"As expected, your guess was correct. The difference came down to energy consumption."
"Though Chu Feng cannot slow the rate at which his own energy depletes…"
"He provoked Li Ming instead, forcing Li Ming's energy to drain faster. I must admit — it was a brilliant move," Immortal Golden Crane exclaimed with admiration.
"Though he provoked Li Ming, the one who's being pushed back is Chu Feng himself. This gambit may not have netted him any real advantage," the cloth-robed old monk said.
"It seems, apart from accelerating Li Ming's energy consumption, he really hasn't gained anything," Immortal Golden Crane agreed, his gaze shifting as he observed the fight.
At this moment, Li Ming's attacks were ferocious beyond measure. Facing such a onslaught, Chu Feng could only defend — he had no opportunity to counterattack.
Though he managed to block every strike, the sheer force still drove him backward.
The retreat was slow and the distance small, but retreat it was.
And with every step Chu Feng took back, Li Ming advanced one step closer — bringing himself nearer to the pillar of Profound Light behind Chu Feng.
Thus, the scales of this duel had begun to tip — not in Chu Feng's favor, but toward Li Ming.
"Old monster, look — the corner of that boy Li Ming's mouth," Immortal Golden Crane suddenly said.
His eyes widened with an expression of extreme shock.
"That boy." The cloth-robed old monk's gaze shifted as well, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Perhaps ordinary people wouldn't notice, but the two of them could see it clearly.
At this very moment, hidden at the corner of Young Master Li Ming's mouth was a smile — a smile of smug satisfaction, the smile of a scheme succeeding exactly as planned.
This most likely meant that Li Ming had never truly been provoked by Chu Feng. Or rather, he had deliberately allowed himself to appear provoked.
He had used this opportunity to force Chu Feng back, all to get closer to the pillar of Profound Light.
"So it appears that although Chu Feng employed a psychological tactic, the one who truly came out ahead is Li Ming."
"Golden Crane, who was it that called Li Ming immature a moment ago? The way I see it, this Li Ming is far from naive. On the contrary… he's quite the seasoned player," the cloth-robed old monk said to Immortal Golden Crane.
"This duel has finally become interesting," Immortal Golden Crane replied, a smile breaking across his face.
Because this was exactly the kind of duel they had wanted to see.
Perhaps ordinary observers couldn't perceive it, but they could see where the true brilliance of this battle lay.
The most captivating part was not the razor-sharp attacks from Chu Feng and Li Ming, nor their extraordinary offensive and defensive techniques that far surpassed their peers.
It was the scheming — two geniuses, calculating against each other from the bottom of their hearts.
"You can only defend and never attack, yet you can't do a thing to me, Li Ming. So much for your reputation as a genius," Chu Feng said with a grin, fixing Li Ming with that infuriatingly cocky stare.
"Sigh… it seems Chu Feng still has no idea he's already lost ground."
Watching Chu Feng continue to taunt, looking ever more pleased with himself, a trace of disappointment flickered through Immortal Golden Crane's eyes.
In his view, Chu Feng was already at a disadvantage. If the boy didn't wise up soon, he was going to suffer a serious setback.
Smack —
A crisp sound rang out without warning.
It was Chu Feng's hand — clamped firmly around Li Ming's fist.
"What's this?" At the sight, both Immortal Golden Crane and the cloth-robed old monk reacted with surprise.
Even Li Ming, who had been attacking with full force, momentarily froze.
"HAAA — !"
The very next instant, Chu Feng let out a thunderous shout. His arm and body twisted, and with a surge of strength, he swung the caught-off-guard Li Ming into the air.
Li Ming was now like a punching bag, hoisted overhead by Chu Feng and hurtling toward the ground.
If he landed like this, he would suffer devastating damage — the force behind Chu Feng's throw was no trivial matter.
"Not a chance."
But Li Ming was no ordinary fighter. He quickly grasped Chu Feng's intent, and although the momentum was already beyond his control, he twisted midair, attempting to land on his feet.
That way, he could absorb the impact and avoid injury.
"Heh…"
But at that very moment, Chu Feng's lips curled upward once more — and then he abruptly released his grip on Li Ming's fist.
Freed from Chu Feng's hold, Li Ming did not land. Instead, like an arrow loosed from a bow, he was flung outward.
And the direction he was sent? A dead corner of the formation.
Whoosh —
The instant Li Ming was launched away, Chu Feng surged forward in pursuit.
But Chu Feng was not chasing Li Ming. Right now, he had only one target — the pillar of Profound Light that Li Ming had been guarding.
In the blink of an eye, the advantage Li Ming had accumulated was utterly destroyed by Chu Feng.
Now, the one holding absolute superiority was Chu Feng !!!
"Chu Feng had hidden this move all along !!!"
At that moment, Immortal Golden Crane and the cloth-robed old monk first stared blankly, and then, within their aged eyes, there blazed a look of mingled shock and delight.