Staring at Liu Qing, standing straight as a spear in the center of the arena, the entire crowd fell into a profound silence. Such a presence had never been witnessed before, even when Zi Yan made her entrance—despite being the true number-one strength contender, her fame within the inner academy paled compared to that of Liu Qing, Lin Xiu'ya, and others, due to her infrequent appearances. Liu Qing remained quietly at the center, unbothered by the various glances around him, his eyes slowly closing, arms folded across his chest, waiting for his opponent to step onto the stage. Generally speaking, meeting Liu Qing in the first draw means effectively losing the chance to make it into the top ten. Although this young man in blue robes is not weak in strength and ranks mid-to-high on the strength list, facing off against Liu Qing—who is nearly solidifying his position at the Battle King level—his chances of victory become almost negligible. This reality is well understood not only by the spectators outside the arena, but also by the young man himself. He knows this match will likely be one of losses rather than wins. "All participants are here. Let the competition begin," Su Qian said, waving his hand with a calm, composed tone. As soon as Su Qian's words settled, the atmosphere across the arena instantly warmed up, filled with eager anticipation in every gaze. Though he didn't hold much hope in himself, the young man in blue was still a top-tier contender, possessing the necessary composure. Thus, after Su Qian announced the start of the match, he gradually calmed his nerves, his gaze steady and focused on Liu Qing across the way. With a smooth motion of his hand, a slender blue sword appeared in his grasp. Subtle, flowing water-like patterns shimmered faintly along the sword's surface, gently pulsing as if alive. The young man in blue held his sword straight toward Liu Qing, speaking in a steady tone. He slightly turned his head, and Liu Qing's body trembled slightly, immediately followed by a series of crisp bone sounds within him. His hands spread out flat, and the palms were notably broader than ordinary, slowly curling into sharp, claw-like shapes. As he casually crossed his palms in front of him, invisible gusts of wind sliced through the air, finally striking the floor and leaving faint traces. On the raised platform, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly as he observed—having noticed that Liu Qing's seemingly relaxed movements, which required no trace of qi, were entirely powered by sheer physical strength. "This man's physical strength is truly formidable. He's definitely a strong opponent." Xiao Yan whispered in amazement. Refining the body was far more difficult than cultivating qi, and without the aid of numerous herbs and medicinal supplements, he himself would have found it hard to achieve such strength. Now, the physical power displayed by Liu Qing seemed no weaker than his own. As Xiao Yan was marveling, the young man named Lan Yan also launched his attack first. Lan Yan was no ordinary contender—Xiao Yan judged him to possess at least four-star Spiritual Qi strength, placing him among the outstanding students within the inner academy. With full commitment, the robust qi surged over his body like waves, their gentle ripple sounds gradually spreading and reaching every listener. Lan Yan fully understood the formidable nature of his opponent, so from the very beginning, he made no reservations, unleashing his qi and speed to their absolute peak at the very moment his body moved. Over just a few dozen meters, those words flashed swiftly toward Li Qing, his long sword enveloped in dense blue aura, carrying a dampness that surged with the water vapor, fiercely stabbing at Li Qing. The sharp edge of the blade, tinged with moisture, appeared especially cold and piercing. "Three Shark Stabs!" A low cry erupted from Lan Yan's throat, the blue light surging dramatically, and subtly, the form of a monstrous, terrifying shark's head began to emerge—its massive mouth agape, a gust of briny wind mingling with the water vapor, charging straight toward Li Qing! This attack was nearly Lan Yan's strongest in the short span of time—though water-based aura wasn't particularly renowned for its offensive power, the sheer volume and strength of the aura amplified it so that even the softest water could now deliver a destructive force akin to bullets. As Lan Yan drove his sword forward, the entire arena was drenched in moisture, and even beneath his feet, two small droplets of water coalesced and formed. Faced with Lán Yán’s fiercely aggressive assault, Li Qing’s expression remained remarkably steady. His eyes were fixed intently on the long sword, which was rapidly expanding within his field of vision, while his palms slowly curved into an unusual arc. "Ho!" As the attack closed in within the blink of an eye, Lán Yán roared softly, driving his long sword forward with a surge of power. A blue blade shimmered and instantly solidified into the form of a ferocious shark, opening its gaping maw and lunging toward Li Qing’s head to devour it. "Shh!" Gazing calmly at the surging shark-like blade, Li Qing suddenly surged a faint golden hue through his curled palms. With a swift motion, his right palm extended like a lightning bolt, directly colliding with the shark-shaped blade. At the moment of impact, Li Qing’s hands and fingers shifted into a peculiar arc—his two fingers curled and then sharply clenched—causing the fierce blade to be firmly caught between his fingertips. "Break!" "With a sharp cry, Liu Qing's hands burst with intense golden light, and the sword streak was instantly shattered by the force—crashing and dispersing at once..." "Shh! Shh!" The first sword streak was broken, and Lan Yan's face immediately showed signs of concern. Quickly vibrating his arms, he launched two more sword streaks, both in the form of sharks. These streaks grew progressively stronger, with the third one being nearly three times as powerful as the first. Such a sequence of increasingly potent techniques surely indicated a high level of skill. "Great Splitting Claws!" With his eyes slightly narrowed, Liu Qing suddenly shot out his palms in a peculiar arc. As his claws rotated strangely, they caught and firmly enclosed the two fierce sword streaks, then shook them until they vanished completely. Three formidable shark-shaped sword streaks—each capable of defeating an ordinary four-star Battle Spirit—were effortlessly broken by Liu Qing. Even Lan Yan's steady composure faltered momentarily, as the match clearly transcended mere parity in rank. The contest concluded. At the very instant when the false claims of his spirit faltered, a soft voice suddenly emerged from Liu Qing. As the former stiffened, he instantly sensed a gust of wind pressing against his body. With a slight push, a powerful surge of energy erupted, instantly shattering the protective aura that had been guarding Lan Yan. "Pfft!" His face paled, and a stream of blood erupted from his mouth, sending him crashing to the ground and hard into the field beyond. On the raised platform, Xiao Yan gazed intently at Liu Qing's broad hands, his expression grave. He had to admit that even the earlier, seemingly weak attack was commendable—yet the three consecutive sword beams, each stronger than the last, which Liu Qing completely intercepted with his bare hands and shattered, were truly astonishing. "Liu Qing has two supreme techniques: first, the Mountain-Cracking Spear, and second, the Great Splitting-Grave Claw. The latter is a mid-tier technique of the Xuanyuan rank, but in Liu Qing's hands, it possesses power comparable to that of a ground-tier technique. After nearly twenty years of relentless refinement, he has honed it to such a degree that it's no surprise to say it has reached the pinnacle of mastery." A light laugh suddenly broke out beside him. Xiao Yan turned to find Lin Xiu'ya had arrived without him noticing. "Indeed, very strong," Xiao Yan nodded in awe, his admiration for Liu Qing growing even greater. This man truly proved to be a formidable opponent. "Hehe, Lin Xuechang managed to defeat Liu Qing, who possesses two absolute strengths—so I'd say his own strength must be even greater," Xiao Yan smiled and glanced at Lin Xiu'ya. Lin Xiu'ya smiled and shook his head, "Back then, I only managed to beat him by luck. I'm not sure if I'll have the same fortune this time. That man's resilience and talent—well, even I have to admit I'm truly impressed. Now, however," he glanced at Xiao Yan with a warm smile, "if you bring all your strength to bear, I believe even I and Liu Qing together would find it difficult to defeat you." And when the audience on the stands noticed that Li Qing's gaze seemed to encompass Xiao Yan as well, they found themselves somewhat puzzled. While it was not unusual for Lin Xiu'ya, with his strong capabilities, to show such attention, Xiao Yan—though undoubtedly the strongest rising star among the inner academy—seemed to fall somewhat short of the caliber of a true powerhouse like Lin Xiu'ya. Despite the surrounding gazes, three sets of eyes locked across the distance, their combat fervor steadily building, swelling powerfully within their chests!