Chapter 118: The Battle of Physiques

Jiang Fan sensed Liu Wenchen's anxiety. He understood that his battle with Kong Wushuang was no longer a simple sparring match between two sides, but rather concerned the reputation of Qingyun Sect. He nodded, tapped his toes lightly, and moved to the center of the square.

He said calmly, "I will use my full strength; you'd best not hold back. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee your safety." Of course, the 'full strength' he referred to excluded his Violet Sword and Earth-tier finger techniques. He still wanted to keep these two as trump cards to surprise his enemies. Exposing them during a sparring match was not worth it.

Beside him, Cao Zhen's face was flushed with unvented humiliation. He had been so confident, only to be brutally beaten by Kong Wushuang. Hearing Jiang Fan's words, he couldn't help but laugh in anger: "What nonsense! Didn't you see how powerful Kong Wushuang is just now? How dare you utter such arrogant words!"

Jiang Fan glanced at him and retorted, aiming to strike at his pride: "I haven't seen how powerful Kong Wushuang is. But I have seen how incompetent you are. You were given three moves and still got knocked down by one attack. If I were you, I'd be hiding my face and staying out of sight right now, not babbling and making a spectacle of myself!"

All the disciples and elders present also cast disappointed glances at Cao Zhen. Regardless of Cao Zhen's martial arts strength, his character was truly unlikable. Jiang Fan was now representing Qingyun Sect in a battle against an outside sect. Not only did Cao Zhen fail to encourage his own people, but he also boosted the morale of the opponent while undermining his own side's prestige.

Feng Guzen, however, strongly supported his disciple, snorting, "What are you all looking at? Did my apprentice say anything wrong? Ask yourselves, can this guy with no spiritual root really win?"

A collective sigh escaped both disciples and elders. Indeed, given Jiang Fan's strength, there was no way he could win, unless he got lucky again.

Even Liu Qingxian, who had confidence in Jiang Fan, now furrowed her brows. Gong Caiyi asked with a faint smile, "What's wrong, Miss Liu, have you lost confidence?" Liu Qingxian bit her lip slightly: "I believe Jiang Fan can handle Cao Zhen without a problem. But against Kong Wushuang..." She truly had very little confidence.

Gong Caiyi stretched languidly, her victory assured. Her exquisite, undulating figure, hidden beneath her colorful dress, outlined a captivating silhouette. "In that case, I'll gladly take Jiang Fan." According to their agreement, Jiang Fan had to defeat Cao Zhen and secure the top spot among new disciples. If he lost to Kong Wushuang, Gong Caiyi would be considered the winner. At that time, she would leave behind an Earth Dragon crystal core and take Jiang Fan with her.

Liu Qingxian's heart sank. Jiang Fan possessed a Ninth-Grade spiritual root; how could he be taken away? She watched the battlefield intently, praying for a miracle. Alas, as Kong Wushuang took a step forward, leaving an inch-deep depression in the ground, her hope vanished. "Body Cultivation, Six Gates realm!" Liu Qingxian's heart continued to sink. Like spellcasting, body cultivation also had distinct realms. The Open Gate realm in body cultivation was equivalent to the Foundation Establishment realm in spellcasting. Six Gates meant it was equivalent to the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment. How could Jiang Fan, a newcomer, possibly contend with a Body Cultivation expert at the Six Gates realm?

Jiang Fan, facing Kong Wushuang's powerful aura directly, instead let out a sigh of relief. Compared to Xu Ganglie, Kong Wushuang's body cultivation was far less refined. "Make your move!" Jiang Fan suppressed his spiritual power, intending to confront this body cultivation prodigy head-on with the first layer of the *Iron Blood True Scripture*.

Kong Wushuang chuckled, his hands still clasped across his chest, repeating the exact words he had used when fighting Cao Zhen: "I'll let you have three moves!" This time, no one found him arrogant. They even felt that Kong Wushuang was giving Qingyun Sect ample face, to prevent Jiang Fan from losing immediately upon entering the arena, which would strip Qingyun Sect of all dignity.

Liu Wenchen impatiently said, "Jiang Fan, less talk, finish it quickly!" The humiliation was already a fact. Ending it swiftly would lessen his mental torment.

Jiang Fan had originally intended to advise Kong Wushuang not to be arrogant, but since Liu Wenchen urged him, he did not hesitate. He slightly bent his legs. Then, his calves abruptly surged with power! The immense physical strength propelled him forward like a rabbit, launching him instantly! His speed was so astonishing it rivaled the first layer of the movement technique *Lone Swan's Shadow*.

Kong Wushuang, who had been standing casually with a faint smile and legs spread, suddenly had a change of expression. As a body cultivator, one could sense the opponent's depth the moment they made a move. Jiang Fan had merely pushed off the ground casually, yet his speed reached such an alarming level, taking Kong Wushuang by surprise! Only then did he realize Jiang Fan was far stronger than he had perceived! He hastily lowered his hands from his chest, slightly sank his legs, and adopted a combat stance. But it was too late. Jiang Fan had arrived like a meteor. His fists struck Kong Wushuang's chest.

*Bang*— A dull thud, like two massive stones colliding violently, suddenly erupted. Kong Wushuang staggered back several steps. The immense force prevented him from stabilizing his posture, and he ultimately landed hard on the ground. The bones in his arms felt as if they had cracked. They were both painful and numb.

The elders and disciples watching the match were all stunned. The gloom on Liu Wenchen's face had, at some point, turned into astonishment. The confident smile on Kong Yuanba's face froze at that moment. Gong Caiyi's faintly smiling expression was suddenly replaced by shock. Even Liu Qingxian, who thought she knew Jiang Fan well, covered her lips, her almond eyes wide with disbelief! Cao Zhen stared blankly, unable to believe what he saw. Xu Yining's beautiful eyes widened even further as she murmured, "He... he repelled the Nine Sects' top body cultivation prodigy with just his physical strength?"

Immediately after, a thunderous roar of excitement erupted among the disciples. "This person with no spiritual root... he seems to have something special!" "Our Qingyun Sect still has hope!" "Go, Junior Brother Jiang, win back our Qingyun Sect's honor!"

The immense clamor brought the slightly dazed Kong Wushuang back to his senses. He shot up, his eyes fixed on Jiang Fan. Where was his earlier confidence now? As for the three moves he had offered earlier, he felt as though it was a slap across his own face, leaving a burning sensation. How could he have offered three moves to a body cultivation master who was no weaker than himself? "Good! I misjudged you! You are not just any body cultivator; you are an expert!" Kong Wushuang clenched his fists and scoffed, "Then I shall fight you seriously! I'll show you what a true body cultivator is!"

As he finished speaking, cracking sounds, like popping beans, emanated from within his body. This was due to his entire musculature being activated to its absolute limit. At this moment, he was like a violent killing machine! With a low roar, he charged towards Jiang Fan with thundering strides. "Mountain-Splitting Stone-Crushing!" His iron fists mercilessly hammered towards Jiang Fan's head.

Jiang Fan remained unafraid. He also mobilized all his strength, choosing to confront the attack head-on. "Copper Skin, Iron Bones!" *Bang*— A body-colliding sound, so jarring it made one's teeth ache, reverberated like muffled thunder across the square. And the outcome of the collision left everyone present utterly dumbfounded.