Chapter 45: The Storm and the Gale Collide

The moment their fists clashed, a shockwave erupted, sending cracks sprawling across the stone arena.

Ling Tian and Jiang Cheng vanished, their figures flickering between positions at speeds too fast for the ordinary eye to follow.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each clash sent ripples through the air. Fists met palms, swords clashed against energy-infused strikes, and the very ground beneath them trembled from their battle.

Jiang Cheng thrust forward, his Void Severing Edge flashing with an eerie glow.

Ling Tian's pupils shrank—too fast!

He twisted his body at the last second, Jiang Cheng's sword slicing through his afterimage.

"Windless Phantom Step!"

Ling Tian reappeared above Jiang Cheng, his leg descending like a falling meteor.

Boom!

Jiang Cheng barely raised his arm in time, blocking the kick, but the impact drove him into the ground.

Dust exploded outward, obscuring the battlefield.

For a moment, silence.

Then—a golden streak shot upward from the crater.

Jiang Cheng hadn't fallen.

Instead, he met Ling Tian mid-air, their fists colliding once again.

A Battle Beyond Limits

Their movements grew faster, wilder, and more desperate.

Jiang Cheng's Speed of the Wind God pushed his reflexes to their peak, while Ling Tian's Phantom Gale Steps made him feel like a ghost in the wind.

They were no longer simply attacking—they were adapting, countering, improving mid-battle.

Ling Tian sent out a barrage of palm strikes.

"Heaven's Storm Barrage!"

Each strike created shockwaves, distorting the air itself.

Jiang Cheng's sword blurred—"Cloud Splitting Slash!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The ground split apart from their exchange of attacks, the entire arena resembling a battlefield of shattered stone and swirling dust.

Neither of them backed down.

Neither of them relented.

Their figures became nothing but two blurs streaking across the battlefield.

Their fight had transcended the competition.

This was no longer about victory.

It was a test.

A battle of equals.

The Final Exchange

Ling Tian narrowed his eyes. "One last strike?"

Jiang Cheng smirked. "Agreed."

They took their stances.

The world grew silent.

Every spectator held their breath.

The wind stopped blowing. The dust settled. Even the heavens seemed to pause in anticipation.

Then—

They moved.

Ling Tian became a streak of silver, his speed pushing past his limit.

Jiang Cheng's sword vanished from sight, his Void Severing Edge executed at its fastest speed ever.

BOOM!

The collision created a storm of energy, blinding everyone in the audience.

And when the dust finally settled—

Both fighters stood frozen in place.

A deep gash was cut into Ling Tian's robes.

A thin cut traced across Jiang Cheng's shoulder.

And then—they both collapsed at the same time.

A Draw Between Monsters

Silence.

Then—the crowd erupted.

"A draw?! They're equal?!"

"Monsters… These two are monsters!"

Even the elders on the judging panel had stunned expressions.

For a long moment, neither Jiang Cheng nor Ling Tian spoke.

Then—they both laughed.

Ling Tian lay on the ground, staring at the sky. "That was the best fight I've had in years."

Jiang Cheng, panting, smirked. "You're fast, but I'll surpass you next time."

Ling Tian chuckled. "Heh. I'll be waiting."

Though they had fought fiercely, there was no hatred.

Instead, they had gained mutual respect.

A rivalry had been born—one that would push them both to greater heights.

And this… was only the beginning.

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