Chapter Forty: Battle with Kunshan

Kunshan was using the Giant Spirit Sect’s Wind-Cleaving Palm, but the force of his strikes was somewhat peculiar, markedly different from the standard technique. When he unleashed it, the whistling wind carried a savagery akin to the claws of a wild beast, brimming with a ferocity that seemed ready to tear through anything.

Clearly, Kunshan’s Wind-Cleaving Palm was not purely orthodox; it appeared to be fused with some bestial attack, lending it a terrifyingly savage aura. At this moment, Yang Xiao dared not be careless. Only eight contestants remained on the stage—each one undoubtedly among the most outstanding disciples of the Giant Spirit Sect, their skills far from ordinary. Any weaker disciple would have long since been eliminated. Those left on the stage each possessed their own unique trump cards. Some had mastered the sect’s two supreme techniques to perfection, while others had cultivated rare skills or benefited from extraordinary encounters and insights, enabling them to stand out amidst the multitude of disciples.

Kunshan’s method, it seemed, was a newly forged technique—born from combining the Wind-Cleaving Palm with a beast clan’s martial art. This fusion was likely his own creation, the secret behind his repeated victories in competitions.

Yang Xiao now unleashed his full presence; outwardly, his cultivation was at the seventh level of Spirit Sense, nearly matching Kunshan’s aura. Facing Kunshan’s beast-like onslaught, Yang Xiao could only respond with his own specialty—the Thundercrack Fist. By now, he had honed this technique to mastery. With a single movement, he could summon roaring thunder, the sheer momentum overwhelming.

Kunshan, undisturbed by Yang Xiao’s display, curled his palm into a claw-like shape and lunged forward with the ferocity of a beast. Yang Xiao sidestepped the direct attack, then countered with a punch aimed at Kunshan’s flank. This was his usual method for defeating opponents: relying on his agility to evade the main assault, then striking at a vulnerable spot with minimal force to secure victory.

But Kunshan, aware that his attack had missed, twisted nimbly aside. His palm swept diagonally toward Yang Xiao’s body in a swift, seamless motion, clashing head-on with Yang Xiao’s thunderous fist. Clearly, Kunshan’s speed was on par with Yang Xiao’s own.

With a thunderous bang, the two figures broke apart. Yang Xiao felt a numbness in his arm, surprised by the sheer force behind the blow. It seemed Kunshan’s Wind-Cleaving Palm was not something an ordinary disciple could withstand.

Seeing his strike did not trouble Yang Xiao greatly, Kunshan was momentarily astonished but not entirely unprepared. He dashed in again, body arched like a beast leaping forward, a stance that clearly amplified the power of his palms. On his hands, faint impressions of beastly claws became even more distinct.

Yang Xiao had hoped to win with cunning, but now it was clear such tactics would not suffice. Not only was his opponent formidable, but Kunshan’s speed also matched his own. To win by agility alone was unrealistic, and a single misstep might backfire disastrously. Thus, Yang Xiao resolved to unleash all his techniques—victory in this contest was, after all, his determined goal.

Channeling the mark of thunder and lightning, the energy around Yang Xiao’s fists grew ever more intense. Thunder rolled, turning the very air about them into a sea of lightning.

Two more deafening explosions rang out, accompanied by flying stones and sparks as Yang Xiao’s fists collided directly with Kunshan’s palms. The force of their confrontation shook the arena, the ground trembling and nearly fracturing beneath their feet. Such a spectacle was rare—none of the other duels on the stage could compare. Many spectators turned their gaze toward Yang Xiao and Kunshan.

For such powerful clashes, both contestants needed extraordinary physical strength; otherwise, they could not possibly withstand the blows. Both Yang Xiao and Kunshan were indeed exceptionally resilient. Even if struck directly, they could rely on their bodies to endure. Yang Xiao, for his part, possessed the Ninefold Golden Body, granting him formidable defense and making it easy to withstand attacks. Kunshan’s physique was likewise beast-like in its toughness, evidently the result of some kind of body-tempering art, likely modeled after a wild beast’s movements. Its power was equally impressive.

Yet by comparison, Yang Xiao’s Ninefold Golden Body far outmatched Kunshan’s technique. Kunshan was clearly forcing himself to endure, needing to channel vast amounts of spiritual energy throughout his body to maintain his resilience. Each attack and defense exacted a heavy toll.

Yang Xiao’s Ninefold Golden Body, on the other hand, required little spiritual energy to sustain. It circulated freely, enveloping him in protection. In such a contest, this gave Yang Xiao a considerable advantage.

Yang Xiao understood this well: though Kunshan appeared tough, he could not last long. If they continued to clash head-on, Kunshan’s defeat was inevitable.

Kunshan, too, was inwardly alarmed. He realized he had met a true adversary. In the past, his offensive and defensive methods had always proven invincible—he could easily defeat any opponent, even those with slightly higher cultivation. But now, against Yang Xiao, that confidence vanished. If he relied solely on these techniques, victory was out of reach; indeed, he was more likely to taste defeat.

As he grappled with Yang Xiao, Kunshan pondered his next move. Yang Xiao, by contrast, remained calm and unhurried. He was in no rush to finish the fight; he could afford to bide his time, waiting until the other battles concluded before revealing his trump card for a decisive win.

Unable to wait any longer, Kunshan struck his storage pouch and drew forth a bone trident. Spiritual energy surged along its length—it was clearly a spirit weapon, seemingly crafted from the bones of some spirit beast. Though its refinement was simple, the trident was nonetheless extraordinary.

With this, Kunshan became the first contestant in the arena to wield a spirit weapon, naturally drawing the attention of many. After all, there was no rule against using such weapons in this competition, and spirit weapons were often considered an integral part of a cultivator’s strength.