Once the tense atmosphere in the square was completely torn apart, a fierce clash ensued.
Origin Qi shot out, the sound of wind breaking was continuous, and the flashes of swords swept across the square like dense raindrops. The aftershocks of the collisions caused the array covering the square to shake violently. Flames soared into the sky, and the momentum was overwhelming. In a short while, more than a dozen contestants were knocked out of the arena. Although they did not suffer serious injuries, they lost their qualification to continue participating.
However, although the situation on the field was extremely chaotic, there was one place that seemed particularly calm, and that was where Qin Yan was.
No one present dared to easily confront this guy who had defeated many strong opponents of the same level. Therefore, at this moment, the area around Qin Yan was still relatively empty.
This situation only lasted for one hour after the start of the second round.
An hour later, the number of people on the field had been reduced by nearly half. The battles between the remaining nearly three hundred people gradually slowed down. No one was charging around aggressively anymore, needlessly wasting their own Origin Qi and stamina, which would only give newcomers more opportunities. Seeking victory through stability was the key at this moment.
However, there are always exceptions.
Just as everyone was cautiously looking at each other, one of these people quietly came up to Qin Yan not far behind. Although he still had his back to the latter and pretended to be completely unaware, his eyes had already locked onto Qin Yan out of the corner of his eye.
Even without complete certainty, judging from the current situation on the field, Qin Yan's defenses are the most lax. If they can take this opportunity to force him off the stage, then he can also shine brightly among this generation of young talents.
Although no one said it outright, almost all the disciples participating in the competition knew that Qin Yan had practically been chosen as the winner of this year's sect competition, and if he wasn't removed from the stage, no one else present would have a chance.
Instead of fighting for second or third place, why not try to directly take first place?
However, some people on the field had already noticed this seemingly subtle action, but after a cold laugh to themselves, they ignored it.
Even many people in the stands glanced at the disciple who was quietly approaching Qin Yan with disdain.
"I never expected to see such a 'naive' person in a competition like this."
Beside Xiao Yan, Luo Jin couldn't help but chuckle as he glanced at the situation on the field. Although Qin Yan appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, anyone with a brain could probably tell that the latter was constantly monitoring the situation, including Xiao Yan. He had already clearly noticed that while he was probing the latter, Qin Yan was also clearly probing him.
Such blatant behavior on the field is tantamount to suicide.
Underestimating your opponent at a crucial moment will only lead to your downfall. Unfortunately, this disciple of Burning Flame Valley doesn't seem to understand this principle.
"Whoosh!"
Finally, when the disciple was less than five zhang away from Qin Yan, he suddenly turned his back, slammed his foot heavily on the ground, and instantly appeared behind Qin Yan like an arrow, smashing his fist hard into Qin Yan's back.
What's strange is that even when the disciple's fist was less than inches away from Qin Yan, the latter's body remained completely still.
"What amazing speed!"
Almost simultaneously, Xiao Yan in the stands couldn't help but utter such a sentence. Just as Luo Jin frowned and nodded, the disciple was horrified to see that his fist had pierced through Qin Yan's body without any resistance.
In an instant, the latter's pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints, and unparalleled shock immediately surfaced in his mind.
"This is... an afterimage!"
You got it right! Here's your reward...
Just as the disciple cried out in surprise, Qin Yan's calm laughter suddenly rang in his ears.
"Step down!"
Immediately afterwards, a warm palm lightly landed on the disciple's chest, and with a gentle push, the latter's body was immediately thrown backward uncontrollably. When he regained his footing, he found himself already outside the battle circle.
"This guy's control over his power is incredibly precise. One palm strike sent his opponent flying, but it wasn't enough to injure him. His control over his Origin Qi is probably beyond even my reach!"
On the stands, when Xiao Yan saw this scene, his heart tightened. Qin Yan's performance, whether in terms of speed or control of power, was extremely formidable. Such an opponent was truly not easy to deal with!
After easily dispatching one person, Qin Yan turned to look at the others in the arena. Some of the guys who were originally planning to attack him stopped and retreated as much as possible after seeing his amazing palm strike. Even some of the stronger guys in the arena were cautiously watching Qin Yan.
Compared to the others, they had a more thorough understanding of Qin Yan's strength. That's why they didn't actively seek trouble with Qin Yan from beginning to end, because they didn't want to be eliminated before the third round even started.
Qin Yan didn't say much to the retreating crowd. His gaze swept over everyone remaining in the square, and he specifically looked at Xiao Yan in the stands outside the arena. Their eyes met, and it was as if they were facing off, causing the invisible void to distort.
Immediately, Qin Yan withdrew his gaze and looked again at the three hundred-odd people in front of him, and slowly said:
"Based on my previous observations, I have already selected those among you who will remain."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the disciples present changed instantly. Could it be that Qin Yan had already arranged their fate beforehand?
That's a bit too domineering!
"Puff!"
Just as everyone's expressions changed, a ball of flame suddenly ignited above the heads of some people on the field.
"Now, those with flames still burning on their heads can remain on the field. The rest of you can leave."
Qin Yan spoke calmly, as if he were the sole ruler of the arena, which immediately caused the faces of the disciples without flames above their heads to darken.
"Damn it, what right do you have to decide our fate!"
"You're simply not as strong as them."
Qin Yan slightly raised his eyelids, still appearing completely unconcerned.
Based on his previous observations, among the people before him, those he had selected were undoubtedly the best in terms of combat strength, experience, and quick reflexes. There was no need to continue; even if they continued, those he had chosen would still remain on the field. He had simply helped them select the best candidates first.
"Whether they are a match or not, we'll only know after the fight. How can you say we're weaker than them!"
"Because I'm stronger than you."
Faced with the disciples' rebuttals, Qin Yan's expression remained unchanged. He simply said something, and in the next instant, his figure vanished. When he reappeared, he was already in front of the person who had just spoken. A sharp palm wind blew across his face, and his entire face turned deathly pale. A deep sense of terror suddenly rose from the bottom of his heart.
Without waiting for Qin Yan to say anything more, he left the square with a blank expression. After that, apart from a few people, some others gritted their teeth and helplessly retreated. As for the remaining small group, after a long period of helpless struggle, they were indeed, as Qin Yan had said, handed over to opponents that ordinary people did not think highly of. Until the very last moment, only fifty people, including Qin Yan, remained on the stage.