At noon, in the large martial arts field in the northwestern district of the county seat, a martial arts competition known as the "Wheel Challenge Arena Battle" was underway, drawing a massive, enthusiastic crowd of several thousand people.

The rules for the "Wheel Challenge" were straightforward: the host had to be one of the Ten Great Gangs of Pingzhou, and the event must involve at least five of those Ten Great Gangs. Participants were divided into two roles: the Defender and the Challengers.

The Defender had to be a recognized master from one of the Ten Great Gangs to have the standing to set up such a challenge stage. Similarly, Challengers could not be just anyone; they needed to be reputable figures within the Jianghu (martial world) to qualify for the stage.

The Defender had to single-handedly withstand the relentless, continuous attacks from challengers below the platform. Ten challengers constituted one full round. No matter the circumstances, the Defender must accept every challenge as long as someone stepped forward; failure to fight meant immediate forfeiture. The risk was entirely the Defender's own.

Precisely because of the unpredictability and brutality of the Wheel Challenge Arena Battle, a successful defense bestowed immense prestige upon the victor within the Jianghu.

Naturally, this challenge system had age restrictions, divided into four tiers: the Youth Arena for those under twenty; the Young Adult Arena for ages twenty-one to thirty; the Prime Arena for ages thirty-one to fifty; and the Elder Arena for those fifty-one and above. These boundaries ensured that contestants only faced peers in their own age bracket, preventing established veterans from crushing newcomers and stifling the rise of the next generation.

Every Wheel Challenge Arena Battle in the Pingzhou Jianghu attracted intense scrutiny.

Decades ago, a battle had shaken all of Pingzhou. Tie Yuyang, a core disciple of the Huoyun Gang—the foremost among the Ten Great Gangs—defended the Wheel Challenge for multiple rounds at the mere age of thirty. Over three days, without rest, he defeated one hundred and nineteen renowned martial arts masters under thirty before finally collapsing from exhaustion. This was the first time in nearly a century that someone had broken past the eleventh round barrier; at the time, he was hailed as the peerless genius of Pingzhou's younger generation, enjoying unparalleled renown. It was this very record that later secured Tie Yuyang the leadership of the Huoyun Gang.

On the Wheel Challenge stage at the Bamboo Qi County martial arts field, a handsome young man in white, appearing to be about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, was currently issuing a Wheel Challenge to all the young masters present. He had already defeated seventeen fairly well-known young experts, instantly boosting his fame.

"Good, excellent, magnificent! Hit him, keep hitting him hard!"

"Senior Brother Ma Yu, you must hold the line! That’s the seventeenth; just three more and you’ll pass the second round."

"Who will go up and knock that arrogant brat off the stage? We absolutely cannot let him pass the second round!"

The spectators below the platform were stimulated into a frenzy, roaring their excitement. Many among them were consumed by jealousy and envy, wishing they could leap onto the stage to challenge him and oust the imposing young man in white, so they could display their own prowess. However, intimidated by the white-clad youth's high level of martial skill, they dared not act rashly, lest they fail their challenge and end up severely injured. They secretly resolved to wait for more people to wear down the young man's strength and internal Zhenqi, then they would deliver the final blow. With more people thinking this way, the actual number stepping onto the stage to compete dwindled.

The young man in white, Ma Yu, waited on the stage for a short while, growing impatient as no one dared to step up. His arrogant gaze swept across the entire martial arts field, and he boomed, "I, Ma Yu, am merely an ordinary disciple from the Zhenbao Gang whose reputation is hardly known. Yet, no one dares answer my challenge? Has the Pingzhou Jianghu truly run out of talent, allowing my Zhenbao Gang to dominate the martial world here?!"

A wave of jeers and boos immediately erupted from below the platform.

"Brat, don't get so conceited! Let your grandpa, Fan Dachong, the eldest disciple of the Black Tiger Gang from Sanxing County, teach you a lesson!" A dark-skinned young man in blue satin clothing, carrying a large single-edged saber, glared furiously, shouted, and suddenly leaped onto the ten-foot-high platform. The saber in his hand spun into several streaks of cold light, slashing toward Ma Yu.

Ma Yu wasted no words. With a stomp of his foot, he instantly closed the distance, appearing before the dark-skinned man. He thrust a palm strike directly into the man's chest.

The dark-skinned man’s face froze in astonishment. It felt as if his chest had been struck by a searing iron brand. He let out a tragic cry, spat a mouthful of blood, and tumbled off the stage, crashing into the crowd below.

"Eighteen! The eighteenth one! Only two more left, keep it going!"

An eager spectator immediately shouted in celebration.

The onlookers below stared, horrified, at the dark-skinned man’s chest, which was badly scorched—clearly grievously injured by the Fierce Sun Palm technique. The severity of the wound sent shivers down their spines. This Wheel Challenge Arena Battle was a harsh test for the Defender, but equally perilous for the Challengers.

"Hmph, a third-rate nobody dares to come here to die. I advise those whose skill is insufficient and power lacking not to crowd the stage! I have no desire for someone to point at my nose later and claim that I, Ma Yu, only managed this defense by defeating a string of mediocre opponents," Ma Yu retracted his palm, scoffed, and delivered these magnanimous words to the crowd. His gaze flickered subtly toward the enforcement team of the Caiyao Hall, as if seeking a disciple from the Yaowang Gang for a contest.

Ye Qin, at this moment, was carrying two large wooden buckets of clear water toward a grand awning within the martial arts field, pouring the water into ten large cisterns to provide drinking water for the Caiyao Hall enforcement disciples and some of the martial artists present. As a low-ranking disciple assigned to menial tasks by the Caiyao Hall, his duty for the day was to fill these ten large cisterns to ensure enough water for the Hall’s disciples.

Hearing the incomparably arrogant words spoken by Ma Yu on the stage, Ye Qin chuckled inwardly and shook his head. This Ma Yu was indeed extraordinarily presumptuous; he wondered how many rounds he could last. After emptying the water from the large wooden buckets, he picked up the empty containers and left the martial arts field.

The members of the Caiyao Hall enforcement team, responsible for maintaining order, were delighted to see Ye Qin arrive with water, shouting happily and grabbing wooden bowls to get a drink.

"Water's here, water's here! Brothers, grab some water!"

"Thank you, Senior Brother Xie Yun, you drink first."

Several enforcement disciples first filled a bowl for Xie Yun and respectfully carried it over to him.

Xie Yun stood within the awning, hands clasped over his sword, coldly observing Ma Yu on the stage. He nodded slightly as the disciples offered him water. At that moment, his gaze accidentally swept over Ye Qin's busy, water-pouring back, and a strange sense of familiarity struck him, causing him to pause momentarily.

Two months ago, the back of a mysterious master in the forest had inflicted immense humiliation upon him—that unhurried, retreating silhouette had left too deep an impression. He had spent over a month fruitlessly searching the Hall for this mysterious master, only recently beginning to give up the pursuit. But seeing Ye Qin’s retreating form suddenly made him freeze.

Xie Yun thought carefully, comparing the two silhouettes, feeling a strong resemblance. But... he shook his head self-mockingly. How could such a master be merely a lowly errand disciple within the Hall? Was he overthinking things?