"I concede." Zhou Tong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said in a low voice.

The words had barely left his lips when he turned and walked off the fighting stage.

Qin Yu stood in the center of the stage, breathing lightly as the white glow at his fingertips slowly faded.

He watched Zhou Tong’s departing figure, his eyes holding no trace of pride, only a calm stillness. Forcing a master of hard arts like Zhou Tong to concede meant this match had been anything but easy.

Yang Jing watched Qin Yu on the stage, his expression grave.

This opponent’s strength was even greater than he had imagined.

The combination of the Celestial Eagle Claw’s ruthlessness and agility was truly troublesome.

Standing at the edge of the stage, Yang Jing’s gaze followed Qin Yu’s back as he descended. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the peaks of his knuckles.

Dust still hung in the air above the stage. The shallow crater left by Zhou Tong’s Iron Mountain Lean was still clearly visible, a silent testament to the intensity of the previous bout.

He took a deep breath, but his chest felt stuffy, as if blocked by a wad of cotton, creating an unsettling tightness.

’So what if my strength has improved?’

Yang Jing lamented internally.

He had seen every single move and stance of the exchange between Qin Yu and Zhou Tong.

Zhou Tong’s hard arts were incomparably fierce and powerful. Every punch and kick carried the force of Mountain-Shattering Stone-Splitting—an undoubtedly terrifying power.

Meanwhile, Qin Yu’s Celestial Eagle Claw was ruthless and cunning, with every strike aimed at a vital point. It was clearly the result of many years of dedicated practice.

Both men were top-tier experts who had cultivated a single martial art to the Peak of Dark Energy. They were the best of the best among masters at that level.

Yang Jing looked down at his own hands.

The knuckles of his left hand were calloused from practicing the Mountain-Shattering Fist, and his legs were strong, agile, and powerful.

His strength was by no means weak. After taking that mysterious Elixir, he had gained a deeper understanding and insight into both the Mountain-Shattering Fist and the Surging Waves Leg Technique, raising his overall power by a level.

But after watching the fight between Qin Yu and Zhou Tong, he realized that even now, he would be no match for either of them.

Although mastering a second martial art had greatly boosted his strength, it didn’t mean he could sweep away all competition.

Some people were terrifyingly strong even without practicing a second martial art.

On the way back from the training grounds yesterday, Yang Jing and Liu Maolin had talked at length, and one of the topics was the concurrent study of multiple martial arts.

For a Martial Artist with a good foundation, cultivating a single martial art was relatively easy. Through constant tempering, the Martial Artist’s own body would begin to align with that art.

But after achieving a certain level in the first art, the difficulty of cultivating a second one increased dramatically. It was far harder than focusing on just one; the bottleneck alone had tormented countless Martial Artists until their qi and blood weakened.

Even a genius with a superior foundation would be stuck at that bottleneck for a time, wasting a great deal of energy.

Therefore, few Martial Artists under the age of thirty or thirty-five would spend significant energy on a second martial art. They might dabble in it, but they wouldn’t invest too much, because breaking through to the Bright Energy stage with a second art was simply too difficult. Investing too much would only hinder progress in their primary art.

This was why, from the start of the training ground trials until now, Yang Jing hadn’t found anyone else in a similar situation. Most participants had focused on a single martial art. Masters at the Peak of Dark Energy, like Qin Yu, had generally cultivated one art to its absolute pinnacle or had studied and dabbled in others. But none had appeared, like him, who had cultivated a second martial art to the Bright Energy stage.

But Yang Jing, thanks to his panel, had no difficult bottleneck. He had cultivated his second martial art to the Bright Energy stage in a short time, which was a huge boost to his power, but it had its limits.

He might be able to overpower an ordinary master at the Peak of Dark Energy, but compared to top-tier experts like Qin Yu, Zhou Tong, and even Li Mengchao, there was still a gap. If he really had to face them, winning would be difficult.

At that moment, the Silver Armor Captain stepped onto the main stage and announced Qin Yu’s victory.

His gaze then swept over Yang Jing and Xu Guangwei in the crowd below before he announced loudly, "Group Two, Match Two: Xu Guangwei versus Yang Jing. Both combatants, to the stage."

The Silver Armor Captain’s voice had just faded when Yang Jing took a deep breath. A warm current seemed to surge through his chest—the lingering effects of the mysterious Elixir and the Rejuvenation Pill. It filled him with strength, making him feel as though he had reached an unprecedented peak state.

He smoothed the wrinkles on his robe and his gaze passed through the crowd, meeting Liu Maolin’s by the railing.

Liu Maolin gave him a firm nod, the hope in his eyes clear to see.

As he turned, Yang Jing caught sight of Xu Guangwei moving on the other side.

He wore a tight-fitting, gray-black martial uniform with tightly cinched cuffs, revealing slender but sinewy wrists.

His posture as he walked was peculiar. He moved on the balls of his feet, his heels barely touching the ground, silent as a cheetah poised to strike.

One after the other, they ascended the stage, the wooden steps creaking faintly beneath their feet.

The moment he stood firm, Yang Jing felt Xu Guangwei’s scrutinizing gaze. It was like an ice-cold blade, sweeping from his fists to his feet before finally locking onto his eyes, radiating an undisguised sharpness.

"Yang Jing."

Xu Guangwei spoke first, his voice low and somewhat hoarse. "To have made it this far, you’re a bit more capable than I thought." As he spoke, his fingers curled slightly at his side, knuckles turning white. He was clearly already in a combat-ready state.

Yang Jing didn’t reply, only giving a slight nod as he separated his feet to shoulder-width and assumed the opening stance of the Mountain-Shattering Fist.

As he sank into his stance, he could clearly feel the Inner Strength surging within him, more condensed than it had been at his peak. Even his Surging Waves Leg Technique felt more agile.

He knew Xu Guangwei’s file. He was known for his speed and tricky moves, especially his surprise attacks during close-quarters combat. In his fight with Zhou Tong yesterday, he had relied on his ghostly Body Technique to evade many direct clashes.

Seeing him take a stance, Xu Guangwei’s lips curled into a cold smirk. He sank his body slightly and formed his hands into claws, his fingertips trembling faintly.

His posture was relaxed, as if he were boneless, yet it emanated an explosive power that could erupt at any moment, like a bow drawn to its absolute limit.

The murmurs from the crowd below gradually died down as all eyes focused on the two men.

Liu Maolin clenched his fists, his palms slick with sweat.

In the distance, behind a gauze curtain, Miss Jinlian set down the jade thumb ring in her hand, her gaze lingering on Yang Jing.

Even Qin Yu, who had just stepped down, stood in a corner watching the stage with keen interest. One was a steady, rising star, the other an established master known for his speed. This contest would clearly be anything but dull.

Overall, however, Xu Guangwei was favored to win. Otherwise, the examiners wouldn’t have given him the bye in their three-person group.

Sunlight fell directly on the center of the stage, casting their shadows long. The air was thick with the tension of a gathering storm.

The Silver Armor Captain took two steps back, resting a hand on the bronze gong at his waist as his eyes swept over the two opponents.

Yang Jing’s breathing steadied, his gaze locked on Xu Guangwei’s shoulders—the key to anticipating his movements.

The Inner Strength within him was like a dammed river, waiting for the command to be unleashed with the raw power of the Mountain-Shattering Fist.

"Begin!"

Before the Silver Armor Captain’s voice had fully faded, the two on stage shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow!

Xu Guangwei’s figure shot out like a phantom. His toes tapped lightly on the wooden planks of the stage, making almost no sound, as his right hand, formed into a claw, shot straight for Yang Jing’s shoulder, its fingertips whipping up a sharp wind.

He didn’t take Yang Jing seriously and just wanted to end the fight quickly.

Yang Jing’s eyes narrowed. Instead of retreating, he advanced, sinking into his horse stance and suddenly unleashing the opening move of the Mountain-Shattering Fist.

His fist cut through the air, brazenly colliding with the wind from Xu Guangwei’s claw.

With a muffled BANG, a shockwave spread outwards.

Xu Guangwei felt an incomparably fierce power travel up from his opponent’s fist, making his arm go numb. He couldn’t stop himself from taking half a step back.

A look of deep astonishment flashed in his eyes.

’This power... how is this possible? Based on his earlier performance, I thought he was much weaker! Is his Inner Strength really this potent? And if Qin Yu is considered strong enough to suppress *this* guy, just how terrifying must he be?’

....

PS:

The training ground trials plotline will be ending today.

I discovered that my fight scenes are actually pretty good... okay, I admit it, there are a few tiny flaws. I’ll definitely fix them next time!