Once both fighters were in position, the referee shouted at the top of his lungs,

"Begin!"

The words had barely left his mouth when the arena platform trembled.

"BOOM!"

The Qi and Blood in Sun Shi’s body roared like a thunderstorm as he shot forward with explosive force, like a human cannonball.

He had clearly learned his lesson, giving Su Yu no chance to create distance and throw his Flying Locust Stones.

His gnarled, granite-like muscles gleamed with a cold metallic luster. Like a moving iron tower, he whipped up a suffocating gale as he bore down on Su Yu, closing the distance to just three feet in an instant!

Seeing that he had closed the distance, he let out a crazed laugh. "You’re finished, you bastard!"

"Gold-Breaking Fist!"

With a furious roar, his iron-hard fist, shimmering with a cyan glow, descended with crushing force, aimed straight for the top of Su Yu’s head!

The punch caused the very air to pop, releasing a piercing shriek.

"Watch out!"

Below the stage, Lin Wanzhu’s face paled, and she couldn’t stop herself from shouting a warning.

Everyone else’s heart skipped a beat. If that punch landed, Su Yu’s head would be smashed open!

However, Su Yu was already prepared with a counter-strategy. He had long guessed that Sun Shi would try to close the distance immediately to prevent him from using his Flying Locust Stones.

Having been targeted like this several times before, he had already devised a plan to turn his opponent’s strategy to his own advantage!

Just as the iron fist was about to connect, Su Yu bent his knees slightly, and all the Qi and Blood in his body instantly surged into the Yongquan Acupoints in the soles of his feet.

Thunder’s Jagged Flash!

Su Yu directly unleashed the second form of the Thunder Collapse Step!

This technique specialized in circulating Qi and Blood, allowing for charging and evasive zigzagging, just like a bolt of lightning...

Using the explosive force generated by the collision of Qi and Blood within his body, Su Yu’s figure flickered twice in quick succession.

He not only dodged the terrifying punch with ease, but also moved like a phantom to appear directly behind Sun Shi!

"Spiritual Ape Emerges from the Cave!"

Qi and Blood infused the blade, making it tremble.

Aided by the momentum from the Seven Fiends Thunder Collapse Step and his surging Qi and Blood, the saber strike was fast, precise, and ruthless—aimed straight for the center of Sun Shi’s back!

As his punch met only air, Sun Shi’s heart lurched.

’So fast!’

Feeling the bone-chilling cold at his back, he was startled but not thrown into disarray. He was, after all, a hardened veteran of countless battles.

’You want to break my defense? Dream on!’

He roared, instantly circulating his Qi and Blood to shield his back while instinctively raising his arms to protect the vital point of his neck. ’As long as I’m not decapitated,’ he thought, ’this Iron Armor of mine is invincible!’

However, he had underestimated Su Yu, and he had underestimated the Mo Yuan!

SCHLICK!

A muffled tearing sound echoed.

The Mo Yuan Heavy Saber, weighing a full one hundred and eight pounds and empowered by a Skilled Level Blade Technique, sliced through Sun Shi’s vaunted protective barrier of Qi and Blood as if it were paper, landing a vicious blow on his back!

RRRIP!

His iron-tough skin was rent open, and blood sprayed across the arena platform!

"He... he broke through his defense?"

"What a domineering blade! What a sharp body technique!"

"That’s the Nine-Turn Iron Armor Skill! How could someone of the same realm break through it?"

In the section for the White Ape Martial Arts Hall, everyone was utterly dumbstruck.

Qin Yu shot to her feet, her beautiful eyes wide and her red lips slightly parted. "The flow of the blade is so seamless, the power astonishing... Is that the Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber at the Skillful Realm?"

Lin Wanzhu covered her mouth with a delicate hand, hiding a smile she couldn’t suppress, as she snuck a glance at the master beside her.

She saw that Qin Fangqiong’s face, usually so stern and imposing, was now twitching slightly.

He was trying his best to keep a straight face, but inwardly, he was reeling from shock.

’The Skilled Realm? That kid actually trained the Demon-subduing Saber to the Skilled Realm!’

’Three months!’

’In just three months!’

’Damn it, for him to have such talent with the saber and no one told me!’

’Damn that Xu the kid! He must have known all along!’

’And Lin Girl... when did she learn to keep secrets from her master? She personally guided Su Yu for a month; how could she not have known the level of his blade technique!’

’No... a Skilled Level Blade Technique alone shouldn’t be enough to break through his defense so cleanly.’

’That sudden change of direction... that explosive power...’

A sharp glint flashed in Qin Fangqiong’s eyes.

’It’s his body technique! The kid has even trained a Superior Body Technique to a considerable level and is using its momentum to amplify his saber strikes!’

’What an idea! What talent!’

Qin Fangqiong looked at Su Yu as if gazing upon a peerless, uncut piece of Puyu. The beads of the abacus in his mind were clicking away furiously. ’This boy is destined to be the one to inherit my legacy, hahahaha!’

Back on the platform, after his blade had sliced open Sun Shi’s skin, Su Yu activated the Thunder Collapse Step again, his figure flashing like a phantom to his opponent’s flank.

Sun Shi’s powerful counter-punch only shattered the afterimage left in the air.

’I’ve long had a strategy for dealing with Sun Shi,’ Su Yu thought, his eyes cold. ’I can’t give him a single moment of breathing room! If I get tangled in a brawl and get hit even once by those Iron Hands, all this effort will be for nothing!’

’End this quickly!’

"Demon-slaying Mountain Splitting!"

The Qi and Blood in Su Yu’s body seethed. Aided by the momentum of his footwork, the Mo Yuan once again became a black arc of light, slashing down from overhead!

Before the blade even arrived, the chilling blade energy made the skin on Sun Shi’s face sting.

"Iron Wall Sealing the Pass!"

Sun Shi roared, pushing his Nine-Turn Iron Armor Skill to the absolute limit. He crossed his arms to shield his head, his skin instantly taking on a blue-black metallic sheen.

BOOM!

A deafening crash rang out.

This strike from Su Yu once again fused the Thunder Collapse Step with the Demon-subduing Saber, amplified by the destructive force of the 108-pound Mo Yuan!

CRACK!

Sun Shi cried out in pain. The impact had damaged the tendons in his arms, and the blade energy had torn a hideous, bleeding gash across his chest.

But Sun Shi, ferocious as ever, did not retreat. Ignoring his injuries, he swiped at Su Yu with his fan-like palms!

’You’re not getting away!’

’Just one hit, and I’ll beat you to death, you animal!’

But Su Yu wasn’t about to let him have his way. With another Thunder Collapse Step, his body instantly accelerated, and he evaded the attack.

BOOM!

Sun Shi’s powerful strike hit nothing but air again, and he roared in frustration like a wild beast.

"Demon Ape’s Chaotic Dance!"

Su Yu once again used his Seven Fiends Thunder Collapse Step to empower the Demon-subduing Saber, unleashing a flurry of strikes that rained down like a tempest.

SCHLICK! SCHLICK! SCHLICK! SCHLICK!

Every strike landed precisely on Sun Shi’s existing wounds or the weak points in his joints. While his Iron Armor Skill prevented the blade from cutting to the bone with every hit, the relentless barrage of strikes still turned Sun Shi into a bloody mess, leaving him staggering and on the verge of collapse.

Below the stage, the crowd was dead silent.

Everyone stared at the scene, utterly dumbfounded.

"This... this is a total domination!"

"His comprehension is terrifying! A fierce blade technique, an unpredictable body technique... this Su Yu has no weaknesses!"

Even the perpetually arrogant Cui Wanhe gave a slight nod, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "This person’s comprehension is decent. His blade technique has reached the Skilled Realm, and his body technique is a Superior one. A pity his cultivation realm is too low. Compared to Sun Yan, he is still not worthy of being my opponent."

"We forfeit!"

A low yet commanding roar suddenly shattered the rhythm of the match.

In the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall’s section, Sun Yan shot to his feet.

His bald head gleamed, and his eyes blazed with fury. He stared daggers at Su Yu on the stage, looking like a bear on the verge of a rampage!

On the stage, the referee glanced at the teetering Sun Shi, his eyes silently asking for his decision.

"No! Big Brother! I haven’t lost!"

Sun Shi, covered in blood, still roared like a mad dog, "I can still fight! Just let me land one punch... Just one punch, and I’ll beat the shit out of this kid!"

With that, he charged forward once more.

A cold glint flashed in Su Yu’s eyes as he struck again.

"Mountain-Suppressing Thunder-Breaking Saber!"

THWACK!

THWACK!

This strike split Sun Shi’s chest wide open, revealing the bone beneath as blood gushed out. Sun Shi screamed and collapsed heavily to his knees.

"Get down from there! Forfeit!!"

Sun Yan’s furious roar was like a clap of thunder, making the eardrums of the surrounding crowd ache as they scrambled back in fear.

The rampaging bear was well and truly furious.

The referee glanced at Sun Shi again. Seeing how grievous his injuries were, he knew defeat was inevitable.

He then looked toward the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall. According to the rules of the competition, a teammate was allowed to concede on a fighter’s behalf.

Seeing Sun Yan nod, the referee no longer hesitated and announced at the top of his voice,

"The match is over! Su Yu is the winner!"

"He won!!!"

On the side of the White Ape Martial Arts Hall, the cheers were deafening.

Jiang Liuchuan waved his fan, grinning from ear to ear. "Haha! Top five! I, Jiang Liuchuan, am a true genius when it comes to investments. I knew all along Junior Su would soar to new heights!"

Lin Wanzhu, Qin Yu, the Yang Brothers and Sisters, and the others were all beaming with delight.

This time, Su Yu hadn’t just won—he had utterly crushed his opponent!

Su Yu had simply worked a miracle!

Now this was a true genius!

On the stage.

Su Yu let out a long breath, his tense nerves finally relaxing a bit.

’Top five!’

’I finally made it!’

’Once this Martial Examination is over, I will have truly transcended my class. I’m on my way to fame and fortune!’

He sheathed his saber and turned to get off the stage.

He glanced back at Sun Shi, who was still kneeling on the ground, his vigilance not yet faded. ’This man is a lunatic. There’s no telling what he might do in the future. It would be best to pull out the weed by its roots!’

’But with so many people watching, I can’t act now. I’ll just have to wait for an opportunity in the future!’

However, in the instant he turned to leave,

Sun Shi, who had been kneeling on the floor and seemingly at death’s door, suddenly snapped his head up. Gone from his bloodshot eyes was any trace of simple-mindedness. All that remained was endless venom and insanity!

"You bastard... You dare beat me? You dare humiliate me?"

"Go die! After I kill you, my big brother will protect me! Our grand master will protect me!"

Once the malicious thought took root, it was impossible to contain.

The next moment, a savage grin spread across Sun Shi’s face, and he launched himself like a cannonball at Su Yu’s defenseless back!

"Gold-Breaking Iron Fist!"

This punch, concentrating all of his venom, aimed straight for the center of Su Yu’s back!

The turn of events was too fast, too sudden!

The referee, who was about to step off the stage, heard the rush of wind and whipped his head around. His pupils contracted, his face a mask of horror. "Stop!!!"

’Has this Sun Shi gone mad?!’

’To dare launch a sneak attack after the match has been called!’

But he was too far away; there was no way he could intervene in time!

In that instant between life and death,

It was as if Su Yu had eyes in the back of his head. The sense of crisis, long etched into his very marrow, erupted!

’A madman’s actions truly are unpredictable,’ Su Yu thought. ’To think he’d dare ambush me here!’

The Seven Fiends Thunder Collapse Step flared to life. He shot forward, narrowly dodging the killing blow.

Immediately after, the great dragon of his spine coiled like a python, and the power in his waist and abdomen twisted as one.

"Backward Moon-Snatch!"

SHIIING—!

The black saber flew from its sheath, tracing a beautiful yet fatal crescent arc through the air in a reverse slash from under his arm!

SCHLICK!

The sound of the blade slicing through flesh was exceptionally clear in the silent arena.

Sun Shi froze in place, his body still in the posture of throwing a punch.

A moment later,

a thin red line appeared on his neck, then suddenly split wide open!

"GURGLE..."

A torrent of blood mixed with air bubbles gushed from his throat. Sun Shi clutched at his neck, his eyes wide with disbelief and terror.

He tried to speak but could only manage a wet, hissing gurgle.

His body swayed, then collapsed with a heavy thud. After a few twitches, he moved no more.