Fang Zheng and Mo Bei both stepped onto the arena.
"Fang Zheng, don't think that just because you have Rank Two cultivation, I will lose! Today, I am going to challenge someone above my level." Mo Bei ground his teeth, his expression solemn, silently cheering himself up in his heart. Facing Fang Zheng, who had Rank Two cultivation, he indeed felt a surge of pressure.
"Bring it on," Fang Zheng shouted in a low voice, abruptly charging forward.
Mo Bei's heart skipped a beat; this Fang Zheng was not playing by the rules. Usually, they would shoot at each other first before exchanging blows. This time, he actually charged over right from the start. Did he want to compete in fist and kick skills?
"Isn't he afraid of being injured by my moonblades during close combat?" Mo Bei was greatly puzzled.
Of course, he wasn't worried about Fang Zheng; rather, he knew that if he fought Fang Zheng at close quarters, at such a short distance, he fundamentally wouldn't have time to dodge if Fang Zheng fired a moonblade.
Mo Bei hastily retreated, attempting to widen the distance, while simultaneously flipping his wrist to launch a moonblade.
Fang Zheng did not panic in the face of danger. He dove to the ground and rolled, dodging the moonblade, and continued to rush forward. At the same time, a cluster of moonlight emerged in his hands.
Looking at the unreleased moonlight condensing in his palm, Mo Bei couldn't help but feel a wave of nervousness in his heart, retreating again and again.
Although he had trained hard in basic close combat and practiced with moonblades, he was ultimately slightly inferior to Fang Zheng, who had been continuously nurtured personally by the clan head.
Unable to adapt to this style of fighting, Mo Bei instantly fell into a disadvantage.
"Eh? That side is somewhat interesting." This battle on the arena attracted quite a few people.
"To actually get so close, this Fang Zheng has quite the guts." Yao Hong could now distinguish between Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng. Fang Yuan's expression was indifferent, emitting a mature and gloomy aura. On the other hand, Fang Zheng had a resolute face, revealing a sunny disposition.
"It should be the merit of the clan head's training. In standard student duels, the distance between both sides is usually ten meters. Beyond this distance, the moonblade will dissipate. If the distance is less than this, the students wouldn't have time to react when the moonblade is shot." Gu Yue Qing Shu's eyes flickered. "Fang Zheng's current combat distance has already been compressed to six meters. His dodging of the moonblades is also incredibly proficient. It seems that not only does the clan head value Fang Zheng, but Fang Zheng himself has also put in hard work and endured a lot of bitterness."
"Little brother!" Mo Yan watched Mo Bei being forced into a disadvantage by Fang Zheng on the stage. Her face was full of worry and anxiety; she truly wanted to go up and help beat Fang Zheng up.
Meanwhile, Chi Shan remained expressionless, just watching and not speaking.
After approaching Mo Bei and compressing the distance to six meters, Fang Zheng didn't get any closer. Instead, he used the Moonlight Gu, and the two traded shots.
Mo Bei fumbled to cope with the attacks, acting in a flurry. Several times, he was almost swept by the moonblades, surviving purely by a hair's breadth.
In contrast, Fang Zheng was confident.
Even if he couldn't dodge in time, he still had the Jade Skin Gu as his trump card. As long as he erected the emerald green jade light, he could defend against the moonblade.
Seeing Mo Bei being suppressed by himself like this, memories of the past involuntarily surfaced in Fang Zheng's mind.
Under the moonlit night, the clan head earnestly instructed him, teaching him dodging maneuvers hand in hand, and imparting experience without any reservations.
"Lord Clan Head, I will not let you down." Bright light flickered in Fang Zheng's eyes as he fought with increasing valor!
"Fang Zheng, you have both natural talent and the ability to endure hardship, studying diligently and training hard. To achieve such battle results is due to the accumulation of your drops of sweat. This is all the result of your own efforts. Exactly like this, Fang Zheng, keep this momentum, go, go display your brilliance!" Under the tent, the clan head's heart rippled slightly. On the surface, he sat there, quietly observing, a trace of a smile revealing itself at the corners of his mouth.
Although Mo Bei struggled with all his might and resisted tenaciously, after fifteen minutes, countless wounds had been added to his body. The gushing blood dyed his clothes red.
Seeing this situation, the Gu Master presiding over the match below the stage opened his mouth and announced, "In this match, Gu Yue Fang Zheng wins."
"I haven't lost yet!" Mo Bei shouted stubbornly. He was bathed in blood all over, swaying unsteadily. But after struggling a few times, he was still forcibly taken down for treatment by several Gu Masters who came onto the stage.
"A battle of this degree is already at the level of a year after graduation."
"An A grade genius is a genius after all."
"It's said he was personally taught by Lord Clan Head, how could he not be formidable?"
Seeing such a result, the Gu Masters below the arena let out waves of praise.
Panting, Gu Yue Fang Zheng walked off the arena. Three Gu Masters immediately surrounded him to treat his injuries, simultaneously providing free primeval stones for him to quickly recover his primeval essence.
After resting for a period of time, Fang Zheng recovered to perfect condition and stepped onto the arena once again.
In this match, he was to fight against Gu Yue Chi Cheng.
Looking at Fang Zheng, Chi Cheng gave a hollow laugh and said, "Very well! Fang Zheng, you defeated that brat Mo Bei. Now, if I defeat you, I'll be hitting two birds with one stone."
He seemed fully confident.
Fang Zheng pursed his lips, said nothing, and continued to charge forward.
"Dragon Pill Cricket Gu!" With a thought from Chi Cheng, a layer of orange-red faint light immediately appeared on his legs. He hopped lightly, instantly retreating ten meters away.
The distance Fang Zheng had just closed was instantly widened again.
"Hehehe." Chi Cheng laughed smugly. "Fang Zheng, you have no speed-increasing Gu worm. Relying just on your two legs, you won't be able to catch up to me. Although this arena is not large, it's enough for me to maneuver. Your tactics were useful against Mo Bei, but against me, they're completely ineffective."
"Is that so?" Fang Zheng simply stopped his footsteps, standing in place, staring fixedly at Chi Cheng with burning eyes.
A smile appeared on his face, and his eyes revealed a look of determination as he said loudly, "You go ahead and keep dodging like this. Every time you use the Dragon Pill Cricket Gu, you have to consume a certain amount of primeval essence. You are nothing but Rank One peak stage green copper primeval essence, while I am already at Rank Two red iron primeval essence, which is three times more durable than yours. Plus, your aptitude is inferior to mine. In the end, when you have no primeval essence left, the one who loses will definitely be you!"
"You!" Chi Cheng couldn't help but be visibly moved. He had only seen his own advantages but had failed to clearly see his weaknesses. Now, he had to admit that Fang Zheng's words made sense, and his fighting spirit immediately suffered a heavy setback.
"What, Fang Zheng advanced to Rank Two?!" The surrounding Gu Masters were instantly in an uproar. The results of the cultivation inspection had only just been obtained yesterday and had only circulated within a small circle; the vast majority of them still didn't know about this matter.
"An A grade genius is an A grade after all, amazing. This Fang Zheng might actually be our clan's star of hope."
"That genius from the Bai clan, Bai Ning Bing, is truly too powerful. If Fang Zheng can grow up, perhaps he can rival Bai Ning Bing."
"This kid is somewhat interesting. Cultivating to Rank Two while still in the academy, and having such solid basic skills; this situation is truly quite rare. No wonder the clan head poured so much heart and blood into him." Yao Hong murmured softly.
Qing Shu also sighed deeply. "The clan head's nurturing is only a part of it. Don't underestimate this kid; ever since he miraculously survived that assassination attempt, he has become exceedingly hardworking and puts in a lot of effort into his cultivation. He is a good seedling; he has the talent and is also very steadfast. If he truly can grow up… Sigh, I feel my burdens getting heavier and heavier."
"Hehehe." Clan Head Gu Yue Bo couldn't help but chuckle softly.
He had once analyzed the flaws in Chi Cheng's character to Fang Zheng. Now, seeing that Fang Zheng could apply it practically made Gu Yue Bo feel exceptionally gratified.
"It seems Fang Zheng should be the undisputed number one of this batch." By the clan head's side, Gu Yue Mo Chen spoke.
Gu Yue Chi Lian snorted coldly, staring intently at the center of the field. Of course, he hoped his grandson could defeat Fang Zheng. If that happened, it would earn face for the Chi family.
But things went contrary to his wishes. On the arena, Chi Cheng's fighting spirit was severely damaged. After formally exchanging blows with Fang Zheng, he was unable to perform at his original level, making frequent mistakes.
Eventually, catching onto one of his mistakes, Fang Zheng swept Chi Cheng off the arena.
"Gu Yue Fang Zheng wins!" the Gu Master shouted.
Gu Yue Chi Lian's face was livid.
In an instant, Fang Zheng was the center of everyone's attention. His limelight was unmatched.
"Fang Zheng successively defeated Mo Bei and Chi Cheng; he has both courage and strategy. It seems the number one spot this time belongs to no one else but him." Someone praised.
"Makes sense, I also think highly of him. It's a pity he can't possibly join our group." Just as groups were picking students, students were also picking groups. Outstanding seeds like Fang Zheng had already been spoken for internally.
"Fang Zheng belongs to the clan head's faction, while Mo Bei and Chi Cheng are the future leaders of the Mo and Chi lineages respectively. It seems that from now on, the Gu Yue clan will have the clan head's faction strongly suppressing the two great elders." Someone observed more profoundly.
On the other two arenas, battles were still continuing.
Fang Zheng stepped off the arena early. Listening to the words of praise from the people around him, his heart surged with emotion, clearly feeling a sense of being completely reborn.
It was different, not like the past anymore.
His heart was filled with the agitation of being recognized, the excitement of being appreciated, and the joy of being validated.
Gusts of winter wind blew by, but amidst the biting cold wind, he felt a warmth akin to spring.
"Final battle, Gu Yue Fang Zheng against Gu Yue Fang Yuan!" A moment later, a Gu Master hosting the arena called out.