Defeating the Enemy with One Palm

When Lu Feng and Su Ying arrived at the competition area, there weren't many people there yet.

Su Ying sat down with her usual cold expression.

A moment later, Jiang Han and his group arrived.

When Jiang Han saw Su Ying and Lu Feng, he simply nodded slightly and said nothing more.

When Lin Jingfeng led the people from the East City Demon-Slaying Bureau into the arena, their eyes met briefly in mid-air, but neither of them spoke first.

The elders' seats were set up on a high platform directly in front of the arena.

Xiao Tianqi sat among them, with seven or eight other cultivators of profound aura beside him, all of whom were in charge of the Demon-Slaying Bureau of their respective cities.

A moment later, an old yet loud voice resounded throughout the entire square.

"I am Song Xuanji, and I welcome you all to my headquarters in Central Province."

An elderly man with white hair appeared in the center of the arena at some unknown time.

He wore a simple gray Daoist robe, with long eyebrows and a thin face. He looked kind and gentle, and his smile resembled that of a kind schoolteacher.

He spoke casually, yet his voice carried clearly to everyone's ears.

"This person is Song Xuanji, the Deputy Si Zheng of the Headquarters Demon-Slaying Bureau, with a cultivation level of the Celestial Person Realm."

Su Ying leaned close to Lu Feng's ear and whispered...

"The headquarters has three Deputy Si Zheng, all of whom are at the Celestial Person Realm."

"What about Si Zheng?" Lu Feng asked in a low voice.

"I don't know. He might be at the Celestial Person Realm, or he might have already entered the Yin Spirit Realm. In any case, he hasn't shown his face for many years, and even people inside headquarters can't see him." Su Ying shook her head, her tone uncertain.

Song Xuanji remained smiling on the stage, seemingly unconcerned about the noise from the audience.

He gently raised his hand, and the surrounding noise quickly subsided.

"Now, let me explain the rules of this competition. There are two arenas in the square, one corresponding to the Hua Jin Realm and the other to the Grandmaster Realm."

All participants will draw lots to determine their order of appearance, and will compete in pairs. The winners will advance to the next round until a final winner is determined.

He paused, waiting for the audience to completely quiet down before continuing.

"This year's competition is a little different. In previous years, the rankings in the arena affected the allocation of resources to each department, but starting this year, individual rankings and resource allocation will be calculated separately."

"All rewards from the arena battles belong to the individuals who participated. Resource allocation among the various departments will be recalculated in the second round of competition— the Yongzhou battlefield."

These words immediately sparked a buzz of discussion in the stands.

On the competition field, the disciples from each division showed no change in expression, clearly having already received the news.

Song Xuanji did not stop the noise from below the stage. Only after the noise subsided somewhat did she continue slowly:

"The Hua Jin experts will award one Void Tranquility Pill to the first-place winner. The second and third place winners will each receive one Force Comprehension Pill."

"In the Grandmaster- level competition, the first place winner will be awarded one drop of Intent Realm Marrow. The second and third place winners will each receive one Intent Comprehension Pill."

"Void Tranquility Pill?"

Lu Feng muttered to himself, then turned to look at Su Ying.

"After taking it, one can briefly enter a state of Celestial Person Resonance. It has remarkable effects on comprehending cultivation techniques and breaking through bottlenecks. It is especially beneficial for cultivating high-level techniques."

After Su Ying finished explaining, she suddenly smiled.

"But for you, it's hard to say."

Lu Feng nodded secretly.

The Celestial Person Resonance is indeed a rare and precious opportunity for ordinary Hua Jin practitioners.

But for him, comprehending the techniques could be achieved entirely by using Demon Points.

Although the Void Tranquility Pill was precious, it was of little use to him.

Song Xuanji's voice rang out again, drowning out all the noise:

"Now, disciples from each department, please step forward to draw lots."

Lu Feng and Su Ying stood up at the same time and followed the crowd to the lottery area.

The divination stick container is made of black stone, and no one's senses can penetrate it.

Lu Feng randomly drew a number two. Su Ying drew number three.

"Disciples who drew number one and number two, please come to the arena."

Upon hearing the sound, Lu Feng leaped onto the arena, which was for those at the Hua Jin level.

The arena was crafted from a single piece of obsidian, larger than a martial arts arena, and its surface was engraved with reinforced formations, making it capable of withstanding the full force of Grandmaster's attack without damage.

A middle-aged referee stood in the center of the ring, his aura deep and unfathomable.

Lu Feng sensed it; it was at least at the Great Grandmaster Realm.

He slowly walked from the left side of the ring to the center.

Just as he landed, another figure landed on the other side of the arena.

Lu Feng looked up and raised an eyebrow slightly.

He recognized the person standing opposite him.

Yu Wei, of the South City Demon-Slaying Bureau.

She's the one who publicly praised Su Ying's beauty at the Demon-Slaying Bureau that day and got scolded by Jiang Han.

Hua Jin Perfection, had a handsome face, and a slender build.

He stood opposite Lu Feng, a lingering smile still on his lips.

At the same time, a murmur of discussion arose from the audience.

"Both Lu Feng and Yu Wei are new faces; it's likely to be a fierce and evenly matched battle."

"Evenly matched? Go check out the betting rankings at Fatty Jin's place before you speak. Over 200,000 people bet on Lu Feng to be in the top three, and over 20,000 bet on him to win the championship. Yu Wei? All combined, it's less than a few hundred."

"Those were all bets placed by Lu Feng's own people. What does that count for? They're just carrying their own sedan chairs."

"We'll soon find out whether they're really skilled at carrying sedan chairs."

"Just watch. Newcomers like this are most easily overestimated. Yu Wei is, after all, from Nancheng; he has a solid foundation."

On the ring, the referee glanced at the two fighters and spoke expressionlessly:

"During the competition, the use of any elixirs or external forces is strictly prohibited. Show your full strength, whatever you're capable of. Don't worry, with me here, no one will die."

"The competition begins!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Yu Wei made his move.

He pushed off with his feet and charged towards Lu Feng, his right palm flipping out, a layer of cold white energy faintly emanating from his palm.

The perfected level of the Hua Jin Technique was unleashed without reservation, striking Lu Feng's face with a single palm strike.

They attacked with deadly moves, without any probing or intention to hold back.

Lu Feng immediately saw through the other party's thoughts.

The two had no grudges against each other, but that day at the Demon-Slaying Bureau, Yu Wei was publicly reprimanded by Jiang Han for glancing at Su Ying too much, and Jiang Han clearly held this against him.

Furthermore, given the existing good relations between the north and south cities, he probably figured that even if he used excessive force, no one would pursue the matter. So his first move was aimed at crippling the person.

Lu Feng did not retreat. He activated his Nei Jin, unleashing the Cold Plum Jin, and met the attack with a palm strike.

When comparing perfect techniques at the same level, the difference lies in the depth of Nei Jin strength and the foundation of the physical body.

"Boom!"

The two palms collided, and the force spread outwards. The air on the arena was shaken, producing a muffled sound, and both of them felt their feet sink simultaneously.

Then, a figure was sent flying backward.

Yu Wei flew straight for several meters before crashing heavily onto the arena, then slid a short distance before coming to a stop.

He struggled to sit up, but as soon as he raised half his head, he spat out a mouthful of blood and passed out completely.

The referee's expression changed drastically.

He flashed to Yu Wei's side, bent down to check, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Yu Wei was still breathing.

He stood up, glanced at Lu Feng with a complex expression, and said in a deep voice, "Lu Feng of the North City Demon-Slaying Bureau wins!"

Only after the referee's voice fell did the crowd snap out of their deathly silence.