Volume One: A Youth Enters the World Chapter 115: A Draw

On the arena platform, the two faced each other. Just moments ago, their spiritual powers clashed evenly, neither gaining the upper hand.

Putting aside his earlier casual attitude, Pu Mu realized that Fang Tian was no ordinary opponent.

At the start of their brief duel, Pu Mu had been brimming with confidence, believing he could defeat the younger man in no time.

Now, he felt as if Fang Tian was some elusive, intangible phantom—impossible to discern or grasp, making it difficult to land a decisive blow.

However, having already engaged in combat, it was against his principles to back down now. No matter what, he had to defeat Fang Tian and render him useless.

“I misjudged you. From now on, I won’t hold back. By any means necessary, I will bring you down!” Pu Mu’s spiritual power surged, radiating an overwhelming presence.

“Now, let me show you the pinnacle martial art of the Red Sun Sect—the Sevenfold Fiery Sun Palm!”

With that, Pu Mu’s aura spiraled wildly, his entire body emitting a dazzling white light.

The blinding radiance forced Fang Tian to squint, barely able to keep his eyes open.

From the tower above, Li Wei observed in surprise and turned to the elder of the Red Sun Sect. “That old man, is your disciple using your sect’s signature martial art?”

“Of course,” the Red Sun elder replied calmly.

“But isn’t the signature art only taught to inner disciples? How can an outer disciple have learned it?” Li Wei found it hard to believe that an outer disciple could wield such a domineering technique.

“You wouldn’t know the inner workings of our sect. Let me tell you, Pu Mu has already been selected by our inner elders and is about to be taken as an apprentice!”

Li Wei sighed softly. Hearing this, he no longer held much hope for Fang Tian’s victory.

After all, the signature martial art is a supreme technique of the Heavenly Grade!

On the arena, Fang Tian was inwardly shocked by the formidable aura Pu Mu displayed. He couldn’t imagine what kind of martial art could unleash such power—none of his past opponents had possessed anything similar.

At that moment, Tian Lao spoke to him through the sword’s spatial realm: “Xiao Tian, be careful. His technique is a Heavenly Grade martial art, and of high rank.”

“Ah, then my Profound Grade martial art isn’t of much use. Can I really win?”

“Don’t worry. Though it’s a Heavenly Grade technique, he hasn’t mastered it at its highest level. Besides, don’t you still have that new move you haven’t used? Use it now!”

“All right! I’m going all out!” Fang Tian cut off all distractions and focused his spirit, channeling his power throughout his body.

An intense cold spiritual energy radiated outward, swirling ceaselessly around him.

He extended his long sword, gathering the cold energy upward. The blade trembled, emitting a sharp ringing sound.

His expression grew somber, a trace of frost appearing on his face—not from fear, but from calm acceptance and release.

This move was born from life-and-death separations and betrayal by friends.

Its name: Ice Barrier of a Lifetime.

This technique strikes unrelentingly forward, severing the past.

Gripping his sword, Fang Tian stepped back slightly, employing the Wind Walk step, and vanished. The sword transformed into a streak of icy light, darting straight at Pu Mu.

Seeing Fang Tian’s attack, Pu Mu’s eyes gleamed with excitement. He swung his palm and shouted, “Perfect timing! Sevenfold Fiery Sun Palm, Second Fold!”

In an instant, the heavens seemed to dim. Their attacks collided, erupting in a thunderous explosion that deafened the crowd. A shockwave rippled across the platform.

The stone slabs beneath them shattered and scattered, dust swirling thickly, obscuring the view of those below.

After a moment, a loud crack rang out—the platform began to collapse, breaking apart into chunks of stone, burying both figures within the rubble.

As the dust settled, the onlookers glanced around in confusion, seeing no one rise and utterly unsure of what had transpired.

“Heavens! What happened to them?”

“No idea, it was impossible to see!”

“Incredible! They destroyed the entire platform!”

“Not sure if they’re dead or alive…”

Pieces of stone slid down as movement stirred on the shattered platform. Soon, both men slowly rose.

Covered in dust, their faces pale, Fang Tian struggled to stand.

Looking at Pu Mu, he said, “You’re formidable.”

“You’re no weakling either,” Pu Mu snorted coldly.

“Shall we continue?” Fang Tian asked.

“No need. The platform’s gone. No point in fighting further.”

“So how do we settle this?”

“Easy. A draw.” Pu Mu shook his head and limped away from the rubble.

Fang Tian did the same.

The two departed, returning to their respective places.

Approaching Fu Xin, Fang Tian could barely hold himself upright and collapsed to the ground. Mu Qiao Qiao’s heart ached, seemingly forgetting their earlier conflicts as she instinctively reached out to support him.

Fang Tian opened his eyes briefly before slipping back into unconsciousness.

He hadn’t expected his hidden moves to only secure a draw with Pu Mu—it was a surprise. Still, he had withstood what looked like a fatal strike; otherwise, he wouldn’t be merely unconscious.

Not far away, Pu Mu’s condition was similar. He had barely made it back before collapsing.

This duel ended without a victor.

From the tower above, Li Wei and the Red Sun elder fell silent, contemplating.

Then, the elder of the Dark Moon Valley laughed, “That was spectacular! Judging by these two, they’re more than capable of entering their respective sects’ inner circles.”

They remained silent, brows furrowed, each lost in thought.

Meanwhile, the remaining two platforms continued their matches. Though one platform was destroyed, reducing the chances to claim spiritual weapons, it was clear that the Heavenly Grade weapon belonged to Fang Tian.

His ability to match disciples from the great sects spoke volumes—his strength far surpassed the cultivators of the North Sand Archipelago.

This also signified that Fang Tian possessed the qualifications to establish a foothold on the other shore. Given time, he would become a leading figure, commanding great influence and glory.

The crowd marveled at the match, their eyes opened wide in admiration, lamenting why no one under their command showed such prodigious talent.

A sixth-tier cultivator holding his own against a ninth-tier prodigy—a truly unimaginable feat.

At Ice Spirit Island, Zhao Xue’er watched Fang Tian lying in a woman’s arms, jealousy stirring within her, yet powerless to intervene.

Since Fang Tian’s departure, she, like Lin Shuang, had no chance to approach him. His father had issued a strict order forbidding contact.

Initially, upon arriving at this island, Zhao Xue’er had wanted to find Fang Tian with Lin Shuang, but the order prevented it.

Now, she could only watch helplessly.

From the tower, Gong Bin saw Mu Qiao Qiao cradling Fang Tian, unease twisting in his heart. Witnessing such intimacy, he ground his teeth, clenching his fists as if desperate to separate them.

The matches continued for about half an hour. Fang Tian gradually regained consciousness and smiled softly at Mu Qiao Qiao: “Qiao Qiao, I can move again. Please help me up.”

Mu Qiao Qiao’s eyes shimmered as she asked gently, “Are you really all right?”

“Yes, really. The pillow was comfortable, but I must get up.”

Blushing, she quickly pushed him away and stepped aside.

Staggering a few steps, Fang Tian steadied himself and looked over at Pu Mu, who had also awakened.

Both had been wounded by each other’s attacks, though the impact had partially balanced out, leaving them exhausted.

Fang Tian’s spiritual power had been drained by his own move, causing his fatigue and brief unconsciousness.

Though barely able to move now, his spiritual energy was nearly depleted. He seated himself, no longer concerned with the duel or the Heavenly Grade weapon, which held no importance to him.

Time passed slowly as the matches neared their conclusion.

As dusk approached, the announcer halted the contests, calling those still on the platform forward to receive their Heavenly Grade weapons.

Two stepped forward: one from the Dark Moon Valley’s affiliated sect, the other the crown prince of Ice Spirit Island.

It seemed that in the North Sand Archipelago, only a handful possessed true strength—besides the three major sects’ affiliates, only Ice Spirit Island held some might.

The elders of the Red Sun Sect and Dark Moon Valley stepped forward. With a wave of their hands, two Heavenly Grade spiritual weapons materialized in the hands of the victorious challengers.

Both men beamed with joy, clasping their hands in thanks.

The elders nodded and signaled the announcer to speak.

A voice rang out: “The arena battles conclude here. You may now attend to your affairs and prepare to depart in three days, heading to the shore across the sea!”

At this, excitement surged through the crowd. It meant they would soon leave, enter the great sects, learn profound arts, and rise swiftly to prominence.

With joy, the crowd dispersed and returned to their places.

The elders descended from the tower and returned to their respective affiliates before departing.

Walking along the path, Li Wei called Fang Tian over. “Here, this belongs to you. It’s what you deserve.”

He produced a Heavenly Grade spiritual weapon and handed it to Fang Tian.

Fang Tian hesitated, “Elder, I don’t need it. I didn’t win the match; I’m unworthy of such a fine weapon.”

Li Wei smiled softly and placed the weapon firmly in Fang Tian’s hand. “Take it. No need to refuse.”

Reluctantly, Fang Tian accepted it carefully.

He bowed respectfully. “Thank you for your generosity, Elder.”

“No need for such formality. But I am curious—how did you come to possess a Heavenly Grade martial art?”

Fang Tian looked puzzled. “Elder, I have never cultivated a Heavenly Grade technique. Why do you ask?”

“You’re sly. Besides hiding your strength, you’re quite good at pretending.”

Fang Tian scratched his head awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

“I don’t know about others, but I saw clearly from the high platform—your final move was definitely beyond Profound Grade. Tell me, who is your master?”

Hearing this, Fang Tian finally understood—they were curious about his technique.

“Elder, I do cultivate Profound Grade arts, but I improvised a few moves of my own based on them.”

At this, Fu Xin, Mu Qiao Qiao, and the others were stunned, clearly shaken by his words.

“What? You created your own moves? Fang Tian, is this true?” Fu Xin asked first.

Mu Qiao Qiao added, “Xiao Tian, do you understand what it means to create your own martial art?”

Scratching his head, Fang Tian feigned ignorance. “What does it mean? I just felt my new moves were much stronger than before.”

Before Mu Qiao Qiao could respond, Li Wei interjected, “Fang Tian, to create martial arts means you have profound insight into the Dao of Heaven and Earth. In time, founding your own sect will be effortless. As long as you continue cultivating, this world will surely have a place for you.”

Though Fang Tian knew the truth was awe-inspiring, he chose to play dumb to avoid trouble.

“Elder, I understand somewhat, but I feel my technique cannot be further refined.”

“Don’t rush. Your realm is still shallow, and you cannot yet fully comprehend Heaven and Earth. When you reach the peak of the continent, your creation may surpass all others. Understand?”

“I understand.” Fang Tian nodded, recalling Tian Lao’s many words on the matter.

“All right, enough talk. Go check on your friend.”

Li Wei waved dismissively.

Fang Tian stepped back and looked toward the still unconscious Xie Qing, then joined the others as they headed toward the Cloud-Shrouded Inn.