holes and strewn with rubble from the battle between Chen Feng and the three masters.
The Seventh Prince stared at the surging fighting spirit emanating from Chen Feng, a wave of crimson Dou Qi rippling outward from his sword: "Now it's just the two of us left. With no restraints, I can unleash my full strength!"
"Full strength? Hmph, if your full strength is what you showed just now, you might as well jump off the stage yourself," Chen Feng's voice carried a hint of mockery.
"Good, arrogant enough. I'll show you the true power of the Talisman Sword and the Dragon Armor!" The Seventh Prince declared, releasing countless pale yellow streams of Dou Qi that merged into the Dragon Armor, changing its color from azure to a pale yellow.
Chen Feng narrowed his eyes, observing the transformation. The Talisman Sword glowed crimson, and the Dragon Armor shone pale yellow—two vivid colors against the backdrop of the stage.
"Bang!" A pile of rubble erupted beneath the Seventh Prince's feet as he charged forward like a meteor.
"Damn it!" Chen Feng roared, too late to fully react. He hastily raised the segmented claw, forged from Black Gold Iron, in an upward sweep.
"Clang!" A sharp ring echoed, and a powerful force shot up his arm, numbing it. He staggered back seven or eight paces before easing the strain, each step cracking the bluestone beneath him, testament to the sheer power and residual force he had just absorbed.
"Whoa..." Chen Feng stabilized himself. The clothing on his right arm, used to block the attack, shredded like scattered butterflies, the immense kinetic energy tearing his entire sleeve to pieces.
"Not bad. I didn't expect you to avoid injury even with the speed boost from the Dragon Armor!" The Seventh Prince, sensing victory, spoke with smug satisfaction.
The Seventh Prince's speed had been truly overwhelming just moments ago. Even the quick-reacting Chen Feng had been struck. The Dragon Armor wasn't just defensive; it enhanced speed!
Chen Feng shook his slightly numb right hand, then placed the Black Gold Iron weights into his water flask.
Carrying those 4820 jin would increase his offensive power, but it severely hampered his speed. In this current situation, failing to utilize speed was tantamount to suicide.
Shedding the weights, Chen Feng felt an immediate release of tension. He stretched, his entire skeleton popping and cracking audibly.
"It's been a while since I put these down," Chen Feng sighed, his eyes flashing brilliantly. The power of the energy vortex in his Dantian surged upward. He executed a Qinyue Yin, instantly charging forward. This burst of speed surpassed even the velocity of the Seventh Prince's previous attack.
Seeing Chen Feng unleash this move, the Seventh Prince’s pupils contracted sharply. He raised the Talisman Sword high, roaring, and cleaved straight down. The crimson, strange Dou Qi on the sword acted like an unstoppable weapon breaking free of constraints, instantly carving a flawless, impenetrable circle of attack before him.
If Chen Feng charged headlong, he would certainly be wounded by the defensive perimeter formed by the Talisman Sword.
Chen Feng showed no worry or fear. His body accelerated once more in an instant. As he reached the edge of the Talisman Sword's attack range, he abruptly unleashed a Gui Shao!
The Qinyue Yin had only used its initial momentum; the second half of the move transitioned directly into a Gui Shao!
This was the fundamental difference between his techniques and those found in games like True Man or King of Fighters.
The moment Gui Shao leaped, the body, enveloped in azure flames, entered a state of near invulnerability for half a second—a defense even the Talisman Sword could not breach.
"Boom!" Gui Shao collided with the crimson light of the Talisman Sword, generating a tremendous roar. The Seventh Prince was flung backward as if struck by a cannonball, crashing heavily onto the competition stage.
Chen Feng seized the opportunity, his footwork quickening. He slammed both hands onto the Seventh Prince's body, and with a "Thump," a massive sea of fire erupted—the second half of the Qinyue Yin!
No one expected Chen Feng to insert a Gui Shao right in the middle of his Qinyue Yin!
The Seventh Prince was blasted five meters away by the flames. His former elegant demeanor was gone; his pale face was scorched black, and his hair was entirely singed, emitting a pungent odor.
"Aargh..." Protected by the Dragon Armor, the Seventh Prince wasn't physically injured, but this appearance made him wish for death. He, the Seventh Prince of the Empire, reduced to this pathetic state...
On the viewing platforms, the crowd struggled to process the events. Since Chen Feng's audacious entry, he had defeated three masters, sending Joseph and Alex flying off the stage—one arm severed, the other unconscious. By any measure, this record was unimaginable. If news spread, the name 'Iori Yagami' would become famous overnight.
How could an unfavored red-haired youth possess such formidable strength and attack power?
"I... I didn't see wrong, did I? That figure, completely blackened, resembling charcoal—is that the Seventh Prince..." A youth in the stands swallowed hard, speaking nervously.
No youth from the Loki Empire regarded the Seventh Prince as anything less than an idol. In their eyes, the Seventh Prince was the epitome of invincibility among the younger generation.
Achieving the 8th level in both Magic and Martial cultivation at such a tender age, amplified by the Empire's deliberate propaganda, made the Seventh Prince the dream and goal of every young man, and the heartthrob of every young woman. Now, this dream, goal, and heartthrob stood on the vast stage looking like a scorched turkey, his wretched state comparable to a beggar. How could people accept this?
"It seems... it seems to be him!" The youth beside him wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
"How can this Iori Yagami be so strong? Even the Seventh Prince, clad in the Dragon Armor and wielding the Talisman Sword, is no match!" The youth finally focused on Chen Feng, realizing the "turkey" on stage was indeed the Seventh Prince.
This world was one where strength was paramount, and the powerful were universally admired. The youth was no exception. While they had initially dismissed Chen Feng's actions as arrogant presumption when he first took the stage, witnessing him defeat three opponents now made them understand: this man, though arrogant, possessed the foundation for that arrogance!
Arrogance with substance wasn't arrogance; it was 'cool.' Arrogance without substance wasn't cool; it was idiotic.
Now, Chen Feng stood in the center of the field. Though the surrounding broken bluestone detracted somewhat from his presence, it couldn't diminish the awe-filled gazes fixed upon him.
Many young women screamed, "His red hair is so stylish... so cool..."
Because of Chen Feng's look, within the next five years, numerous hair salons specializing in dyeing hair red sprung up across the Imperial Capital, Nobia City. Many young men took pride in having red hair, and countless young women would pause to gaze at red-haired youths... Of course, Chen Feng could never have predicted any of this.
"I... I will kill you..." The Seventh Prince finally erupted in anger. Moments ago, he was supremely confident; now, he seemed to have descended into madness.
The Talisman Sword struck out haphazardly, the crimson light radiating from it undulating like waves around him.
Seeing the pampered prince's state, a smile touched the corner of Chen Feng's mouth.
"It seems this Seventh Prince, despite being a genius, has rarely faced true peril. When encountering real combat, his mind panicked first."
A favored son of heaven, whose life consisted only of cultivation and more cultivation, how could he compare to Chen Feng, who had survived countless life-and-death trials? Even in sparring, his opponents held back out of deference to his royal status. Thus, this severe setback was a first for the Seventh Prince, both psychologically and physically.
"Since that's the case, I won't play games with you," Chen Feng casually flung two Dark Hook Strikes while charging forward himself.
The Seventh Prince shattered both streams of flame with his two sword swings, but Chen Feng suddenly materialized before him, landing a Gui Shao square on his chest!
"Bang!" The azure flame struck the Seventh Prince's sternum like a battering ram. Even clad in the Dragon Armor, a full-force blow from Chen Feng would be difficult for even a Dou Master to withstand, let alone an 8th-level Dou Shi.
The Seventh Prince immediately shot backward like a kite with a broken string, carving an arc through the air before landing barely three meters from the edge of the stage.
"Cough, cough... Ptooey!" The Seventh Prince couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
After spitting the blood, the Seventh Prince's eyes filled with venomous hatred. He struggled to his feet and roared, "Good, you dare injure me? I'll make you die!" He then pulled a magic scroll from his robes!
"That's a 5th-level Magic Scroll!" Chen Feng's expression instantly darkened.
"Die..." The Seventh Prince roared, and a golden beam of light, about ten meters in diameter, shot out from the scroll towards Chen Feng!
"Ah..." In desperation, a powerful dark-colored vortex suddenly erupted around Chen Feng's body, his muscles instantly doubling in size.
He had achieved the state of Bao Qi (Explosive Qi)!
In this state, he channeled power into his feet, leaping violently into the air, activating the Sky Dance Technique (Wukong Shu), ascending higher and higher!
Though he had never seen a 5th-level spell, he knew he couldn't possibly withstand it at his current cultivation level!................................................
In the luxurious private box, Emperor Suomen's face was grim.
"I didn't expect this youth's power to be so profound!"
Emperor Suomen flicked his fingers on the table, lost in thought. Having just sent off the old man with the golden silk dragon pattern, seeing his son beaten into a "scorched turkey" and driven to madness had clearly soured his mood.
"Knock, knock..." A rap sounded outside the box, followed by a voice announcing, "Your Majesty, Lord Vernon and Lord Gogolitt request an audience!"
"Let them in!" Emperor Suomen's expression remained unchanged, but a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, as if he had suddenly understood something.
"Your Majesty! The Seventh Prince he..." The newcomers were a mage and a warrior: Vernon, a 5th-level Magister and the Seventh Prince's martial arts instructor, and Gogolitt, a 6th-level Dou Shi!
Emperor Suomen stated, "That was a standard competition. It's normal for my Seventh Son to lose if he is outmatched. However, you two, as his teachers, vouched for him with military guarantees. Otherwise, I wouldn't have lent the Dragon Armor and Talisman Sword to my son. But given the current situation, after this match concludes, both of you can retire home."
"Your Majesty..." Vernon looked anxious.
Gogolitt loudly asserted, "I will go onto the stage and drag that brat out. At worst, I'll be penalized for disturbing the arena, and the match can be resumed later. At the very least, I can secretly kill this boy before the next competition!"
Emperor Suomen said coldly, "If you two enter the arena privately under personal capacity, I won't interfere. But if you dare to use the Empire's name, I will execute you without hesitation!"
Hearing this, even Vernon and Gogolitt, however dense, grasped the Emperor's meaning. Joy surfaced on their faces. They bowed and turned to leave the viewing area.
"Hmph!" Emperor Suomen clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking. "Don't blame me for acting so hastily. It's mainly because you performed too brilliantly today. If this spreads, that Dou Technique that allows those below the Dou Master level to fly might not fall into my hands!"
He paused, then slowly smiled, "Fairness? Where is fairness in a competition! As long as the competition is hosted by my Loki Empire, whoever I want to be first, will be first!"................................................
"Boom!" The ground beneath Chen Feng shook violently. Half the stadium was obliterated. If not for the powerful magic containment array surrounding the competition area, more than half the audience would have been killed by that single blast!
Witnessing the power of this spell, Chen Feng's heart turned icy cold.
"If I hadn't instantly activated Bao Qi and used the Sky Dance Technique to fly into the air, I would have been killed by that strike! Furthermore, the rules explicitly forbid using self-manufactured magic scrolls; he actually produced a 5th-level scroll. This isn't a competition; this is an assassination attempt!" Chen Feng's eyes held a chilling malice. Towards those who wished him dead, he never showed mercy!
"If you intend to kill me, you must pay a price!" Chen Feng, suspended in the air using the Sky Dance Technique, slowly descended to the ground.
"Ah... How is that possible? How can he fly... Ah! Absolutely impossible!" The Seventh Prince shrieked, looking at the descending Chen Feng with unconcealed panic.
Landing softly, Chen Feng faced the Seventh Prince: "You shouldn't have taken out the 5th-level Magic Scroll, because now I will kill you." Chen Feng suddenly raised both hands.
"Bang!" A flash of light erupted inexplicably between his clasped hands, the intense brightness temporarily blinding everyone in the stands.
Kagura Chizome (Eight Maiden Dance)!
Chen Feng had unleashed the Hachijoujo!
As the light vanished, Chen Feng seemed to transcend time and space, instantly appearing before the Seventh Prince, grabbing him with his right hand and slamming him to the ground.
"Sss sss sss sss..."
Chen Feng's claws trailed wisps of azure flame, each strike landing precisely on the Seventh Prince's chest!
"Stop!" A thunderous voice echoed across the stage. Vernon and Gogolitt materialized, leaping onto the platform.
Chen Feng glanced at the two but did not cease his assault. His hands were moving so fast they created afterimages!
"You court death!" Vernon roared in fury. He had never imagined a youth would completely ignore his command. With a flick of his finger, a spell formed at his fingertip, shooting toward Chen Feng's back like a whirling bolt of energy! (To be continued. To learn what happens next, please visit wwwwwncom for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!) .