"These two brothers really aren't on good terms," Yao Hong mumbled.
"This Fang Yuan is too cruel, treating his brother like this," many people frowned unhappily.
"Fang Yuan is too savage, extorting our primeval stones for an entire year! Now he's treating his brother like this," the students gritted their teeth.
Fang Yuan's coldness forced out their hatred towards a common enemy.
"Fang Zheng, stand up, stand up! Defeat Fang Yuan." Some unknown student shouted.
"Defeat Fang Yuan, defeat Fang Yuan!" Instantly, many youngsters shouted.
"This Fang Yuan, is indeed a hated person." Mo Yan snorted, enjoying his predicament.
"Fang Zheng, hang in there, stand up! Defeat this monster Fang Yuan!"
"Fang Zheng, stand up. We're with you."
"Fang Zheng, you can do it, you can do it!"
The crowd roared with support, and waves of encouragement reached Fang Zheng's ears.
Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!
He panted heavily, but each cheer seemed to pour strength into his heart.
"Everyone…" Fang Zheng looked around, taking in the worried, hopeful gazes surrounding him, his heart deeply moved.
Everyone…
They all believe in me.
My classmates, my uncle and aunt, Shen Cui, even the clan leader…
They're all watching, waiting, cheering for me.
How can I give up now?
How can I lose here?
How can I let them down!
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears as light returned to his eyes.
I won't fall here!
I'll cast off the shadows and rise again!
His fists clenched tightly.
The pain no longer mattered.
It felt as if a lion inside his chest had finally awakened—roaring with fierce determination.
His blood surged like fire.
Stand up.
Rise!
Shatter the shadows. Shatter the darkness!
"ARGHHHHHHHHH!" Fang Zheng opened his mouth wide to shout, his body starting to emit a green jade light.
"What's that?" The crowd silenced.
"Jade Skin Gu!" Someone shouted.
Bam!
The students roared towards the heavens.
"Fang Zheng, you can do it!"
"Fang Zheng, we have your back!"
Finally only one last cheer remained —"Stand up! Stand up!"
"Everyone….. I can hear your voices." Fang Zheng clenched his fist, his teeth almost crushed. Fang Yuan's pressure was no longer so imposing, he could finally get up, slowly and steadily.
The shouting intensified.
"He's burning with anger!!"
"He's going to do a comeback."
Gu Masters hearing such cheers and excitement from the crowd, were all starting to feel moved.
"That's right, Fang Zheng, that's right! Stand up, stand up, abandon the past, dispel the shadow and stand up, you will become a new person!" Clan leader's eyes shone with bright light as he cheered Fang Zheng on in his heart.
Only Fang Yuan's expression remained unchanged as he watched Fang Zheng slowly stand up
Fang Zheng had always been hiding this trump card up till now and did not reveal it to anyone, thus nobody knew about it.
"Fang Zheng got up!" The crowds' cheers exploded.
"He stood up!" Clan leader was moved, uncontrollably standing up from his seat. At this moment, he saw the rise of an A-grade talent! He saw the future of the Gu Yue clan!
"I stood up, brother, I will defeat you!" Fang Zheng's eyes burned with determination, his entire body enveloped in bright green light like he was wear a jade armor!
"Oh wow, this defense, even the moonblade can't pierce it. It seems Fang Zheng wins." Yao Hong raised her brows, blowing a whistle.
"Indeed, even with the Little Light Gu's reinforcement, hitting on this barrier, it would only cause Fang Zheng's primeval essence to be consumed faster. But comparing primeval essence expenditure, Fang Yuan is no match for Fang Zheng. After this match, Fang Zheng is going to rise!" Qing Shu laughed lightly.
"Fang Zheng had a Jade Skin Gu, but only used it now. It seems Fang Yuan's earlier attacks confused him. But now, victory is already waving towards him." Mo Yan folded her arms, her gaze slightly uncertain.
Time seemed to stand still.
On the stage, the two brothers faced one another.
They stood so near, yet felt worlds apart.
Fang Zheng radiated unwavering determination, while Fang Yuan remained cold and distant as ever.
"Little brother…" He looked at Fang Zheng peacefully, his lips curling into a smirk, "Thinking of defeating me, you're still far from it."
He raised his right hand, his right arm flexing, pulling into a bow shape.
"Big brother, you've lost!" Fang Zheng felt amused in his heart seeing Fang Yuan's raised fist.
Fang Yuan did not say anything, but he used his fist to give the most straightforward answer.
The next moment, the right fist flew in the air and hit Fang Zheng harshly on the cheeks.
Bam!
After a loud crash, blood spilled as the jade light smashed to bits like broken mirror fragments dancing in the sky before vanishing.
The force of the blow sent Fang Zheng's body flying back a short distance. Without any chance to retaliate or even react, he was hit with such force that it nearly broke his neck — worse, it knocked him unconscious.
"How can this… be!" His vision darkened, and he collapsed on the arena —
Plop.
Fang Zheng fell on the ground, the light dissipating on his body as he fainted in the next moment.
The shouts and cheers came to an abrupt end.
The happy, excited expressions of the students were still glued on their faces, unable to change due to such a shock.
The entire arena was silent.
The fight was now truly ended in a single punch.
Fang Yuan's right first were bloody, to the point his bloody finger bones could be seen. Drops of blood fell and dripped on the stage.
Swoosh…
A cold winter wind blew, freezing away all the hot-bloodedness.
Fang Yuan's hair wavered in the air as he stood still on the stage. It was almost as if the heavily injured person with both his fists almost crippled was not him!
He looked coldly at the surroundings with a calm expression.
Everyone was silent.
In the tentage, the clan leader was still standing, staring dumbfoundedly.
"Sorry, I've let you all disappointed," Fang Yuan said lightly.
After a momentary silence, the crowds erupted.
"How can this be?" Some people hugged their heads, revealing an expression of disbelief.
"Just a single punch to break the Jade Skin Gu's defense, this-this-this…" Some people were tongue-tied.
"Too savage, even the jade light got smashed by him, does he not feel pain?" Some female Gu Masters took in a chilly breath.
"Without any defensive Gu worm and using his bare hands to break the jade light, this is true self-harm!" Even male Gu Masters' eyes twitched upon seeing Fang Yuan's hands, and were shocked by his ruthlessness.
Being ruthless to others, that is easy, but being ruthless to yourself, that is hard.
Fang Yuan using his bare hand to break the Jade Skin Gu's defense, it was not only savage to his younger brother, but even harsher on himself!
"I'll go take a look." The academy elder could no longer stand it, and after saying so, he jumped onto the stage.
He first squatted down and observed the fainted Fang Zheng, sighing in relief as he found that Fang Zheng was not in a critical condition. His head just had a huge impact, causing him to fall unconscious.
"Unbelievable, with the Jade Skin Gu's defense, he still suffered such heavy injuries from someone using their bare hands." The academy elder was shocked internally, raising his head and looking at Fang Yuan, his eyes shining with a fierce light.
"Fang Yuan, I'll heal you." The academy elder stood up, taking a few huge strides towards Fang Yuan and grabbing his forearm.
Fang Yuan's fist was in bad shape. The skin over his knuckles was torn and bleeding, and the force of the punch had caused deep bruising and swelling. A sharp ache ran through his hand, hinting at possible fractures in his fingers.
"How intense this pain is, yet he didn't even frown a bit." The academy elder looked at the injury and could only imagine how much it hurt.
His tone was complicated, saying to Fang Yuan, "Endure it, the healing is very itchy and also very painful."
The academy elder spread his fingers, releasing a bright wave of blue moonlight that made his hand glow like translucent jade.
He gently placed it over Fang Yuan's injured fist.
The cold touch sent a sharp pain through Fang Yuan, but he endured it silently.
The soft moonlight slowly bathed the wound, beginning the healing process.
Fang Yuan fist immediately shows signs of recovering.
Fang Yuan felt an intense itching, causing him to breathe heavily.
The academy elder's expression was calm. While healing Fang Yuan, he diverted a part of his concentration towards Fang Yuan's arm, and also inspected his aperture.
Same as what the academy elder has saw yesterday.
In the aperture, the light red primeval essence was raging like waves in the sea.
A white and fat liquor worm was swimming and playing in the primeval sea.
The light membrane aperture walls, where the light is thin and flickering. This showed Fang Yuan's Rank two initial stage cultivation clearly.
The academy elder did not look away, but continued to scan Fang Yuan's body.
Finally, he found that on Fang Yuan's palm, there was the Moonlight Gu and Little Light Gu.
"Once again, no other Gu worms, did Fang Yuan really use his own strength to break the defense of the Jade Skin Gu? Such strength is far beyond a mortal adult. He is only fifteen years old, how can he have such strength?" The academy elder's eyes shone with suspicion.
"Clan elder, thank you for your treatment." Fang Yuan took back his arm from the academy elder and shook it around.
The injury had already been fully healed. If this was back on Earth, such an injury would have taken a half a year or a year to heal and would even leave some serious side effects.
This was the magical aspect of this world.
But Fang Yuan was not grateful to the academy elder. His injury could also be healed by other healing Gu Masters, and he was well aware: the academy elder's motive was to inspect his aperture.
But once again, Fang Yuan did not mind, as refusing to let the academy elder probe him would have been even more suspicious.
The academy elder did not find anything, and that caused him to frown. Although he was still suspicious in his heart, but in front of so many people, he did not have the proper opportunity to ask.
"Fang Yuan, you performed well, continue working hard." Finally, the academy elder patted Fang Yuan's shoulder and declared loudly, "This year's final exam, the first place goes to Fang Yuan!"