On the Great Sword Fighting Platform, the eight beams of light from the Xuanji Eight Formation Map continuously shifted around Lee Bufan and Goo Tengfeng, pulling their consciousness directly into the Illusion Array where thousands of soldiers charged to attack them.
"East Courtyard Sword Team, is this all you’ve got?"
Seeing everything under his control, Liang Xiao from the Central Courtyard Second Team nodded to his teammate by his side. He would guide this teammate to enter the only life gate of the Eight Formation Map, and while Lee Bufan and the others were busy dealing with the illusions, they would strike stealthily.
Once they managed to restrain their opponents, like knocking them down or sealing their meridian, disabling them from fighting, they would be certain to win the match.
"Steel Dominator Slash!"
A member of the Central Courtyard Second Team dashed into the Xuanji Eight Formation Map, and with a cold smile, he raised his long sword high, mobilized his True Qi, and fiercely slashed toward Goo Tengfeng.
He knew Goo Tengfeng’s cultivation was much stronger than his; this sword strike wouldn’t take his life, but it was enough to incapacitate him briefly.
However, what he hadn’t anticipated was that his "Steel Dominator Slash’s" Sword Qi would pass right through Goo Tengfeng’s body, then explode with a loud bang, causing a plume of smoke and dust on the Sword Fighting Platform, making the eyes of that member from the Central Courtyard Second Team twitch madly.
"No... Impossible, is he dead?"
But the next moment, he realized that his strike hadn’t hit a real body but a mere illusion of emptiness!
But, how could this be possible?
Goo Tengfeng and Lee Bufan were supposed to have been trapped by the Xuanji Eight Formation Map.
"Not good! Leng Yi, move aside!"
Flag Guard Liang Xiao’s eyelid twitched as he shouted out loud, but his warning came too late. A streak of purple thunder descended from the sky, piercing through Leng Yi’s body, paralyzing him, and he immediately collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
The person who defeated Leng Yi with Thunder Power was naturally Lee Bufan.
Although Liang Xiao was indeed clever, the members of the East Courtyard Sword Team were not fools either, especially with Gong Cheng, a strategic mastermind, on their side.
From the beginning, Gong Cheng had suspected that the opponent’s main aggressive strategy, which made their Flag Guarding Zone appear extremely empty, was a plan to lure the enemy deeper into their territory.
Thus, the two figures that rushed into the Xuanji Eight Formation Map were not the real Goo Tengfeng and Lee Bufan, but merely avatars of Wind and Thunder created by Lee Bufan.
In fact, they had always been hidden in the shadows on the platform.
This move was one of the secret techniques in Lee Bufan’s "Wind and Thunder Hundred Transformations", the Wind and Thunder Shadow Escape!
By enveloping his body with Wind and Thunder Power, he could virtualize his form directly into a shadow, an exceedingly clever Wind and Thunder Realm.
When Lee Bufan first used this technique, even Ling Feng exclaimed in amazement, and with his Emperor’s Eye, he was actually unable to replicate it directly.
"Wind and Thunder Hundred Transformations" truly lives up to being a secret technique passed down by the Ancient Yiijian Sect!
(PS: Ling Feng’s Heavenly Dao Eye with the First Divine Pattern can indeed replicate ordinary Martial Techniques, but techniques like Feeng Yan’s Prison Heaven Finger and Yaan Jinghong’s Frost Spear have very stringent conditions, such as needing a Bloodline Talent for Prison Heaven Finger, and a Frozen Emperor Domain for Frost Spear. It’s somewhat similar to the concept of Bloodline Limits in Naruto.
As Ling Feng possesses the Chaos Physique, he can ignore attributes but not restrictions similar to bloodline conditions.)
"The Xuanji Eight Formation Map, indeed exquisite!"
Goo Tengfeng’s figure emerged from the void, his body flickering with purple lightning, trembling slightly, and appearing somewhat disheveled.
He was dragged along by Lee Bufan, forced into the shadows, thus he had to wrap his body with Thunder Power. Since he did not possess the Wind and Thunder Physique, he also suffered from the baptism of Thunder Power.
With a serious expression on his face, Liang Xiao now knew Leng Yi had lost his fighting capability. As an Array Master alone, once approached by an opponent, he had almost no chance of resistance.
The leader of the Central Courtyard Second Team, Luo Hong, had a look of horror on his face as he hadn’t expected the situation to develop in this way. He immediately thought about pulling back to help Liang Xiao.
"It’s not so easy to leave now!"
Ling Feng sneered coldly, and his sword edge twisted suddenly. His Sword Qi opened and closed broadly, unexpectedly covering the three of them. He completely pressured them with a fierce attack, leaving them no chance to defend.
Luo Hong cursed inwardly, truly feeling the turn of the tide. Earlier, it had been Ling Feng who could not escape, but now it had become impossible for them to retreat.
At this point, there was no mystery left in the competition.
Lee Bufan didn’t waste any words, and with a punch, he sent Liang Xiao flying. Then, cleanly and neatly, he cut down the Vermilion Bird Battle Flag of the Central Courtyard Second Team.
"First match, East Courtyard Sword Team wins!"
At the moment the battle flag fell, the referee immediately announced the result. The situation, which had seemed to have no suspense, had taken a sudden dramatic turn.
This match could definitely be called thrilling and exciting.
The audience beneath the platform erupted in cheers. This was a collision of both wisdom and strength, an outstandingly spectacular match.
"What a remarkable Lee Bufan to have such a move up his sleeve!"
From the main referee’s stand, Vice Dean Tong stroked his beard and laughed heartily, "Such a reversal, even he had not expected."
"Grand Commandant Lee has got a great grandson indeed!"
The fellow mentors and scholars nearby also nodded continuously in praise as Lee Bufan’s performance in this match had indeed been outstanding.
"By now, you should understand that my caution was not without reason."
Li Yunting took a deep breath and slowly said, "We should not underestimate this Sword Team or any of its members. The strategy of Gong Cheng, Li Bufan’s skill, and Ling Feng!"
Luu Qingshan clenched his fists tighter, his previously dismissive attitude somewhat diminished.
Indeed, perhaps because Ling Feng’s brilliance had shone so brightly, it made the others seem less spectacular. But through this match, what they saw was a team’s perfect cooperation.
Even without Ling Feng, this team was still a force to be reckoned with!
"The upcoming matches now lack suspense. The Second Team managing to force out some of Lee Bufan’s abilities has already fulfilled their role."
Li Yunting closed his eyes slightly, then promptly opened them again. From within his eyes, a razor-sharp gleam burst forth.
Three days later, the competition would enter into the struggle for the top three in the third round.
They would eventually meet the East Courtyard Sword Team, and it would surely be a fierce battle of dragons and tigers!
The other members of the Central Courtyard Sword Team also had serious expressions.
For a long time, the Central Courtyard Sword Team was an unbeaten legend, dominantly crushing any other courtyards, but this time, the strong rise of the East Courtyard brought them unprecedented pressure.
This battle-hardened team, apart from Muu Liufeng and Yue Yunlan, mostly consisted of veterans like Goo Tengfeng. This was their last year at Heavenly Position Academy, and for this final match, none wished to taste defeat.
Of course, that excluded Muu Liufeng. With his state of mind, he was still not capable of controlling his surging cultivation, leading to a loss of his moral compass, resulting in him becoming utterly arrogant.