Chapter Twenty-One: The Underrated Shen Yuan
It turned out that the students of Crystal Sky Academy were exceedingly wealthy. There were three Soul General cards, all of them silver: second-tier light movement skill "Empty Wooden Post," third-tier light movement skill "Eight Steps Pursuing Cicadas," and third-tier finger technique "Iron Mud Finger."
The two light movement cards were just what Tang Tian desperately needed. He had been lacking such cards, and now, unexpectedly, someone had delivered them right to his doorstep. Tang Tian suddenly found Yang Yong, unconscious on the ground, much more pleasing to the eye.
"Iron Mud Finger" was a metal-element finger technique, which Tang Tian could not cultivate, but metal techniques were quite popular. He could easily trade it for a Soul General card he could use.
What good fortune!
Tang Tian’s heart brimmed with gratitude. His gaze toward Shen Yuan grew fervent, but he soon calmed down. Shen Yuan’s showcased strength was truly astonishing.
It was the first time Tang Tian had seen Amory so suppressed.
Shen Yuan, known as Iron Palm, wielded palm techniques that appeared ordinary yet each strike was vigorous and robust. Amory, blessed with innate strength, wielded a massive wooden blade with remarkable heft. When channeling true power, his force and momentum surpassed Tang Tian’s own. Yet, the crushing force of Amory’s blade was always firmly blocked by those dark iron palms.
Shen Yuan’s entire body surged with true power. His steps seemed slow but were as heavy as ten thousand pounds, leaving clear footprints with each stride. Step by step, he closed in on Amory, his palms glowing with a deep black radiance, the wind from his hands low and mournful.
Astounding!
Tang Tian watched, stunned. Shen Yuan gave him an impression of being utterly unstoppable. Amory's blade technique began to falter; Shen Yuan's iron palms were plain yet incredibly powerful, often covering yards with a single strike.
Shen Yuan seemed to pay no mind to the changes in Amory’s blade technique, pressing with palm after palm, never allowing Amory’s blade to break through his defense.
Such magnificent true power!
Tang Tian saw the crux of the matter. Shen Yuan’s mastery of Iron Palm was remarkable, but what truly forced Amory into such a predicament was the extraordinary vigor of Shen Yuan’s true power.
Tang Tian, having just mastered the Crane Body, felt his pride sharply wounded. Either Shen Yuan cultivated a unique mental technique, or he possessed fourth-tier true power!
Amory’s true power was also formidable—third-tier, high level—which was impressive for his age. Tang Tian’s own power was weaker; he had just stepped into the third tier. Though he had mastered Crane Body, giving him mid-tier third-tier strength in explosive bursts, in other aspects he was still inferior to a true mid-tier.
Amory, with high-level third-tier true power, was utterly suppressed by Shen Yuan. Tang Tian’s meager power would probably be swept aside by a gust of palm wind.
Crystal Sky Academy truly hid dragons among its students.
Shen Yuan appeared younger than Tang Tian, yet his true power had reached such terrifying heights.
Seeing Amory’s blade technique begin to unravel, Tang Tian grew anxious. If Amory were defeated, his newly acquired spoils would vanish, and Shen Yuan would surely not spare them.
Gritting his teeth, Tang Tian gathered his strength and burst forward like a leopard.
Flash Fist!
Shen Yuan caught Tang Tian’s charge from the corner of his eye, his heart tightening, but when Tang Tian unleashed Flash Fist, Shen Yuan’s lips curled into a disdainful smile.
A second-tier martial skill, to him, was utterly useless.
With this much skill, you dare challenge Crystal Sky?
Today, you’ll learn just how laughable your ambitions are!
Shen Yuan’s eyes flashed cold, true power surging to its peak, his hair standing on end. His palm technique grew slower and heavier, as if the air had turned viscous.
Tang Tian was like a tiny fly trapped in a swamp, unable to move his wings. Before his Flash Fist could even reach Shen Yuan, his form was thrown off by the fierce wind stirred by those unremarkable iron palms.
Flash Fist shattered without even striking.
In an instant, both Tang Tian and Amory were in dire peril.
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Amory struggled desperately. Shen Yuan’s iron palms seemed omnipresent; no matter how Amory changed his blade technique, it was futile. His usually formidable Earth Split Slash was powerless today.
Among the elite at Crystal Sky, Shen Yuan was unassuming and kept a low profile. Amory never imagined Shen Yuan’s strength would be so overwhelming!
When he saw Basic Tang leap into the fray, Amory bit his lip hard.
With Tang Tian’s level, entering the fight was as good as courting death.
Damn it!
For reasons unknown, Amory felt a surge of rage—yes, fury! Furious at his own weakness, at the inadequacy of his power, at the fear he now felt!
Anger flowed like lava, making his whole body tremble.
A voice echoed in his heart.
Such shame!
Amory!
You are a man determined to forge your own path in martial arts!
How can you be so powerless? How can you be so timid?
How can you!
What about your dreams? What about the vows you made?
Without even the courage to struggle and fight, Amory, you coward!
You are nothing but a coward...
“…You lack Tang Tian’s ferocity…”
Old Wei’s words suddenly surfaced in Amory’s mind, and he froze.
Instinctively, his gaze shifted toward Tang Tian.
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While watching from the sidelines, Tang Tian had been deeply impacted. But once he entered the battle, all distractions vanished. He widened his eyes, glaring fiercely, fists swinging relentlessly.
Flash Fist!
His fists vanished from sight at astonishing speed, reappearing just as swiftly.
Inside the fight, Shen Yuan’s iron palms felt entirely different. A seemingly casual horizontal palm from Shen Yuan produced a roaring wall of wind, solid as a barrier, crushing forward!
There was no way to dodge.
Bang, bang, bang!
Tang Tian’s Flash Fist rained down on the wind wall, producing a dense barrage of explosive sounds. Transparent ripples shimmered in the air before him.
Boom!
The wind wall shattered. Sharp currents, like shards of glass, flew everywhere. Tang Tian’s clothes were sliced open in several places, and blood silently welled from the fine wounds.
Tang Tian seemed oblivious, for Shen Yuan struck again.
Flash Fist!
A flicker of surprise crossed Shen Yuan’s eyes. Tang Tian’s mastery of Flash Fist was unexpected. So far, not a single punch had failed; Tang Tian’s Flash Fist had a one hundred percent success rate.
This was the theoretical maximum, but nobody had ever achieved it. Starwind City’s record was held by Wang Zhen at eighty-three percent.
Tang Tian before him had reached one hundred percent.
He had underestimated him.
But the surprise soon faded from Shen Yuan’s heart. Crystal Sky Academy never lacked geniuses; he had seen all sorts. Flash Fist was merely a second-tier skill. For lower-year students, it might be interesting, but for advanced students, third-tier skills mattered, and fourth-tier skills were true prestige.
A perfect Flash Fist was but paper before Iron Palm. Shen Yuan, usually modest in the genius-filled Crystal Sky, kept a low profile. His strength was always underestimated, though he did not care. If not for someone coming to him for help, he would not have stepped forward.
If he wasn’t trying to deal with Amory as well, Tang Tian wouldn’t even have room to struggle. Even so, Shen Yuan didn’t believe Tang Tian could pose any threat. Consecutive Flash Fists consumed much stamina.
Let’s see how long you can last!
Shen Yuan’s gaze grew cold, and he struck again.
Tang Tian advanced rather than retreating, ignoring his stamina, unleashing Flash Fist in a torrential barrage. Yet every step cost him dearly. Each time the wind wall shattered, new wounds appeared on his body.
Except for his back, wounds covered him everywhere. Sweat and blood soaked his clothes.
Tang Tian seemed oblivious, his eyes locked onto Shen Yuan, straining forward inch by inch.
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“…You lack Tang Tian’s ferocity…”
Amory watched Tang Tian’s sweat-soaked back, his body bloodied, yet determinedly inching forward. Since Tang Tian had entered the battle, he had not retreated a single step. He struggled ahead, overtaking Amory himself.
Basic Tang…
The fire of anger in Amory’s chest inexplicably died down. In his mind, a vision appeared of a young man raising his arm, shouting.
“Wahoo, young man, charge, charge, charge!”
The youth’s shout echoed in his heart.
Basic Tang…
For reasons unknown, Amory’s gaze grew calm and resolute. His left hand reached for the hilt of the giant wooden blade gripped in his right.
He sank into a bow stance, gripping the blade with both hands, raising it high.
His beastlike body, reminiscent of an ancient gladiator, radiated a powerful beauty.
His expression solemn, eyes steady, a fierce aura spread from his body like wind.
Hmm?
Shen Yuan was the first to sense something amiss. The aura Amory now exuded carried a chilling intensity.
This is...
Tang Tian did not notice Amory’s change, but he immediately sensed Shen Yuan’s distraction. His Flash Fist quickened, the wind wall shattered again, and as blood sprayed, Tang Tian widened his eyes, creeping forward like a keen beast, silent and swift.
Amory’s true power surged, the ground beneath his feet seemed to channel endless strength through him.
At the peak of his aura, Amory’s deep shout echoed with terrifying force.
The giant wooden blade, held high by both hands, crashed down like a heavy axe.
A deep, unfathomable dark fissure snaked across the ground like a lightning-fast serpent, rushing toward Shen Yuan.
Barriers of air along its path were sliced like paper by a sharp knife.
Earth Split Slash’s killer move: "Fine Abyss Slash"!
Shen Yuan’s expression changed drastically. In desperation, he channeled his true power to the utmost, sinking into a horse stance, both palms pressed together, pushing forward slowly. He seemed to be moving an immense iron door, muscles bulging, his clothes nearly bursting.
A tangible wall of wind, like an iron gate, bore down with a thunderous roar.
Iron Palm’s killer move: "Iron Gate Crush"!
Killer move against killer move!
Tang Tian’s cheek had been cut at some point, a trickle of blood seeping down unnoticed. His eyes suddenly narrowed, a fleeting murderous intent flashed—
Opportunity!
Peerless Tang Sect