Inside Li Yun’s Sea of Consciousness, the Dragon-shaped golden qi became slightly clearer after absorbing the new strand. Its outline was still faint, but it had gained a more defined form. However, it was obvious that this was far from enough. To fully condense into a complete shape, it would require the accumulation of much more Dragon Qi.

As for Yuan Tong, the loss of his Dragon Qi caused the golden dragon mark on his forehead to vanish completely. With it gone, his qualification to continue in the tournament was also stripped away.

Li Yun withdrew his hand calmly, his expression unchanged.

Without sparing Yuan Tong another glance, he turned and stepped off the arena. His demeanor remained composed as he returned to the waiting area, ready for the next match as if nothing of significance had occurred.

"That brat defeated Yuan Tong with only two palm strikes."

In the resting area, a pair of sharp eyes remained fixed on the dark golden arena where the battle had just concluded. The one watching was none other than Zhou Xiong Ying.

At this moment, the expression in his eyes had changed completely. The earlier disdain had vanished, replaced by a faint trace of seriousness.

Yuan Tong was the second-ranked True Disciple of the Origin Order Palace. His strength was only slightly below Zhou Xiong Ying himself. Under normal circumstances, even Zhou Xiong Ying would need to exert some effort to defeat him. It would be impossible to win so easily, let alone with only two casual strikes.

"It must have been carelessness on Yuan Tong’s part."

Zhou Xiong Ying took a slow breath, forcing himself to settle his thoughts. He quickly found an explanation that allowed him to regain his composure. His gaze flickered, and a cold snort escaped his lips.

"He is only at the seventh level of the Qi Sea Realm. No matter how strong he is, he cannot stand against me. Fighting across realms may exist, but that only happens when a true genius faces someone ordinary. I am also a genius. It is impossible for anyone to defeat me while being an entire realm below."

With this reasoning, his confidence gradually returned, and the heaviness in his heart eased.

The tournament continued without pause.

Time passed quickly, and in the span of three hours, countless battles unfolded across the arenas. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

During this period, Li Yun faced more than three hundred opponents. Some were ordinary participants, while others were young experts who held positions on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. Yet no matter who stood before him, the outcome never changed.

Every opponent was defeated by a single palm strike.

As victory followed victory, the golden Dragon Qi gathered between Li Yun’s brows continued to grow. Each time he defeated an opponent, the Dragon Qi within them would separate and flow toward him, merging seamlessly into his own.

After absorbing more than three hundred strands of Dragon Qi, a transformation finally took place within his Sea of Consciousness.

A surge of brilliant golden light spread outward like waves rolling across a vast ocean.

Then came a deep, resounding roar.

The scattered light rapidly condensed, drawing together into a single form. Before long, it transformed into a vivid golden Heavenly Dragon, measuring about one meter in length.

Although its size was still small, the presence it exuded was anything but weak. A faint Dragon Aura spread from its body, carrying a pressure that could unsettle even experts at the 3rd level of Essence Qi Realm. Anyone who sensed it would feel an instinctive fear rise within them.

Li Yun observed the newly formed dragon quietly.

"Only one meter in length. That is far from enough to reach the top one hundred."

A sharp glint appeared in his eyes as he considered this.

To secure a place among the top one hundred, the golden Heavenly Dragon needed to grow to at least five meters. What he had now was only the beginning. There was still a long way to go, and he would need to continue accumulating more Dragon Qi to achieve that goal.

The competition resumed without pause.

Within the span of a single hour, Li Yun once again stepped through battle after battle, defeating another one hundred and fifty opponents.

Although this number was far less than the three hundred he had defeated earlier, the change within him was far more significant. The golden Heavenly Dragon within his Sea of Consciousness grew rapidly, expanding from its initial length of one meter to nearly four and a half meters.

The reason for this difference was simple.

The accumulation of Dragon Qi was not determined by quantity alone, but by quality.

The opponents Li Yun had defeated earlier possessed only the most basic form of Dragon Qi, each holding a single initial strand. However, the opponents he faced now were different. Each of them had already fought numerous battles, defeating dozens or even hundreds of contestants. The Dragon Qi within their bodies had been refined and strengthened through repeated absorption, making it far more potent.

Plundering a single strand of such refined Dragon Qi was equivalent to absorbing dozens, or even hundreds, of the initial strands from before. As a result, the golden Heavenly Dragon within Li Yun grew at an astonishing rate.

"If I defeat one more opponent, I will become the strongest in this group and earn the right to challenge a seeded participant."

Li Yun thought to himself, his gaze steady.

At that moment, Long Yutian’s voice rang out across the battlefield.

"The final battle of Group Five. Li Yun versus Zhou Xiong Ying."

A sharp light flickered in Li Yun’s eyes.

"It begins."

He rose to his feet and walked toward the central dark golden arena with calm, measured steps.

Not far away, Zhou Xiong Ying also stood up. A cold gleam flashed in his eyes as he leaped forward like a hawk descending upon its prey. His figure cut through the air and landed gracefully upon the arena, his presence radiating confidence.

This battle would determine the strongest participant of Group Five. The victor would earn the qualification to challenge the seeded players. Even before it began, it had already drawn the attention of countless spectators.

Zhou Xiong Ying stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his posture upright and imposing as he looked down at Li Yun with clear disdain.

"I did not expect you to actually make it this far," he said coldly. "You have exceeded my expectations, but this is where your journey ends."

A cruel smile appeared on his face as he continued.

"I warned you before. You should have prayed that you would not encounter me. Now that you stand before me, you will have to pay the price for offending me. Tell me, are you ready to bear that cost?"