The atmosphere at the venue was incredibly fervent, and it was only when Jiang Yun stood on the stage that he truly felt the tangible excitement brought by the cheering crowd below. It indeed made his blood boil with enthusiasm.
After the two of them stood in their positions and exchanged respectful fist salutes, the host introduced the rules. There were only three rules: first, no attacks below the belt; second, no harm to one's life; third, no attacks on the host.
The host asked both contestants if they understood the rules, and they nodded. With the host leaving the stage, it signaled the start of the match.
"Hmph, you're as good as dead," sneered Xiao Suo, clenching his fists tightly.
Jiang Yun brushed aside his disheveled hair and responded in an even more arrogant and cold tone than Xiao Suo, "Come on, let me show you my decisive and ruthless side."
Those words ignited Xiao Suo's anger completely, and he roared, "You're asking for death."
Xiao Suo's punches were fast, and his footwork was swift. The sound of his fists cutting through the air demonstrated his formidable strength at the eighth level of Qi Martial Arts.
While Xiao Suo was fast, Jiang Yun was even faster. The extraordinary nature of the Four Images Steps made it impossible for Xiao Suo to approach solely relying on speed.
Xiao Suo's aggressive punches didn't even touch the edge of Jiang Yun's clothes. Jiang Yun only evaded without counterattacking, intentionally toying with Xiao Suo. His eyes swept towards the position of the presiding platform.
Xiao Wan Shan's eyes lit up, appearing contemplative, which alerted Jiang Yun. He thought to himself, "Oh no, I shouldn't have used this footwork. I mustn't be recognized."
The Four Images Steps had been used in front of several members of the Xiao family during the time of killing Xiao Kuan. They would surely mention it to Xiao Wan Shan, and if Jiang Yun used it here again, it would easily arouse suspicion.
Having made up his mind, Jiang Yun decided not to rely on the footwork to toy with Xiao Suo any longer.
When Xiao Wan Shan saw Jiang Yun dodge Xiao Suo's punch, it did make him think of his subordinates mentioning Jiang Yun's mysterious footwork. However, as he continued watching, he realized that he had overthought it.
"Xiao Suo seems to be in a slightly worse state today. Why is he constantly missing his punches and getting hit by that person from the Lin family?" Some people in the audience discussed Xiao Suo, thinking that he was not in good form.
"It's hard to say. I think that person from the Lin family is quite skilled. Every time, he anticipates Xiao Suo's attacks in advance, evades when he can, and quickly counters when he can't dodge. That's why it appears that Xiao Suo's punches always miss."
Another observant spectator had a sharper insight and summed up the situation with a single sentence.
"So, are you saying that the Lin family is likely to win this match?"
"Not necessarily. Have you noticed that even though the person from the Lin family manages to hit Xiao Suo every time, Xiao Suo seems unharmed? Perhaps it's because his strength is not enough. So, it's still uncertain who will win."
"Look, it seems like Xiao Suo is about to unleash his ultimate move."
With a surge of anger, Xiao Suo unleashed a punch that made a crackling explosion sound in the air.
At this moment, Jiang Yun had already retreated to the edge of the martial arts stage. If he retreated any further, he would fall off, so at this point, he had no choice but to confront the attack head-on.
Everyone held their breath, watching how Jiang Yun would respond to Xiao Suo's fiercely aggressive punch.
Jiang Yun spread his legs apart, crouched slightly with bent knees, drew a half-circle with his hands in front of his chest, and then caught Xiao Suo's iron fists.
To the surprise of the audience, Jiang Yun didn't get sent flying as they had imagined. Instead, he stood firm on the stage without budging.
Jiang Yun first used Tai Chi to neutralize the majority of the force behind Xiao Suo's punch. Then, he activated the Absorption Star Technique, swiftly absorbing Xiao Suo's spiritual energy.
Xiao Suo could only feel Jiang Yun's hands acting like suction cups, firmly attached to his fists, making it impossible for him to break free. What terrified him the most was that his own spiritual energy was being rapidly drained by Jiang Yun.
The onlookers could only see Jiang Yun blocking Xiao Suo's punch with his hands, and then Xiao Suo's expression turned into one of terror, his eyes wide open, and his body trembling uncontrollably.
Soon, all the spiritual energy within Xiao Suo's body was completely absorbed by Jiang Yun. Jiang Yun pushed Xiao Suo away with a forceful shove.
"Thud!"
Xiao Suo fell heavily to the ground, the sound of his fall reverberating in everyone's ears.
Silence.
The martial arts arena fell into complete silence.
No one could have expected that the final outcome would end in this manner.
The host quickly stepped onto the stage. After checking on the fallen Xiao Suo and confirming that he was unable to get up, the host announced Jiang Yun as the winner of the match.
After waiting for the host to announce the results, Jiang Yun quickly returned to the backstage resting room without responding to the greetings from Lin Feier and Lin Sen.
It was understandable why Jiang Yun was in a hurry. He was eager to find a place to refine the spiritual energy he had absorbed from Xiao Suo. Otherwise, if the spiritual energy ran wild within him, he wouldn't be able to handle it.
In the designated resting room provided by the Lin family, Jiang Yun sat cross-legged, guiding the dissipation of Xiao Suo's spiritual energy throughout his body. Then, he began to refine it using the Nine Li Divine Technique.
While Jiang Yun was refining the spiritual energy, the competition was still ongoing outside.
The third match was between Jiang Yu from the Jiang family and Xiao Li from the Xiao family. Xiao Li was a martial artist at the ninth level of Qi-Warrior, while Jiang Yu was only at the eighth level. The final outcome was naturally evident. Within three minutes, Jiang Yu was sent flying off the stage by a palm strike from Xiao Li, declaring the match's end.
Xiao Li seemed to have a high popularity among the citizens of Yanjing City, as his victory triggered cheers from the audience.
The fourth match was between Lin Feier and Ye Qin, the most talented young martial artist from the Ye family. This match ignited the atmosphere of the entire martial arts arena.
The appearance of Lin Feier, as the daughter of the Lin family, caused screams from the audience. Ye Qin's handsome looks and reputation also garnered support from many.
"Feier greets Brother Ye Qin," Lin Feier politely greeted him.
Ye Qin was also courteous, and both of them were skilled in swordsmanship. Ye Qin praised, "Feier, you must have honed your sword skills over the years at the Purple Forest Sword Sect. Today, I can have the opportunity to learn from you."
Naturally, Lin Feier remained humble. However, at this point, the host had already stepped down and announced the start of the match. They couldn't exchange pleasantries any longer. With a single word, Lin Feier announced the beginning of the match.
Lin Feier used the Jade Maiden Sword Technique, and the beautiful sword light complemented her gentle and charming demeanor. Her first move received a wave of applause from the audience.
As the top young martial artist of the Ye family, Ye Qin naturally possessed formidable skills. Faced with Lin Feier's relentless attacks, he effortlessly dealt with them, not even drawing his sword.
The match between Lin Feier and Ye Qin may not have been the most intense, but it was undoubtedly the most visually captivating. One could easily tell from the entranced expressions of the spectators that they were thoroughly engrossed in the spectacle.
When Jiang Yun finished refining the spiritual energy absorbed from Xiao Suo and emerged from the room, he happened to witness Lin Feier and Ye Qin's match entering a heated phase.
Ye Qin had long abandoned his initial nonchalance and now found himself at a disadvantage, struggling to fend off Lin Feier's continuous assault. Lin Feier's supporters in the audience were particularly vocal in their enthusiastic cheers.
Observing the scene, Jiang Yun, with his sharp eyes, could tell that Lin Feier had already exerted her full strength, while Ye Qin still had some energy reserves. If the match continued in this manner, it wouldn't be long before Lin Feier would find it difficult to keep up. At that point, she would have to admit defeat.