52: Chapter 52 The Victor Lin Tian

On the arena, that massive, earth-yellow fist imprint, heavy as a mountain, crashed down, causing the air to solidify with a terrifying momentum.

Before the fist wind even touched his body, the suffocating pressure caused Lin Tian's robes to cling to his frame, and his breath hitched.

"To think his power could increase even further?" A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Tian's eyes; the power of Du Fei's charged strike had truly exceeded his previous estimates.

Take it head-on? With his Metal Element Fist and Wood combination technique, he might be able to try, but it would surely result in mutual destruction—hardly the action of a wise man.

As thoughts flashed through his mind, the Perfection Realm "Wind-Chasing Footwork" within Lin Tian's body moved according to his will.

At the critical moment when the mountain-like fist imprint was about to touch his hair—

"Whoosh!"

On the arena, Lin Tian's figure suddenly became blurred, like mist swept away by a gale, and then... completely vanished from where he stood!

It was not an afterimage, but rather speed pushed to the extreme, completing an incredible lateral shift beyond the limits of what the crowd could perceive!

"Boom—!!!"

Du Fei's "Thick Earth Like a Mountain," which he had been certain would land, smashed heavily into empty space!

The violent earth-yellow energy exploded, blasting a depression the size of a tabletop and several inches deep into the hard arena planks, sending wood chips flying in all directions like a rainstorm amidst a cloud of dust!

Missed?!

The entire arena fell into a momentary silence, followed by an uproar like a landslide or tsunami!

"He, he dodged it?!"

"Where is he? Where is Senior Brother Lin?!"

"What was that just now?! Am I seeing things?"

"How could he dodge it?! That fist momentum had clearly locked down all directions!"

Liu Yunfeng, Wang Yu, and the others had their mouths wide open; the worry on their faces had faded, replaced by extreme astonishment.

Senior Sister Chen Yu's beautiful eyes widened, and her delicate hand subconsciously covered her slightly parted red lips.

Even Hall Master Chen Qingfeng, sitting in the main seat, froze his posture, which had been slightly leaning forward in preparation to intervene. His eyes erupted with sharp light, and his face was filled with surprise.

He had anticipated that Lin Tian would either meet the attack head-on with the combination of hardness and softness from his Metal and Wood techniques, or use the soft energy of the Water Element Fist to deflect and maneuver, but he never imagined that the boy's choice would be so decisive, so... incredible!

Under that near-lethal lock of energy, he had actually managed to "escape" through sheer speed!

"The speed of this footwork... something is wrong!" Hall Master Chen Qingfeng was deeply shocked.

The most shocked of all was Du Fei, who was on the arena with his Move spent and his energy completely exhausted.

The sneer and look of triumph on his face froze instantly, turning into disbelief, confusion, and shock.

The feeling of emptiness from his fist made his heart go cold, and the violent energy backlash caused his blood to surge slightly.

"How could... I have missed? Where... where is he?!" He lost his composure, looking around in a panic.

Just at that critical moment when his old force was spent, his new force had yet to rise, and his mind was momentarily vacant—

"Swish!"

From behind him, a sharp, condensed fist wind, carrying a bone-chilling sharpness, sounded without warning—like a viper flicking its tongue, striking directly at the vital point of his back!

It was fast to the extreme, and carried a cold, murderous intent.

"Not good!" Every hair on Du Fei's body stood on end, and a cold sense of mortal crisis instantly gripped his heart!

He was, after all, rich in combat experience; in his shock, his survival instinct drove his body to react.

"Thick Earth Rotation!"

Du Fei roared, unable to fully turn around, and violently twisted his waist. His feet rotated strangely as if he were an old tree with deep roots, forcing his upper body to twist nearly ninety degrees,

With the momentum of the rotation, his left fist, still holding residual energy, swept backward in a hasty yet heavy block!

An earth-yellow light emerged once again; though not as condensed as "Thick Earth Like a Mountain," it was still heavy and solid.

"Bang—!"

Another dull impact! Du Fei felt his left fist shake violently, and a sharp, peerless energy penetrated his body. Although most of it was neutralized by his Earth Fist energy, it still caused his blood to churn, forcing him to stumble half a step forward before he could steady himself.

He spun around abruptly and finally saw Lin Tian, who had appeared ghost-like a few feet behind him.

The opponent's expression was calm, and he even showed a faint, almost appreciative smile at Du Fei's ability to block the strike in his haste.

"Damn it! When did you..." Du Fei was shocked and angry, but before he could finish his sentence...

The smile at the corners of Lin Tian's mouth suddenly deepened, and his feet shifted almost imperceptibly.

"Whoosh!"

His figure faded and vanished from before Du Fei's eyes again!

"Behind!" Alarm bells rang wildly in Du Fei's heart. Without time to think, he relied on his senses and experience to twist, punch, and block again!

"Bang!"

Another dull thud as the fist energies clashed. Du Fei was shaken again.

However, before he could catch his breath or even see if Lin Tian was still in the same spot—

Left! Right! Behind! From an oblique angle!

"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"

Sharp fist winds struck one after another from all directions and impossible angles!

Each appearance was silent, and every attack targeted the gaps in his force transitions or the weak points in his protective Qi!

Du Fei felt as if he were caught in a violent assault launched by an invisible wind. He could only rely on his instincts, experience, and premonition of danger to spin his body frantically, dancing his iron fists into an impenetrable defense, desperately blocking and parrying.

He was like a spinning top caught in a raging storm; although still spinning, he had completely lost the initiative and could only passively endure the incredible impacts coming from all directions.

Every block was perilous, and every collision made his Qi and blood quake. What was even more terrifying was that he could not capture Lin Tian's true body at all, let alone counterattack!

The opponent's speed was so fast that it exceeded the perception limit of his "Proficient" level Wind-Chasing Footwork!

"Damn it! Argh—!" Du Fei was so frustrated he felt like vomiting blood, and he let out an angry roar.

He also tried to use the Wind-Chasing Footwork to create distance and regroup.

But whenever he tried to Move in a certain direction, that shadow-like gray figure would always appear on his path instantly, forcing him back with faster speed and trickier angles, or attacking the openings he revealed while moving.

His proud strength, solid Foundation, and heavy Earth Fist seemed so clumsy and powerless in the face of this absolute suppression by speed!

He had the immense strength to split mountains and crack rocks, yet he couldn't even touch the corner of his opponent's clothes; he could only act like a living target, spinning and blocking in place, exhausted.

"What... what is happening?"

"Senior Brother Du is being completely suppressed?!"

"My god! I can barely see Senior Brother Lin's figure! There are only streaks of gray wind flashing on the arena!"

"This footwork... it's ghostly and unfathomable!"

The Disciples watching under the stage were already dumbfounded, many with their mouths hanging open for a long time.

The battle before them was completely different from the fierce struggle they had expected; it was more like a one-sided mockery and suppression.

"Du Fei has also practiced the Wind-Chasing Footwork to Proficiency; how can the gap be so large?"

"Could it be that Senior Brother Lin's footwork Realm..."

"Above Proficiency is Major Achievement! Could Senior Brother Lin have practiced the Wind-Chasing Footwork to Major Achievement?!"

"Major Achievement level Wind-Chasing Footwork? This... how long has he even been practicing?!"

"A Prodigy! He is definitely a Prodigy!"

Exclamations, guesses, and gasps of shock rose one after another. Everyone was completely stunned by Lin Tian's incredible speed.

On the viewing platform, Senior Sister Chen Yu had already stood up. Her beautiful face was full of shock as she muttered, "This is not Proficiency... it might even be beyond Major Achievement... Father, what exactly is he..."

Hall Master Chen Qingfeng slowly sat back in his chair. His fingers, which had been gripping the armrests tightly, relaxed. The initial surprise on his face had transformed into a profound, indescribable excitement and gratification.

His gaze was like a torch, tightly tracking the gray figure on the arena that had almost turned into a flowing wind. He said in a deep voice, "Yu'er, you are mistaken. This is not Major Achievement."

"Not Major Achievement? Then..." Chen Yu was stunned.

"It is Perfection," Hall Master Chen Qingfeng slowly uttered the two words, his voice carrying a slight tremor he hadn't even noticed himself. "Qi and footwork are perfectly fused. Moving like a frightened swan, still like a virgin; turns are fluid, without any stagnation. His understanding of 'Wind' has entered the Transcendent Realm; his body Moves before his heart even does... This is the mark of having practiced the Wind-Chasing Footwork to the 'Perfection' Realm! There is no mistake!"

"Perfection?!" Chen Yu's delicate body trembled, her beautiful eyes filled with horror. Her own Wind-Chasing Footwork was stuck at the Peak of Major Achievement, and she knew deeply how difficult it was to advance further.

Perfection? That required an essential understanding of this footwork; it could not be achieved without great perseverance, great Comprehension Ability, and great Opportunity!

This Lin Tian...

"Good! Good! Good!" Hall Master Chen Qingfeng said the word 'good' three times in a row, his eyes shining with light as he stroked his beard and laughed loudly. "Hahaha! Heaven blesses my Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall! With such a Qilin, how can we not prosper? Yu'er, do you understand now why Father values him so much?"

Chen Yu looked at her father's joyful appearance and then toward the figure on the arena who was playing with Du Fei in the palm of his hand. Her emotions were complex and indescribable, but deep within her beautiful eyes, a bright flame had uncontrollably ignited.

That was an acknowledgment of a true powerhouse, along with a trace of... an unusual gleam that even she herself hadn't noticed.

"Argh—! Lin Tian! If you have the guts, face me head-on! Hiding and dodging, what kind of skill is that?!" On the arena, Du Fei had been driven completely mad. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair disheveled, and his breath was heavy like an ox.

The continuous high-intensity passive blocking and mental tension had exhausted him greatly, and his Moves began to show undue sluggishness and openings.

He couldn't stand this frustration!

He would rather be defeated head-on by Lin Tian with more overwhelming power than be teased by the opponent's speed like this, like a cat playing with a mouse!

To Du Fei's beast-like roars, Lin Tian acted as if he hadn't heard them; his state of mind was as calm as an ancient well.

The Perfection Realm footwork, combined with absolute control over the battle, made him like the calmest of hunters.

Now is the time!

Du Fei struggled to rotate and block again, dispersing the fist wind coming from his rear flank, but this time his recovery speed was a negligible fraction slower than before.

His right shoulder stiffened for a split second due to excessive exertion.

"Whoosh!"

Lin Tian's figure, like a ghost, flashed out of thin air from the absolute blind spot of Du Fei's vision—the blind spot directly behind him where he had just turned from!

The timing was mastered to Perfection; it was the exact moment when Du Fei's old force was gone, his new force had not yet risen, and his mind was most anxious and relaxed due to his inability to land a hit for so long!

Without using any flashy combinations, it was simply the purest, most condensed, direct stab of the Metal Element Fist, perfectly combining his entire body's strength and speed!

On the fist tip, a pale golden light condensed like a needle, carrying a piercing shriek, and smashed fiercely into the area below Du Fei's right shoulder blade, which was slightly raised due to stiffness!

"Bang—Crack!"

Amidst the dull impact, a clear sound of bone cracking was mixed in!

"Argh—!" Du Fei let out a shrill scream. His whole body was hit as if by a battering ram; his protective Qi was instantly pierced through, his right shoulder bone shattered, and a sharp, peerless energy penetrated his body, crazily destroying his Meridians and internal organs!

He could no longer steady himself and was sent flying forward like a kite with a broken string, tracing an arc before smashing heavily onto the hard ground outside the arena!

"Boom!"

Dust flew up.

Du Fei struggled to get up, but the movement aggravated his injuries, causing him to spit out another mouthful of blood. His face was pale as gold paper, and he could only barely support himself with one arm. He looked up at the arena, his eyes filled with unwillingness, resentment, and... a trace of indescribable fear and despair.

The entire arena was deathly silent.

A pin could be heard dropping.

Everyone held their breath, their gazes moving back and forth between Du Fei, who had fallen off the stage and was in a sorry state, and Lin Tian on the arena, who was slowly retracting his stance, his clothes only slightly disheveled, and his breathing still steady and long.

The winner had been decided.

Hall Master Chen Qingfeng slowly stood up and walked to the edge of the arena. His gaze swept across the audience and finally landed on Lin Tian. A gratified and dignified smile appeared on his face, and his voice rang out clearly, reaching every corner of the training ground:

"This battle has been decided."

"The winner is Lin Tian!"

"He shall receive the final recommendation slot for the Imperial Guard from my Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall!"