Before those watching, Jin Tao's feet were frozen. His fist was just a couple inches away from her face.
His expression changed as the cold began to affect his legs. He yelled and pulled his feet out.
He threw another punch, gritting his teeth but Shui Mei Er somersaulted over him, her skirt fluttering in the wind.
The next moment, a jet of water slammed the back of Jin Tao's head, launching him headfirst toward the ground.
Bam—! Xu Kai felt a mild tremble beneath his feet as Jin Tao's face slammed against the hard ground.
Cheng Wei's expression darkened while Shui Ling smiled proudly.
"Good, her comprehension of water is really deep. Congratulations for producing a genius water mage." Elder Feng said. Though they couldn't see his eyes due to his straw hat, Shui Ling saw his smile.
Her eyes brightened.
For Feng Shaofang, the oldest man on the island, to speak such praise about her granddaughter, it meant her granddaughter was even more talented than she thought.
"I don't deserve such praise, Elder Feng." Shui Mei Er cupped one hand in the other and bowed.
She glanced at Jin Tao and smirked. As Jin Tao got to his feet, Cheng Wei spat coldly:
"Get out."
Those words were like a thunderbolt on Jin Tao's head. It meant that his place in the Cheng family was gone. The Elder would never consider him when he considered other Chengs.
Chuckling softly as he walked out, Cheng Yi then turned to Xu Kai and pointed at him.
"Beggar, I chose you to be my opponent."
Chill befell other youths on Xu Kai's behalf. They all knew how much Cheng Yi loathed Xu Kai and their differences in strength made them pity Xu Kai even more.
Xu Kai came out, got into a proper battle stance, and maintained eye contact with Cheng Yi.
Cheng Yi didn't bother to take a stance. "I won't do much since you don't have a talent but I'll prove to everyone here that you don't deserve that jade tag!"
In the next moment, he leaped, launching countless kicks, which Xu Kai blocked by crossing his arms.
Xu Kai clenched his teeth, his eyes following Cheng Yi's movement.
[Raging Kicks Splitting the Tide, Second Form: Splitting the Tide!]
The image of orange flames wrapping around Cheng Yi's knees down to his foot could be seen in the depths of Xu Kai's eyes.
Bam—! Bam—! Bam—!
"Brother Yi has mastered 'Splitting the Tide'!" Shui Long Yan's eyes glowed. He felt the urge to challenge Cheng Yi since he was the only person closer to fully mastering the 'Raging Tide Technique.'
"Brother Yi might be talented in techniques! Xu Kai surely won't survive this."
"After this experience, he would definitely quit."
Some youths felt pity as Cheng Yi unleashed dozens of kicks from each leg, scorching Xu Kai's forearms!
Cheng Yi suddenly extinguished the flames around his legs the moment his feet touched the ground. As he felt the sand beneath his feet, Cheng Yi propelled himself forward, clenched his fist, and threw a punch.
Flames formed three rings, the first at his shoulder, the second at his elbow and the last at his wrist.
His fist seemed to be transformed into a formidable weapon as steam gushed out of it!
As his fist slammed Xu Kai, the hot wave blasted his skin and threw him five meters away!
"Cheng Yi!" Elder Feng slammed his staff. The gourds attached to it dangled. Making sounds as it hit the dry wooden staff.
"Three Force Fist. So you taught him a high grade skill?" Elder Shui turned to Cheng Wei. Her eyebrows knit together when she found Cheng Wei, who was taken back by Cheng Yi's feat.
Unbeknownst to them, Cheng Yu, Cheng Yi's elder brother, stood somewhere in the crowd, grinning.
Seeing the power of the high-grade skill, both Shui Mei Er and Shui Long Yan became cautious of Cheng Yi. They thought every other youth was inferior to them but Cheng Yi had proven that he rightfully owned the third jade tag.
While the audience was focused on Cheng Yi, Elder Feng gazed at Xu Kai with both pity and helplessness. Because he was a sleeper, the world of martial arts was naturally unfavorable to him.
Heat rashes had spread throughout his arms, neck, and face! His breath was even weaker.
Xu Kai's soul body sat on the calm water surface inside the Soul Sanctum. 'Do I win or lose?'
He breathed out heavily. This dilemma gave him a headache.
'If I win, the Elders and everyone will know I'm not as simple as I pose myself to be and Shui Mei Er might confirm I was the thief she saw but if I lose, I'll lose the jade tag.'
His eyes flashed with a sharp light.
'Losing the jade tag is not an option. Those Elders can manipulate anything but this jade tag isn't within their control. It's my only way out of the island and into a powerful Taoist Enclave in Jinghai Fortress.'
As his soul fused back with his body, he regained his senses and heard footsteps.
"Hand over the jade tag. I'll still burn that little treehouse of yours with that white-haired witch and you inside." Cheng Yi whispered to Xu Kai.
Having heard that, a cerulean gleam flashed through Xu Kai's eyes. There wasn't a shred of mercy in his red eyes!
"Is that so?"
His ice-cold voice made Cheng Yi recoil in shock.
Xu Kai flipped to his feet. The air blew apart as his fingers folded inward, forming a fist!
'Interesting!' Elder Feng said it inwardly.
"He stood up after that!" A youth gasped.
"This is a stupid attempt." With her arms crossed, Shui Mei Er sneered.
Boom—! The earth beneath Xu Kai's left foot imploded and in the next moment, he was above Cheng Yi!
A fist bearing the power of 1200-kg came hurtling down on Cheng Yi! The thunderous sounds made by Xu Kai's tendons caused Shui Long Yan's eyes to tremble.
"This…! This is the perfection of Raging Thunderous Fists!"