Bronze Gladiator

"Chen Qing!!"

"It really is that Chen Qing!!!"

The arena instantly descended into chaos. The spectators seemed possessed, every one of them shouting at the top of their lungs.

Their eyes brimmed with excitement and fervor.

The newcomer was a youth whose features looked somewhat similar to Qin Chen's, though his bearing was far more mature.

His gaze was filled with calm indifference, as though nothing in the world could shake his state of mind.

As he walked toward Arena Stage One, every gaze fixed upon him.

The spectators continued shouting wildly, each one incomparably excited, their gestures extravagant.

A small number of contestants in the Preparation Area looked utterly bewildered, having no idea what was happening.

But most wore extremely grave expressions, including Lu Feng, the Body Tempering Ninth Layer Peak.

At the same time, the large screen above Arena Stage One displayed the records of both fighters, though this time, things were different from before.

[King of Body Tempering Layer Six, realm: Body Tempering Fourth Layer, total matches: 5, wins: 5, consecutive wins: 5]

[Chen Qing, Bronze Gladiator!]

"Bronze Gladiator? What the hell is that? Why isn't Chen Qing's record displayed?"

A newcomer in the Preparation Area looked completely confused.

"Bronze Gladiator! It is Myriad Blades Arena's... highest honor for Martial Artists of the Body Tempering Realm!"

Lu Feng spoke in a low voice.

"Every Bronze Gladiator stands at nearly the absolute pinnacle of the Body Tempering Realm!"

"They all possess the strength to contend with—and even defeat—Star Vein Realm powerhouses!"

"Even many Body Tempering Realm Ninth Layer experts are still as fragile as toys in their hands!"

"Once someone earns the title of Bronze Gladiator, records cease to have any meaning!"

"That is why their past records are no longer displayed. The title Bronze Gladiator is enough to explain everything!"

"Among the countless Body Tempering Realm Martial Artists in MuYang City's Myriad Blades Arena, only five have ever received this honor!"

"It has been a long time since I last saw a Bronze Gladiator appear here. I never expected to get such an opportunity today!"

"And Chen Qing is the youngest among them. Rumor has it that he's still a senior high student!"

"There can be no suspense in this match!"

"If that brat wants to blame something, he can blame this damned matchmaking system!"

A glint flickered in Lu Feng's eyes as he directly reached his conclusion.

On the other side, Qin Chen's pupils also contracted slightly as he watched Chen Qing approach.

Chen Qing!

He was no stranger to that name—one could even say he knew it well—but he had not learned of him here at Myriad Blades Arena.

Chen Qing was a Second Year of Senior High student at MuYang First Middle School, hailed as MuYang City's greatest genius of the past decade!

In the First-Year City-Level Tournament that had ended a few months ago, he had crushed every opponent and claimed first place!

Back then, the teachers in Qin Chen's class had often used Chen Qing to motivate them. That was why he was so familiar with him.

But—

Was this goddamn matchmaking system sick in the head?

Was this really an opponent he could handle?

Qin Chen was speechless. Before the fight had even begun, he already knew his Ten-Win Streak was about to go down the drain!

If it had been an ordinary Body Tempering Seventh Layer opponent, he might still have had a chance, but Chen Qing...

No matter how confident he was, he did not believe he possessed the strength to contend with Chen Qing.

He was already a top-tier genius, and he had cultivated for one more year than Qin Chen. What was Qin Chen supposed to fight him with?

Yet he had no intention of admitting defeat outright.

He wanted to see—

Just how vast the gap between himself and Chen Qing truly was!

Before long, Chen Qing arrived atop Arena Stage One and stood opposite Qin Chen.

As he looked at Qin Chen, a faint smile suddenly appeared on Chen Qing's placid face. He spoke lightly.

"A first-year student?"

Qin Chen froze for a moment upon hearing Chen Qing's words, but he still nodded.

"That's right! A first-year student from MuYang Third Middle School!"

The moment those words were spoken, the arena was once again plunged into shock.

They had assumed Qin Chen merely looked young. They had never imagined he truly was that young!

A First Year of Senior High student?

Hadn't he only awakened not long ago?

Yet in such a short time, he had broken through to the Body Tempering Fourth Layer and possessed strength nearly invincible among the Body Tempering Sixth Layer.

What kind of monster had appeared from nowhere this time?!

Chen Qing nodded and looked at Qin Chen as he spoke again:

"I saw everything you did just now!"

"At this time last year, I was just like you—I had only just broken through to the Body Tempering Fourth Layer."

"But my strength was far inferior to yours!"

"At the very least, I wasn't even a match for ordinary Body Tempering Sixth Layer Martial Artists back then, much less a Martial Artist like Swift Blade Liao Fei, who was nearly without equal among the Body Tempering Sixth Layer!"

"You... are much stronger than I was at the same time!"

"But—"

At that point, Chen Qing paused. The faint excitement on his face shifted into traces of disappointment.

"Your current strength is still far too weak!"

"If you were at the Body Tempering Ninth Layer or even the Body Tempering Eighth Layer now, perhaps today's battle would be somewhat interesting!"

"I'm about to break through to the Star Vein Realm, so I originally came to Myriad Blades Arena today hoping to find a well-matched opponent for my final battle in the Body Tempering Realm!"

"The result has left me a little disappointed. The other Bronze Gladiators aren't here!"

"I was about to leave, but I unexpectedly got matched with you instead. Wouldn't you say that's fate?"

After saying that, Chen Qing looked at Qin Chen with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

Qin Chen said nothing, but his expression inexplicably darkened several shades.

He cursed again in his heart: Damn matchmaking system!

Without hesitation, Qin Chen lowered his body slightly, then shot forward and sprinted toward Chen Qing.

Let him see just how wide the gap was between himself and a top genius from the previous cohort!

They stood more than twenty meters apart, a distance Qin Chen could cross in a single second.

In the blink of an eye, Qin Chen had arrived before Chen Qing and savagely threw a punch at him.

Facing the fist rushing toward him, Chen Qing still wore that same calm expression.

His body did not move at all. Only when Qin Chen's fist was less than ten centimeters away did he tilt slightly to one side.

Qin Chen's punch struck nothing but air, while Chen Qing had already appeared several meters away.

Qin Chen spun around and immediately closed in on Chen Qing again, throwing another punch.

The result was no surprise. Once more, his fist cut through empty air with an explosive crack.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Explosive cracks rang out from Arena Stage One. No matter how Qin Chen attacked, he could not touch so much as a corner of Chen Qing's clothes.

After a while—

Qin Chen's chest rose and fell slightly. He did not attack Chen Qing again, instead standing more than ten meters away and staring at him.

For the first time, his speed had been completely crushed!

In the past, with the Grand Completion Flowing Clouds Chasing Moon Steps, he had always been the one overwhelming others with speed. Today was the first time he had experienced what it felt like to be overwhelmed in speed himself.

Chen Qing had definitely mastered a D-Grade or even C-Grade movement Combat Skill, and his proficiency in it could not be low. Otherwise, he could not have achieved such an effect.

Just then, Chen Qing suddenly spoke:

"You've been attacking for so long. Shouldn't it be my turn now?"