"It's hard to say," Xiao Zhan mused. "Li Qingfeng's edge is sharp and unyielding, Zhao Lingshan's strength is subtle and restrained, and Wang Qiming is bold and ferocious. Their cultivation levels are evenly matched. The question of who's strongest depends on their adaptability and hidden trump cards. But if we're talking long-term potential, I'm most optimistic about Wang Qiming."
"Wang Qiming?" Chu Weichen frowned, puzzled.
Wang Qiming was, after all, a commoner's son, lacking the deep foundation of noble families.
Then it clicked. Chu Weichen recalled Xiao Zhan's own origins. The man known as Great Qi's God of War had started as a commoner, clawing his way to the pinnacle of the nation through sheer grit. No wonder he saw promise in Wang Qiming.
"By the way," Xiao Zhan added suddenly, "that Qin Chen isn't bad either. His cultivation is a bit low, but there's something about him."
"Qin Chen?"
Chu Weichen had nearly forgotten about him. His gaze darted to the plaza below.
By now, half the participants had been eliminated, and the battles had reached a fever pitch.
Circle Eight
From the moment the battle began, an advanced-class disciple in a fiery red martial robe targeted Qin Chen. The instant the signal was given, he attacked.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The red-robed disciple's punches were fierce, each strike unleashing waves of scorching heat that roared across a ten-foot radius. His overwhelming aura kept others at bay, none daring to approach.
Yet, to everyone's shock, Qin Chen stood unshaken at the center of the fiery onslaught. His arms crossed before his chest like an iron shield, effortlessly deflecting the blazing attacks as if they were nothing.
"Hm?" Xiao Zhan and Chu Weichen exchanged surprised glances. Qin Chen's cultivation seemed far more formidable than it appeared.
Li Ping and Zhou Nan, watching from the sidelines, were equally stunned.
"Zhou Nan, I'll take Qin Chen first," Li Ping growled.
With a single punch, he sent his current opponent flying out of the circle. Sneering, he charged toward Qin Chen, barking at the red-robed disciple, "Get lost, kid. Leave Qin Chen to me!"
"Hmph, if you have the ability, let's see you try!" the red-robed disciple shot back, eyes glinting with defiance. Abandoning Qin Chen, he redirected his fist toward Li Ping.
"Blazing Serpent Strike!"
Boom!
A fiery red fist wave surged skyward, coiling like a venomous serpent with jaws wide, lunging at Li Ping.
"Courting death!" Li Ping roared.
Pale cyan true qi erupted from his body, his martial robe billowing as he unleashed a devastating punch at the serpent's head.
Boom!
The cyan fist shattered the serpent's head in an instant, its unstoppable force sweeping forward and slamming into the red-robed disciple's chest.
Crack!
The sound of snapping bones rang out. The red-robed disciple spat blood, eyes wide with horror, as he was hurled out of the circle, crashing to the ground beyond.
Landing before Qin Chen, Li Ping grinned savagely. "Kneel and beg for mercy, kid, and I might grant you a dignified defeat. Otherwise, I'll make you wish you were dead."
Pale cyan true qi swirled around him, sharp as blades, slicing through the air with a chilling edge that sent shivers through the onlookers.
Li Ping stared down at Qin Chen, smug and supremely confident.
Qin Chen's lips curled into a mocking smirk. No one had ever dared speak to him like this—not in this life, nor his past one. Those who had were long dead.
To Li Ping's arrogance, Qin Chen responded with a single word: "Scram."
"You're begging for death!" Li Ping roared, fury igniting his true qi into a raging storm. His eyes gleamed like a predator's as he leaped into the air, hands clasped before him, forming a razor-sharp palm strike that slashed toward Qin Chen with unmatched ferocity.
"Why be a decent person when you choose to be Qin Fen's lapdog?" Qin Chen said coldly. "Survive one punch from me, and I'll spare your worthless life."
Facing Li Ping's onslaught, Qin Chen remained expressionless, a flash of steel in his eyes. His right hand, previously tucked behind his back, snapped forward to his chest, steady as a mountain, immovable as stone.
"Die!" Li Ping bellowed, trembling with rage.
Pushing his Human-Level Late Stage true qi to its limit, he let out a piercing cry. Whoosh! A sharp whistle cut through the air as his pale cyan true qi coalesced into a majestic cyan eagle, soaring as if to strike the heavens, diving toward Qin Chen with lethal intent.
"Eagle Soars the Nine Heavens!"
The ferocious energy parted the void, emitting a shrill wail that stung the ears. The razor-sharp force seemed capable of cleaving the entire arena in two.
Every disciple within ten feet scrambled back in terror, desperate to avoid the shockwave of their clash.
Such a domineering strike left the crowd pale with awe. Li Ping's reputation as an advanced-class disciple was well-earned—his strength was extraordinary.
Yet Qin Chen remained unfazed, his cold gaze fixed on Li Ping's snarling descent. He didn't even blink. Only when Li Ping's palms were inches from his chest did he finally strike.
"Basic Fist Technique—Tiger Subduing Fist!"
Roar!
A faint tiger's roar seemed to echo across the plaza. The crowd's eyes widened, jaws dropping in disbelief.
Qin Chen was using the Tiger Subduing Fist—a basic technique taught to Condensation Meridians apprentices. Was he insane?
Before their shock could settle, Qin Chen's right fist collided with Li Ping's palms. In an instant, true qi surged like a tempest, exploding outward like blooming fireworks, shaking the arena with a deafening blast.
A majestic tiger, fierce and indomitable, charged down the mountain. It pounced on the cyan eagle, which let out a pitiful screech before the tiger's jaws tore it to shreds.
Pfft!
Li Ping was sent flying back the way he came. His sleeves burst apart, his arms crackling with the sound of shattering bones. Blood sprayed like a fountain from his wounds, unstoppable.
He spat a mouthful of blood, his face frozen in stunned disbelief, mind reeling as he struggled to comprehend what had happened.
"With such pitiful cultivation, you thought you could make me suffer?" Qin Chen sneered, a chilling glint in his eyes.
Unwilling to let Li Ping off so easily, he stomped the ground, his body a blur as he closed the distance to the reeling Li Ping.
"You—!" Li Ping's eyes widened in terror, his body unresponsive as he tried to counter. He could only watch as Qin Chen's right leg whipped toward him like a dragon bursting from the depths, slamming into his chest.
Bang!
With a sickening crunch of breaking bones, Li Ping screamed, blood spraying from his mouth. Like a cannonball, he rocketed out of the circle, crashing into the plaza and skidding another ten meters before coming to a stop, his body a bloodied, mangled heap. He lay unconscious, his fate uncertain.
Silence.
A deathly stillness gripped the arena.
Every eye was locked on Qin Chen, mouths agape, eyes bulging in shock.