Gu Chong could only grit his teeth and decide to strike first, lunging directly at Yang Qi. He was indeed a martial artist, and an Innate Martial Artist at that. For a doctor, this was considered a very high Realm. Unfortunately, in front of Yang Qi, it was insignificant.

Yang Qi stood there without any intention of moving. It wasn’t until Gu Chong was less than a meter away that he finally made his move, unleashing a whip kick that thundered out. Startled, Gu Chong raised his arms to block.

BANG!

CRACK!

A loud crash was followed by the sound of breaking bones. Gu Chong flew backward and smashed onto the high platform, his arms so badly broken he could no longer lift them.

Ah—!

Deep inside, Gu Chong screamed in agony. But out loud, he still taunted, "If you have the guts, kill me. I’m not afraid!"

"Fine, I’ll grant your wish!" Yang Qi took a step, his figure instantly appearing before Gu Chong, and stomped down with his foot.

CRACK!

Ah—!

Deep inside, Gu Chong screamed in agony once again.

"Stop hitting me! I was wrong! I was wrong, I beg you, please stop hitting me!" Gu Chong realized he could finally shout. He was momentarily stunned, and just as he was about to complain, Yang Qi kicked out again. His entire body was sent flying into the air, and he was so frightened he couldn’t even scream.

Gu Chong was kicked around like a ball, utterly helpless. The pain was so intense that he was on the verge of passing out, but Yang Qi controlled his strength perfectly. He struck and healed Gu Chong simultaneously, never allowing him to faint, let alone die. He just wanted to humiliate Gu Chong in front of everyone.

Over with the Gu Family, someone finally couldn’t take it anymore. "Yang Qi, you bastard, stop it now! If you keep hitting him, you’ll kill him!"

"Judging panel, hurry up and make him stop!"

"That’s right! This isn’t a martial arts competition, it’s the National Medicine Conference!"

Yang Qi looked at the Gu Family members with a smile. "You all heard what he said just now. He said he wanted a martial arts duel; I’m merely fulfilling his request."

"You!" The Gu Family members were infuriated. They couldn’t understand why Gu Chong would make such a request. Was there something wrong with his brain?

BANG!

Yang Qi sent another kick, launching Gu Chong into the air again.

The people from the other six mansions were simply enjoying the spectacle. It was quite an interesting fight to watch on the side of the main competition. The people from Su Mansion looked uncomfortable. Although Gu Chong was from the Gu Family, he also represented Su Mansion, so this was truly a disgrace. Meanwhile, the Jingnan Prefecture contingent was cheering excitedly. This was true vengeance for Liu Changsheng.

At this moment, Gu Chong had been beaten to a pulp. He was convulsing all over, with who knew how many broken bones, and was drenched in his own blood. The sight was truly pitiful. Yang Qi wanted to send a message to everyone: this was the consequence of bullying Jingnan Prefecture.

"No! Don’t hit me anymore! Don’t hit me! I was wrong, I was truly wrong!" When Yang Qi finally stopped, Gu Chong shrieked in terror, tears and snot streaming down his face. The pain was unbearable; it felt as if there wasn’t a single part of his body that wasn’t in agony.

"Still feeling cocky?"

"Not anymore! Not at all!"

"Kneel and apologize! Apologize to Liu Changsheng!"

"I’ll kneel! I’ll kneel!" Gu Chong struggled to get up and knelt to apologize to Liu Changsheng.

"Get out of here!" Yang Qi gave Gu Chong a cold glance. The terrified man immediately scrambled away on all fours, drawing a wave of laughter from the entire crowd. The laughter from the Jingnan Prefecture side was the most joyful.

"Alright, this match has been won by Yang Qi," the judging panel announced.

"Mr. Yang is amazing!"

"Mr. Yang is so fierce!"

"Hahaha, that was fantastic!"

The people of Jingnan Prefecture were ecstatic. They felt incredibly exhilarated, as if every pore in their bodies was buzzing with excitement. Gu Chong had been so arrogant just moments before, with the Gu Family Head even speaking up for him, yet now he was in such a miserable state. The contrast was truly stark.

"Yang Qi!"

Suddenly, from the Gu Family’s side, an icy voice rang out. Gu Baiyi glared venomously at Yang Qi, as if he wanted to devour him whole.

"Is there a problem?" Yang Qi asked with a smile.

Gu Baiyi said coldly, "I don’t know how you did it, but for what you did to a member of my Gu Family, you must pay the price! You better pray you get eliminated soon, because if not, I’ll make sure you regret it. People have died at the National Medicine Conference before!" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people from Jingnan Prefecture soured. This was Gu Baiyi, ranked second on the Southern Territory’s Divine Doctor List and second only to the top-ranked Xue Renyi. It was said that Gu Baiyi once wagered his Medical Skills against an opponent who died a terrible death, bleeding from all seven orifices. How could Yang Qi’s Medical Skills possibly be better than Gu Baiyi’s? It would be a miracle if he even made it into the top twenty. If he really had to face Gu Baiyi, it would be disastrous. Everyone from Jingnan Prefecture was worried, including Old Chen Guo and Yao Ran.

"Heh, Gu Baiyi?" Yang Qi replied with a faint smile, his words brimming with dominance. "I look forward to seeing what you have to challenge me with. I just hope you aren’t as useless as this Gu Chong."

Everyone gasped, shocked that Yang Qi actually dared to challenge Gu Baiyi. Was the second-place rank on the Southern Territory’s Divine Doctor List just for show? One shouldn’t be so arrogant. Excessive arrogance often leads to trouble.

Over with the Su Mansion contingent, someone asked Xue Renyi, "Divine Doctor Xue, what do you think of Yang Qi?" After all, Xue Renyi held the top rank on the Southern Territory’s Divine Doctor List.

"He’s extremely talented and courageous, but it’s a pity he’s still too young and a bit too arrogant. I’m afraid he’s going to stumble this time," Xue Renyi said. "However, if he can overcome this hurdle, he will definitely surpass me in the future."

"Divine Doctor Xue, you’re being too modest. Him, surpass you? Perhaps in a few decades."

Everyone thought Xue Renyi was being humble, unaware that he had already sensed Yang Qi’s sharp edge. However, medicine isn’t like Martial Arts; a slight difference in skill can lead to a vast disparity in results.

By this time, Yang Qi had already returned to his seat.

"Mr. Yang, thank you so much," Liu Changsheng said, his voice full of gratitude. Yang Qi had not only guided his medical achievements but had also avenged him today. He felt an immense sense of gratitude in his heart.

"No need to thank me. We’re on the same side," Yang Qi said with a wave of his hand.

Next, the challenges for the other nine contestants began. There were wins and losses. About half an hour later, it was all over.

Ultimately, the top fifty were decided. Among them, only three people from Jingnan Prefecture advanced: Yang Qi, Old Chen Guo, and Yao Ran. That was all. And even though Gu Chong had been dealt with by Yang Qi, Su Mansion still had the highest number of people advancing, with nearly twenty of the fifty. Jingnan Prefecture’s advancement numbers were still at the very bottom.

The second round of the competition began swiftly. This round no longer tested theoretical knowledge. Instead, the judging panel would present a clinical case, for which the contestants had to concoct a medicinal decoction. The panel would then evaluate their creations.