Although Xu Wuyi’s battle with Li Hao lasted only two short moves, the bizarre ability he displayed—one that made Li Hao’s speed plummet as if he were trapped in a bog—sparked a continuous wave of discussion among the spectators.

"Did you see that clearly? Why did Li Hao suddenly slow down?"

"It’s Mental Suppression! Xu Wuyi’s Spiritual Power is absurdly strong. It formed something like a Domain effect!"

"That’s so overpowered! Inside a Domain like that, a speed-type Martial Artist is basically half-crippled!"

"How long has it been since he broke through to the Martial Artist realm? How could his Spiritual Power possibly be this strong?"

Cries of shock and analytical comments rose from every corner of the stands.

The name Xu Wuyi, already famous from the new student challenge and his victory over Luo Liang, was now thrust directly into the spotlight.

The first student of this class to become a Martial Artist truly had some hidden depths!

In the West Courtyard’s rest area, the atmosphere was a bit tense.

Qin Rui, arms crossed, retracted his sharp gaze from the arena. His tone was certain. "This isn’t a simple matter of speed. It’s an interference on the spiritual level. Li Hao’s Heart and Spirit were suppressed, causing deviations in his Qi and Blood circulation and his physical coordination."

He turned his head to Xu Zhi beside him. "Xu Zhi, you’ve interacted with Xu Wuyi a lot. Has he ever revealed this kind of technique before?"

Xu Zhi shook his head, a trace of helplessness on his face. "It’s been a while since I last had a proper spar with him."

"After he broke through to the Martial Artist realm, he seemed to be short on points and spent most of his time running missions off-campus. When he did come back, it was to enter closed-door cultivation. I didn’t expect him to have quietly mastered another trump card like this."

He paused, then added, "I’m afraid he has an extraordinary talent for Spiritual Cultivation."

Qin Rui’s gaze narrowed, but he didn’t speak.

Xu Wuyi’s growth rate certainly put a good deal of pressure on him, but more than that, it ignited his own raging battle spirit.

’An opponent like that is one worth defeating!’

Over in the North Courtyard, Zhao Qingwei stared at the figure in the East Courtyard’s rest area, her slender fingers unconsciously resting on the hilt of her sword.

"A Spiritual Domain..." she murmured to herself.

She practiced the Fast Sword, which in theory should also be vulnerable to this kind of counter. But there was no fear in her eyes; instead, a sharp glint flashed through them.

Her Flowing Shadow Sword was no ordinary Fast Sword; in fact, it was the purest form of Fast Sword, pursuing only the singular concept of "speed."

While Qin Rui’s Light-Splitting Shadow-Stealing Sword also sought to use various Secret Techniques to maximize lethality, her Flowing Shadow Sword only needed to be "fast."

At its ultimate limit, speed was no longer just a matter of physical Swordsmanship, but a confrontation of the Spirit.

Xu Wuyi’s performance made her more vigilant, but it also stoked her competitive spirit.

Meanwhile, Luo Liang, who had been defeated earlier and still wore a sour expression, couldn’t help but snort coldly when he heard the crowd’s gasps of amazement for Xu Wuyi.

"Hmph, he’s just a one-trick pony relying on his strong Spiritual Power!" he said, his tone dripping with disdain.

He rubbed the spot between his eyebrows, which still faintly ached, and gritted his teeth. "I’ve been working hard to patch up my weaknesses and even learned a Spirit Defense Secret Technique. Although I haven’t reached Great Success with it, I’m not the same as I was before! If we meet again, I’ll definitely make him taste the true power of my Golden Jade Skills!"

He wished he could fight Xu Wuyi again right this instant to avenge his previous defeat.

However, his team was up against the West Courtyard next, so he could only suppress his resentment for now.

After a short break for rest and adjustments, the light screen in the center of the arena lit up again, displaying the lineup for the second match:

West Courtyard vs. North Courtyard!

The first to take the stage for the North Courtyard was none other than Luo Liang, who had just made his bold declaration.

His intention in choosing to go first was obvious—to rely on the powerful defense of his Golden Jade Skills to defeat his opponent with little to no injury, wearing down the West Courtyard’s combat strength and creating an advantage for the North Courtyard.

Meanwhile, the one fighting for the West Courtyard was Tana, a student who had only risen to prominence after reaching the Martial Artist stage.

She had been relatively unknown before her promotion to Martial Artist, but her current Life Energy Level was actually higher than Luo Liang’s. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

When Tana’s figure appeared on the arena stage, many in the audience showed expressions of surprise.

She looked quite young, with brown hair, blue eyes, and somewhat exotic features. For a Martial Artist, her build was on the petite and delicate side.

However, the weapon she carried in her hand was a jet-black Heavy Hammer that was nearly as tall as her shoulders!

The head of the hammer was massive and covered in dark patterns; one look was enough to tell it was extremely heavy.

The stark contrast left a deep impression on everyone.

"West Courtyard, Tana. I await your instruction," she said. Her voice was clear and crisp, yet it carried a composure that belied her appearance.

Luo Liang looked at the petite girl before him and her exaggerated Heavy Hammer, and a dismissive expression flashed across his face.

He had heard of Tana and knew her Life Energy Level wasn’t low—rumor had it she was at 20.6, a bit higher than him. But in his view, an opponent who relied on brute force was the perfect touchstone for his Golden Jade Skills.

At the Martial Artist stage, the gap in physical attributes brought about by Life Energy Level was actually not as pronounced as it was before Level 20.

This was because everyone gradually learned more profound Body Refining Techniques or tempered their bodies and forged their Qi and Blood using rare natural treasures.

Coupled with the emergence of various Secret Techniques, many had even mastered methods of attack on the spiritual level.

Life Energy Level alone could no longer fully reflect one’s explosive power; it was more of an indicator of one’s current Cultivation.

"North Courtyard, Luo Liang."

Luo Liang gave a casual salute as he began to circulate the Qi and Blood in his body. A faint, jade-like golden luster appeared on the surface of his skin, and confidence returned to his face.

"Come on! Let’s see if that hammer of yours can even break my defense!"

"Begin!"

The moment the referee’s voice fell, Luo Liang took the initiative, intending to seize the upper hand.

He pushed off with his feet and charged forward, a fist gleaming with golden light aimed straight for Tana’s face. The whistling wind from his punch demonstrated its considerable power.

However, faced with this fierce and powerful punch, Tana’s blue eyes remained as calm as still water.

She neither dodged nor retreated. She didn’t even move much, merely sinking her stance slightly.

The massive, jet-black Heavy Hammer in her hand was swung up with a single arm as if it were weightless. Carrying a heavy, vicious gust of wind, it started its swing later but arrived first, smashing with unerring precision toward Luo Liang’s fist!

There were no dazzling light effects, only the purest collision of power!

BOOM!!!

Hammer met fist, unleashing a deafening roar!

A violent shockwave erupted from the point of impact, spreading rapidly outward!

The confidence on Luo Liang’s face instantly froze, replaced first by astonishment, and then by sheer horror!

He felt an irresistible, immense force, like a mountain collapsing or a tsunami crashing down, transmitted from the head of the hammer!

His Golden Jade fist, which was tough enough to block swords and sabers, was assaulted by an excruciating, bone-deep pain the moment it made contact with the hammer. It felt as if his very knuckles were about to shatter!

What was even more terrifying was that the force didn’t just act on the surface of his body.

The powerful impact penetrated his defenses and violently shook his internal organs!

"Ugh!"

Luo Liang let out a muffled groan. His forward momentum was forcefully broken, and he was sent stumbling back an uncontrollable seven or eight steps. Each step left a clear footprint on the alloy stage. A sweet taste rose in his throat, and he nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The Golden Jade luster on his skin flickered violently, clearly under immense strain.

"How is this possible?!"