Chapter 184 - 103: I’ll Count Down, You Stay Down

Chapter 184: Chapter 103: I’ll Count Down, You Stay Down

GASP...

An eerie silence fell over the crowd below the stage.

Although they had separated after a single clash, it was clearly just a probing exchange.

But everyone seated here was an expert in their own right. They could all tell this exchange was no simple matter. Feng Tianxi’s attack this time was completely different from his previous ones. Had he shown this terrifying coordination earlier, it was doubtful anyone could have withstood more than three of his attacks.

And yet, such a deadly attack had been firmly blocked by Zhao Ci, who had even attempted to cripple the Wolf King in the process.

The spear, weighing over three hundred pounds, showed no signs of being cumbersome in his hands. Instead, he brandished it as effortlessly as if it were a toy.

’What kind of monsters are these?’

"Again!"

This time, Zhao Ci took the initiative and charged forward.

Feng Tianxi, showing no fear, met his charge head-on.

What followed was a brutal, close-quarters battle that made everyone’s skin crawl.

「On the high platform.」

Zhu Yan gasped in shock. "Your Highness! Have you ever seen anyone brawl with Tian Xi’s Wolf King like that?"

This Wolf King was from the Northern Grasslands and had the blood of a Great Demon in its veins. Its claws and fangs were so vicious that a single strike would be fatal to an ordinary person.

Among the Mansion Officials competing this time, few could even defeat the Wolf King on its own, let alone the man-and-wolf team.

When Feng Tianxi had first joined the Ninth Prince’s Mansion, the Imperial Clan Court had demanded he relinquish the Wolf King. The creature was not only deemed too powerful, but it had also been hunted with the help of the Feng Family.

However, the Feng Family argued their case forcefully. They claimed the most difficult part of their family’s Beast Taming Skill wasn’t hunting the beast, but using their powerful techniques to conquer its Primordial Spirit. Therefore, the Wolf King was a testament to Feng Tianxi’s own abilities.

After a long dispute, the Imperial Clan Court finally agreed to let him keep the Wolf King, but at the cost of a five-point deduction from his merits.

Coupled with Zhao Yong’s failure at the Gongdan Conference, this left the Ninth Prince’s Mansion starting the current contest with the most significant point deficit.

But all this just went to show how incredibly strong the Wolf King was.

And what did Zhao Ci do? He just met it head-on with pure brute force.

Relying on his masterful basic spear technique, terrifying strength, and the sheer weight of his weapon, he fought the man and wolf to a standstill, even seeming to grow more intense as the battle raged on.

One couldn’t help but suspect that if it weren’t for Feng Tianxi watching like a hawk from the side, Zhao Ci might have even tossed aside his spear to wrestle and trade bites with the Wolf King.

THUD!

CLANG!

THUD!

CLANG!

THUD!

CLANG!

The sounds of brutal physical impact and ringing metal rose and fell, a hair-raising symphony of violence.

Within fifteen minutes, they had exchanged no fewer than a hundred blows.

On one side was a basic spear technique, so solid it was formidable.

On the other, a man-and-wolf team with a freakish level of coordination.

Below the Martial Arts Arena, the entire crowd was dumbfounded.

None of them had ever imagined that Feng Tianxi and his wolf, fighting at full strength, could be this terrifying.

What was even more terrifying was that Zhao Ci, using only basic spear techniques, was holding his own without losing any ground.

’This is insane!’

’Just what kind of monsters are they?’

「On the high platform.」

Zhao Yong frowned. "Zhu Yan, who do you think will win?"

Zhu Yan answered without hesitation, "Tianxi, of course. He’s made many moves, but he’s barely used any stamina and can unleash a killing blow at any moment. Zhao Ci, on the other hand, has been going all out from the start. His stamina is bound to run out eventually."

"I don’t think so!"

Zhuge Xiao suddenly spoke up from the side.

Zhu Yan’s brow furrowed. "What? Does Brother Zhuge have a different opinion?"

Zhuge Xiao smiled and nodded. "Hasn’t Brother Zhu noticed? The Wolf King’s stamina is draining rather quickly. Its claws and fangs are sharp, but it’s been forced to smash them against the spear shaft, rarely landing an effective blow. The Tenth Prince, on the other hand, has taken no real damage, and his stamina shows no sign of dropping at all.

As for Brother Feng, it’s true that he’s holding a killing blow in reserve.

But he has no opportunity to use it.

The Tenth Prince may only be using basic moves, but he has executed every detail of the grand and powerful Xiang’s Spear Technique to perfection.

From my humble perspective, this is a sign that he is on the verge of true mastery.

In fact, I believe the Tenth Prince’s skill with the spear has already reached a state of mastery; his body just isn’t strong enough to unleash its full potential yet.

So... it’s not that Brother Feng is patiently holding back his ultimate move. It’s that he can’t find a single opening to use it!"

Zhu Yan grew instantly irritated. "Why are you singing our opponent’s praises and demoralizing our own side?"

Ever since Bao Longtao was crippled, he’d been spoiling for a chance to win back their prestige.

That’s why he had spent a full hour discussing strategy with Zhao Yong yesterday just to come up with today’s plan.

And now Zhuge Xiao was making these comments.

’Even I wouldn’t have more than a thirty percent chance of winning against Feng Tianxi. How could Zhao Ci possibly win?’

’And of all people, it’s this Zhuge fellow. He hasn’t done a lick of real work since he joined the Prince’s Mansion, yet he always acts like he knows everything.’

’I couldn’t be bothered to call him out on his posturing before.’

’But to keep up the act now, talking as if Zhao Ci has already won...’

’It’s really starting to piss me off.’

Zhuge Xiao seemed surprised by his agitation. As if realizing something, he lost the inclination to argue, simply offering a smile before falling silent.

Zhao Yong chimed in at the right moment to smooth things over. "Old Zhu! Your Fire Skill lets you counter weapon users from a distance, so you might not feel it, but Zhao Ci’s spear technique is truly frightening."

"Perhaps,"

Zhu Yan muttered. He didn’t want to argue for the sake of arguing, so he fell silent.

Zhao Yong then turned to Zhuge Xiao. "Brother Zhuge, what are your thoughts on today’s match?"

Zhuge Xiao replied without a moment’s hesitation, "We should forfeit. Not just Brother Feng. All four of us should forfeit."

Zhu Yan’s just-suppressed temper flared up again. "What the hell are you..."

"Patience, Brother Zhu,"

Zhuge Xiao said with a faint smile. "I’m not saying you and I aren’t a match for Zhao Ci. It’s true that you and His Highness both have a chance to defeat him. However, we wouldn’t be able to take him out of the fight completely. On the contrary, we’d exhaust ourselves in the process, and might even end up losing to Zhu Li.