They began to ponder whether Qian Jun's words were true. After thinking about it, they suddenly felt he had a point.

That's right! Qian Jun had done nothing at the beginning, just standing still while waiting for Xu Ke to approach. And as Xu Ke walked over, there had been no sound or commotion. But now, after Qian Jun pointed it out, they realized Xu Ke had been accumulating strength. After realizing this, the crowd suddenly understood. It was for this exact reason that Qian Jun had been so effortlessly defeated!

When Xu Ke heard this, he burst out laughing at Qian Jun's shamelessness. "Qian Jun, are you serious?" he asked. "Do you truly believe you could instantly kill me in a life-or-death match?"

To say that I was accumulating strength just by walking over? This guy really has some nerve!

Qian Jun sneered, "Am I supposed to lie with my eyes open?"

He wasn't making excuses. He truly believed it. In his view, the kick from Xu Ke had made no sound, yet it possessed a strength that seemed capable of destroying everything. Clearly, Xu Ke must have mastered some unique technique for generating force, one that could remain silent until the power erupted.

That explains why Xu Ke walked so slowly at the beginning!

He had first thought that Xu Ke was poisoned and unable to walk properly, but now he believed Xu Ke must have been secretly accumulating strength. Thinking this, Qian Jun started to look down on Xu Ke. So what if you're stepping on my head right now? You only managed to launch a successful sneak attack because I gave you time to gather your strength.

Seeing this, Xu Ke scoffed, "So what are you trying to say?"

"Are you suggesting I sneak-attacked you, that this match doesn't count, and that we should start over?"

Qian Jun responded coldly, "You just want the championship title. Take it.

"Anyway, when we fight to the death later, you'll still die at my hands.

"By then, you won't be so lucky!

"Of course, if you want to start over, I don't mind. I'm just afraid that when you lose, you won't come crying and begging for mercy."

The moment these words were spoken, Yuan Shang and Chen Xiong's expressions soured.

How utterly shameless! Qian Jun clearly meant to say, 'If you have the guts, let's go again. I can defeat you.' But now he's using reverse psychology to gloss over the disgrace of just being pinned to the ground...

Seeing Qian Jun's display, Xu Ke laughed. "You really are shameless."

But Xu Ke had to admit, Qian Jun did have some brains. The situation had been him being casually crushed and mocked by the entire crowd; his famed genius's name had suddenly become an object of ridicule. One could only imagine how the name Qian Jun would be mocked across all of Huaxia by tomorrow. But now, with just a few words, he had swayed many people's opinions, making them believe that Xu Ke had really sneak-attacked him. Naturally, he could immediately reclaim a fair bit of his reputation.

Moreover, he dared to threaten Xu Ke while his head was being stepped on, unafraid that Xu Ke would cripple or kill him. This wasn't because Qian Jun was foolish. It was because he knew the three judges at the referee's table were there to protect him. If Xu Ke dared to make a move to cripple or kill him, the three judges would immediately intervene. This was the source of his confidence, the reason he dared to threaten Xu Ke so brazenly!

Qian Jun looked at Xu Ke with disdain. The more he spoke, the more the humiliation in his heart miraculously lessened. "You call this shameless?

"This is a fact!"

Seeing this scene, Wang Wu sneered, "The people trained by Wong Ting really are hypocrites. Just like their master!"

Hearing Wang Wu's words, Wong Qifu nodded slightly. "What else can you expect from a dog raised on the bones left by its master?"

Although Wong Qifu had never liked Wong Ting, it didn't stop Wong Ting from vigorously pursuing her. But while Wong Ting's words were sweet, he left Tianhai the moment the Wang Family faced attacks from several other families, claiming he was going abroad to fight their enemies. But everyone knew that at the time, Wong Ting had already won the Martial Alliance selection competition and was being groomed as the successor to the Martial Alliance Leader. If Wong Ting had wanted to stay and help Wong Qifu fight the other families, it would have been a cinch. He simply wanted to run away and was just making an excuse.

...

Just as Qian Jun finished speaking, Xu Ke fell silent for a few seconds, then suddenly lifted his leg, released Qian Jun, and stepped back.

Seeing this, the entire audience was taken aback. Xu Ke actually released Qian Jun?

Qian Jun was also somewhat stunned.

Just then, Xu Ke's indifferent voice spread throughout the venue via the PA system, "All right. Since you have the confidence to instantly kill me, I'll give you that opportunity."

At this, the crowd's expressions varied.

Xu Ke actually decided to restart? Isn't that foolish? So what if Qian Jun claimed it was a sneak attack? A win is a win, right? But Xu Ke actually let himself be provoked into starting over, resetting the scales of victory, which had already tipped in his favor.

Some were also thinking, It would be really interesting if Xu Ke lost...

Qian Jun was ecstatic that Xu Ke was actually giving him a chance and hurriedly stood up. With an opportunity like this, he was determined to seize it and prove his strength wasn't something Xu Ke could just casually crush. In his mind, Xu Ke must have used some unknown method to suppress him. Given another chance, I can definitely kill him instantly.

Seeing the two competitors create distance between them again, the color returned to Jin Hankang's face. He knew not only that Qian Jun was Wong Ting's most impressive young talent but also that Qian Jun was the fastest at adapting. After experiencing Xu Ke's kick, he believed Qian Jun would now be able to swiftly find a way to deal with him.

At that moment, Xu Ke watched Qian Jun stand up and quickly back away, then asked indifferently, "Are you ready?"

"What's the hurry?" Qian Jun sneered, swiftly adjusting the energy within his body, determined to avenge his previous disgrace.

"I'm not in a hurry," Xu Ke said with a faint, nonchalant smile. "I'll wait for you to recover to the level where you think you can instantly kill me. Then we'll fight."

Witnessing this, the crowd below started murmuring.

"This Xu Ke is way too arrogant."

"Qian Jun is a genius, and I've heard that geniuses grow quickly. Maybe Qian Jun has already undergone a transformation."

"Xu Ke is throwing away a victory he already had. Isn't he just asking for trouble? So foolish!"

But some couldn't stand it any longer. "Shut up and watch the show. Damn, I hate you spectators who don't know how to spectate. If you're so great, get up there and fight yourself..."

"What the hell did you just say…"

While everyone was arguing, Xu Ke simply stood there, waiting for Qian Jun. Qian Jun watched him with an icy gaze, seizing the moment to recover. Seeing that Xu Ke was really giving him time to recover, Qian Jun was overjoyed.

This time, I can definitely kill Xu Ke!

「Five minutes later.」

"I'm ready!" Qian Jun sprang to his feet, ecstatic.

Sure enough, emotion is a martial artist's greatest catalyst for a sudden power boost. Spurred on by the recent humiliation, my strength has actually advanced considerably in a short time. I now have even more confidence and justification for it!

At the sight, the spectators stopped their chatter, all eyes turning to the stage. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Then come on," Xu Ke said calmly. "Let's see how you're going to instantly kill me."

"You said it!" Qian Jun roared. "I'll show you what 'instant kill' means!"

This time, I won't give Xu Ke that long walk to accumulate strength. I'm going to instantly kill him.

Having said that, his entire body shot forward like a sharp arrow.

BOOM!!

A sharp crack echoed across the stage, powerful enough to blow out the speakers. Seeing this, everyone grew excited. Qian Jun's state seemed even stronger than when he had first unleashed his power. Clearly, the short adjustment period had resulted in a significant leap in strength.

Xu Ke is in danger now!

The competitors in the participant area were ecstatic. Jin Hankang even shot to his feet in elation. But all their excitement lasted less than two seconds before they were doused with a bucket of cold water…

THUD!

A dull sound. It was very soft, much quieter than Qian Jun's charge, but it completely shattered the morale of all his supporters.

A fist smashed into Qian Jun's face. His unstoppable charge was halted, and he was sent crashing to the stage like a dog.

An instant kill. Just as Qian Jun had promised, it truly was an instant kill. Except the one who was instantly killed was Qian Jun.

At that moment, the entire venue fell dead silent. Only a single thought remained in their minds—

Qian Jun rested for so long, made such a big fuss, and even seemed to have gotten stronger... So how was he instantly killed again?

At that moment, Xu Ke's mocking, smiling voice spread throughout the stadium.

"The 'instant kill' you spoke of...

"...was this it?"