You, Too Weak!

At this time, the chief examiner was still the same military representative from last time. He was loudly announcing the rules for the upcoming challenges.

"All of you present have only two chances to challenge others. You may choose to challenge martial artists ranked above you. If you win, you will take their rank. Once your two challenge opportunities are used up, you may not challenge again and can only wait for others to challenge you. Therefore, before issuing a challenge, each of you had best weigh your own strength carefully and not waste your opportunities lightly."

"Once the top hundred have been decided, everyone will choose, in ranking order, the faction they wish to join. If a faction's recruitment slots have already been filled by those ahead of you, then you can only choose another faction. So, if you wish to enter a faction you favor, strive for as high a ranking as possible!"

After the rules had been announced, it was also the fourth hour of the morning.

As the martial academy's bell rang out, its gates slowly opened. The martial artists who had come to watch were guided in by the constables, filing into the academy and sitting down behind a cordon to watch.

"Alright, the arena battles now officially begin. Starting from second place, choose in order whether to challenge those ahead of you!" the chief examiner said coldly.

Chen Feng, ranked second, glanced at Liang Bo before shaking his head. "Brother Liang's strength is plain for all to see. I know I am no match for Brother Liang, so I will not make a fool of myself here."

Next was Su Yan, the young woman ranked third. After thinking it over, she likewise chose not to challenge the two ahead of her.

After all, as long as she held onto a top-three position, she would be guaranteed entry into one of the three great factions such as the True Martial Sect. There was no need to challenge the two before her. If she happened to be injured in battle, she would only be handing an advantage to others.

After Su Yan, it was Sima Kai's turn.

Everyone present immediately turned their eyes toward Sima Kai. Even the representatives of the various factions seated among the examiners were no exception.

Sima Kai took a deep breath and declared loudly, "I choose to challenge Liang Bo!"

Boom! Though everyone knew about the wager between the two, when Sima Kai truly issued his challenge, it still caused an uproar. Nearly every martial artist focused on this coming battle, and many began discussing it loudly. The scene grew extremely noisy until the chief examiner repeatedly shouted, "Silence!" Only then did the crowd quiet down again.

Liang Bo smiled faintly, rose to his feet, and walked toward the challenge platform. Sima Kai followed close behind.

Once the two had taken their positions on the challenge platform, the military representative acting as chief examiner called out, "Liang Bo, Sima Kai, I have also heard of the wager between you two. By the rules, victory in arena battles should be decided by skill with blades and swords. However, I am not an unreasonable man. If you both agree, this battle may be decided through unarmed combat. Do either of you have any objections?"

"No."

"I have no objection." Liang Bo and Sima Kai each shook their heads.

"Good. Since that is so, you will settle victory and defeat with your fists and feet!" the chief examiner announced. An examiner then stepped forward to take their weapons before leaving the arena to the two of them.

"Liang Bo, good luck!" Below the platform, Zhao Zhao and Zhao Wu shouted in unison.

Hearing them, Liang Bo gave a slight nod in their direction.

"Sima Kai, defeat that brat! We believe in you!" Likewise, quite a few people among the spectators below cheered Sima Kai on.

For a time, the entire venue became lively again. The chief examiner shook his head helplessly and did not stop their chatter this time.

At the examiners' seats, representatives from the various sects and factions were also whispering among themselves.

The Purple Sun Temple representative asked with a smile, "Old Ma, this Liang Bo has already been confirmed as one of your True Martial Sect's people. Tell us, how certain is he of winning this fight?"

Before Ma Wen could answer, the Limitless Sword Sect representative said, "Winning? I think he will be doing well enough if he can avoid defeat. Liang Bo is so young, yet his inner-force cultivation has reached at least the fifth rank, and his saber technique has also attained the realm where man and saber are one. Those things require a great deal of time, so he surely has not had much energy left to train his unarmed combat. Thus, I favor Sima Kai in this battle."

Ma Wen smiled. "Is that so? I favor Liang Bo instead. Why don't the two of us place a wager as well? I'll bet Liang Bo wins, and you bet on Sima Kai. We need not make the stakes too large—just one million taels of silver. What do you say?"

"Fine! One million taels of silver is merely a small matter!" The Limitless Sword Sect representative agreed without the slightest concern.

The representatives of the other sects and factions also became interested. For a while, quite a few placed wagers. Some bet on Liang Bo to win, while others bet on Sima Kai. The number of supporters on both sides was roughly equal.

"Liang Bo, one million taels of silver is no small sum. I heard you are merely a collateral descendant of the Liang Clan. Can you even afford that much silver?" Sima Kai smiled faintly, brimming with confidence.

Liang Bo swept his gaze across him. "I hope you can still smile later!"

The moment his words fell, Sima Kai made his move. His body pounced at Liang Bo like an eagle.

What he used was the inherited martial skill of the Ruyang Prince's Residence, called Tiger Subduing Fist. It was a high-grade human-tier martial skill. Though every move appeared simple, seemingly centered on sheer force and ferocity, it actually concealed countless variations. It could be considered an excellent martial skill, far superior to the Cloud Piercing Palm Liang Bo had cultivated.

Facing Sima Kai's attack, Liang Bo remained standing there with his hands clasped behind his back, his body utterly motionless.

A savage grin immediately spread across Sima Kai's lips. "Brat, you still refuse to dodge at a time like this? You are far too arrogant!" His right fist shot toward Liang Bo's face, while the fingers of his left hand came together like a blade and slashed toward Liang Bo's lower abdomen. In an instant, he closed in before Liang Bo.

At that very moment, Liang Bo suddenly moved. His head tilted abruptly to the right, while his lower abdomen drew back by roughly a decimeter. His opponent's fist and hand-blade both missed completely.

At the same time, Liang Bo swiftly counterattacked. His right hand drifted out in a palm strike, chopping upward from below at Sima Kai's right arm.

Thud!

With a muffled impact, Sima Kai's right arm was struck. His entire body staggered back three steps.

"What is going on?" His mind jolted violently. His right hand had gone completely numb, and he was left utterly dazed.

Before he could react, a blur of fists flashed before him.

Thud! A sharp pain tore through Sima Kai's left shoulder. He cried out miserably and flew sideways. By the time he regained his senses, he was already lying on the ground.

By the rules of arena battles, if one side was knocked to the ground during combat, they were considered defeated. Thus, Liang Bo had already won.

"You are too weak!" Liang Bo said in a low voice.

Only then did the crowd come to its senses, and the venue instantly erupted.

"What?" The onlookers nearby cried out in alarm. "He lost so quickly, in only two moves! Is Liang Bo simply too strong, or is Sima Kai too weak?"

"He defeated the formidable Sima Kai in just two moves! Liang Bo's unarmed combat is not inferior to his saber technique at all!"

"Amazing! Even I would not dare underestimate Sima Kai's strength, yet Liang Bo defeated him so quickly. Truly incredible!"

The spectators below all stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with shock.