In this kind of random draw knockout tournament, unless one has the absolute power to dominate all competitors, luck still plays a part in achieving rankings. Wang Chong, Liu Qingyuan, and Ricken were among the top three favored contestants, and no one wanted to face them in the first round, so everyone’s expression varied when they saw the match-up results.
Some people sighed in relief.
Some people watched with amusement.
"This Lu Chenzhou is really unlucky."
"Exactly, knocked out in the first round."
"Look at Ricken’s arms, I feel like they could break my thighs."
"Remove the ’feel,’ he’s a fierce contender with a Qi-Blood Breakthrough of 2."
Everyone secretly sighed for the Flying Swallow Martial Arts Hall.
In the audience stands.
Li Xianghua and Lu Guoping’s hearts were in their throats.
"What’s going on? Is there some kind of foul play? Why is Chenzhou facing this foreigner right off the bat... The guy is half a head taller than Chenzhou and must weigh over 200 pounds, right?"
"What foul play could there be? It’s random. Don’t worry unnecessarily, Chenzhou is a Fourth Rank! Do you understand? Having grasped the Dark Strength, he could even make a place for himself in the world as a Dart Master and those bandits wouldn’t dare to mess with him."
"The physical difference is too great."
"Qi-Blood isn’t just about size. You know nothing. If we’re talking about strength, Chenzhou isn’t necessarily weaker than this foreigner... Just focus on the match."
After being lectured by Lu Guoping, Li Xianghua tiptoed over to where Shi Ruyu was sitting nearby, wearing an apologetic smile, and asked,
"Ru Yu, Chenzhou facing this foreigner won’t be a problem, right?"
Shi Ruyu was also subconsciously nervous when she saw Chenzhou paired up with Ricken initially, because Ricken did have a modest reputation in these martial arts circles.
However, after analyzing, she felt that Ricken couldn’t possibly break through the Fourth Rank.
Shi Ruyu smiled slightly and said,
"Auntie, don’t worry. With the skills of our fellow disciple, there definitely won’t be a problem. And the judges down there will ensure he doesn’t get hurt."
Li Xianghua then breathed a sigh of relief.
"That puts my mind at ease. I trust the judgment of you professionals."
At the judge’s stand.
Ji Xuantong was also feeling a bit excited.
"Good, good, to knock out Ricken right from the start!"
The rules of such a small-scale event were simple, with no revival matches after elimination, so Ricken was definitely out of the top three now, much to Old Ji’s delight.
Jiang Jiao and Wu Tianshi were also secretly delighted. As long as they didn’t face Ricken in the first round, their True Inheritance was almost guaranteed a top three spot.
This Lu Chenzhou, truly an unfortunate soul.
They too had researched Chenzhou, knowing that his rise was rapid and his abilities had already surpassed veterans like Du Men who was a Third Rank.
But no matter how strong you are, you cannot defeat Ricken, who almost achieved Great Success in the White Elephant Fighting Technique and had a Qi-Blood Breakthrough of 2. Two months ago, Chenzhou just advanced to Third Rank, not likely to achieve a Qi-Blood Fourth Rank breakthrough, not to mention mastering advanced force techniques like Dark Strength.
However, Rickett felt a bit uneasy deep inside. Looking at his son Ricken, who was brimming with confidence like a towering elephant, he cautioned him,
"Ricken! Give it your all!"
The leader cleared his throat and announced loudly,
"The match begins, first group, come to the stage."
Du Men, both nervous and excited, stepped up to compete. His opponent, Liu Yong, was also a Third Rank contestant; his luck wasn’t much better, not having drawn a Second Rank.
"Flying Swallow Martial Arts Hall, Du Men, specializes in Swallow Return Fist!"
"Golden Lion Martial Arts Hall, Liu Yong, Golden Lion Fist!"
The two introduced themselves and then began their bout. Lu Chenzhou observed Du Men’s techniques and noted his significant improvement. After a few minutes of vigorous fighting, exchanging well over a hundred moves in a fierce contest, Du Men ultimately prevailed, defeating his opponent with a "Flying Swallow Chain Attack" that sent him out of bounds.
Cheers erupted from the crowd for the Flying Swallow Martial Arts Hall.
"Du Men! Du Men!" Official source is novel·fire.net
Lu Chenzhou also applauded.
As Du Men came off the stage, he passed by and quietly asked,
Lu Chenzhou nodded slightly.
Ji Xuantong naturally smiled broadly.
If lucky, the Flying Swallow Martial Arts Hall might secure two of the top three spots, Du also had the makings of a martial artist, but unfortunately, he didn’t have an epiphany like Lu Chenzhou.
The next two matches ended quickly.
Third Rank facing Second Rank, both were utterly predictable.
"Please welcome the fourth group of contestants to the stage."
Following the announcement, Lu Chenzhou adjusted his Flying Swallow uniform and strode confidently onto the platform. Truth be told, he was a bit excited, possibly because this was his first official match in his ten-year Martial Arts career, with so many spectators watching.
"Let out the Tiger’s Momentum!"
He cleared his mind and visualized the Black Tiger.
He quickly entered a fighting state.
Ricken also stepped onto the stage with heavy steps, wearing an open-chested training outfit that revealed his bear-like robust muscles and dense chest hair.
Students from the White Elephant Fighting Hall were equally excited.
Ricken’s two older brothers were there to cheer him on,
"Son of the Mighty Elephant! Son of the Mighty Elephant!"
"Ricken, knock him flying!"
"We are invincible, Mighty Elephant!"
Wang Chong and Liu Qingyuan watched with interest.
"If Lu Chenzhou uses the agility of the Swallow Form Fist and wears down Ricken’s stamina, he might stand a chance... at least lose more gracefully."
"It’s a pity he also had a chance to make it to the top three."
Some in the audience couldn’t bear to watch.
The visual impact of the muscle monster was just too terrifying.
Lu Chenzhou greeted with a bow,
"Lu Chenzhou, from Flying Swallow Martial Arts Hall, skilled in ’Black Tiger Fist’!"
Ricken’s expression changed slightly, but he didn’t announce his affiliation.
So Lu Chenzhou was using "Black Tiger Fist"?
He had been worried that his opponent might use Swallow Form Fist to keep him at bay, making it hard for him to win quickly... this was much better: he loved straightforward, forceful combat.
Wang Chong and Liu Qingyuan felt regretful.
"Wrong tactic used; however mighty the Black Tiger, how could it match the Mighty Elephant?"
On the platform, Ricken smiled confidently, his long legs closing the gap in three steps, then he unleashed a plain but fierce Charging Punch, causing an explosive sound similar to a train crash.
White Elephant Fighting Technique, the Essence of Tusk Charging.
Lu Chenzhou didn’t dodge. With his movement technique, he could have easily dodged, but he remembered Ji Xuantong’s words... to win thoroughly, to win impressively!
His right foot gripped the ground like a tiger, his body rotating rightward as if drawing a tightly wound bow, his right fist clenched, his muscular and well-proportioned arms twisted together like black pythons, his Black Tiger Dark Strength transferring instantly from his foot through his muscles and bones to his right fist!
Thirty-six Forms, Black Tiger Strikes the Mountain!
The punch was fierce, like hammering iron!
Seeing Lu Chenzhou confronting his punch head-on, Ricken revealed a cruel smile, almost seeing his opponent being blown away, crashing to the ground holding his arms in pain, until his massive fist met with that callosity-covered fist. An unmatched power surged causing instant severe pain in his arm, contorting his face as he instinctively launched a heavy left hook combined with a knee strike towards Lu Chenzhou.
Lu Chenzhou had already crossed his arms to block the strike, merely stepping back slightly to dissipate the force, then he pivoted in a tiger pounce motion, sweeping his leg in a Tiger Tail Leg strike.
Hands are like two doors, relying entirely on legs to strike!
The crisp sound of the Dark Force exploded resounded through the Martial Arts Hall.
Naturally, the strength of a leg can’t be compared to a fist; with a slight application of Dark Force, Ricken, weighing over two hundred pounds, was sent flying like a broken kite.
He crashed on the edge of the stands, trying to prop himself up for another round, but found his right arm too painful. With his physique, if the opponent was only Third Rank, the strike wouldn’t have been this powerful. Realizing this, he looked at his opponent unbelievably.
This man, was Fourth Rank.
And had mastered the intermediate internal skills of Fighting Techniques.
The screen above froze the time.
This battle, from start to finish, took only...