Zhou Yan's exhaustion was certainly greater than Leng Yue's.
However, Zhou Yan's spiritual energy recovered quickly, and coupled with his strong attributes, there was no outward sign of him being excessively drained.
In truth, Leng Yue was also impressed by Zhou Yan, who exceeded her expectations. Had it been anyone else, they would have been defeated by her long ago, but Zhou Yan proved to be quite tenacious.
Although he lagged far behind her in various skills, his reaction time, speed, and techniques were so formidable that she hadn't managed to gain any significant advantage over him.
"Teacher Leng Yue is truly powerful, and I have learned a great deal as a student," Zhou Yan said, looking at the stunning, heroic figure in the distance. He was truly astonished by Teacher Leng Yue's combat techniques and strategies, admitting that he was no match for her.
If it weren't for his formidable attributes and various skills, he suspected he would have lost long ago.
Zhou Yan realized that the "Overlord Spear Art" was completely unsuitable for fighting Leng Yue. Thus, he stood on the rooftop of the pavilion, sheathed his spear, and replaced it with a diamond-quality longsword.
He did not change his armor.
Holding the longsword, Zhou Yan said to Teacher Leng Yue, "Teacher, in fact, my swordsmanship is the most formidable. Please impart some guidance."
"Then let's see how much skill you can display," Leng Yue replied, her demeanor unchanged, her presence as ethereal as ever. Gripping her longsword, she was like a war goddess descended from the heavens, radiating a sharp divine light that further enhanced her fairy-like aura.
Sensing immense danger, Zhou Yan unhesitatingly brought his longsword forward, unleashing his potent Yin-Yang spiritual energy, which transformed into a dazzling divine light that filled the sky, eventually morphing into countless small energy swords.
The entire sky before Zhou Yan was filled with these energy swords, each radiating supreme power. Especially the sword before his eyes, which emanated an unparalleled spiritual radiance.
"Sword Control Technique!"
With a wave of his hands, Zhou Yan unleashed the myriad energy swords like a rain of blades. Each sword produced a piercing sound as it cut through the air, a true manifestation of ten thousand swords flying as one. Even the students watching from the sidelines could feel the terrifying offensive power, let alone Leng Yue within the battle chariot.
Leng Yue truly felt a terrifying threat. Her delicate eyebrows curved, and a flicker of shock crossed her beautiful eyes. With her discerning gaze, she recognized the immense power of this skill.
The effectiveness of any skill varied greatly depending on the wielder.
Leng Yue soared into the sky, enveloped by a powerful azure energy storm. She emanated divine light and hovered in the air. Pointing her sword forward, a colossal azure tornado erupted.
"Windfall!"
With a soft exclamation, Leng Yue merged into the storm, vanishing completely from sight.
The rain of swords soon collided with the azure storm, unleashing a series of explosive sounds, akin to a million soldiers clashing on a battlefield.
The sword rain surged forward with an unstoppable momentum.
The storm roared like a dragon, possessing immense destructive power.
Both energies were terrifying. The scattered energy lashed out in all directions. Giant trees were cleaved by swords and fell instantly, pavilions were swept by the storm and destroyed in a flash.
The rockeries, under the impact of both energies, turned to dust.
The ground was frequently marked by the traces of sharp blades, with deep pits appearing one after another.
The exquisitely beautiful garden was completely annihilated, everything blown away, then reduced to powder.
The distant waterfall, subjected to the powerful energy assault, boomed. A large section of the mountainside was pulverized, and the cascading water sprayed upward, exploding in the air before falling as a gentle murmur.
The watching students, their eyes wide with disbelief, stared at the battle and its terrifying destructive power.
Was this truly just a spar between a student and a teacher?
Just how strong was Zhou Yan's power?
He was actually able to fight Leng Yue like this?
"Boom!"
The terrifying energy echoed throughout the entire battlefield, and the powerful light completely obscured everyone's vision.
But soon, they heard a series of rapid sounds, signaling that the two figures in the arena had resumed their engagement.
This time, the battle was continuous, never ceasing.
"Look, Zhou Yan and Teacher Leng Yue are fiercely clashing."
"Teacher Leng Yue isn't dodging anymore; she's engaging him head-on. How cool is that!"
"Teacher Leng Yue's attacks are so fast; I can't even follow her movements."
After Zhou Yan switched to his longsword, Leng Yue changed her strategy and chose to clash directly with him. Their weapons met in a rapid, intense barrage of collisions. Their battle was swift and fierce, a back-and-forth exchange that moved from the air to the ground, from the ground to the waterfall, and from the waterfall into the water.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
The water's surface erupted with towering waves. Countless fish leaped out like dragons ascending the gates, falling onto the shore. Many more were simply blown into bloody pulp.
The watching students were mesmerized, afraid of missing any thrilling moment.
They were filled with excitement and longing, wishing they could also engage in such a battle.
Due to his inexperience, Zhou Yan was hit by Leng Yue's attacks several times. Energy blasts struck his body, and his punches and kicks sent him crashing to the ground.
However, Zhou Yan's recovery was astonishing. As long as the injuries were not fatal, he fought like an unkillable cockroach, always erupting with terrifying strength.
The passionate battle lasted for a full hour.
Zhou Yan bore numerous sword marks and sustained minor injuries. His body was hit many times by Leng Yue's punches and kicks, but these attacks did not breach his defenses.
They were blocked by his formidable defense.
After fighting for so long, both of them had consumed a considerable amount of stamina and spiritual energy.
However, Zhou Yan had not managed to land a single hit on Leng Yue. Her combat experience was too immense. If not for his swift footwork and strong attributes, he would have likely lost long ago.
Leng Yue, too, grew increasingly apprehensive as the fight progressed. While Zhou Yan was not her equal, he was incredibly tenacious. Relying on his superior footwork, he had managed to evade her countless killing moves.
Leng Yue felt that if his combat experience improved, she might not be able to defeat him.
After a while, Leng Yue said, "That's enough. Let's end it here for today."
As Leng Yue deactivated the arena's formation, the two of them reappeared on the platform.
This caused the engrossed students to sigh in disappointment, as they had been thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.
Their gazes towards Zhou Yan changed. His strength had long surpassed theirs, allowing him to fight Teacher Leng Yue for so long.
They estimated that Zhou Yan's strength would undoubtedly place him among the elite of the core disciples.
Having produced such an outstanding prodigy of his generation, Zhou Yan's presence was their fortune and their generation's misfortune.
Several students quickly retrieved their illusory treasure orbs, a move Leng Yue did not notice.
"I didn't realize so much time had passed." Several of them checked the time and found that school had long since ended, yet they still felt unsatisfied.
"We'll stop here for today. You all need to work hard, reflect on your combat techniques, and observe others' battles. It will only benefit you."
Leng Yue led everyone away, dismissing them. However, she kept Zhou Yan behind.