Four days passed quickly.
When I arrived at the Arena, the stands were packed. Hundreds of outer sect disciples had gathered—some to watch, some to fight, and many simply to gamble on the outcomes.
The tournament had drawn a surprising number of participants—around two hundred disciples had signed up. But as I scanned the fighters, I realized most of them were clustered around the seventh or eighth layer of Body Tempering. Only a few—maybe four or five—were at the ninth layer.
The gap in strength between the minor stages was no small thing. Those at the ninth layer naturally became the favorites.
I saw Jiang Mu standing far off near the edge of the Arena, his arms crossed, his expression indifferent as if none of this was worthy of his attention.
His presence drew many gazes.
But I focused on my own upcoming fight.
---
When my name was called for the first round, I stepped onto the stage.
My opponent was already waiting.
> "So, you're Chen Yu?"
His voice dripped with disdain.
"I've heard about you. People are saying you're some rising talent. What a joke."
He was a tall, broad-shouldered youth named Han Wei, in the seventh layer of Body Tempering. He smirked as if the fight was already over.
> "Don't waste my time. Just hand over the victory and you won't have to leave here crawling."
I said nothing.
The elder overseeing the match glanced at us both. "Begin!"
Han Wei immediately lunged forward, his fists blazing as he activated his martial art—a low-grade fist technique that caused small bursts of wind with each punch.
His attacks were aggressive, fast, and loud.
But they were shallow.
I sidestepped easily, my body moving smoothly under the rhythm of the Heaven Reversion Law.
> "What's wrong, afraid to fight back?" Han Wei sneered, driving his fist toward my ribs.
I caught his wrist mid-strike.
His eyes widened.
> "You—"
Before he could finish, I pivoted, driving my elbow into his chest with precise, explosive force.
He stumbled back, clutching his ribs, gasping for air.
I didn't give him time to recover.
A sharp kick swept his legs out from under him, and with a final palm strike to his shoulder, I sent him sprawling to the ground.
The crowd fell silent.
The elder raised his hand. "Winner, Chen Yu!"
> "Impossible…" Han Wei coughed, still in disbelief.
I didn't linger.
As I stepped off the stage, I felt a sharp gaze on me.
I looked across the Arena to see Jiang Mu watching me, his lips curled into a cold, thin smile.
For a brief moment, our eyes met.
His smile deepened, and then he turned away, as if the outcome had been within his expectations.
> I see… so it won't be long before we cross fists.