The two locked eyes, each gaze filled with open challenge.
Neither of them was willing to back down.
Both possessed immense pride, and neither was the type to make concessions.
On one side, Jian Long harbored a deep hatred toward Gu Masters, believing he had grown strong enough… to never bow to them again.
As for Li Fei Le, he had something even more important—his reputation.
As the leader of the workers, how could he ignore the insult of a mere youth who had dared to challenge him in front of everyone?
And so, the two stood in tense silence, watching each other, waiting for who would make the first move.
Then suddenly—
The ground beneath Jian Long exploded as dark red tree trunks burst forth, attempting to surround him from all sides.
But at that very moment, his legs transformed into those of a white rabbit, and he leaped away with astonishing agility, evading the attack.
At the same time—
He released a small yet extremely fast lightning sphere toward Li Fei Le.
The latter reacted instantly.
Blood-colored wooden trunks surged from the ground before him, forming a dense defensive barrier.
But—
The lightning sphere pierced through the red steel-like wood with shocking ease, tearing through the defense as if it were fragile.
At the last possible moment, Li Fei Le managed to dodge, narrowly avoiding being hit.
A drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead.
"He actually… pierced through red steel wood so easily?!"
Li Fei Le quickly shifted his gaze back to Jian Long.
At that moment, Jian Long had already launched a metal spear, then used Lightning Moon Gu to control it, turning it into a floating platform beneath his feet—lifting himself into the air and distancing himself from any attacks coming from underground.
Then, without pause—
He fired another metal spear toward Li Fei Le.
The latter deflected it with ease, sending it crashing to the ground…
But in the very next moment, it rose again.
It began spinning at a terrifying speed, like a deadly saw, before flying back toward Jian Long, responding to his precise control.
Li Fei Le's eyes narrowed as he watched.
"This is just a metal spear produced by a Rank 1 Metal Spear Gu… and to control it like this, he's using Lightning Moon Gu…"
His thoughts paused for a brief moment before sharpening.
"To be able to do this… at such an age… what kind of talent does he possess?"
A strange mix of admiration and unease rose within him.
The opponent before him was no ordinary person.
He was… dangerous.
And in that instant, Li Fei Le realized one thing:
He had to end this fight quickly…
before things spiraled out of his control.
Then Li Fei Le unleashed a volley of wooden arrows toward Jian Long.
But the latter evaded them with great skill, leaping lightly between the floating metal spears, moving from one to another as if stepping across invisible platforms.
In response—
Jian Long launched a barrage of metal spears that attacked Li Fei Le from all directions.
Yet the latter did not retreat.
Thick red tree trunks burst from the ground, wrapping around him and forming a solid wooden dome that shielded him from all attacks—even the lightning spheres that Jian Long occasionally fired could not penetrate it.
As the battle continued…
The number of metal spears orbiting Jian Long in the air steadily increased, surpassing a hundred, forming a deadly rotating ring around him.
As for Li Fei Le—
He had shifted into absolute defense, trapped within his dome, suppressed under the relentless and ever-growing assault.
With each passing second, Jian Long's momentum only grew stronger.
From a distance, members of the caravan watched the scene unfold, the battle drawing widespread attention.
"This Jian Long… he's actually capable of overpowering even Li Fei Le, who's at peak Rank two!!"
one of the onlookers shouted in shock.
But another immediately rebuked him harshly, clearly one of Li Fei Le's supporters:
"You fool! If you think Jian Long has surpassed him, then you're blind!"
He continued with disdain:
"Can't you see? He's conserving his primeval essence, waiting for Jian Long to exhaust his own… then he'll launch a counterattack!"
After a brief pause, he added mockingly:
"As for this Jian Long… he's nothing but an idiot, wasting his primeval essence at such a rate without a care!"
An old man stepped forward among the crowd, his voice carrying a hint of contemplation:
"But… this killer move that the boy is using… I've never heard that the Bai clan possesses something like this."
Another man responded with disdain:
"A killer move? It's full of flaws. First, its consumption of primeval essence is terrifying. Second, its complexity makes it extremely difficult to learn and control."
The old man slowly nodded, as if weighing the words:
"True… but it seems to be a newly created move. Which means it still requires refinement and improvement."
Before the discussion could continue—
A voice rang out from the crowd, cutting everyone off:
"Look! It seems the battle is about to reach its climax!"
Immediately, all eyes turned back toward the battlefield.
There—
Jian Long stood in the air, surrounded by a massive ring of hundreds of metal spears.
They spun at a terrifying speed, to the point that the air itself seemed to burn from the friction, giving the ring a glowing red hue—like a blazing halo.
Amid this violent rotation, sparks of lightning crackled and scattered in every direction, dancing between the spears like luminous serpents—
signaling that the next strike… would be decisive.
Inside the wooden dome, sweat streamed down Li Fei Le's forehead without stopping.
He wasn't sure whether he could withstand such an attack… but at the same time, he had no other choice.
He had to trust in the Red Steel Wood Gu—the pride of the Li clan.
If he could endure—
even for just a few seconds—
then Jian Long's assault would falter, creating a crucial opening.
And in that instant… he would unleash a full-force counterattack, a single strike to decide everything.
Outside—
The ring of metal spears began to contract, drawing closer to the wooden dome, preparing to collide with it.
As for Jian Long—
he was laughing madly, intoxicated by the surge of power coursing through him.
A power he had never felt before.
A power that made him feel… as if he controlled the entire battlefield.
All around, fear spread among the onlookers.
Some quickly retreated, searching for a safe place to hide.
Others activated defensive Gu, bracing themselves for what was to come.
Everyone understood—
that the next moment… would decide everything.