Seeing Nan Gongyi's punch, Ye Bufan's eyes narrowed. This move had a hint of a cultivator's spell, which piqued Ye Bufan's interest.
"Zi Xu Sword Art!" Ye Bufan formed sword-hand seals, and an invisible long sword appeared behind him. Sword energy emanated from his body. Ye Bufan commanded his sword, and the invisible long sword behind him slashed towards Nan Gongyi's golden fist.
"Humph!"
A buzzing sound filled the ears of everyone present. The moment Nan Gongyi's massive golden fist collided with Ye Bufan's invisible long sword, it shattered into pieces.
On the high platform of the training ground, Wu Cheng was also shocked by the exchange.
Nan Gongyi was likely using the Nan Gong family's ancestral fist technique, the Scarlet Emperor Fist. Legend had it that this fist technique was not complete, yet it had already reached the pinnacle of martial arts, a congenital fist technique. Nan Gongyi was only a step away from becoming a high-level martial artist. Coupled with the Nan Gong family's Scarlet Emperor Fist, he could at least hold his own against an ordinary Martial Venerable.
Martial artists' techniques were divided into congenital and acquired levels. The acquired level was further divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced stages, with the congenital level above that.
On the training ground, shattered stones flew and dust swirled in the air.
Nan Gongyi knelt on one knee, gasping for breath. Behind him, Ye Bufan watched Nan Gongyi calmly.
"You are strong!" Nan Gongyi said, "But I will not surrender so easily!"
With that, Nan Gongyi charged at Ye Bufan. The previous exchange had left Nan Gongyi exhausted. His steps were unsteady as he swung a punch at Ye Bufan. Ye Bufan sidestepped and gently pushed, repelling Nan Gongyi.
"Your abilities have declined in all aspects. How can you still fight me?" Ye Bufan said. "You thought you could defeat me and went all out from the start without finding your rhythm or the right moment to attack. In this regard, you have already lost."
Nan Gongyi paused slightly at Ye Bufan's words, looking up at him.
"If this were a real battlefield, no one would fight you one-on-one fairly. Your opponent might be stronger than you, or there might be more of them. Only in these arenas will they tell you to fight at the same level," Ye Bufan said.
These were words Lin Xiaoyao had told Ye Bufan when they sparred. Ye Bufan used to be unconvinced, and Lin Xiaoyao had told him this. On the battlefield, there was no fighting equals. Your opponent might be weaker, stronger, or even much stronger.
"Clap, clap, clap—"
As Ye Bufan finished speaking, he heard applause.
"Well said!" a deep male voice declared. Everyone turned. Ye Bufan's lips curved into a smile.
The newcomer was none other than Ji Feiyang, whom Ye Bufan had met on the front lines and with whom he had quickly become friends. Although the military was not directly participating in this martial arts tournament, they would send some key individuals to observe. Ji Feiyang was among those invited.
"On the battlefield, no one talks about fairness. Even within the army, we constantly tell new recruits this. Only with this mindset can we strive for survival in harsh conditions and seek breakthroughs amidst disparities in strength," Ji Feiyang spoke with passion.
"General Ji, what brings you here?" Wu Cheng was surprised that the martial arts match had attracted Ji Feiyang's attention.
"Why shouldn't I be here? I naturally want to see the strength of the rising stars among the younger generation," Ji Feiyang replied.
Nan Gongyi listened to Ye Bufan's words and seemed to understand something. He suddenly fell into a state of profound introspection, a wonderfully serene feeling. Every pore of his body felt open, sensing the changes around him.
"This is so comfortable." Nan Gongyi was inwardly astonished. He sat down cross-legged on the training platform.
"This...!" Wu Cheng exclaimed inwardly upon seeing Nan Gongyi's state. This was a sign of Nan Gongyi breaking through.
Therefore, Wu Cheng urgently cleared the area, escorting all extraneous personnel away from the training ground to give Nan Gongyi space.
Ji Feiyang took a brief glance and then said to Ye Bufan, "Brother Ye, shall we head back?"
Wu Cheng, having overheard Ji Feiyang calling Ye Bufan "Brother Ye," looked at Ye Bufan with an unusual gaze.
Ji Feiyang led Ye Bufan back to the outdoor training grounds. With the commotion earlier, the disciples of the Tianxing Martial Hall now looked at Ye Bufan with respect. Defeating Nan Gongyi proved that Ye Bufan was no ordinary individual.
"Brother Ye, when you have time, we should spar?" Ji Feiyang's eyes gleamed with eagerness.
Ye Bufan couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Do you think you are my match?"
To Ye Bufan's surprise, Ji Feiyang's eyes lit up with excitement. "I think you are very strong, but I just enjoy sparring with strong opponents. That's how one improves, isn't it?"
"Let's talk about it later. Let's watch the match first," Ye Bufan said, quickly changing the subject.
"Zhao Yang, you lost."
As they spoke, a thin, short martial artist on the stage struck a strong fighter with a palm, knocking him to the ground and rendering him completely unable to move.
"I concede," the martial artist named Zhao Yang said. "Li Bai, I didn't expect you to improve this much in just one year."
The thin martial artist was named Li Bai. He appeared somewhat frail. Ye Bufan noticed that the aura emanating from him felt slightly off.
Ye Bufan extended his spiritual sense towards him, wanting to investigate. Unexpectedly, the opponent sensed Ye Bufan's movement. Li Bai turned his head, his gaze locking precisely onto Ye Bufan.
"Hmm?"
Ye Bufan looked at Li Bai with disbelief. The opponent had the aura of a cultivator, but it wasn't Li Bai's own. However, the aura emanating from him made Ye Bufan very uncomfortable.
At this moment, Li Bai actually gave Ye Bufan a look, as if warning him not to meddle.
Ye Bufan paid no mind. The referee on stage announced Li Bai's victory and then addressed the Martial Venerables waiting below. "Li Bai has successfully defended his title twice. One more successful defense, and he will advance to the next round. Does anyone else wish to challenge him?"
The first round of the martial arts tournament employed a system of defending and attacking the arena, primarily testing the overall strength and endurance of martial artists and serving to screen ordinary Martial Venerables.
"I!" a man roared. He stamped his foot, leaped into the air, and then lightly touched down on the fighting stage.
"Su Yuancan," the man said, cupping his fists.
"It's actually Su Yuancan!" there was an uproar among the crowd.
"This Su Yuancan is said to be a descendant of the martial scholar Su Qi'er. His family's Drunken Fist has been perfected by him. It is rumored that he has reached the peak of Martial Venerable and is about to advance to Grand Martial Venerable."
"It seems Li Bai is going to lose."