Two figures, under the unbroken gaze of countless onlookers, collided like meteorites, sending out a surge of turbulent martial energy waves. "Shhh!" The heavy staff in his hand sliced through the air, a streak of black lightning, bearing a fierce gust strong enough to ripple the very space around it, and struck squarely at the motionless Li Qing. The force was so powerful that it expelled all the air beneath the staff, producing a deep, resonant sonic boom—like an explosion deep beneath the earth, low and oppressive. Under the intense pressure of the wind, Li Qing's garments pressed tightly against his skin, yet his face remained unflinching. His eyes calmly watched the staff grow closer, and only when it was mere half a foot from his head did Li Qing casually step slightly to the left. The heavy staff crashed down, brushing past Li Qing's shoulder with remarkable peril, achieving little in the way of impact. At the very instant the attack missed, Li Qing's left claw subtly curved and then powerfully struck toward the left. Though the motion appeared casual, it struck the staff with pinpoint precision as it descended, sending a surge of powerful force that launched the staff several feet sideways—just in time to block Xiao Yan's immediate intention to shift his offensive strategy. The heavy staff was swept aside, and Xiao Yan instantly reacted, swiftly withdrawing his left hand. With his five fingers tightly clenched, he rapidly gathered a powerful aura on his palm, then drove it forward with a solid strike—perfectly meeting the forceful palm that had surged forward. Only after completely releasing the qi flowing through his hands did Xiao Yan lift his head with a serious expression, gazing at Liu Qinggeng—just a step away—whose steady strength clearly outclassed his own. Taking a deep breath of the cool air, Xiao Yan fixed his gaze steadily on Liu Qinggeng, who remained composed. He knew well that fighting against an opponent of such strong prowess and rich battle experience, the longer the battle dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became. To maximize his chances of victory, he needed to achieve the most effective attacks in the shortest possible time. Though he understood the optimal strategy, Xiao Yan still found himself troubled. Liu Qinggeng was no ordinary opponent—whenever Xiao Yan slightly exposed a weakness, he would face a relentless barrage of attacks, like a storm of wind and rain. While Xiao Yan patiently waited for the perfect moment to strike, Liu Qinggeng was equally poised, watching and preparing in turn. What was most frustrating was that the other side had ample time to remain calm and patiently wait for Xiao Yan's momentum to wane, while Xiao Yan himself had to achieve tangible offensive results within a specific timeframe—this disparity in mindset clearly put Xiao Yan at a disadvantage. Xiao Yan's sudden strike with the heavy staff left Liu Qing momentarily astonished, though his expression remained largely unchanged. With a sudden motion, Liu Qing bent his palms into claw shapes and took a step forward instead of retreating, then planted his feet firmly. The substantial claw hands, enveloped in a gentle golden aura of combat energy, slightly descended, and instantly, a blurred shadow emerged clearly between them. As Liu Qing tightened his grip with the golden energy enveloping his claws, the lightning-fast shadow suspended mid-air. Although after securing the heavy staff, the force of the blow had shaken Liu Qing so violently that he had to retreat several steps before fully dissipating the residual energy within the staff, it was still remarkable that he had effortlessly intercepted Xiao Yan's strike—capable of shattering a mountain rock—merely with a single claw. Indeed, Liu Qing's strength was truly formidable. The five fingers curled into a rather unusual arc, each fingertip making contact with the heavy ruler, supported by several well-placed points of contact and the sheer robustness of his own qi, allowing it to appear as though he effortlessly deflected Xiao Yan's attack. With his hand gripping the ruler, the immense weight immediately caused a noticeable change in Li Qing's expression. Though he had anticipated the ruler's weight to be substantial, upon actually holding it, he was struck by surprise—this ruler was far heavier than his own Lian Shan Gun. As the initial surprise arose, a wave of shock followed swiftly. Upon grasping the ruler, Li Qing realized with growing apprehension that the qi that had previously flowed through his body with remarkable smoothness suddenly became sluggish and obstructed. "Something is wrong with this ruler!" A thought flashed through his mind, and almost instantly, Li Qing released his grip. The ruler, now freed from his grasp, slid down helplessly. At the very instant the heavy staff slipped from his hands, a subtle, low rumble of thunder suddenly resonated throughout the space. Li Qing's brow furrowed, and he instantly lifted his head—there, in close proximity, appeared a vague, ghostly silhouette. Seizing the moment when Li Qing was momentarily stunned by the weight of the staff, the figure flashed into being, his five fingers suddenly clenching tightly, and his internal qi surging wildly. "Eight-Point Collapse!" A deep, abrupt cry rang out, and Xiao Yan's fist drove straight toward Li Qing with tremendous force. As the punch reached mid-course, the wind pressure surged exponentially, growing louder and more intense, like a continuous series of firecrackers, echoing in the ears of the onlookers. This attack, more powerful and fierce than any he had delivered before, caused Li Qing's eyes to slightly narrow. He could clearly sense that Xiao Yan's aggressive assault—this close-range, devastating strike—was precisely the kind that had previously defeated Bai Cheng and Yao Sheng. "You intend to defeat me with this? Still, it's a bit short of what's needed. But as for your close-range technique, I'm curious—can it hold up against my Great Split, Spear-Claw Strike?" A smile played upon his face as Li Qing sharply curved his hand-gauntlets into an unusual arc, delicate golden qi swirling gently at his fingertips, pulsing with a cold, sharp gleam. "Great Split, Spear-Claw Strike!" With his palm facing the ground, Li Qing instantly withdrew his smile, extending his arm and launching the claw forward. An invisible gust of wind formed a shimmering, translucent arc ahead of the claw, creating a powerful display that was no less impressive than Xiao Yan's Eight-Extreme Collapse. Watching the two combatants who had chosen the most direct physical confrontation, waves of gasps rose from the stands. Everyone could clearly see that both had substantial expertise in close-quarters combat, yet they also knew that such hand-to-hand fighting, compared to weapon-based engagements, carried a slightly more bloody and intense toll. Indeed, men seemed entirely unbothered by this intensity—evident in the way several trainees suddenly flushed with excitement and energy. Wu Hao and the others, meanwhile, felt their bodies tense up. Such close combat demanded precision; a single misstep could easily result in serious injury or defeat. Though they were well-acquainted with Xiao Yan’s close-range techniques, Li Qing was no less a master of this art. "Xiao Yan’s close-combat technique probably ranks no lower than the Great Splitting Clutching Claw. The question remains: will he be able to withstand a direct, head-on clash," said Yan Hao, his voice carrying a tone of cautious anticipation as he watched the gusts of wind Xiao Yan generated. Lin Xiu'ya kept his gaze fixed on the battlefield, slowly shaking his head upon hearing Yan Hao's words. "It's unlikely. I've witnessed Xiao Yan execute this technique several times—his initial burst of power is indeed impressive, but when it comes to sustained follow-up attacks, he falls short of Da Lie Pi Guan Zha. Li Qing's refinement in this aspect has truly reached the point of mastery. Should Li Qing successfully absorb Xiao Yan's assault, the subsequent counterattack might leave Xiao Yan vulnerable to defeat." Upon hearing this, Yan Hao, Han Yue, and the others nodded slightly, then cast concerned glances toward the intense collision that had erupted on the field. Under the collective gaze of countless spectators, the powerful blows—one punch, one claw—finally collided with a resounding crash. "Boom!" A brilliant surge of qi erupted suddenly in the arena, forming a true storm of qi waves that surged forth from the point of contact between the two combatants. As these waves passed, the floor emitted a series of cracking sounds, growing increasingly strained, with cracks spreading rapidly like a spiderweb from beneath their feet. The sheer physical force generated by the qi storm was so powerful that it caused a noticeable hush of anticipation on the stands—this was pure, unadulterated physical power, capable of such devastating force. The blows and strikes seemed to adhere to one another, continuously releasing an invisible stream of qi from the soles of their feet. The sturdy floor began to fracture rapidly, breaking into fine fragments, and ultimately—those fragments were even pulverized into dust by the force of the impact! His eyes were locked firmly on Liu Qing, expressionless across the face, and at that moment, his arms began to tremble slightly. The counterforce from their direct collision had nearly numbed his entire arm, and his heart sank slightly. Even his usual reliable Eight-Extreme Collapse technique, which had always failed in the past, yielded only modest results. He could sense that as soon as the subtle internal pressure of the Eight-Extreme Collapse entered Liu Qing's body, it was immediately dispersed by a more powerful, surging force. The strength generated by the Eight-Extreme Collapse was now rapidly diminishing, yet Liu Qing's massive claw, tightly gripping his fists, showed no sign of loosening. "Good initial power, but lacking in sustained strength!" Suddenly, as if carved from stone, Liu Qing slowly spoke, offering a gentle smile to Xiao Yan. "It seems we're coming to an end." As soon as the words were finished, his claw suddenly pressed down with an eerie force, instantly piercing through Xiao Yan's arm barrier and shooting straight toward his chest. The wind of the claw was fierce—should it strike him, Xiao Yan's defeat would be certain. At the same time, his left hand, which had been hanging low, swiftly formed a series of hand seals. Xiao Yan smiled faintly. A vibrant, intense blue flame surged forth from within him, and as the flame rose, a solid, unbreakable flame armor suddenly enveloped him. "Not necessarily!"