"Interesting. Since that's the case, then I'll have to get serious."
With those words, a golden aura erupted from Ye Xiancheng's body, flowing along his arm and merging into the long spear in his hand. The auras of both man and weapon became completely synchronized, as if they were a single entity.
"My Ye Immortal Clan specializes in the spear."
"Forged by our ancestors and refined through generations, we ultimately created an invincible spear art — the Formless Spear Art."
"Today, I'll let you witness it."
With that, Ye Xiancheng charged straight at Chu Feng, spear in hand. As he closed the distance, he brought the spear down in a frontal slash. The shaft bent like a whip lashing through the void, yet what bore down on Chu Feng was a burst of fierce, brutal force.
Chu Feng held his ground, raising his great saber to block.
But the spear that had been crashing down from overhead suddenly vanished.
When it reappeared, it was already thrusting straight at his waist.
Fortunately, Chu Feng had been prepared. His right hand swept the great saber over to deflect the strike.
"Quick reflexes. But can you keep blocking what comes next?"
Ye Xiancheng's spear attacked again. The spear art was the same as before — just before the strike landed, it would suddenly disappear, only to reappear right in front of him from an entirely different angle.
Thankfully, Chu Feng's reactions were fast enough. No matter how ghostly Ye Xiancheng's spear art became, it still couldn't land a single hit on Chu Feng.
Meanwhile, though Eggie and Song Yun didn't join the fight, they were both watching the battle intently.
"Is it an illusion? How is it this bizarre?" Eggie had her suspicions but couldn't make up her mind.
Outside the hall, Ye Xiancheng's parents wore expressions of pride.
"That Chu Feng can actually keep blocking Xiancheng's Formless Spear Art — it seems his reputation isn't unfounded." Ye Xiancheng's father sighed with admiration, his words praising Chu Feng's ability, though in truth he was boasting about his own son's prowess.
"Xiancheng's Formless Spear Art has already reached the stage of perfection."
"He simply hasn't gotten serious yet. If he did, this Chu Feng would have absolutely no way of holding him off."
"If this Chu Feng doesn't change his strategy and resort to martial skills, but instead tries to beat Xiancheng with weapons alone, he'd be digging his own grave."
Compared to Ye Xiancheng's father's subtlety, his mother's words were far more direct.
At the same time, the other experts of the Ye Immortal Clan watched the clash between Chu Feng and Ye Xiancheng with barely concealed excitement.
To be able to execute the Formless Spear Art to this degree at Ye Xiancheng's cultivation level — in the entire history of the Ye Immortal Clan, there had never been anyone like him.
Inside the battlefield, though Ye Xiancheng hadn't used his full strength, he was still wielding the Formless Spear Art after all.
Yet under these circumstances, he still couldn't break through after such a prolonged assault. His regard for Chu Feng grew with each exchange. Between strikes, he couldn't help but ask: "Chu Feng, what kind of saber art is that?"
"Something that can actually hold its own against my Formless Spear Art?"
"This isn't a fixed saber art. It's a counter-method I developed on my own through battling others." Chu Feng replied.
"Chu Feng, come on now — your saber technique has deftly neutralized my attacks multiple times. There's clearly a system to it. How can you say it's not a saber art?" Ye Xiancheng didn't buy it.
"It really isn't a saber art. Whether it's a sword, a saber, a spear, or a staff — I can handle them all the same way in my hands."
"If I had to put it into words, you could call it experience accumulated through combat. Over time, it formed into my own style."
"But your spear art really is remarkable."
"So the Formless Spear Art — the 'formless' part means the attacks shift between real and illusory, yes?" Chu Feng said.
"Oh, you noticed something? Go on, let me see how close you get." Ye Xiancheng said.
"The real and illusory aren't illusions — they're genuine attacks that can change direction in an instant. To accomplish that requires extremely precise control over your body. You must have spent quite a lot of time mastering this spear art," Chu Feng said.
"That's right. This spear art took longer to cultivate than every other technique I've ever learned."
"Your eyes really are sharp."
"But can you tell whether or not I'm serious?" Ye Xiancheng asked.
"You're definitely serious now — you just haven't used your full power yet, have you?" Chu Feng said.
"You could even tell that? Interesting."
"Not only can your combat strength match mine to some degree, but your perception is extraordinary as well. Chu Feng, you really are a rare opponent. I'm almost reluctant to hurt you."
"Why don't you just concede? We can end this here. At least you'd spare yourself the pain." Ye Xiancheng said.