On the field, a bearded man in his early thirties, a Celestial Master, was already waiting, brow furrowed.
This Celestial Master, named Tong Yuanjian, was stout with a square face. He stood empty-handed, and upon seeing Ji Changkong approach, his expression visibly relaxed, as if he considered Ji Changkong the easier opponent.
“Little brother, please!” Tong Yuanjian stepped back, settling his stance, and bowed in the traditional manner for combatants.
“Please!” Ji Changkong murmured softly, taking a deep breath, waiting for Tong Yuanjian to make the first move.
In the stands, several elders stiffened, their attention focusing here. Bai Qingya also gathered near, watching him from the crowd, while further away, Tan Li and Wang Rong, still testing others, kept glancing over, seemingly anticipating Ji Changkong’s performance.
Thump-thump! Thump-thump!
Tong Yuanjian’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated, the sound immense. His thick, muscular arms swelled violently, as if his veins and flesh were inflating, instantly tightening his loose sleeves. His aura surged upward in a single breath.
Slap! Slap!
Tong Yuanjian clapped his hands, producing a crisp sound. Ji Changkong’s eyes narrowed instantly, bracing himself for battle.
At that very moment! Tong Yuanjian grinned, his legs seemed to inflate as well, and he stomped down fiercely. His sturdy frame shot forward like a cannonball directly at Ji Changkong, his arms spreading like iron pincers aimed squarely at Ji Changkong’s shoulders.
A dark-grey primal energy flashed across his palms, and a surging wave of pressure bore down upon Ji Changkong.
Bang! Bang!
A lightning-fast counter! Ji Changkong brought his palms up, steady and solid like a pagoda, meeting Tong Yuanjian’s descending hands perfectly.
His arms swung like agile serpents, and massive primal energy erupted like a flood. His five fingers curled like iron hooks, locking tightly onto Tong Yuanjian’s palms, instantly flinging his stout body away!
Crack! Crack!
With another stomp, Ji Changkong surged forward. Before Tong Yuanjian could land, he slammed his shoulder fiercely into the man’s chest.
A massive force struck him. Tong Yuanjian, still airborne, was thrown even higher, soaring straight out of the fighting arena.
“Bai Hui wins! Tong Yuanjian is defeated!”
A man seated at a stone table nearby shouted loudly, slashing a heavy mark across the paper before him. He casually grabbed a fresh sheet from a thick stack beside him, glanced at it, and continued shouting: “Bai Hui! Li Ying!”
“Incredible! Tong Yuanjian, who won two rounds straight, was blown away in a single strike. This youngster is not to be underestimated!”
“The young ones are truly capable, daring to meet the force of Tong Yuanjian’s ‘Drumming Primordial Vigor’ head-on! And winning—not bad, not bad at all!”
“……”
The spectators surrounding the arena murmured amongst themselves, their faces etched with astonishment.
High up in the stands, many elders stopped watching the other matches and turned their bright gazes toward this spot, quietly questioning those next to them, seeming to inquire about Ji Changkong’s background.
A tall, elegant figure suddenly walked onto the fighting stage. Li Ying, radiating martial spirit, looked at Ji Changkong with alert caution, bowed formally, and said: “Please advise!”
“Please!”
Retreating five steps to allow Li Ying ample room to maneuver, Ji Changkong’s expression was placid; he waited for Li Ying to attack first.
Nodding, Li Ying did not stand on ceremony. She unhooked two arm-length scimitars from her back and showed them to Ji Changkong, seemingly asking if he minded her choosing a weapon as well.
“No need,” Ji Changkong shook his head.
Since this was only a standard spar, Li Ying kept the arm-length scimitars sheathed. She moved the blades, scabbards and all, whipping them forward like a fierce gale, wrapping herself within their approach toward Ji Changkong.
As she closed the distance, streaks of blade energy drifted out from the scabbards. This energy was condensed but did not dissipate, resembling large, rapidly spinning petals.
Suddenly, the two scimitars continued to spin as they flew toward Ji Changkong, while Li Ying’s tall frame paused mid-advance, meticulously controlling the spinning blades with her primal energy.
She seemed aware of Ji Changkong’s profound primal energy reserves and chose not to engage in close-quarters combat, instead relying on her weapons to tie him down.
The surrounding spectators and those in the stands smiled and nodded, all praising Li Ying’s wisdom.
However, everyone’s focus remained fixed on Ji Changkong. In their estimation, he should evade the two spinning scimitars, close the distance instantly, and end the match with a single strike. If he became entangled with the weapons, Li Ying would not need to worry about her own safety and could maximize the advantage of her weaponry, which would be extremely beneficial for her.
To everyone’s surprise!
Ji Changkong did not evade the spinning scimitars; instead, he plunged right into them!
He chose a method of engagement clearly disadvantageous to himself!
Three Heavenly Thunder Fields centered on his abdomen spun rapidly like primal energy vortexes, channeling highly condensed primal energy into his body, hardening his physique until he was like an ancient, unyielding mountain boulder.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
Waving both arms, he unleashed his Heavenly Thunder Force, driving straight into the midst of the two whirling scimitars.
The Heavenly Thunder Force, known for its sheer intensity, was ferocious even without invoking actual lightning. It managed to shatter every streak of blade energy escaping the scabbards. Since the scimitars remained sheathed, Ji Changkong paid them no mind, meeting the attacks purely with his arms.
His purpose here was not to rise to fame, but purely to accumulate combat experience. To avoid the scimitars and attack Li Ying directly would contradict his intention. Furthermore, since the blades were unsheathed, he feared no injury from the blade energy, thus showing no hesitation.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
His arms, warding off the blade energy and the scabbards, spun faster and faster, nullifying the attacks one by one. As the blade energy gradually diminished and the scimitars’ assault lost its edge, Ji Changkong suddenly struck like lightning, accurately clamping down on the hilts of both scimitars.
“I am convinced!”
Before anyone could announce the result, Li Ying proactively clasped her fists and said seriously.
“If the scimitars had been drawn, I probably would have been riddled with holes by now,” Ji Changkong chuckled dismissively, taking the two scimitars and walking forward to hand them back to Li Ying.
Li Ying pursed her lips and smiled faintly, saying nothing more. She took the scimitars, turned, and walked off the fighting stage.
“Bai Hui wins! Li Ying is defeated!” the man by the stone table shouted.
After a pause, he carefully reviewed the stack of papers before him, selected another opponent for Ji Changkong, and loudly called out again: “Bai Hui! Duan Haoshan!”
As soon as his voice fell, a youth of imposing physique eagerly stepped onto the fighting stage.
This mighty youth, Duan Haoshan, was beaming with excitement, as if fortunate to face Ji Changkong. He roared as soon as he arrived: “Brother, I watched both your matches! Haha, your strength follows the path of pure hardness, you’re not one of those effeminate types who only knows evasion. I really like this opponent!”
“Please!” Ji Changkong’s spirit stirred, and he too felt a flicker of excitement, his voice deepening.
He could sense that the primal energy within Duan Haoshan was far more abundant than that of Tong Yuanjian or Li Ying. Even before any moves were exchanged, streams of primal energy flowed rapidly through his own body like trickling currents.
From the fluctuations of the primal energy within him, Ji Changkong perceived that this opponent possessed astonishing explosive power!
This type of person must not be underestimated. Once he moved, the thunderous assault would be wave after wave—fierce, unrestrained, and wild! Fighting him required absolute, unceasing focus from the very beginning; not a moment’s distraction was permissible!
“Exhilarating!” Duan Haoshan laughed heartily, then suddenly sprang up on the spot.
Crash! Crash!
Upon landing, Duan Haoshan’s body weight seemed to multiply by dozens of times. The hard stone ground cracked violently. He stomped down again, his expression hardening. His aura instantly shifted, imposing a heavy, crushing pressure like towering mountains.
Stomp, stomp, stomp! Stomp, stomp, stomp!
Duan Haoshan stared intently at Ji Changkong, walking toward him step by step. With every footfall, his imposing presence grew stronger, and the smooth stone floor beneath him fractured piece by piece as he advanced.
“Good heavens! That’s the Duan family’s Mountain-Splitting Stone-Cracking Force! This fellow must be a direct descendant of the Duan family, otherwise he wouldn’t qualify to practice the Kai Shan Lie Shi Jin!”
“Damn it, why is a direct descendant of the Duan family fooling around here? Even if he wins, who is going to challenge the Duan family to take someone away!?”
“Another young master from a powerful clan coming here to gain combat experience and show off!”
“……”
Surprised exclamations arose from the surrounding crowd.
This time, they seemed less optimistic about Ji Changkong’s chances. A direct descendant raised within a prominent family would undoubtedly possess powerful, established secret arts, certainly incomparable to ordinary scattered cultivators.
Without uttering a word, Duan Haoshan walked right up to Ji Changkong. Having built his momentum to its peak, he suddenly roared—like a mountain collapsing—and lunged toward Ji Changkong.
Slap! Slap! Slap! Bang! Bang! Bang!
In an instant, the two figures became entangled, and the sound of violently colliding fists and feet immediately erupted.
Duan Haoshan’s momentum was overwhelming. He employed absolutely no external manipulation of primal energy or energy projection, relying on the most savage, clean, and direct method: violently bombarding Ji Changkong’s body with relentless punches and kicks, erupting terrifying explosive force only at the moment of contact between their limbs.
This style of close-quarters fighting ensured that not a drop of primal energy was wasted; every fraction of energy was unleashed to its maximum potential!
Most Celestial Masters would strive to avoid getting locked into a brawl with this type of warrior, because once such a Celestial Master closed the distance, he would offer no chance to pull back!
Duan Haoshan was a supreme example of this very type of fighter!