Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

Kimura Kiyoi wanted to ask Ye Jiaofang what he was doing... or rather, she had too many questions to ask, but none of them came out. Just as she herself said, she and Ye Jiaofang were both bastards, but she didn't want to become even more of a bastard.

Ye Jiaofang gazed quietly at the sword... It was his sword, which had accompanied him in battle for a long time. But in the end, he chose to keep the sword, because he knew what kind of enemy he would face next... The curse on Shen Ya must have been placed by the Ancestor, and he did not want to rely too much on external things when facing such an enemy.

While weapons do indeed enhance his combat capabilities, it doesn't mean he'll never need them again. For Ye Jiaofang, abandoning his sword at this moment is more like a ritual, signifying that from now on, he has no one or nothing to rely on in this world, nor does he need to rely on anyone or anything.

"I relied entirely on myself."

He murmured to himself, then turned around. Kimura Kiyoi was still standing there... Her eyes were red, and she probably didn't even know what she was waiting for, but Ye Jiaofang knew.

"Kimura."

Ye Jiaofang suddenly called out the other person's name and said, "You used to really enjoy reading those foreign stories and anecdotes. You were especially interested in those novels, where the protagonists would separate and get back together, and some authors were kind enough to let the destined couple end up together. Everyone was happy with that, but some authors were malicious and liked to ruin beautiful things for people to see. So those two people who were meant to be together went through countless hardships and fell before the finish line, either creating a huge upheaval or ending silently."

He paused slightly and looked into the distance.

"Unfortunately, life is not a story, and it has no main characters."

Kiyoi Kimura choked up again, sobbing, "Life has its protagonists, but you didn't choose me."

Ye Jiaofang was slightly taken aback. He did not deny it, but nodded and said, "Perhaps so. There are indeed so-called protagonists in life, which are each person's subjective choices."

"Even if we really are the protagonists of the story, so what? You must know..."

Ye Jiaofang gazed at the Great Heavenly God Mountain, where cherry blossoms swayed in the breeze, a sea of ​​pink that was very eye-catching. It was the most beautiful time of year for cherry blossoms to bloom. His beloved was forever asleep there, never to wake up, becoming an eternal Sleeping Beauty.

He seemed lost in thought, muttering to himself:

Not all stories have a happy ending.

Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Heart of Struggle Ends

(PS: Three chapters combined, 6k long chapter, 24 pages missing)

"Today, whose fate will it be?!"

Ye Jiao shouted wildly, his voice filled with boundless fighting spirit.

Either he or Ying Qin Guan could easily end this battle—not in the sense of winning or surrendering, but simply by escaping.

With their strength, escaping would be a matter of moments. If Ye Jiaofang wanted to escape, he could control light and airflow, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Even on a plain, it might be difficult to catch him with his optical invisibility. Let alone in a city, Ying Qin Guan's escape ability was no match for Ye Jiaofang's. But so what? The entire city was filled with military personnel. Ye Jiaofang could only see and hear a limited area. Once Ying Qin Guan was out of his sight, it would be virtually impossible for him to catch up.

However, the battle has continued until now. Ye Jiaofang has lost an arm and is covered in wounds, while Ying Qin Guan's eyes are almost blinded and his inner energy is greatly depleted. From any perspective, there is a reason for them to flee. Ying Qin Guan has no reason to risk his life for the military like this; the clown has given him a buff. But in the end, it's just a buff; Ye Jiaofang is not part of the Jue Tian Army.

As for Ye Jiaofang, needless to say, he shouldn't have stayed here to fight Ying Qinguan in the first place. After the ritual failed, he should have fled immediately.

But the truth is, both of them stayed here; neither of them ran away.

Ye Jiaofang had already revealed what they were thinking.

Today, whose fate will it be?!

Who will die?! Who will fall from grace?!

Who is the chosen one? And who is the only one?!

Yes, in today's battle, one of them will die... and a victor and a loser will inevitably emerge, as well as the strongest.

Ye Jiaofang had said the same thing to Kimura Kiyoshi and that man before, believing that not all stories could end as one wished... But today, after meeting Ying Qin Guan, he changed his mind.

If I must come to an end... then what kind of end would be worthy of this thousand years of wandering and displacement?

This was a difficult question to answer, but today, the answer has been found.

Right here...right today.

Let's put an end to your story, or mine!

Come on, come on!

Ye Jiaofang's heart was screaming wildly, "Let's settle this! Will I continue the legend for another thousand years, allowing the undefeated legend to continue, or will you ascend to the true heavens and become an unprecedented new king?!"

One generation after another, everything about martial artists can only be determined by victory and defeat!

The two clashed again in a chaotic battle, with sword energy and blade light crisscrossing, divine light and fist energy exploding, causing the entire city to groan in agony. Hundred-meter-high office buildings collapsed, huge squares were overturned, and trees were swept up by the air currents, uprooted, and then torn to pieces!

No one had ever imagined that a fight between two martial artists could produce such terrifying destructive power. Fortunately, the military had taken precautions beforehand, evacuating nearby civilians in time after locating the pillar of light. Therefore, not many people died. However, if the two had continued fighting like that, the outcome would have been very uncertain.

Ye Jiao didn't care about the public, but he wouldn't let this affect Ying Qin Pass's fighting strength. In his view, this was not only an insult to Ying Qin Pass, but also an insult to himself—this was the difference between him and that man. If it were that man, he would do anything for victory.

Therefore, both Ying Qin Guan and Ye Jiao Fang intentionally sped up the pace of the battle. Even so, their inner energy was simply too profound, and speeding up the battle wasn't about recklessly expending their inner energy. Thus, they maintained a high-intensity fight, exchanging blows for a full five minutes.

To be precise, it was 314.23 seconds. In those 314 seconds, the two sides exchanged a total of 851 moves.

851 moves... both were pushed to their limits, with Ye Jiaofang's condition worse than Ye Jiaofang's. Ying Qin Guan, however, was now completely blinded... Ying Qin Guan had expended a tremendous amount of internal energy to protect his eyes, making this his weakness. Yet even Ying Qin Guan couldn't fight someone like Ye Jiaofang without his eyes open.

—The reverse is more accurate. Ye Jiaofang can fight Ying Qin Guan without using his eyes. His combat skills do not particularly rely on his eyes.

The two sides collided again before separating, entering a brief respite.

They all knew in their hearts that the battle was nearing its end... Their condition was far worse than at the beginning, and their inner energy was almost exhausted. The outcome should be decided within the next ten moves!

The moment had come, yet neither Ye Jiaofang nor Ying Qin Guan showed any inclination to speak. They should have said something, as if it were the closing lines of this grand drama, but neither of them uttered a word.

say what?!

What do I need to say?!

Nothing is needed!

Only through struggle!

An eternal destiny, an unchanging melody!

boom!

Ye Jiao suddenly lunged forward, his feet stomping on the ground, his chaotic inner energy dissipating like a shockwave, overturning the surface and shattering the glass.

Now that the battle has progressed to this point, neither he nor Ying Qin Guan has any room for holding back; every move from now on could be their last. Therefore, every move must squeeze out the full potential of their bodies until there is no room for improvement.

In the blink of an eye, Ye Jiaofang was less than forty meters away from Ying Qinguan. The weapon he had previously seized had been destroyed by Ying Qinguan's Ten Deadly Techniques. The military had also learned their lesson, and Ye Jiaofang had not found an opportunity to seize the sword, but...

He still has one hand!

Without hesitation, Ye Jiaofang unleashed his ultimate move once again, depleting most of his already limited internal energy.

In an instant, the light distorted and the airflow reversed!

Sight, hearing, and touch were all impaired, even though Ye Jiao was less than thirty meters away from Ying Qin Guan. But Ying Qin Guan was no different from the man lying in bed waiting to die.

Wan Dao talks about his ultimate intention? The explosion of sound takes away the light!

Ying Qin closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and in an instant, a violent current surged around him.

A thousand paths can be discussed without a single leak!

After Ying Qin Guan broke through the "No Leakage" technique, neither side used it again. Now, with no other choice, Ying Qin Guan used it again... Of course, he had other options, such as covering his entire body with an internal energy barrier. But to truly defend, every part of his body would need to be covered with an internal energy barrier strong enough to withstand a single blow from Ye Jiao, and the energy consumption... He could do that at the beginning of the battle. Now, even with Ying Qin Guan's internal energy doubled or tripled, he couldn't withstand such a drain!

Therefore, the choice of Ying Qin Pass was to ensure it was airtight!

Without hesitation, Ye Jiaofang responded by using the same method of "No Leaks".

Ying Qin Guan's aura dissipated, quickly colliding with Ye Jiao Fang's "Leak-Free Wind," allowing Ying Qin Guan to pinpoint Ye Jiao Fang's location. However, a significant amount of time elapsed between Ying Qin Guan unleashing "Leak-Free Wind," Ye Jiao Fang's response, and Ying Qin Guan sensing the blocked aura. By this time, Ye Jiao Fang had already pounced upon him, his single arm wreathed in a terrifying purple light, and his punch shook the heavens and earth.

Ye Jiaofang was absolutely certain... at this distance and speed, even Ying Qin Guan wouldn't be able to condense an effective inner energy barrier. His choice to use an airtight, direct attack against himself wasn't necessarily a mistake; using an inner energy barrier would have been a gamble. After all, Ying Qin Guan's current inner energy reserves couldn't cover his entire body; he could only release a small portion, which Ye Jiaofang couldn't see. If he failed to block it, it would be a complete waste.

Therefore, this is definitely not a wrong choice.

However... this, too, is not the right choice.

Ye Jiaofang stared intently at Ying Qin Guan, a fist flashing with purple light aimed at his heart. He didn't look, nor did he have time to. But he guessed that Ying Qin Guan's right hand was raising the Ten Deadly Weapons. But that's the weakness of weapons; in close combat, mid-range weapons like knives or swords can never, ever, ever be faster than a fist.

"So, this battle..."

Suddenly! A sharp gust of wind suddenly swept towards Ye Jiaofang's side.

Ye Jiaofang has an extraordinary sensitivity to airflow. If he wanted, his sense of touch is so strong that he can feel the faint airflow caused by a fly flapping its wings a meter away, and accurately judge how many times the fly flapped its wings in the past second based on the changes in airflow.

This is Ye Jiaofang. His strength was honed little by little, eventually reaching a godlike level.

Ye Jiaofang sensed it; it was a fist coming from Ying Qin Guan's left arm, aimed at his side!

Ying Qin Guan had both arms, so he was naturally different from Ye Jiao Fang, who had lost an arm.

Fighting one hand with two hands usually means doubling the attack frequency—but in actual combat, you have to play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses, so there's no doubling of the frequency, especially in this desperate situation. One hand or ten hands make no difference; what really matters is speed.

Ye Jiaofang never thought about defense from beginning to end.

Like Ying Qin Pass, at this distance, Ye Jiaofang had no chance to use his inner energy barrier. He didn't even have time to use any skills... There are no truly instant-cast skills in this world; they only appear instantaneous compared to ordinary skills. In reality, no move has a truly zero countdown time.

Just like Ying Qin Guan's Consciousness Slash and Ye Jiao's Unyielding Wind, they are both very fast. As long as they are not on cooldown, they can be executed within one five-thousandth of a second. But now, there isn't even one five-thousandth of a second left.

"Am I faster, or is he faster?!"

With this thought flashing through his mind, Ye Jiaofang followed his instincts and came to the answer.

I'm faster!

There's no mistake, Ying Qin Guan was misled by the light; he can't see or hear anything, so he couldn't possibly be faster than me.

but..

Throughout the entire battle today, Ying Qin Guan acted like a robot, without making any mistakes. Yet, in this final strike, he was clearly a little slower than me... Couldn't he sense it?!

Or is it...?

Ye Jiaofang had no other choice. His fist, flashing with purple light, smashed through Ying Qinguan's left chest, and his chaotic internal energy overflowed, aiming to shatter Ying Qinguan's heart in the first instant.

It was at this moment that Ye Jiaofang finally saw Ying Qin Guan's eyes.

His expression was calm, and his lips were slightly parted.

The howling wind and raging rain carried his voice to Ye Jiaofang's ears, but unfortunately, he was too late.

Do you know?

Ying Qin Guan's left fist struck Ye Jiao Fang's side, unleashing a terrifying force capable of tearing stars apart, directly breaking his ribs.

If it were a strike like Ye Jiaofang's, it would have ended there. Because he chose to penetrate, and this punch truly pierced directly through Ying Qin Guan's body. But then what? There was nothing more, and theoretically, there shouldn't be. But for some reason, Ying Qin Guan wasn't finished. Although Ye Jiaofang wanted to go further, releasing his inner energy to tear apart Ying Qin Guan's internal organs, it was... too late.

He was only slightly faster than Ying Qin Guan, thus piercing through Ying Qin Guan's body first. However, he wasn't fast enough to release his inner energy within Ying Qin Guan's body, because Ying Qin Guan's punch also arrived.

Although Ye Jiaofang's attack did indeed reduce the force of his hand slightly, it didn't matter at all. Without the inner energy barrier, such a solid hit didn't require concern about power; the only concern was the range of impact.

Ying Qin Guan's punch broke Ye Jiao Fang's ribs. This punch was a horizontal strike, and it was far from over. It went deeper and deeper, shattering the liver and tearing the gallbladder. The violent power surged in and squeezed the spleen and stomach into pieces as well.

"My heart... is positioned slightly to the right than the average person's!"