The format has become simple and brutal – random matchmaking, one-on-one, lose and you're out.
Every match could be the end for a genius; there's no room for luck.
The number of fighting rings in the central martial arts arena has decreased significantly, but the number of onlookers has increased considerably.
None of the trainees who have made it this far are pushovers, so their duel is naturally attracting a lot of attention.
Xiao Han was still standing on stage number seventy-three, waiting for his first opponent.
During the preliminary rounds, he won so easily, like it was child's play, advancing with a perfect record.
Many people are watching him, but no one can see through his true strength; he's kept it all hidden.
Now that the knockout stage has begun, everyone wants to see if he can remain so calm when he encounters a tough opponent.
Soon, the opponent arrived.
He was of average height, with a slightly rebellious air about him. His name was Li Yan, and he First Level of the Martial Master Realm.
His awakened Martial Soul is the B+ grade "Blazing Mad Lion". He is extremely skilled in fire-type martial arts. In the preliminary rounds, he blasted away several opponents with his ferocious attack power, making him a somewhat famous genius.
Li Yan had clearly studied Xiao Han and knew that this person's movement techniques were very strange, and his strength was definitely more than what it appeared to be.
However, he was confident in his explosive power of fire, believing that as long as his firepower was strong enough to suppress Xiao Han's movement space, he would have a chance to win.
"Xiao Han, right? The top student in Zero Class?" Li Yan shrugged, sparks flying from his body. "You had your moment in the spotlight during the preliminary rounds, but you only ran into a bunch of mediocre players. Today, I, Li Yan, will test your mettle!"
Without further ado, the referee waved his hand and announced, "First round of the elimination tournament, arena number seventy-three, Xiao Han versus Li Yan, the match begins!"
"Roar!"
Li Yan didn't bother with any probing; he went all out from the start!
He let out a low roar, and the illusory image of the Blazing Mad Lion Martial Soul behind him instantly became clear, its mane fluttering like burning flames, and a violent and scorching aura immediately swept over the entire arena.
"Blazing Flames Burn the Heavens!"
Li Yan pushed his hands forward forcefully, and a surge of fire-elemental spiritual power erupted, transforming into a crimson sea of fire.
It looked as if it wanted to burn everything down, and it swept over Xiao Han.
Where the flames passed, the air twisted and turned, and the special material floor of the arena turned red-hot.
This move had a huge range, covering almost half of the arena, clearly intended to leave Xiao Han nowhere to hide.
The audience gasped in surprise, many feeling sorry for Xiao Han.
Such a powerful fire attack would be too much for even Martial Master of the same level to withstand head-on, let alone Xiao Han, whose cultivation level still seemed to be hovering around the Warrior Realm.
Faced with this overwhelming sea of fire, Xiao Han's expression remained unchanged, as calm as an old well, without even lifting his eyelids.
The sea of fire was about to engulf him! Just then, he moved.
He didn't retreat, he didn't block, but instead took a step forward.
This step is quite mysterious.
A faint, almost invisible shadow rippled around him, forming an inexplicable connection with the power of the Eternal Night King Martial Soul.
He pushed the "A Step to the Ends of the Earth" footwork, combined with the concealment techniques of the "Shadow Void Scripture," to its limit.
Hiss--
The raging flames grazed the edge of his clothes, and the heatwave ruffled his hair.
But he moved like an unburnt shadow, nimbly weaving through the gaps in the sea of fire.
The movements weren't fast; in fact, they were rather leisurely.
But with each step, he perfectly avoided the most intense parts of the flames, repeatedly teetering on the edge of danger, yet nothing happened to him.
"What?!" Li Yan's expression changed drastically, filled with disbelief.
His most prized area-of-effect attack was just broken like that?
That guy was as slippery as an eel, slithering around in his own fire!
"I don't believe it!" Li Yan roared, his hands forming hand seals again as he activated his Martial Soul.
More flames erupted, transforming into dozens of ferocious fire lions that roared and pounced on Xiao Han from all directions, determined to bury him completely.
The entire arena had become a fiery hell, with temperatures soaring so high that people outside the arena felt their faces being roasted.
But Xiao Han's figure became even more elusive.
He would disappear into the elongated shadow on the ground, only to emerge again a second later from another shadow.
His figure swayed for a moment, leaving several shadows to confuse people.
Then, using the shadows cast by the burning flames, it leaped and appeared in strange locations as if teleporting.
He incorporated the shadow control power of the Eternal Night King Martial Soul into the "A Step to the Ends of the Earth" footwork.
Their already unpredictable movements have become even more elusive.
Li Yan's attacks became increasingly frenzied, and the pack of fire lions chased after that fleeting shadow, but couldn't touch a single hair on it.
His spiritual energy was draining away rapidly, sweat began to bead on his forehead, and his breathing became labored.
Looking at Xiao Han again, he remained as calm and composed as ever.
He even had time to observe how his opponent's spiritual energy fluctuations became chaotic due to anger and anxiety.
"Is this guy... a monster?!" Li Yan felt a chill run down his spine, and a sense of powerlessness washed over him.
His efforts seemed to have missed their mark, hitting cotton and wasting his energy.
"That's about it," Xiao Han muttered to himself.
After this battle, he tested the combined effects of the "Shadow Void Scripture" and "A Step to the Ends of the Earth," and became more proficient in controlling the power of shadow.
Seeing that Li Yan's continuous bursts of energy had clearly paused for a moment, Xiao Han didn't linger any longer.
Just as Li Yan unleashed another enormous fiery lion king, preparing to fight to the death, Xiao Han, who had been moving like a shadow, suddenly stopped.
The next moment, he shot out like an arrow, completely ignoring the still-burning fire around him, and rushed straight towards Li Yan!
The speed was outrageous; a dark shadow instantly tore through layers of flames.
An alarm bell rang in Li Yan's mind. He instinctively wanted to retreat, and at the same time, he quickly created a thick fire shield in front of him.
But Xiao Han was faster!
"Annihilation!"
With a low shout, Xiao Han's right fist arrived.
This punch looked ordinary, without any earth-shattering noise, and there wasn't much visible light coming from the fist.
However, the space around the fist slightly distorted.
An aura of utter Annihilation, condensed to its extreme, mixed with wisps of deep, dark power, quietly dissipated.
Puff!
A soft popping sound, like a bubble bursting.
Li Yan's prized flame shield, capable of withstanding a full-force attack from Martial Master of the same level, was as fragile as paper and was instantly pierced by that seemingly ordinary fist!
The fist's momentum continued, its terrifying penetrating power and destructive intent striking Li Yan precisely in the chest.
"Well..."
Li Yan's expression froze instantly, the flame in his eyes quickly extinguished, replaced by horror and pain. He felt an indescribable destructive force penetrate his body, instantly destroying his protective spiritual power and shaking his internal organs.
Bang!
With a muffled thud, Li Yan was thrown backward as if hit by a speeding train, his body arching as blood traced a gruesome arc in the air before he crashed heavily off the stage. He struggled for a moment before losing consciousness completely.