Jiang Yue shook out his slightly numb right hand and exhaled a long breath of hot white mist.
He glanced down at the fresh bruises on his shoulder and arm. Now he understood just how brutal the Top 1000 Ranking Tournament was.
These people could take a beating.
Without overwhelming strength, relying on superior technique alone to fight elite opponents of the same level drained both mind and body.
And this was only the beginning.
With matchups decided at random, there were no weak opponents to give him a chance to recover.
After a brief ten-minute rest, the draws for the second and third rounds followed.
As though fate had it in for him, Jiang Yue drew formidable opponents in both rounds!
His second opponent was a lanky Quasi-Martial Artist skilled in grappling and joint locks.
The man refused to trade punches with Jiang Yue. Instead, he moved like a python, trying to trap every one of Jiang Yue's joints at close range.
Jiang Yue could no longer circle and strike as he had in the first match. With his left arm locked, he dislocated his own shoulder to buy an instant of freedom.
Then, using the unshakable balance of the Roaming Dragon Stance, he slammed into his opponent with a ferocious Mountain-Crushing Lean, breaking the man's collarbone and claiming a hard-fought second victory.
His third opponent was a recruit who excelled in speed and footwork.
The recruit tried to wear down Jiang Yue, who had just survived two brutal fights, by constantly keeping his distance.
Any other Quasi-Martial Artist would have been drained of Blood Energy by that tactic. Unfortunately for the recruit, he was facing Jiang Yue, whose Thunder Breath gave him a seemingly bottomless reserve of stamina.
Jiang Yue did not give chase. He held firm in