Seeing that Yun Ming had accepted the challenge from Yang Yi, Yang Hong knew this battle was unavoidable, so he stepped forward to preside over it.
"Since that is the case, let us have a match!"
"This battle is a test of Spear Art; you are not to use your Martial Soul or soul skills."
"Remember, stop at the point of contact!"
When he said "stop at the point of contact," Yang Hong turned his back to Yang Yi and gave Yun Ming a meaningful look. Yun Ming understood and nodded slightly.
Seeing that Yun Ming had grasped his meaning, Yang Hong felt a little more at ease.
The crowd then stepped back, leaving the center of the Martial Arts Arena to Yun Ming and Yang Yi. The two stood facing each other, holding practice spears.
Yang Yi looked at Yun Ming, who was half a head shorter than him, with a complex expression. It was true that he was arrogant, but that did not mean he was a person who relied on his talent to look down on his peers. On the contrary, he cared quite a bit about his clan members. If it weren't for the fact that Yun Ming had shocked him to the point where his worldview was crumbling, he wouldn't have tried to embarrass him the moment he arrived today.
Yang Yi spoke excitedly.
"Yun Ming, I hope you will give this match your all today and let me see just how high your level of Spear Art truly is. Otherwise, I will never acknowledge you!"
Looking at Yang Yi, whose eyes were burning with the fires of battle and whose expression was serious, Yun Ming only gave a calm response.
"Fine!"
Seeing Yun Ming's nonchalant reply, Yang Yi said no more. He spun his spear in a flourish and thrust it directly at Yun Ming's head.
Yang Yi's Thrusting Spear Technique was straight, steady, and swift, like a spirit snake darting out from its coil.
Yang Hong's eyes brightened slightly. Although this spear technique was still a bit immature, one could see that Yang Yi's basic skills were exceptional; he had already grasped the essence of the move, living up to his reputation as a genius. However, when Yang Hong saw Yun Ming's counterattack, he was stunned.
Seeing the fierce spear strike coming straight for his center, Yun Ming's expression did not change. He simply stared at the position of Yang Yi's spear, timed it perfectly, and thrust his own spear toward Yang Yi.
Then, everyone saw Yun Ming's spear move like a dragon emerging from the water. It was a move that started later but arrived first, striking directly at the tip of Yang Yi's spear. Yang Yi immediately felt his spear go out of control; its trajectory was deflected, he couldn't exert any force, and he couldn't complete the thrust!
Inside the Clan School, the other onlookers led by Yang Lin only felt that Yun Ming's strike was incredibly cool—a perfect clash of equals, using the exact same move to break Yang Yi's thrust. But in the eyes of a spear expert like Yang Hong, this strike was masterful. The timing, the angle, and the force were precise to the smallest detail. It was perfection!
Yun Ming had seen through the flaw in Yang Yi's attack!
Yun Ming had not only seen through the trajectory of Yang Yi's strike and the minor issues in his force application, but he had also calculated the exact speed, force, and angle he needed for his own thrust. This allowed him to reach maximum power at the exact moment the two spear tips collided, while Yang Yi's spear was stuck in a rigid state due to his own technical errors. That was how Yun Ming managed to strike later yet arrive first, breaking the move and nearly knocking the spear from Yang Yi's hands.
However, Yang Hong quickly realized something: was this how Yun Ming intended to "stop at the point of contact" as he had promised?
Because Yang Yi didn't acknowledge his level, he was just going to meet force with force and turn this into a teaching session?!
Yang Hong suddenly felt a bit worried about Yang Yi's mental state after this match.
Yun Ming did not take advantage of Yang Yi's instability to attack. Instead, he rested his spear on the ground and slowly began to point out Yang Yi's problems.
"Your stance for the Thrusting Spear Technique is okay, but it's a bit rigid and awkward. Don't blindly copy the stances of the elders in the clan. Our body types are very different; copying their posture exactly isn't suitable for you. You need to adapt it into a stance that your own body is comfortable with."
Hearing Yun Ming's instructional tone, Yang Yi snapped out of the shock of having his thrust broken by the same move. Hearing the guidance, his face flushed with heat and anger, and he let out a roar, lunging at Yun Ming once more.
"Again!!!"
This time, Yang Yi used the Chopping Spear Technique, spinning and turning to deliver a massive overhead chop. The posture clearly carried a heavy load of personal emotion. His spear moved like a dragon, the tip arcing through the air with such force that it seemed he intended to cleave Yun Ming in two.
"Whoosh~"
The whistling air was proof of the astonishing power behind that strike.
Yun Ming, seeing Yang Yi's irrational way of attacking, was not angry. He shifted his feet by half a step. Yang Yi, caught in mid-air, had no time to change his move. The spear continued its downward arc, passing just three centimeters from the tip of Yun Ming's nose.
Before Yang Yi's spear could even touch the ground, Yun Ming turned and delivered his own spinning overhead chop. The arc and force were not as large as Yang Yi's, but it was faster. The moment Yang Yi's spear hit the ground, Yun Ming's spear struck the shoulder of the still-recovering Yang Yi. This single blow sent Yang Yi sprawling.
"Bang~"
"Smack~"
The first sound was Yang Yi hitting the ground, and the second was the sound of Yun Ming's strike.
Yun Ming retracted his spear and stood still, continuing his lecture.
"Attacks require timing. Using the wrong move at the wrong time leads to the result you just saw."
"Also, letting anger control your body during a fight is a very dangerous thing."
Lying on the ground, Yang Yi saw that he had been defeated so easily once again. This time, he completely lost control. He scrambled up and attacked Yun Ming like a madman.
Collapse, Point, Pierce, Chop, Circle, Lift, Deflect, Stab, Whip, Strike, Entangle, Circle, Block, Grab—Yang Yi began using basic spear techniques in a relentless assault. Seeing this, Yun Ming used the same moves, breaking Yang Yi's techniques one by one while providing commentary as they fought.
"Watch your footwork. For a spear user, footwork is essential."
"The power of your waist, legs, arms, and wrists must merge into one with the spear, and the force must penetrate through the tip."
"..."
Seeing Yun Ming truly breaking down Yang Yi's techniques one by one and explaining them, Yang Hong's expression grew solemn, for Yang Yi was becoming more and more dejected with every exchange. From his initial fiery rage to his current state of despondency, his strikes had slowed by half a beat. It was clear that his spirit was being crushed.
Finally, in a daze, Yang Yi thrust his spear out. The strike was so crooked that Yun Ming didn't even bother to block it; he simply spun his spear, used a backhanded Lift Technique to strike the head of Yang Yi's spear, and sent it flying.
Seeing his spear knocked from his hands, the last glimmer of light in Yang Yi's eyes vanished completely. A bitter smile appeared on his face, and a hint of self-mockery flashed in his eyes as he spoke in a hoarse voice.
"You won, I..."
"I am far inferior to you!"
As those final words left his lips, Yang Yi seemed to have all the strength drained from his body. After speaking, he lowered his head, turned, and walked unsteadily out of the Clan School. The surrounding students didn't know whether they should step forward to stop the devastated Yang Yi.
Before he had taken two steps, Yang Yi heard Yun Ming's voice from behind, shifting from its calm tone to something colder.
"If you're going to admit defeat so easily, then you're nothing more than this!"
Hearing Yun Ming's 'taunt', Yang Yi instinctively wanted to retort, but the thought of being beaten into a state of having no power to fight back by the very person saying these words caused the sliver of pride that had been stirred up to dissipate completely; he lowered his head in silence and continued walking outward. Seeing this, Yun Ming continued to twist the knife.
"You're not even as good as Yang Lin."
ps: Starting tomorrow, the main plot will begin.
Seeking monthly tickets, seeking recommendations.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader