Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

On the field, Fengping and the young Taoist priest faced each other, clasped their hands in a gesture of respect.

"Fire Virtue Sect, Fengping, please enlighten me!"

"Wudang, Song Mian, please enlighten me!"

Feng Ping smiled broadly: "Master Song, I have come sincerely to learn from the masters of Wudang. I don't like formalities, so please don't stand on ceremony with me!"

Song Mian laughed heartily, "Good, I also admire Brother Feng's straightforwardness! I'll give it a try..."

He had intended to stop there. But upon seeing Feng Ping's aura again, he was startled—bright, scorching, explosive…

He was not facing a person, but a boiling wildfire. He immediately realized that there was no room for holding back in this competition.

Off the court.

Song Mian... Zhang Zhiwei glanced at the young Taoist priest on the field. This was an internal battle among the Thirty-Six Thieves.

Although Wudang didn't use their trump card in the first round, the disciples they sent out were still quite skilled.

After all, this is Wudang's home ground, and to suffer a crushing defeat in the first match would be a huge loss of points.

Although Song Mian was not as good as Zhou Sheng and Zhou Meng in Wudang, he was still one of the top performers.

In the eyes of the red-faced old Taoist priest, among the younger generation, there are very few who can surpass Song Mian.

Younger generations with high skills, such as Lu Jin, Lü Ci, and Zhang Huaiyi, will likely observe for a while and will not immediately take the stage.

In this way, even if Song Mian wins several rounds in a row and is then defeated, he won't lose any points; he'll save face and dignity.

But unexpectedly, Fengping of Huodezong did not play by the rules and went into battle in the first round.

This will undoubtedly disrupt Wudang's rhythm.

This is also why Master Chu, Fengping's master, was unhappy.

Now that it's Wudang's home turf, everyone should, in principle, show some consideration for Wudang's reputation...

Jianghu is not about fighting and killing; Jianghu is about human relations.

In Master Chu's view, it was undoubtedly not worth ruining Wudang's reputation to maintain a trivial conflict between two juniors, Lu Jin and Lü Ci.

However, Fengping didn't consider that much.

He and Lu Jin were good friends, and although he had conflicts with Lü Ci, they even got into a fight at the Lu family compound.

But this was just a matter of pride; their shared experiences of life and death in Northeast China had long since dispelled these misunderstandings.

Now they've become friends after a fight, and their relationship is great.

When two close friends had a falling out, he naturally stepped in to help.

Of course, besides this factor, he was also eager to show his progress over the years to his senior brother Zhang.

That's why he was the first to go on stage.

The red-faced old Taoist was unaware of Feng Ping's thoughts. He wouldn't hold a grudge against a junior, but he sighed inwardly, thinking, "As expected of a disciple of the Fire Virtue Sect, his temperament is indeed fiery..."

Judging from his aura and ability, he only needed to glance at Feng Ping to know that Song Mian's chances of winning against him were very small.

If they lose the first home game, they absolutely cannot afford to lose again, or they will become a laughing stock. So he sent someone to find Zhou Sheng.

Unexpectedly, out of the group of disciples, only Zhou Meng came.

"Where's the big monkey?" the red-faced old Taoist asked Zhou Meng.

Zhou Meng replied in a low voice, "Master Li, Zhou Sheng, Hong Yin, and Xiao Lu have all been out of the mountains for the past two days. I went to look for them the day before yesterday, but due to the complicated rituals, I couldn't search many places. Shall I go look for them again?"

"You don't need to go!" The red-faced old Taoist frowned. "Send Wang Zhongsheng to search. You stay here and wait. If Song Mian is no match, you take his place immediately!"

"it is good!"

Zhou Meng agreed and looked up at the field.

On the stage, Feng Ping and Song Mian were already engaged in a fierce battle.

Song Mian held the Seven Stars Magic Sword, its blade shimmering with the seven constellations and inlaid with a Tai Chi pattern in the black ice.

He lowered his body slightly, held his sword horizontally in front of him, and then shot out like an arrow released from a bow!

His footsteps were rapid and rhythmic, like the beat of a drum, and he exerted a heavy force with each step, leaving a footprint nearly two inches deep on the bluestone ground.

Feng Ping clasped his hands together, then suddenly pulled them apart, and a blazing crimson flame extended from his palms, instantly condensing into a finely crafted three-foot-long flame sword!

"Keng!"

Swords clashed fiercely! The Seven Star Sword could not cut through the flaming blades. The two figures moved swiftly on the stage, the sound of metal clashing echoing incessantly.

In a flash, Song Mian twisted his body and drew his sword, the tip of which slashed straight at Feng Ping's face, about to pierce his brow!

Two bursts of flame suddenly erupted beneath Feng Ping's feet! A massive surge of air rose up, and the flames, like a jet engine, instantly propelled Feng Ping backward several feet, narrowly avoiding the fatal sword strike!
Having missed his target, Song Mian stomped his foot hard, sending pebbles flying as he shot towards Feng Ping like a cannonball!

"Great, fantastic!"

"Go, Senior Brother Song!"

"Senior Brother Song, well done!"

The Wudang disciples in the audience cheered, all feeling that their senior brother had gained the upper hand.

Zhang Zhiwei shook his head slightly, saying that they should be more vigilant now than press their advantage.

The flames beneath Toyohira's feet can both help him dodge and launch attacks.

Song Mian's pursuit with a sword strike was just like what is described in the Zuo Zhuan: "One should strike with full force at the first drumbeat, but the momentum will wane at the second."

His first strike failed, so he forced himself to strike again.

This is not pressing the advantage; it's giving the opponent an opportunity.

As expected, Fengping seized the opportunity precisely.

He raised his flaming longsword high, gathering his strength, and the flames beneath his feet suddenly shifted direction. His retreat instantly transformed into a forward charge!
The longsword, brimming with explosive fire, transformed into a crimson rainbow that tore through the air, slashing straight at Song Mian's face!
"boom!"

A scorching, almost tangible wave of air crashed violently into the sword's edge!
The blow was powerful and heavy, and Song Mian couldn't defend against it at all. He was blasted back several steps, and the Seven Star Magic Sword in his hand flew out and crashed to the stone ground in the distance with a "clang".

This scene caused an uproar among the audience.

The situation reversed in an instant.

Zhang Zhiwei nodded: "Fengping has made great progress, hasn't he? The two balls of fire he used at his feet were very creative."

The idea of ​​using the principle of flame jets for movement was something even he had to acknowledge.

Upon hearing this, Master Chu, Fengping's master, laughed and said, "That's just something this kid made up while fooling around. He calls it the 'Wind and Fire Wheel'."

Zhang Zhiwei: "…………"

This doesn't look like a wheel of fire at all! He had a preconceived notion that it looked like a flame propulsion device. "Haha," Zhang Jingqing laughed, "it does indeed have some of the legendary wheel of fire's charm!"

"With Xiao Gao Gong no longer holding his sword, isn't the outcome of this match already decided?" said the Wang family head.

"Not entirely. Wudang's Tai Chi is also exceptional!" said the head of the Lü family. Because he possessed the Ruyi Jin, he paid particular attention to Tai Chi.

But no one agreed, because the Huode Sect was not known for its weapons; their specialty was using fire to bombard from a distance.

Feng Ping was already holding back by using his Qi to create a flaming blade to fight his opponent.

At this moment, Feng Ping swung his flaming blade again, and a flaming blade aura several meters long sliced ​​through the air towards Song Mian!
But Song Mian, who had no sword, used his hand as a guide, and as his body turned, a faint Tai Chi energy ring appeared out of thin air, which dissolved the violent sword energy into nothingness as if it had been thrown into the sea!
Back then, when Zhang Zhiwei was preaching at Wudang, Song Mian was one of the listeners.

That oral instruction greatly improved his Tai Chi strength.

Of course, Feng Ping also consulted Zhang Zhiwei many times, and his skills improved considerably.

Song Mian used Tai Chi energy to neutralize Feng Ping's sword energy, then suddenly lunged forward, his hands like taut bowstrings, and unleashed a "Seven Star Cannon" strike.

The powerful and unparalleled fist force, accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, slammed fiercely into the flaming blade in Fengping's hand!

"Oh!"

Fist and blade collided! Song Mian was struck hard and staggered back several steps, each step leaving a deep crater in the ground!
Even more shocking was the charred gash on his gray Taoist robe around his abdomen.

Just now, although he shattered the flame blade with the force of Tai Chi, the scattered fragments of flame still splashed onto his body, burning the skin under the cloth!

As for Feng Ping, he also underestimated the power of Song Mian's "Seven-Star Cannon".

In his mind, Tai Chi emphasizes using softness to overcome hardness and resolving conflicts.

Unexpectedly, Song Mian's move was fierce and domineering, with the force of a thousand pounds. It not only shattered the Flame Blade, but the remaining force also penetrated the blade directly, forcing him to use Fire Release.

His entire body began to swell and throb uncontrollably, and restless flames surged forth from his seven orifices before exploding violently.

"boom!"

Amidst rolling waves of intense heat, Fengping emerged, his body ablaze with faint golden flames.

Clearly, he started to get serious and used the Golden Fire.

Zhang Huaiyi, Lu Jin, and others had seen Feng Ping use Fire Release Technique when he fought Wu Gensheng at Yinghe Tower, so they were not surprised by it.

The other spectators were in an uproar. They couldn't see through the trick at all and were greatly shocked by the strangeness and unpredictability of this technique!
On the field, Song Mian was also seeing this move for the first time, and he was greatly surprised. To be able to turn into flames and be immune to attacks was really too exaggerated.

However, with the fierce battle raging ahead, he had no time to think things through.

No matter how many spells you use, I can break them all with the power of Tai Chi!
With a fierce determination, he lightly touched the ground with his toes, his body moving like a swallow skimming the water or a cannonball leaving the barrel, instantly sliding in front of Feng Ping! His heels sank deep into the paving stones, his back arched into a full bow, and his fists tore through the wind, smashing down on Feng Ping like thunderbolts!

Upon witnessing this scene, Master Chu, Fengping's master, couldn't help but exclaim, "Double Wind Cannon: Shooting a Tiger with a Bow! This is the most powerful and fierce killing move in Tai Chi, requiring extremely high strength! This young Taoist priest has actually mastered it to such a level, truly remarkable!"

The red-faced old Taoist shook his head and said, "Everything has its counter. No matter how powerful this move is, it can't do anything to that 'Nezha'."

If you can't break through the elusive Fire Release technique, even the strongest fist will be useless.

Offstage, Lü Ci's eyes narrowed; he admitted that he had begun to underestimate this young Taoist.

That move was indeed something special; even he wouldn't dare say he could easily block it.

Lu Jin also had a solemn expression, secretly relieved that he hadn't been provoked by Lü Ci to go on stage earlier; otherwise, even if he had won against this person, he probably wouldn't have been able to fight Lü Ci again.

On the field, Feng Ping, facing Song Mian's overwhelming attack, did not choose to use fire-escape techniques to dodge, but instead chose to confront it head-on.

He placed his palms together in front of his chest, and a flash of golden light appeared. A fireball formed from golden flames pulsated, contracted, and expanded violently in his palms, like a beating, inexhaustible crimson-gold heart!

When Zhang Zhiwei saw the fireball, he couldn't help but grin. This kid had taken his advice to heart.

Just now, seeing Fengping using some fancy fire knife, he thought the kid was ignoring his words, but he never expected that he was hiding it behind the scenes.

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. If we used this as soon as we entered the arena and defeated Song Mian in one move, wouldn't that be disrespectful to Wudang?

I'm afraid Master Chu would have to angrily rebuke this beast on the spot.

Zhang Zhiwei subconsciously looked at his master.

At this moment, almost everyone's eyes were on the field, but when Zhang Zhiwei looked at his master, he found that his master was also looking at him.

His gaze was somewhat unfriendly, as if to say, "See? Even this reckless kid Fengping is more worldly-wise than you!"

Zhang Zhiwei's eyes twitched slightly, and he quickly looked away, turning his gaze back to the arena.

Song Mian punched the fireball.

Before anyone could see what was happening, the ground trembled, golden flames exploded, and molten lava poured out in all directions, with black smoke swirling around the arena.

"Little Song!"

With a surge of emotion, Zhou Meng burst into the arena. His body was filled with Tai Chi energy, showing no fear of the high temperature, thick smoke, or lingering flames. He forcefully rushed in and dragged Song Mian out.

Song Mian's Taoist robe was torn, and he looked like a red-hot shrimp; he had already fainted.

Feng Ping stood amidst the afterglow, panting heavily. He first looked at Zhang Zhiwei, grinning as if soliciting a reward, then turned to Zhou Meng, clasping his hands in a fist salute:

"Brother Daoist, I held back just now. You're alright, you just fainted."

The crowd below grimaced in disbelief. They would have believed that the flames could have burned a person to a crisp, but this kid was saying there was no serious injury? His control over fire was so high.

Indeed, this is true. Over the years, Feng Ping has always kept Zhang Zhiwei's teachings in mind: cultivation is not about many messy things, but about tracing back to the source and grasping the core essence!

Those elaborate and fancy transformations are just minor details.

He devoted all his energy to the most basic "fireball" technique: constantly compressing and condensing it, incorporating more explosive and fierce fire energy into it, in pursuit of purer power!
In this process of extreme refinement, his control over the flames also improved significantly.

Those fire dragons and phoenixes that once required repeated study to conjure up lifelike forms can now be created with ease.

His fellow disciples were surprised by this, but he wasn't. After all, he could perfectly control the power of the "sun" leaping in his palm, so manipulating the flame form was a piece of cake!

Zhou Meng quickly handed Song Mian over to the disciples waiting below the stage, then turned and went back up onto the stage, his face ashen, but he still bowed respectfully and said:

"Brother Feng, you are truly remarkable. I am but a humble disciple and would like to learn from your skills."

Feng Ping, panting heavily, glanced at Zhou Meng, clasped his hands, and said, "My victory over Fellow Daoist Song just now was only by chance. I have no strength left to fight. I really can't win. Farewell!"

After saying that, he turned and left the stage without any hesitation.

Zhou Meng's lips twitched, feeling as if he had punched cotton, and he felt a deep sense of frustration in his chest.

Fengping stepped off the stage and headed straight for the elders' seats.

Master Chu, his face dark, was about to reprimand this reckless disciple in front of everyone.

But when Fengping walked past him, he just chuckled at him without stopping.

Instead of stopping, he walked until he stood in front of Zhang Zhiwei and stared straight at him.

His gaze towards Zhang Zhiwei was filled with youthful enthusiasm and anticipation. (End of Chapter)