Chapter 224: Heng Jingchuo (First Update)

Chu Liuyue won this round, and the situation on the field changed instantly.

The remaining people glanced toward her from time to time, their expressions varying, but they were clearly all more solemn.

They had originally thought Chu Liuyue would be at the bottom among the final ten, but who knew she would directly take down Situ Ziyue and claim the first position!

Now, they had no choice but to re-examine Chu Liuyue.

When she was a first-stage martial artist, she had consecutively defeated two fourth-stage martial artists; after breaking through to the second stage, she had even defeated a peak fourth-stage expert.

Such a record was enough to make Chu Liuyue famous from this moment forth!

And if they wanted to seize first place, they had to get past Chu Liuyue!

Sun Zhongyan looked toward a youth from Nanfeng Academy.

"Ye Chenjia, it is your turn to choose."

Ye Chenjia was ranked ninth, just ahead of Chu Liuyue.

According to the rules, it was his turn to choose one person from the top five to challenge.

Ye Chenjia seemed to have been prepared all along. He stepped onto the stage and cupped his hands toward a certain youth from Taiyan Academy

"Ye Chenjia of Nanfeng Academy challenges Su Tingfeng of Taiyan Academy!"

Seeing him make such a choice, the crowd nodded unconsciously, clearly feeling it was within expectations.

Su Tingfeng was ranked fifth.

Evidently, he was the easiest one among the top five to challenge.

Choosing him was the most stable move for Ye Chenjia.

Su Tingfeng laughed heartily, leaped, and landed on the arena.

"Please!"

As the two began their duel, some people whispered among themselves.

"...Scared me to death. I thought every single freshman this year was going to be this heaven-defying!"

"One Chu Liuyue is enough, otherwise, they really won't leave any room for us old-timers to live."

"Actually, I heard that Ye Chenjia is only sixteen this year and is already a third-stage martial artist; he's considered a top talent among the freshmen. This is his first time participating in the Qingjiao Assembly, and he went straight into the top ten. Compared to the previous Jiang Yuan, he's not far off. It's a pity that with Chu Liuyue appearing earlier, everyone else instantly looks dim by comparison."

"I think even if Chu Liuyue doesn't end up as this year's number one martial artist, she will still become incredibly famous. Her future is truly limitless!"

With the intense battle between Chu Liuyue and Situ Ziyue as a comparison, this match between Su Tingfeng and Ye Chenjia seemed much more mundane.

Although Ye Chenjia possessed extraordinary talent, there was still a level gap between him and Su Tingfeng. After a hard-fought battle lasting nearly half an hour, he ultimately suffered a regrettable defeat.

Su Tingfeng cupped his hands politely toward Ye Chenjia

"You let me win."

Ye Chenjia gave a bitter smile.

"Fighting across levels is indeed not that simple. I wonder..."

He couldn't help but glance toward the direction of Tianlu Academy.

Chu Liuyue sat in her seat, her expression calm.

People around her were still whispering about her previous battle, but there wasn't a trace of pride in her eyes, as if she weren't the one who had just won.

She had jumped more than just one level, yet she was still this composed!?

Ye Chenjia felt inferior by comparison.

Su Tingfeng followed his gaze, his expression also shifting slightly as he rubbed his temples with a hint of a headache.

He had originally thought his ranking could move up a bit more, but looking at it now, it seemed unlikely...

The next two matches proceeded very quickly.

The third match: Qin Huai of Tianlu Academy challenged Xi Wanwan of Nanfeng Academy—defeated!

The fourth match: Li Ziyuan of Nanfeng Academy challenged Xiao Wenling from the same academy—defeated!

These three following Chu Liuyue had all tried to choose those with lower rankings as their challenge targets, yet they still suffered regrettable defeats.

While regulating her breathing, Chu Liuyue watched intently.

Among these people, it was hard to say who might become her opponent next, so she had to take this opportunity to carefully observe their strength.

Whether it was Xi Wanwan or Xiao Wenling, their strength was at the mid-fourth stage.

Judging from their performance in the arena, neither was as strong as Situ Ziyue.

In other words, they were not yet a threat to her.

Her gaze shifted slightly toward Rong Jin in front of her.

Rong Jin, ranked second, became the last person to be chosen.

And his opponent was Huan Jingchuo of Taiyan Academy.

Huan Jingchuo was ranked sixth, and his current strength had also reached the mid-fourth stage.

If it had been the previous Xi Wanwan or Xiao Wenling, there might have been hope for a successful challenge.

But Rong Jin was at the peak of the fourth stage, possessing even greater strength; Huan Jingchuo's chances of winning were clearly slim.

The two stood on the stage, facing each other.

Both were tall and quite handsome, and their presence drew considerable attention from the women in the crowd.

"Last year, I didn't have the chance to face you, and it has been a regret in my heart. This time, I can finally fulfill it," Huan Jingchuo said with a smile.

"Please, guide me," Rong Jin nodded with a sense of reserve.

"It's not guidance, merely a spar."

Despite his words, he didn't actually take Huan Jingchuo seriously.

There was a gap in strength between them. He had watched a few of Huan Jingchuo's previous matches, and they could only be described as mediocre.

He had come here for the number one martial artist title; once he defeated Huan Jingchuo, he might have to go challenge Chu Liuyue.

Thinking of this, his mood became somewhat irritable.

"Let's begin."

Seeing Rong Jin's distracted manner, the smile on Huan Jingchuo's lips deepened.

"Please!"

As soon as he spoke, he made the first move!

The moment he moved, his figure vanished from the spot!

Rong Jin snapped back to his senses, his brow instantly furrowing.

—How did Huan Jingchuo's speed suddenly become so fast!?

A cold wind swept in from behind. Rong Jin immediately pivoted and thrust a palm forward!

"Lingyun Palm!"

The wind from the palm roared!

Just as it was about to strike Huan Jingchuo's chest, the man moved somehow and evaded it again!

Rong Jin's palm strike actually hit nothing!

Looking at the smiling Huan Jingchuo appearing in another direction, Rong Jin's heart slowly sank.

This Huan Jingchuo—something is wrong!

Sitting below the stage watching the battle, Chu Liuyue suddenly sat upright, her eyes narrowing as she stared intently at Huan Jingchuo.

Sensing her interest, Si Yang couldn't help but ask in a low voice

"You also think there's something wrong with that Huan Jingchuo?"

Although he didn't have much affection for Rong Jin, Rong Jin's strength was widely recognized.

But now, Huan Jingchuo had actually dodged Rong Jin's attack with ease!

Chu Liuyue remained silent for a moment before saying

"He is at the peak of the fourth stage."

"Yeah, everyone knows he is—wait! You mean Huan Jingchuo!?"

Si Yang was shocked and couldn't help but look again.

"That's impossible, right? The aura on him is clearly similar to Jiang Yuan's from before. Isn't that just the mid-fourth stage?"

Chu Liuyue did not explain, but her expression grew increasingly serious.

Si Yang wanted to say more, but he suddenly sensed Huan Jingchuo's aura surging!

In just a brief moment, it was no longer inferior to Rong Jin's!

The two, who were previously one strong and one weak, instantly became evenly matched!

Chu Liuyue narrowed her eyes.

This Huan Jingchuo... would likely be a formidable rival!