The ultimate Valkyrie has fallen for me

Ouch!

The tiger's roar was already close at hand, and the dragon's cry suddenly rang out. A golden bell, as solid as a rock, appeared, with nine dragons coiled around it.

Boom!

Another deafening roar resounded as the tiger's head, formed from concentrated true energy, slammed into the golden bell. The immense impact reverberated in all directions, instantly sweeping across the arena and creating waves on the lake's surface.

Whoosh!

The waves rolled for miles and crashed hard against the lake shore, splashing water droplets several meters high.

"Iron Shirt?"

"No, it's the Panlong Golden Bell Shield!"

"Nine dragons coiled around it—this is the most impenetrable golden bell shield I've ever seen!"

"This young man has already mastered combat skills to such a high level; it is truly remarkable."

"It's not just rare; no matter how much effort an ordinary person puts in, they could never achieve this level of skill. It mainly depends on their comprehension and talent."

"Exceptionally intelligent!"

Seeing Lu Yuan standing motionless beneath the golden bell with its coiled golden dragon on the arena, the guests once again offered their praise.

They even felt inferior to him.

After all, there are many practitioners of the Golden Bell Cover combat technique, but among everyone present, no one's level can match Lu Yuan's.

Lu Yuan is not even thirty years old.

Such comprehension is beyond mere genius; it's downright monstrous.

"good."

At the main table, Shen Fuyue nodded slightly and said with a smile.

Such a performance even impressed this grandmaster.

"Top-tier aptitude? That's utter nonsense!"

While praising Lu Yuan's mastery of combat skills, many people couldn't help but chuckle when they saw the thick, wall-like Golden Bell Shield.

Public information shows that Lu Yuan has a first-class qualification.

How could someone with top-tier true qi condense such a thick golden bell shield?

Both the power he displayed just now and the amount of true energy he possesses now demonstrate that Lu Yuan is definitely not just a first-grade talent.

They can even get the talent level wrong; the certification process is really careless these days.

"Can we win?"

Realizing this, everyone's hearts stirred again.

Having blocked Lei Tieming's attacks twice in a row, and judging from Lu Yuan's confident demeanor before the competition, he was not without his own reliance.

Could it be that Lu Yuan can really win?

impossible.

How is that possible?

One is a junior warrior, the other a mid-level warrior; there's a whole minor realm difference between them. Even if Lu Yuan's information is inaccurate, and even if he has a sixth-grade extraordinary battle physique, it would still be difficult for him to defeat Lei Tieming.

Buzz!

Just as everyone was discussing, Lu Yuan had already taken off his Golden Bell Shield and looked at Lei Tieming with a serious expression.

Once is never enough. He had already taken two hits from Lei Tieming, and he couldn't just stand there and take a third, even if Lei Tieming's attacks didn't pose much of a threat to him.

He also said that it is impolite not to reciprocate, and it was time for him to return the favor.

"Watch out, I don't want to just kill you outright."

Lu Yuan reminded Lei Tieming, then raised his hand and took out the bladeless battle sword from his spatial ring.

Lei Tieming remained calm, his eyes showing no fear whatsoever.

Although his two attacks failed, he still thought that Lu Yuan was just a junior general. Let alone killing him, it would be difficult to even hurt him.

"They've drawn their weapons."

"This bet doesn't say that weapons are forbidden."

"What I mean is, this is about to show your true skills."

"His skills are hard to say, but his conditions are definitely better than Lei Tieming's. He's just been promoted to junior general, and he's already equipped with lord-level gear."

"Could it be that they intend to utilize the power of the equipment?"

"While lord-level equipment is powerful, it cannot completely bridge the gap between a junior and intermediate warrior."

"That's right. Ultimately, the power that equipment can unleash depends on the martial artist using it."

Seeing Lu Yuan take out his battle sword, the guests' discussions became even more lively.

Lu Yuan, who was far away in the middle of the lake, naturally couldn't hear what these people were saying, and he didn't care. At this moment, with his battle sword in hand, his aura changed.

"Um?"

Lei Tieming, who hadn't paid any attention just now, suddenly shuddered as a chilling aura swept over him.

He looked at Lu Yuan with some surprise, his expression turning serious. He dared not delay any longer and took out equipment from his spatial storage.

A two-meter-long metal rod, with a melon-sized bump at each end, or a small hammer.

"Ready? Here I come."

Lu Yuan condensed his true energy into the three-foot-long blade, then spoke again to remind Lu Yuan, before unleashing a slash.

The earth cracked!

Lei Tieming, who was originally standing more than ten meters away, suddenly opened his eyes wide. He wanted to dodge but it was too late. Moreover, if he dodged, Lu Yuan would follow up with a slash, making him even more passive.

Ta-da!

He quickly retreated, and seeing the slash was already close at hand, he gripped the metal rod with both hands and smashed it down with the force of splitting a mountain.

Although he didn't know what combat technique Lu Yuan used, as a seasoned five-star general, he could at least sense the terror of this move.

If he simply parries, his equipment, though of lord-level quality, isn't defensive, and he'll likely be cleaved in two. Therefore, he might as well take the offensive and try to fight head-on.

Lei Tieming's swing, though seemingly simple, was actually a Xuan-rank combat skill, a strike that mobilized and concentrated all his true energy.

Bang~!

With another muffled thud, Lei Tieming was sent flying backward.

It was a completely one-sided and crushing defeat!

"Earth-Rank Combat Skill!"

"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the Earth-Splitting Blade Technique from the Starry Sky Guild."

"This move is not easy to master."

"Tsk tsk, so young, yet he has already mastered such swordsmanship and combat skills. The younger generation is truly formidable."

"A prodigy! This child's comprehension of combat techniques is absolutely monstrous!"

Among the guests were not only many experts, but also many martial artists from the Starry Sky Club. Upon recognizing the combat techniques used by Lu Yuan, they couldn't help but engage in another heated discussion.

As for Lu Yuan's comprehension of combat skills, he was completely convinced.

"If that's the case, then we do have a fairly good chance of winning."

Upon seeing Lei Tieming lying on the ground, some people couldn't help but change their tune.

With lord-level equipment and Earth-rank combat skills, Lu Yuan, despite being a junior general, might not necessarily defeat Lei Tieming.

"It's too early to say that. Don't forget, Lei Tieming hasn't shown his true abilities yet."

"That's right, he hasn't even used the methods of a mid-level general yet."

Immediately, many people retorted, their tone tinged with arrogance.

Although Lu Yuan had the upper hand for the time being, Lei Tieming had not yet used his full strength.

The reason why it is said that there is a small realm between intermediate and junior warriors is not simply because of the three-star difference, but because of the real difference in ability.

Just like the Meridian Opening Realm, the first to third meridians can only strengthen oneself, the fourth meridian and above can release true qi, and the seventh meridian is to gather qi to form a form.

"Kid! I admit, you're a bit tougher than I thought, but that's enough!"

Standing up again, Lei Tieming wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze deep and thoughtful.

Click-clack~ Boom~!

The next moment, accompanied by a series of cracking sounds, Lei Tieming's physique became visibly stronger. Not only were his limbs thicker, but his waist and back were also more robust and broad, and he even grew more than ten centimeters taller.

His once loose clothes were now stretched taut and clung to his body. Lei Tieming, who was already burly, now looked like a giant.

"Beast transformation."

Seeing Lei Tieming's hands, which had almost turned into claws, and the hair and markings that had grown on his body, Lu Yuan's expression also became serious.