The crowd in the stands was electrified. A pure contest of strength like this was all the more thrilling.

"Zhou Tong’s body hardening is so solid! He’s taken so many punches and is still okay!"

"Zhou Zhiqiang’s punches are no joke, either. With that kind of power, he could probably kill a bull!"

"Forget a bull, he could kill a tiger!"

Amid the chatter, the situation in the arena had quietly shifted.

Though Zhou Tong’s body hardening was strong, he couldn’t withstand Zhou Zhiqiang’s relentless barrage of Heavy Fists.

Each punch seemed to be taken head-on, but in reality, the impact sent shockwaves through his Inner Strength. Over time, his qi and blood inevitably began to churn.

After fifty exchanges, Zhou Tong’s breathing gradually grew ragged. An unnatural flush appeared on his face, and his body began to sway subtly whenever he blocked a punch.

Zhou Zhiqiang keenly caught this subtle change. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as his assault abruptly quickened.

He no longer sought a single devastating blow, instead increasing the frequency of his punches. He would feint with his left fist, while his right exclusively targeted Zhou Tong’s left arm. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

That was the location of an old injury from his match with Qin Yu that morning.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Three consecutive punches landed on the same spot. Zhou Tong let out a muffled groan, his left arm visibly weakening. A flaw had appeared in his body-hardening defense.

"Now!"

Zhou Zhiqiang roared, focusing all his Inner Strength into his right fist. The punch whistled sharply as it tore through the air, crashing toward Zhou Tong’s left shoulder like a sledgehammer!

This punch concentrated his full power, perfectly timed to exploit the opening created by his opponent’s old injury and his momentary inability to muster a defense.

Zhou Tong hastily tried to raise his arm to block, but it was too late.

CRACK.

With a sickening crack, the fist landed squarely on his left shoulder. Zhou Tong felt an excruciating, piercing pain as his left arm instantly went numb. His body flew backward like a kite with a snapped string.

He coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood, splattering it across the arena floor.

He struggled to land, staggering a few steps before finding his footing. His left shoulder was swelling at a rate visible to the naked eye; clearly, the bone was badly injured.

Zhou Tong gazed at Zhou Zhiqiang’s still-composed figure, then glanced down at his own dangling left arm. He knew the battle was lost. If he kept fighting, his left arm would probably be crippled for good.

"I concede."

Zhou Tong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His voice was hoarse, yet it carried the crisp finality of a hardened man.

Having said his piece, he clutched his shoulder and walked unsteadily off the arena stage without a single backward glance.

Zhou Zhiqiang stood in place, his chest heaving slightly. He watched Zhou Tong’s retreating back, a complex look in his eyes.

This victory hadn’t come easy. The strength of Zhou Tong’s body hardening had far exceeded his expectations.

The moment Zhou Tong’s figure disappeared from the edge of the arena, the Silver Armor Captain strode forward. His gaze swept over Zhou Zhiqiang and the bloodstains on the floor before he announced in a deep voice, "Zhou Zhiqiang wins."

A roar of applause erupted from the stands. While this head-to-head battle wasn’t as nail-biting as the one between Li Mengchao and Qin Yu, it was still fought with a satisfying ferocity.

The Silver Armor Captain paused, then added, "Two matches are complete. Rest for one hour, and then we will hold the final two duels."

As he spoke, he took a register from within his armor and announced the rest of the schedule in a clear voice: "The top rank has been decided; Li Mengchao is first place. Of the two remaining matches, the first will be Qin Yu versus Zhou Zhiqiang to determine second and third place. The second will be Zhou Tong versus Yang Jing to determine fourth and fifth place."

As his voice faded, the attention of the entire training ground split.

Some looked toward where Qin Yu was resting, others focused on Zhou Zhiqiang, while still others fell upon Yang Jing and the just-defeated Zhou Tong.

Yang Jing stood inside the railed-off area, his lips pursing slightly when he heard his name.

He had been perfectly calm, feeling that placing fifth in this year’s trials was an unexpected blessing and that there was no need to push for a higher rank. Yet, as his gaze fell upon Zhou Tong’s back, his heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

Zhou Tong had just descended from the arena. His left arm dangled unnaturally, his sleeve soaked through with blood. His brow was tightly furrowed as he walked, a clear sign of his serious injury.

It seemed Zhou Zhiqiang’s punch had not only damaged the bone but also aggravated the old injury from his morning match with Qin Yu. His entire arm had lost all its strength; he couldn’t even lift it.

"His left arm..."

Yang Jing murmured to himself, his eyes fixed on Zhou Tong’s nearly immobile left arm.

’Experts in body hardening prize the integrity of the whole body above all else. A severely injured left arm meant Zhou Tong’s defense would have a massive flaw. He would even struggle to properly execute ordinary Punching Techniques.’

This realization was like a pebble dropped into the calm lake of Yang Jing’s mind, sending ripples across its surface.

He had already made up his mind to treat the match with Zhou Tong as a simple spar. The moment things looked bad, he would concede immediately and not push himself.

But now, seeing Zhou Tong’s sorry state, an idea quietly surfaced in his mind.

’Maybe... there really is a chance to move up one more rank?’

’Fourth and fifth place might seem only one spot apart, but moving up wasn’t just about honor. More importantly, securing fourth place would guarantee him a spot on this year’s official ranking list. Fifth place only made it highly likely; it wasn’t a certainty.’

’Besides, Zhou Tong’s injury was an obvious weakness. If I could just seize this opportunity...’

Yang Jing took a deep breath, his fingertips tightening slightly.

’The path of the Martial Dao is about seizing opportunities. Since my opponent has shown a weakness, it would be foolish to just let it go.’

’This isn’t taking advantage of his predicament; it’s a fleeting opportunity.’

Yang Jing slowly clenched his fists as his Inner Strength began to circulate through his meridians. ’Perhaps it’s time to get serious about preparing for the next match.’

Time passed, second by second.

The hour-long rest was over in a flash.

The Silver Armor Captain once again ascended the main arena stage, and the training ground gradually fell silent.