"You better get ready to humiliate yourself. Three moves! I'll only need three moves to make you go down!" Peter declared arrogantly, releasing his 7th level Foundation pressure towards Alex as he stepped onto the platform.
As Peter finished speaking, he assumed a peculiar stance, his hands and body contracting like a poisonous snake, emitting a dark and eerie aura.
A chill ran down Alex's spine when he looked at Peter, feeling as if he was ensnared by a poisonous serpent.
"Whoa, Peter has already perfected his Human Rank Poisonous Snake fist!" exclaimed someone from the classmates of Peter who recognized Peter's move.
A tense atmosphere enveloped the area as Alex's classmates felt a chill, and some of them showed concern for him.
Aquila, who had been quietly observing the fights until now, wore a solemn expression, ready to intervene if there was any life-threatening danger.
An Outer Courtyard Elder, also Peter's professor, stood beside Aquila. Pride gleamed in his eyes as Peter revealed his full power.
"It was worth guiding him for two months personally," the Elder thought, contemplating a fitting reward for Peter after the match.
On the battlefield, Peter looked at Alex with a sense of pity, muttering, "Well, since it is the last battle of the practice session, we had to give a crushing performance. You can only blame your bad luck, boy," reveling in the attention he was garnering among the crowd.
Particularly relishing the moment, Peter noticed the surprised expression on Instructor Aquila's face.
He had harbored a crush on her since their first encounter, and his jealousy toward Alex's class grew when he learned she would be teaching them instead of an Outer Courtyard Elder.
Alex's heart raced, not solely due to Peter's imposing pressure, as he realized that under normal circumstances, it would have been a challenging fight.
However, at this moment, Peter seemed somewhat weak to him, almost as if he is the one who needs three moves to defeat Peter.
Feeling the pressure, Alex's eyes tingled, and when he channeled his mana into them, focusing on Peter as the target.
Unnoticed by the spectators, Alex's eyes emitted a faint purple glow, and a sensation of time slowing down enveloped him.
Unfazed by Alex's calm demeanor, Peter unleashed his strongest strike without hesitation. His body moved like a venomous snake, combining extreme speed and power.
Shoosh!
In an instant, Peter's hand, resembling a poisonous snake, sliced through the air, thrusting toward Alex.
So fast!
Many Outer disciples on the platform marveled at the speed, while Alex's classmates grew anxious.
They struggled to follow Peter's movements, knowing that in the practice session, the only rule was not to kill the opponent. Anything short of that was fair until the opponent admitted defeat.
With a swift movement using the Shadow steps, Alex evaded Peter's impending strike, leaving Peter's fist to connect with nothing but air.
'Slash!'
Out of nowhere, a formidable sword, infused with the prototype of sword intent, sliced toward Peter, piercing his ribs.
"Ping!"
Having endured the sword's thrust, Peter exclaimed, collapsing and tumbling to the ground. The onlookers, bewildered, struggled to comprehend what had just transpired. The two instructors, too shocked to speak, watched in disbelief.
A one-foot long hole now adorned Peter's chest to his ribs, blood flowing out, and his face paling.
"You!" Peter seethed with shock and fury, his eyes bloodshot. He couldn't believe he had been struck, especially by someone with a lower cultivation level and a new outer disciple, all in front of a watching crowd.
For the proud Peter, hailing from the Elven race, this was an intolerable blow to his pride.
"I want you to die!"
This time, Peter unleashed his full power. His fist glowed with a full green color as he aimed it directly at Alex's heart. However, it wasn't Aquila who felt nervous this time, but Peter's class instructor.
"You never said there was a monster like him in your class," the instructor exclaimed, surprised and uneasy about the unexpected turn of events. Aquila, shocked herself, remained silent, unsure of how to respond to the instructor's remark.
Like an experienced hunter, Alex exploited every weakness displayed by Peter, turning the tide of the battle.
"Ping!" The sound echoed again and the scene from earlier replayed. This time sword strike created another hole, on the right side of Peter.
Fueled by fury, Peter attacked relentlessly, akin to a frenzied beast. However, Alex, using shadow steps, moved with precision, as if anticipating every move Peter made.
Onlookers stood in stunned silence, disbelief etched on their faces. Silvia, along with Clara's two friends, opened their mouths in shock.Reflecting on their past interactions with Alex, they sighed in relief that they hadn't harbored any enmity with him.
"Aah!" Meanwhile consumed by rage, Peter tore off his outer clothing. The realization dawned on him that if he couldn't defeat Alex today, he would never be able to face the Outer Courtyard with pride again.
Desperation fueled Peter as he channeled all his mana into his fists, intensifying their radiance. His fist surged toward Alex's face, aiming to shatter the arrogant countenance that looked down on him.
At this moment, Alex made a move that surprised everyone. He threw away his sword and faced his opponent bare handed!
Aquila struggled to comprehend Alex's decision. The slash from Peter appeared to be the final, backed with everything last drop of his mana.
"Why is this young boy throwing away his weapon at the most critical moment? Surely, he is not thinking that he can defeat my student barehanded, right?" pondered the Outer Courtyard instructor, perplexed by Alex's unexpected choice.