Xu Wuyi slowly stood up and nodded at Shen Wei, his face showing no sign of underestimating his opponent.

The fact that Li Hao possessed a True Intention of Martial Arts was not beyond his expectations; in fact, it was practically a given.

This was because those who could learn B-level Martial Arts during the Martial Disciple Stage were almost always blessed with a True Intention of Martial Arts. Otherwise, it would be difficult to gain any comprehension.

Shen Wei was like that, as was Xu Wuyi himself, who had relied on the characteristics of his "Mountain" True Intention to truly comprehend the *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace*.

Of course, there were exceptions, such as Luo Liang’s *Golden Jade Skills*, which required physical compatibility more than Mental Realm Enlightenment.

A flash of light passed, and Xu Wuyi appeared across from Li Hao, a long spear in his hand.

No words were exchanged. Their gazes clashed in mid-air, as if invisible sparks were flying.

The entire arena gradually fell silent. Everyone held their breath, their gazes fixed on the crucial battle that would decide the outcome of the first round.

’My stamina is significantly drained,’ Li Hao thought. ’I absolutely can’t let this drag on.’

’I have to end this fast, in one fell swoop!’

"Begin!"

Almost at the exact moment the referee’s voice rang out, Li Hao once again transformed into a bolt of blue lightning. He burned his remaining Qi and Blood and stamina with abandon, pushing his speed to its absolute limit as he charged toward Xu Wuyi as if teleporting!

His dual blades crisscrossed, aiming for Xu Wuyi’s throat and heart!

He would use his strongest offensive to end the battle in the shortest time possible!

Facing this thunderously fast assault, Xu Wuyi’s eyes were calm. He didn’t even assume an obvious defensive stance.

He merely took a soft half-step forward, the long spear in his hand still angled toward the ground.

However, the instant Li Hao stepped within a three-meter radius of him—

"HUMMM!"

An invisible yet mountain-heavy force field, with Xu Wuyi at its center, abruptly descended!

Li Hao felt the air around him instantly become incomparably viscous, as if he had plunged into an invisible mire.

His astonishing speed, enough to look down on all others of his rank, suddenly plummeted!

It wasn’t just physical sluggishness; a heavy, majestic will, carrying an intense burning sensation, slammed into his spiritual world like a colossal mountain crashing down!

"What?!"

Li Hao’s expression changed drastically, his pupils shrinking.

He felt as if he wasn’t charging at an enemy, but crashing into a towering, burning mountain!

That power, which suppressed the soul and incinerated the will, sent a sharp pain through his mind, and even the circulation of his Qi and Blood fell into momentary disarray.

*Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear* at the Minor Achievement stage—Intention follows the spear’s movement, suppressing souls and seizing spirits!

This nascent Soul Suppressing Domain was displaying its might in actual combat for the first time!

This momentary stagnation and loss of Heart and Spirit decided the victor.

Xu Wuyi moved.

It was still an extremely simple upward thrust, yet the spear, arriving first despite starting later, seemed to carry the weight of a mountain on its dark red shaft.

"BOOM!"

In Li Hao’s distorted perception, caused by his sudden drop in speed, that spear seemed to stir the very space around it, carrying an irresistible suppressive force as it struck the precise intersection of his dual blades!

"CLANG—!"

A piercing clash of metal exploded.

Li Hao felt an indescribable, immense force, mixed with an intention that seared the spirit and corroded the bone, surge through his dual blades and into his body like a volcanic eruption!

"PFFT!"

The web between his thumbs and forefingers split open, and he nearly lost his grip on his dual blades. As if struck by a heavy blow, he was sent flying backward uncontrollably, spraying a large mouthful of blood while still in mid-air.

The impact on a spiritual level was even more violent, causing his vision to go black and his ears to ring.

’I’ve lost!’

’In a single exchange, my proudest asset—my speed—was completely suppressed. I couldn’t even take one full blow!’

Intense unwillingness flooded his heart. Li Hao fought through the severe pain and dizziness, trying to steady himself and create distance.

But to his horror, he discovered that the heavy force field was still stuck to him like a shadow, weighing him down.

His feet felt as if they were filled with lead, making every movement incredibly difficult. The air around him seemed to have become walls of bronze and iron!

His supreme Body Technique had become a joke in the face of this bizarre force field.

Xu Wuyi gave him no chance to catch his breath.

The moment Li Hao staggered back, trying to escape the Domain’s influence, Xu Wuyi’s figure had already closed in silently.

Again, it was a simple move: a straight thrust.

This thrust wasn’t fast, but it carried an intention that seemed to lock down heaven and earth and suppress all eight directions, giving Li Hao the despairing feeling that he would inevitably be hit, no matter how he tried to dodge.

"No—!" Li Hao let out an indignant roar, desperately raising his dual blades to block.

"PFFT!"

The long spear pierced through his hastily formed defense and struck him squarely in the chest.

A majestic power of Qi and Blood and a condensed Spirit Shock erupted at the same time.

Li Hao’s body stiffened abruptly. The light in his eyes quickly dimmed, and he finally turned into a streak of white light and vanished from the arena.

"East Courtyard, Xu Wuyi wins!"

"First round, East Courtyard wins!"

The referee’s announcement echoed through the entire arena via the PA system.

After a brief silence, the East Courtyard’s spectator section erupted in deafening cheers!

"We won! We won!"

"Xu Wuyi! He’s too strong!"

"One spear! And another! Li Hao didn’t even have the strength to fight back!"

"What was that just now? How did Li Hao’s speed suddenly drop like that?"

Discussions, gasps of astonishment, and cheers intertwined, bringing the atmosphere to a climax.

In the South Courtyard’s rest area, there was dead silence.

Li Hao’s figure materialized. He sat there, pale and dejected, still not having recovered from the two thunderous spear strikes.

He had lost, utterly and completely.

The speed that had made him famous was useless before Xu Wuyi’s bizarre force field.

He hadn’t even managed to force out Xu Wuyi’s true strength. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

In the East Courtyard’s rest area, Shen Wei and Zhou Mingxuan excitedly went to greet the teleported-back Xu Wuyi.

"Old Xu, that was awesome! What was that move? That kid Li Hao was moving in slow motion!" Shen Wei yelled excitedly.

Zhou Mingxuan also looked at Xu Wuyi, his eyes filled with admiration.

Xu Wuyi just smiled and didn’t explain in detail. "Just a little trick for applying Spirit."

His gaze was calm, showing not the slightest hint of complacency from this victory.

’The Inter-Courtyard Competition has only just begun. There are stronger opponents ahead.’

After his *Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear* reached Minor Achievement, the effect of his Soul Suppressing Domain in actual combat was outstanding. Li Hao was also very strong; he was just unlucky to have run into him.

Suppression on the level of Spiritual Will was extremely effective against opponents who relied on speed and agility.

This kind of suppression would persist until Li Hao also made achievements in the Spiritual Domain and could contend with his Realm of Realm, at which point he could once again bring out his speed.

The East Courtyard had achieved a strong start, and their morale soared.

With the first match over, the East Courtyard had no more battles in this round. Next, they just needed to watch the West Courtyard face off against the North Courtyard.

Soon, the rosters for both sides were released. The first to fight for the North Courtyard was, surprisingly, Luo Liang—the very same person who had previously defeated Li Hao but lost to Xu Wuyi.

The West Courtyard’s choice, however, was somewhat unexpected. It was the female Martial Artist, Tana, who would be taking the stage first!