The Second Round

The next day.

The second round of the tournament.

Today was even livelier than yesterday.

On the high platform in the center of the martial arts arena, over a dozen people dressed in martial attire sat in rows.

They were the masters of various large and small martial halls.

In the center of the high platform, three ebony grand chairs were placed side by side, with only three people seated upon them.

Bai Yu, master of the White Crane Martial Hall, wore plain robes, tapping a folding fan against his palm with eyes as sharp as a hawk's.

Hou Wei, master of the Wild Ox Martial Hall, wore his robes open, exposing his chest and abdomen, his knotted muscles glistening with oil in the morning light.

Fu Huaixing, master of the Subduing Tiger Martial Hall, wore a green shirt; his hair was like frost and snow, yet his complexion was ruddy.

Receiving a signal from the three, a referee walked to the front of the stage, preparing to announce the start of the tournament.

However, he was distracted by a commotion at the entrance.

"What is going on?"

Everyone's gaze was drawn to the scene; today, the masters of all the major martial halls in the Outer City were gathered here.

Who would dare to act so insolently at a time like this?

A group of figures walked in from the entrance.

The five people in the lead possessed an imposing aura.

One man wore black martial attire, his physique as burly as an iron tower, with a three-inch-long scar on his left cheek that looked particularly ferocious.

The other four wore brocade robes, exuding the air of those long accustomed to high positions, followed by dozens of experts.

On the high platform, Fu Huaixing exchanged glances with the other two martial hall masters, their expressions sinking in unison.

The scarred man was none other than Shi Tao, leader of the Mountain Gang from the Inner City, and the other four were the heads of the Four Great Families of the Inner City: the Wang, Lin, Jiang, and Huang families.

These people were rarely seen on ordinary days, yet they had come uninvited; this was certainly not as simple as merely observing the ceremony.

They had come with ill intent!

"Hahaha~"

Shi Tao spoke first, his laughter as boisterous as thunder:

"The Outer City tournament is such a grand event, how could we from the Inner City be left out?

We have come uninvited today; surely you masters will not take offense?"

Though he spoke of "offense," his footsteps did not falter as he led the four family heads straight toward the high platform.

Bai Yu stood up and cupped his hands:

"Leader Shi, four family heads, today is an internal tournament for the Outer City martial halls. We did not inform you in advance, so please forgive our negligence.

However, I wonder what your intention is in coming here today?"

"Intention?"

Shi Tao grinned:

"Naturally, it is to join in the fun, and while we are at it, let the disciples of my Mountain Gang and the juniors of the four families participate as well.

The Outer City martial halls are full of talent, and we would like our own disciples to broaden their horizons."

Just for this?

Bai Yu felt in his heart that it was not that simple, and he instinctively opposed it:

"Leader Shi, I am truly sorry, but the preliminary rounds have already passed. To let people join now would likely invite criticism.

How about you come back next year?"

"Criticism?"

Shi Tao's face darkened, the malevolence from his scar instantly spreading:

"Who the hell dares to criticize? Let them step out and show themselves.

What, is the territory of the Outer City not allowed to be stepped upon by us from the Inner City?

Or is it that you are all afraid?"

The four family heads nodded in turn, acting as if they were of one mind.

The head of the Huang Family spoke indifferently:

"Leader Shi makes a good point. Besides, does the tournament not allow non-martial hall personnel to participate?

If you insist on blocking us, it makes you seem rather petty."

Fu Huaixing, Bai Yu, and Hou Wei exchanged glances, understanding clear in their hearts.

These fellows were here to wreck the place.

Those who came to observe the ceremony were all wealthy households of Crow Mountain City.

If the disciples of his own martial hall performed poorly today, their reputation would inevitably plummet.

Then, the recruitment of apprentices and affiliated students in the future would both dwindle.

Do not think that a martial hall can truly sustain itself solely on apprentices.

In the shadows, restaurants, brothels, and docks all have their own connections.

Since these businesses must pay "protection fees," why not pay them to the strongest?

Over time, a vicious cycle forms, and the martial hall naturally declines.

However, when all is said and done, it is ultimately the fists that do the talking.

If the disciples under their tutelage perform well, they might even be able to snatch business from the Inner City.

Fortune and misfortune are interdependent.

Weighing the pros and cons in their hearts, the three decided to agree.

What must come will come sooner or later.

Bai Yu took a deep breath and said slowly:

"Gang Leader Shi, the four family heads, since your kindness is hard to refuse, then we shall proceed according to the rules.

If you wish to compete, we must draw lots for pairings and hold fair matches."

"Haha, straightforward!"

Hearing this, the ferocity on Shi Tao's face dissipated, and he laughed out loud:

"Rest assured, we naturally know the rules."

He turned his head and beckoned to those behind him:

"What are you all standing there for? Go pick a number and draw lots."

The people brought by Mountain Gang and the four great family heads obediently walked to the drawing area to participate in the second round of the competition.

The referee returned to the front of the stage and shouted:

"The time has arrived; the second round of combat officially begins!"

As the drawing of lots commenced, people began to take their places on the various arenas.

Li Yun naturally saw the changes on the high platform.

Through the words of others, he also knew that the arrivals were the four great family heads of the Inner City and the leader of Mountain Gang.

It seems that with the population explosion in the Outer City, the forces of the Inner City are starting to get restless.

They also want to come and take a slice of the cake.

War, in the end, is beginning to affect Li Yun.

Before he could think too much, the referee called out Li Yun's number.

"Ding sixty-six."

The one who drew to spar against Li Yun was a disciple from a small martial hall whose master only possessed the Dark Force realm.

"Tiger Fist, Zhang Liang."

"Tiger Subduing Fist, Li Yun."

"..."

The second round began, which was somewhat more rigorous compared to the first.

Before the sparring began, they had to report their backgrounds to each other.

It was just that one practicing Tiger Fist and the other Tiger Subduing Fist made Li Yun want to laugh a little.

Li Yun did not laugh out loud, as that would seem impolite.

Zhang Liang was startled in his heart when he heard Li Yun's name.

He had previously bought an important piece of intelligence from a sharp-mouthed, thin man.

This Li Yun was a disciple of Subduing Tiger Martial Hall and a candidate for the championship.

Rumor had it that this boy was obsessed with martial arts and somewhat brutal.

He often used the excuse of sparring to beat up his own martial hall's fellow disciples.

Zhang Liang was only here to compete to broaden his horizons and incidentally see if he could attract wealthy households to sponsor him.

He had already decided in his heart that as soon as the sparring started, he would attack frantically.

Once the offensive slowed, he would immediately withdraw and concede. Then, he would brag to everyone he met:

He had once suppressed Li Yun, the seeded player of Subduing Tiger Martial Hall.

"Begin."

Hearing the referee shout "begin," Zhang Liang stomped hard on the floor and charged straight toward Li Yun.

That Zhang Liang was able to make it through the top five to reach the second round meant he truly had some skill.

But, not much.

His vitality was not as vigorous as his own, and his fist technique had not even reached the minor accomplishment stage.

An opponent like this could no longer stir any interest in Li Yun.

Facing Zhang Liang's assault, Li Yun did not retreat even half a step.

His arms were like twining vines, his stance like a heavy stone.

As Zhang Liang slashed over with a punch, Li Yun lightly rotated his wrist, his palm edge blocking the side of the fist like an iron ruler.

Snap.

A crisp sound rang out.

Forcefully diverting the fierce punching power to the side, Li Yun sank his shoulders and dropped his elbows, pressing his palm against the inside of Zhang Liang's wrist, following the momentum with a push and a pull.

It was precisely the Fierce Tiger Disarms Armor and Tiger Tail Silk-Winding from the Tiger Subduing Fist.

Zhang Liang felt as if he were being guided by a force; his strength instantly drained away, and he stumbled forward by half a step.

Losing his footing like this made Zhang Liang's heart sink.

He hurriedly tried to recover, twisting his waist to throw a punch and stabilize his stance, only to find Li Yun's figure clinging to him like a shadow.

Li Yun feinted with his left hand to draw his gaze away, while his right fist, like a tiger emerging from its den, struck precisely at his wide-open ribs.

"Ugh!"

Sharp pain pierced his internal organs like needles, and Zhang Liang's strength suddenly vanished.

Before he could even defend himself, Li Yun's fist, accompanied by the sound of breaking air, smashed toward his face.

It stopped abruptly, the wind of the punch stinging his skin.

"I concede."

Li Yun retracted his fist, stepped back half a pace, and cupped his hands in a salute.

Li Yun's voice brought Zhang Liang back to his senses.

He shook his head with a bitter smile; though they were in the same realm, he felt like nothing more than a child before his opponent.

Zhang Liang knew the other had held back, otherwise, if that punch had landed on his face, he might have been lying on the ground long ago.

He wouldn't even be able to stand here and talk.

"Thank you for showing mercy."

Just then, a cry of surprise erupted from a distant arena.

Li Yun looked over toward the sound.