Fang Zheng had stepped off the stage earlier, but the crowd's praise still echoed in his ears, making his heart surge with a sense of renewal.
Everything felt different now.
He was overwhelmed by the thrill of being recognized, the hope of gaining approval, and the joy of earning praise.
Even as the cold winter wind brushed against him, all he felt was a warm glow, like standing under the summer sun.
"Last match, Gu Yue Fang Zheng vs Gu Yue Fang Yuan!" A while later, an announcer shouted.
The final battle, Gu Yue Fang Zheng vs Gu Yue Fang Yuan!
"Oh, interesting."
"To think that at the end, it is a showdown between brothers."
"Fang Zheng…" Seeing this, the clan leader's smile faded slightly, "The greatest obstacle in your heart is your brother Fang Yuan. Go ahead and defeat him, you have A-grade red steel primeval essence while also having the Jade Skin Gu. With both offense and defense, you have the greatest advantage. Break apart this obstacle in your way, and you shall be reborn!"
The final match began at last.
The two brothers stood face to face on the arena, locked in a silent stare.
The fading sunlight bathed the arena in a crimson glow, like blood on a royal carpet.
Their faces were nearly identical.
The younger brother's eyes burned with determination, while the elder's gaze remained dark and unfathomable, like the depths of an abyss.
"Brother…" Fang Zheng's fists were clenched as he stared intently at Fang Yuan, speaking with a firm voice," Admit defeat! I have over 80% red steel primeval essence. Your red steel primeval essence is only 44%, you have no chance."
Fang Yuan lightly looked at his brother, "You are surely clear about my primeval essence. But it's better if you don't spout nonsense. If primeval essence can decide the victory, what's the point of fighting?"
Fang Zheng was momentarily stunned, but quickly regained his composure, determination igniting in his eyes.
Deep down, he didn't truly want Fang Yuan to surrender—he longed for a real fight.
But Fang Yuan was his elder brother, and out of respect for their bond, he felt obligated to offer the chance.
Otherwise, it would feel far too heartless.
"Since big brother is so determined, then I have no choice but to attack!" Before he finished his sentence, Fang Zheng rushed towards Fang Yuan.
"This again!" Below the stage, Mo Bei looking at this scene, gritted his teeth. He made up his mind to harshly train himself after going back and return this humiliation tenfold to Fang Zheng!
"Fang Yuan is finished, he does not have my Dragonpill cricket Gu." Chi Cheng folded his arms and smirked, enjoying Fang Yuan's troubles.
Fang Zheng dashed forward, quickly closing the gap, a glowing orb of moonlight forming in his hand.
Fang Yuan's face remained cold and unreadable, completely unfazed by the charge. Blue moonlight began to gather in his own palm.
Then—
With a heavy stomp, Fang Yuan lunged forward instead of retreating, heading straight for Fang Zheng.
"This!" Fang Zheng did not expect Fang Yuan's movement, he panicked internally and quickly fired a moonblade.
Fang Yuan charged forward, twisting his body to narrowly dodge the moonblade by a hair.
His face stayed calm—no shouting, no flare of emotion—but an intense, icy aura radiated from him in that eerie silence.
Fang Zheng instinctively stepped back. Though his limit was six meters, Fang Yuan had already closed the distance to five. Now it was Fang Zheng who needed space.
Fang Zheng retreated quickly, flicking his wrist to fire off multiple moonblades, hoping to force Fang Yuan back.
But Fang Yuan advanced smoothly, each step sharp and precise. His movements were swift and fluid, dodging each blade with uncanny precision, just barely slipping past their edges.
"This Fang Yuan is even more daring!" Yao Hong shouted.
"Such a battle, they've disregarded death already," Qing Shu also exclaimed.
"Another battle maniac!" Mo Yan gritted her teeth, giving a glance at Chi Shan who was not far away.
Chi Shan remained expressionless, though his eyes occasionally flashed with light.
The audience had fallen silent, completely absorbed by the intense battle on stage.
Moonblades skimmed past Fang Yuan, each one narrowly missing its mark. From time to time, their blue glow lit up his face—his cold expression never wavered. Every close dodge revealed his extraordinary combat instincts.
The clan leader and elders wore grim, focused looks.
Chi Cheng and Mo Bei stood stunned, mouths agape, watching Fang Yuan evade every strike with uncanny precision.
How was he doing it? That question echoed in the minds of many students.
To Fang Yuan, Fang Zheng was as transparent as a clear stream.
No matter how the current twisted or turned through mountain rocks, he could see straight through to the bottom.
Every moonblade attack had a wind-up—it wasn't instantaneous.
Fang Zheng needed to flick his wrist, and to Fang Yuan, that movement alone gave everything away.
Every shift of Fang Zheng's shoulders, each flick of the wrist, every step—Fang Yuan picked up on it all.
He could read Fang Zheng's actions with ease, even going so far as to grasp what was running through his mind.
At that moment, Fang Zheng was overwhelmed with disbelief.
Fang Yuan had always been the shadow looming over him for more than a decade, and now that shadow was turning into a consuming darkness, pulling him into despair.
His anxiety was so intense that he even forgot to activate his Jade Skin Gu.
Fang Yuan's relentless pressure made him panic, breaking his rhythm and leaving no space to think.
This—this was the gap in experience.
This was the difference in foundation and inner strength.
Fang Yuan had never depended on the clan leader, his family, friends, or even Gu worms.
From beginning to end, he relied solely on himself!
In this world, the only person you can truly count on is yourself!!
Teammates and battle partners? They were just crutches for the weak—excuses to expect help from others.
And now, he finally closed the distance with Fang Zheng!
Bam.
Fang Yuan's fist struck out from a concealed angle, landing squarely in Fang Zheng's stomach.
Fang Zheng's body folded from the impact, nearly causing him to vomit. He quickly shielded his head with both arms and stumbled backward. At that critical moment, his solid foundation and reflexes kept him standing.
Fang Yuan had already controlled his strength, deliberately holding back just enough to keep Fang Zheng in the fight. If not, with Fang Yuan's current strength, there was no doubt he could have ended the fight with a single punch.
"Where is he?" Fang Zheng's eyes stared wide, looking around from the gap between his arms, trying to find Fang Yuan's location.
"Behind!" With this thought, Fang Zheng felt a strong force at his waist.
He lost his balance and fell to the ground.
But Fang Zheng wasn't inexperienced.
Thanks to his rigorous training, he rolled swiftly and launched a moonblade behind him as he flipped.
This technique came from the clan leader's personal guidance. If it had been an ordinary opponent, they might have pursued too closely and been caught off guard. Even if the moonblade missed, it would still force them to retreat.
But Fang Yuan was no ordinary person. Even Gu Yue Bo couldn't match his combat instincts.
Fang Yuan didn't rush in. Instead, he circled around calmly, approaching from the side. The moonblade sliced through empty air.
Thinking he had gained some distance, Fang Zheng quickly got to his feet, ready to regroup. But just then, he heard a sharp swoosh.
"This is the gust of a punch!" At that split second, Fang Zheng had such a thought.
Immediately after, he was harshly hit in the ear by Fang Yuan's fist.
Bam.
A wave of dizziness hit him, and his vision went dark. He lost all balance and collapsed onto the ground. For over two breaths, he lay there motionless, struggling to recover.
Gradually, his sight cleared. He looked up and saw Fang Yuan's feet standing right next to him. In that instant, reality hit him. He was lying helpless on the ground like a defeated dog, while Fang Yuan looked down at him from above.
"Damn it!" Fang Zheng was furious and tried to get up.
Under everyone's eyes, Fang Yuan lifted his right leg and stepped down firmly.
Bam.
Fang Zheng's head was harshly stepped on, like a rock hitting the stage, making a loud sound.
"Fuck!" Fang Zheng raged and tried to get up again.
Fang Yuan stared coldly, trampling down once again.
Bam.
Fang Zheng's head hit the stage again. His scalp knocked open and blood bled nonstop.
"Damn! Damn it!!" Fang Zheng's teeth were about to be crushed from his clenching, and the rage in his chest burned through his entire body. He raised his head again, trying to get up.
Bam.
Fang Yuan took his third step. This time, he pressed his foot down firmly on Fang Zheng's head and didn't lift it. The pressure was immense, forcing Fang Zheng's face hard against the stage floor.
His features twisted from the force, and his breath came in sharp gasps. No matter how much he struggled, it was useless. It felt as though a massive boulder was crushing his head—completely immovable.
"Right, how could I forget, I have the Moonlight Gu!" Under the despair, Fang Zheng's inspiration struck, and he thought of the Moonlight Gu.
His right palm gathered moonlight again.
But how could Fang Yuan not notice?
With a light sound, he shot out a moonblade onto Fang Zheng's right palm.
Argh!
Fang Zheng cried out, the immense pain sending his body into a spasm like he was struck by lightning.
His palm was almost pierced through by Fang Yuan, showing his white bones. The Moonlight Gu on his palm was already struck a great blow, it was on the brink of death!