Chapter 17: The Top Prize of the Martial Tournament

Feng Zi and Lu Hanwen, these two, one wielding a fist and the other a blade, refused to yield even an inch, their fighting styles growing increasingly frantic.

The watching Martial Artists had originally come with the intention of learning, hoping to observe the techniques used by the two, but the more they watched, the more terrified they became—

"Lunatics... both of these men are lunatics! How can there be such a death-defying way of fighting?"

"Is this even necessary? It's just a Martial Tournament, why risk your life for it?"

"I thought Feng Zi's fighting style was already crazy enough, but I never imagined Young Master Lu would be just as reckless as him!"

The head constable maintaining order at the scene was also shocked, subconsciously looking toward the seated County Magistrate, using his eyes to ask if he should intervene by force.

Seeing the County Magistrate merely shake his head, the constable had no choice but to return his gaze to the arena.

But seeing the two fighting more and more aggressively, the constable also subconsciously placed his hand on the saber at his waist:

If the two lost control of their strength, he would immediately rush into the arena and interrupt the match.

When the late-arriving Feng Fu and Feng Mu reached the scene, the match had already reached its climax, and Feng Zi and Lu Hanwen were already covered in wounds.

As parents, who would be willing to see their own child beaten until covered in wounds?

But the two elders also understood that this was the path Feng Zi had chosen himself—though their hearts were full of worry, they could only wait nervously for the result on the field.

As for the two on the field, they could no longer spare a thought for anything else:

Their moves became increasingly ruthless, and both men poured all their focus into the deduction of their techniques, seeing only their opponent before them!

At this stage, with their strength matched and their attainments in the Martial Dao neck and neck, the only thing that could tip the scales was the sheer spirit in their hearts.

Finally, after hundreds of exchanges between fist and blade, a flaw appeared in Lu Hanwen's technique:

The blade that should have slashed at Feng Zi's chest swung into empty air!

How could Feng Zi let such a golden opportunity slip? He seized the momentum to lunge forward one step and smashed a fist toward the other's face!

The power of this punch was so violent that even the constable could not hold back, subconsciously wanting to enter the field to stop the match.

But Feng Zi ultimately had a sense of measure; when his fist reached Lu Hanwen's face, he withdrew all his force:

This was, after all, only a Martial Tournament, and since the outcome was decided, he would naturally pull back.

Looking at the fist inches away, Lu Hanwen, who was already somewhat dazed, froze for a moment, then dropped the broken blade in his hand and laughed loudly:

"I was a move behind; I concede."

Once these words were spoken, everyone present felt a sense of relief and subconsciously let out a breath:

This was a hearty and unrestrained fight, but also a terrifying one; many Martial Artists even felt the immersive pressure of it!

The constable presiding over the Martial Tournament reacted quickly and immediately announced in a loud voice: "The champion of this year's Martial Tournament has been decided—Feng Zi!"

Hearing the constable's loud announcement, the Martial Artists present erupted, shouting in unison:

"Champion! Champion! Champion! Champion!"

It was no wonder these Martial Artists were so excited—Wutai County was, after all, a small border county, and the highest-level Martial Artist locally was a Martial Master.

In previous years' tournaments, it was rare to see even one Martial Master contestant, yet this year, three appeared at once!

For these Martial Artists, being able to witness a Martial Master in action was a great stroke of fortune, let alone seeing two Martial Masters fighting with all their might:

If these Martial Artists could grasp the Martial Dao will of a Martial Master, or even a glimpse of their understanding of techniques, their own paths in the Martial Dao would become much broader.

Hearing this shout, the battered Feng Zi could not help but curl the corners of his mouth:

Finally... he had truly reached this step and captured the top prize of the Martial Tournament in one fell swoop!

Raising his head, he saw the equally battered Lu Hanwen, who was also smiling; it was a joy and emotion from the bottom of his heart.

The crowd's voices were loud, but to Feng Zi, the other's voice was so clear: "Brother Feng Zi, our duel was truly satisfying!"

At this very moment, the other was no longer the Young Master Lu in Feng Zi's memory, that "smart person" who hid eight hundred schemes in a single sentence—

He saw only a Martial Artist, a Martial Artist as pure as himself.

Here, there were no schemes, only the purest contest between Martial Artists, the most simple victory and defeat:

There was no loser; the winner won heartily, and the loser was convinced of his defeat!

It was precisely at this moment that Feng Zi saw it clearly—Lu Hanwen's essence was the same as his, both were the purest of Martial Artists.

Many thoughts crossed Feng Zi's mind.

Finally, he extended his right fist toward Lu Hanwen and laughed heartily: "Brother Hanwen, let us fight again next time."

Only then did Feng Zi make a decision in his heart, considering Lu Hanwen a friend worth deep acquaintance.

Lu Hanwen was clearly caught off guard by his sudden show of goodwill.

But immediately, the other also extended his right fist and bumped it against Feng Zi's: "Just one match is not enough to be satisfied!"

Having said that, Feng Zi turned and leaped off the arena—he had long since sensed his parents' presence and naturally wanted to reassure them.

Behind him, Li Shou had already stepped onto the arena once more:

The champion had been decided, but the runners-up and third-place spots had yet to be determined!

And every time Feng Zi took a step forward, the surrounding Martial Artists would subconsciously retreat to the sides, their eyes full of awe for him.

Looking at the blood-covered Feng Zi, the two elders' hearts were full of heartache and reluctance.

Looking at Feng Zi, who was already taller than him, Feng Mu's hands trembled as she stroked his scarred arms:

"Zi'er, how did you get so badly hurt..."

In the end, the two elders were truly happy from the bottom of their hearts that Feng Zi had won.

But the two elders did not care so much about whether he won; they only cared about his injuries.

Listening to his mother's clumsy concern, Feng Zi smiled and wiped the blood from his arm, comforting her: "Mother, look, these are just minor injuries, there is no serious harm anymore."

Feng Zi was not lying; the Qi and Blood Power of a Martial Master was extremely formidable, giving him a very strong ability to heal himself:

At this moment, the small wounds on his body had already scabbed over, and even the deep, bone-reaching saber wound on his left arm was healing at an extremely fast speed—

If one observed closely, one could even see the granulation tissue constantly growing within it!

Seeing with their own eyes that their son's injuries had mostly healed and his body was moving as usual, the two elders finally set their hearts at ease.

Seeing his parents were at ease, Feng Zi then said, "Father, Mother, I still have some matters to attend to, so I won't be going home for lunch today; you two should head back first."

Upon hearing this, the two elders understood that Feng Zi had his own plans, so they simply gave him a few words of caution before leaving together.

Just as Feng Zi was speaking with his parents, the duel between Lu Hanwen and Li Shou finally reached its conclusion—

With a difference of a single move, Lu Hanwen held his blade tip against Li Shou's throat!