“Bang! Bang!”

Spiritual energy dispersed on the competition platform, palm prints manifesting.

“This is the Illusory Trace Palm technique. Once fully deployed, it forms an airtight network of palm strikes!” said an older martial artist.

He’s even using martial techniques?

That Tiegu Sect disciple will definitely lose without a doubt!

However, no matter how frequently Yi Dashi attacked, Tian Qi remained calm in the face of danger, using both hands and feet together to resist the palm strikes coming from different directions.

The higher-level martial artists in the stands grew more surprised and shocked the longer they watched, because that Tiegu Sect disciple, though caught in his opponent’s attack rhythm, still hadn’t used any spiritual energy!

“Each palm from the Qingling Sect disciple carries at least fifteen hundred pounds of force. How can he withstand it without using spiritual energy to protect his body!”

“This is too exaggerated!”

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Just then, after blocking his opponent’s palm technique, Tian Qi took a step back.

Ten rings of light flashed on his right fist as spiritual energy poured into his punch. He suddenly broke through the layers of palm strikes and struck his opponent’s chest.

Fast, ruthless, precise!

“Thud, thud, thud!”

Yi Dashi, struck by this blow, stumbled backward violently. Finally falling off the competition platform, after barely stabilizing his body in a disheveled state, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face turning pale.

The referee said, “Second round, fourth match, victor: Tian Qi!”

“He… he won again?”

“That guy only has ten light rings on his wrist. Can he really punch someone at the twelfth stage of Meridian Opening that far with one strike?”

While the spectating martial artists were dumbfounded, Tian Qi had already walked off the stage with a flourish.

This time he first received attacks, then defeated his opponent, using his strength to tell those idiots that his victory in the previous round wasn’t luck.

“Ah.”

Jun Changxiao turned his head and smiled, “Your disciple from before didn’t lose unfairly to my disciple, did he?”

The Great Red Gate elder was speechless.

At this moment, he wasn’t as active as before the competition started.

Because the several disciples his sect had sent were nearly completely wiped out in the first round. Now only one lone seedling remained, assigned to Area D.

“Hmph.”

The Great Red Gate elder said indifferently, “This is only the second round. There are still many matches ahead. Don’t get happy too soon.”

Jun Changxiao shrugged his shoulders, intentionally or unintentionally glancing at the Xiao Family elders, discovering he was resting with his eyes closed.

…

The competitors were still exchanging blows. From the matches’ circumstances, they were clearly much more exciting than the first round. Many people had revealed their martial techniques.

In this aspect, Tiegu Sect was lacking.

Because Grand Sect Master Jun only conducted devil training and hadn’t taught his disciples any decent martial techniques.

In his words, from the Meridian Opening stage to the Wutu level, as long as one’s strength was sufficient, apart from high-level martial techniques, everything else was just icing on the cake.

In fact, he simply had no good martial techniques to give his disciples.

“Second round, tenth match: Zhang He versus Li Qingyang!”

“Begin.”

“Boom—”

The referee’s voice had just fallen when Zhang He was knocked off the competition platform by Li Qingyang with a single punch.

“Second round, tenth match, victor: Li Qingyang!”

Everyone’s mouths twitched.

…

“Second round, twenty-sixth match: Su Xiaomo versus Lin Feng.”

“Begin!”

“Swish! Swish! Swish!”

Su Xiaomo with his nimble footwork stepped forward, instantly circling around his opponent. Taking advantage of his unpreparedness, he channeled spiritual energy into his right leg and kicked his opponent’s backside, sending him flying off the competition platform.

“Second round, twenty-sixth match, victor: Su Xiaomo!”

Everyone’s mouths continued twitching.

…

“Second round, forty-second match: Tieying versus Lu Qianqian!”

“Begin!”

“Splash—”

The competitor called Tieying, just like Hu Yao, was gently waved aside by Lu Qianqian at the very start, pushed off the stage with spiritual energy.

The audience couldn’t take it anymore!

Brother, sister, this is at least the second round!

The advancing competitors all had some ability. You Tiegu Sect people, one after another ending battles quickly—can you give your opponents a little respect?

Respect isn’t given; it’s earned through one’s own efforts.

Just like Jun Changxiao—facing others’ humiliation of his sect, he never begged for respect, because he would fight for it.

Although in this sect competition, as sect master he couldn’t participate in battle, Lu Qianqian and the other four were equivalent to representing himself, representing the entire Tiegu Sect, fighting to earn respect!

The matches continued…

Until the final sixty-fourth match: Xiao Ziji versus Hua Rong!

“Here it comes, here it comes!”

“Qinghe Gang’s Hua Rong is at the twelfth stage of Meridian Opening. He’ll definitely brutally abuse that guy!”

Sure enough, after the match began, Hua Rong immediately integrated spiritual energy into his palm to form a palm blade and launched a fierce attack on Xiao Ziji.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The palm blade moved like a shadow, crazily attacking his shoulders, chest, arms, and abdomen.

However, no matter how Hua Rong attacked, Xiao Ziji always stood in place without moving an inch, showing no signs of pain.

“This… how is this possible…”

“How strong must his physical body be to stand there like a wooden stake being hit!”

The audience watched with mouths agape.

“Damn it!”

Hua Rong became furious. Raising his palm blade, he viciously struck toward Xiao Ziji’s neck.

In the process, spiritual energy poured into his palm, his strength climbing higher and higher!

“Smack!”

Just then, Xiao Ziji’s hand blocked in front of him, catching his palm blade. He said indifferently, “It’s just a competition. Why strike so heavily?”

His hand was like a clamp, tightly gripping the wrist, making it difficult for his opponent to break free.

“He grabbed the meridian point!”

“That competitor was too hasty, too careless!”

Many experts saw the trick.

Xiao Ziji had no spiritual root, no cultivation—practically a waste.

But please don’t forget, he had once been a stunning genius. Strength could decline, but the innate battle awareness wouldn’t be extinguished!

He seemed like a wooden stake being hit all over, but in reality, he was looking for an opening. Finally seizing the opportunity, he unexpectedly clamped down on Hua Rong’s meridian point.

A textbook-level counterattack.

Unfortunately, many spectating martial artists wouldn’t pay attention to this.

In their hearts, they cheered for Hua Rong, hoping he could fight back, with the Xiao Family direct descendants being the most fervent.

With his meridian sealed, weak and powerless—was fighting back possible?

“Swish!”

Xiao Ziji, gripping Hua Rong’s pulse point, step by step dragged him to the edge of the competition platform, then lifted him up and moved him outside the arena.

Kicking out, the kick landed on his stomach. The hand gripping the meridian point released, and Hua Rong went flying, falling to the ground and rolling around clutching his stomach with a grimace.

Jun Changxiao smiled and said, “That kick was quite heavy.”

After a long while.

The referee announced, “Second round, sixty-fourth match, victor: Xiao Ziji!”

“Ding!”

“Five disciples have advanced to the third round. Epic quest completion rate: 20%. Host receives 20 contribution points.”

“Ding!”

“Sect contribution points: 82/500.”

Jun Changxiao thought to himself, “Another 20 points given. Calculated this way, 100% completion will yield 200 contribution points. Worthy of being an epic quest—the rewards are truly generous!”

…

Xiao Ziji returned to the winners’ area.

The martial artists in the spectator stands all closed their mouths, choosing silence.

Mockery?

No longer existed.

The faces of the Xiao Family direct descendants looked as ugly as if they’d eaten excrement. As for their fragile hearts, they had already been stabbed full of holes.

“The expelled Xiao Family direct descendant has no spiritual energy, yet can rely on his physical body to defeat someone at the twelfth stage of Meridian Opening.”

“To withstand Hua Rong’s crazy attacks unharmed—what kind of terrifying physical body tempering has he undergone all these years?”

“A genius is indeed a genius. Even without spiritual root or cultivation, he can still find alternative paths to strengthen himself.”

“The Xiao Family expelled him. They must be regretting it now.”

Xiao Ziji’s performance received unanimous praise from the high-ranking members of various sects.

On the high platform, the Xiao Family Grand Elder’s old face was red as pig liver, his eyes completely covered by killing intent.

The waste expelled from the family had consecutively defeated opponents and advanced to the third round. For him, this was something difficult to accept.

In the distance, Jun Changxiao lightly raised his hand, intentionally or unintentionally pointing the gun barrel at the Xiao Family Grand Elder, thinking to himself, “Old fellow, don’t try anything, or I’ll shoot you dead.”

He wouldn’t allow anyone to harm his disciples. Never mind the Xiao Family—even the Ye Family, Lin Family, or Long Family wouldn’t be permitted.