Chapter 112 Yun Man Defeated, Pure Yang Set
Facing Yun Man's close-range attack, although Gong Yuankui was surprised, he did not panic, directly raising his sword to block.
Even though Gong Yuankui had already witnessed Mountain Severance's power and raised his guard accordingly, he was still driven back more than ten meters by the sword Qi.
This was the effect of the Pure Origin Pill; the exact same move carried far greater force, especially delivered at such close quarters.
Seeing Gong Yuankui pushed back, Yun Man did not pause, pressing the attack immediately. She knew her strike was only meant to draw out an opening, not to genuinely injure or defeat him.
Having blocked Mountain Severance, Gong Yuankui no longer dared to take her lightly, sweeping his sword around to parry once more.
Yun Man's blade was deflected yet again.
This was true stillness countering movement. He did not need to chase her every whim; he merely needed to guard his own blind spots to effectively neutralize her assault.
Naturally, this strategy only worked against opponents of lesser or equal strength. If an adversary far outmatched him, they could simply crush his guard with brute force, rendering finesse unnecessary.
More than ten moves passed, and Yun Man still could not land a blow on Gong Yuankui.
It was not that Gong Yuankui refused to counterattack; rather, he faced the exact same dilemma as Yu Heguang-his speed lagged behind Yun Man's. Forcing an aggressive exchange would only multiply his flaws.
He too was waiting for an opening. He was certain that a single well-timed strike would be enough to finish her.
"Ah, my precious disciple is likely going to lose. Her speed has the advantage, but against such an iron turtle, there's just no way through. Dragging this out is nothing more than a pointless war of attrition."
Qin Xiao saw the situation clearly. Gong Yuankui's defense was airtight; without overwhelming power, cracking it was nearly impossible.
Yun Man herself felt that deep sense of helplessness. It was much like sparring with Qin Xiao-when you cannot breach the defense, any effort is wasted.
"Block this next move, and I'll concede."
Unwilling to drag the match out further, Yun Man prepared to unleash her second technique, Earth Rending.
"Earth Rending!"
With a swift leap, Yun Man soared into the air, bringing a formidable wave of sword Qi crashing down from above.
Knowing the terrifying potency of the technique-one that even Yu Heguang had failed to withstand-Gong Yuankui did not dare to be careless.
"Pure Yang Barrier!"
Without a shred of arrogance, he directly activated his Protective Dharma Treasure.
Following a deafening blast, Yun Man landed somewhat drained at the edge of the platform, while a thick cloud of dust enveloped Gong Yuankui at the center of the shockwave.
As the dust slowly settled, Gong Yuankui stood framed beneath a shimmering golden barrier. Though he looked slightly disheveled, he had successfully held his ground.
"I concede."
Yun Man accepted the outcome readily. It was not that she lacked fighting spirit, but continuing this deadlock was meaningless. Better to let her master handle the rest.
With that, she hopped down from the competition platform.
"The Pure Yang Sect certainly doesn't stint on resources. They even handed the Pure Yang Crown to Gong Yuankui."
Wei Jian muttered to himself as he stared at the golden barrier.
"Great Elder, you're saying that's the Pure Yang Crown, a High Grade Dharma Treasure? Isn't that the Sect Leader's personal item?"
Su Lin asked with a hint of confusion.
"Indeed. It seems the Pure Yang Sect intends to groom Gong Yuankui as the next Sect Leader. That old bastard actually parted with this."
Wei Jian had initially suspected Gong Yuankui was merely a direct student of the Great Elder, but it appeared his intelligence was off. The young man was likely the Sect Leader's own Personal Disciple.
"Master, I lost."
Yun Man announced with a nonchalant expression.
"A loss is a loss, why shout it from the rooftops? Stand quietly and watch how your master takes the win. Oh, and give me my boots back. Can't be too careful."
Looking at her completely unrepentant attitude, Qin Xiao was left speechless. Still, he didn't scold her, simply asking for the boots back to ensure a safety net.
With all preparations complete, Qin Xiao leaped onto the stage. This time, he wisely refrained from strolling through mid-air to avoid drawing another round of curses.
"Brother Kui, long time no see."
Qin Xiao greeted him with a warm smile.
"Didn't we literally see each other yesterday?"
Gong Yuankui replied, looking somewhat bewildered.
"Uh-never mind. Let's begin."
Realizing the fellow was a bit too literal, Qin Xiao dropped the small talk.
"Considering you treated us to a meal yesterday, I'll let you strike first."
Well aware of Qin Xiao's monstrous defense, Gong Yuankui felt no rush to attack. He wanted to test Qin Xiao's offensive capabilities first; if the man proved to be nothing more than another immovable object, victory was already in the bag.
"Since Brother Kui is so polite, I won't stand on ceremony."
In a blur of motion, Qin Xiao closed the distance instantly, driving a full-powered fist straight toward Gong Yuankui's chest.
Gong Yuankui was utterly stunned. This was the first time he had witnessed Qin Xiao's true speed. He had assumed that someone incapable of cultivating who could merely walk on air already defied common sense, but this velocity easily surpassed many late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.
The spectators who were witnessing Qin Xiao move at full speed for the first time were equally dumbfounded. They had all pegged him as a defensive specialist relying entirely on protective treasures, yet the speed he just displayed was leagues beyond ordinary Nascent Soul experts.
Qin Xiao harbored no such distracting thoughts as he delivered a solid, unadulterated punch. In his mind, even if Gong Yuankui wasn't knocked completely off the platform, he should at least be sent flying.
The result, however, caught Qin Xiao completely off guard. Gong Yuankui's outer garments instantly shredded, exposing a gleaming suit of armor beneath. Far from being blown away, Gong Yuankui stood firm, while a sharp numbness traveled up Qin Xiao's knuckles.
"What? Pure Yang Armor? Does Gong Yuankui have dirt on the higher-ups or something? How on earth did they hand him the Pure Yang Armor as well?"
Wei Jian lost his composure entirely at the sight of the armor. Lending the Pure Yang Crown was one thing, but parting with the chest piece defied belief.
Another High Grade Dharma Treasure had just surfaced on Gong Yuankui's person. In the span of a single match, the youth had already unveiled two High Grade Dharma Treasures.
"Don't tell me they gave him the Pure Yang Sword too?"
Wei Jian muttered in sheer disbelief, though deep down he knew the answer was almost certainly yes.
Individually, each item was a High Grade Dharma Treasure. But when assembled into a complete set, their combined might rivaled a Top Grade Dharma Treasure, standing proudly among the foundational treasures of the Pure Yang Sect.
"Brother Qin is truly extraordinary. A single strike was enough to trigger the autonomous defense of the Pure Yang Armor."
Twitching slightly at the edge of his eye, Gong Yuankui forced an expression of calm.
Thank goodness he was wearing the armor, or that punch alone would have cost him the match.
"Brother Kui... is that thing a High Grade Dharma Treasure?"
Qin Xiao rubbed his stinging hand and asked with deep suspicion.
"Indeed. This is one of the sect-protecting treasures of the Pure Yang Sect, the Pure Yang Armor-a High Grade Dharma Treasure. The crown from before is another."
Gong Yuankui admitted frankly, knowing full well that many in the audience already recognized the gear.
"A whole set? What else do you have? A sword?"
Qin Xiao felt as though the heavens were crashing down on him. Just what kind of background did this old boy have?
"It seems Brother Qin is quite well-read when it comes to our sect's heirlooms."
Gong Yuankui smiled, stowing his previous blade and drawing a brilliant golden sword instead-the Pure Yang Sword.
If Qin Xiao had merely felt the sky falling earlier, it had now completely caved in. A complete set of High Grade Dharma Treasures rivalling a Top Grade treasure? How was he supposed to fight this with his bare life?
Suddenly, it all clicked for Qin Xiao. No wonder the bookmakers had dared to offer odds of one to eight; they must have caught wind of this beforehand. Damn it all, he had taken a massive loss today!
"Second Elder, did you know about this beforehand? Is that why Eldest Senior Brother refused the Spirit-Burst Pill, and you approved of his choice?"
Cang Xing asked with a wry, bitter smile.
"Naturally. With his strength backed by three supreme treasures, what use would he have for a Spirit-Burst Pill?"
Han Mingyuan wore an expression of absolute certainty. This victory was locked in.
"Brother Qin, since you recognize these three Dharma Treasures, shall we say you concede, or would you like to exchange a few blows before doing so? You're far stronger than your disciple, and I must admit, I've been quite eager to spar with you."
Armed with his trio of treasures, Gong Yuankui was virtually assured of victory, yet he still extended an invitation to duel out of genuine martial eagerness.