Xiao Longcheng Was Left Dazed by the Beating

"Such formidable skill."

Lu Yun's move made the many recruits present instantly widen their eyes.

Such effortless mastery was difficult to achieve without a superior martial art as a foundation.

Even Xiao Longcheng wore a grave expression.

Although he could do the same, the technique Lu Yun had displayed still alarmed him. His opponent's strength was absolutely no weaker than his own.

On the high platform.

Qin Jue and the other Thousand Commanders also had their eyes light up.

"Interesting. It seems Lu Yun and Xiao Longcheng are bound for a dragon-and-tiger battle."

Among the Thousand Commanders present, quite a few probably could not even accomplish what Lu Yun had just done.

Mu Zijun's expression turned somewhat grim.

Xiao Longcheng under his command might not be secure after all. He had not expected Lu Yun to be this strong.

In a corner of the square, Ye Quan was suddenly overcome by regret.

"Could Brother Lu really win? Did I bet wrong again?"

The battles continued afterward.

Lu Yun fought one candidate after another, sending every opponent off the stage and winning with ease.

Xiao Longcheng was equally unwilling to be outdone. He also won effortlessly, using methods identical to Lu Yun's, as though he were competing against him.

Other than his losses to Lu Yun and Xiao Longcheng, Zhuo Feifan, ranked third, won all his remaining matches.

After several hours of fighting, only the ultimate showdown between Lu Yun and Xiao Longcheng remained.

The contest for first and second place officially began.

Whoosh...

Lu Yun leaped into the air and shot toward the central arena, then landed steadily atop the stage.

He held his spear in his right hand, his gaze fixed on Xiao Longcheng, an astonishing aura radiating from his body.

At that moment, Xiao Longcheng gave a light push with his legs. He soared high into the air, then landed not far across from Lu Yun. His long saber pointed straight at Lu Yun as a powerful aura burst forth from within him.

Their auras collided fiercely, whipping up a violent gale.

Before they had even formally exchanged blows, the pressure generated by their auras already made the many recruits below the stage struggle to breathe.

"Bone Tempering Completion? This aura is nearly approaching that of several Thousand Commanders. Terrifying..."

Everyone stared at the arena with horrified expressions.

They knew Lu Yun and Xiao Longcheng were strong, but strength at this level was still difficult to believe.

Among the six thousand recruits, even Zhuo Feifan was only at Inner Strengthening Completion.

Lu Yun and Xiao Longcheng stood at a sheer cliff-like lead over everyone else.

Even among the veterans from the previous few batches, they would have counted as experts.

"Lu Yun, bring out all your strength. Otherwise, you are certain to lose today."

Xiao Longcheng stared intensely at Lu Yun, his tone sonorous and forceful.

The long saber in his hand trembled and hummed softly, as though it could sense his fighting spirit.

"Then come."

Lu Yun did not waste words. He raised his spear and suddenly thrust it forward.

Sizzle...

A point of cold light flickered through the air. It was so fast that not even the spear's afterimage could be seen, arriving before Xiao Longcheng in the blink of an eye.

He had used all his strength in this thrust. Combined with the amplified multiplier of his superior martial art, its explosive force reached a terrifying five thousand six hundred pounds.

Xiao Longcheng's formidable strength forced him to go all out.

"Sever."

A sharp glint flashed through Xiao Longcheng's eyes as he abruptly slashed forward.

Crash...

The air exploded. A fierce blade light tore through the void, as if it would cleave apart everything around it, meeting the spear with unstoppable force.

This slash was likewise the pinnacle strike of his life so far.

It was the greatest respect he could show Lu Yun, such a powerful opponent.

In an instant.

Saber and spear collided, sparks scattering in every direction as a deafening boom rang through the air.

After that exchange.

Both men stood firmly where they were, not moving even a fraction, while the auras around them became even sharper.

"What tremendous power. It is not the slightest bit weaker than mine."

Xiao Longcheng's heart tightened.

He had not expected that his full-force strike would fail to gain even the slightest advantage.

He had cultivated a superior saber art to Minor Mastery, allowing his instantaneous explosive force to reach a terrifying five thousand pounds.

Even someone at Bone Tempering Completion would not dare claim they could easily receive his full-force blow.

Yet his opponent had taken it with ease.

Lu Yun was also slightly surprised by Xiao Longcheng's strength.

His opponent was a true genius, not comparable to a fake genius like Yang Shengrong, who had come from some small county town.

The fact that he had successfully cultivated a superior martial skill on his own showed just how powerful his talent was.

Xiao Longcheng was also the strongest opponent Lu Yun had ever encountered.

Yet he still had confidence that he could defeat him. At this moment, Lu Yun wanted nothing more than a hearty, all-out battle.

Below the stage, the recruits had all fallen silent as cicadas in winter.

"Those two are actually evenly matched. Could Lu Yun truly have a chance of defeating Xiao Longcheng?"

Everyone's faces were full of shock, while great waves seemed to surge through their hearts.

The small number of recruits who had bet on Lu Yun were even more wildly delighted.

"Good, good..."

Qin Jue slapped the armrest, then abruptly rose to his feet, his face filled with delighted surprise.

He had never imagined Lu Yun's strength had reached such a level, able to clash head-on with Xiao Longcheng without falling behind.

With strength like this, he had every chance of claiming the title of First Hundred Commander.

"Haha... Thousand Commander Qin, your luck is truly excellent. Such a genius has appeared under your command..."

Several Thousand Commanders stepped forward to offer their congratulations.

To them, if a Hundred Commander under their command rose to prominence or earned achievements, it counted as part of their own record as well.

That was an important bargaining chip for promotion.

Naturally, they were endlessly envious of Qin Jue's shit luck.

Qin Jue looked at his friend Mu Zijun, unable to hide a trace of pride in his eyes.

"Hmph... who wins and who loses is still uncertain. Don't get too pleased with yourself."

Mu Zijun was feeling rather sour as well.

He could not help imagining how wonderful it would be if both Lu Yun and Xiao Longcheng were under his command.

Just as everyone was discussing the matter, the two men on the arena moved again.

"Fight."

Xiao Longcheng's feet shifted lightly, and he shot toward Lu Yun like a sharp sword.

As his Minor Mastery superior movement technique unfolded, the arena could only see streak after streak of afterimages.

Since he could not win through strength, he would defeat Lu Yun with speed.

He refused to believe that this man's martial skills and movement technique could both be superior-grade like his own.

Feeling the faint waves emanating from the golden circular treasure deep within his heart, he regained his confidence.

"Kill."

Lu Yun likewise raised his spear and charged forward. With a single shift of his feet, he crossed more than twenty meters. The spear whirled rapidly in his hands, and the booming of the air rang out without cease.

The two fought fiercely atop the arena, transforming into countless afterimages that tangled and slaughtered one another as clouds of dust rose around them.

They moved as swiftly as two bolts of lightning. Even the eyes of the Nourishing Qi martial artists could no longer keep up.

Without Inner Strengthening cultivation, one was not even qualified to watch the battle.

Several Thousand Commanders stared at the battlefield without blinking.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The time it took to drink a cup of tea passed, yet both sides were still fighting, with no sign of stopping. Instead, the battle only grew fiercer. Even so, they remained evenly matched, and victory had yet to be decided.

After several hundred exchanges, Xiao Longcheng had still failed to gain even the slightest advantage, and anxiety inevitably began to rise in his heart.

Where did this man come from? Could the wilderness truly nurture such a genius martial artist?

At twenty-one, he cultivated to this level entirely on his own? What kind of terrifying talent was that?

Even with his fortuitous encounter and the strange treasure within his body, he could not suppress Lu Yun. He found it impossible to believe. Everything unfolding before his eyes felt unreal.