The distance of the mountains was a continuous forest, lush and dense, and beyond the woods stretched a sea of green grass, half a person high, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

The sunset, the mountains, the forest, and the sea of grass together formed a unique landscape painting.

However, this breathtaking beauty was the main killing ground for the God of War Arena.

As one of the signature events of the Sky Martial Arts Network, the designers meticulously crafted different battlefield terrains for each event—dizzying cliffs thousands of feet high, rugged and towering rocks—everywhere could conceal a deadly trap.

Qin Fen squatted atop a treetop, his breath completely drawn inward, as still as a leopard poised to hunt a monkey.

He was rather satisfied with this hiding spot; the visible range was broad, and the surrounding trees offered excellent cover. The only issue was encountering an enemy too soon. If he had more time, he could have utilized the surrounding flora to create props for better concealment, basic camouflage techniques he had just learned from the master of disguise, Gerile.

Yishan Tianhai (Moving Mountains and Filling Seas), that was the name of the three-star master not far below the tree.

The God of War Arena offered a service to display names to make the competition more stimulating, allowing the attacked or the slain to know who their enemy was, so they could seek revenge later.

Often, after a God of War Arena match concluded, the dueling grounds would be packed. Those who had formed grudges in the Arena without resolving them would stage another full-blown brawl there.

Dueling was also a matter of honor. To defeat an opponent, people frequently consumed various virtual items, leading to a peak in revenue for the Sky Martial Arts Network as large numbers of people purchased these items for their duels.

Yishan Tianhai carried a steel blade, and traces of blood had not completely left his weapon, suggesting he had likely killed someone not long ago.

The grass beneath the tree suddenly shook violently. The blade in Yishan Tianhai’s hand did not pause. A chilling glint, carrying a severe killing intent, flashed past. A rabbit, already cut to death, tumbled out of the undergrowth.

Qin Fen subtly moved his eyes. That strike was clearly a technique from the ** Saber Style. It seemed that anyone daring to enter the God of War Arena had some genuine skill.

Adjusting his breathing slightly, Qin Fen had participated in quite a few battles, but fighting against armed martial artists was something he rarely did.

Yishan Tianhai advanced cautiously. Just then, he had already cut down two opponents who had tried to ambush him. His kill count, which had been zero points, now stood at two.

In the last God of War Arena, he had been ambushed and died three times! During this recent period, Yishan Tianhai had heavily researched countermeasures against concealment techniques, confident that no hiding technique could fool him. Against those lying in wait to ambush, he held the advantage. He could clearly see an opponent, pretend not to notice, lure them into attacking, and then suddenly counterattack!

The first two opponents had their heads neatly severed by the ** Saber Style in this manner.

Yishan Tianhai moved into Qin Fen’s attack range, but Qin Fen did not strike! He was waiting! Although the opponent wasn't a professional soldier, a martial artist's instinct could sense the threat of camouflage. Qin Fen wanted to test how effective what he learned from Gerile truly was.

Yishan Tianhai continued to close in, soon standing less than a meter and a half from Qin Fen.

No need to wait any longer! He suddenly exerted force with his foot, and the branch beneath him snapped entirely under the pressure. Qin Fen launched himself like a gigantic eagle!

Hearing the branch break, Yishan Tianhai realized someone was hidden above and behind him, and his heart lurched with shock—someone had been lurking this close without him realizing it!

CRACK!

Yishan Tianhai’s cervical spine was shattered by a single punch. His body flew out like a dilapidated sack, only two words flashing through his mind: "Expert!"

As the saying went, you know the skill of an expert the moment they act. Yishan Tianhai didn't even have a chance to turn and clearly see the attacker's face before the system registered his life force extinguished. He understood the immense gap between them; at least in the matters of hiding and counter-hiding, the difference was far too vast. This attacker was definitely professional grade!

His vision went black, and then light returned.

Yishan Tianhai immediately respawned at another location in the God of War Arena. The 'two' that had been on his data panel moments ago now read 'one'.

The change in numbers wasn't what angered him the most; dying without even knowing who killed him—that was the most infuriating part.

He had invested considerable effort in concealment and counter-concealment for this God of War Arena, yet he hadn't sensed the other's presence even when they were that close.

Killing an enemy with one punch, Qin Fen was quite pleased. This attack was not only perfectly concealed but the killing method was precise, incorporating the key points of killing taught by Instructor Butcher.

WHOOSH!

A person suddenly materialized less than two meters in front of Qin Fen! Before the opponent could react, he leaped up and delivered the most direct and effective strike: the Fierce Tiger Emerges, slamming directly into the opponent's throat.

This strike was almost purely instinctive. Only after he confirmed the opponent was dead did Qin Fen realize he hadn't even seen the enemy's name.

Having dealt with two, Qin Fen quickened his pace forward. Hiding in one place to ambush might reduce the danger of being killed, but it offered no chance to accumulate the highest score.

Passing through a small grove, Qin Fen saw no one on the road outside the woods, but two figures were hidden in the trees not far away.

Qin Fen smiled. These two were hiding too amateurishly. If Gerile saw them, he would surely beat them severely himself to teach them what true professional-level hiding meant.

Bending down, he picked up two stones, each about the size of an infant’s fist. He weighed them lightly in his hand, then flicked his wrist. The two pebbles shot out, spinning rapidly like bullets.

PAT, PAT…

The two people in the tree never expected to be exposed so abruptly. They hurriedly lashed out to block the incoming stones, using the force of impact to tumble down from the tree.

Qin Fen scraped his feet against the ground, already in pursuit, raising his hand for the Fierce Tiger Emerges strike from the Shaolin Arhat Fist.

Before the two could steady themselves, Qin Fen was upon them. Powered by the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, the Shaolin Arhat Fist's Tiger Subdues stance smashed down, striking squarely against the arms they had hastily crossed for defense.

Three limbs collided, producing a muffled thud.

The one attacked felt his arms and legs instantly weaken, causing him to collapse onto his knees. His head met Qin Fen's knee.

With a crisp sound of breaking bone, the man’s entire facial structure shattered. His body flew three Zhang away like a discarded sack. Qin Fen's score on the data panel increased again.