"Gu Yue Fang Zheng against Gu Yue Fang Yuan!"
The moment the host Gu Master shouted, the arena grew restless.
One was the clan leader's personally nurtured A-grade seed. The other was the C-grade who had suppressed the academy for an entire year.
The fight did not last long.
Fang Zheng had already reached Rank two. He had red steel primeval essence and Jade Skin Gu. Under common sense, even if he could not win easily, he should not have lost.
But Fang Yuan never fought according to common sense.
He closed in, broke Fang Zheng's rhythm, and forced him into close combat. Fang Zheng retreated again and again. The students shouted for him to stand up. Their voices rose like boiling water, carrying hatred, hope, and unwillingness.
Then jade light appeared on Fang Zheng's body.
The crowd exploded.
But the cheers lasted only a moment.
Fang Yuan's fist struck out.
The jade light shattered.
Another fist followed.
Then another.
Fang Zheng fell.
The arena became silent.
Fang Yuan stood on the stage. His fists were torn, blood dripping from his fingers. His expression was still calm, as though the person lying before him was not his own younger brother.
The healing Gu Masters hurried up and carried Fang Zheng away.
The students looked at Fang Yuan with fear and hatred. Some clenched their teeth. Some lowered their heads. The hope they had just raised had been crushed in front of them.
The cold wind blew across the arena.
The host Gu Master paused for a breath, then shouted, "Gu Yue Fang Yuan wins!"
No one cheered.
Only after a while did the host Gu Master look down at the list in his hand.
There were only two names left.
"Final match!"
His voice spread through the arena.
"Gu Yue Fang Ming against Gu Yue Fang Yuan!"
The quiet crowd stirred again.
Fang Ming walked onto the stage.
Fang Yuan did not step down. A healing Gu Master quickly treated his fists, stopping the blood. The wounds closed, but the skin was still split and swollen. His white hair moved lightly in the winter wind.
Fang Ming stood across from him.
The two looked at each other.
Below the stage, the students watched without blinking.
Fang Zheng had fallen.
Now only Fang Ming remained.
Among this year's students, Fang Ming was the first to refine his Gu, the first to reach Rank two, and the one who had forced Fang Yuan to retreat from the academy gate. He was backed by the Chi branch and had never shown weakness in the academy.
But Fang Yuan had just defeated Fang Zheng.
A Rank one peak stage C-grade had defeated a Rank two A-grade.
No one dared to say the result was certain.
The host Gu Master raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Fang Yuan moved first.
He stepped forward, not hurried and not slow, but the distance between them shortened at once.
Fang Ming raised his palm.
Moonlight gathered.
A moonblade flew out.
Fang Yuan's body shifted. The moonblade passed by his shoulder and cut into the stage behind him.
He continued forward.
A second moonblade followed.
This one did not aim at Fang Yuan's body. It flew toward the place his foot was about to land.
Fang Yuan's step changed.
The distance opened by half a step.
Fang Ming retreated.
"Good!" someone below shouted.
But the shout had just sounded when Fang Yuan suddenly accelerated.
His figure pressed in close like a shadow.
Bang!
A fist struck Fang Ming's forearm.
Bronze light flashed.
Fang Ming's arm sank slightly, but he did not fall back. His other hand struck toward Fang Yuan's chest.
Fang Yuan turned sideways. The palm brushed past his clothes.
At the same time, his knee rose.
Fang Ming blocked with his thigh.
Bang.
Both of them separated.
The exchange had happened too quickly. Many students only saw bronze light flicker, then two figures collide and pull apart.
"Fang Ming blocked it!"
"He actually blocked Fang Yuan's close combat!"
"Do not be stupid, he used Bronze Skin Gu."
"So what? Fang Zheng had Jade Skin Gu!"
The voices below became chaotic.
Under the canopy, some of the older Gu Masters watched quietly.
They could see that Fang Yuan's skill was still higher.
But Fang Ming was not collapsing.
That alone was already different.
On the stage, Fang Yuan attacked again.
Moonblade.
Step.
Fist.
The three movements came almost together.
Fang Ming dodged the moonblade, raised his arm, and took the punch with Bronze Skin Gu. Pain spread through his bones, but his expression did not change. His foot swept low.
Fang Yuan stepped over it and struck toward his throat.
Fang Ming leaned back.
The fingers passed across his neck.
A thin line of blood appeared.
The crowd gasped.
Fang Ming raised his palm and fired another moonblade between them.
Fang Yuan withdrew.
The distance opened again.
Fang Ming touched his neck.
There was blood.
If he had been slower by half a breath, the strike would not have only grazed him.
Fang Yuan looked at him calmly.
Fang Ming did not speak.
He raised his palm again.
Three moonblades flew out in succession.
One high.
One low.
One to the side.
Fang Yuan moved through them. The first missed. The second was avoided. The third forced him to stop.
Only for an instant.
But Fang Ming had already adjusted his stance.
Fang Yuan's eyes turned slightly colder.
He advanced again.
This time his attacks became heavier.
A fist struck Fang Ming's shoulder.
A kick landed on his leg.
Another palm almost hit his temple.
Bronze light appeared again and again. Fang Ming retreated several steps, then stood firm. He did not chase Fang Yuan's openings blindly. When the distance was close, he blocked and endured. When the distance opened, he used moonblades to cut the path.
His clothes were soon marked with dust and blood.
Fang Yuan was not uninjured either.
The wounds on his fists reopened. Blood seeped between his fingers, leaving small red marks on the stage.
The students' shouting gradually returned.
"Fang Ming, hold on!"
"Beat Fang Yuan!"
"Do not let him get close!"
Voices rose one after another.
The earlier silence was broken.
Fang Yuan had defeated Fang Zheng and stepped on everyone's hope. Now Fang Ming had not fallen after many exchanges. To the students below, this was already enough to ignite their hearts again.
"Fang Ming, defeat him!"
"Defeat Fang Yuan!"
The cheers became louder.
Fang Yuan seemed not to hear them.
His expression did not change at all.
He rushed forward again.
Fang Ming sent out a moonblade.
Fang Yuan avoided it, then appeared at Fang Ming's side. His fist shot toward Fang Ming's ribs.
Fang Ming twisted his waist.
The punch still landed.
Bang.
His breathing paused for a moment.
But at the same time, his shoulder crashed forward.
White Boar strength erupted.
Fang Yuan raised his arm to block, but his body was still pushed back.
One step.
Two steps.
The arena shook with shouting.
"He pushed Fang Yuan back!"
"Fang Ming pushed him back!"
Fang Ming did not pursue.
He raised his hand.
A moonblade flew.
Fang Yuan dodged, but his movement was no longer as smooth as before. The wound on his arm from the earlier fight had not fully recovered, and now the repeated clashes were wearing him down.
Fang Ming's breathing was heavier too.
Bronze Skin Gu consumed primeval essence. Moonlight Gu also consumed primeval essence. His body hurt in several places.
But he was Rank two.
His primeval essence was red steel.
Fang Yuan was still Rank one.
This gap was not obvious in one move, but in ten moves, twenty moves, thirty moves, it became a stone pressing on the scale.
Fang Yuan suddenly stopped advancing.
He raised his palm.
A moonblade flew out.
Fang Ming leaned aside.
The second moonblade came immediately.
Fang Ming used Bronze Skin Gu and let it scrape across his arm.
A white mark appeared on the bronze glow.
At that moment, Fang Yuan followed behind the moonblade and rushed in.
The same method again.
Only faster.
Fang Ming did not retreat this time.
He stepped forward.
The two figures collided.
Fang Yuan's fist struck Fang Ming's abdomen.
Fang Ming's fist struck Fang Yuan's arm.
Bang!
Fang Yuan's body shook.
Fang Ming's face paled slightly, but he did not step back.
Another fist came.
Fang Ming blocked.
Fang Yuan changed angle.
Fang Ming could not fully avoid it.
The strike landed on his chest.
He gave a muffled groan.
But his hand had already reached Fang Yuan's shoulder.
Blue moonlight gathered in his palm.
Fang Yuan's eyes narrowed.
He immediately twisted away.
Swoosh!
The moonlight cut through his sleeve and opened a wound on his upper arm.
Blood splashed.
The arena became silent for a moment.
Then it erupted.
"Hit!"
"He hit Fang Yuan!"
"Fang Ming injured him!"
Fang Yuan landed several steps away.
Blood flowed down his arm.
It was not a serious injury, but the meaning was different.
From the start of the tournament until now, Fang Yuan had always given others a suffocating feeling. He beat his opponents, suppressed them, and crushed their rhythm. Even Fang Zheng had been beaten down after revealing Jade Skin Gu.
But now, Fang Ming had wounded him.
The winter wind blew.
Fang Yuan lowered his gaze and glanced at the blood on his arm.
Then he looked at Fang Ming.
Fang Ming's face was pale. One hand hung slightly lower than the other, and his breathing was heavy. But his eyes were still steady.
For a while, neither moved.
The noise below slowly weakened.
Everyone could feel it.
The next exchange would decide the result.
Fang Yuan moved.
His figure lowered, then suddenly rose. His steps were quick and strange, making it hard to judge where he would attack.
Fang Ming fired a moonblade.
Fang Yuan avoided it by a hair's breadth.
He was close.
Too close.
His fist shot toward Fang Ming's side, where Bronze Skin Gu had already been struck many times.
Fang Ming could not dodge.
Bronze light flared.
Bang!
The fist landed.
Pain exploded from his side.
At almost the same time, Fang Ming's palm pressed against Fang Yuan's chest.
Moonlight gathered.
At this distance, firing a normal moonblade was impossible.
So Fang Ming did not fire it.
Blue light burst out from his palm.
Fang Yuan's body was knocked backward.
He landed near the edge of the stage, one knee touching the ground.
Blood stained the front of his clothes.
The arena was deathly quiet.
The host Gu Master took half a step forward, then stopped.
Fang Yuan had not fallen off the stage.
He slowly stood.
His breathing was heavier now.
Fang Ming stood where he was, one hand pressing his side. His fingers trembled slightly, but his feet did not move.
The two looked at each other.
The wind blew past them.
After several breaths, Fang Yuan lowered his hand.
"I concede."
His voice was light.
But it struck the arena like thunder.
No one reacted immediately.
The host Gu Master stared for a moment before raising his arm.
"Gu Yue Fang Ming wins!"
The arena exploded.
The students shouted until their voices cracked. Some were cheering Fang Ming, some were simply venting the pressure Fang Yuan had left in their hearts.
Under the canopy, Gu Yue Chi Lian slowly stroked his beard.
A smile appeared on his face.
The academy elder walked onto the stage.
Fang Ming turned around.
His body was full of pain, but he remained standing.
The elder looked at him, then announced loudly, "Year-end examination, first place—"
"Gu Yue Fang Ming!"