A brief exchange, yet it was fought with such brutal intensity that no one could clearly discern who held the advantage.

Zeus stared at Du Peng’s palm with a strange expression. Ancient martial arts were truly uncanny, especially the slashing techniques within. It appeared to be a single, fierce burst of power, but who would have thought such an art could incorporate acupoint attacks within the strike?

That wasn't the most terrifying part. Zeus gently flexed his left elbow. The latent force hidden within the attack was the most fearsome—it was almost truly formless energy. If not for the network of intercepting electrical fields formed by the Blue Lightning within his body, he might never have detected this latent force infiltrating him, let alone forced it out instantly.

Hoo.

Zeus exhaled deeply. The blue light pulsed again at the lightning tattoos on his shoulders and back. He concealed nothing further. The ancient fist art, Bājí Quán, was slowly unfurled, simultaneously sending an instruction to the Blue Lightning Chip within his body: Combat Power Activated—One Hundred and Twenty Percent.

Du Peng let out a cry. The stagnant blood within his body was expelled with a long roar. His left palm fluttered slightly, reminiscent of a bird about to take flight, the movement as graceful and beautiful as a prima ballerina, not a powerhouse on the battlefield.

He clenched his right hand, gripping the air with a sharp whoosh, as if crushing a balloon. The airflow was nearly visible to the naked eye.

One side erupting like thunder, the other as gentle as gauze.

Everyone who witnessed this scene let out a soft gasp. Combining hardness and softness was already difficult; executing both simultaneously was a challenge that surpassed Qin Fen's Taijiquan previously.

In this era of universal martial cultivation, the audience included not only martial artists below the Seven-Star realm but also those who surpassed it. Even they could discern the precious rarity of what Du Peng was displaying.

Qin Fen’s eyes flickered with surprise. Du Peng’s growth had exceeded expectations. The obsession this man once held to surpass his elder brother had entirely transformed into regret; his progress had clearly advanced again.

The top young masters in the rookie seats held their breath, watching the two figures in the arena. The next clash would decide the victor. The young men's bodies and Zhenqi had not yet reached their true peak. Whoever took a direct hit would face utter defeat. There would be no last-minute breakthroughs fueled by sheer spirit to overcome the enemy after being wounded.

Spirit was not omnipotent. The defeated party might struggle even to survive.

The audience stared intently at the projection screen. The outcome might be decided in an instant, and seeing it firsthand was infinitely better than any slow-motion replay afterward.

"New recruit from East Asia, you are truly formidable. Among your peers, I have seen few at your level of mastery. A Seven-Star practitioner at the Sound Barrier Realm—you stand at the pinnacle of the current young generation of martial artists. However, there can only be one victor. Your run for the title of Rookie Fighting King ends here."

Zeus locked his gaze on Du Peng, his eyes, crackling with electricity, bursting with a brilliant, frenzied desire. The muscles of his bare chest leaped repeatedly. Blood splattered on his skin was flung off by the contracting muscles, striking the ground with tiny rolls. The blood coagulated instantly without shattering.

"Is that so?" Du Peng’s palm softened further as he looked at Zeus and spoke slowly, "There is only one title for the Rookie Fighting King. I have no intention of yielding it to you."

Zeus arched his two electric-dancing eyebrows and took a step forward, letting out a hearty, unrestrained laugh that was both arrogant and lofty. In the quiet arena, amplified by multiple microphones, it was deafening.

Zeus—this nickname was taken from the King of the Gods in Greek mythology. Gods were always positioned above everything else.

The laughter ended. Du Peng’s eyes instantly turned blood red. He stomped his feet on the ground. His long legs moved like a warhorse, launching him powerfully upward, yet his body swept across the ground like a swallow over water—elegant and handsome. The tens of meters vanished in the blink of an eye.

The activation of the Seven-Star Immortal Thunder Cavalry Slash and the Limitless Waterfowl Flying in the Vast Sky movement technique. Though the two great arts were not perfectly merged, using them sequentially was still breathtaking.

With a "Waterfowl Soaring" flash, Du Peng reached within two meters of Zeus, unleashing the Seven-Star Immortal Thunder Cavalry Slash accompanied by the killing aura of an ancient battlefield.

This iteration of the Seven-Star Immortal Thunder Cavalry Slash lacked its usual multiple variations; it was clean, direct, and aimed straight at Zeus’s forehead. The ground where he had taken off seemed to have small dynamite charges installed beneath it, exploding with successive thumps, raising fierce winds that sent dust and concrete fragments from the ruptured surface billowing into the air like a miniature sandstorm.

Du Peng’s palm strike didn't even need to make solid contact. If Zeus had soft, flowing hair, the sheer force of the palm wind would have been enough to give him a perfect middle part.

Facing an attack so violent it could punch a hole through the roof of a car, Zeus's eyes flashed with increasing blue light, and he counterattacked.

This son of a Keraunos, who earned his nickname at such a young age, neither dodged nor evaded. A god had no reason to dodge a mortal’s attack. His muscles bulged even more than before. Veins and blood beneath the skin of his back flowed at high speed, emitting a wum-wum-wum sound, like the string of a bow on an ancient battlefield. Ropes of thick electric light erupted wildly from his body under Mark's ferocious gaze.

Little Dragon King Yang Lie’s eyes widened: "Overload?"

In ancient martial arts, there was a way to stimulate essence blood to boost power, generally termed the "Heavenly Demon Disintegration Great Technique." This method heavily drained vitality, leaving one without combat ability for a significant recovery period afterward.

New martial arts, developed from ancient foundations, naturally inherited this self-mutilating power-boosting method, albeit making it easier to initiate, though the aftereffects were often more severe.

"Seven-Star Burst Qi Method?" Xing Wuyi stared at Du Peng's blood-red eyes and exclaimed in shock.

Both combatants knew well that when strength was equal, such methods were often employed in the endgame. Normally, they could rely on bio-beast support and medicinal aids to decide the winner without resorting to such drastic measures.

In this fight, whoever refused to use it would certainly lose.

On the field, the new martial artist, Du Peng, erupted with the desolate battle aura of ancient times, matching the ancient martial practitioners. Zeus’s back muscles twitched one final time, and his body surged forward.

In that movement, Du Peng felt as if he were standing on an ancient battlefield, facing tens of thousands of archers, with an endless rain of arrows poised to fill the sky.

Zeus was fighting with everything he had.

His back muscles taut like bowstrings, his fists covered in dazzling blue electrical light, accompanied by the sound of air exploding, enveloped Du Peng completely.

This was Zeus's self-improved ultimate technique: "Myriad Arrows Firing Simultaneously."

Bang. Bang. Bang.

In a flash of lightning and sparks, Du Peng's Seven-Star Immortal Thunder Cavalry Slash scattered, much like a general in an ancient war being struck by numerous arrows.

Zeus's "Myriad Arrows Firing Simultaneously" did not pause for an instant. Once unleashed, it would not stop until every last arrow was shot. Blue fist shadows instantly filled every trace of space before Du Peng. The blue electrical light crackled with high voltage, not only shocking the enemy but also the user. Each punch was like a fatal arrow charged with immense current.

Du Peng's feet slammed down. The gentle posture of his mount-like stance shifted, his left shoulder becoming fierce. His right arm, which had been retracting, also tensed simultaneously. He whipped his waist left and right, meeting the incoming attacks with both arms.

Seven-Star Immortal Thunder Thousand-Hand Bone-Shattering Fist.

Bang bang bang.

Neither side could afford to retreat. The one who retreated would certainly be the loser—potentially the one who died.

This was not just gambling on victory; it was a fight for life and death.

"Myriad Arrows Firing Simultaneously" was a deadly barrage. Once unleashed, it flowed like the Yangtze River never returning. Little Dragon King Yang Lie’s eyes kept twitching. The desperate fighting spirit displayed by Zeus was terrifying. It was no wonder Zeus dared to claim he would take the championship; he truly belonged to the top tier of competitors in this tournament.

Tired... so tired...

With every collision, Du Peng felt his entire arm go numb, as if grasping a high-voltage city line. Even his body gradually began to paralyze. Lifting his arm felt like hoisting a massive weight. Red blood slowly began to seep from the corner of his mouth.

A blur began to appear before Du Peng’s eyes, and the thunderous noise of the constant impacts faded from his ears.

Who is this person? Why isn't he falling? Is his body truly an insulator? With every clash, a small wound would erupt somewhere on Zeus’s body, and blood would immediately spray out.

What kind of fist is this? Why can't my internal electrical net intercept his latent force? Why can't it stop me from continuously sustaining injuries? If he doesn't fall soon, will all my blood drain? Why are my arm bones so numb? I'm so tired. I can't hold on much longer.

"These two..." Li Qiang's smile had vanished. His eyes, fixed on the screen, held a trace of admiration: "Their physical limits have surpassed what their bodies can endure. Can spirit truly sustain the flesh?"

Inzarota’s expression was grave as he remained silent. The two were fighting purely on instinct, their minds focused to the absolute zenith, unleashing power they normally couldn't access. Increasing speed, power, or technique was temporarily impossible. Even if a miracle occurred, it wouldn't be achievable now.

Who would win? Who would lose? This had surpassed any realm a martial artist could predict. They were battling on a spiritual plane, not just with brute force.

Win. I must win. Zeus’s eyebrows shot up, and the arm executing the Myriad Arrows Firing Simultaneously shifted, creating a gap in Du Peng's incoming punch.

An opening. Du Peng’s blurry eyes, stimulated by the chance, erupted with an unprecedented thirst for victory. His right arm rotated, cutting through everything with spiraling energy, aiming like an ancient spear thrust into the center mass.

Heh. Zeus’s eye corner twitched into a smile. The arm executing the Myriad Arrows Firing Simultaneously drew an unprecedentedly strange arc, aimed towards Du Peng's lower abdomen.

What is this? Little Dragon King gasped, his mouth wide open. This was Zeus’s suicidal fighting style using the Myriad Arrows Firing Simultaneously. Has he gone mad?

Bang, bang!

They connected.

The same thought flashed simultaneously through the minds of both young warriors: Zeus's massive body was flung backward as if hit by a speeding Porsche Cayenne, suffering wounds on more than ten spots, blood erupting. He slid nearly twenty meters across the ground before stopping.

His bare upper body, without the protection of his powerful physique, was as fragile as an infant’s. This slide left a trail twenty meters long on the mat. The skin on his back was almost entirely scraped raw.

Du Peng's body curled up like a dead shrimp. He had absorbed the full impact of Zeus’s massive body, flying nearly five meters high off the ground. Blue electrical sparks jumped across his form as he flew diagonally another ten meters, crashing heavily onto the mat. He skidded another ten meters before his backward momentum ceased.

Zzzzt. Zzzzt.

Du Peng lay twitching on the ground, spitting blood just as profusely as Zeus. The electrical current in his body crackled momentarily, the energy not yet fully discharged. His fair skin was scorched black in several places; the violent current had severely damaged the surface skin and the internal organs hidden from view.

The true power of the Blue Lightning Art was now laid bare for everyone to see.

Crack, crack, crack.

Zeus’s imposing body ripped open dozens more gashes. Blood sprayed out ceaselessly, as if it were free. Sounds of cracking bones echoed—ka-cha, ka-cha—constantly.

On the large screen, Zeus’s body gradually twisted and deformed, seeming on the verge of tearing apart at any moment. The terrifying potential of the Seven-Star Immortal Thunder was slowly revealing itself.

The vast stadium fell so silent that the drop of a needle could be heard.

People stared blankly at the two young warriors lying unconscious, wondering who had won.

Who won? The few invited referees exchanged glances, uncertain of the result.

Who won? Even the referees couldn't decide immediately.

After quiet discussion, a decision came from the referee stand: either the match would be declared a draw, or whoever stood up first would win. If they were willing to accept, the rookie factions of both sides should come forward to sign the confirmation.

A draw? Qin Fen turned to look at Xing Wuyi, the man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and slowly shook his head. His eyes were fixed tightly on Du Peng, whose body was riddled with burns and whose life hung by a thread. He spoke with immense resolve: "He will never agree to a draw. Even if it means death, he won't agree. We must respect him one last time; this is his final honor and dignity, and we have no right to trample upon it."

"Yang Lie," Brooks said, half-lying in his chair, "What is your opinion?"

"My opinion?" Yang Lie quietly watched Zeus, whose bones were faintly shifting beneath his skin, and shook his head gently. "I have no opinion. I respect Zeus's thoughts. He said he expected to meet me in the finals, so he won't accept a draw. He wants to win. I want to watch my comrade achieve victory."

"Good." Brooks suddenly sat upright. He lifted the visor covering his face, revealing a handsome visage with sharp eyebrows and brilliant eyes. "Let us, together, watch our comrade secure the victory."

A draw? Neither side agreed. Concern flashed in the eyes of the referees. In this state, how could anyone possibly stand up? This wasn't helping their comrades; it was watching them die.

"I now announce," the commentator cleared his throat, "to the two warriors on the field: listen carefully. Whoever stands first wins. If both stand up, the fight continues until only one remains standing."

The announcement boomed through the stadium speakers, reaching the ears of the two men in the arena.

Stand up to win. Stand up to win. Stand up.

Tap. Tap.

Du Peng's fingers twitched slightly, then twitched again.

Zeus slowly opened his eyes, staring blankly at the sky. His vacant pupils communicated to everyone that he had opened his eyes purely by instinct, unable to discern the color of the sky.

Every minute movement of the two men lying on the mat was transmitted to the masses via the massive projection screens.

They were still alive. Both were alive.

The deep indentation on Du Peng’s abdomen where he was struck had shown no sign of recovery.

The movement of Zeus’s broken bones had ceased, showing no sign of improvement either.

Stand up? Tens of thousands of spectators wondered. How could they possibly stand in this condition? Simply regaining consciousness was already a near-miracle.

Time ticked by second by second. Neither showed any sign of standing. The twitching in Du Peng's fingers gradually stopped. Zeus's wide, vacant eyes slowly began to close.

Stand up? Or pass out completely?

"I will repeat: the one who stands wins and advances in the competition."

The voice echoed through the stadium again, but the two showed no change.

"Zeus!" Yang Lie suddenly shot to his feet, gathering Zhenqi in his throat and roaring loudly, "Do you remember what you said yesterday? Didn't you say you expected to meet me in the semifinals? How can you see me lying down?"

His eyes, on the verge of closing, snapped open again. A glimmer of light pierced through the confusion. Zeus remained motionless on the ground, offering no further reaction.

"Zeus!" Yang Lie pointed at him with his index finger, "Do you remember what you said yesterday? The honor of the Americas' rookies—I think I should let Yang Lie guard it instead."

Honor? Honor? What honor? The glimmer of clarity in Zeus's confused eyes grew stronger. His eyes suddenly snapped wide open.

Honor. Yes. The honor of the Americas.

"No!" Zeus suddenly roared from his throat, "The honor of the Americas will be defended by me!"

"Good," Yang Lie sat back down calmly, a faint smile on his face. "I trust you this once."

Pain. Every fiber of Zeus's body screamed in agony. Sweat instantly covered his face, and his muscles leaped spasmodically.

Pain. Pain like never before. Zeus’s eyeballs darted around. Are none of my bones intact?

Stand up. Stand up. Stand up.

"Du Peng!" Xing Wuyi also stood tall like a flagpole. "Open your eyes and see who is watching you from above. Look up. Who is that?" "Who? I'm so tired..." Du Peng murmured, opening his blood-stained eyes. "Who is that? Is that... Brother? Is that you? Hehe. You see my pathetic state again. I know that if I lie down, I am unworthy. Unworthy to be your younger brother. I will stand up. I definitely will." A fight was no longer possible. For either of them to regain consciousness was a miracle.

The contest was simply about who could stand.

"Stand up. Stand up. Stand up."

Tens of thousands of murmurs rose from the crowd, gradually coalescing into a vibrating sound. The initial quiet whispering turned into a passionate roar.

"Stand up! Stand up!"

The roaring sound shook the arena.

Stand up. Stand up.

Stand!

Zeus’s body jolted. His dark skin instantly glistened with crystalline sweat, mixing with blood that flowed down his powerful physique. His muscles convulsed, and his face held a smile uglier than a cry. His eyes shone with immense pride.

He stood up! Zeus’s leg bones were completely shattered, and his body had over a dozen fractures, yet he truly stood up.

"So, broken bones... standing up," Zeus’s facial muscles spasmed uncontrollably as he smiled, "isn't that difficult after all."

Whoosh.

Du Peng sat up. His hands pressed against the mat, making the motion to stand.

"How is this possible?" Zeus's eye muscles twitched more than ten times. He stared blankly at Du Peng, whose jaw, uninjured by fractures, shook uncontrollably as he leaned on his knees. "Stop. Please, I really don't have the strength to fight anymore. Don't stand up."

Wobbling. Trembling. Du Peng stood unsteadily, yet he actually managed to stand up. He looked up at the blue sky. Brother. I stood up. I really stood up. Even though my internal organs were severely damaged and almost ceased functioning, I stood up.

Both were standing. According to the rules, they should continue fighting.

Zeus’s smile turned wry. What kind of opponent was this? This East Asian rookie’s physique was clearly inferior to his. The Blue Lightning should have paralyzed all his internal organs, right?

Fight? Zeus took a step. Sweat broke out on his body again. Pain tortured every nerve, every cell. One step. Two steps. Three.

The short distance of a few dozen meters felt incredibly long to Zeus, as if an eternity had passed.

Qin Fen raised his head, looked at the distant referees, and said calmly, "No need to fight. The result is decided."

Huh? The referees were startled. Qin Fen stepped onto the battlefield.

The fight hadn't ended. If either side entered, it meant conceding. Had the East Asian side surrendered?

Zeus stared blankly at Du Peng before him. This man had already passed out, yet his body remained standing. He only heard that standing meant victory; even unconscious, he was still standing.

"You won," Qin Fen nodded slightly. He gently lowered Du Peng’s body onto the mat and signaled for the emergency medical team to approach.

"I won," Zeus swayed slightly, his eyes fixed on Du Peng on the ground. "He is a truly respected opponent. This tournament was not in vain."

"En," Qin Fen nodded. "Perhaps you will have another chance to fight."

"I look forward to it," Zeus’s spirit completely relaxed, and his body tilted backward. Yang Lie caught the giant man in his arms. "You fought well."

"Did I? Then I will see you in the semifinals," Zeus said with a smile, slowly closing his eyes.

"See you in the semifinals."

Yang Lie watched the unconscious Zeus, then turned to Qin Fen. "To pay tribute to my comrade, I will unleash my strongest power in this match."

"As will I," Qin Fen followed the medical team, looking back at Yang Lie. "I will stand atop the summit, awaiting both your challenges."

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