Uchiha Sasuke's Turnaround!

The battle continues in the arena.

A Ruheng looked at Sasuke charging forward again, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes. "Brother Sasuke, why insist? You have great talent, but you are no match for me now."

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Sasuke's roar exploded like thunder. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the black electricity in his palm suddenly surged. The crackling electricity tore through the air, radiating a chilling sense of oppression.

"The word 'defeat' doesn't exist in the Uchiha Clan's dictionary! Even if I fight with all my might today, I will never back down an inch!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Sasuke shot out like an arrow, his Soul Power intertwined with black electricity, leaving a deep blue afterimage behind him.

"Yin· Chidori!"

With a low shout from Sasuke, the electricity in his palm condensed into a sharp spear, its tip aimed directly at A Ruheng's chest. This strike was a concentrated effort of most of his remaining Soul Power, attempting to break through the opponent's impenetrable blood and qi defenses.

Faced with this seemingly inevitable attack, A Ruheng remained as calm as a mountain.

His cultivation of the Innate Secret Method was nearing completion, and his physical body, tempered by qi and blood, had become far more durable than ordinary Battle Armor, comparable to a weakened version of Four-word Battle Armor.

He slightly turned his body, easily avoiding Sasuke's attack trajectory, and at the same time extended his right hand, accurately grabbing Sasuke's wrist.

The black electric current exploded in A Ruheng's palm, but it could only leave a few fine scorch marks on the skin's surface, unable to penetrate the thick barrier of qi and blood.

"Since you insist on not admitting defeat, then I will use my strongest strength to show you the difference between us."

A Ruheng's tone became serious, and the golden-red aura around his body suddenly erupted. The Bloodline Power surrounding his body instantly condensed into a solid form, like a set of burning armor. The temperature inside the arena's protective shield rose sharply, and even the stone slabs on the ground began to glow with a faint Red Light.

The next instant, A Ruheng released Sasuke's wrist and swung his right fist heavily.

This punch contained no fancy techniques, yet it contained the Bloodline Power his life's cultivation, the wind from the punch howling as if it could shatter mountains.

Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. He could only barely muster the remaining Soul Power to condense a defensive barrier in front of him.

"Bang!"

The moment the fist collided with the barrier, the barrier shattered like glass, and the enormous impact spread through Sasuke's body.

He felt as if he had been hit by a runaway Soul Train, his body flying backward uncontrollably and crashing heavily into the Energy Barrier of the arena with a dull thud.

"Wow!"

Sasuke's body was bounced back by the protective barrier and crashed to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood that stained the stone slab in front of him.

He struggled to get up, but found that his Soul Power was almost exhausted, his blood and qi were churning, and he even had little strength to lift his hand.

A Ruheng slowly walked up to Sasuke, looking down at his kneeling opponent, his eyes filled with even more regret:

"Sasuke, this battle should end. You are indeed very strong. To have developed your Body Martial Soul to such a level at such a young age is enough to prove your talent."

"However, your physical fitness is ultimately a weakness. After you join our Body Sect, I will have my teacher select some top-tier body-forging methods for you. At that time, your strength will definitely reach a new level."

As he spoke, A Ruheng slowly raised his fist, which was as big as a casserole dish, with a faint golden-red aura swirling around it—this punch would not kill Sasuke, but it could completely end this battle.

"Yu..."

Just as the fist was about to land, a barely perceptible whisper suddenly came from Sasuke's mouth.

A Ruheng's ears twitched slightly, his raised fist paused in mid-air, and he looked down at Sasuke with some confusion. "Brother Sasuke, what are you trying to say?"

"Uchiha Body Slam!"

Sasuke suddenly looked up, a resolute glint in his eyes. His previously weak body suddenly erupted with astonishing power, and the black electricity around his body surged again, enveloping him like a fine electric net.

He suddenly leaped up from his kneeling position and pounced on A Ruheng with lightning speed, his right arm tightly gripping the other's abdomen.

"Drink!"

With a deafening roar from Sasuke, he suddenly exerted force in his arms, his muscles bulging from extreme tension, and he managed to lift A Ruheng, who was much taller and heavier than him!

Immediately afterwards, he pushed off with both feet, carrying A Ruheng's body as he sprinted toward the edge of the ring. The speed was so fast that A Ruheng didn't have time to react.

A Ruheng's body trembled violently, and he subconsciously tried to unleash his Bloodline Power to break free from the restraints. But at that moment, a faint but unusually cunning black current suddenly entered Sasuke's body from his arm, spreading like a leech.

This electric current not only hindered the flow of his Bloodline Power, but also temporarily imprisoned his Soul Power, causing his power, which was about to erupt, to instantly falter.

"What?!"

A Ruheng's pupils contracted sharply, and a storm raged in his heart.

He suddenly realized that the black current invading his body was exactly the same as the Yin Chidori that Sasuke had used before—only this time the current was more condensed and focused on the meridians in his body, which was obviously a backup plan that Sasuke had prepared in advance!

"Look closely, this is the power of the Uchiha Clan!"

Uchiha Sasuke's low growl rang in A Ruheng's ears. He locked A Ruheng's body tightly with one arm, grabbed the other's arm with the other hand, and shot out towards the edge of the arena with astonishing explosive force.

A Ruheng was extremely anxious. He tried to mobilize his qi and blood to disrupt the electric current in his body, but the Innate Secret Method was not yet fully mastered, and there were still weak points in his meridians. The black electric current happened to be stuck at the key point of his qi and blood circulation, causing his body to stiffen briefly.

He could clearly feel that the distance between himself and the edge of the arena was rapidly decreasing, while Sasuke's power had not weakened at all, clearly indicating that he had exhausted his last bit of Soul Power.

"Bang!"

With a loud bang, A Ruheng's back slammed into the Energy Barrier of the arena.

Logically, the rebound force of the shield should push both of them back into the ring.

"Sizzle~"

But at that moment, the black electricity on Sasuke's body suddenly surged, and by using the special interference of electricity on energy, it managed to tear a tiny gap in the shield!

Immediately afterwards, Sasuke adjusted his body position, tilting A Ruheng's body downwards, and pulled him through the gap, falling towards the bottom of the arena.

"Thump--"

Another dull thud echoed throughout the arena as A Ruheng and Uchiha Sasuke simultaneously crashed to the ground below the ring.

Because Sasuke deliberately adjusted his posture during the fall, A Ruheng was the first to land, his back slamming heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Sasuke, thanks to A Ruheng's cushioning, rolled to absorb the impact upon landing. Although he coughed up blood from the impact, he managed to remain conscious.

The arena fell silent instantly, all eyes focused on the two people below the ring. Qiangu Dongfeng on the Presidium even stood up abruptly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The referee had already rushed to the bottom of the ring. He carefully examined the two men's condition, checked the rules of the Martial Arts Matchmaking Convention, and finally raised his right hand, loudly announcing:

"According to the tournament rules, a contestant is defeated if they fall off the ring! In this match, contestant A Ruheng touched the ground first, therefore the winner is— Uchiha Sasuke!"

The referee's voice echoed like thunder throughout the stadium, and the once silent Spectator erupted into deafening cheers.

On the Presidium, Fors looked at the result below the arena, a smug smile playing on her lips. She turned to Qiangu Dongfeng beside her, her tone slightly teasing. "Tower Master, it seems I've won this bet."

Qiangu Dongfeng's expression was complicated, but he could only nod with a wry smile, "A bet is a bet. I will support Speaker Nan Fusheng in his bid for the next Federation Speaker, as agreed."

Below the arena.

Hearing the referee's announcement, A Ruheng finally came to his senses, his eyes still filled with disbelief that he had actually lost!

After a moment, he finally accepted reality, slowly sat up from the ground, and gave a wry smile, "Brother Sasuke, you won. I didn't expect you to be not only exceptionally talented, but also so meticulous. I accept my defeat wholeheartedly."

Sasuke leaned against the wall, panting heavily, but a proud smile appeared on his face, "I've said it before, the word 'defeat' doesn't exist in the Uchiha Clan dictionary."

"Then I wonder if you'd be interested in joining the Body Sect?" A Ruheng asked tentatively.

"Not interested," Sasuke replied as always.

"Alright." A Ruheng had already anticipated Sasuke's reaction, and seeing this, he didn't press the matter further, only letting out a soft sigh.

He slowly stood up, dusted himself off, and looked solemnly at Sasuke, his tone sincere:

"Since that's the case, I won't insist. But if one day you change your mind and want to join a sect for better development, then I hope you will give priority to our Body Sect. The doors of the Body Sect are always open to talents like you."

After saying this, A Ruheng stopped and walked towards the Contestant Passage as if nothing had happened.

Sasuke's previous Uchiha Slam, while somewhat unexpected, could only control him at best, not break through his defenses.

However, when A Ruheng arrived at the entrance to the Contestant Passage, he was surprised to find two familiar figures already standing there, quietly waiting. They were none other than the God Craftsman Zhen Hua and his mentor, Mu Ye.

Upon seeing the two of them, A Ruheng's initially disappointed expression turned into one of embarrassment. He subconsciously scratched his shiny bald head, his voice tinged with apology:

"Zhen Hua, teachers, what brings you to my match today? I'm so sorry to disappoint you, I lost to my opponent."

"Fool!"

As soon as A Ruheng finished speaking, Mu Ye immediately stepped forward, raised his hand, and slammed a powerful slam into Aruheng's bald head. The force was so great that A Ruheng couldn't help but groan.

Mu Ye's face was full of disappointment, and his tone was stern. "If you hadn't been careless in the match and allowed your opponent to exploit your weaknesses, how could you have ended up with such a defeat? You've almost completely disgraced our Body Sect."

"Ah." A Ruheng rubbed his bald head, which had been bruised and sore, a look of grievance on his face. His voice lowered as he tried to defend himself. "Teacher, it's not entirely my fault."

"That Uchiha Sasuke is really strong, especially his final Uchiha Slam, which completely pinned me down, leaving me no chance to resist. It wasn't that I was careless; the opponent was just too formidable."

Upon hearing Mu Ye, Makino's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes growing even more stern. "So! Even now, you still dare to talk back to your teacher?"

"It seems you haven't realized your Error! From today onwards, you will stay obediently within the Blacksmith Association and are not allowed to go anywhere else. Don't even think about stepping out of the Association's gates until you've mastered the Innate Secret Method!"

"No, teacher!"

Upon hearing Mu Ye's words, A Ruheng was immediately terrified. The grievance on his face instantly turned into panic. He quickly stepped forward and pleaded urgently:

"Mastering the Innate Secret Method is incredibly difficult. If I stay in the Association forever, when will I ever be able to leave? Teacher, please give me another chance! I promise I won't lose in the next competition!"

However, Mu Ye was heartless. He glanced coldly at A Ruheng, his tone leaving no room for argument:

"Stop talking nonsense, there's no room for negotiation on this. Your temperament is so impetuous right now; if you're not tempered, you'll definitely suffer even greater setbacks in the future. This confinement is for your own good."

"No!"

Seeing that his cries and pleas were all in vain, A Ruheng knew that his teacher was truly angry this time, and immediately let out a series of desperate howls, which contrasted sharply with the cheers that could be faintly heard from outside the passage.

The competitive atmosphere of the tournament did not diminish in the slightest due to A Ruheng's defeat; on the contrary, it became even more intense throughout the arena as the qualifying spots for the fifth group were decided.

When the referee announced in a clear and loud voice, "The player who advances from Group 5 is Uchiha Sasuke," a long and enthusiastic murmur erupted from the Spectator.

Some were amazed by Sasuke's stunning performance of defeating a stronger opponent, while others lamented A Ruheng's narrow defeat. These mixed emotions pushed the excitement of the match to a new peak.

However, the tournament did not stop after this key match. According to the tournament rules, although the winners of Group 5 have been determined, the remaining four ranking matches within the group still need to be played in order.

After all, even if a participating Spirit Master fails to advance to the next round, as long as they can achieve a higher ranking within their group, the Spirit Pagoda will still provide generous rewards based on their final ranking.

With the referee announcing "the match is over" after the final qualifying match of Group 5, it was time for Sixth Group to start.