The large screen did not immediately display the fierce combat scenes from the previous rounds. Xing Wuyi and Solomon remained perfectly still, gazing intently into each other's eyes, seemingly deaf to the starting bell.

Many onlookers stared at the projection screen in confusion, their minds filled with unspoken questions—another strange standoff! Both men merely unleashed their auras: Xing Wuyi at six stars, Solomon at seven.

Bai Sheng’s eyes held only a flicker of surprise, mixed with greater delight. He hadn't expected to witness such a unique engagement in the martial arts arena of the new recruit competition: a Reading Battle!

To divine the opponent’s combat intent from their eyes, while simultaneously gauging the speed and level of their strength, to then determine the appropriate response.

In martial arts sparring, the notion of 'stopping short' is usually only achievable when there is a vast disparity in strength between the two parties.

If skill levels are closely matched, the only recourse is to fight with absolute commitment; the outcome is often life or death. How could one possibly hold back? If anyone dared entertain the thought of restraint, they would surely be the one defeated.

But if every sparring session resulted in crippling injury or death, how many martial artists would remain in the world?

The official Sky Combat Network largely solved this issue, but there remained another method: the Reading Battle.

While this method eliminates the pain of physical blows, it demands an extraordinarily high level of mental fortitude. When the eye-to-eye confrontation reaches its zenith, the body remains motionless, yet it endures immense psychic pressure, and a lapse in focus can easily lead to vomiting blood and serious injury.

Solomon had not anticipated that Xing Wuyi, hailing from East Asia, would issue a challenge the moment he stepped onto the dueling ground, even before the competition bell sounded.

A battle devoid of smoke or even any physical movement began, unfolding without anyone realizing it.

"What a shrewd man," Caesar remarked with a measure of awe. Between close combat, virtual aerial combat, and the Reading Battle, the latter was comparatively the most unfair method of engagement.

The Reading Battle was, almost exclusively, a specialized form of psychic warfare. Here, there was no contest of Jing Qi purity; only the sheer data gap between star levels mattered.

It was, in many respects, an unbalanced confrontation! Xing Wuyi had established his own unique battlefield within the arena.

Under normal circumstances, Solomon could refuse such a setting. But today, he could not. His ultimate goal was Qin Fen. If he dared not even enter this psychic field laid out by Xing Wuyi, a flaw—a heart demon—would form in his martial spirit, potentially trapping him, like Moradek, outside the gate of eight-star strength, unable to truly cross that threshold.

"To utilize every environmental factor and turn it to one's advantage..." Yang Lie nodded in agreement. "This man is remarkably cunning."

Cunning? Solomon had to concede that this East Asian newcomer was indeed clever. By nullifying the contest of Jing Qi refinement and power control, focusing solely on the difference in star ratings, Xing Wuyi proved exceptionally difficult to handle.

Despite still being a full star weaker, Solomon could not quickly defeat Xing Wuyi in the Reading Battle. This opponent was like a sly fox; though at an absolute disadvantage, he perpetually managed to hold on using every conceivable method.

If any other six-star martial artist had engaged in a Reading Battle, Solomon was confident he would have already routed them, leaving them spitting blood on the ground.

Yet, this East Asian recruit, sweat already beading on his brow, enduring tremendous mental strain, refused to collapse or concede defeat.

Some audience members were already stifling yawns. Ten minutes—this was the longest duration for any single match in the new recruit martial arts competition, yet it was also the most tedious ten minutes: two men standing stock-still for the entire duration.

Bai Sheng watched Xing Wuyi with keen interest. He had expected the young man to be defeated after five minutes, never imagining he would endure past the ten-minute mark without falling.

The Reading Battle differed greatly from close combat. Holding on for five minutes versus holding on for five minutes and ten seconds represented a massive gap; the difference between five and six minutes was several leagues wider. Ten minutes?

Bai Sheng was thoroughly astonished. Xing Wuyi’s forehead was already covered in visible, bean-sized beads of sweat by the four-minute mark. By the eighth minute, his uniform was soaked through.

The man looked as if he had just been dredged from water, his body trembling slightly, yet he held on for another two minutes, managing to leave a distinct wet patch on the back of Solomon’s uniform, his own forehead likewise dripping.

Ptooey...

Xing Wuyi covered his mouth and spat out a small mouthful of crimson, staggering back several paces, his body swaying as if intoxicated.

Solomon closed his eyes, let out a long breath toward the sky, and raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his brow, silently marveling at how exhausting this victory had been. Another few minutes, and perhaps...

Xing Wuyi wiped the trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, raised his head toward the referee stand, and gently lifted his arm. "I concede."

At this point, many began to grasp that the two had just engaged in an almost unimaginable Reading Battle—one that appeared extraordinarily perilous, ultimately forcing Xing Wuyi to vomit blood and sustain injury.

The remaining spectators, who hadn't grasped the nature of the engagement, fixed fearful eyes upon Solomon, secretly awed by the sheer power of this young recruit from Europe, who had forced his opponent to yield through sheer gaze alone.

Caesar looked curiously at the fatigued Solomon. "How strong?"

...

Solomon paused for a short moment, then let out a long exhale. "A cunning fox, truly an intellectual fox. If he possessed seven-star strength, the outcome would have been difficult to call."

A silence fell over the European recruit section. To push Solomon to this extent—none of the East Asian recruits could be underestimated.

The announcement crackled over the loudspeakers: Zeus had withdrawn due to injury, granting the African recruit Alice a walkover victory into the final eight of the competition.

Immediately following, the Golden Lion Bada also secured a spot in the top eight due to the withdrawal of his comrade from Africa.

Preserving strength, the two African recruits had conferred and agreed to conserve their power. With roughly equal strength levels, a desperate clash would likely result in the same outcome as Du Peng and Zeus—a scenario they wished to avoid.

The final pair of American recruits clashed, and a winner was quickly decided. This recruit, not overwhelmingly strong, making the top eight sparked envy among those eliminated in the Sweet Sixteen, who could only lament the sheer good fortune of this individual in a tournament overflowing with talent.

Qin Fen studied the advancement bracket. His next opponent was Alice from Africa. Solomon would face Xue Tian, Yang Lie would battle another American recruit, while Caesar was set against the Golden Lion from Africa.

"Can I have your opponent?"

After a period of silent contemplation, Qin Fen turned to Xue Tian and asked softly.

"You're interested?" Xue Tian draped an arm over Qin Fen's shoulder. "That’s excellent! Master told me that making the top eight fulfills the mission. I already completed mine; I was planning to forfeit the next round anyway."

The recruits who didn't know Xue Tian well watched him with strange looks, utterly bewildered by a soldier who seemed to possess such a lack of honor.

"Qin Fen." An African Major entered the contestant seating area. "Are you free today?"

Free? Qin Fen looked puzzledly at the Major from Africa. Had the African Mobile Armor unit and the Air Combat team not given up yet?

"Our Mobile Armor division is very eager to spar with you."

Qin Fen's dark eyebrows furrowed slowly toward his center, like snails drawing in, assessing the Major’s confident face and eyes with great scrutiny.

Where did this confidence stem from? Qin Fen couldn't quite figure it out. The African recruits who watched the battles previously had turned green with fright after witnessing the fights. How did they retain the nerve to challenge him again?

The African Major smiled confidently at Qin Fen. He knew that even if Qin Fen racked his brain, he wouldn't guess that their General had gone to extreme lengths to secure outside aid.

Qin Fen laughed. What did it matter? Whether he figured out the source of the confidence or not, what difference would it make? For the honor of the East Asian recruits, for his own military merits, and for the substantial reward upon retirement, he had to accept.

The African Major faltered at Qin Fen's smile. Within that self-deprecating expression lay an air of quiet assurance—the smile of a king surveying his challengers' schemes from the pinnacle, utterly dismissive.

"Understood," Qin Fen replied, flicking his wrist in a gesture of invitation. "The usual spot tonight."

Was this truly a young recruit? The African Major turned and left with a head full of questions.

The battles of the Sweet Sixteen concluded. Tomorrow marked the first rest day of the new recruit competition, allowing all participants time to adjust their state before the final clashes.

Qin Fen paid little attention to the other members of the top eight displayed on the large screen, focusing his concentration instead on Lin Ling.

Being ordered to forfeit—did such a thing genuinely not bother him in the slightest? Qin Fen lightly rubbed his forehead, meeting Lin Ling’s emotionless gaze.

"A soldier's duty is obedience."

Lin Ling offered those emotionless words, answering the confusion in Qin Fen’s pupils.

Once the competition ended, the participating recruits quickly vanished from the arena.

Today, Qin Fen had once again demonstrated with his performance that he had returned to his peak condition.

And Caesar today had sown seeds of doubt regarding the final outcome of the competition; a new eight-star martial artist had finally appeared.

Night fell once more. All the Mobile Armor units of the African military zone were deployed, their pilots seated in their cockpits, awaiting Qin Fen's arrival.

Time ticked by. A silhouette flashed past the entrance. Recruits from other continents watched in astonishment as it wasn't Qin Fen who appeared, but the Little Dragon King, Yang.

Yang Lie walked quietly into the spectator stands, sitting down like any ordinary audience member, his gaze fixed on the field.

Not long after, the Golden Lion Bada also arrived in the stands.

A few minutes later, Solomon and Caesar followed, taking their seats.

Minutes later, Alice’s figure appeared in the passageway.

The African Major’s expression grew increasingly grim. He watched Xue Tian emerge from the passage, swaying slightly, and let out a deep, regretful sigh, lamenting that he had challenged Qin Fen in front of this East Asian recruit.

Wo La Hu glared fiercely at the Major beside him. How could he have scheduled a meeting with Qin Fen in front of a notorious gossip like this East Asian recruit? The presence of the elite recruits from all continents tonight was almost certainly orchestrated by this East Asian soldier.

"Apologies, I am late."

Qin Fen's voice drifted slowly from the shadow of the passageway, his outline gradually solidifying within the gloom.

The eyes of Yang Lie, Caesar, and Solomon were filled with perplexity. Although they had heard that Qin Fen was the super all-rounder prodigy of this competition, seeing him appear on the Mobile Armor field to face veterans who had trained in armor for a year still stirred a strange feeling within them.

"Go, Old Qin!"

Xue Tian’s voice cut sharply through the quiet atmosphere of the arena.

Qin Fen patted the chassis of his Mobile Armor, Red Lotus Phantom, and looked up, his gaze fixed intently on the Galaxy Steel Soul among the African Mobile Armor contingent.

With a single concentrated stare, Wo La Hu’s heartbeat quickened. He wondered secretly if Qin Fen had seen through something.

"Heh heh..."

Qin Fen laughed. These Mobile Armors, seemingly arrayed in a simple formation, executing the most basic, effective preparatory attack movements, were all serving one purpose: concealment!

"I must have quite the reputation," Qin Fen said with a half-smile, studying Wo La Hu. He hadn't expected his opponent this time to be a battle-hardened, ace Mobile Armor veteran.

Concealment was an art form. Qin Fen felt fortunate to have encountered a master of hiding like Ge Ri Le. If not for the instruction in top-tier concealment techniques from such a master, he might actually have been fooled by this ace pilot masquerading as an inexperienced newcomer.

Qin Fen climbed the ladder toward the cockpit, then paused, turning back with a smile. "General, I think it’ll be a one-on-one today, starting with the Galaxy Steel Soul."

What? Wo La Hu froze. A one-on-one? This young man, known in Mobile Armor combat for arrogantly demanding to fight waves of opponents, what was wrong today? A duel? Had he seen through something? Impossible! But if so, why single out the Galaxy Steel Soul?

Qin Fen happily sealed the cockpit, realizing he had just disrupted the enemy's entire strategy with a single sentence. The feeling was exhilarating!

Wo La Hu’s eyes were filled with bitter resignation. Qin Fen’s skill was evident to all; he possessed the caliber of a true ace pilot. Being defeated by him was normal, but defeating him? Would anyone believe it was the work of a recruit?

Let alone winning, no one would believe even a draw or a mutual destruction! Wo La Hu rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He looked at the African Galaxy Steel Soul, gave a thumbs-up while massaging his temples, and then made a throat-slitting gesture.

Win! He had to win! At worst, he would figure out an explanation after beating Qin Fen. He couldn't let this upstart continue his rampage.