The Battle for the Top Three!

He stepped down from the Arena and headed toward the stands.

The students in the stands made way for him, their eyes filled with envy and jealousy.

"Isn't Li Yao ridiculously lucky?"

"Right? He practically slept his way into the top three. I'm so jealous."

Li Yao listened, feeling thoroughly pleased with himself.

He found a seat near the front, crossed his legs, and settled in to watch the next matches.

The referee cleared his throat and called out, "The semifinals begin! On the first Arena, Ye Xiao versus Zhao Tiezhu! On the second Arena, Yu Xuerou versus Li Mengqi!"

The crowd erupted as soon as he finished speaking.

"Here we go! The main event!"

"Ye Xiao against Zhao Tiezhu? Is that even going to be a fight?"

"Zhao Tiezhu might be third on the Strength Rankings, but the gap between him and Ye Xiao is anything but small."

"Yu Xuerou against Li Mengqi will be a rout too. In her condition, Li Mengqi will be lucky to last three moves."

Li Yao leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the first Arena.

Ye Xiao and Zhao Tiezhu stood facing each other.

Ye Xiao looked perfectly calm, his hands clasped behind his back. It was as though the person before him wasn't Zhao Tiezhu, third on the Strength Rankings, but some random passerby.

Zhao Tiezhu looked nothing like him.

His face was twisted as though he were constipated, his brow furrowed deeply enough to crush a fly. The corners of his mouth twitched as though he had eaten something awful.

"Well..." Zhao Tiezhu opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again.

He really didn't want to face Ye Xiao.

He might have ranked third on Imperial Capital University's Strength Rankings, but only he knew how far behind the top two he was.

It wasn't a small gap. It was the kind of gap that drove a person to despair.

He had once secretly watched Ye Xiao and Yu Xuerou spar. Their fight had been on an entirely different level, a complete one-sided crushing.

"Begin!" the referee ordered.

Zhao Tiezhu gritted his teeth, drew a deep breath, and clenched his fists. Spiritual Power burst from within him.

Forget it. I'll fight. Even if I lose, I'll lose with my head held high!

He kicked off the ground and shot toward Ye Xiao like a cannonball. His iron fists tore through the air as they smashed toward Ye Xiao's face.

"Wind-Breaking Fist!"

Zhao Tiezhu held nothing back. He went all out from the start!

The wind howled around his fist. Even the students below the stands could feel the force of it.

"Holy shit, that punch is fierce!"

"That's some serious power!"

"Can Ye Xiao take it?"

Ye Xiao stood where he was, not moving an inch.

He raised his right hand and pressed down lightly.

Smack. He stopped Zhao Tiezhu's fist.

It was as easy as pressing down a balloon.

Zhao Tiezhu's expression changed. He tried to pull his fist back, but it wouldn't budge. Ye Xiao's hand gripped him like an iron vise.

What's going on? Zhao Tiezhu's heart jolted.

Ye Xiao let go and said flatly, "Again."

Zhao Tiezhu gritted his teeth, retreated two steps, and gathered his strength once more.

"Twin Dragons Emerge from the Sea!"

He launched both fists. Two fist shadows struck from left and right, aiming at Ye Xiao's chest and face.

Ye Xiao still didn't move. He merely raised both hands and flicked them outward.

Smack, smack.

With two light taps, he deflected Zhao Tiezhu's fists again.

"Thunderclap Divine Fist!"

Zhao Tiezhu refused to give up. He threw another heavy punch, a faint golden glow coating his fist. Its force was even greater than before.

Ye Xiao raised a hand just as casually.

Smack.

He caught that one too.

Zhao Tiezhu grew frantic.

"Iron Mountain Shoulder Strike!"

"Mountain-Shattering Palm!"

His combination roared through the air. Fist shadows flew, Spiritual Power spilled in every direction, and the students below the stands could barely follow his movements.

But Ye Xiao looked as though nothing was happening.

Whatever move Zhao Tiezhu threw at him, he simply raised a hand to catch, deflect, or block it, as though he were playing with a child.

The faster Zhao Tiezhu attacked, the faster Ye Xiao countered.

"Huff, huff, huff..." Zhao Tiezhu panted, sweat covering his forehead.

He had thrown nearly twenty moves, yet Ye Xiao hadn't used a single technique. It was as though Ye Xiao were merely humoring him.

How am I supposed to fight this?

Zhao Tiezhu felt utterly stifled. Up in the stands, Li Yao watched with his heart in his throat.

Ye Xiao is terrifying.

He could tell Ye Xiao wasn't taking the fight seriously at all. He was just toying with Zhao Tiezhu.

Zhao Tiezhu's strength wasn't enough to make Ye Xiao fight for real.

And... Li Yao frowned. Ye Xiao still hasn't used a single technique. I don't even know what he can do.

He turned toward the second Arena.

Yu Xuerou had yet to make a move. She stood on the Arena with her hands behind her back, her expression calm.

Across from her, Li Mengqi leaned on her long sword. Cuts covered her body, blood had stained a large patch of her clothes red, and her face was pale as she breathed rapidly.

I don't stand a chance!

Li Mengqi was miserable.

Her injuries were already severe. Facing Yu Xuerou now was practically handing her the victory.

She recovered her Spiritual Power while keeping her eyes locked on Yu Xuerou, afraid Yu Xuerou might attack while she did.

Yu Xuerou didn't take advantage of her weakness. She simply stood there, watching Li Mengqi. "Hurry up. Show me your strongest move. We'll settle this in one exchange."

Li Mengqi froze for a moment, then gritted her teeth.

"All right!"

She took a deep breath and held her sword across her body. Spiritual Power surged wildly into the blade, making it hum and tremble.

"Sword Shadow Flowing Light!"

Li Mengqi shouted and swung her sword. A silver sword beam shot toward Yu Xuerou like a streaking shadow, moving too fast for anyone to trace its path.

"So fast!"

Someone below cried out.

Yu Xuerou remained where she was, as though she hadn't reacted in time.

Yet she raised her right hand, extended two fingers, and gently pinched them together.

Clink!

She caught the sword beam between her fingers.

As easily as catching a falling leaf.

Li Mengqi's expression changed drastically.

"H-how is that possible?"

Yu Xuerou released her fingers, and the sword beam dissipated. "Is that all? You've disappointed me."

Li Mengqi's face went white. The sword nearly slipped from her hand.

She knew she had lost.

"I concede."

Li Mengqi sighed, sheathed her sword, and turned to leave the Arena.

"Holy shit! One move! Just one move!"

"Yu Xuerou is way too strong! She caught Li Mengqi's Sword Shadow Flowing Light with two fingers?"

"That kind of strength is absurd!"

"Between Ye Xiao and Yu Xuerou, which one is stronger?"

Li Yao was startled too.

Yu Xuerou really is something else.

He had just been wondering how strong she was. Now he could see she was a monster.

Looks like neither of them will be easy to deal with.

As Li Yao was thinking, someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder.

"Young master!" Li Yao jumped and spun around. Li Wenbin stood behind him, smiling.

"Holy shit, Uncle Bin! You scared the life out of me!"

Li Yao patted his chest and grumbled, "Why do you sneak around like a ghost? You didn't make a sound."

Li Wenbin smiled. "Young master, I didn't want to interrupt your match."

"All right, all right. Your timing's perfect." Li Yao turned toward him. "What is it, Uncle Bin? How did you get back so quickly? Did you find out?"

Li Wenbin nodded, his expression turning serious. "I did, young master. You'll never guess what I found."

Li Yao rolled his eyes. "Stop keeping me in suspense. Out with it."

"All right, all right." Li Wenbin leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Young master, brace yourself."

"I'm ready. Tell me."

Li Wenbin took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "I found out that Yu Xuerou has ties to the Shangguan Family..."