A black-gold blade had already left Ding Chou's hand, flying off the Combat Platform and embedding itself into the ground. Blood streamed from Ding Chou's left hand in sheets—it was clear he'd taken a serious hit.
As for Chu Feng, both hands were clenched tight around a golden long spear held horizontally before him. The spear shimmered with golden light; though condensed entirely from radiance, it was remarkably formidable, radiating an oppressive force.
"You said that unless it was a Fifth-rank Martial Art, you could cut through anything."
"Then let me show you exactly what a Fifth-rank Martial Art looks like." Chu Feng raised the golden spear and pointed it at Ding Chou.
"Heavens—that power! It's definitely a Fifth-rank Martial Art! It really is a Fifth-rank Martial Art! Chu Feng has actually mastered a Fifth-rank Martial Art!"
The entire arena, inside and outside, erupted in gasps. A Fifth-rank Martial Art wasn't something no one present had mastered—but for someone of Chu Feng's age to have done so was utterly unheard of.
After all, Fifth-rank Martial Arts demanded extremely high standards for both constitution and comprehension. If your constitution fell short, even grasping the technique's mysteries wouldn't let you execute it. And if your comprehension was lacking, even a sufficient constitution wouldn't let you cultivate it.
That was why Fifth-rank Martial Arts were typically only mastered by those who had cultivated for many years, gained a thorough understanding of the martial path, and reached a certain level of power.
For someone of Chu Feng's age and cultivation level to possess a Fifth-rank Martial Art defied all reason.
"Could this kid truly be a once-in-a-century genius?"
At this moment, that thought sprang up in the minds of many onlookers. Chu Feng's performance had been far too stunning, shattering their perceptions of him again and again.
In the beginning, everyone had assumed he was a fraud—some deadweight brought along to fill a spot. They'd even mocked Purple Gold City for producing such a nobody. But now? He was anything but weak. He was a once-in-a-century prodigy through and through.
The new disciples of Purple Gold City felt the most conflicted of all. They had looked down on Chu Feng at every turn, convinced he was dragging their city's name through the mud.
But now it was painfully clear—they couldn't even be mentioned in the same breath as him. He was vastly superior in every way, and the shame of it burned.
"The Azure Dragon Sect is going to rise. With a disciple like this, they'll achieve great things. They'll never be a second-rate sect again."
Some went even further, predicting that Chu Feng himself would lead the Azure Dragon Sect to prominence. His performance was simply too eye-catching. Though he held the status of a second-rate sect's disciple, he was outshining every first-rate sect's representative on that stage.
And his age—so young. He had far less cultivation time and combat experience than anyone else here, which only served to highlight just how extraordinary he truly was.
"Incredible… this kid is actually that powerful. No wonder—no wonder Miss Su Rou said what she did."
Chen Hui and the others were thoroughly shaken, all feeling that victory was now within reach. Only Chen Wanxi frowned, her delicate brows drawn together.
"It won't be that simple. Don't underestimate Ding Chou. He earned first place in the Lingyun Sect's Core Disciple Examination—he's no ordinary fighter."
"Besides, when he killed demon beasts, that was a year ago. There's no way he's made no progress since then. Fifth-rank Martial Arts aren't exclusive to the Azure Dragon Sect. In our Lingyun Sect, they're a dime a dozen."
"Wanxi, what do you mean?" Hearing Chen Wanxi's words, Chen Hui and the others felt a fresh wave of unease—because it suddenly hit them that the Lingyun Sect was the number-one sect in all of Qingzhou. It was where the most outstanding geniuses in the entire region gathered.