Chapter 647: Guiding Master Hong

"Yes!" Crown Prince Ye Qian's eyes widened in bewilderment.

You shamelessly declared you'd challenge three opponents alone. We assumed you had a powerful trump card, would easily overcome them, or at worst, maintain an undefeated stance. Yet, you were beaten bloody at the first encounter. What is happening?

This isn't a challenge; it's a one-sided beating!

"Perhaps it was just a momentary lapse, and he hasn't gotten into his stride yet..." Ye Qian began to explain, recalling something. But before he could finish, Luo Zhao landed another punch directly on Master Hong's nose, drawing even more blood.

"Cough, cough... Alright, I was clearly mistaken. He's definitely not a match for the three of them..." Ye Qian nearly choked on his words and shook his head.

Master Hong's actual strength wasn't particularly weak, but facing three opponents of the same cultivation level working together was an entirely different matter. Two fists simply couldn't contend with four hands, let alone six.

In the blink of an eye, he took several heavy blows and was covered in lumps.

Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai, seated behind the wine table, were also on the verge of madness.

They had expected Master Hong to showcase his formidable power and secure a spot effortlessly. Instead, he was being mercilessly beaten from the very beginning.

"Master Zhang, what exactly is going on?" They quickly turned to look at Zhang Xuan, only to find him with his eyes closed, appearing to be asleep.

Both of them swayed simultaneously.

You so confidently urged Master Hong to enter the fray, yet now that the match has begun, you're calmly sleeping. What precisely are you planning?

You don't play such a cruel trick on people!

Had he not traveled with them from the Myriad Kingdoms Alliance, they would genuinely suspect him of being a mole for the opposing side.

"Master Zhang, what should I do?" As the two spectators despaired, Master Hong, enduring the savage beating, could no longer bear it and urgently sent a voice transmission.

Before the battle, Master Zhang had told him to initiate the fight, promising to provide guidance thereafter. But now, with his face swollen beyond recognition, Master Zhang hadn't uttered a single word. He quickly glanced over, and what he saw brought tears to his eyes.

Weren't you going to observe the flaws in their moves and give me pointers?

Does one watch a battle with their eyes closed?

"It's over..." In that instant, Master Hong felt utterly despondent.

He regretted ever trusting this guy's absurd claims. Not only was he being beaten senseless, but the three coveted spots would also be forfeited... What a mess!

Just when he felt there was no hope left and he would certainly be beaten half to death, he heard a faint voice whisper in his ear.

"Advance half a foot, shift three fen to the left, Returning Essence Palm's seventh stance, bow your body, bend your waist, Dragon-Capturing Palm's third move..."

"Master Zhang..." Hearing the voice, his spirits immediately lifted. He looked again and saw that the young man had, at some point, opened his eyes, which were now bright and gleaming with a dazzling light.

"Good!" Seeing the young man's demeanor, Master Hong instinctively felt a surge of trust. Gritting his teeth, he swayed his body and stepped forward precisely as instructed.

"We thought he'd grown more capable, daring to challenge three of us. Turns out he's not so impressive after all..." After landing two consecutive punches that left Master Hong's face bruised and swollen, Master Feng's expression brimmed with confidence, and even his own injuries seemed to pain him less.

"Enough talk, let's just beat him until he concedes!" Luo Zhao, too, was filled with excitement.

Having just been publicly slapped, Luo Zhao was already furious. Seizing this golden opportunity, he let out a long cry and charged forward, his movements like an eight-armed phantom, a flurry of afterimages. It was the Eight-Armed Divine Fist, a Spirit-tier mid-grade martial art!

"Excellent! Since he's seeking death, we shall grant it!" Chen Yue also let out a battle cry and delivered a swift kick.

While not a named martial art, the kick was exceptionally cunning, making it nearly impossible to defend against.

Master Feng attacked from behind, Luo Zhao aimed for the upper body, and Chen Yue targeted the lower. In an instant, the trio locked down all three pathways—upper, middle, and lower—making it utterly impossible to defend.

Just as it seemed Master Hong could not possibly evade and was certain to be struck, his feet suddenly slid. As if anticipating their every move, he instantly reappeared in a position beyond the reach of all three attackers.

While he dodged, their attacks did not halt; they continued their trajectory forward.

Feng Yu was struck in the head by Luo Zhao's punch, Luo Zhao was kicked in the groin by Chen Yue, and Chen Yue, in turn, was hit in the chest by Feng Yu.

Bang! Wham! Crash! With three successive thuds, all three fighters twitched at the corners of their mouths, their vision momentarily darkened, and they nearly passed out.

They had put their full strength into teaching Master Hong a lesson, never imagining that they would miss him and instead injure their own allies.

"Damn it..." With a roar, Feng Yu regained his composure and chopped down at Master Hong, who was nearby. Just like before, his palm hadn't even reached its target when he saw an enormous foot rapidly approaching.

His vision went black, and he was sent flying, crashing headfirst into a banquet table, his head lodging deep within, leaving only the lower half of his body visible.

"You're asking for death..." Unbelievably, while they were disoriented from their self-inflicted blows, Master Feng was almost defeated again. Luo Zhao, seething with fury, threw another punch.

Master Hong, facing him, seemed to have anticipated his punch's trajectory and delivered a kick before the fist even reached its mark.

He was kicked in the groin again.

"Oh oh oh..." A pained cry, like a rooster's squawk, escaped Luo Zhao as he doubled over like a shrimp and collapsed heavily to the ground.

Kicked twice in quick succession in his most vulnerable spot, even a Proficient Realm 6-dan expert couldn't withstand it. His heart seemed to bleed, and he felt as if... all sensation had vanished...

"Your turn!" With two consecutive kicks, sending two powerful experts of the same level flying, Master Hong's confidence surged. He lunged two steps forward, then abruptly recoiled and delivered a resounding slap.

The slap echoed loudly, sending Chen Yue stumbling back, blood spurting from his mouth. Like Luo Zhao before him, he also spat out three or four teeth.

When they had first instigated the conflict, they had shown some restraint. But now, in the midst of a full-blown battle, with qi erupting and full force striking the face, the power was immense. Had Chen Yue not been so strong, his head might have been instantly shattered.

As the battle raged intensely, the entire room fell into stunned silence. Everyone's eyes were wide, bulging from their sockets, as if they were losing their minds.

Hadn't Master Hong just been getting mercilessly pounded, barely able to defend himself?

They had assumed he would surrender quickly, but they never in their wildest dreams expected... him to become so ferociously powerful in the blink of an eye.

Three Proficient Realm 6-dan experts, fighting together, couldn't even withstand a single move. If he was this formidable all along... how did he get beaten so brutally in the first place?

"He saw through his opponents' moves, anticipated their intentions, and made precise predictions, which allowed him to render Master Feng and the others completely helpless!" Wu Zhen, who was at the center of the room, gripped his wine glass so tightly his knuckles turned white, his eyes filled with profound solemnity.

He had originally held little interest in such a regional competition, but who could have imagined that Master Hong would prove so exceptional?

In just a few moves, he not only discerned his opponents' intentions and coordination but also executed the most precise counterattacks.

This was no longer merely a question of strength; it was about profound insight!

How keen must one's insight be, and how formidable their analytical and deductive abilities, to make such accurate judgments in mere seconds?

Even he, himself, certainly couldn't achieve that!

"Perhaps only those true prodigies from the academy could accomplish such a feat..." A few figures flashed through his mind.

Although he was considered a genius in a minor place like Huanyu Imperial City, boasting enviable talent and cultivation, at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he wasn't particularly remarkable, indeed, one could say... he was rather obscure!

Apart from anything else, even Luo Qiqi, who had accompanied him, possessed incredible combat talent that he simply could not rival.

He hadn't given much thought to Master Hong, who had only reached Five-Star at such an age. Yet, he never imagined that Master Hong's adaptability in battle was in no way inferior to Luo Qiqi's or that of the academy's most celebrated prodigies!

Could it be true?

"No, that can't be right. If Master Hong possessed such capability, he would surely be renowned throughout Huanyu Imperial City, making Luo Zhao and the others wary. How could he only begin to display this power after being beaten black and blue?" His eyebrow arched.

Earlier, Master Hong, under attack by three, was full of vulnerabilities and fought without any discernible strategy. If he possessed such combat talent, it would have surely been evident from the start, not surfaced through a sudden, dramatic transformation that made him appear entirely different.

"Could it be...?" His brow furrowed, and he quickly glanced to the side, his gaze landing on the young man who had advocated for Master Hong to enter the match.

He observed the young man's lips moving, clearly sending a voice transmission to Master Hong, who was engaged in combat in the center of the room.

"A voice transmission? Just as I suspected!" Earlier, Master Hong had clearly been reluctant to fight all three simultaneously; it was this young man who had pushed for the battle. Since he dared to do so, he must have been confident of victory. Thus, suspicion had fallen on him, and indeed, his observation confirmed it.

"Using voice transmission to guide a Five-Star Master Teacher in combat, and even reverse the tide? How is that possible?"

Proficient Realm 4-dan and Proficient Realm 6-dan represent a difference of two major cultivation levels, with the latter involving the intricate use of the soul.

Logically, he should have been utterly incapable of comprehending the combat of Master Feng and the others... Yet now, he not only understood it but also deciphered their combined attacks, enabling Master Hong to display incredible prowess. This level of insight... was truly terrifying.

"We'll know if he's the one guiding him with a simple test!" After his initial shock, and now brimming with suspicion, he suddenly thought of something, a slight smirk playing on his lips, and he spoke out directly.

"Master Zhang!" His voice was extremely loud, reverberating throughout the entire room.

"Huh?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback and turned his head.

He clearly hadn't expected Senior Brother Wu, a figure respected even by the Crown Prince, to call out to him.

Thump, thump! Ah! Ah! As he turned his head, sounds of fists and feet connecting with flesh, accompanied by pained cries, erupted from the center of the arena.

He swiftly turned his head back, only to witness Master Hong, now without guidance, being relentlessly ganged up on once more.

"Move one foot to the front-right, turn and execute Dragon-Capturing Palm's eighth move..." He sent another voice transmission.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Hearing his words, Master Hong immediately regained the advantage, relentlessly pressing the three until they gasped for breath. With two swift punches, Luo Zhao and Chen Yue's vision momentarily blackened.

"Master Zhang!" Just as he was in the midst of happily relaying instructions, Master Wu's shout rang out in his ear once more.

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan turned his head.

Thump, thump! Ah! Ah! Master Hong cried out miserably once more.

"Damn it!" Realizing that Master Hong was getting beaten the moment he stopped providing guidance, Zhang Xuan quickly turned back and transmitted instructions: "Leap lightly, hold your breath, use your agility, retreat seven steps..."

"Master Zhang!" Before he finished speaking, Wu Zhen continued.

"What exactly do you want?!" Zhang Xuan was exasperated.

"I... was just calling out randomly. Please, continue!" Wu Zhen waved his hand dismissively.

"..." Zhang Xuan.

Damn it, is this guy really a top student from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?

Why is he acting so maliciously?

As Zhang Xuan mused, Master Hong in the arena had tears streaming down his face. "Master Zhang, could you please concentrate...? This isn't how we play. If this continues, I'm going to die..."