"Li Zhaotong of the Sha Blade Sect? His strength is decent enough, and the Sha Blade Sect’s Secret Transmission is so-so. Who’s his opponent? I’ve never heard of him before."

On the second-floor viewing platform, the white woman beside Zhou Lie, a True Inheritance disciple of the Giant Spirit Sect, asked.

"A True Inheritance disciple from a Martial Arts Hall in some small town. He only cultivates an ordinary Secret Transmission, but according to our information, his strength seems quite good. He’s a dark horse in this Martial Arts Association tournament."

Zhou Lie said calmly.

"A dark horse?"

The white woman nodded, the interest in her eyes fading.

’It seems this will be a battle without any suspense.’

In her view, true dark horses didn’t exist in this world. Crushed under the weight of powerful lineages, vast resources, and a high enough platform, an individual’s talent and effort were truly insignificant.

A small town meant meager resources and a narrow worldview. An ordinary Secret Transmission limited one’s growth ceiling, rendering even the greatest talent useless.

Although Li Zhaotong didn’t impress her, the four great Schools were, after all, Schools that passed down top-tier Secret Transmissions. The gap between them and a small-town Martial Arts Hall was simply not something that could be overcome by so-called talent.

She never believed in miracles. They were merely the fantasies of the ignorant.

People were born with status, high and low.

That was the cruelest truth of the world.

For Melissa, the daughter of the Jili Empire’s Consul-General to the Divine Land and a bearer of Royal Family blood, the concepts of lineage and hierarchy were ingrained in her very bones.

「On the fighting ring.」

Li Zhaotong and Zhao Xuanqi stood facing each other.

"I saw your last fight. It was brilliant. I hope you can withstand a few of my strikes."

Li Zhaotong said to Zhao Xuanqi, his expression calm.

"Is that so? I, on the other hand, hope you have the skill to deliver those few strikes."

Zhao Xuanqi replied, his tone just as flat.

"Not bad. I like your confidence."

The smile on Li Zhaotong’s lips grew more and more unbridled.

BANG!

In the next moment, his arms were covered by a Qi Surge, swelling to a degree comparable to the Blood Essence in Zhao Xuanqi’s arms!

SWOOSH!

His figure shot forward in an instant. With his palm held like a blade, he chopped down from mid-air.

Vicious! Concise!

Zhao Xuanqi stood his ground. The moment the Hand Blade fell, his body moved.

Blood Essence instantly flooded his arms as he met Li Zhaotong’s attack with a sudden Tiger Palm strike!

BANG!

A muffled thud of colliding flesh and blood spread out. An intense vibration and shockwave instantly washed over both their bodies.

Zhao Xuanqi instantly retracted his forward step. His posture shifted from Firm to flexible, and using a Force Transformation Technique, he instantly neutralized the aftershock of the collision, channeling it into the ground. Then, with a heavy step, he re-established his position in the exact same spot.

Li Zhaotong, on the other hand, was violently knocked back several steps by the vibration.

’This kind of power...’

Li Zhaotong narrowed his eyes slightly. Just watching, without experiencing it firsthand, one could never imagine the terrifying force of Zhao Xuanqi’s explosive power.

His Sha Blade Sect used an extreme Secret Transmission training method. While other Secret Transmissions’ Cross-Training phases aimed for a Qi Surge to cover the entire body, the Sha Blade Sect was different. They focused all their energy and Qi and Blood on training the arms, chest, and back—the most crucial parts for swinging a blade. This gradually pushed the strength of their arms, chest, and back beyond the limits of a normal person, making their Qi and Blood and muscles more suitable for the Sha Blade Sect’s Force Release techniques.

Within the sect, this training method was known as "Breaking Extreme."

One could say the Sha Blade Sect’s Secret Transmission completely sacrificed the defensive aspects of Cross-Training, placing all its emphasis on attack.

The best offense is the best defense. For a powerful Swordsman, there was no such thing as defense!

And yet, at this moment, the force of his arm strikes was actually a notch weaker than his opponent’s?!

In terms of attack power, he was actually a notch inferior?!

’What kind of terrifying, monstrous strength is this?’

"If this is all you have, you won’t get the chance to land any more strikes."

Zhao Xuanqi said to Li Zhaotong, still standing in the same spot, his expression calm.

’This guy...’

Li Zhaotong narrowed his eyes slightly, and his arms swelled violently once more!

Amidst the muscle fibers, bulging veins, and blood vessels, what looked like ghoulish patterns seemed to form!

The Brake Pattern!

The arms of a Sha Blade Sect member, forged through their Secret Transmission, would have their muscle structure and even the distribution of their blood vessels gradually altered into a specific form. When this transformation reached a certain level and their Qi and Blood erupted, the muscles and blood vessels would coalesce into the ghost-like Brake Pattern. This was also the origin of the Sha Blade Sect’s name!

The manifestation of the Brake Pattern was when a Sha Blade Sect member’s attack was at its strongest!

The next moment, Li Zhaotong attacked Zhao Xuanqi again!

Brake Pattern Blade!!

RRRIP!!

The air let out a sharp crack, the shockwave parting like the sea. This was the very same strike that had hit Cui Weining’s arm, cleanly severing the bone!

However, Zhao Xuanqi was no Cui Weining.

BANG!!

The coverage of Blood Essence spread rapidly from his arms to his chest and back. His entire chest swelled up, and a terrifying light flickered in his eyes.

His muscles contracted and released force in a way that defied common sense, erupting violently.

Their attacks collided once more!

Zhao Xuanqi once again retracted his foot, landing precisely back in his original spot.

It was Li Zhaotong who was once again forced back several steps!

’How is this possible?!!’

At that moment, a look of utter disbelief flashed across Li Zhaotong’s face. Even with the Brake Pattern manifested...

He looked at Zhao Xuanqi, who still stood in his original spot, and suddenly felt his opponent’s figure growing larger, his shadow slowly spreading.

This was a humiliation!!

An intense rage surged into his mind, stimulating the blood throughout his body. Riding this wave of intense anger, he abruptly struck several acupoints on his body.

In the next instant, his eyes turned completely red. His gaze was truly like that of a Rakshasa Evil Ghost crawling out of Purgatory.

The Sha Blade Sect’s Secret Technique: Killing Fire.

It could be used under the drive of intense anger, in coordination with striking acupoints, to stimulate the body’s organs and make them function at a higher level.

Breaking Extreme! Breaking Extreme!

As if he had transformed into a Rakshasa Evil Ghost, Li Zhaotong struck at Zhao Xuanqi again. This time, Zhao Xuanqi moved.

His entire upper body entered a full Blood Essence state. He opened his five fingers into a claw and suddenly struck the charging Li Zhaotong with a Tiger Palm.

The airflow whistled through the gaps between his five fingers, the friction creating a sound like the roar of a wild beast.

Spreading his five fingers reduced the Tiger Palm’s wind resistance, making it faster and allowing the force to be more penetrating.

Where Hundred Fierce Mountain Forest was about vibration and explosion, this strike was about penetration and depth.

If Hundred Fierce Mountain Forest was a "cannon," then this technique was an "arrow."

Li Zhaotong’s strike was fast, but his palm was faster!!

Fierce Form.

Killing Tiger Wind Chant!!

The palm struck out, landing squarely on Li Zhaotong’s descending wrist!

BOOM!!

This time, their figures froze, locked in a stalemate in mid-air.

About half a second later, Zhao Xuanqi abruptly retracted his palm, turned, and walked off the ring without a backward glance.

On the other side, Li Zhaotong’s arm remained frozen in the air. The Qi Surge and crimson color suddenly faded. With a CRACK, the part that had been struck—his arm—instantly became severely deformed and hung limp. The bone had clearly been broken.

At this moment, Li Zhaotong’s expression was incredibly ugly. He watched the departing back, wanting to stop him, but he couldn’t take a single step.

A Swordsman whose blade is broken has already lost completely.

"Top three of the Ten Heroes? I’m a little disappointed."

At the same time, the voice of the departing Zhao Xuanqi drifted into Li Zhaotong’s ears, causing his face to turn a shade paler.