"Chen'er!"
Below the plaza, Qin Yuechi's face streamed with tears, her heart swelling with pride and emotion.
Crack!
Zhao Feng, in a fit of rage, crushed the armrest of her chair to splinters, her teeth grinding audibly.
"Qin Chen, you useless trash, how is this possible?"
In Circle Seven, Qin Fen was equally stunned by the events in Circle Eight. Roaring, he glared at Qin Chen, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.
"Qin Fen, looks like your dogs failed to carry out your wishes," Qin Chen said with a cold smirk.
"Qin Chen, gloat while you can. Pray you don't end up facing me later, or I'll show you what it means to wish for death!" Qin Fen bellowed, practically frothing with fury. With a furious punch, he sent his current opponent flying, the poor student coughing up blood as he crashed out of the circle.
"Heh, interesting. No wonder Wei Zhen took him so seriously," Li Qingfeng murmured from Circle Three, casting a fleeting glance at Qin Chen. A faint, cold smile curved his lips.
Bang!
With a casual shake of his body, Li Qingfeng sent the nearest student tumbling out of the circle, the defeated opponent landing in a daze, unsure how he'd been eliminated.
Spurred by Qin Chen's display, the battles across the arena grew fiercer, more brutal.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosive roars echoed relentlessly, true qi sweeping through the field like bursts of dazzling fireworks.
In Circle Eight, every student kept their distance from Qin Chen, none daring to challenge him.
"Heh, this Qin Chen is no ordinary talent," Xiao Zhan remarked from the high platform, his eyes gleaming.
"Defeating Li Ping and Zhou Nan is one thing, but what's truly remarkable is that he used Tiger Subduing Fist and Grand Ancestor Long Fist—basic techniques known across Tianwu Continent, mere entry-level skills. Yet he overcame Yellow-Grade Superior techniques like Barbarian King's Tyrant Fist and Cyan Eagle Fist. His mastery of martial arts has reached an astonishing level," Chu Weichen added, smiling.
"A promising future indeed," Xiao Zhan agreed, both men exchanging approving nods.
By now, the situation in the arena was becoming clear.
Circles One, Three, Six, Nine, and Ten had already selected their three advancing students. Soon after, the remaining circles followed suit.
In Circle Four, Lin Tian fought valiantly but fell short. His cultivation wasn't quite enough, and he was eliminated at the final moment, missing the third-round arena matches.
Only Circle Five remained.
Circle Five lacked both standout prodigies and obvious weaklings, making the competition there the most intense. Six students still stood, paired off in heated, evenly matched duels.
Zhang Ying was among them, locked in combat with a Human-Level Late Stage advanced-class student. At this point, Zhang Ying was nearly spent, his steps faltering, teetering on the edge of defeat. Only his opponent's slight injury had allowed him to hold on this long.
Even so, Zhang Ying was in constant peril, moments from losing.
Just then, another pair in the circle resolved their fight, leaving only five students standing.
"Enough! Stop fighting!" Vice Dean Ge Hong's voice boomed. "All five of you will advance to the next round."
The crowd blinked in confusion.
Ge Hong explained, "The third round—the arena matches—will feature thirty-two competitors, paired off in elimination bouts. The winners advance through five rounds to determine the champion."
Realization dawned. Thirty-two competitors meant one group needed five qualifiers to complete the bracket.
What incredible luck.
Jealous glances shot toward the Circle Five students, especially Zhang Ying, whose Human-Level Mid Stage cultivation stood out. So many Human-Level Late Stage advanced-class students had been eliminated, yet this mid-stage student had stumbled into the final round. Talk about dumb luck, some muttered, practically choking on their envy.
"You have half an hour to rest, heal, and recover. Prepare for the third-round arena matches," Ge Hong announced before returning to the presiding platform.
"Young Master Chen, I made it to the third round!" Zhang Ying approached Qin Chen, his voice trembling with disbelief, his excitement uncontainable.
"Congratulations, Zhang Ying," Lin Tian said, walking over with a warm smile.
"It was just luck," Zhang Ying said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "You might've done the same in my place."
"Luck?" Qin Chen chuckled. "Zhang Ying, Lin Tian, remember this: sometimes, luck is a form of strength. Those who survive to reach the pinnacle of Tianwu Continent are never the unlucky ones."
Lin Tian and Zhang Ying paused, their expressions thoughtful, mulling over his words.
Around the plaza, discussions erupted.
"Who do you think will win the arena matches?"
"I'd bet on Li Qingfeng or Wang Qiming."
"Don't count out Zhao Lingshan. Who'd have thought our goddess broke through to Earth-Level already?"
"I'm rooting for Princess Lingshan, heh."
"A bunch of brainless fools. Princess Lingshan is strong, but she's still a woman. How can she compare to Young Marquis Li Qingfeng?"
"Who says women can't compete with men? Was your mother not a woman?"
"Say that again, punk!"
"Hmph, I'll say it ten times if I want. You scared?"
"After the exam, meet me at the academy's back mountain!"
"Bring it on! Who's afraid of who?"
Students argued passionately over who would claim first place, some even coming to blows.
The majority, especially the female students, favored Li Qingfeng, swooning over him with starry-eyed admiration. A sizable group of male students backed Zhao Lingshan, one of Great Qi's four renowned beauties, whose popularity was undeniable. Wang Qiming had his supporters too, mostly commoner students.
The trio were the undisputed top contenders.
In the plaza, some had even started taking bets.
Li Qingfeng: 1 to 1.3.
Zhao Lingshan: 1 to 1.5.
Wang Qiming: 1 to 1.7.
Qin Chen was listed too, but at a steep 1 to 10. Despite his stunning performance, his lack of a prestigious background and failure to reach Earth-Level led most to believe he'd rank no higher than the teens. Top ten would be a miracle; first place was unthinkable.
Yet not everyone was pleased with Qin Chen's rise.
Zhao Feng, in particular, seethed.
"That Qin Chen is cunning, hiding his strength all this time, only revealing it after leaving the Qin family. I underestimated him," she hissed, her eyes burning with killing intent. Turning to a subordinate, she snarled, "Qin Yong, pass this down: in the third round, I don't care what Gou Xu does, but Qin Chen must face Fen'er. Tell Fen'er to cripple that brat. If Gou Xu can't make it happen, remind him that the Qin family's money isn't for just anyone to take!"
Her face twisted, venomous as a viper.