"Junior Brother Xu, if you please!"

Zhou Peng returned the courtesy. His eyes were perfectly calm as he slowly drew the Long Sword from his waist.

The blade was like a pool of autumn water, its cold light reserved. As he infused it with Gui Water True Qi, a fine mist condensed at its very tip.

The two faced off for a moment, their auras locking.

Xu Qi struck first. He knew the Thousand Layered Wave Sword Technique’s attacks were relentless, following an Everlasting Life cycle, so he absolutely could not allow Zhou Peng to fully unleash his assault.

With a low shout, he pushed off, his body rushing forward. Cyan Wood True Qi instantly flared around his long saber, its Saber Momentum becoming violent and direct.

The cyan saber light was like a roaring dragon, carrying a searing aura as it chopped down at Zhou Peng!

Before the blade even arrived, a wave of scorching heat washed over him.

Faced with this incomparably ferocious strike, Zhou Peng’s expression remained unchanged.

He executed his Body Technique, his figure rippling backward like a wave, perfectly avoiding the strongest point of the blade’s edge.

At the same time, his Long Sword moved like a Spiritual Snake flicking its tongue, the tip tracing a profound arc!

Watery light flowed along the blade as the seemingly gentle sword tapped toward a weak point on the side of Xu Qi’s Saber Momentum.

"DING!"

A crisp clang! The sword tip had precisely struck the saber’s blade just off-center from its point of leverage.

Xu Qi felt a supple and continuous Power transmit from the sword tip. It crashed against his Saber Momentum in wave after wave, like a tide, diverting his powerful and heavy strike by several inches. The saber grazed Zhou Peng’s robes and sliced through empty air.

’This Zhou Peng is no simple character.’

Chen Qing’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had seen some of the finer points of the exchange.

’If he didn’t have some real skill, how would he dare to step into the ring?’

Xu Qi’s heart tightened. His first strike having missed, he pressed his attack.

The saber’s light transformed into countless spinning wheels of fire, closing in on Zhou Peng from all directions in an attempt to shred his defense with a dense barrage.

Zhou Peng’s eyes were focused. His Step Technique was like flowing clouds and moving water as he weaved and dodged within a tiny space, evading the blade’s edge by a hair’s breadth each time.

"CLANG CLANG CLANG..."

The sound of metal on metal, as dense as rain on banana leaves, rang across the arena.

The more Xu Qi fought, the more alarmed he became. Though his Saber Momentum was fierce, it felt like a clay ox sinking into the sea—utterly ineffective.

What made him even more uncomfortable was the Dark Force contained within Zhou Peng’s Sword Techniques. It struck like a tide in waves of increasing strength, constantly battering the meridians in his arms. His qi and blood roiled, and he was consuming far more True Qi than he had anticipated.

’I can’t let this drag on!’

Xu Qi forced Zhou Peng back half a step with a sudden feint. His left hand swiped at his waist, and three streaks of black light shot out in a triangular pattern, aimed at Zhou Peng’s upper, middle, and lower body.

Floating Light and Shadow Hand!

The sneak attack was incredibly sudden, launched from a cunning angle, and astonishingly fast! 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Zhou Peng seemed to have anticipated it. Facing the incoming Hidden Weapons, he slid half a step back and to the side.

At the same time, the light from his Long Sword flowed like mercury across the ground, precisely knocking away the two streaks of black light aimed at his chest and throat.

"CLANG! CLANG!"

With two crisp sounds, the Hidden Weapons were sent flying.

Zhou Peng’s body flickered as he seemed to vanish, reappearing with the layered power of a thousand waves concentrated at his sword tip, which thrust precisely at Xu Qi’s chest.

"HISS—!"

Xu Qi hastily raised his long saber to block.

The two streams of True Qi collided, erupting in a flash of light.

Xu Qi’s saber arm trembled violently, and his face turned pale.

"You let me win."

Zhou Peng sheathed his sword and returned the courtesy, his breathing quickly returning to normal.

Xu Qi gave a bitter smile and cupped his fist. "Brother Zhou’s Swordsmanship is profound, and your Body Technique is even more exquisite. My skills are inferior; I willingly concede defeat! Thank you, Brother, for holding back."

Sang Yanping’s voice rang out again: "Gui Water Institute’s Zhou Peng is the victor! The reward is three Truth Condensing Pills and five days of Cultivation in Langya Pavilion’s Quiet Chamber C!"

Zhou Peng collected his reward and stepped down from the stage.

Xu Qi returned to the Cyan Wood Institute’s group, looking somewhat dejected.

The disciples of the Cyan Wood Institute were also a bit crestfallen.

In the following matches, disciples from the Five Institutes took the stage one after another to spar.

They used all manner of techniques against one another in incredibly intense bouts.

Many disciples from the Cyan Wood Institute also went up to fight, but they suffered more losses than wins.

Only Luo Xinyi managed a clean victory against a disciple from the Kun Earth Institute.

Li Baichuan, meanwhile, sat to the side, sipping his tea with a calm expression. No one knew what he was thinking.

Chen Qing, however, was perfectly calm. As he watched the disciples spar, he secretly contemplated the True Qi and Martial Arts of the Five Institutes, mulling over the feasibility of fusing the Five Schools Heart Method.

Another match between two disciples ended. The victor claimed their prize and left the stage, and the atmosphere in the arena relaxed for a moment.

Just then, Yan Yaoyang, the Chief Disciple of the Geng Metal Institute, rose to his feet and walked to the center of the high platform.

...