Unstoppable Momentum

On the second-floor stands of the Martial Arts Hall, the Maple Leaf Style master and the others continued their discussion.

But the changes on the arena were instantaneous.

At this moment, Mu Yang and the Dolin Temple disciple named Wuting had both unleashed tremendous power. They charged and clashed without pause, and blurry afterimages gradually appeared across the arena. Many of their movements had already surpassed the limits of what ordinary eyes could follow.

"Hah!"

Mu Yang and Wuting launched simultaneous attacks, their palms colliding with a thunderous bang!

"Impressive!" Mu Yang breathed slightly heavily as he staggered back several steps. This was the first opponent he had encountered since entering the tournament whose strength matched his own!

As expected of a Dolin Temple disciple, he could not be underestimated!

Looks like it was time to use his trump card!

Mu Yang grinned, then immediately stamped the ground and stopped his retreat. The stone slabs beneath his feet cracked, spreading winding fissures through the floor. Then his body sprang upward, explosive force driving down through his feet and sending shattered stones flying in all directions.

Mu Yang shot forward like a cannonball leaving its barrel, diving toward his opponent.

"Tianxin Ki!"

Mu Yang narrowed his eyes slightly, raised his right hand, and formed a sword gesture with two fingers. A terrifying aura surged from his entire body.

The moment he spoke, a cold gleam flashed between his bright eyes. A dazzling blue light formed at his fingertips, and with a roaring rush, a straight Ki Blast shot out like a laser. Several whirlwinds swirled around it, making it resemble a savage beast from ancient wilderness, carrying a fierce, bloodthirsty aura as it charged at Wuting.

Feeling the vigorous aura that had suddenly erupted from Mu Yang, as well as the unstoppable Ki Blast, the Maple Leaf Style elders and the others abruptly rose to their feet, disbelief written across their faces.

"That's a Ki Blast. Even compared to the older generation of martial artists, he isn't far behind."

"Incredible. To have reached such a realm at such a young age."

Several senior figures in the martial arts world stared in shock at the scene before them and could not help crying out.

"Huh? Mu Yang's ki is already this powerful?!" Xis rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Even he could not casually release Tianxin Ki, yet Mu Yang had used it in the middle of a match. Seeing how effortlessly he did so, Xis could not help feeling somewhat envious.

Only then did Xis realize that his martial nephew's strength might already have surpassed his own.

At the same time, the audience erupted into an uproar.

"N-No way, he used a Ki Blast?"

"A contestant capable of using a Ki Blast, and his opponent is Wuting... the outcome is truly impossible to predict."

Whether spectators or contestants, everyone watched with their eyes wide open.

"You'd better be careful!" Mu Yang shouted at Wuting from across the arena. His aura rose again and again, his overwhelming presence bearing down with such icy force that it could even rob people of the will to resist.

Whoosh!

Faced with Mu Yang's overwhelmingly powerful attack, even an elite disciple of Dolin Temple could not help changing expression. But Mu Yang's attack was already right before him. Among experts, the slightest difference could determine victory or defeat, and Wuting had already lost the initiative. A hasty response left him only one path: defeat.

Boom! The Ki Blast's enormous force struck Wuting. His face turned pale, and his body flew away like a kite with its string cut before crashing heavily outside the arena.

"Tianxin Style's Mu Yang wins and advances to the quarterfinals."

With the sound of a whistle, the matter was settled. Mu Yang had defeated Dolin Temple's seeded contestant in a domineering fashion and advanced to the quarterfinals.

"Thank you for letting me win." Mu Yang calmly gave a respectful salute.

Wuting wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and returned the gesture with his palms pressed together.

"Wuting actually lost." Elder Nali of the Qianhe Style clicked her tongue and murmured.

"That's normal. Judging by the presence he displayed just now, he may reach our level within a few years."

"Is that possible? He's still so young..."

"Ah, talent is emerging in great numbers among the younger generation. This defeat may also be a good thing for Wuting." Master Xiulin silently recited sutras.

"Kane and Wuting both lost to that young man. I wonder what chance Arlo and Lis have..." the Maple Leaf Style master asked with interest.

"Not much," Elder Nali said, shaking her head. "Lis is no match for him."

Among the rising talents of the major schools, Dolin Temple's Wuting was among the very best. Since even he had lost to Mu Yang, the others likely had little hope of winning as well.

The Maple Leaf Style master nodded.

Indeed, being able to release such a powerful Ki Blast at such a young age was exceedingly rare in the current martial arts world. At that moment, he had already roughly decided who would win this year's martial arts tournament: Mu Yang.

"Hahaha, amazing, Mu Yang! If Senior Brother Aisafu knew you defeated an elite disciple of Dolin Temple, he would definitely rush over in excitement. Unfortunately, the Da Qingshan Mountains are too far from Maple Leaf Island. Senior Brother Aisafu won't get to see you sweep through the competition."

The moment Mu Yang stepped down from the arena, Xis hurried over with an excited expression and showered him with praise.

Mu Yang smiled modestly. "Uncle Xis, I've only reached the quarterfinals. The tournament isn't over yet."

Xis shook his head repeatedly. "It's different, completely different."

Reaching the quarterfinals and defeating Wuting were entirely different matters.

Originally, Xis had considered it a completed mission as long as Mu Yang secured a quarterfinal spot in the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament. There were so many schools participating—how many could claim one of the eight places? That alone would have been more than satisfying!

But judging from his current performance, Mu Yang did not seem likely to stop there. Though he had likewise earned a quarterfinal spot, its significance was completely different.

After all, Wuting was not only an elite disciple of Dolin Temple, but also one of the favorites to win this year's World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament.

Since Mu Yang had defeated him, did that mean he also had a chance of claiming the championship?

If Mu Yang won the championship, Tianxin Style would truly make a name for itself.

Even now, even if Mu Yang immediately conceded and withdrew from the remaining matches, Xis knew that after witnessing the power of Mu Yang's Ki Blast, Mu Yang's name would certainly have spread through this tournament. How many martial artists in the entire martial arts world could release a Ki Blast? Mu Yang was one of them. That was a glorious achievement.

"You don't need to put too much pressure on yourself in the matches ahead. Relax. Your quarterfinal spot is already secure, so every match you win from here on will be progress." Xis excitedly patted Mu Yang on the shoulder, then noticed that Mu Yang's face was somewhat pale and asked with concern, "You just released a Ki Blast. Can your body handle it?"

Mu Yang shook his head to indicate that he was fine. "My body is all right. I'll be fine after resting for a while."

"Then get some proper rest." Xis nodded and said nothing more, remaining nearby so Mu Yang could recuperate in peace.

Thump—

While Mu Yang sat quietly recovering, fierce battles continued on the other arenas. All 315 contestants from around the world gave it everything they had, fighting fiercely for a chance to advance.

Crackling sounds rang out as indistinct afterimages flashed across the arenas. Amid the contestants' shouts, several holes of varying sizes suddenly appeared in the ground. Broken pebbles flew everywhere, scraping along the floor and bursting into showers of sparks.

"Qianhe Style's Lis wins and advances to the quarterfinals."

"Maple Leaf Style's Arlo wins and advances to the quarterfinals."

"Cross Fist's Bani wins and advances to the quarterfinals."

"Gilo of Pulai Village in the west wins and advances to the quarterfinals."

As the matches continued, the quarterfinal places were decided one after another. Including Mu Yang, the eight strongest contestants of this tournament had all been determined.

Mu Yang glanced over the list and noticed that, aside from himself and a contestant named Gilo from Pulai Village, most of the other six were disciples of major schools.

He had to admit that the major schools truly knew how to train disciples. No wonder the overall level of martial arts on Earth had dropped so sharply after those great schools chose to go into seclusion.

After a brief rest and confirmation that all results were valid, the gong sounded once more, bringing the day's matches to an end.

The quarterfinals were scheduled for the next day, leaving everyone one night to rest.