Rising Step by Step into the Clouds

Cheng Yu looked at Fang Yong, feeling a pang of regret. In her original expectations, if Jiang Man had faced Fang Yong, their past grievances would have driven them into a fierce struggle. Given their close match in strength, someone was bound to end up injured. Meanwhile, Chang Qiwen could have worn down another opponent. After that, she would have smoothly advanced and secured a spot. Regrettably, although the clash between Jiang Man and Fang Yong had caused a tremendous stir, neither had suffered any injuries aside from expending some energy. Still, this would suffice. Whether she could advance now came down to this single match. A victory would securely earn her the spot. Anyone could see that Luo Xuan was in no condition to fight, so if she won, she would not have to worry about being challenged by her. Fang Yong stared coldly at Cheng Yu. "Are you threatening me?" "Threatening would be putting it too strongly. I only wished to say that if you don't want your title of 'Young Master Fang' dug into, perhaps you might consider contending with Jiang Man for the spot instead." Cheng Yu pondered for a moment before speaking again. "I heard that backwater doesn't even have the spirit sources to pave its roads. All the spirit sources were drained by a certain someone just to play the wealthy young master." Even as she spoke, Cheng Yu popped pills into her mouth one after another, talismans flickering across her body. "Think it over carefully. I'm actually quite generous. I guarantee I can find you a respectable living in Luoyun City," Cheng Yu said after swallowing the last pill. At that moment, the blood and qi surged through her. It was precisely the Cheng family's Blood Battle Method, which could continuously draw out the latent potential of one's flesh and blood. By now, Fang Yong was clad in a layer of armor—the Hundred Battles Method. His eyes narrowed slightly, brimming with cold resolve. Then he stepped forward, a golden dragon rumbling low upon him. In a breath, he was right before Cheng Yu. A palm struck out, carrying the golden dragon with it. Cheng Yu's covert force surged: Six Harmonies Palm. *Bang!* The golden dragon shattered. Immediately after, a talisman landed in Fang Yong's palm. *Bang!* The talisman detonated. Spiritual qi coated Fang Yong's hand, using the Six Harmonies Palm as a defense. Turning into azure smoke, he stepped forward, his other hand shifting from a palm into a claw aimed straight for Cheng Yu's throat. Seeing this, Cheng Yu pushed off her toes and retreated, her robes fluttering as she withdrew thirty feet. Stamping her foot down, she cast the Collapsing Torrent Technique. Spikes erupted from the ground, lashing toward Fang Yong. A streak of azure smoke flashed, and when Fang Yong reappeared, he was already at Cheng Yu's flank. However... Cheng Yu's Collapsing Torrent Technique, infused with the Blood Battle Method, abruptly struck. It was the exact same fighting method Chang Qiwen had used. *Bang!* Even though Fang Yong raised his arms to block, the immense force sent his blood and qi churning violently, nearly making him vomit blood. At the same time, the Six Harmonies Palm had already fused, coming crashing down in a single blow. *Bang!* Unable to evade in time, Cheng Yu took the hit squarely on her shoulder and stumbled backward. Yet Fang Yong did not pause, reappearing before Cheng Yu once more. Dragon Suppressing Method. *Boom!* Cheng Yu was forced to meet him head-on. In the moments that followed, the two vanished and reappeared in rapid succession as spells continuously clashed and detonated. Fang Yong showed no intention of putting distance between them; he pressed closer and closer, trading blow for blow and injury for injury to break her. "Do you really care nothing about ruining your reputation? Do you really have no fear of what comes after?" Cheng Yu asked in a low voice. Yet the chill in Fang Yong's eyes only deepened. "You don't understand. You have no idea what I went through to get here, which is why you can't understand why your threats are meaningless to me." No one understood his family's circumstances better than he did. His parents were impoverished, the village could hardly feed itself, and younger brothers and sisters waited at home. When he left the village, he carried with him ten years of savings pooled by the entire village. Everyone had pinned their hopes on him. And yet... In Luoyun City, those ten years of savings amounted to less than two months of pocket money for the scion of a wealthy family. No one knew what he had to endure. No one understood how desperately he had to strive just to keep up with them. In the beginning, he could only sweep the old courtyard. Fortunately, he discovered the training ground there. From then on, he cultivated day and night, constantly pushing himself higher. The more he thought of this, the fiercer his strikes became. He had fought hard for so many years, and the qualification was right before his eyes. How could he possibly yield to a threat? If he gave in to a threat, what would become of the village's ten years of savings? What would become of all those years of toiling from dawn to dusk? Only failures were threatened. Success was the sharp blade that shattered every threat. At this moment, Fang Yong's conviction reached its absolute peak, an invisible flame seemingly burning across his body. Talismans surged around Cheng Yu, coordinating with the Blood Battle Method in an effort to crush everything before her. "If this continues, even if you win, you'll be as badly battered as I am! In the end, you'll still lose to Luo Xuan, and you'll end up with nothing!" "Is that so?" Fang Yong's voice was low. "If I can't even get what I fight desperately for, could I ever obtain it through your charity? You don't even dare swallow a Blood Demon Pill, and you don't even dare risk your life—what right do you have to contest with me?" Fang Yong charged straight at Cheng Yu. The talisman attacks had already formed, sweeping toward Fang Yong like a storm of countless blades. *Boom!* *Boom!* The talismans battered him relentlessly, but Fang Yong shattered each attack punch by punch. Even as several talismans grazed his arms, cheeks, and shoulders, he remained entirely unfazed, pressing forward with utmost speed. Cheng Yu unleashed a flurry of spells to halt his advance, but midway through, Fang Yong's footwork suddenly shifted. He stepped forward, smashing through an attack, and took another step, overpowering the oncoming palm technique. Each step was heavier than the last, firmer than the last, as if he were ascending toward the heights stride by stride. "It's useless. Give up! You can't go any further," Cheng Yu said in a low voice. Yet Fang Yong's steps only grew more resolute, his eyes filled with nothing but the conviction to charge forward without looking back. "I will go further. I will move forward step by step. I am going to rise step by step into the clouds!" Fang Yong used his body to crash through Cheng Yu's barrage of attacks, arriving before her in an instant. Before Cheng Yu could react, he punched out. *Bang!* His fist slammed heavily into Cheng Yu's face. With a loud thud, Cheng Yu was sent flying, crashing outside the boundary of the formation and tumbling across the ground. Watching her fall, Fang Yong felt as though an immense burden had been lifted from his shoulders. The explosive release of power left him weak, and his vision began to blur. It seemed he might lose consciousness at any second, but he did not dare. The injuries wracking his body were agonizing to bear. Through the haze, he heard the announcement of his advancement, yet he still dared not relax his guard in the slightest. Having walked this path, he understood the hardships better than anyone. No one had ever truly understood him. Perhaps only if they knew the person he had been could they understand who he was now. Fang Yong popped a pill into his mouth and returned to his spot, waiting for Luo Xuan's challenge. Zhao Leming was somewhat surprised. "Fang Yong is stronger than I thought." Teacher Fu nodded as well. "Indeed. He has thoroughly mastered and integrated numerous spells. Not only that, his final technique was truly out of the ordinary. It seems he genuinely possesses an inheritance." "Between him and Luo Xuan, who is more severely injured?" Zhao Leming asked. "Hard to say. They're about even, but Luo Xuan's chances of winning are far too slim," Teacher Fu said after a moment's thought. "Fang Yong is putting his life on the line. That is what makes people from impoverished backgrounds so formidable—they genuinely don't care if they die. Nowadays, few scions of wealthy families would ever choose to risk their lives like that." Zhao Leming nodded in agreement, then called for the next match to prepare. Jiang Man was equally astonished by Fang Yong's performance, especially that final technique: Rising into the Clouds. *So he was the one who obtained the Qingyun Art?* This battle had clearly been an even match, yet Fang Yong had fought with the aura of a true prodigy. In the arena, Jiang Man looked at the pale Luo Xuan and asked, "Does Miss Luo wish to duel with me?"