139: Another battle

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground of the Drill Ground.

Chen Linsheng closed his eyes and regulated his breathing for about fifteen minutes, restoring the Qi and blood within his body to a state of full harmony. He slowly opened his eyes just as Judge Li's voice drifted down from the high platform:

"The second round of drawing lots begins!"

The remaining fifty candidates lined up once more.

Chen Linsheng reached into the lot container and drew one. Carved on the bamboo slip was "C3"—he was still in group c, but his number had changed. This meant he would face another opponent from group c who had won in the first round.

Not far away, Yan Chen drew "A1" and would once again be the first to appear, as if deliberately flaunting his edge. Mu Qingxue was "B2," Han Tie was "C1," Yu Linfeng was "D4," and Lin Yueru was "E3"... Several seed contestants did not encounter each other early in the second round, clearly a deliberate arrangement of the drawing to ensure the clash of the titans was saved for later.

"Second round, first match: group a Number 1 and Number 2, take the stage!"

Yan Chen was the first to take the stage again.

His opponent was a thin, sallow-faced middle-aged man around thirty years old, dressed simply, even a bit shabbily, with several bulging gray cloth bags hanging from his waist. This person had no obvious School insignia and was likely a Loose Cultivator.

"Loose Cultivator, Wu Ying." The middle-aged man's voice was hoarse. As he cupped his hands, his eyes flickered, quickly scanning Yan Chen's vital points.

"Blazing Sun Martial Arts Hall, Yan Chen." Yan Chen frowned slightly, appearing uninterested in such an opponent. "Make your move."

"Begin!"

As soon as the proctor's voice fell, Wu Ying's figure suddenly flickered!

Instead of charging straight ahead, he darted sideways, his right hand sweeping across his waist. Three streaks of black light shot toward Yan Chen's face and shoulders in a triangular formation! The black light was incredibly fast, making a sharp, ear-piercing sound as it cut through the air—they were actually three diamond-shaped darts with dark blue edges!

"Hidden weapons?" Yan Chen sneered. Without dodging or evading, a crimson True Energy erupted around him, forming a wall of searing air in front of him.

"Chichichi!"

The three darts shot into the wall of air, their speed dropping sharply. The bodies of the darts turned red and softened at a visible rate, eventually falling to the ground and turning into several puddles of molten iron.

However, Wu Ying's offensive did not stop. His figure moved like a ghost around the edge of the arena, his hands constantly flicking out. Darts, iron caltrops, bone-piercing needles... various poison-tipped hidden weapons poured out like a rainstorm, attacking Yan Chen from all sorts of tricky angles!

More insidiously, he would occasionally throw a handful of pale yellow powder. The powder would ignite upon contact with heat, turning into clouds of choking toxic smoke, attempting to interfere with Yan Chen's vision and breathing.

"Tricks!" Yan Chen barked. He lunged forward, the hidden weapons in his path melting away in the heat. But Wu Ying's Movement Technique was indeed strange; he always managed to avoid Yan Chen's strikes at the last possible moment, continuing his hit-and-run harassment.

Watching from the sidelines, Chen Linsheng's gaze narrowed slightly.

Wu Ying's tactic was clear—to wear down his opponent from a distance with hidden weapons and toxic smoke, never engaging in a direct confrontation. He was slippery, clearly an expert in this style. Although Yan Chen was strong, if he were constantly led by the nose, the consumption of his Qi, blood, and True Energy would surely intensify, which would be detrimental to subsequent matches.

Sure enough, after ten moves, a flicker of impatience crossed Yan Chen's face. He suddenly stopped, no longer pursuing, and formed a hand seal. The crimson True Energy around him erupted toward the sky like a volcanic explosion!

"Blazing Sun True Essence: Burning Heaven Hell!"

With him as the center, the ground within a ten-foot radius suddenly turned crimson! The terrifying high temperature distorted the air, and the toxic smoke and powder scattered on the ground were instantly evaporated and purified!

Wu Ying's face changed drastically as he hurriedly retreated, but the searing heat from the ground beneath him was already making his soles smoke!

At the very moment his movement faltered, Yan Chen moved.

With one step, he seemed to shrink the distance, closing in on Wu Ying in an instant! His right hand formed a claw, the crimson True Energy condensing into a solid form as he lunged to seize the crown of Wu Ying's head!

Horrified, Wu Ying hurriedly crossed his arms to block, while a cloth bag at his waist suddenly burst open, spraying a cloud of dark green toxic sand!

Yet Yan Chen's claw did not dodge, plunging directly into the toxic sand!

"Zizizi..."

The toxic sand came into contact with the crimson True Energy, making a piercing sound as it was rapidly melted into glass-like dross.

Yan Chen's claw broke through Wu Ying's arm defense without hindrance, seizing the top of his head!

"I surrender!" Wu Ying screamed hoarsely.

A red light flashed in Yan Chen's eyes. His claw did not deliver a killing blow, but his fingers tightened, and a majestic True Energy surged into the man's body!

"Pfft—!"

Wu Ying coughed up a large mouthful of blood and was sent flying like a tattered sack, crashing heavily onto the edge of the arena. After a couple of struggles, he fell unconscious. The Life Talisman at his waist had long since shattered.

"group a Number 1, Yan Chen wins!"

The proctor announced, though his tone carried a hint of imperceptible coldness.

A dead silence fell over the sidelines.

If Yan Chen's claw had been just half a fraction heavier, Wu Ying would have certainly died. Although he hadn't broken any rules, his ruthless methods sent a chill through many people's hearts.

"Trash." Yan Chen shook his hand as if he had touched something filthy and turned to leave the stage.

Several martial arts hall physicians responsible for treatment rushed onto the stage to carry Wu Ying down. Someone whispered, "His Meridians were invaded by Blazing Sun True Energy; he'll need at least half a year to recover..."

On the reviewing stand, Eunuch Cao's fingers, which were twirling black jade prayer beads, paused slightly. His narrow eyes glanced toward the Blazing Sun Martial Arts Hall Master, but he said nothing.

The Blazing Sun Martial Arts Hall Master's expression remained unchanged, but a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes.

"Second round, group c Number 3 and Number 4, take the stage!"

Chen Linsheng withdrew his gaze and stepped onto the stage.

His opponent had also taken the stage—a man in green robes about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, of medium build and ordinary appearance, the type who would vanish in a crowd. However, his eyes were exceptionally bright, his fingers were long, and he had thick calluses on his knuckles. In hidden places like his waist, cuffs, and boot tops, bulging concealed pockets were faintly visible.

"Loose Cultivator, Yu You." The man in green cupped his hands, his voice flat and emotionless.

"Yangwei Martial Arts Hall, Chen Linsheng."

"Begin!"