Zhao Xuanqi’s words reached Li Zhaotong’s ears, piercing his spirit like a sharp sword.

However, he couldn’t refute them. His opponent’s martial prowess had already said it all.

The arms are the strongest points cultivated by the Brake Pattern Blade. Without a weapon, a Brake Pattern Blade Martial Artist’s arms are their deadliest weapon.

Even now, in an explosive state with Qi Surge stacked on top of a Secret Technique, his arm had still been broken by a single blow. It was proof of the immense gap between them.

The fact that his opponent hadn’t pressed the attack was, in reality, an act of mercy. A ring match, after all, was not a battle to the death.

He had lost.

As grating as his opponent’s words were, he had to accept the fact of his defeat.

He slowly raised his arm.

He was conceding defeat.

"Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall, Zhao Qi wins!"

The referee shouted, shattering the prolonged silence that had fallen over the arena.

Most of the onlookers had believed this fight was a foregone conclusion, but the reality defied everyone’s expectations.

Not only did Zhao Xuanqi win, but he did so cleanly and decisively, without the slightest ripple of difficulty. He maintained his usual overwhelming dominance, even against Li Zhaotong, one of the top three from the previous Ten Heroes!

Audience members who had been following Zhao Xuanqi’s matches since the start of the Martial Arts Association recalled that, no matter the opponent, the man always seemed to have strength to spare. He had never once been drawn into a difficult fight.

Overbearing, powerful, terrifying!

For a moment, countless spectators stared at the figure slowly descending from the ring, all feeling a sense of unfathomable depth, as if staring into a bottomless ocean.

"Even Li Zhaotong was no match for him?! Just how strong is this guy?"

"No match? I’d say he’s a whole level above Li Zhaotong! The strongest part of the Sha Blade Sect’s Cross-Training is the arms. When they use Qi Surge, you could drop a thousand-pound cauldron on their arm and it wouldn’t break. Yet just now, Zhao Qi of Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall shattered his arm with a single blow!"

"What are his limits? How can a mere True Inheritance disciple from a place like Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall be this strong? Is he just a natural prodigy?"

"But he was definitely using a Tiger Form Stance. The power was just so incredibly firm and overbearing. He even beat one of the top three Ten Heroes. This guy might actually be able to contend for the top spot among the Ten Heroes this year! How many years has it been since the Martial Arts Association’s number one wasn’t from one of the Four Great Schools?"

"..."

Murmurs and discussions rippled through the venue, all eyes fixed on Zhao Xuanqi.

Could this dark horse really go all the way?

’Li Zhaotong lost so completely... Even his arm bone was shattered.’

Du Zhan of the Radiant Star Sect watched Zhao Xuanqi, his expression grave. His own strength was comparable to Li Zhaotong’s. Since Li Zhaotong had ended up in such a state, he feared he wouldn’t have fared much better had he been the one on stage.

’This man’s strength is far beyond what I expected.’

"The Breaking Extreme method of the Sha Blade Sect makes the arms unbelievably strong, yet he was still no match for this man? I fear this person must also possess a Breaking Extreme method, or else he’s the type born with Divine Power."

"Yu, I wonder, if you were to face him, would you have a chance of winning?"

Chen Pingguang of the Dragon Ming Sect, a tall man with eyes like torches, asked Yu Dafeng beside him.

Of the Four Great Schools, the Mountain and River Sect was the strongest. The sect itself had deep ties to the Giant Spirit Sect, acting as one of its subsidiary schools, and their Secret Transmissions shared some common ground.

In the last competition, Yu Dafeng had defeated all his powerful rivals to become the head of the Ten Heroes.

Therefore, among their group, his opinion carried the most weight.

"I can’t say. We’d have to fight for me to know for sure." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Yu Dafeng said, his eyes narrowed slightly.

That final palm strike from Zhao Xuanqi kept replaying in his mind. The terrifying penetrating power was truly shocking, and he had a feeling the man hadn’t even used his full strength.

In the area reserved for the martial arts hall masters and the organizing committee, Weng Xiaolin found himself surrounded by other masters congratulating him. His expression, however, was somewhat complicated.

’For my disciple to be this strong... I’m not sure if it’s a blessing or a curse.’

Elsewhere, Zhou Lie watched the burst of power in Zhao Xuanqi’s final strike, a slight, surprised arch to his brow.

Seeing this, the Caucasian woman, Melissa, couldn’t help but let a flicker of surprise show in her eyes. "An attack of that level isn’t something you can achieve with skill alone," she said. "This man either has a Breaking Extreme method or is a natural prodigy. For someone from a small martial arts hall to reach this level is quite rare."

With that, Melissa turned to Zhou Lie beside her and said, "An expert like this emerging from outside the Four Great Schools must have some impact on your work, won’t it?"

"Impact? Why would there be an impact?" Zhou Lie said coolly. "The more talent there is, the better it is for my Giant Spirit Sect. If he’s willing to serve me, it’s just a matter of offering him a few more benefits. What’s the big deal?"

"And what if he’s not willing to serve you?"

Melissa’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"On the Giant Spirit Sect’s turf, dragons have to coil and tigers have to crouch. Otherwise, if it’s a dragon, I’ll rip out its sinews. If it’s a tiger, I’ll strip its hide. Wouldn’t you agree?" Zhou Lie said, turning to Melissa with a look full of meaning.

A playful smile appeared on Melissa’s face.

"So, do you think he counts as a dark horse now?" Zhou Lie asked, changing the subject.

"I suppose he barely makes the cut," Melissa replied nonchalantly.

...

...

「Sanlin River. Camp of the Second Spiritual Martial Vanguard Team, Third Corps, Giant Spirit Army.」

Zhang Hongyun, the camp’s commanding military officer, was currently inside the main tent, handling various affairs.

A vanguard team might only have a hundred or so men, but these individuals were the elite martial forces of the Third Corps. Every one of them possessed a Secret Transmission, with the weakest at the Peak of Sound Power. Over half had reached a realm above Cross-Training, and some military officers were even experts at the Inner Cultivation level. Though their numbers were few, their actual combat strength was immense.

Zhang Hongyun wore the uniform of the Giant Spirit Army. He was tall and powerfully built, with a handsome face, sharp brows, and starlike eyes that gave him a heroic and extraordinary air.

At this moment, he held a telegram in his hand. It was an urgent message sent by Weng Xiaolin, detailing Zhao Xuanqi’s performance at the Martial Arts Association and asking him to use his connections to offer some protection.

After all, Zhao Xuanqi’s performance had far exceeded Weng Xiaolin’s imagination, and it was necessary to take precautions.

’I never expected my little junior brother to be this incredible. I suppose he’s not as simple as he looks...’

Zhang Hongyun’s eyes narrowed. Then, he gave a self-deprecating laugh. ’Who am I to talk?’

’But it’s not a good thing to be unable to hide one’s brilliance. Still, Master cares most about his reputation. I failed to win a Ten Heroes title for the Martial Arts Hall back then for my own reasons. Now my little junior brother has made up for that loss. Master must be very happy right now, right?’

A smile couldn’t help but appear on Zhang Hongyun’s face, but it vanished as quickly as it came. As if remembering something, a dark cloud filled his eyes.

’Things in the army have been a little strange lately. Maybe I should start making preparations.’

Zhang Hongyun muttered to himself. During the last standoff with the Celestial Army, the Second Vanguard Team had been ambushed. The situation had been incredibly dangerous, and he had been forced to use certain things he shouldn’t have. Though he had been discreet, there was no guarantee that everything had remained completely secret.

"Sir!"

Just then, a voice called out from outside the tent.

"Come in," Zhang Hongyun said, schooling his features.

The team’s adjutant walked in and said to Zhang Hongyun with a grave expression, "Sir, someone from the Inspection Department has suddenly arrived and is asking to see you..."

TAP TAP TAP!!

Before the adjutant could finish, the sound of urgent footsteps echoed from outside the tent.