The martial arts plaza in the center of Tianbei City was a vast venue capable of holding tens of thousands of people. Four towering fighting platforms stood in its center, all forged from hard Black Stone Steel and able to withstand the full-force attacks of Origin King experts.
On the day of the competition, the plaza was already a sea of people, with every seat taken. Leaders and elders of Tianbei City's major factions, along with experts and spectators from across the Northern Region, packed the plaza so tightly that not even a drop of water could have slipped through. Clamor and conversation rose and fell like waves.
On the raised platform on the eastern side of the plaza, Zhou Xiaotian sat upright in the seat of honor. The elders of the City Lord's Manor and the patriarchs of Tianbei City's three great clans sat on either side of him, with Li Xuantong, Master Liu, and others among them. All eyes were on the fighting platforms below, awaiting the start of the competition.
Xiao Yan stood in the contestants' area, dressed in plain cyan robes. Compared with the finely dressed young talents around him, whose presences were bold and unrestrained, he seemed somewhat out of place. Yet his expression was calm, and he paid no heed to the strange looks cast his way. He simply circulated his Origin Qi in silence, bringing himself to peak condition.
Not far away, Wang Hao stood surrounded by a group of Wang Clan disciples, brimming with confidence. Every now and then, he glanced toward Xiao Yan with undisguised contempt in his eyes. Li Hao, the Li Clan's eldest young master, was also among the crowd. Tall and stern-faced, he was at the Peak Advanced Origin King level. He stared at Xiao Yan with a sinister gaze, clearly not having forgotten the grudge between their families.
On the other side, a white-clad young woman with a cold, aloof bearing stood quietly. Her skin was fairer than snow, her face breathtakingly beautiful, and a hint of pride rested between her brows. She was Su Muxue of Wind Snow City. She seemed uninterested in everything around her, keeping her eyes closed as she rested. A faint chill radiated from her, discouraging those nearby from approaching.
The mysterious young man in black stood alone in a corner, his entire body shrouded in a black robe. His face could not be seen, nor could the slightest trace of his presence be sensed. Like a ghost merged with the shadows, he gave off a chill that warned strangers to keep away.
As time passed, the clamor in the plaza gradually died down.
Zhou Xiaotian rose and walked to the edge of the raised platform. Sweeping his gaze over the crowd, he called out, "Everyone, welcome to Tianbei City to take part in this year's Northern Region Young Strongest Expert List Competition!"
His voice carried Origin Qi and rang clearly throughout the plaza, instantly igniting the crowd's enthusiasm. Cheers and applause thundered through the air.
"The Northern Region Youth Strongest Expert List is meant to select the finest of our Northern Region's younger generation and encourage everyone to cultivate diligently and advance together!" Zhou Xiaotian continued. "The rules remain the same this year: the competition will use a single-elimination format. Those who finish in the top ten will not only receive generous rewards, but will also earn a place on the Northern Region Youth Strongest Expert List and become famous throughout the Northern Region!"
"Now, I declare this year's Northern Region Young Strongest Expert List Competition officially open!"
At Zhou Xiaotian's command, streaks of light shone on the enormous stone walls on either side of the plaza, revealing the competition brackets.
There were 128 contestants in total, divided into four groups of 64, with each group competing on one of the four fighting platforms.
Xiao Yan looked at the stone wall and quickly found his name and match information: group one, third match, against Zhao Lei, a disciple of the Iron Sword Sect and an Initial Origin King.
Not a bad opponent, Xiao Yan thought. His first opponent was not particularly strong, making him just right for a warm-up.
Wang Hao, Su Muxue, Li Hao, and the others also found their match information. Most had relatively weak opponents, so their luck was clearly good. Only the mysterious young man in black had a well-known Intermediate Origin King expert as his first opponent, drawing considerable attention.
Soon, the first match began.
At the referee's command, the contestants on two of the fighting platforms attacked at once. Origin Qi surged and fist shadows crossed, while the sounds of fierce collisions and clashing weapons rang out without cease. The spectators below watched with their blood boiling, cheers rising and falling all around.
Although most of the contestants were only Peak Origin Masters or Initial Origin Kings, they were all extremely experienced in battle. Origin Qi cultivation methods and martial skills emerged one after another, displaying the talents of the Northern Region's younger generation.
Xiao Yan watched the matches closely, silently noting the contestants' fighting styles and the characteristics of their cultivation methods, so that he would know both himself and his enemies.
After several matches, it was finally Xiao Yan's turn.
"Group one, third match: Xiao Yan versus Zhao Lei!" the referee announced.
Xiao Yan took a deep breath and leaped onto the first fighting platform, landing lightly.
His opponent, Zhao Lei, was a sturdily built young man wielding a heavy iron sword. His cultivation had reached Peak Initial Origin King, and there was a hint of arrogance on his face. Clearly, he did not take Xiao Yan seriously.
"Kid, if you know what's good for you, surrender now. Otherwise, I'll break your arms and legs, and you'll leave the platform crying!" Zhao Lei swung his iron sword, making it hum as he issued his threat.
"Cut the nonsense," Xiao Yan said coolly. "Make your move."
"You're courting death!" Enraged by Xiao Yan's attitude, Zhao Lei shouted and unleashed the Origin Qi within him. His iron sword swept down at Xiao Yan's head with a sharp gust, its fierce, forceful strike carrying an unstoppable momentum.
The spectators below cried out in alarm. Even an ordinary Initial Origin King would struggle to withstand the power of that strike.
Yet faced with the heavy, forceful blow, Xiao Yan remained where he stood, as though he had not seen it.
Just as the iron sword was about to hit him, Xiao Yan moved.
He shifted slightly to one side, evading the fierce strike as easily as if he were strolling through a garden. At the same time, his right hand shot out like lightning and seized Zhao Lei's sword-wielding wrist with pinpoint accuracy.
"Hm?" Zhao Lei's expression changed. His wrist tightened as though caught in an iron vise, leaving him unable to move. A scorching force passed through Xiao Yan's palm, burning his Origin Qi.
"Let go!" Zhao Lei roared. He clenched his left hand into a fist and, wreathed in dense Origin Qi, smashed it toward Xiao Yan's chest.
Xiao Yan's gaze turned cold. Holding the fingers of his left hand together like a sword, he jabbed out as fast as lightning, striking an acupoint on Zhao Lei's left fist with precision.
"Sss!"
Zhao Lei's left fist went numb, and its Origin Qi instantly scattered. His fist could not advance another inch.
"How is this possible?!" Zhao Lei's eyes filled with disbelief. He had not expected his opponent to subdue him in just two moves.
Xiao Yan gave him no chance to react. His right hand suddenly exerted force.
"Crack!"
A crisp snap rang out as Zhao Lei's wrist broke. His iron sword fell to the ground with a clang.
"Aah-!" Zhao Lei let out a piercing scream, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.
Xiao Yan followed through with a kick, striking Zhao Lei squarely in the chest.
"Pfft!"
Zhao Lei spat out a mouthful of blood. His body flew backward like a kite with its string cut and crashed heavily outside the fighting platform, where he lost consciousness.
The entire exchange had been clean and decisive, taking less than ten breaths.
The whole plaza fell silent. Everyone stared open-mouthed at Xiao Yan on the platform, shock written across their faces.
No one had expected a match that had seemed so evenly balanced to end in such a crushing fashion!
Zhao Lei of the Iron Sword Sect might not have been a top genius, but he was still a Peak Initial Origin King expert. Yet he could not even withstand three moves from Xiao Yan?
On the raised platform, surprise flashed through Zhou Xiaotian's eyes. He then nodded slightly, clearly quite pleased with Xiao Yan's performance.
Li Xuantong and Master Liu exchanged smiles, looks of satisfaction appearing on their faces.
Wang Hao, Li Hao, and the others, however, looked rather displeased. They had not expected Xiao Yan to be even stronger than the rumors suggested.
"What incredible speed! And such precise timing!"
"Just what is Xiao Yan's background? He's far too strong!"
"When he grabbed Zhao Lei's wrist, I think I saw flames flash across his palm. Could he also cultivate fire-type Origin Qi?"
After the brief silence, a thunderous uproar of discussion erupted across the plaza. Everyone reassessed Xiao Yan, the contempt in their eyes giving way to gravity.
Xiao Yan stood on the fighting platform with a calm expression, turning a deaf ear to the discussion around him. He merely nodded slightly to the referee.
Only then did the referee come to his senses and hurriedly announce, "Group one, third match: Xiao Yan wins!"
Xiao Yan leaped down from the fighting platform and returned to the contestants' area to watch the matches that followed.
In the ensuing matches, Wang Hao, Su Muxue, Li Hao, and the others also took the stage. Though their opponents were not weak, they defeated them all with ease, displaying formidable strength and earning cheers from the entire crowd.
The mysterious young man in black, in particular, fought a brutally straightforward match. Facing an Intermediate Origin King opponent, he did not even use a weapon. With a casual wave of his hand, he sent a strange black energy blasting his opponent away, winning another crushing victory that made the onlookers shudder.
At the end of the first day, 64 contestants had advanced. Xiao Yan, Wang Hao, Su Muxue, Li Hao, the mysterious young man in black, and the other favorites all progressed without trouble.
The competition continued on the second day, growing more intense. Every contestant who had advanced was a capable fighter, and every match was exceptionally fierce. From time to time, someone was injured and eliminated; some were even severely wounded during their matches and carried off the platforms.
In Xiao Yan's second match, his opponent was an Intermediate Origin King expert who specialized in speed-based martial skills. His movements were nimble, like those of a ghost.
But before Xiao Yan, his speed was nothing to speak of. Xiao Yan combined his movement technique and Origin Qi perfectly, avoiding his opponent's attacks as though strolling through a garden. Then he seized an opening and defeated him with a palm strike imbued with the power of Heavenly Flames.
Once again, he won with ease.
Wang Hao, Su Muxue, the mysterious young man in black, and the others also displayed formidable strength and advanced to the top 32.
On the third day, the competition entered a white-hot stage. The top 32 fought for places in the top 16, and every match was a battle worthy of attention.
Xiao Yan's opponent was a disciple of the Blazing Fire Sect who also specialized in fire-type Origin Qi. He had reached Peak Intermediate Origin King, and his Blazing Flame Palm had been honed to perfection, its power extraordinary.
"Xiao Yan, your fire-type Origin Qi may be decent, but it still falls a little short of my Blazing Fire Sect's ultimate art!" the disciple said proudly. Roaring flames ignited around both his hands, and he lunged at Xiao Yan with a scorching presence.
Xiao Yan's gaze remained calm as Green Lotus Core Flame silently rose in his palm. "Then let's try it."
The two clashed in an instant. Flame collided with flame, and scorching waves swept outward, heating even the fighting platform until it glowed red.
The Blazing Fire Sect disciple's Blazing Flame Palm was fierce, but compared with Xiao Yan's Green Lotus Core Flame, it was like a firefly trying to outshine the bright moon.
After several exchanges, the Blazing Fire Sect disciple's flames were suppressed by the Green Lotus Core Flame and driven steadily back.
In the end, Xiao Yan used a Heaven Burning Palm to utterly scatter his opponent's flames and blast him off the fighting platform, advancing smoothly to the top 16.
The match showed everyone the overwhelming power of Xiao Yan's fire-type Origin Qi. No one dared look down on him anymore, and they all counted him among the strongest contenders for the championship.
Meanwhile, Wang Hao, Su Muxue, the mysterious young man in black, Li Hao, and the others also defeated their respective opponents and advanced to the top 16.
Among them, Wang Hao's match against a Peak Origin King expert was especially spectacular. Relying on his overwhelming Hegemon Qi, Wang Hao forcibly shattered his opponent's defenses and won the match. He displayed the strength of a Peak Origin King, drawing countless cheers.
Su Muxue, meanwhile, froze her opponent with her exquisitely refined ice-type Origin Qi and won with ease. Her cold, aloof bearing and formidable strength earned her a great many supporters.
The mysterious young man in black continued to win by crushing margins. No one could last three moves against him, and his air of mystery and formidable strength made him one of the most closely watched contestants.
Li Hao also displayed formidable strength, using his Peak Advanced Origin King cultivation to defeat a Peak Origin King opponent. Though the victory had been somewhat hard-won, it still proved his strength.
Once the top 16 had been decided, the competition paused for a day to let the contestants recover their condition. The brackets for the next round were also announced.
When Xiao Yan saw his opponent for the next round, the corners of his mouth curled involuntarily into a cold smile.
His next opponent was none other than the Li Clan's eldest young master, Li Hao.
Clearly, the Li Clan could no longer resist making a move.
On the raised platform, Li Hao felt Xiao Yan's gaze and returned it with an icy look, a vicious smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"Xiao Yan, this round, I'll show you what happens when you offend our Li Clan!"
A new storm was quietly brewing.