31: Chapter 31 National Martial Arts Tournament: A Battle of Heroes

The Beijing Martial Arts Arena was a cacophony of voices, with banners fluttering in the wind.

This magnificent structure, covering a thousand acres, was a Holy Land of the Huaxia martial arts world and the venue for every National Martial Arts Tournament. At this moment, the central arena stage was filled with flowing light and flickering runes, protected by a transparent shield capable of withstanding a full-power strike from a king-level expert.

The stands were packed to capacity. Martial arts experts, academy mentors, and Alliance officials from all over the country gathered here, their eyes fixed intently on the arena stage. Countless media reporters set up their equipment, their flashes going off one after another, illuminating the entire arena as if it were broad daylight.

Today was the opening day of the National Martial Arts Tournament.

Top Geniuses from thirty-four regions across the country had gathered to compete for the highest honor in the Huaxia martial arts world.

"Guests and spectators! Welcome to the 32nd National Martial Arts Tournament!" The host's impassioned voice echoed through the arena via an amplification formation. "This tournament is filled with experts, a galaxy of stars! We have 'Sword Immortal' Li Qingyun from Donghai Martial Arts University, the three-time defending champion; 'Sandstorm Saberman' Agula from the Western Regions; and our province's dark horse—Lin Zhou from Jiangcheng Martial Arts University!"

When the name "Lin Zhou" was announced, a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the stands. Countless people waved banners that read "Go Lin Zhou," their voices echoing to the heavens.

Lin Zhou's name had already spread across the nation following his brilliant achievements in the provincial Secret Realm. Slaying a Pseudo-King Rank exotic beast, obtaining a fragment of the sun-shooting bow, and reaching the legendary rank in just half a year—any one of these achievements was enough to make him the focus of this tournament.

In the contestant waiting area, Lin Zhou sat quietly in a chair, dressed in black martial attire with the blazing sun sniper bow on his back. Beside him, Qin Yue and Su Ye, acting as his support group, were cheering him on.

"Lin Zhou, just relax! With your current strength, winning the championship won't be a problem!" Su Ye patted his chest with a face full of confidence.

Qin Yue shook her head slightly and handed Lin Zhou a bottle of Mind-Concentrating Liquid. "Don't listen to his nonsense. This tournament is full of hidden talents, especially the 'Four Heavenly Kings' from Jingdu Martial Arts University. Every one of them is a mid-stage legend expert; you can't be careless."

Lin Zhou took the Mind-Concentrating Liquid and smiled slightly. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

His gaze swept over another group of contestants nearby. Standing there was the team from Jingdu Martial Arts University. The youth in the lead was tall and handsome, wearing a pristine white school uniform. The sword at his waist hummed occasionally, identifying him as the head of the Jingdu Four Heavenly Kings—Wang Chen.

At that moment, Wang Chen was also looking toward Lin Zhou. As their eyes met, invisible sparks seemed to fly in the air.

In the provincial Secret Realm, the two had joined forces against the Earth-Splitting Giant Bear. Although they had fought side-by-side briefly, there was an underlying tension. Now, reuniting on the stage of the National Tournament, it was destined to be a fierce clash.

"The tournament begins! First round: random draw, one-on-one duels!" the host's voice rang out again.

The draw results were soon announced. Lin Zhou's first-round opponent was an early-tier legend archer from Nanjiang Martial Arts University.

Lin Zhou walked slowly onto the arena stage, blazing sun sniper bow in hand, his Aura as steady as a mountain.

His opponent looked solemn, holding a custom-made repeating crossbow. The bolts shimmered with a faint blue light, clearly coated in deadly poison.

"Please advise!" the Nanjiang archer said deeply, pulling the trigger before his voice even faded.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Dozens of crossbow bolts shot out like a rainstorm, whistling through the air as they aimed for Lin Zhou's vital points. The poison on the bolts emitted a pungent smell; even a graze would be enough to kill an epic rank expert instantly.

A collective gasp rose from the stands.

"What a ruthless method! Going for the kill right from the start!"

"Lin Zhou is in danger! Dodge!"

However, Lin Zhou stood his ground, motionless. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and the perception of his Celestial Fox Physique activated instantly, accurately capturing the trajectory of every bolt.

With a slight flick of his wrist, the blazing sun sniper bow hummed and vibrated. An arrow was notched and fired in an instant.

Swoosh!

A streak of gold and red light tore through the air at extreme speed.

A shocking scene unfolded!

The arrow traced a bizarre arc in the air, incredibly striking every single crossbow bolt.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

After a series of crisp sounds, dozens of bolts fell to the ground. Meanwhile, the arrow Lin Zhou had fired continued forward with unabated momentum, as if it had eyes, flying toward the repeating crossbow in the Nanjiang archer's hand.

Crack!

The repeating crossbow shattered upon impact, fragments flying everywhere.

The Nanjiang archer's face turned pale, his pupils shrinking. He never expected Lin Zhou's archery to be so refined!

Lin Zhou did not follow up with another attack, simply saying, "You lost."

The Nanjiang archer's expression shifted between shame and frustration before he finally sighed, conceded, and left the stage.

Lin Zhou won the first match with ease!

Cheers erupted from the stands once more.

Over the next few days, the tournament proceeded in full swing. Lin Zhou advanced triumphantly, appearing unstoppable.

His opponents included shield warriors skilled in defense, extremely fast assassins, and mages who could manipulate elements. But no matter the opponent, Lin Zhou won easily with his exquisite archery, bizarre Space Jump Arrows, and condensed Archery Concept.

Every match was won cleanly and efficiently; every arrow was precise and lethal.

Soon, Lin Zhou fought his way into the top eight!

This result shocked everyone. No one expected this dark horse from Jiangcheng to be able to overcome all obstacles and reach this stage!

The draw for the quarter-finals instantly pushed the atmosphere of the entire arena to its Peak.

Lin Zhou's opponent was none other than the head of the Jingdu Martial Arts University Four Heavenly Kings—Wang Chen!

early-tier legend versus mid-stage legend!

The dark horse versus the established Genius!

This matchup instantly ignited the entire venue!

"My god! Lin Zhou is up against Wang Chen! This is practically Mars crashing into Earth!"

"Wang Chen is a mid-stage legend expert and Cultivates a top-tier sword-path Cultivation Technique. Lin Zhou is in trouble!"

"Not necessarily! Lin Zhou's archery is too Heaven-Defying; maybe he can create a miracle!"

Discussions broke out everywhere as everyone's eyes remained fixed on the arena stage.

In the contestant area, Wang Chen slowly stood up. Sword Intent radiated from him, and the powerful Aura of a mid-stage legend spread out, making the surrounding air turn cold.

He looked at Lin Zhou, a cold arc curling at the corner of his mouth. "Lin Zhou, back in the provincial Secret Realm, I said we would have a battle. I didn't expect it to come so soon."

Lin Zhou also stood up. Red light flickered on the blazing sun sniper bow, and his Archery Concept flowed slowly. "I've been looking forward to it as well."

The two walked slowly onto the arena stage, their gazes meeting, Battle Intent surging.

The host's voice carried a hint of excitement: "Spectators! The highly anticipated quarter-final is about to begin! The contenders are Lin Zhou of Jiangcheng Martial Arts University versus Wang Chen of Jingdu Martial Arts University! The match starts now!"

The moment the words fell, Wang Chen moved!

His figure flickered like a ghost, appearing instantly in front of Lin Zhou. The longsword at his waist unsheathed, its light as cold as autumn water, carrying an indomitable Aura as it lunged straight for Lin Zhou's throat!

The sword speed was like lightning, and its momentum was peerless!

The strength of a mid-stage legend was fully revealed!

In the stands, everyone held their breath.

This strike was too fast!

So fast that people simply couldn't react!

Even Qin Yue and Su Ye couldn't help but clench their fists, worry showing on their faces.

However, facing this lethal strike, there wasn't a trace of panic on Lin Zhou's face.

His eyes remained calm. The speed of his Celestial Fox Physique exploded in full, his body moving like a willow catkin in the wind, eerily drifting three feet to the side.

The longsword grazed his cheek, bringing a sharp gust of wind that ruffled his hair.

Using the momentum to retreat rapidly, Lin Zhou drew the blazing sun sniper bow to its limit. An arrow imbued with his Archery Concept pointed directly at Wang Chen!

"Cloud-Piercing Arrow Technique!"

The gold and red arrow, wrapped in scorching fire power, shot out like a meteor chasing the moon!

On the arena stage, sword light and arrow glow intertwined, erupting in a burst of dazzling light.

A Peak duel had begun!