111: Your strength is not enough for me to take action!

With the general's command,

Boom!

The light barriers surrounding the hundreds of arenas were simultaneously withdrawn.

An aura of solemn killing instantly pervaded the entire martial arts field.

"Kill!"

Someone shouted, no one knew who.

An unprecedented grand melee instantly erupted!

Tens of thousands of geniuses surged onto those hundreds of arenas like dumplings dropped into a boiling pot.

For a moment, Yuan Power surged chaotically, blades gleamed and swords flashed, and the sounds of miserable cries were incessant.

Every minute, every second, people were being knocked off the arenas, losing their qualifications.

The scene was bloody and brutal.

Qin Shuang and Zhao Cheng also followed the human tide, rushing towards different arenas.

Qin Shuang was like a bolt of white lightning, her longsword dancing in her hands. Wherever her sword light passed, no one could stand in her way.

Any Martial Artist daring to get close to her would be flicked away by her sword with clean, decisive strikes.

Zhao Cheng, however, appeared somewhat disheveled. His strength was only considered mid-to-lower among the crowd. He could only rely on the Medicinal Pills given by the City Lord and some petty cleverness, skirting the edges of the arena, struggling to survive.

But Li Qing stood still on the spot, unmoving.

The area around him seemed to have an invisible barrier.

The people around him were engaged in a frenzied slaughter, yet not a single person dared to come within three steps of him.

Everyone's gaze would instinctively avert when they saw his calm face.

Are you kidding?

Even Wang Teng from Qingzhou City was sent flying with just a glare from him. Who would dare to court such misfortune now?

This Li Qing before them was definitely a top 100 seed.

Why risk life and limb in the elimination round?

Enter the second stage safely.

Don't provoke those top experts.

Maybe you can even sneak into the third stage later by picking up the pieces.

Thus, while the entire martial arts field was in utter chaos, a strange vacuum zone formed around Li Qing.

Of course, it wasn't just Li Qing. Many other powerful geniuses were also standing quietly.

Li Qing simply stood there peacefully, watching others fight to the death.

This scene naturally did not escape the notice of those on the towering viewing platform.

"Hmm? That young man is quite interesting."

A woman wearing luxurious palace attire, with stunningly beautiful features, pointed at Li Qing below with keen interest.

She was the current Grand Princess of the Great Xia Dynasty, Xia Qingyue.

"Which one does Your Highness refer to?"

An elder with white hair and a youthful complexion beside her followed her pointing finger to look.

"That's the one standing motionless, yet no one dares to provoke him—the youth in black."

Xia Qingyue said with a smile.

She knew, or had seen, most of the other Prodigy youths.

But she truly hadn't seen that youth in black before.

The elder took a look and chuckled, stroking his beard.

"Haha, this youngster is probably the kid from Jinling City who intimidated Wang Teng from Qingzhou at the gate of Tiantian Garden a couple of days ago."

"Oh? There was such a thing?"

Xia Qingyue's beautiful eyes lit up.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"According to reports, this youngster used an invisible force of energy to shatter a ten-thousand-catty Mysterious Iron Stone and severely injured Wang Teng, who was at the Early Stage of the Meridian Opening Realm."

"His methods are quite peculiar. Based on the previous report from Jinling City's City Lord, this son is one with Innate Divine Strength!"

The elder explained.

"Innate Divine Strength?"

The smile at the corner of Xia Qingyue's lips deepened.

"Interesting, truly interesting. Someone from a small place like Jinling City actually possesses such talent."

"Elder Chen, keep a closer eye on him for me."

"As you command, Your Highness."

The elder respectfully assented... On the arena.

The melee had reached a fever pitch.

The number of participants was decreasing at a terrifying speed.

Finally, someone turned their gaze towards the "leisurely" Li Qing.

It was a burly man of sturdy build, holding a giant axe.

He was drenched in blood, his aura wild and violent, clearly having just gone through a fierce battle.

His cultivation level was actually at the Peak of the Condensing Essence Realm!

"Kid, you look pretty idle, huh?"

The burly man panted heavily, pointing his giant axe at Li Qing, his eyes filled with provocation.

"Either roll off on your own."

"Or I'll split you in half!"

He, too, was one with Innate Divine Strength, capable of crossing realms to spar with those in the Meridian Opening Realm.

Li Qing had stolen the spotlight earlier.

Now it was his turn to shine!

His voice attracted the attention of everyone around.

Everyone stopped their actions and looked over with schadenfreude.

They had also long been displeased with Li Qing.

Why is everyone fighting desperately while you, kid, get to stand here and watch the show?

So you defeated Wang Teng, that's all.

Alright, fair enough!

Now, finally, a tough opponent is going to give him trouble.

They recognized this burly man. He was the top Genius of Yanzhou City, known as "Fierce Axe" Xiong Ba, possessing immense and formidable strength.

And he also had Innate Divine Strength!

Now, this would be a good show to watch.

Li Qing slowly raised his eyelids and glanced at the burly man named Xiong Ba.

Then, he shook his head and said indifferently.

"Your strength is not worth my effort."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire area was shocked.

Everyone thought they had misheard.

A kid at the Middle Stage of the Condensing Essence Realm actually told a Peak Condensing Essence Realm expert that he wasn't worth his effort?

What audacity!

"What did you say?!"

Xiong Ba was also stunned for a moment before flying into a rage.

This kid was even more arrogant than him!

Damn it!

"You little bastard, you're looking for death!"

He roared, erupting with all his Yuan Power. The giant axe in his hands, carrying the force to split mountains and crack stones, came crashing down fiercely towards Li Qing's head!

This axe strike was immensely powerful and heavy, tearing through the air and emitting a piercing sonic boom.

Everyone instinctively closed their eyes.

They could almost already see the bloody scene of Li Qing being cleaved in two by the axe.

However, Li Qing remained standing in place, motionless.

He didn't even bother to lift an eyelid.

Just as the giant axe was about to land on his head.

He merely, gently, threw a punch!

This punch looked utterly ordinary.

There was no Protective Aura, no fluctuation of Internal Energy, not even the slightest stir of wind.

It was like an ordinary person casually swinging an arm.

"Huh??"

Xiong Ba was dumbfounded.

Everyone present was dumbfounded.

What was he doing?

What a joke!

"You little bastard, are you mocking me?!"

Xiong Ba felt immensely insulted.

The giant axe in his hands gained an even more formidable momentum. A faint layer of fiery light even lit up on the axe blade—a manifestation of him pushing his Yuan Power to the extreme!

He wanted to crush this ignorant, arrogant kid before him, bones and all!

However, the moment this thought arose in his mind.

An indescribably terrifying pressure descended out of thin air!

It was as if the entire sky was pressing down on him alone at that very moment!

Li Qing's seemingly feather-light fist finally collided with his flame-wreathed giant axe.

There was no earth-shattering crash as expected.

Nor was there any dazzling burst of scattered Yuan Power.

There was only a faint, almost negligible, "crack" sound.

Time, at that moment, seemed to slow down countless times over.