He was breathing a little heavily by the time he reached the Silver Armor Captain, and he presented a neatly folded sheet of paper with both hands.

The Silver Armor Captain took the paper, rubbing his thumb along the edge twice before unfolding it.

His gaze swept quickly over the page, his brow twitching almost imperceptibly. He then looked up at the eight people inside the enclosure, strode onto the main ring, and announced in a deep voice, "Listen up, all of you!"

The eight Dark Energy Martial Artists, who had been focusing on regulating their breathing, immediately broke their stances and turned their gazes toward him in unison.

The air seemed to freeze in that moment. Even the sound of the wind rustling the corners of their clothes was crystal clear.

The Silver Armor Captain cleared his throat, his voice carrying across the entire arena, amplified by his Inner Strength. "First round matchups! The first match: Zhou Tong versus Xu Guangwei!"

What a coincidence.

One was the top fighter from the first ring, the other from the second, and now they were facing each other in the very first match. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

When the Silver Armor Captain uttered the name "Zhou Tong," Zhou Tong, who was standing on the left, snapped his eyes open, a sharp glint flashing within them.

He was tall, dressed in a faded martial arts uniform. Upon hearing his name, he just gave a calm nod, as if he had been ready and waiting all along. He walked slowly toward the central main ring.

Each of his steps landed on the cracks between the wooden planks, making a soft THUD, THUD sound, carrying the composure of a seasoned veteran.

The other man whose name was called, Xu Guangwei, the top fighter from ring number two, was a different story.

He stood on the right. He wasn’t tall, but he was as lean as a cheetah. Hearing his name, the corner of his mouth curled into an arrogant smile as he flexed his wrists, his knuckles cracking.

He glanced at Zhou Tong’s back and snorted softly. Then, channeling his energy, he leaped. A few quick bounds later, he landed on the edge of the ring, his movements as swift as a shadow.

One was still, the other in motion. Before they had even exchanged blows, their auras clashed above and below the ring, creating invisible sparks.

Below the ring, inside the enclosure, the other six fighters held their breath.

Yang Jing watched the two men on the ring, calculating silently.

’Zhou Tong excels at hard-style techniques; rumor has it he can split a large bluestone with his bare hands. Xu Guangwei, on the other hand, is known for his speed, and his moves are tricky and vicious.’

’Pitting them against each other will undoubtedly be a contest of raw power versus cunning.’

On the high platform, the chief examiner set down his teacup, his gaze fixed on the ring.

At the same time, the Silver Armor Captain announced slowly, "Ready... begin!"

After speaking, the Silver Armor Captain stepped down from the ring.

Zhou Tong and Xu Guangwei cupped their fists in a simultaneous salute, their movements standard yet filled with fighting spirit.

Zhou Tong sank into his stance, his fists clenched tight as the airflow around him began to swirl.

The next moment, the two men on the ring moved almost simultaneously.

With a THUD from his feet, Zhou Tong shot toward Xu Guangwei like a tiger pouncing on its prey, his right fist blasting forward with a sound that tore through the air.

Before the fist even arrived, it kicked up a hot blast of air that plastered the hair on Xu Guangwei’s forehead back against his scalp.

Xu Guangwei’s eyes sharpened. His footwork shifted like a phantom’s, and in the nick of time, he sidestepped the punch. At the same time, his left leg whipped out like a lash, sweeping toward Zhou Tong’s lower body with a fierce gust of energy.

His leg technique was crafty, the angle extremely perilous. He clearly intended to break his opponent’s foundation first.

"Nice one!" Zhou Tong barked. He neither dodged nor evaded, instead dropping his left arm like an iron gate to block the leg head-on.

A dull THUMP echoed as their limbs collided, kicking up a ring of air. Zhou Tong’s stance was as steady as a boulder, but Xu Guangwei was forced back half a step by the impact.

A flash of shock crossed his eyes. He hadn’t expected his opponent’s foundation to be so solid.

Before Xu Guangwei could adjust his posture, Zhou Tong’s assault came crashing down like a torrential storm.

He threw one punch after another, each aimed at a vital point, each carrying the raw power of Mountain-Shattering Stone-Splitting. Xu Guangwei was forced to retreat again and again, relying on his swift footwork to dodge.

A light haze of dust rose from the main ring. His figure stood like an unshakeable iron tower, pushing the raw power of his fist technique to its absolute limit.

Xu Guangwei was, after all, a master at the Peak of Dark Energy. Forced to the edge of the ring, he suddenly changed his tactics. Instead of retreating further, he advanced, kicking off a ring post with his right leg. His body spun like a top, and his left leg swept out horizontally with the force of a thousand-pound hammer.

The kick was powerful and heavy, wrapped in the energy of his spin, and it was about to strike Zhou Tong right in the face.

A collective gasp rose from the spectator stands. The kick was too fast; an ordinary person would never be able to avoid it!

But Zhou Tong suddenly dropped his stance, his Dantian Inner Strength erupting. He dropped a good half-foot in height, narrowly avoiding the edge of the kick.

At the same time, his right fist, which had been gathering power, shot upward with the momentum of his drop. The front of his fist grazed past Xu Guangwei’s calf and struck him squarely in the lower abdomen!

SPIT! Xu Guangwei felt as if he’d been hit by a battering ram. An immense force surged through him, feeling like it had rearranged his internal organs. His body flew backward uncontrollably and slammed onto the ring thirty feet away, kicking up a cloud of dust.

He struggled to get up, but could only push himself into an arch, his hands on the ground. A coppery sweetness rose in his throat, and he couldn’t stop himself from spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Zhou Tong stood his ground, his chest rising and falling slightly, beads of sweat forming on his temples. Yet he remained perfectly steady, his gaze fixed solemnly on his fallen opponent.

’With that last punch, I held back about thirty percent of my strength. Otherwise, Xu Guangwei wouldn’t even be able to stand right now, let alone think about the rest of the competition. He’d have no hope of making it onto this year’s tournament rankings.’

Xu Guangwei also understood the stakes. Lying on the ground, he yelled, "I forfeit."

The Silver Armor Captain glanced at the fallen Xu Guangwei and announced loudly, "Zhou Tong is the victor!"

Only after the Silver Armor Captain’s announcement did Zhou Tong slowly retract his fist. He bowed toward the chief examiner on the high platform, glanced at Xu Guangwei on the ground, but ultimately said nothing and turned to walk off the ring.

The stands erupted in thunderous cheers.

Yang Jing watched Zhou Tong’s retreating back, his brow slightly furrowed. ’The man’s fist is overwhelmingly powerful, yet there’s a hidden refinement to it. His control over his Inner Strength has clearly reached an extremely high level. If I were to face him, I most likely wouldn’t be his match.’

’After all, I only just broke through to the Dark Energy realm. There’s still a huge gap between me and these veteran experts at the Peak of Dark Energy.’

’The only reason I’ve made it this far is because I was hiding my killing move, the Surging Waves Leg Technique.’

’But by now, everyone else must know that I’ve mastered a Body Technique to the Bright Energy realm, so they’ll definitely be on their guard.’

’I can already tell my next few fights are going to be extremely difficult. In fact, my chances of winning are slim.’

Although Xu Guangwei’s face was pale, he hadn’t actually been seriously injured, thanks to his timely forfeit.

As he walked past Zhou Tong, their eyes met briefly. There was no resentment, only the complex emotions of a Martial Artist who has been defeated.

This was the norm for the tournament. Most matches were tests of skill, spars. It was extremely rare for anyone to use heavy-handed or lethal force.

After leaving the ring, the two men wordlessly found separate empty spots in the corners.

Zhou Tong sat down cross-legged, took a small porcelain vial from his robes, and tipped a single, pearly-white Elixir into his mouth. He then closed his eyes to focus, formed a hand seal, and a faint white mist gradually began to envelop him.

He was quickly stabilizing the surging Inner Strength in his body, suppressing the volatile energy stirred up during the intense fight to ensure he could maintain his peak condition for any subsequent back-to-back matches.

Xu Guangwei, meanwhile, clutched his lower abdomen, coughed up a breath of foul air laced with blood, and took a Healing Elixir.

His brows were knitted in pain, but he forced himself to sit up straight, circulating his Inner Power to guide the Elixir’s medicinal effects through his body, trying to quell the tremors in his internal organs as quickly as possible.

Sunlight fell on his sweat-drenched face, highlighting his sorry state but also revealing a resilient spirit that refused to admit defeat.

The gazes from the stands followed the two men’s movements. No one spoke to disturb them.

This was a rule of the tournament. Win or lose, regulating one’s energy and healing after a match was a matter of utmost importance. It determined whether a fighter could maintain their strength for future bouts and could not be taken lightly.

A moment later, the Silver Armor Captain glanced at the roster in his hand, his eyes scanning the page. He raised his voice once more, "Second match! The holder of the ’B’ lot, top fighter of the fourth ring, Qin Yu, versus the top fighter of the seventh ring, Yang Jing! To the ring!"

As his voice fell, a low stir immediately went through the spectator stands.

Qin Yu was already a rather famous Dark Energy expert in Yuhe County, and Yang Jing, having won his ring’s top spot the day before, had also left a deep impression on many.

The clash between the two was highly anticipated.