Exchanging Moves

"Little young master, you truly have no pity for the fairer sex, treating your Senior Sister like this. It seems I must teach you a proper lesson."

Zhao Yan'er spoke with a coquettish tone, but the strikes leaving her hands were exceptionally fierce. Streaks of spiritual power shot toward Ning Fan, emitting sharp shrieks as they tore through the air.

Ning Fan quickly leaned back, dodging Zhao Yan'er's razor-sharp fingernails. Even though he held an advantage in pure physical strength, that alone was not enough to secure a victory.

Furthermore, Ning Fan did not want to rely too heavily on Ye Honglian sharing his injuries.

After he had forcefully slain that mutated Hybrid Demon Beast last time, Ye Honglian had scolded him fiercely. If he could avoid implicating her, it was best to do so.

"Phantom Demon Claw!"

A chilling light flashed in Zhao Yan'er's eyes. The next moment, the spiritual power around her surged violently, and the aura gathered at her fingertips swelled.

A sinister demonic light shrouded Zhao Yan'er's palm as she viciously clawed at Ning Fan!

Sensing the frantically surging spiritual power, Ning Fan's gaze sharpened.

The blackish-gray mist over his hands abruptly expanded, and a flood dragon shadow materialized with striking clarity.

"Dragon Snake Evolution Hand!"

The flood dragon shadow burst forth, crashing directly into the demonic claw before him.

Boom-

A muffled explosion rang out. The arena beneath their feet seemed to tremble, and both figures were forced backward by the shockwave of Qi.

Zhao Yan'er retreated a full thirty steps, but Ning Fan was pushed back even further.

He retreated sixty steps, his heels sliding right to the very edge of the arena.

Half a step more, and he would plummet from the stage.

"Heh."

"Haven't we forgotten to set the conditions for victory?"

Ning Fan grinned.

Zhao Yan'er had spread word of this wagered duel far and wide, making sure everyone knew of it, yet no actual conditions for winning had been established.

In her eyes, defeating Ning Fan was as easy as flipping her hand, so she had seen no need to lay down strict rules.

But now...

Ning Fan had clearly proven capable of matching her blow for blow. Since she could not simply crush him, the rules of victory had to be defined.

"Giggle..."

Hearing his words, Zhao Yan'er laughed until she trembled like a branch in the wind. Yet beneath that seductive, silken gaze, an intense fighting spirit burned.

"Let us fight until one side admits defeat. If stepping off the arena decides the match, wouldn't that be far too dull? This way, neither of us can claim we were wronged."

"Fine!"

A brilliant light flared in Ning Fan's eyes.

His spiritual power surged into a frenzy, and a moment later, roaring flames erupted around his body.

His entire figure was engulfed in the blaze!

"This is!?"

Zhao Yan'er narrowed her eyes, a flicker of shock passing through her gaze as she stared at the fiery aura. She naturally recognized this technique.

Three Thousand Flame Movement!!!

This was a Top Grade Profound realm martial skill housed on the fourth floor of the Yin Yang Peak Martial Skills Pavilion.

Were it not for its grueling cultivation difficulty, this skill would have easily earned a place on the fifth floor. She had never expected Ning Fan to actually master it!

Zhao Yan'er recalled the details.

Ning Fan had only visited the Martial Skills Pavilion once. According to sect rules, disciples could not remove the manuals from the grounds.

That meant he had successfully comprehended the Three Thousand Flame Movement in a single viewing!

Hiss—

Zhao Yan'er's eyes widened, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks. She subconsciously took a half-step back, deeply shaken by his monstrous comprehension.

It was not just Zhao Yan'er. Every spectator who recognized the technique-especially the Yin Yang Peak disciples-stared at Ning Fan in sheer disbelief.

Almost every disciple who earned access to the third floor of the Yin Yang Peak Martial Skills Pavilion would attempt to practice the Three Thousand Flame Movement twice.

The first time out of sheer awe, and the second out of stubborn refusal to accept failure.

And then there was never a third time.

Yet Ning Fan...

This disciple, whom she had forcefully dragged to Yin Yang Peak less than half a month ago, had genuinely mastered it.

Such heaven-defying talent was enough to make anyone red-eyed with envy.

"Come!"

Without any visible shift in his stance, Ning Fan's figure vanished in a flash.

He streaked across the arena like a blazing meteor, pressing directly toward Zhao Yan'er.

Zhao Yan'er mirrored his aggression, raising her Qi-wreathed claws and swiping viciously at him.

Boom-

Fist met palm with a heavy thud. The flames surrounding Ning Fan churned wildly, seemingly burning even hotter from the impact!

Stomp, stomp—

Zhao Yan'er was forced back several steps before she could stabilize her stance.

Clad in his mantle of fire, Ning Fan no longer feared clashing with her head-on. Backed by his overwhelming physical strength, he ruthlessly seized the initiative!

And he was not finished.

Swoosh—

Trailing a streak of firelight, Ning Fan seemingly glided across the space, appearing directly behind Zhao Yan'er to drive a punch toward her back!

So fast...

Zhao Yan'er's heart lurched. Dodging this strike with ordinary footwork was utterly impossible.

She had no choice but to contort her body backward in a desperate evasion.

She dropped into a reverse iron bridge stance, her back nearly hovering parallel to the ground.

However, this evasive maneuver completely exposed her torso to Ning Fan's ensuing assault.

Whoosh—

Ning Fan naturally refused to let such an opening slip by.

He raised his leg high, bringing his heel crashing down toward Zhao Yan'er's waist with crushing momentum.

If this strike connected, Zhao Yan'er would lose half her life, even if she managed to survive.

"Flowing Shadow Flash."

Zhao Yan'er whispered.

The very instant Ning Fan's foot reached her waist, her body flickered out of existence.

When she reappeared, she was standing several meters away.

Bang-

Ning Fan's heel smashed into the stone floor, echoing like a massive fireball slamming into the earth.

A burst of searing flames erupted several meters into the air.

Pant, pant...

Standing a short distance away, Zhao Yan'er watched the destructive force of that kick, a tremor of shock flashing through her eyes.

Ning Fan's raw physical power was already terrifying, but when amplified by the Three Thousand Flame Movement, that casual stomp looked capable of instantly obliterating an ordinary cultivator of the same realm.

"Monster..."

Zhao Yan'er's mouth twitched. She had always prided herself on her own talent; otherwise, she would never have been accepted as Gui Yazi's personal disciple.

Yet, standing before Ning Fan, she could not help but feel a deep sense of inadequacy.

Seeing his finishing blow miss, Ning Fan did not feel overly surprised.

If it were that easy to defeat a personal disciple like Zhao Yan'er, something would be terribly wrong.

The evasion she just used must have been a unique movement skill, or perhaps a secret art.

He could not be certain.

But he could tell that Zhao Yan'er had paid a steep price to escape his grasp.

A mere rapid dodge would not have left her face so pale and her breathing as ragged as a worn-out ox.

Whoosh—

Zhao Yan'er took a deep breath, slowly exhaling to steady her erratic heartbeat.

Her complexion gradually recovered its color as she fixed a heavy gaze on Ning Fan.

"Little young master."

"Come!"

"Let us... decide the victor!"

Zhao Yan'er muttered.

The next moment, the spiritual power radiating from her body surged to new heights, her aura faintly brushing the threshold of the eighth layer of the Profound Extreme Realm.

88.181.249.5

ns88.181.249.5da2