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 full of envy and jealousy.

"Li Yao's luck is ridiculous, isn't it?"

"Seriously. He got a free pass into the top three. I'm jealous."

Li Yao listened, feeling delighted.

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! In arena one, Ye Xiao versus Zhao Tiezhu! In arena two, Yu Xuerou versus Li Mengqi!"

The crowd erupted.

"Here we go! This is what we've been waiting for!"

"Ye Xiao versus Zhao Tiezhu? Will that even be a fight?"

"Zhao Tiezhu may be third on the Strength Rankings, but he's nowhere near Ye Xiao."

"Yu Xuerou versus Li Mengqi will be just as one-sided. In Li Mengqi's condition, she'll be lucky to last three moves."

Li Yao leaned back in his chair and looked toward 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 if the man before him wasn't Zhao Tiezhu, third on the Strength Rankings, but some random nobody.

Zhao Tiezhu was another story.

He wore a pained expression, his brow furrowed tight and the corners of his mouth twitching, as though he'd eaten something awful.

"Well..." Zhao Tiezhu opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again.

He really didn't want to face Ye Xiao.

He might be third on Imperial Capital University's Strength Rankings, but only he knew how vast the gap was between himself and the top two.

It wasn't a small gap. It was a hopeless one.

He had once secretly watched Ye Xiao and Yu Xuerou spar. Their fighting was on another level entirely. He would be crushed.

"Begin!" the referee ordered.

Zhao Tiezhu gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and clenched his fists as Spiritual Power erupted within him.

To hell with it. 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 whistling as they hurtled toward Ye Xiao's face.

"Wind-Breaking Fist!"

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

The wind from his punch howled. Even the students below the stands could feel it.

"Holy shit, that punch is fierce!"

"That's some serious power!"

"Can Ye Xiao take it?"

Ye Xiao stood where he was, without moving an inch.

He raised his right hand and pressed down lightly.

Smack! He stopped Zhao Tiezhu's fist.

It looked as effortless as pressing down on 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 lurched.

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

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

"Twin Dragons Emerge from the Sea!"

Both fists shot out, one from each side, striking at Ye Xiao's chest and face.

Ye Xiao still didn't move. He simply raised both hands and brushed the punches aside.

Smack! Smack!

With two light cracks, Zhao Tiezhu's fists were knocked away again.

"Thunderclap Divine Fist!"

Zhao Tiezhu refused to give up. He threw another heavy punch, a faint golden glow coating his fist. It carried even greater force than the last.

Ye Xiao raised his hand just as casually.

Smack!

He caught it again.

Zhao Tiezhu grew desperate.

"Iron Mountain Shoulder Strike!"

"Mountain-Shattering Palm!"

He launched into a flurry of moves, fists blurring and Spiritual Power spilling out. The students below the stands could barely follow him.

But Ye Xiao looked completely unbothered.

No matter what Zhao Tiezhu threw at him, Ye Xiao merely raised a hand to catch, deflect, or block it. It was like he was playing with a child.

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

"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 if Ye Xiao were only humoring him.

How am I supposed to fight this?

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

Ye Xiao is terrifying.

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

Zhao Tiezhu wasn't strong 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 in the Arena with her hands behind her back, her expression calm.

Across from her, Li Mengqi leaned on her longsword. Cuts covered her body, blood had soaked a large patch of her clothes, and her face was pale as she struggled to catch her breath.

I don't stand a chance!

Li Mengqi felt miserable.

She was already badly injured. Facing Yu Xuerou now was practically asking to be defeated.

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

Yu Xuerou made no move to exploit her weakness. She simply stood there, watching Li Mengqi. "Hurry up. Use your strongest move, and 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 longsword before her. Spiritual Power surged into the blade, making it hum and tremble.

"Sword Shadow Flowing Light!"

Li Mengqi shouted and swung her sword. A silver streak of sword light shot toward Yu Xuerou, moving too fast for the eye to track.

"So fast!"

Someone below the arena cried out.

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

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

Cling!

She caught the sword light between her fingers.

It was as effortless as catching a falling leaf.

Li Mengqi's face changed drastically.

"H-how is that possible?"

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

Li Mengqi went pale. Her sword nearly slipped from her hand.

She knew she had lost.

"I concede."

Li Mengqi sighed, sheathed her sword, and walked out of the Arena.

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

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

"That's 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 Yu Xuerou was. Now he saw that she was a monster.

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

Li Yao was still thinking when someone suddenly tapped his shoulder.

"Young master!" Startled, Li Yao spun around and found Li Wenbin standing behind him, smiling.

"Shit, Uncle Bin, you scared me!"

Li Yao patted his chest and said irritably, "What are you, a ghost? You don't make a sound when you walk."

Li Wenbin smiled. "Young master, I didn't want to disturb you while you were watching the matches."

"Fine, fine. Good timing." Li Yao turned to him. "What is it, Uncle Bin? You're back already. 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 and tell me."

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

"I'm ready. Go on."

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