They finally understood what it meant when people said seeing is believing. These items were clearly far more astonishing than the legends suggested; no wonder so many people were driven wild by them!

Marksin walked dazedly to a counter, staring at the dazzling array of magic techniques displayed on the shelves. Then she glanced at the accompanying descriptions explaining their functions, and she felt utterly faint. The sheer magnitude of magical amplification and casting speed was unheard of, and some even boasted special capabilities that were simply unimaginable!

But the most astonished of all was Donald. He possessed keen business insight. Although the goods here were significantly pricier than those in other magic shops, he knew their true value far exceeded the cost!

As a merchant, Donald's mind raced. These commodities hadn't yet flooded into "Gulu City." If he could acquire a portion now and resell them there, they would undoubtedly sell out instantly—this was a venture with astronomical returns!

Donald felt a genuine surge of desire. He used to deal in antiques, always focusing on buying low and selling high. These items offered him exactly that opportunity. He could already visualize countless Diamond Coins beckoning him; if he seized this chance, his wealth could match Old Danny's—no, it would surpass it! Thinking he could finally outshine Old Danny, Donald could no longer contain his excitement. He identified several key targets and charged forward, his savings card already clutched tightly in his hand before he even reached the counter.

"I'll take those two swords, and the armor too," Donald said, his voice slightly trembling.

He desperately wished he could mortgage every antique in his house just to buy a few more pieces to take back!

Seeing Donald act with such fervor, Marksin and Cecil were stunned, wondering why their father needed so many items; he couldn't possibly use them all.

In that brief moment, Donald had already spent most of his savings.

"Girl, this place is truly something special," Donald returned, praising Marksin with immense excitement.

Marksin knew that, but she still didn't understand why her father was buying so much.

"Cecil, go ahead and process a membership immediately. I need to head back right away!" Donald could barely contain his urge to start reselling these items at high prices.

This was a race against time. If the people of "Gulu City" learned about this "Dark Merchants' Guild," countless others would rush to start reselling, diminishing his profits. He had to move fast!

"But Dad, that membership costs one hundred and fifty Diamond Coins!" Cecil, not grasping her father's intentions, felt genuinely pained by the fee.

"I'll cover it later! Go sign up now. Hurry, and after you're done, stay at the previous inn. I will rush back as soon as possible," Donald said, so rushed that he was actually panting slightly.

"Dad, you're leaving so soon?" Marksin inquired.

"Girl, you stay here and focus on your studies. I'll transfer some money to your card later. Your brother will stay here for now." With that, Donald truly bolted away in haste.

Watching Donald's receding figure, Marksin felt a profound sense of bewilderment—why would her father proactively offer her money?

The afternoon at the competition arena was buzzing with activity. A crowd had gathered around the area.

Next up was the match between the Blade Class and the Old Class, currently awaiting the official start as both sides prepared.

"Wade, go for it! We believe in you!" Daisy cheered from the side.

Wade was set to fight the first bout. He was the weakest among their group, having started late, but he was also the one who had progressed the fastest!

Wade nodded. His face betrayed no trace of nervousness, only firm resolve. These people had ventured deep into the "Damp Forest" and fought countless ferocious magical beasts; how could they be nervous over this minor competition?

"The opponent isn't strong in close combat, and his center line has a huge weakness. Remember to press the attack!" Wayne reminded him from the side.

They had already observed and analyzed their potential opponents beforehand, having devised corresponding strategies!

Their opponents, however, showed no sign of tension either; instead, they seemed utterly relaxed.

"Nai Xi, don't be nervous. They are just those students from the Noble Class!"

"Yeah, fighting them is just a warm-up. No need to take it seriously!"

"Nervous? Don't joke!" Nai Xi scoffed dismissively, holding up three fingers. "Three minutes. I only need three minutes to end this match!"

This fellow, Nai Xi, was Wade's immediate adversary. Due to overconfidence, he wasn't taking this match seriously at all.

"Nai Xi, try to go easy on them later. Don't beat those soft-skinned guys too badly, or people will say our class bullies them, haha!"

"Tch, if you ask me, we should beat them hard, so hard they don't recognize themselves. These guys always look down on us, relying on their family's wealth and power. Now that we finally have a chance, it would be a disservice not to teach them a lesson!"

Nai Xi seemed to agree wholeheartedly. He quickly added, "Don't worry, just watch how I knock that kid down later!" As he spoke, he glanced toward the Blade Class's station.

A little while later, the contestants finally entered the field.

At this moment, a small uproar rose from the crowd below, with various shouts of encouragement erupting one after another.

"Nai Xi, we support you! Don't you dare embarrass the Old Class!"

"Let them see how powerful the Old Class is!"

"Show them how a sword is truly wielded!"

The noise was dominated almost entirely by the Old Class members, largely because they outnumbered the others.

The Blade Class members, conversely, simply gave the crowd a cold look. They did not mimic the others, but waited quietly for the match to begin. They were different from the Old Class members; they didn't just say they believed in Wade, they believed in him from the bottom of their hearts. Therefore, they had no need for loud cheers—that was behavior reserved for those who required external validation!

The referee then summoned the two fighters to his side, first reciting the rules and points of caution, and then motioning for them to return to their starting positions, awaiting his command to commence.

The venue fell silent, every spectator intently focused on the field. Both Nai Xi and Wade were ready for battle, coiled like springs on a crossbow.

"The match begins!"

Following the referee's signal, both fighters suddenly exerted force from their legs, shooting straight toward each other—

"Clang!" A sharp sound echoed as their swords met for the first time, sending sparks flying.

"Oh? Kid, you actually have some skill," Nai Xi sneered mockingly. "But if you think that's enough to beat me, you're sorely mistaken!"

Saying this, he applied force to his grip, and they separated from their locked position, creating a brief standoff.

From that initial clash of steel, their raw strength seemed evenly matched, which quite surprised Nai Xi. He had assumed a noble student who got in through connections, like Wade, would be weak and fragile!

However, there was more surprise yet to come!

Wade was not distracted like Nai Xi. His eyes were like those of a jungle predator, constantly searching for an opening. Seeing the opponent's momentary lapse in focus, he instantly exploded with renewed power and lunged forward again with his sword.

Nai Xi startled, unprepared for Wade’s sudden speed. He desperately raised his guard, but he couldn't fully deflect the blow that had been building up with such focused momentum.

"Clang!" another sharp sound rang out. Due to the impact, Nai Xi was driven backward, his stance beginning to falter.

Wade was certainly not going to miss such an opportunity. Having learned the preciousness of openings in the "Damp Forest," he knew chances vanished in an instant!

What followed was a truly astonishing display: Wade struck one sword blow faster than the last, unleashing a relentless flurry like a sudden storm, giving Nai Xi no chance to catch his breath.

It wasn't just the speed. Wade grew fiercer as the fight progressed, even letting out a great roar. The fierce glare in his eyes began to radiate genuine killing intent, sending shivers down Nai Xi's spine!

This was the killing aura forged on the edge of life and death. Wade was now imagining his opponent as one of the savage beasts they had fought—it was either kill or be killed!

Nai Xi had never experienced anything like this. He clearly perceived from the opponent's expression that Wade intended to kill him. Fearing the outcome and already losing ground, he began retreating steadily.

"Ah!" Wade roared again, the sound filling the arena, as he leaped high into the air, swinging his sword with both hands down toward Nai Xi's center line.

Nai Xi's face turned ash-white in terror as he brought his sword up to block, but by now, he had completely lost his former confidence. Under the immense force exerted by the descending blade, he was instantly sent flying backward, tumbling directly off the platform.

Since the competition rules stipulated that falling off the platform constituted a loss, Wade was declared the victor!

When the referee announced the result, there was no enthusiastic cheering from the stands; instead, the onlookers stared at Wade with looks of sheer horror!

The match had indeed ended within three minutes, but the victor was not Nai Xi.

Nai Xi's face remained pale, and the hand gripping his sword was visibly trembling.

He felt utterly humiliated by this loss. Had he not been careless and allowed Wade to seize the advantage, the outcome would have been difficult to predict.

But regret was pointless now. No one cared how he lost; people would simply assume his actual skill was lacking!

"Well done!" Wayne said to Wade as he walked off, a look of pride shining on his face!

The Old Class students, observing this, looked at the Blade Class with completely transformed gazes—as if they were watching monsters. During the match, Wade had felt to them like a savage beast!

"Nai Xi, don't worry too much," classmates rushed over to help the distraught Nai Xi up.

"How could this happen? How could this happen?" Nai Xi repeated dazedly, as if struck senseless.

He simply could not comprehend how such a monstrous student could emerge from a 'trash' Noble Class. Were they truly nobles?

"Nai Xi, don't dwell on it. We'll get revenge for you later!"

Though they said this, these students lacked their earlier bravado.

Alas, it was their bad luck to face students trained by Zhong Shenxiu!

In the subsequent matches, although the Old Class no longer dared to underestimate the Blade Class, they had lost their morale. Furthermore, they had never encountered such a desperate fighting style, and one after another, they inexplicably lost!

Because of this single match, the name of the Blade Class was established. Who could have imagined that a Noble Class, admitted through backdoors, would defeat a regular class that had fought its way to the finals? What an astonishing event!

The school leaders watching from afar were incredibly excited. Before the competition, they had made predictions, and while they knew the students of Class Four had improved, they hadn't held high expectations for them defeating a regular class, especially since these students had only been under Zhong Shenxiu’s tutelage for a little over a month!

But the current reality was jarring. The Class Four members had not only won but had achieved an overwhelming victory!

"It seems we have severely underestimated the capabilities of this Teacher Zhong," the Vice Principal remarked with deep emotion. An excited gleam shone in his eyes, because the stronger Zhong Shenxiu's abilities proved to be, the greater their chances were of succeeding in the "Royal Tournament"!

Another match drawing significant attention took place that afternoon, featuring the notable presence of Angelina!

Her opponent, however, was also a woman, and one possessing extraordinary beauty.

In terms of allure, the two could be considered equals, each with her own distinct charm!

The woman set to face Angelina was named Leng Xiangxue; judging by her name, she probably wasn't from the Winter Moon Empire. She was a dual cultivator of both magic and martial arts, having registered for both events in this "Freshman Tournament" and easily advancing to the finals in both!

This beauty exuded an aura of cold indifference that kept others at arm's length, making her somewhat similar to Angelina.

Yet, there were differences. Angelina's coldness was often directed toward men, whereas this student, Leng Xiangxue, maintained that icy demeanor toward everyone, as if she were naturally composed of ice and snow.

The match between these two beauties was certainly captivating, but the allure didn't end there!

Although both were freshmen, their combat prowess was undeniable; many had been defeated soundly before them!

Female swordsmen were rare to begin with, beautiful female swordsmen even rarer, and beautiful, powerful female swordsmen—exceptionally so!!! Such a confrontation was destined to draw massive attention!

Before the match officially began, the area was already packed, with many senior students deliberately skipping class just to witness this rare duel!

The crowd was currently debating who possessed the superior skill, and, of course, which of the two was more beautiful!