Chapter 148: Close-Quarters Combat

The Spiral Stream Fist is indeed marvelous, Yang Xiao praised inwardly. However, it was clear that his opponent's flying magical treasure also played a crucial role; otherwise, Yang Xiao might not have struggled to face his adversary with ease.

The cultivation technique Bu Yun employed was not only peculiar, but his movement speed, driven by the shuttle-shaped magical treasure, had reached an absolute extreme. Such a level of speed was far beyond what a Qi Condensation stage cultivator could achieve, yet with the shuttle-shaped treasure, everything fell into place seamlessly.

"I must forge a flying treasure of my own in the future, or else I will remain far too passive in the face of such speed," Yang Xiao thought to himself. If he possessed such a treasure as well, it would undoubtedly provide immense assistance in both offense and defense. But this was not the time for such thoughts; he needed to resolve the current crisis as quickly as possible.

"Very well, since you wish to compare fist techniques and engage in close combat, I shall accompany you in close combat." Yang Xiao rapidly drove his Nine-Turn Golden Body to its absolute limit. Having established adequate defense, he no longer harbored any worries, and in turn, he threw several punches toward Bu Yun. Multiple fist shadows immediately manifested, clashing head-on with the ones unleashed by Bu Yun.

The fist shadows from both sides collided and dissipated into the air, while their actual fists simultaneously smashed into each other with tremendous force.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang!" The two exchanged dozens of blows in rapid succession, turning out to be evenly matched even in fist techniques. Although Bu Yun's fist technique was somewhat more sophisticated, Yang Xiao had honed his strength through continuous combat with spirit beasts. Even without systematically studying any particular fist technique, the power behind every punch he threw was formidable. It was sufficient to tear through metal and shatter iron, and ordinary low-grade spiritual treasures might even be crushed to pieces under a single punch from Yang Xiao. Such a tyrannical fist technique was naturally more than enough to withstand Bu Yun's assault.

"Why is this fellow so powerful? His physical body has actually reached such a tyrannical degree, seeming even stronger than my own. If I were not using a sophisticated technique like the Spiral Stream Fist, I am afraid I would be no match for him at all." After exchanging a few close-quarter blows with Yang Xiao, Bu Yun grew greatly astonished. He had spent many years training amidst the sea of beasts, which was how he had forged a virtually indestructible physique capable of battling large spirit beasts bare-handed. Such a body was already terrifyingly powerful, yet compared to Yang Xiao's body, his own seemed somewhat inferior. If he hadn't relied on his marvelous fist techniques, he probably wouldn't have been able to contend with Yang Xiao at all; even so, he was merely holding his own against the opponent with difficulty.

How could a situation like this fail to shock Bu Yun?

"Fortunately, my movement speed is swift, and with the aid of the Cloud-Piercing Shuttle, I can entirely reverse any disadvantage. I don't need to confront him head-on; I can simply attack his vulnerable flanks. In that way, I can still trounce him thoroughly." Bu Yun quickly adjusted his strategy, abandoning direct frontal clashes with Yang Xiao. When Yang Xiao lunged toward him, he utilized his eerie movement techniques to evade the punch while launching a counter-strike from the side. This way, he could avoid being attacked by Yang Xiao while striking the latter at will.

Yang Xiao was naturally forced backward by a punch from Bu Yun. At this moment, inner frustration welled up within him. When it came to speed, he was simply too far inferior to Bu Yun, leaving him with no choice but to endure passive beatings.

In an arena match, one naturally adopts whatever fighting style secures victory. Yang Xiao dared not expect his opponent to abide by any notions of gentlemanly honor or moral integrity. Had it been a pure contest of matching fists, Yang Xiao would have had no fear of the opponent whatsoever, but Bu Yun was clearly no gentleman.

In the blink of an eye, Yang Xiao's numerous attacks fell on empty space, while his body absorbed several strikes from Bu Yun, making him look rather disheveled. Fortunately, the defensive capabilities of the Nine-Turn Golden Body were exceptionally strong, so he did not sustain any severe injuries; only the areas where he was struck ached intensely. He had not experienced such a situation in a very long time. Even past duels with massive spirit beasts had never resulted in this plight, which clearly showed that Bu Yun's fist techniques were far more formidable than the attacks of giant spirit beasts.

Continuing like this was clearly not a viable solution. No matter how marvelous the Nine-Turn Golden Body was, it would struggle to maintain this peak state for long, and eventually, he would inevitably be injured or crippled by his opponent.

With this thought in mind, Yang Xiao knew he had to devise a counterattack. He deployed the Golden Body Chains, intending to trap his opponent, but Bu Yun's speed was simply too fast, and the chains failed entirely to capture his location. Clearly, aided by the Cloud-Piercing Shuttle, Bu Yun's speed was even more ferocious than the Armored Majestic Eagle Yang Xiao had previously slain. Especially given Bu Yun's extremely peculiar movement technique, which allowed him to slither like a loach, the Golden Body Chains were completely incapable of trapping him. Bu Yun routinely slipped right through the gaps in the chains, launching another strike against Yang Xiao's body. As a result, Yang Xiao was once again forced back repeatedly.

However, Bu Yun was harboring an equal measure of shock internally at that moment. The defensive light barrier around Yang Xiao was simply too powerful; despite landing several punches on Yang Xiao's body, he found it exceedingly difficult to shatter this protective barrier. Moreover, the barrier seemed entirely devoid of any weak points, giving Bu Yun a massive headache. Under such conditions, it was clearly impossible for him to inflict genuine harm upon Yang Xiao. Since the opponent could continuously defend, it meant he could not easily triumph over his adversary. Such a situation left him feeling utterly helpless.

Seeing that the Golden Body Chains were useless, Yang Xiao simply retracted them. Hardening his heart, he once again retrieved a top-grade spiritual treasure—the Blood-Thirst Bead. This spiritual treasure was also exceptionally marvelous; having evolved into a top-grade spiritual treasure, it possessed even more formidable effects. Thus, Yang Xiao intended to use it to deal with Bu Yun.

Although wielding a top-grade spiritual treasure required immense magical power, the profundity of Yang Xiao's magical power reserves was significantly higher than that of his peers. Therefore, if he fought for a quick victory, utilizing two top-grade spiritual treasures simultaneously was entirely possible. However, he wouldn't be able to sustain this state for very long, meaning he had to resolve the battle with Bu Yun as swiftly as possible. Otherwise, once his magical power was exhausted, he would undoubtedly face defeat and suffer severe damage to his physical body.

"Yet another top-grade spiritual treasure? How could this brat possess two top-grade spiritual treasures?" Feng Ye widened his eyes at this sight, exclaiming in astonishment. Clearly, he found it hard to believe that Yang Xiao possessed such profound wealth.

"That is the aura of a top-grade spiritual treasure." Many cultivator disciples off the stage dropped their jaws in shock. Watching Yang Xiao produce two top-grade spiritual treasures felt to them as surreal as seeing a ghost. "How can this Yang Xiao possibly possess so many treasures of this caliber?" They immediately broke into frantic discussions.

Even Linke, Linting, Lingling, and the others were utterly shocked at this moment. They had not expected Yang Xiao to harbor such hidden trump cards. It seemed their family still had a very hopeful chance of winning this contest after all.