Deep within the palace, in a hall, sat three figures.
The Third Prince, Chu Yuanchen, stood with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing at the outline of the overlapping palace walls outside, without saying a word.
Beside him, the Fifth Prince Chu Yuanhao sat on a rosewood chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrests, producing a rhythmic, soft sound.
On the soft couch by the window, Seventh Princess Chu Qingyi, one of the ten beauties of the Imperial Capital, was holding a book, but her gaze was not on the pages; she seemed to be lost in thought.
A gentle knock was heard on the palace door.
A eunuch bowed and entered, carrying a sandalwood tray with a file on it.
"Your Highnesses, we have obtained intelligence Fang Han of Qingyang Prefecture."
Chu Yuanchen turned around, a barely perceptible ripple flashing in his gentle eyes:
"Read."
The eunuch unfolded the file, his voice clear and steady:
" Fang Han, a member of a collateral branch of the Fang Clan in Liangshui City Qingyang Prefecture, is currently twenty-one years old. After joining the Azure Profound Sect, he cultivated from the Ninth-rank early stage to the Second Grade Late Stage just over three years."
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Chu Yuanhao paused slightly in his tapping of the armrest, a barely suppressed surprise appearing in his narrow eyes:
"Three years? From Subordinate Ninth Rank to Second Grade?"
Chu Qingyi's gaze fell on the dossier in the eunuch's hands, her clear eyes flickering slightly.
Chu Yuanchen slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his voice carrying an indescribable sense of shock:
"In three years, Subordinate Ninth Rank to the Second Grade Late Stage... and with the cultivation of the Second Grade Late Stage, he unleashed combat power comparable to a martial artist who has broken through two levels."
He paused, a hint of surprise appearing in his gentle eyes:
"There is a full five minor realms between combat strength and cultivation level, and three of those minor realms even cross the chasm of a major realm."
"This ability to fight opponents of a higher level is extremely rare, even looking at all previous Martial Arts Tournament."
Chu Qingyi's voice rang out softly.
Chu Yuanhao said in a low voice.
"If the Martial Arts Tournament is postponed for two years, no, one year, given Fang Han's talent, the champion position will probably not be in the hands of Qin Yuan, Lin Qingyin, and Chu Jinghong."
Chu Yuanchen gazed out the window, remaining silent for a long time before finally speaking softly, as if talking to himself:
"This Martial Arts Tournament has truly unearthed an extraordinary genius. If he doesn't fall, his future might be very bright..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the other two people in the room understood what he meant.
On the eighth day, as dawn broke through the clouds, the entire venue was already filled with a dense crowd.
The 100,000-seat audience was packed, with people even standing on both sides of the aisle. The cacophony of voices surged through the venue like waves.
When Fang Han stepped into the venue, the first thing he noticed was three particularly eye-catching figures in the best position on the high platform.
The man in the center was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a handsome face, wearing a Dark Gold python robe and a purple-gold crown.
With a gentle expression, yet his eyes held a deep and unfathomable concentration, it was none other than the Third Prince, Chu Yuanchen.
The man on the left was a few years younger, with facial features somewhat similar to Chu Yuanchen's. He wore a crimson python robe, sat casually, and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest.
With a faint smile playing on his lips, it was none other than the Fifth Prince Chu Yuanhao.
On the right is a woman, about twenty years old, dressed in a moon-white palace gown, with a pure and extraordinary beauty despite not wearing any makeup.
Her features were exquisite, and the jewelry she wore was luxurious yet tasteful, gleaming softly in the morning light.
She sat upright in her chair, gazing calmly at the audience below. Her noble and composed demeanor drew the attention of many in the surrounding audience.
" Seventh Princess Chu Qingyi, one of the ten most beautiful women in the Imperial Capital..."
Beside Fang Han, another contestant who had also advanced spoke in a low voice, his voice filled with barely suppressed amazement.
"One of the ten most beautiful women in the Imperial Capital?"
Fang Han's gaze lingered on the moon-white figure for a moment before shifting away.
He did not know the two princes, Chu Yuanchen and Chu Yuanhao, but the fact that he could sit with Chu Qingyi spoke volumes about his status.
The fact that three princes and princesses were present to witness the battle shows that today's battle is of even greater significance than he had anticipated.
The number of participants in the audience has dwindled from sixteen yesterday to eight.
Apart from Fang Han, the other seven were all at the First Grade cultivation level.
Qin Yuan stood to the left of the contestant, his Dark Gold outfit gleaming subtly in the morning light.
He crossed his arms, his expression calm as still water, as if today's battle was no different from yesterday's.
Lin Qingyin stood on the other side of the contestants, her slender and graceful figure outlined in her light blue outfit.
She tilted her head slightly, seemingly lost in thought, her clear eyes fixed on the distance, as if in a daze.
Chu Jinghong stood with his hands behind his back, his moon-white robe motionless, a long sword hanging at his waist.
He was like a peerless sword hidden in its sheath, its sharpness concealed, yet making people dare not look directly at him.
Zhen Feixuan was still wearing that white outfit, with the cuffs tightly bound, and her long black hair was tied back with a plain silver ring.
She stood at the edge of the contestants, her gaze fixed on Fang Han, her eyes, as clear as autumn water, filled with inquiry.
Time is up.
The elderly man in the crimson robe slowly walked to the center of the platform. His gaze swept over the eight figures below. His voice, though not loud, overpowered the clamor of ten thousand people, reaching everyone's ears clearly:
"Round 8, the battle for the top four, the rules remain the same: the winner advances, the loser is eliminated."
He took a scroll from his sleeve and slowly unrolled it.
"The first match is between Qin Yuan of Dragon Prosperity Prefecture and Yan Bei of Cangwu Prefecture."
The audience fell silent the moment the words were spoken.
Qin Yuan stepped forward in response, his steps composed, each step carrying a steady, mountain-like rhythm.
Opposite him, a young man dressed in a dark gray outfit strode onto the stage, his face cold and stern, a broad-bladed longsword hanging at his waist, his aura heavy and imposing.
The old man in red robes glanced at the two of them, then stepped back to the edge of the platform. "Begin."
Yan Bei made the first move.
With a single step, his Early First Grade first-grade Internal Qi and considerable sword intent erupted forth without reservation.
The long sword at his waist was drawn, carrying a condensed, almost tangible Saber Aura that Void Sundering, enough to severely injure First Barrier Breakthrough, and went straight for Qin Yuan's head.
As the Saber Aura, a sharp screech echoed through the air, leaving a clear white mark on the table.
The expressions of the First Grade contestants watching from below the stage turned slightly serious—the power of Yan Bei's strike was comparable to that of a martial artist who had broken through two levels.
However, Qin Yuan simply raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers together, and lightly flicked the side of the longsword, which was wrapped in Saber Aura.
"Bite--"
A clear, crisp sound, like jade chimes striking each other, echoed through the hall.
The sound wasn't loud, but it pierced through the whistling of the Saber Aura and clearly reached everyone's ears.
The Saber Aura, powerful enough to severely injure First Barrier Breakthrough martial artist who had just broken through a level, shattered and dissipated like paper with a casual flick of Qin Yuan's wrist.
Yan Bei felt an overwhelming force emanating from the blade, causing his entire right arm to instantly go numb and ache.
The broadsword flew out of his hand and crashed onto the platform several feet away with a clang.
Qin Yuan had already stopped, standing with his hands behind his back, his expression calm and composed.
" Qin Yuan of Dragon Prosperity Prefecture wins."
A tremendous murmur of discussion erupted from the audience.
"Another victory with a single finger..."
" Qin Yuan's strength is on a completely different level from that of ordinary First Grade contestants."
"As expected of one of the three most recognized as strong!"
The old man in the red robe announced.
"The second match is between Lin Qingyin from Skybillow Prefecture and Huo Qianshan from Cloud Province."
Lin Qingyin slowly ascended the stage, her azure figure resembling a lotus emerging from the water in the morning light, elegant and serene.
Her opponent was a burly man who wielded a heavy bronze hammer covered in dark red patterns and radiating a scorching heat.
"Start!"
The moment the red-robed elder finished speaking, Huo Qianshan made the first move.
He took a step forward, and the platform beneath his feet suddenly trembled. The bronze giant hammer, carrying Ten Thousand Jun of Force and a scorching heat wave that could incinerate everything, smashed straight towards Lin Qingyin like a burning meteorite.
The power of this hammer blow was no less than that of Yan Bei's previous strike, and it had already reached the peak of breaking through two barriers.
Lin Qingyin did not dodge.
She raised her right hand and gently pressed her pale palm forward.
There was no earth-shattering power, no dazzling brilliance, just a simple press.
The giant hammer, carrying a wave of energy that could incinerate everything, stopped abruptly just three inches from her palm, as if it had struck an invisible wall.
The next instant, Huo Qianshan, hammer and all, was sent flying backward like a kite hit by a tremendous force.
It traced a parabola through the air before crashing onto a platform dozens of feet away, where it tumbled several times before coming to a stop.
He struggled to get up, but let out a muffled groan, his hand gripping the giant hammer trembling uncontrollably.
" Lin Qingyin of Skybillow Prefecture wins."
The murmurs from the audience grew even louder.
"They're on a completely different level from the other First Grade contestants!"
The old man in the red robe announced.
"In the third match, Chu Jinghong from Cangwu Prefecture will face off against Jiang Lan from Azure Wave Prefecture."
Chu Jinghong stepped onto the stage, her moon-white robe fluttering slightly in the wind.
Cang Lan stepped onto the stage, dressed in a dark blue robe and holding a dark blue longsword.
Knowing how terrifying Chu Jinghong's strength was, he unleashed his strongest attack.
A Sword Qi, condensed to its extreme, carrying the terrifying power of a martial artist who had broken through two levels, slashed towards Chu Jinghong like a dragon emerging from the sea, enhanced by Sword Intent.
Chu Jinghong drew her sword.
The sword flashed and disappeared in an instant.
The Sword Qi of Canglan was split in two, but the sword's momentum remained undiminished, continuing forward until it stopped less than three inches away from Canglan.
Ling Yue stared at the longsword less than three inches away from him, his face turning deathly pale.
" Chu Jinghong of Cangwu Prefecture wins."
The old man in the red robe announced at the opportune moment.
After the third battle, the audience in the stands had come to a complete understanding of one thing—
There is an insurmountable gap between Qin Yuan, Lin Qingyin, and Chu Jinghong and the other First Grade contestants.
"In the fourth match, Zhen Feixuan from Brahma Heaven Prefecture will face off against Fang Han from Qingyang Prefecture."
As the red-robed elder's voice rang out in the hall, the audience erupted in a flurry of discussion.
"Finally, it's Fang Han's turn!"
" Fang Han defeated Blazing Sun yesterday, defeating First Grade cultivator with only Second Grade cultivation. He can be considered the biggest dark horse of this tournament. I wonder if he can continue his dark horse run."
" Fang Han already has a record of defeating First Grade contestant, and I believe Fang Han will defeat Zhen Feixuan."
"Don't underestimate Zhen Feixuan; this woman is no ordinary person."
Most people favored Fang Han Fang Han, given his record of defeating First Grade contestant. However, a small group, seemingly aware of some inside information, favored Zhen Feixuan instead.