Chapter 33: Egg Against Stone

When Li Luo said those words, everyone knew he wasn't conceding—he had chosen to clash head-on with Song Song Yunfeng.

But in everyone's eyes, this collision was nothing more than an egg hitting a rock, with not the slightest advantage.

"Luo-ge."

Over at the Second Academy, quite a few students wore worried expressions. Zhao Kuo even punched his fist uneasily and cursed, "That bastard Song Song Yunfeng is really too shameless!"

The others nodded in deep agreement—this Song Song Yunfeng, to force Li Luo into not conceding, had truly stopped at nothing, utterly shameless.

In the crowd, Yu Lang—who, in the spirit of staying fully committed to the act, was lying on a stretcher, his whole body wrapped tightly in bandages—was also watching. He muttered, "What is this Li Luo up to? Isn't this just going up to get beaten?"

Not far away, Lv Qing'er watched the changes on the field, her willow brows tightly furrowed. She had expected Song Song Yunfeng might try to provoke Li Luo, but she hadn't imagined he'd have the nerve to attack Li Luo's parents, who were both at the Marquis Realm. And clearly, Li Luo had deep feelings for his parents, so he could ignore others' mockery of himself, but he could not tolerate the slightest slander of his parents from Song Song Yunfeng.

Although Song Song Yunfeng had absolutely no right to slander two Marquis-level powerhouses, Li Luo, faced with this situation, had no intention of holding back.

Lv Qing'er's gaze shifted, lingering on Li Luo, because she vaguely sensed—was Li Luo's move really forced on him by Song Song Yunfeng?

On the stage, Song Song Yunfeng stared at Li Luo with icy eyes. That earlier jab of "a Song family dog cub" had indeed made him slightly angry.

But he didn't fire back with words, because there was no point. When the fight began shortly, he would step on Li Luo's face against the stage with his foot—that would be the most powerful retort of all.

The observer on the stage, after confirming neither side would concede, solemnly announced the start of the match.

Boom!

The instant his voice fell, crimson phase power slowly rose within Song Song Yunfeng's body, and as it drifted, faint carvings seemed to flicker in and out of view.

That was Song Song Yunfeng's Seven-Grade Crimson Eagle phase—its phase power was scorching and violent.

Song Song Yunfeng held nothing back, fully unleashing his Eight-Seal phase power. A wave of pressure radiated outward from him, weighing on the hearts of all present.

On the other side, Li Luo likewise circulated all of his phase power, and blue water-phase force spread across his entire body like ripples.

But judging by the intensity of their phase power alone, the naked eye could already see the gap between him and Song Song Yunfeng.

So this made people all the more puzzled—with a gap like that, how was this fight even supposed to be fought?

Under those many gazes, Li Luo set his stance with both palms, and the blue phase power on his body's surface rippled faintly. Anyone could tell he was activating the high-grade phase art "Nine-Layer Green Wave."

But although "Nine-Layer Green Wave" grew steadily more powerful the longer it was drawn out, under Song Song Yunfeng's absolute suppression, it likely wouldn't do much.

"Heh."

Sure enough, when Song Song Yunfeng saw this, he gave a cold snort. The next instant, crimson phase power surged across his body, and his figure shot out explosively.

A streak of crimson light swept across the stage, moving as fast as a cannonball, trailing scorching wind. A leg-shadow like a fiery hammer descended straight toward Li Luo in a vicious slash.

Song Song Yunfeng had no intention of playing around—coming in with full force from the start, clearly intending to crush Li Luo with overwhelming momentum.

Facing Song Song Yunfeng's ferocious assault, Li Luo swung both palms, and water-phase force formed a faint water-curtain as a defense.

Hiss!

Yet these defenses, under Song Song Yunfeng's crimson phase power, were as fragile as thin paper. A single contact was enough to shatter them completely, and along with them, the "Nine-Layer Green Wave"—before it could even begin to build—was utterly destroyed by Song Song Yunfeng's absolute, brutal force.

A low sound rang out across the stage, waves of air rolling outward. Li Luo's figure, at the moment of contact, was sent flying backward over a dozen meters, barely stopping at the edge of the battle stage, almost eliminated.

Wails!

Waves of exclamations rose all around. In this first contact, the gap in strength between the two was laid bare—Song Song Yunfeng had suppressed Li Luo in every aspect. And although Li Luo was skilled in many phase arts, against this kind of brute-force-overcoming-all, it didn't seem to do much good.

Lv Qing'er's pretty face grew solemn—even she didn't know how to turn this around.

"Go Song-ge, knock him down!" In one direction, Bei Kun, Ti Ti Faqing, and others close to Song Song Yunfeng stood together. Bei Kun was shouting excitedly.

Ti Ti Faqing didn't speak, but shook her head lightly—the gap was too great; this couldn't be fought.

On the stage, Li Luo's fist was flushed crimson. Cool blue phase power surged in, and immediately smoke rose from his fist. Feeling the burning sting transmitted through it, he understood just how strong Song Song Yunfeng was.

"This intensity…" His eyes flickered slightly.

Whoosh!

And just then, another scorching gust of breaking wind swept in from ahead. Song Song Yunfeng clearly had no intention of giving Li Luo a single breath, his attacks fiercer and more vicious—like a vicious eagle striking.

Li Luo looked up, watching the crimson light rapidly expanding in his pupils. He was now at the edge of the battle stage—one slip and he was out.

Yet his face showed no panic. Instead, he took a deep breath, then water-phase force surged, his hand-seals shifted, and a phase art was unleashed.

A faint blue water-curtain formed before him, vaguely resembling a thin mirror.

The moment this water-curtain appeared, the crowd immediately recognized it: "High-grade phase art, Water Mirror Art?"

Lv Qing'er's eyes flickered. Water Mirror Art was a defensive phase art among water-phase arts, but its defense wasn't particularly outstanding. Its special trait was that it could reflect some of the incoming force, then use that to offset the rest.

But relying on a single Water Mirror Art, there was no way to neutralize an attack as fierce and vicious as Song Song Yunfeng's.

Amid the crowd's exclamations, Song Song Yunfeng had already pounced to Li Luo's front. He stared at that thin water-curtain, a cold smirk flashing through his eyes. Although Li Luo was skilled in many phase arts, if he thought a single Water Mirror Art could stop him, he was being far too naive.

The thought flashed through his mind, and Song Song Yunfeng added another fraction of force. His fist-shadow whistled out, like a crimson eagle shrieking.

However, just as it was about to strike that thin water-curtain, Song Song Yunfeng seemed to faintly see, within the mirror-like water-curtain, a blurry crimson light refracting into view. It seemed to be a human figure, also throwing a punch, which finally slammed into the inner and outer sides of the water-curtain at the same time as his own fist.

Boom!

At that moment, a low muffled sound rang out.

Phase power clashed, kicking up dust that scattered in all directions.

Li Luo's body jolted, and he retreated two more steps, half a foot hanging off the edge of the battle stage—but no one paid attention to that, because everyone stared in shock as Song Song Yunfeng's figure, as if struck by a mysterious, tremendous force, was sent flying backward in a somewhat disheveled manner for dozens of steps before he staggered to a stop.

When he raised his head, his face was full of shock.

He… had actually been pushed back?!

Why was the force reflected back by Li Luo's Water Mirror Art so strong?

The force that had rebounded earlier had nearly reached seventy percent of what Song Song Yunfeng had thrown out!

This simply wasn't something an ordinary Water Mirror Art could achieve!

Wails.

As endless waves of exclamations and shocked voices rose all around, Song Song Yunfeng's expression flickered between dark and uncertain, his gaze fixed viciously on Li Luo.

There's something fishy about that damn Water Mirror Art of Li Luo's!

(End of this chapter)