"What an impressive presence! As expected of the successor of the Qi-State Origin-Flow Art!"
Zhang Chulan's three opponents were intimidated by his grandiose entrance.
Then, Zhang Chulan stirred up the pride and passion in the three contestants with a few words. He sat cross-legged on the ground and said, "Among you, only the final victor, the strongest, will be able to receive the baptism of the Qi-State Origin-Flow Art!"
"He's making so much sense!"
"I have no words to counter that!"
"Then let's go! I am the one worthy of receiving that baptism!"
After an intense battle, a young man in a martial arts uniform emerged victorious over the other two. His blood boiled as he said to Zhang Chulan, "Come on, let's settle this once and for all."
"Sit down and calm the Qi stirring inside you first. I'll give you time to adjust so that no one can say Zhang Chulan takes advantage of others!" Zhang Chulan, with an arrogant look, said this to the poor guy.
"Alright!"
The young man agreed and promptly sat down cross-legged to calm his Qi. Little did he know what was coming.
Zhang Chulan slowly stood up, walked over to the young man, and asked the referee, "Daoist Master, if I strike him now, it's not against the rules, right?"
"It's not... but I want to hit you!"
The Daoist Master replied through gritted teeth, face dark with frustration.
"Huh? Didn't you say you'd wait until I recovered? What about the dignity of a strong man that you just spoke of?"
The young man was shocked.
"Heh, dignity? How much is that worth? It's just an excuse for a bunch of violent fools who care too much about their egos... Real dignity is far more valuable and isn't flaunted in such cheap circumstances!"
Zhang Chulan smiled as he spoke, already beginning to make his move.
"Ouch!"
"Whoa!"
"The winner of the White Tiger Group... Zhang Chulan!"
"What the heck!"
"Shameless!"
"How despicable!"
"Refund, please..."
...
"Hahaha, Zhang Chulan, you know how to play the game!"
Feng Xingtong was surprised at how easily the fight had gone.
"Sigh, I had no other choice, or else those three would have ganged up on me. You're the young master of the Heavenly Society, so I bet you face the same treatment as I do!"
Zhang Chulan replied with a laugh.
Feng Xingtong: "...True enough!"
Zhang Chulan and his companions regrouped with Xu San and Xu Si, who informed him about a few Outcast to watch out for. One notable change was that Hu Jie from Dongxiang Village would never show up again, which might delay their work against the Quanxing, but the result wouldn't differ much.
As they watched Zhuge Qing battle three others in the arena, none of them noticed anything particularly unusual. Lin Jiu, not being a practitioner of Qi techniques, also couldn't discern much, though he understood the principles behind the skills.
"What just happened? That guy got defeated by his wind technique!" Zhang Chulan was confused. Lin Jiu, knowing little more, remained silent.
In the Ding Peacock Group:
Zhang Chulan and the others watched from the stands. Zhang Chulan had long been eager to witness a fight involving the leader of the Reincarnation Sect.
"Leader Red tends to stay low-key, so he probably won't face the kind of gang-up we've experienced."
Feng Xingtong observed with a relaxed tone, noticing that even the audience in the stands was sparse.
"Maybe," Zhang Chulan couldn't help but feel a little envious. The powerful individuals Xu Si mentioned never had to deal with being ganged up on. Meanwhile, he, a self-proclaimed weakling, was under way too much pressure.
"The contestants have arrived! The match begins!"
Lin Jiu observed the other three contestants in the arena. They were unfamiliar, but one of them was on his list of suspected contractors.
"We should team up and get rid of that guy! He seems dangerous!"
The suspected contractor quickly suggested to the other two contestants, sensing danger from the opponent's aura.
Lin Jiu: ???
"Hah, if you're too scared, don't join the competition! How dangerous can a no-name guy be?" said one of the others, a man with long eyebrows, an aquiline nose, and long fingers, clearly skilled in hand-to-hand combat.
The third contestant didn't speak but appeared to agree, showing no sign of carrying a weapon, his knuckles hardened by years of practice—another hand-to-hand fighter.
Feng Xingtong provided Zhang Chulan with commentary from the stands: "The one with the long eyebrows is Chen Chuanlong from Xiong County, Hebei, an expert in Eagle Claw Kung Fu! His opponent across from him is Wang Zilin from Puzhou, Shanxi—his Xingyi Fist is no joke! As for the other guy, I've got no idea what his deal is!"
Meanwhile, Wang Zilin and Chen Chuanlong ignored the contractor's suggestion. To them, the real challenge lay in each other, and they had already started fighting.
Lin Jiu: Shouldn't they team up and eliminate the others first before fighting each other?
Lin Jiu found it hard to understand their logic, and he turned his gaze back to the contractor who wanted to gang up on him: "What a pity killing isn't allowed in this competition."
Those who chose to enter this competition rather than rely on groups outside were no weaklings. Teaming up with the other two was just an easier route.
As the two other contestants foolishly began fighting, the contractor sighed, loosening his fists, which gleamed with a metallic sheen.
Lin Jiu swiftly advanced toward him. Without using his [Dawn Shadow], he wanted to avoid accidentally killing anyone in this early stage of the competition, which would result in disqualification and mission failure.
"Armor Break!"
"Bone Shatter!"
The contractor's fists, encased in gloves with different effects, slammed toward Lin Jiu.
Lin Jiu sensed the power behind the strikes—his opponent's strength likely exceeded 25 points. The raw force and technique were formidable, but the rigid movements made his attacks predictable.
Seizing the opportunity from the opponent's stiff movements, Lin Jiu swiftly grabbed his arm at the joint before the strike could land. Using the opponent's momentum, Lin Jiu skillfully flipped him and slammed him into the ground.
Bang!
The impact was so loud that it startled the other two contestants, making them leap back in surprise.
The contractor spat blood, quickly raising his fists in a defensive posture. Sure enough, Lin Jiu's foot came down, only to be blocked. Lin Jiu stepped back immediately, not wanting to be overthrown by a sudden counterattack.
"His stamina is around 20 points. A close-quarters fighter focusing on strength and endurance," Lin Jiu estimated after assessing the opponent's condition from that single throw.
"Damn! How did he dodge my skill and grab my arm like that?"
The contractor was shocked. He had faced opponents who could endure his strikes, but this was something else entirely.
Lin Jiu's agility far surpassed his opponent's, but more importantly, his reflexes, reaction time, and dynamic vision were superior. Taking advantage of the contractor's rigid skill execution was an easy task.