This time, both wielded weapons. Xia Youhui carried a towering, spike-covered shield.
"Coming," he growled.
A majestic aura erupted from Xia Youhui, an earth-colored glow enveloping his skin.
Boom! Xia Youhui charged at Chen Chu. Each step trembled the ground, resembling a charging tortoise.
Chen Chu's excitement surged; his blood boiled.
Roar! With an elephantine growl, Chen Chu's body surged with power. His knife became a swift blur.
His speed surpassed 40 meters per second, their collision explosive. The knife met the shield with devastating force.
Boom! Air burst like a thunderous Hong Zhong Da Lu.
Chen Chu restrained his true power. Yet, the knife still wielded 3,000 kilograms of force, creating sparks and energy overflow.
Xia Youhui, a defensive basalt, stood firm as if rooted. He remained unshaken.
Chen Chu's power, channeled by his triangular shield, couldn't budge Xia Youhui.
Chen Chu shifted to Xia Youhui's side, slashing horizontally. The blade's speed generated a fierce wind.
Boom! The shield blocked the powerful strike; Xia Youhui stood unshaken.
Clang clang! Chen Chu circled, slashing repeatedly, but Xia Youhui's shield met each attack.
"I'm quite strong now," Xia Youhui grinned.
He charged, unleashing a counter-shock with his shield.
Boom! The shield and knife collided fiercely. Chen Chu stood firm.
"How's this possible, your power!" Xia Youhui was surprised.
Chen Chu smiled, praised Xia Youhui's improved strength.
"Now, I'm serious." Chen Chu's body surged with real power; his muscles swelled.
Like an enraged elephant, he unleashed a powerful strike.
Boom! Flames emitted as their weapons clashed. Xia Youhui staggered back.
Ground vibrations followed each step, power channeled into the earth.
Boom! Chen Chu rushed, slashing at the shield's center. Xia Youhui retreated.
Boom boom boom! Chen Chu continued, relentless. Xia Youhui was pushed back 30 meters.
Watching Chen Chu's fierce display, Luo Fei and Li Wenwen were astonished.
"What in the world is mediocrity? Even Xia Youhui, who had absorbed the blood essence of giant beasts and surpassed ordinary 'geniuses' in every aspect, found himself too weak to retaliate.
"Old Xia, do you wish to continue?"
"No, I won't fight anymore." Xia Youhui lowered the trembling shield. As his body's strength ebbed away, a mild soreness enveloped him.
Hoo! Chen Chu exhaled deeply. He relished this moment; it was his first unrestrained burst of strength since advancing to the Second Heaven.
Among their peers, only Xia Youhui, the 'Xuanwu,' endured such a dominant assault.
In normal circumstances, with the sharp alloy straight knife, Chen Chu's speed and strength could cleave a small car in two.
But the reason he refrained from additional strikes was simple: he'd exhausted his strength.
This was the drawback of lower-level exercises. Despite half a month of cultivation yielding seventeen powerful strikes, he couldn't maintain this output indefinitely.
However, observing Xia Youhui's demeanor, it seemed he had ample endurance to withstand Chen Chu for so long, but he'd been unnerved by Chen Chu's ferocity.
This wasn't to suggest Xia Youhui surpassed him; advanced exercises undoubtedly offered significant advantages, bolstering power and real power endurance.
In a life-or-death battle, Chen Chu was confident he could vanquish Xia Youhui within five strikes. Speed and strength dominance rendered a frontal assault unnecessary; attacking from behind while Xia Youhui was constantly pushed back was the simpler path.
Xia Youhui massaged his shoulders, voicing his astonishment, "Ah Chu, why is your strength so extraordinary? You only broke through two days ago, right?"
"It's likely due to Dragon Elephant Kung Fu. Practicing it has fortified my strength and intensified my ferocity since the breakthrough," Chen Chu casually explained.
Xia Youhui wasn't convinced. "Come on, my Xuanwu Thick Earth Kungfu also emphasizes defense and strength. It draws on the blood essence of giant beasts, albeit not as dramatically as yours."
Chen Chu shook his head. "Perhaps it's the synergy with Dragon Elephant Kung Fu. Honestly, I'm not entirely certain."
"...," Xia Youhui had no retort.
Zhenwu Qi's excuse truly felt like snake oil. A girl with average talent beside him, casually flipping through her book, was cultivating almost as quickly as he, a supposed 'genius.'
Furthermore, among the freshmen, there was another freak, Li Hao, who secured the second spot.
His compatibility with his advanced exercises was impeccable, and his strength was equally preposterous. Before advancing to the Second Heaven, he'd wielded iron pillars weighing hundreds of kilograms as weapons.
Contemplating this, Xia Youhui lamented, "Had I known your strength was this insane, I wouldn't have sparred with you. Repairing our weapons this time will set us back several thousand yuan at least."
Both their weapons were crafted from F-grade alloy. Chen Chu's seventeen full-force strikes had pockmarked Xia Youhui's shield, leaving it deeply scarred. Some spikes had even been cleaved off.
Likewise, under the reciprocal exchange, Chen Chu's straight knife had sustained numerous nicks and notches.
This predicament could only be rectified once their real power could mend these weapons.
Chen Chu's eyes gleamed. "Lao Xia, are you planning to repair our weapons? Perfect timing; I'll mend my knife as well."
"Fine."
Understanding Chen Chu's financial constraints, Xia Youhui readily acquiesced, despite having been somewhat overpowered during their bout.