Cheng Hong and Li Chong were carried into the clinic.
The matches continued.
But every match that followed became an aftershock of Xu Qing's punch.
Pei Xin took the stage again. He was the foremost practitioner of manifest force at Raging Tide Martial Academy, his style fierce and his palm strikes surging like waves. He won two more matches in a row.
After winning the first, his face showed no expression. After winning the second, it still showed no expression. He knew that he was not today's protagonist. From the moment Xu Qing's punch broke Cheng Hong's spine, the protagonist had already been decided.
A disciple from Shi Family Martial Hall also took the stage. Steady and solid, he won one match.
The remaining disciple from Rushing Thunder Martial Academy had lost his soul. He went up, made a few token moves, and hurriedly conceded after only a few exchanges.
Flying Cloud Martial Academy and Longwind Martial Hall fared no better. Their experts had been frightened by Xu Qing, terrified of running into him onstage.
The sun gradually tilted westward, and the shadows in the Martial Arts Arena stretched ever longer. When the final two finished their match, the Golden Scale Gathering's contests came to a complete end.
Before long, Constable Qi stepped onto the stage with a sheet of red paper in his hands. The ink on its writing had not yet dried, and it listed the top three of this Golden Scale Gathering.
Constable Qi cleared his throat, his voice ringing out. "The Golden Scale Gathering's contests have concluded successfully today!"
He paused, sweeping his gaze over the crowd below before raising his voice. "First place—Zhao Family Martial Hall, Xu Qing! Awarded two Tiger Bone Pills! One hundred taels of patterned silver! Three bolts of brocade! One hundred