Chapter 11: Chapter 10: Outer Courtyard Domination
A month went by, and Fa Ma practiced in seclusion to digest some of the profound rank skills and techniques he had received. With the assistance of some cultivation pills, he broke through to a three-star Battle Grandmaster. Now, it was time for him to select his partners. There were two main ways of growing a force; one way was to rely on quantity and the other was to rely on quality. He himself was a proponent of the elite route, as there were only so many resources to go around, especially at this stage.
In the outer courtyard, there were four "Great Societies," all led by Battle Grandmasters: the "Ice Phoenix Society" led by five-star Shui Bing'er, the "Eagle Soaring Sect" led by six-star Ying Yan, "Hu Men" led by six-star Hu Qian, and the "Mountain Society" led by six-star Qing Gui. While there were several others, these were the undisputed top four. He planned to start with the Eagle Soaring Sect and gradually work his way to the others.
As he got up, he asked a random student to lead him to the headquarters of the Eagle Soaring Sect, where he then proceeded to kick down the door. He unleashed his spear momentum to the fullest, and the students who came running to the front started to kneel down under the pressure. His soul had already reached the level of a sixth-grade alchemist and was on the verge of reaching the seventh-level soon enough. His soul power combined with his strong spear momentum was enough to make any Battle Spirit palpitate under it.
"Someone call Ying Yan to come out. All of you are too weak," he roared. He pulled down a chair and waited until he saw an ordinary-looking girl with sharp eyes and green hair come out of the door.
"So you're the new alchemy genius who joined the courtyard. I don't believe I've offended you," she said unhurriedly.
"I just want to see the demeanor of one of the four generals of the outer courtyard. But you're a lot weaker than I thought," Fa Ma replied.
In an instant, Ying Yan pulled out her sword from her ring, the blade gleaming with a sharp, lethal edge. The metallic hiss as it slid free was a stark warning to everyone present. She couldn't bear this insult, not in front of her men. Each of them stood frozen, witnessing the unfolding confrontation between their revered leader and the unyielding Fa Ma.
Fa Ma, unfazed, intensified his oppressive aura, directing it solely at Ying Yan. The weight of his Qi bore down on her, forcing her to her knees. His eyes, once alight with challenge, began to dull with disappointment. But just as he prepared to end this farce, a fierce blaze ignited within Ying Yan's eyes. With a defiant roar, she summoned every ounce of her Qi, the power surging through her veins like wildfire.
In an explosive burst, she launched herself at Fa Ma, her sword aimed straight for his heart. Delighted by her resurgence, Fa Ma's own Qi flared in response. He met her charge head-on, his spear spinning in a deadly arc to parry her strike. The clash of their weapons echoed through the air, a symphony of metal against metal.
The two warriors moved with incredible speed and precision, their weapons a blur of motion. Ying Yan's sword danced with elegance and lethal intent, each strike a testament to her skill and determination. Fa Ma's spear, in contrast, was a force of raw power and control, each thrust and sweep executed with masterful precision.
Their duel became a mesmerizing display of martial prowess. They tacitly agreed to forego their intricate techniques and powerful moves, relying solely on the basics of their respective weapons. It was a pure contest of skill, strength, and will.
Ying Yan's strikes were relentless, each one fueled by the burning desire to prove herself. She lunged, slashed, and parried with a ferocity that belied her earlier kneeling position. Her footwork was impeccable, her movements fluid and graceful, as if she were dancing on air.
Fa Ma matched her blow for blow, his spear an extension of his body. He deflected her attacks with ease, his movements economical and precise. Despite his initial disappointment, he found himself respecting her tenacity and skill. Each clash of their weapons sent sparks flying. Despite Ying Yan's fierce expression, Fa Ma was more leisurely, as the gap between momentum and no momentum couldn't easily be bridged.
The ground beneath them bore the marks of their struggle, each step and strike leaving indents and scorch marks. The sounds of the duel were the only noise as the surrounding men held their breath in anticipation.
Ying Yan knew she couldn't go on for much longer and went for the final blow, a powerful overhead slash, aiming to break through Fa Ma's defenses. Fa Ma sidestepped with a fluid motion, his spear whipping around to counter with a thrust aimed at her midsection. Ying Yan flew back but quickly rolled on the ground to get up.
Summoning her remaining strength, Ying Yan pivoted sharply, bringing her sword up in a diagonal slash. Fa Ma's spear met it halfway, the force of the clash sending a shockwave through the ground. For a moment, they stood locked together, eyes meeting in a fierce contest of wills.
With a final, tremendous effort, Ying Yan broke the stalemate, pushing Fa Ma back with a surge of Qi. She lunged forward, her sword a streak of silver aimed at his heart. Fa Ma, regaining his balance, met her with equal ferocity, his spear arcing to intercept.
The final clash held on for one second before Ying Yan's sword dropped and Fa Ma took the opportunity to sweep her and pin her on the ground with his spear.
As Ying Yan fell on the ground, she wondered what she had done to provoke such a disaster. Seeing Fa Ma come over, she immediately surrendered, but what he said surprised her too much. "Oi, from now on you are my subordinate. Hurry up and call me boss." Dazed, Ying Yan wondered what trick Fa Ma was playing now as, in a span of ten minutes, he stepped on the reputation she had tried so desperately to raise in the past two years. Seeing that she still hadn't responded, he released his pressure again and slowly said, "Call me boss." Ying Yan quickly got up and responded, "Everyone meet the boss!" The Eagle Soaring Sect men resounded with an enthusiastic, "Meet the boss!"
"That's more like it. Here's a Sun Three Pattern Green Spirit Pill. Wait till you reach the peak of your current realm before taking it. You should be able to reach the nine-star Battle Grandmaster afterward. Also, if you pass my personal test of withstanding my spear momentum and being able to launch an attack, I'll refine any pill of your choice with one set of materials provided and no fees." Satisfied with how his first conquest went, Fa Ma simply left for the Mountain Society. However, Ying Yan was flabbergasted by this ludicrous set of operations. If a 12-year-old fourth-grade alchemist wanted to take them as subordinates, who in their right mind would say no?
If Fa Ma knew that, he would simply respond that in this world, you got to beat them up first; otherwise, when people called "Boss," it wouldn't be sincere. As he arrived at the Mountain Society, Qing Gui was already out front waiting for him. He said, "I've heard that the elders already made concessions for you. I admit that your talent is simply demonic, but I'm not going to give in just like that. Let's go to the arena." Before they left, he told the Mountain Society to grab Hu Qian and Shui Bing'er. Seeing him be so thoughtful, Fa Ma just went with the flow.
The arena was massive and looked like the Colosseum from his previous life. Apparently, the elders of the academy already knew about the challenge, and most of the students of the academy were already sitting down.
As Qing Gui and he walked onto the battlefield, he called out, "Hey, Hu Qian and Shui Bing'er, you guys should come too." Qing Gui tightened his fists at the arrogant remark, but soon Su Mu gestured for both to come down into the battlefield. Both Hu Qian and Shui Bing'er frowned at the arrogant gesture. Even though Fa Ma was a once-in-a-century genius, it was too much to ask seniors nine years older than him to fight him at the same time.
As they got into their stances and sized each other up, Fa Ma took the first move. He launched towards Hu Qian with his spear and launched a "Sundering Ape Thrust" quickly. Qing Gui and Shui Bing'er quickly reacted and countered with ice and rocks shooting towards him. He quickly left two afterimages going towards Hu Qian, pincering him, and Hu Qian set up two "Black Water Mirrors" to reflect the attacks. However, Fa Ma actually launched towards Qing Gui. As Fa Ma came out of his blind spot, Qing Gui only had time to launch his trump card "Suppressing Mountain Body." Fa Ma felt a suppressive force slow him down as he was thrusting his spear forward but broke through with his spear momentum. As he was about to touch Qing Gui, he saw two ice sparrows launching towards his arm and head. He jumped back and ran his Battle Qi armor to full effect with the beast fire, causing the sparrows to melt.
He looked toward Shui Bing'er and finally noticed that the three were finally taking him seriously. It was the first time he could finally go all out against his peers. Fa Ma didn't notice it, but a full-fledged grin spread across his face and his battle mania was hard to conceal. In this world without the internet, his only fun was studying new techniques and fighting to apply them. He didn't notice it, but, internally, he longed for battles that could make him grow as he always had the faint worry that fate was unbreakable; that he would have to be stuck in the barren Jia Ma empire as the President of the Alchemy Guild.
On the other side, Qing Gui, Hu Qian, and Shui Bing'er became solemn. Qing Gui's "Suppressing Mountain Body" had only slowed Fa Ma's thrust for less than a second. Shui Bing'er's ice sparrows, on the other hand, proved to be more than a mere nuisance, forcing him to activate his Battle Qi armor to its full potential. However, she used a lot of Battle Qi on those techniques.
Hu Qian, having been faked out, knew that a frontal assault on Fa Ma was risky as he was too elusive, so he opted for a different approach. With a swift motion, he conjured a series of "Water Sealing Chains" from the ground, aiming to ensnare Fa Ma's legs and restrict his mobility.
Qing Gui stomped his feet and soon an array of sharp earth spikes were launched on the right side of Fa Ma. Shui Bing'er understood the signal and, with a fluid motion, she summoned a chilling wind that hid ice blades to the left of Fa Ma. The temperature dropped rapidly as ice began to form on the ground, creating a slippery surface. Fa Ma simply exploded his Battle Qi further and the red hue on his spear intensified and slammed down his spear to launch his new version of "Mystic Ape's Echo." He optimized the technique so that he could launch it through his spear instead of just his throat, and the Battle Qi and air resonated around him, causing the attacks to disintegrate as they got within five meters of him.
Qing Gui simply snorted and stomped his foot down with a "Mountain Collapsing Ridge," with a crack soon spreading towards him. Fa Ma used his footwork to dodge, but he soon noticed the "Sealing Water Chains" snaking towards him. With a powerful thrust of his spear, he shattered the chains, but the effort caused a momentary lapse in his focus.
Taking advantage of this brief opening, Hu Qian unleashed a torrent of "Heavy Water Waves," a dense water wave surged towards him. The waves surged towards Fa Ma, threatening to engulf him. Fa Ma, realizing the imminent threat, spun his spear in a rapid motion, creating a vortex that deflected the majority of the dark water. However, some of the energy splashed against his armor, causing it to hiss and sizzle.
Qing Gui saw his chance. With a loud shout, he charged at Fa Ma with his "Suppressing Mountain Body" technique once more, aiming to pin him down with sheer force. Fa Ma, recovering quickly from Hu Qian's attack, met Qing Gui's charge head-on. Their clash caused a shockwave that reverberated through the battlefield, sending ripples across the icy surface.
In the midst of this, Shui Bing'er summoned her "Ice Queen's Lance," a majestic construct of ice and snow that radiated a chilling aura. The lance flew towards Fa Ma with astonishing speed as the surroundings quickly cooled down. Fa Ma, now caught between Qing Gui's brute force and the impending attack from the ice phoenix, needed to think quickly.
Summoning all his strength, Fa Ma channeled his Battle Qi into his spear, causing it to glow with an intense fiery aura. He roared and pushed back against Qing Gui, creating just enough space to execute a powerful spinning attack, "Spiral Sun Explosion." The fiery energy clashed with the ice lance, creating a spectacular explosion of fire and ice. Steam and mist filled the air, obscuring the battlefield.
In the aftermath, all four combatants were breathing heavily, assessing the situation. Fa Ma's armor was cracked and scorched, Qing Gui's body was showing signs of strain from the repeated clashes, Hu Qian's water-based techniques had taken a toll on his energy reserves, and Shui Bing'er's ice constructs were becoming less responsive as her mental power was almost gone from all the controlling she had to do.
Yet, none of them showed any sign of backing down. The battle had reached a critical juncture, with each fighter preparing for the next decisive move. Fa Ma's eyes gleamed with determination as he adjusted his grip on his spear, ready to face the combined might of his opponents once more. The tension in the air was palpable as they braced for the next exchange, knowing that the outcome of this battle would be decided in the moments to come.
In tacit fashion, all four began to prepare for the final blow. As their moves were being prepared, the tension on the field became palpable. Fa Ma, having recently studied some earth-level techniques, had an idea on how to start mobilizing the energy of Heaven and Earth. With the battle reaching its peak, a faint golden-red ape shadow surrounded him as the surrounding energy slowly became in tune with him and the spear in his hand. Shui Bing'er was slowly being encased in an Ice Phoenix, Qing Gui ran the "Suppressing Mountain Body" to the extreme as his surroundings became more and more depressed, and Hu Qian was being covered in a shark with a bloody light in its eyes. The spear light on Fa Ma's spear became more and more intense, and when it reached its peak, he opened his eyes. All four of them launched at the same time with each of them roaring "Sun Ape's Sky-Splitting Burn," "Ice Phoenix's Descent," "Suppressive Mountain Extreme Crush," and "Shura Shark Crushing Jaws."
Dust and steam covered the field, but one shadow could be seen standing. The audience could faintly see that Shui Bing'er was unconscious, Hu Qian lay dazed, and Qing Gui was trying his best to get up but soon fell unconscious. The dust cleared, and the shadow raised his spear up with his shirt destroyed and a long bloody line going up his torso.
"I win. Tell them to come see me tomorrow after they recover," Fa Ma said while releasing his pressure. The audience faintly felt a faint spear hovering over them. Fa Ma was disappointed that no one had the guts to get up until he saw a broad body with a broadsword on his back slowly meet his eyes with a flash of a sword shining in them in the nosebleeds of the arena. Fa Ma slowly smiled, took a healing pill, and walked out of the arena. Su Mu's eyes were shining as the capabilities Fa Ma showed confirmed that Canaan Academy had made the right investment.
That night, a new nickname was spread: "Spear King."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
DreamBig2004
DreamBig2004 Huge chapter for you guys to celebrate 50 collections and the start of Volume 2. Again thank you all for reading and please comment any suggestions, ideas for techniques, or criticism! Have a great day everybody!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone