Sun Yong had been staring blankly in the direction of the seventh arena. Hearing her voice, he turned to see her red-rimmed eyes and waved a hand. "It’s nothing."

Qi Yun froze for a moment. The tension in her body suddenly eased, and she nearly burst into tears. She quickly nodded. "Yes, Master."

She quietly moved to the side, still upset over her loss, when the excited chatter of other disciples drifted to her ears.

"Senior Brother Yang Jing is incredible, isn’t he? He actually beat Qian Feng!"

"I know, right? He’s made it to the fifth round and is fighting for the top spot!"

"Who would have thought? He’s so quiet when he’s training at the Martial Arts Hall, barely says a word. But once he’s in the arena, he’s a beast!"

Qi Yun’s ears perked up as if pricked by a needle. She snapped her head up and stared at the disciples in disbelief. "You’re talking about... Yang Jing?"

...

The seventh arena.

The second match of the fourth round had already begun.

The wind from their fists howled as Qi Force radiated outwards.

The figures of Shen Lie and Chen Wu blurred across the stage, each collision carrying a soul-shaking force.

Shen Lie’s Mountain-Breaking Fist was wide and sweeping. The momentum of his punches was as heavy and fierce as furious waves crashing against a shore. Each strike carried a sharp, air-splitting crack as Dark Energy gathered at his knuckles, creating an oppressive aura.

He pressed forward relentlessly, shrinking the space on the stage and forcing Chen Wu to maneuver within a small area.

Chen Wu’s Tongbei Fist, on the other hand, was all about ferocious power. His arms lashed out like whips, his movements generating a powerful wind that sounded like tearing silk. His techniques were incomparably brave and fierce.

He knew how domineering Shen Lie’s Mountain-Breaking Fist was, so he abandoned all defense to meet offense with offense. He unleashed a continuous barrage of his Tongbei Fist’s "River-Flipping Style," a flurry of arm shadows aiming straight for Shen Lie’s vital points like his heart and throat.

BANG!

Their fists and forearms collided with a deafening thud.

Shen Lie’s body swayed, and he took half a step back. The sleeve of his left arm had been torn by the wind from Chen Wu’s fist, revealing a bloody gash so deep the bone was almost visible. Blood instantly stained the front of his robe.

Chen Wu didn’t fare much better. The fierce Dark Energy from the Mountain-Breaking Fist sent his qi and blood into turmoil. He staggered back three steps with a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes remained savage as he lunged forward once more.

Yang Jing watched from below the stage, his eyes glued to the fight. ’Shen Lie is powerful, but that Chen Wu is just as ferocious,’ he muttered softly. ’He’s using the same strategy against Shen Lie as before—a direct, head-on clash. He’s as fierce as ever!’ His fingertip unconsciously traced the paths of their techniques in his palm.

He could tell that Chen Wu’s Tongbei Fist was practiced to an extremely advanced level. His strikes were ruthless and every move was lethal; he was by no means an easy opponent.

Shen Lie’s Mountain-Breaking Fist, however, was even more refined. He wielded his Dark Energy with an ease that belied its power. Though it appeared to be pure brute force, it cleverly concealed techniques for deflecting and redirecting his opponent’s power, always allowing him to gain a slight edge in direct confrontations.

The intense battle raged on for dozens of exchanges. Blood continued to seep from the wound on Shen Lie’s left arm, but his movements didn’t slow in the slightest. In fact, the momentum behind his Mountain-Breaking Fist only grew stronger.

Though brave, Chen Wu gradually found himself unable to withstand Shen Lie’s relentless assault. He accumulated more and more injuries, and his footwork started to falter.

Finally, seizing a moment when Chen Wu’s momentum was spent, Shen Lie let out a low cry and unleashed his Mountain-Breaking Fist’s "Stone-Shattering Style" with full force.

This one punch contained all his Dark Energy. Before the fist even arrived, the force of the blow sent Chen Wu’s robes flapping violently.

Chen Wu hastily threw up his arms to block, but the force of the punch made his arms go numb and scattered his own Dark Energy. As if struck by a heavy sledgehammer, he was sent flying backward, slamming hard onto the arena floor, unable to rise again.

Shen Lie stood on the stage, his chest heaving. The wound on his left arm was still bleeding and his face was somewhat pale, but his gaze remained as sharp as an eagle’s.

He looked at the fallen Chen Wu and slowly withdrew his fist. Though he had won, it had come at a considerable cost.

A wave of low gasps went through the crowd below. Yang Jing took a deep breath as well.

’Honestly, both Shen Lie and Chen Wu are stronger than Qian Feng. That fight was brutal. Then again, Qian Feng isn’t weak,’ Yang Jing mused. ’His Wind-Splitting Palm’s clinging force is highly developed. If my Body Technique’s speed hadn’t directly countered him, he wouldn’t have been defeated so easily.’

Just then, a stifled gasp reached his ears.

Yang Jing instinctively turned his head and saw a woman in a pale green dress standing in the crowd beyond the railing. It was none other than Zhao Yuman, the young lady of Zhao’s Escort Agency.

She was clutching a handkerchief tightly in her hands, her face slightly pale. Her eyes were filled with nervousness and concern, fixed unblinkingly on Shen Lie up on the stage. When her gaze fell on the wound on his left arm, her brow furrowed even more deeply.

Something clicked in Yang Jing’s mind.

He recalled the obvious hostility in Shen Lie’s eyes earlier. Seeing Zhao Yuman’s worried expression now, he was beginning to understand.

’Could Shen Lie’s hostility toward me have something to do with Zhao Yuman?’

The thought flashed through his mind, and Yang Jing frowned slightly as he looked at Shen Lie again.

He saw Shen Lie, now walking off the stage, look over the crowd and meet Zhao Yuman’s eyes. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he gave a faint shake of his head, then his expression immediately returned to its usual arrogance.

Yang Jing looked away, feeling as if his suspicions were all but confirmed.

He let out a soft breath. ’Whatever the reason, this final fight against Shen Lie for the top spot isn’t going to be easy.’

A middle-aged man in an Official’s uniform stood on the stage and announced in a loud voice, "The fifth round, the championship match for the seventh arena! Shen Lie of Po Mountain Martial Arts Hall versus Yang Jing of Sun’s Martial Arts Hall, fighting for the top spot!"

As his voice faded, a commotion erupted around the seventh arena.

Everyone knew this would be the ultimate showdown for the seventh arena.

One was a long-established powerhouse at the Peak of Dark Energy; the other was a dark horse, a rising star who had won every match so far.