Back in the rest area for Lode City, both Luo Lei and Shen Yi were standing in front of their team and saw Wu Rui in the arena. Their faces were grim.
âShen Yi, youâre the strongest. Let the other members reduce his strength. Fight at full capacity,â ordered Luo Lei. He was confident that his team would win, but he wasnât sure how many members he would have to sacrifice.
If it was possible, he didnât want Shen Yi to step into the arena at all.
âLet me go first.â One of the team members with an almost identical physique to Wu Rui spoke. His cultivation was tier three, four-star, but his strength was only within the top twenty of Lode City.
What set him apart from the others was his possession of a Peak Mastery martial technique. With it, he managed to advance to the top ten within his city. He was one of the key figures that had allowed Shen Yiâs team to obtain the second seed.
âZhao Gang, be careful. Try to exhaust his strength as much as possible. If you can defeat him, do so,â instructed Shen Yi.
Zhao Gang nodded and headed into the arena. He was using the same weapon as Wu Rui, an iridium rod.
Xiang Ningâs match was also beginning, but thanks to Li Zimo he wouldnât even need to participate. He was watching Wu Ruiâs match alongside Lei Zhongyuan and the rest.
âI heard the two of you had an exciting match in the Thunder Dojo?â Lei Zhongyuan asked Xiang Ning, the latter of whom had just arrived.
âErm, yeah. It wasnât so bad.â
âHow strong is he?â
âCanât you sense it?â
âNope,â Lei Zhongyuan truthfully answered. He could no longer believe his eyes and senses anymore in regard to Xiang Ning and Wu Rui. Their true strength was many times higher than his initial assessment. Just when he thought they couldnât get any stronger, they would betray his expectations.
âThen Iâm afraid you may not be able to see it today. Looking at the contestants today, only two or three of them can force Wu Rui to use his full strength, and only I would be able to defeat him.â Xiang Ning didnât answer Lei Zhongyuanâs question directly. It wasnât something he could explain in a few sentences anyway.
Lei Zhongyuan almost didnât believe what he heard, but he saw how serious Xiang Ning was and didnât say anything in the end. Still, he was curious about how strong Wu Rui was, just like how much he wanted to know Xiang Ningâs actual strength. Would he be as strong as a giant?
Still, he saw how immature Xiang Ningâs face was. He smiled as he thought of something and pulled Mu Ronghua over. He whispered his thoughts while the latter stared at Xiang Ning. Recalling what Xiang Ning had said, he immediately agreed.
Both of them were now grinning like villains.
Xiang Ning didnât see what had happened, but his Combat Instinct warned him of danger. He turned and looked at both Lei Zhongyuan and Mu Ronghua, who appeared to be intently watching the livestream.
âHmm?â Xiang Ning couldnât help but exclaim. His attention was quickly diverted, as Lei Zhongyuan peeked at Xiang Ning. What kind of monstrous instinct does he have?
Back in the arena, Wu Rui was happy that his opponent was using the same weapon as him. Unlike the previous matches, he happily took out his weapon the moment he saw Zhao Gang. They were facing off on the roof of a three-story building.
The caster had finished introducing Zhao Gang, and the crowd cheered in excitement. The current match was incredibly exciting! The camera focused on Wu Rui as the crowd stared, unwilling to miss what would happen next.
âZhao Gang is so talented! To think that he already has a martial technique at Peak Mastery. Looks like his future is bright!â
âIs he from the special class? I need to send my children to enroll in it.â
âBut why arenât they introducing the contestant from Marsh City?â
They pondered about it, but quickly threw the question to the back of their minds.
In the arena, Zhao Gang lost the confidence heâd had before stepping up. He knew Wu Rui was strong, so much so that he could win by escaping the entrapment and finishing his opponent in one move in the previous match. Could he do the same if he was in Wu Ruiâs situation?
It was impossible. He recalled Shen Yiâs warning. Looks like the contestants from Marsh City arenât simple.
Alas, life doesnât stop, and the battle would continue. What did Zhao Gang want the most? He wanted someone strong, someone he could use his full strength against. His spirit soared as it yearned for battle! The iridium rod shuddered as the surrounding air was inhaled into his mighty chest. He exhaled as he used his own special breathing technique. Theoretically, anyone could do it, but they would need the lung capacity of a monster like him. Blood rushed through his body as his muscles compressed in an instant.
âPierce!â
The single word boomed like thunder and Wu Ruiâs eyes lit up as he finally had a strong opponent. He had thought it would be another pushover. Zhao Gang was much stronger than the tier three, six-star contestant he had previously fought.
âMountain Crash!â Wu Rui didnât pull his punches and used his Peak Mastery martial technique. While it seemed like Zhao Gangâs pressure was fiercer, in reality, Wu Rui was calm while Zhao Gang was desperate.
âZhao Gang used his full strength in the first attack. How can he exhaust Wu Ruiâs strength like that?â
âLuo Lei, our Zhao Gang isnât weak. His pressure is stronger than Wu Rui. He might defeat him, or maybe injure him?â
âItâs plausible.â Luo Lei nodded.
The distance between the two shortened from ten meters to two. Zhao Gang lept and brought his staff down. The air around him exploded.
Wu Rui launched his attack at the same time. Their rods connected and a thunderous clap rang out in the arena. The concrete beneath Wu Ruiâs feet cracked and gave way, but the contestants from Lode City werenât happy.
Zhao Gangâs iridium rod was bent, his arms were split open, and his blood flowed freely as some of his fingers were broken, too.
The camera had captured everythingâa single blow had caused this much destruction.