Chapter 99

"Begin the match!"

At the command, the competition on the platform began immediately. Each contestant gave it their all, making the match extremely intense.

This was when the difference between the finals and the semi-finals became apparent. The finalists were all at the peak of the first level of martial arts, capable of shattering stones and breaking monuments with their every move, displaying unparalleled might.

In terms of combat skills and experience, these people were one in a thousand, true "martial geniuses"!

"Not bad, their fist techniques, strength, skills, and agility... each one is exceptionally skilled in martial arts."

Yang Ji closed his eyes, recalling the scene of the two fighters on the platform while silently urging the flow of qi and blood within his body.

Perhaps due to the improvement in his strength and perspective, Yang Ji felt that there were many flaws in these people's moves. If he were to step in, the situation would likely be very different.

"Gaoyang Sheng!"

As the voice fell, another pair of contestants stepped onto the platform...

Yang Ji was a "seed player," and compared to others, he had fewer matches. This allowed him to have ample time to observe his opponents.

In a blink, a day passed, and two out of the fourteen contestants were eliminated, leaving twelve, with the competition becoming even more intense.

The matches continued the next day. Out of the fourteen, most had already been on the platform and fought more than once, except for Yang Ji and "Baishengming" and a few others.

"Next match, Zuoguangdou, Li Chen!"

As the voice fell, Yang Ji was startled and opened his eyes abruptly. Almost simultaneously, the other contestants' gazes turned to the platform.

Zuoguangdou's strength was extremely terrifying. If not for Yang Ji's temporary consumption of the "Blood Qi Pill," reaching the "Blood Qi to Paste" stage, and his understanding of "Combat Instinct" and learning Lü Ling's "Finger Snap Thunder," Zuoguangdou would undoubtedly be the top contestant in the South District, a true "seed player."

As for Li Chen, he was known as one of the "Three Heroes of Pingchuan," a renowned figure. Yang Ji had personally witnessed his terrifying prowess.

These two were from different districts in the first round and were assigned to the North and South Districts in the second round. They had never faced each other before.

During the semi-finals, although Zuoguangdou was injured by Yang Ji, he had clearly recovered by now.

"This is a true battle of dragons and tigers!"

Yang Ji thought to himself, a notion flashing through his mind.

Lü Ling's collected information had already been reviewed by Yang Ji. Zuoguangdou was a disciple of a sect, and his "Fast Sword" technique was inherited from the sect, far more powerful than the "Seven Killing Blade Techniques" of the outlaws.

Before the actual confrontation, no one could predict the true outcome.

On the platform, both Zuoguangdou and Li Chen were extremely cautious. At their level, they could sense each other subtly.

Influenced by this subtle atmosphere, the audience held their breath, their hearts racing.

"Buzz!"

In an instant, Zuoguangdou vanished, and almost simultaneously, a flash of blood light appeared on the right side of the platform, followed by a burst of a burning blood cloud.

Boom!

No one could describe the shock of that moment. A fierce surge of energy swept across the field. With a loud cry, several of the nearest and weakest contestants were swept up and thrown out by the wind.

"Wow!"

Seeing this, the others changed their expressions, feeling threatened and stepping back.

Boom! Boom!

Fists and swords clashed, and Zuoguangdou and Li Chen engaged in a fierce battle on the platform, over and over again. The intense blood light enveloped Li Chen, and Zuoguangdou's speed was incredibly fast. His "Fast Sword" technique was executed to the extreme, creating a distorted, blurry sword shadow that moved unpredictably, weaving back and forth, attacking Li Chen from all directions.

"What thick blood qi!"

Yang Ji's eyes narrowed, feeling a chill. He could block Zuoguangdou's "Fast Sword" with a pair of iron gloves, while Li Chen relied on his thick blood qi to withstand Zuoguangdou's sword.

In the technique of using blood qi, Li Chen had reached an unbelievable level.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The battle became even more intense. On the surface, Zuoguangdou seemed to be firmly suppressing Li Chen, and some of the North District contestants cheered loudly for him. However, Yang Ji saw clearly that Li Chen was using his blood qi to control Zuoguangdou.

On the surface, it seemed that Zuoguangdou was attacking Li Chen, but in reality, Li Chen was controlling Zuoguangdou, attacking according to his own steps. Losing his rhythm, Zuoguangdou's defeat was only a matter of time.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Zuoguangdou's "Fast Sword" became faster, and others thought his attacks were becoming more fierce, but Yang Ji sensed a hint of disorder and anxiety in his attacks.

The sword technique became faster, and the blood qi erupted more frequently. The two figures were completely indistinguishable. After an unknown amount of time, suddenly—

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion, and an overwhelming surge of energy burst from the center of the platform, causing the crowd to scream in shock. Many had not yet reacted when they saw a black shadow being violently thrown off the platform with a muffled groan.

"Hmph!"

Zuoguangdou did a backflip and landed among the crowd, glaring at the platform, coldly snorting, and then turning to leave. Yang Ji glanced at his back and noticed his right hand, which held the sword, hanging limp, clearly injured.

Yang Ji looked at the platform again. Li Chen was still Li Chen, but in Yang Ji's eyes, he was completely different. Suddenly, Yang Ji recalled the few outlaws he had seen.

At the time, it seemed like four people were attacking Li Chen, but now, it seemed more like Li Chen was luring them to attack!

Yang Ji's combat style was to capture and disrupt the opponent's rhythm, while Li Chen controlled the opponent's rhythm!

"Li Chen wins!"

The heavily armored officer announced the result. Li Chen waved to the crowd and walked off the platform with a calm demeanor.

"Next match, Baishengming, Li Long!"

As expected, the next contestant was the North District's "seed player," Baishengming. This was the first time Yang Ji had personally watched Baishengming's battle.

Before the finals, Yang Ji had specially taken time to watch Baishengming's matches. However, Baishengming's matches ended too quickly, from the start to the end, not even exceeding a breath.

Often, the match had just been announced to begin when it was already over. In such a short time, Yang Ji could not even catch up.

"I wonder if it's that guy."

Yang Ji recalled the silver-haired figure he had seen during the heavily armored officer's speech, feeling a sense of curiosity.

At the edge of the platform, when the silver-white, ethereal figure appeared, almost half of the contestants in the arena erupted, screaming his name wildly.

"Baishengming! ——"

"Baishengming! ——"

...

Their voices were hoarse, as if they were worshiping an idol.

"It really is him!"

Yang Ji's eyelids twitched, feeling surprised.

What surprised Yang Ji was not that everything was as he had guessed, but the incredible and unique aura this person exuded.

This was the first time Yang Ji had seen someone with such pale skin. His face was delicate, his features like a painting, his expression stern, and he wore a snow-white robe, standing motionless on the platform.

The same white robe, when worn by Li Chen, exuded an ethereal and transcendent aura. But on this person, it was an indescribable, dominant aura of a king.

Yang Ji had seen many "martial geniuses" from distinguished backgrounds, such as Shen Tong, Wang Xian, Zuoguangdou, Li Chen, and even Lü Ling, but none of them exuded the intense "superior" aura that this person did naturally.

He didn't need to do anything; just standing there made him the most shining presence in the crowd. Even the heavily armored officer, a powerful and domineering figure, could not suppress his unique aura.

His hair was silver, not prematurely gray, but a natural color, as if it were tailor-made for him!

"Who is this Baishengming?"

Yang Ji frowned deeply, his mind racing with many thoughts.

He had a feeling that this person's background was more illustrious than any of the contestants, including Xian, Zuoguangdou, Li Chen, and Lü Ling.

With a late arrival, Baishengming's opponent finally made his move.

"Begin the match!"

As the voice fell, with a loud boom, a figure soared high and flew off the platform like an arrow from a bow.

"Baishengming wins!"

An incredible "beginning," an incredible "end." Many were still cheering for Baishengming's appearance when the match was already over.

"Baishengming! ——"

"Baishengming! ——"

...

After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers again. In this world, everyone revered the strong, and Baishengming was the undisputed strongest in the hearts of all the North District contestants.

A god-like start, a god-like end. No matter what level of opponent, Baishengming never used a second move.

His techniques were simple and direct. No matter what level of "martial artist," they all appeared equally weak and helpless in front of him, to the point where they seemed equally... "stupid"!

"Lü Ling was right. His combat style is indeed the same as mine."

Below the platform, a flash of lightning crossed Yang Ji's eyes.

Unlike others, Baishengming's moves, when seen by Yang Ji, were far more than just a single move. Yang Ji could clearly discern that Baishengming chose to attack precisely when his opponent's first flaw was exposed.

It seemed as if Baishengming knew a flaw was waiting for him, and some were even "flaws that were not flaws."

Against such a Baishengming, many opponents couldn't even complete their moves. Some were simply thrown off the platform after just raising their arms.

"Terrifying combat intuition, terrifying reaction, far exceeding the level of the child examination. —— What is his background?"

Yang Ji's brows furrowed tightly, feeling a great threat for the first time.

Yang Ji knew that what Baishengming had shown was just the tip of the iceberg. Using the opponent's flaws to defeat them was never considered a martial technique or martial art.

Baishengming must have his own, true, and yet unrevealed powerful martial technique!