Born as an ant, I was summoned to ascend to immortality.

Chapter 46 Testing the Waters

The previously noisy disciples fell silent instantly, followed by an even louder discussion.

For many newly initiated disciples, this will be their first time witnessing a formal contest between cultivators, let alone the fact that the two sides are young masters from aristocratic families, whom they rarely see on ordinary days.

The Fang family is a renowned clan in the art of body tempering. Their ancestor's "Mysterious Embryo Unbounded Technique" was famous throughout the entire Eastern Continent.

The Feng family has been dedicated to music for generations. Although they are not as flamboyant as the Fang family, they are still famous for their rare and unique skills.

"Damn it, why are they fighting?" Jiang Xing, watching the two men locked in combat from the shadows, frowned and thought to himself, "Why do all our operations against Zhou Li end up failing?"

At this moment, in the training ground, Fang Yu slowly drew the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword from his back. The sword was about a foot wide and, although not sharp, weighed several hundred kilograms.

"Please!" With a soft shout from Fang Yu, the sword slammed heavily onto the ground, the sound like a muffled thunder. The blue bricks beneath his feet cracked in response, and he shot out like an arrow, heading straight for Feng Wujiu's central path!

Feng Wujiu remained calm and unhurried, his figure suddenly drifting backward, while his right hand flicked the air with his five fingers, as if plucking an invisible string.

"Zheng—!"

A resounding melody from a zither, powerful enough to stop the clouds in their tracks, suddenly exploded in my ears!

The melody was strange and unusual, unlike any other, penetrating Fang Yu's ears and reaching his very bones.

Fang Yu felt his blood surging, his vision went black, and his thunderous momentum suddenly stopped.

He felt as if countless needles were pricking his limbs and bones, and his tendons and veins felt as if they were being torn apart. His wrist, which was holding the sword, trembled slightly, and the iron sword seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.

This is the Feng family's ultimate technique, "Great Evolution Without Strings." This method is renowned throughout the eight wastelands for its three strings: "Zhen," "Lie," and "Ban." Disturbing the enemy with musical notes is the power of the "Zhen" string.

Feng Wujiu did not stop, his fingers flying across the screen.

"laugh--!"

A clear, short sound like tearing silk rang out, and a condensed, almost tangible sonic blade whistled through the air, cunningly and ruthlessly shooting straight at Fang Yu's chest and abdomen!

Its speed was so fast that Fang Yu, who had just suppressed his dizziness, had no time to dodge. He could only hold his sword horizontally to his chest, barely managing to block his vital organs.

A dull tearing sound rang out, followed by gasps from the surrounding crowd. Fang Yu's left sleeve instantly turned to dust, and a deep, bone-revealing wound opened up on his arm, gushing blood like a fountain!

This is the power of the "splitting" string!

"So strong!" one of the spectators exclaimed sincerely.

"Is this the power of scions of aristocratic families?"

It's no wonder that the scions of aristocratic families are so arrogant; however, most of the people present couldn't withstand Feng Wujiu's first two moves.

"Fang Yu, we didn't need to fight. If you step back now, I will apologize to you in person another day," Feng Wujiu said kindly, feeling a little sorry for him.

Fang Yu raised his hand, wiped the bloodstains splattered on his face, grinned and said, "Ha, well done, 'Great Evolution Without Strings,' let's go again!" After saying that, he twirled his sword and rushed forward again.

The two fought for several rounds. Feng Wujiu, his long robe fluttering, moved with ease through the arena, like a willow swaying through flowers. Wherever he pointed, the wind transformed into invisible blades, aiming directly at Fang Yu's vital joints.

Under the influence of the vibrating string, Fang Yu's steps became unsteady, and his body was torn open with numerous gashes. Although no vital organs were injured, the damage was still shocking, and he was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.

At this moment, Shen Qing, standing beside Zhou Li, couldn't help but sigh, "Senior Brother Fang should just admit defeat. Why force yourself to keep going like this?"

Zhou Li observed very carefully, a thoughtful look in his eyes, and said softly, "That's not necessarily true."

At this moment, a sharp-eyed person in the crowd shouted, "Look, the two are slowly closing the distance between them!"

Indeed, although Fang Yu was in a sorry state, he was gradually closing the distance between them, and was about to break into Feng Wujiu's vicinity.

Feng Wujiu shook his head, thinking, "It seems there's no way to resolve this peacefully." He then made a hand seal, and a series of continuous musical notes followed.

The music was no longer violent; it was like a clear mountain stream leaping over rocks, formless and intangible, yet like layers of ripples, instantly enveloping Fang Yu.

Fang Yu suddenly felt himself trapped in a quagmire. Every step he took required several times more effort than usual, and every swing was like cutting through flowing water. His strength was dissipated layer by layer by the invisible ripples, making his efforts futile.

On the high platform, the elder watching the battle nodded slightly: "Using sound to create barriers and trap the enemy invisibly, Wu Jiu has actually been able to comprehend the Feng family's 'barrier' string. To achieve this at such a young age is truly remarkable."

Another elder chimed in: "Fang Yu does have a solid foundation, but unfortunately... if he can't break through this sound barrier, he'll ultimately be fighting like a trapped beast."

The disciples in the arena were extremely anxious. Some couldn't help but sigh, "Brother Fang is already in such a sorry state before even breaking through the sound barrier. Now that he's trapped inside it, his chances are slim."

Shen Qing's eyes widened, her slender fingers clenching the hem of her clothes: "Feng Wujiu actually has a backup plan. It's over, it's over. Senior Brother Fang is really going to lose this time."

Hearing Shen Qing say this, Zhou Li shook his head and said, "No, Junior Brother Fang is going to win."

"Hmm... Ah? What did you say, Senior Brother? Senior Brother Fang's aura is scattered, and his whole body is locked by the sound barrier. How can he win?" Shen Qing looked incredulous.

Zhou Li's gaze was fixed on Fang Yu: "At first, Feng Wujiu used the clear, resonant sound of his zither to confuse the enemy. Ordinary disciples would inevitably be dazzled and their movements would be slowed down, but..."

He paused slightly: "I've observed that every time Junior Brother Fang is struck, his dizziness always seems to be... a beat too late."

"So what?" Shen Qing asked, somewhat puzzled. "Perhaps Senior Brother Fang has a strong will and is forcing himself to persevere?"

"It's not support, but... a cover-up." Zhou Li turned to look at Shen Qing. "Perhaps Fang Yu has a solid foundation, or perhaps his body is resilient due to physical cultivation, Fang Yu was not truly disturbed by the music."

"Senior brother, are you saying that he pretended to be disturbed to confuse his opponent?" Shen Qing's mouth gaped slightly, her eyes filled with even deeper shock. "Even if it meant getting injured?"

Zhou Li's gaze returned to the two locked in a stalemate, and he slowly said, "At first I was also a little confused, but I just realized it. Fang Yu was testing the waters with his own body."

"Test the waters with my own body?" Shen Qing murmured repeatedly, her delicate brows furrowed.

"Indeed." Zhou Li's voice carried a hint of enlightenment. "He is using his physique, honed through countless trials, to measure the sharpness of the Feng family's sound blade! Only by experiencing its pain firsthand can one truly understand its limitations."

"Senior brother, I don't understand..." Shen Qing was even more confused.

"Hehe," Zhou Li chuckled, "Junior Sister, look, Fang Yu is about to turn the tables."

Before he finished speaking, Fang Yu's eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light. He slammed his heavy sword into the ground and simultaneously channeled all his strength into his feet, kicking the sword. The greatsword carved a trench more than a foot deep into the ground.

In the blink of an eye, Fang Yu lowered his waist and hips, his body almost lying on the ground. Using his waist as an axis, he suddenly exerted force, his whole body like a tiger running close to the ground, fiercely crushing towards Feng Wujiu along the ravine.

The iron sword dragged behind him, its tip scraping against the blue bricks with a harsh friction sound, sparks flying.

He actually carved a gap directly through these multiple sound barriers.

This sudden change of tactics allowed Fang Yu to break free from the constraints of the sound barrier, making him even faster than before!

A barely perceptible look of surprise flashed across Feng Wujiu's eyes. He changed his finger technique and produced a vibrating sound, but Fang Yu was completely unaffected. He and his sword had already rushed to Feng Wujiu's side!