"Clang--Clang--Clang--"
On the stage, Luo Yuntian was forced to retreat repeatedly, and his Sword Technique began to become chaotic.
The man in black was a whole realm higher than Luo Yuntian. Although he clearly had the strength to defeat Luo Yuntian quickly, he played like a cat toying with a mouse, not in a hurry to defeat Luo Yuntian.
"Laugh--!"
With a tearing sound, Luo Yuntian's left arm was slashed open, and blood instantly seeped out.
"Laugh--!"
Luo Yuntian's abdomen was swept by a sword.
Despite the protection of the soft armor, she was still injured, and blood seeped through the soft armor.
"Laugh--!"
Luo Yuntian's waist was slashed by a sword.
Blood seeped through the soft armor, adding another wound to his body.
In just over a dozen moves, Luo Yuntian had already sustained multiple injuries.
"Boring. Fine, I'll finish you off now!"
The man in black finally got tired of it and unleashed the full power of Second Grade Mid-Stage martial artist. His longsword, brimming with ruthlessness, aimed straight for Luo Yuntian's chest!
If this sword were to strike, even if the victim survived, they would certainly be severely injured.
At this critical moment—
A figure appeared between the two like a ghost, lightly touching the sharp tip of the sword with a finger.
"Bite--"
With a crisp sound, the menacing sword strike was deflected by a single finger, the blade trembling violently and emitting a buzzing sound.
The man in black involuntarily slid back several steps.
The one who made the move was the middle-aged woman who was acting as the referee.
She stood between Luo Yuntian and the man in black, glanced at Luo Yuntian, turned to the man in black, and announced:
" Jiang Ying of Heavenly Water Prefecture, victorious."
Jiang Ying, the man in black, sheathed his longsword, but the cold smile on his lips did not fade.
His gaze fell on Luo Yuntian, his voice carrying an undisguised contempt:
"Is this all the talent Qingyang Prefecture has to offer? You're not even qualified to let me stretch my muscles a little."
Luo Yuntian tightened his grip on the sword slightly, but remained silent.
Jiang Ying, as if that wasn't enough, lightly flicked the blood off the sword and said:
"You only got through the first round by sheer luck."
Luo Yuntian's expression darkened slightly.
He was usually mild-mannered, and he hadn't even gotten angry when Fang Han took away his status as the eldest disciple. But in this situation, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.
"What, you're not convinced?"
Jiang Ying raised an eyebrow, her voice tinged with a hint of mockery.
"If you're not satisfied, how about we have a private fight later? But I can't guarantee you'll survive."
Liu Bai frowned slightly.
This man named Jiang Ying not only toyed with Luo Yuntian, but also belittled them, the pride of Qingyang Prefecture, to nothing.
Fang Han didn't speak, but his expression visibly darkened. He walked through the crowd and came to Luo Yuntian's side as he stepped down from the Combat Platform.
He glanced at Luo Yuntian, then looked at the figure in black, his gaze calm yet carrying an inexplicable sense of oppression.
Liu Bai quickly followed and came to Luo Yuntian's side.
Jiang Ying had clearly noticed Fang Han and Liu Bai as well.
He glanced at Fang Han and Liu Bai, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
"What, are you his accomplices? Trying to stand up for him?"
He tilted his head, his tone playful and teasing, as if he were examining an interesting toy.
"You'd better not run into me in the next match."
He paused, his voice carrying a hint of disdain and contempt.
"Otherwise, they would lose even worse than him."
Fang Han did not answer.
He simply looked at Jiang Ying, his eyes devoid of any emotion, unusually calm.
But that calm gaze, when it fell upon Jiang Ying, made Jiang Ying feel inexplicably pressured.
Fang Han withdrew his gaze, turned to Luo Yuntian, and spoke in a steady voice:
"Let's go to the doctor arranged by the organizers to treat the wound."
Luo Yuntian nodded without saying a word, and followed Fang Han and Liu Bai away from the number twelve Combat Platform.
Jiang Ying stood there, watching the three figures disappear. The playful smile on her lips gradually faded, replaced by a thoughtful coldness.
"Hopefully you won't run into me."
He muttered something to himself, turned around, and strode out of the venue.
The afternoon sun slanted across the cobblestone streets of the Imperial Capital, casting long shadows of the group.
Fang Han and Luo Yuntian walked at the front.
Luo Yunkai's wounds had been treated, but his expression was somewhat gloomy.
Not only were they defeated, but they were also humiliated, so it was impossible for them to be in a good mood.
Mad Blade and Liu Bai followed behind the two, both appearing to be in good spirits.
Wuxiang clasped his hands together, his gray monk's robe fluttering gently in the afternoon breeze, his expression serene, revealing neither joy nor anger.
Hua Jieyu and Xu Qing walked at the end of the group.
"How many people from Qingyang Prefecture made it through the second round?"
Mad Blade broke the silence and asked.
"I, you, Brother Liu."
Fang Han spoke.
There were three people in total.
Upon hearing this, the air in the group seemed to freeze for a moment.
Wuxiang put his hands together in prayer, murmured a Buddhist chant, and said nothing more.
The usual smile on Hua Jieyu's lips had vanished, and her eyes, which always held a touch of allure, now carried a hint of disappointment.
Xu Qing kept her head down, so her expression was not visible.
"Two wheels."
Mad Blade took the giant sword from his shoulder, propped it up on the ground with a dull thud.
"Of the top ten on the Qingyang Prefecture Prodigy Ranking, only three remain after two rounds."
He didn't say anything more, but the meaning was self-evident.
Fang Han was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke:
"The overall strength of Qingyang Prefecture is indeed inferior to that of the Central Thirty-Six Prefectures, and this must be acknowledged."
"It's not that we lack talent, but rather that our circumstances are inferior."
Liu Bai replied, his voice tinged with emotion.
" The Central Thirty-Six Prefectures are blessed with abundant natural resources and rare medicinal herbs, which are unmatched by ordinary prefectures. Naturally, the disciples cultivated there are also stronger."
Hua Jieyu sighed softly:
"I thought I could go through a few more rounds and collect more rare and precious herbs, but I didn't expect to be stopped in the second round."
Xu Qing raised her eyes, her voice flat, revealing no emotion:
"The cultivation conditions in the Central Thirty-Six Prefectures are indeed better than those in Qingyang Prefecture. Losing to an opponent from the Central Thirty-Six Prefectures is not shameful."
The group walked along the street toward the Royal Annex, their shadows stretched long by the setting sun.
The streets were still bustling with pedestrians, their cries of vendors and laughter mingling together, creating a stark contrast to the silent atmosphere within the queue.
Upon returning to the Royal Annex, Fang Han stopped and turned to look at the group, saying:
"Please get some rest, everyone."
Liu Bai cupped his hands in greeting and said:
"Brother Fang, good luck tomorrow. Of the three of us left, I'm afraid only you can get through the third round tomorrow."
"Indeed, neither Liu Bai nor I might pass the third round tomorrow."
Mad Blade grinned, a smile that carried a hint of nonchalance.
"But it's alright. Anyway, I've already obtained three rare and precious herbs, so this trip has been worthwhile. I'll just go as far as I can from here on out."
Fang Han nodded and turned to walk towards his residence.
The following morning, a thin mist hung like a veil.
After having breakfast, Fang Han stood in the courtyard, closed his eyes, and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.
A moment later, he opened his eyes and walked out of the courtyard.
Outside the courtyard gate, Luo Yuntian was already waiting there. His left arm was still wrapped in bandages, but he looked much better than yesterday.
"Good morning, Junior Brother Luo."
"Good morning, Senior Brother Fang."
Luo Yuntian nodded slightly.
"My match is over. Today I'll accompany you to Combat Platform number ten."
Fang Han glanced at Luo Yuntian, said nothing, and simply nodded.
The two walked side by side out of the Royal Annex, crossed the wide streets of the Imperial Capital, and headed towards the Martial Arts Tournament venue.
There were noticeably fewer participants along the route than in the previous two days, but those who were still walking on the streets were all composed and sharp-eyed.
In addition, there were more spectators than usual, because the level of the battle would increase and the excitement would become as the game progressed.
Upon entering the venue and passing through the passageway, Combat Platform number ten came into view.
Fang Han paused slightly in his steps.
The number of people gathered around the number ten Combat Platform was no less than yesterday.
Based on yesterday's number of participants, there should have been only twelve or thirteen contestants on Combat Platform number ten today.
What's going on?
Fang Han was surprised and looked around the people around the number ten Combat Platform, noticing that there were quite a few unfamiliar faces.
"The number of Combat Platform has been reduced."
Luo Yuntian's gaze swept across the entire Martial Arts Tournament venue, and he noticed that half of the Combat Platform were empty, and he understood what was going on.
"I see. Let's go over there."
Fang Han strode towards Combat Platform number ten.
Luo Yuntian followed beside Fang Han.
Suddenly, he paused slightly and gestured for Fang Han to look in a certain direction.
Fang Han followed Luo Yuntian's gaze and saw a figure in Moon-White standing with his hands behind his back on the other side of the crowd.
He was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in a moon-white robe with light blue wind patterns embroidered on the cuffs. He had a handsome face and an elegant, otherworldly air.
A longsword with a scabbard hung at his waist, the scabbard inlaid with several pale blue gemstones that shimmered with a warm glow in the morning light.
This person was none other than Bai Yan, True Disciple of the Heavenly Origin Sect, Overlord-Level Faction.
Fang Han and Luo Yuntian had met this person once before at the Ancient Ruins.
Bai Yan clearly noticed Fang Han and Luo Yuntian's gazes as well. His calm eyes fell on Fang Han and paused for a moment.
Then, he strode towards Fang Han.
"We meet again."
Bai Yan stopped in front of Fang Han, his voice calm but carrying a rare hint of solemnity.
"Brother Bai."
Fang Han cupped his hands in greeting.
He had heard other Heavenly Origin Sect disciples address this person as "Senior Brother Bai".
Bai Yan nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Fang Han for a moment, his voice steady, with a hint of seriousness:
"You are very strong, and I hope to have the opportunity to spar with you."
Fang Han met Bai Yan's gaze and said:
"We're on the same Combat Platform; if we keep winning, we'll naturally meet again."
Upon hearing this, Bai Yan did not speak, but simply nodded slightly, then turned and walked back to his original spot.
Luo Yuntian stood to the side, his gaze lingering on Bai Yan's back for a moment, before lowering his voice and saying:
"This person has a very strong presence; he's probably a formidable opponent."
Fang Han nodded without saying anything more.