The war drums of the second round of ranking matches beat more urgently than in the first. The defensive runes on all ten arenas blazed ever more fiercely, bathing the entire Training Ground in daylight brightness. After the first round of eliminations, the disciples left standing were all inner sect elites, and every duel was a clash of needle against awl. Shen Hao and Zhou Peng's match had been arranged as the finale. The moment the news spread, the discussions in the stands never ceased. Nearly everyone believed it would be the most thrilling contest of the round—one was a dark horse who had burst onto the scene, while the other was a veteran powerhouse renowned for years. When the two collided, sparks were bound to fly.
Before that, Zhang Shan's match had already ended. Relying once more on his masterful Basic Footwork Technique and steady, solid swordsmanship, he seized the flaw in his opponent's eagerness for quick success. With one sword strike, he hit his opponent's wrist and narrowly won again, advancing amid the applause and cheers of many disciples below. When Zhang Shan stepped down, his forehead was drenched in sweat, yet his smile was especially radiant. He plopped down beside Shen Hao and kept muttering, "Senior Brother Shen, it'll be up to you soon! Zhou Peng may be formidable, but I believe you can definitely beat him!"
At last, when the dust settled on the final match, the Referee Elder cleared his throat and loudly announced in a spirit energy-infused voice, "The finale: Shen Hao versus Zhou Peng!"
As his words fell, the Training Ground instantly fell silent. Countless gazes converged in unison upon No. 3 Arena. Shen Hao took a deep breath, gripped the Basic Flying Sword in his hand, and slowly stepped onto the arena.