Tianshui City Gymnasium.
By this time, a massive crowd had poured in, filling nearly every seat. At least a hundred thousand people had come, making this the biggest turnout ever. After all, it was Tianshui City's annual grand event, practically on the scale of the Olympics.
In the middle of the arena stood eight enormous fighting platforms. The Round of 16 matches would take place simultaneously, and the quarterfinals would begin that afternoon.
The schedule was packed, with barely any time to rest.
"This year has had some real surprises. Who would've thought that obscure Tianshui City No. 95 Middle School would have two students make it into the Round of 16? It's unbelievable."
"Exactly. I thought the strongest school in Tianshui City, First High School, would take at least seven or eight spots, but they only got four. That's a real shock."
"Still, the favorite to win is Qin Muyang from First High School. He's at the peak of the Martial Apprentice Ninth Heaven, and none of the other competitors can match him. He's a rare talent."
"Not necessarily. That dark horse, Xia Ping, doesn't seem ordinary either. He stirred up all sorts of trouble during the preliminaries. If it weren't for him, First High School wouldn't have lost so badly."
"Dark horse? More like a rotten schemer. I've never seen anyone worse than him. Anyway, I don't think Xia Ping can win the championship. There's no time for underhanded tricks on the fighting platform. Winning there takes real strength. If he actually has to fight, that kid's just a good-for-nothing. He'll be down in three punches."
"Right. I heard that shameless Xia Ping usually dates a dozen girls at once. With all those girlfriends keeping him busy day and night, he must be completely worn out. There's no