"A one-hour rest. Both sides will regulate their breathing and prepare for battle!" After making the announcement, the middle-aged Official stepped aside.

Shen Lie wasted no time. He walked over to an empty spot, immediately pulled a porcelain vial from his robes, and tipped three dark-red elixirs into his mouth, swallowing them.

The elixirs dissolved the moment they entered his mouth. A warm medicinal energy slid down his throat and quickly spread throughout his body. The pain in his left arm immediately lessened, and his scattered Inner Strength began to slowly coalesce.

He closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, formed a hand seal, and focused all his effort on circulating his internal energy to heal.

Although he had never considered Yang Jing a real threat, he wouldn’t be the least bit careless now that it was time to fight for the top spot.

On the other side, Yang Jing was also adjusting his condition while secretly analyzing the patterns of Shen Lie’s Mountain-Breaking Fist.

Just then, a familiar figure approached. It was Senior Brother Xu Hong from the eighth arena.

Yang Jing had just noticed that this senior brother had also made it to the fifth round and was about to fight for first place in his own bracket. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"Senior Brother." Yang Jing immediately stood up.

"Junior Brother Yang Jing." Xu Hong clapped him on the shoulder, his tone laced with concern. "Just do your best in the upcoming match. Don’t push yourself too hard."

Yang Jing looked up at him, saw the sincerity in Xu Hong’s eyes, and nodded. "I know. Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother."

Xu Hong sighed, his brow furrowed slightly. "Shen Lie is far stronger than Qian Feng. His Mountain-Breaking Fist is overwhelmingly ferocious, and his Inner Strength has reached a profound level. It’s already amazing that you’ve made it this far. There’s no need to force yourself to fight for the top spot."

He paused, lowering his voice with a grave tone. "And you have to think this through. Chen Wu lost, but he comes from a wealthy family. He has access to all sorts of miraculous healing medicines and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to replenish his vitality. He can recover in a year or so and still hope to reach greater heights on the Martial Dao. But what about you?"

Xu Hong looked at Yang Jing’s faded, well-worn training uniform and said in a low voice, "If you suffer a serious injury here—if your Inner Strength flows backward and damages your meridians, or if your vitality is severely depleted—where would you get the resources to recover? On the path of the Martial Dao, one wrong step can ruin everything. If you’re left with a hidden injury, you might be stuck at the Inner Strength realm for the rest of your life, unable to advance another inch."

His words landed in Yang Jing’s heart with the weight of a stone.

He knew Xu Hong was genuinely looking out for him. The path of the Martial Dao was indeed cruel; a single serious injury was enough to destroy a genius.

He was silent for a moment before looking up, his eyes showing no sign of retreat, only calm. "I understand what you mean, Senior Brother Xu. Thank you for the warning. I’ll be careful."

Seeing that his words had sunk in, Xu Hong breathed a sigh of relief and patted his arm. "Good. Do your best. Regardless of the outcome, making it this far already makes you one of the top disciples of our generation. After this tournament, your name will be known."

With that, he turned and left. Yang Jing needed to prepare for the final match in an hour, and Xu Hong had to do the same. The pressure on him was even greater than on Yang Jing. Yang Jing’s chances were slim, and he could always just surrender. But Xu Hong had participated in over ten of these tournaments, and if he had a chance this time, he truly didn’t want to go home empty-handed again.

Yang Jing watched Xu Hong’s retreating back, then glanced at Shen Lie, who was still meditating and regulating his breathing not far away. He slowly clenched his fists.

Just as Xu Hong left, a familiar voice called out, "Junior Brother." The voice was a bit hoarse, yet filled with genuine concern.

Yang Jing’s heart stirred. He followed the sound and saw Liu Maolin standing outside the railing.

He hurried over. Seeing Liu Maolin’s right arm wrapped in bandages and his face a little pale, he asked, "Senior Brother, your arm..."

"It’s nothing, just a minor injury." Liu Maolin waved his hand dismissively. His gaze fell upon Yang Jing, looking him up and down. Seeing that his breathing was steady and his clothes were just disheveled but not bloodstained, he let out a breath of relief. "I heard you made it to the fifth round. Who’s your opponent?"

"Shen Lie," Yang Jing replied.

Liu Maolin’s brow furrowed instantly, his expression turning grave. "It’s him? He’s a tough one among those at the Inner Strength realm. One of the top Core Disciples of the Po Mountain Martial Arts Hall. He has perfected his Mountain-Breaking Fist."

As he spoke, he pulled a lustrous white jade vial from his robes and pressed it into Yang Jing’s hand. "This is a Rejuvenation Pill. It’s good for healing injuries and replenishing Inner Strength. Take it."

The jade vial was cool to the touch. Yang Jing felt its weight, sensing the elixir inside. The vial alone was clearly valuable, to say nothing of the elixir itself.

He quickly tried to push it back. "Senior Brother Liu, I’m not injured. This medicine is too valuable. You should keep it for yourself."

"Just take it. I’ve already been eliminated, what do I need it for?" Liu Maolin held his hand down, his tone leaving no room for argument. "When you fight Shen Lie, it will be a battle of attrition. Every bit of extra Inner Strength gives you more of an edge. Take it right away and get yourself into peak condition."

He paused, his gaze becoming solemn. "Shen Lie’s fist style is domineering. Once he gets ahold of you, it’s hard to break free. Take your senior brother’s advice: if you really can’t hold on, just surrender. No one will laugh at you. There’s no shame in forfeiting. Losing your life or damaging your foundation—that’s a regret that lasts a lifetime."

Senior Brother Xu Hong had told him the same thing just moments ago, and now Senior Brother Liu was saying it too. Yang Jing clutched the jade vial tightly and nodded seriously. "I know. Thank you, Senior Brother."

"Go on, prepare well," Liu Maolin said, clapping him on the shoulder and urging him to go back and get ready.

Rubbing his aching left arm, Liu Maolin went to find an empty seat in the temporary spectator stands. Just as he was about to sit, a familiar figure in the distance caught the corner of his eye.

’Is that Zhao Yuman? What’s she doing here? She couldn’t be here for Brother Jing, could she?’