………… PS: The second update is here. The final update will be after midnight. ………… Into the third combat circle, almost immediately after the victor of the fourth match in the fourth ring stepped out of the boundary line, Nie Kong flashed inside.

Kan Tian, who had been chattering ceaselessly in Nie Kong’s ear, subconsciously followed him forward, only for the sound of a cough from the professor beside him to pierce his attention. Kan Tian glanced over and realized he had stepped into the active combat circle. He could only offer a dry laugh and retreat. Even as the Deputy City Lord of Lingyu City, it was improper for him to interfere with such a contest.

Not long after, the thin, grim-faced Inner City disciple also walked in, stopping opposite Nie Kong with an expressionless face.

“Nie Kong! Mu Tong!”

After announcing their names, the professor collected the lottery numbers the two had previously drawn.

With perhaps a minute or two left before the official start, Nie Kong’s gaze settled upon his opponent, Mu Tong, whom he scrutinized without reservation. Nie Kong had heard Mu Tong mentioned by Miao Ge and Tai Ji when he left the Ascension Hall that morning, but only now did he associate the unexceptional-looking fellow before him with that name.

This Mu Tong was at the eighth tier of Spirit Transformation, cultivating the exceedingly rare Dark Spirit Power. Like Bai Yuqing, who cultivated Ice Spirit Power, he was a disciple specially permitted to enter the Inner City without having participated in the "Six Halls Grand Competition." However, he had entered the Inner City a year before Bai Yuqing.

Aside from Inner City competitions, Mu Tong usually immersed himself in solitary cultivation, rarely sparring with fellow disciples. Still, the fact that he had won five consecutive matches to reach the second round of the main event attested to his extraordinary strength. Although Nie Kong was certain of victory, he dared not let his guard down.

As Nie Kong sized up Mu Tong, Mu Tong was also examining Nie Kong. His gaze remained persistently shadowed. Being stared at so intently felt like being pinned by a venomous serpent; lingering under it easily sent shivers down the spine, inducing an inescapable sense of oppression.

“Begin!”

Finally, the awaited announcement for the last eight Inner City disciples across the four combat circles resonated through the Ascension Hall. Before these two syllables had even faded, a roar erupted.

“Buzz!”

Nie Kong’s brow thrummed. The visualization of the “Purple Luo Illusory Spirit Incense” instantly merged with his entire being, and simultaneously, the “Yin-Yang Devouring Spirit Art” began to circulate, causing all the Spirit Power within him to surge violently.

“Whoosh!” With almost no hesitation, Nie Kong’s figure lunged toward Mu Tong.

This second round was starkly different from the first. In the initial round, there weren't too many peers at the eighth tier of Spirit Transformation level, allowing Nie Kong to indulge in the feeling of applying his skills, even letting Tai Hong play along. But in the second round, with numerous young experts present, and the third round commencing just half an hour after this match concluded, Nie Kong needed a swift victory to allow sufficient time to utilize spirit medicine for recovery.

In an instant, the distance between them shrank to two meters. Nie Kong struck out with his right palm, a torrent of colossal, dark-green aura surging forth, overwhelming Mu Tong like a crushing tide. In that moment, the space within several meters seemed utterly saturated by the dense, jade-green radiance.

Seeing Nie Kong’s attack so potent, Mu Tong’s eyes flickered slightly, yet he showed no panic. His right hand curled like a hook, moving strangely before him. Immediately, a black crescent manifested in front of Mu Tong, appearing as if his right hand had physically torn a profound rift in the empty air.

“Whoosh!” A moment later, all of Nie Kong’s dark-green Spirit Power was entirely absorbed into that black crescent. Every trace of the verdant aura vanished without a ripple.

The methods of a Dark Spirit Master were indeed bafflingly strange!

A hint of undisguised shock surfaced on Nie Kong’s face.

Seeing Mu Tong’s shadowy, tightly clenched right fist swing toward him, Nie Kong reacted with a degree of panic, extending his left palm to meet it. It seemed he hadn't quite recovered from the shock of his Spirit Power being devoured by the void; his movement was unusually hasty.

Mu Tong’s expression remained grim, but the corner of his lip curved into a slight smile, as if in cold derision.

In the next breath…

Mu Tong’s right fist and Nie Kong’s left palm drew closer and closer. Just as they were about to collide, a dense plume of dark energy erupted from Mu Tong’s right fist, behaving like a primordial beast breaking free from its cage—all fangs, claws, and hideous form, seemingly intent on swallowing Nie Kong whole.

However, at nearly the same instant, Nie Kong’s right palm flashed with dark green, and a terrifyingly potent shockwave exploded outwards with ferocious momentum.

Mountain-Shattering Strike!

“Boom!”

Amidst a violent detonation, Nie Kong’s right palm landed on the surface of Mu Tong’s fist with unimaginable swiftness. Instantly! Green light scattered, that dense dark aura was ripped into shreds, and the ferocious kinetic force showed no pause, surging toward Mu Tong like a tidal wave.

“Crack!”

The sound of bone snapping suddenly rang out. Mu Tong cried out in pain, his body flying backward uncontrollably like a discarded piece of leather. In the next moment, Mu Tong slammed heavily outside the boundary line of the combat circle, remaining still for a long time. It appeared he had been knocked unconscious by Nie Kong’s attack.

“Nie Kong wins!”

The professor declared the result without hesitation.

The surrounding spectators exchanged perplexed glances. They had found this match baffling. One moment, Nie Kong seemed utterly thrown into disarray by Mu Tong’s Dark Spirit Power, yet the next, Nie Kong had demolished Mu Tong, sending him flying past the boundary line?

Had the transition really been that swift?

But the Inner City disciples who had witnessed Nie Kong’s matches that morning understood instantly: Nie Kong’s panic had absolutely been feigned, intended to lull Mu Tong into complacency before unleashing his strongest attack for a decisive blow!

For a moment, their gazes toward Mu Tong took on a shade of pity. Poor fellow, he had been utterly tricked by that cunning rascal Nie Kong again!

As the crowd speculated uncertainly, Nie Kong had already seated himself cross-legged on the spot.

As some Inner City disciples had surmised, Nie Kong had indeed played the “method actor” once more. Back in Jiyang City, Nie Kong had witnessed a Void Spirit Realm Dark Spirit Master in action; he had been mentally prepared beforehand and certainly wouldn’t have panicked over his Spirit Power being suddenly devoured. In fact, Nie Kong’s acting was so convincing that Mu Tong had genuinely believed it, allowing Nie Kong’s “Mountain-Shattering Strike” to find its opening. The “Mountain-Shattering Strike” was merely a third-tier skill comprehended by Xiang Xiang. As Nie Kong’s cultivation increased, its power had risen significantly, but the Spirit Power expenditure during its casting had decreased, especially since Nie Kong was now using his visualization technique to aid it, rather than relying on little Xiang Xiang.

Nie Kong’s desire to end the fight quickly made the “Mountain-Shattering Strike” extremely suitable, and Mu Tong’s defeat and subsequent unconsciousness proved Nie Kong’s choice correct. Now, the second round was concluded for Nie Kong. The single Mountain-Shattering Strike had cost him only about forty percent of his Spirit Power.

With access to spirit medicine, half an hour was more than enough for Nie Kong to restore his depleted energy.

When the professor announced the result and handed him a spirit pill, Nie Kong swallowed it without hesitation. In truth, Nie Kong didn't need to rush, because he noticed that fat old man Kan Tian was once again lurking restlessly outside the boundary. If he didn’t quickly assume a posture of Spirit Power recovery, he was certain to be showered with spit again.

Time flowed quickly. The unconscious Mu Tong had already been carried away, and the matches in the other three rings concluded one after another. This brought the number of participants entering the third round down to twenty. Those who remained after the third round would all secure the qualification to enter the “Prison Fire Deep Spring.”

This implied that the upcoming third round would become exponentially fiercer!

After all, this was the definitive contest for the final slots. A loss here meant being permanently cut off from the ‘Prison Fire Deep Spring,’ rendering all prior efforts in vain. While they would receive some accumulated points as consolation, points were worthless compared to the chance to enter the “Prison Fire Deep Spring.”

“…”

“The Prison Fire Deep Spring… it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Sigh, they’ll probably fight tooth and nail in the next matches!”

“That’s better. I wonder if Lan Shang and Shan Xiong will run into each other again? If they meet in the third round, the spectacle will surely be exhilarating.”

“Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing, these two newcomers from last year’s Inner City cohort, have both made it to the third round. I wonder how far they can advance this time? If those top-ten contenders from last year, like Wei Zhao, get pushed out by them, won’t they be furious? Haha…”

“…”

Watching the twenty individuals enter the third round, the crowd discussed with excitement, their anticipation soaring…

…

“Brother Nie Kong and Sister Yuqing will definitely make the top ten.” Outside the combat circle, Gu Yi listened to the murmurs around her, her eyes darting between Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing. Suddenly, her cheeks puffed out, rosy red, and she waved her tiny fist with vigor.

…

Seeing Gu Suo’s fierce expression, Miao Ge and Tai Ji couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Naturally, they hoped both Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing would secure slots to enter the “Prison Fire Deep Spring.”

However, their hopes were not as optimistically bright as those of little Gu Jing.

After all, too many powerful young experts remained among the final twenty.

Especially the Spirit Masters at the ninth tier of Spirit Transformation—Lan Shang, Liu Hemin, Shan Xiong, and Gu Ruofei—whose strength was formidable. If luck favored Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing by pairing them against other Inner City disciples, their chances of winning were relatively high. But if luck turned sour, the difficulty for both Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing to break into the top ten would increase substantially. It had to be remembered that in the third round, everyone would fight with everything they had. “Even if they don’t make the top ten, it’s fine. If they really want to go to the ‘Prison Fire Deep Spring,’ I can find two spots for them in the Shatu Kingdom.”

Tai Hong grinned. His words made several Inner City disciples nearby intensely envious. This Tai Hong was actually willing to go to the Shatu Empire to secure two spots for Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing! As a prince of the Shatu Empire, the probability of him obtaining two slots was extremely high.

Did this not mean that regardless of the outcome of the subsequent matches, Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing would both have a chance to enter the “Prison Fire Deep Spring”? Amidst their hushed conversations, time slipped away rapidly, and the start of the third round drew ever closer…