156: Chapter 156 Relay Battles

The brawl lasted for three hours. When the last figure was forced out of the light screen by Ye Chen's sword shadow, only ten people remained on the martial arts stage.

Zhang Wen leaned on his sky-splitting startling thunder spear, panting. His Lightning Radiance armor was covered in scratches, and the lightning mark on his left arm throbbed with pain from overexertion.

Zhou Tong leaned beside him, his Heaven Burning Flame Breath reduced to a mere flicker at his fingertips. His school uniform was torn in several places, revealing blood-soaked bandages underneath—just moments ago, to block a Starlight Ray from Murong Wu for Zhang Wen, he had taken half a hit of Star Power head-on.

"At least... I didn't disgrace Azure Mist."

Zhou Tong coughed, and a bead of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth onto the scorching black iron stage, instantly evaporating into white smoke.

Zhang Wen was about to speak when Principal Gongsun's voice echoed throughout the arena: "Congratulations to the ten qualifiers! Next, we will draw lots to determine opponents, one-on-one duels to select the top eight, with the final two eliminated. The ultimate winner will serve as the captain of the Dragon nation's representative team!"

Ten names appeared instantly on the light screen suspended in mid-air. As the light swirled, the first round matchups were revealed:

Zhang Wen vs. Zhou Tong

Ye Chen vs. Su Qing

Murong Wu vs. Lu Yan

Xiao Zhan vs. Wind Shadow Lingfeng

Chu Yao vs. Shi Lei

When Zhou Tong saw the results, he suddenly laughed: "If I'd known we would face each other, I shouldn't have blocked that hit for you earlier."

He stood straight, his Heaven Burning Flame Breath reigniting. Though it wasn't as surging as it was at its Peak, it was fiercer than at any point during the brawl.

"Don't hold back. Let me see what you've managed to Cultivate over this past year."

Zhang Wen gripped his sky-splitting startling thunder spear, the lightning mark on his fingertips lighting up: "Same to you, Senior."

The two walked to the center of the martial arts stage, and the murmurs from below fell silent.

Principal Gongsun's gaze fell upon them, a trace of complexity flashing in his eyes—two students of Azure Mist would ultimately have to face each other, but the path of cultivation never allows for having it both ways.

"Begin!"

District One: Zhang Wen vs. Zhou Tong

At the referee's command, Zhou Tong tapped his toes, and his Heaven Burning Flame Breath spread along the black iron stage, raising flames half a foot high wherever it passed. He became like an arrow wrapped in a ball of fire, lunging straight at Zhang Wen.

Blood seeped from the bandages on his left arm, but his offensive momentum didn't falter in the slightest—the Starlight Ray he had blocked for Zhang Wen during the brawl had now become his reason for burning his bridges. "Let me show you, Azure Mist has more than just one Genius!"

Zhang Wen spread his feet slightly, his sky-splitting startling thunder spear pointing obliquely at the ground, the Lightning Radiance at the spear tip sizzling amidst the flames.

Seeing the wave of fire approach his body, he spun abruptly, sweeping his spear horizontally, creating a lightning net that instantly split the flames in two. "Senior, you hesitated!"

Before the words had even faded, the spear tip suddenly changed direction, grazing past Zhou Tong's wave of flames to strike directly at his ribs—that was where Zhou Tong's old injury was.

Zhou Tong's pupils constricted. He twisted his body to dodge, but his shoulder was grazed by the lightning net. With a "sizzle," his uniform instantly turned charred black.

He retreated with a muffled grunt, his Heaven Burning Flame Breath suddenly surging, transforming into a rain of fire across the sky: "Then can you handle this move?"

"Flame Prison Incinerates the World!!!"

The rain of fire was wrapped in fine sparks; upon touching the ground, they ignited, surrounding Zhang Wen in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Wen, however, remained calm. The lightning mark on his left arm lit up, and Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder spewed out along the spear shaft. "Myriad Thunders Coiling Dragon Break!" Bolts of lightning dragons shot into the sky.

The rain of fire collided with the lightning dragons and completely turned into white smoke. "I can't handle it, but I can keep it from burning."

He suddenly lowered his body, the spear tip sliding along the ground, the Lightning Radiance like a snake, coiling toward Zhou Tong's ankles.

Zhou Tong leaped to dodge, but forgot about the injury on his shoulder, his movements lagging by half a second.

The Lightning Radiance had already crawled up his lower leg along his pant leg, and a numbness instantly spread throughout his entire body.

Looking at Zhang Wen's figure standing with his spear, he suddenly laughed and waved his hand to disperse his flame breath: "I lost. But remember, the glory of Azure Mist is not something one person can carry alone."

District Two: Ye Chen vs. Su Qing

On the other side, Su Qing's rusted sword had just been unsheathed when it was wrapped by a mass of black mist.

Ye Chen's figure flickered within the black mist, his sword wind silent yet carrying a bone-chilling cold.

"Your sword is too old," his cold voice came from within the black mist.

Su Qing gripped the sword hilt, and the rusted blade suddenly lit up with a red glow—that was "Crimson Refinement," which she had nourished with her own essential blood for three years.

"An old sword can still kill." She tapped her toes, her figure spinning like a top, and the rusted sword drew arcs of crimson, forcing the black mist to retreat continuously.

Ye Chen's sword suddenly pierced out from the black mist, aiming directly at Su Qing's wrist.

Su Qing was prepared; she twisted her wrist, and her rusted sword parried the opponent's blade. As the two swords collided, they emitted a harsh, scraping sound.

"Your sword is very fast, but it lacks a bit of warmth."

Su Qing suddenly closed the distance, deliberately leaving an opening with her rusted sword to bait Ye Chen into thrusting.

Ye Chen indeed struck with his sword, but he hadn't expected Su Qing to flick three copper coins with her other hand, hitting his finger joints holding the sword with precision.

In the instant his sword momentum stalled, Su Qing's rusted sword was already pressed against his throat. "I concede." As she retracted her sword, the red glow on the rusted blade gradually faded, as if it had never lit up at all.

Ye Chen looked at his numb finger joints, showing a look of surprise for the first time: "Your copper coins... is that the 'Nine Palaces' technique?"

District Three: Murong Wu vs. Lu Yan

When Murong Wu raised her hand, the air was already studded with stars, each one emitting a cold, biting light.

"Star Orbit: Fall!" She shouted softly, and countless Starlight Rays shot toward Lu Yan like silver needles, so dense that they were impossible to dodge.

Lu Yan, however, just stood in place with his arms crossed over his chest. The Starlight Rays landed on him as if hitting a steel plate, bouncing off one after another and leaving only faint white marks.

"Is your body made of stone?" Murong Wu frowned, her fingertips forming seals faster, and the stars condensed into a spear of light a zhang long, smashing down with a whistling sound.

Lu Yan finally moved—not to dodge, but to walk toward the spear of light.

He clenched his fists, and his bronze-colored skin took on a metallic luster, taking the spear of light head-on with his shoulder.

With a "crack," the spear of light shattered into pieces, turning into light spots across the sky. Murong Wu grunted, and blood spilled from the corner of her mouth—Star Power backlash.

"What kind of Physique do you actually have?" She asked, panting. Lu Yan scratched his head and gave a silly laugh: "Hehe, it's 'Vajra Body'."

He took a step forward, the ground shook, and Murong Wu stumbled, being shaken out of the light screen.

District Four: Xiao Zhan vs. Wind Shadow Lingfeng

Wind Shadow Lingfeng's figure was so fast that only an afterimage remained, circling Xiao Zhan and occasionally flicking out Wind Blades to cut at his ankles.

"Big guy, can't catch me, right?" His voice echoed all around.

Xiao Zhan closed his eyes, letting the Wind Blades cut into his body, his Protective Aura stirring up rings of red light.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide and smashed a fist into the ground! "Overlord: Tremor!" The black iron stage shook violently, and Ling Feng's afterimage instantly became unstable, revealing his figure.

"Caught you."

Xiao Zhan's fist was already before his eyes. Ling Feng hurriedly condensed a wind shield, but it was shattered directly by the fist wind, and his entire body flew out of the light screen like a kite with a broken string.

Upon landing, he clutched his chest and smiled bitterly: "Shouldn't have provoked this madman..."

District Five: Chu Yao vs. Shi Lei

Shi Lei pressed both hands to the ground, and several earth walls instantly rose from the martial arts stage, surrounding Chu Yao in the center.

"My 'Thick Earth Array', no one can break it." Just as he finished speaking, the earth walls suddenly cracked from the inside—Chu Yao's fingertips were wrapped in fine vines, and the thorns on the vines were frantically gnawing at the earth walls.

"Who said I was going to break it?"

Chu Yao's voice came from behind the earth walls, the vines suddenly turning to coil up Shi Lei's lower legs along his pant legs.

Shi Lei wanted to stomp his feet to break the vines, but found that the vines had already taken root in the ground, entangling with his earth-type power. "Is this... 'Symbiosis Technique'?"

Chu Yao walked out from the cracks in the earth walls, the vines stretching out behind her: "Borrowing your earth to nourish my vines."

Shi Lei felt his internal spiritual power being sucked away by the vines, his face turning pale, and he had to admit defeat.

"These two can be considered dark horses."

"Indeed, without good resources to Cultivate, yet relying on themselves to reach this Realm at such an age." Several senior officials discussed.

The first round ended, and there were 9 rounds to follow. This was not only a test of strength but also an ultimate test of spiritual power endurance and tactical adaptability—only those who could laugh until the end were qualified to carry the banner of the Dragon nation.