Su Yueli looked at the number plate in her hand, then shifted her gaze to the massive matchup board.
Group Three. Her opponent's name belonged to a completely unfamiliar rogue martial artist from the outer city.
She pondered slightly. The Pang family actually hadn't rigged the drawing this time?
Did they know a Fourth Realm martial artist had zero chance of winning against her and felt there was no point in sending someone to their death, or did they have another conspiracy?
Su Yueli had no way of knowing. Soon, Lin Ye finished drawing his lot as well and jogged over with his wooden plate.
“Miss Su, my opponent is also an outsider. Judging by their cultivation, they've likely just reached the Third Realm. Fortunately, my luck is pretty good,” Lin Ye said, letting out a long sigh of relief.
Su Yueli nodded, not saying much.
For someone of his martial realm to have survived until now, his luck was truly heaven-defying. Many Fourth Realm martial artists had already been eliminated.
To the beat of war drums, the top hundred placement matches officially commenced.
The caliber of this round was significantly higher, but for the core disciples of the Four Great Families—the Pang, Lin, Chu, and Yun families—it was still an absolute walkover.
Yun He, Chu Feng, and the others all secured their victories effortlessly.
Group Three, where Su Yueli was placed, quickly began their matches.
Unsurprisingly, her opponent was only a peak Third Realm martial master.
Upon sensing the sliver of Fifth Realm blood qi that Su Yueli casually released, the man was sensible enough to immediately cup his hands and concede upon stepping up. Su Yueli won the match with ease.
Soon, it was Lin Ye's turn. Gripping his long saber, he leaped onto the arena stage.
But when his opponent walked up the steps, the smile on Lin Ye's face instantly froze, and his expression turned grim.
The newcomer wore the attire of a core disciple of the Pang family. Judging by his blood qi, he was clearly in the mid Fourth Realm.
“How is it you?” Lin Ye gripped his saber hilt tightly. “My opponent was clearly supposed to be a rogue martial artist!”
The Pang family disciple sneered, his eyes filled with mockery.
Below the stage, the referee projected his voice: “The originally scheduled participant has fallen suddenly ill and is unable to compete. He has voluntarily forfeited. According to the rules, Pang Fei of the Pang family will take his place as a substitute. The match shall proceed!”
Su Yueli's brow furrowed instantly below the stage.
What a convenient sudden illness. Knowing they couldn't defeat her, the Pang family had targeted Lin Ye instead?
They were picking on the weak.
“Lin Ye, if you can't do it, just concede directly!” Su Yueli warned in a low voice.
On the stage, Lin Ye clenched his teeth.
He knew he was being treated as an easy target. The reckless streak of ruthlessness in his heart flared up, leaving him extremely displeased.
Pang Fei cracked his neck and lowered his voice, grinning sinisterly. “Kid, if you want to blame someone, blame your own blindness for following the wrong master. You are also an accomplice in the murder of my Pang family members. Today, this stage will be your coffin.”
Fire burned in Lin Ye's eyes. Even if he couldn't win, he had to leave a mark on the guy before conceding!
“Begin the match!”
The moment the words left the referee's mouth, Pang Fei lunged forward, his mid Fourth Realm blood qi pressing directly down on Lin Ye.
Lin Ye roared, unsheathing his long saber to meet the attack.
But the suppression of realms was brutal. Pang Fei was in no rush to deliver a killing blow. Instead, like a cat playing with a mouse, he used his footwork and blood qi to neutralize Lin Ye's attacks time and time again, leaving one wound after another on his body in the process.
Bam!
Pang Fei slammed a heavy punch into Lin Ye's flank. Accompanied by the sound of fracturing bone, Lin Ye rolled several meters across the stage, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
Sharp gasps echoed from the spectator stands below, and many noble family disciples mocked him.
“Overestimating himself. A peak Third Realm actually dares to go head-to-head with a mid Fourth Realm.”
“This kid from the outer city sure has tough bones, but too bad his brain doesn't work well.”
Su Yueli watched the situation on the stage, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
Something was wrong. Pang Fei was clearly torturing Lin Ye on purpose to wear down his strength.
“Lin Ye, forfeit!” Su Yueli warned once more.
Lin Ye lay on the ground covered in blood, his internal organs burning as if on fire.
He knew that even if he gave it his all, he couldn't injure his opponent in the slightest. Forcing himself to raise his head, he prepared to open his mouth to shout his concession.
At that exact moment, the killing intent in Pang Fei's eyes surged violently.
“Want to concede? In your dreams!”
Pang Fei's figure flashed, appearing right in front of Lin Ye, and kicked him viciously in the chin.
Crack!
Lin Ye's open mouth was forced shut by the brutal kick. His teeth shattered, and the words he wanted to shout were swallowed back down along with a mouthful of blood.
Immediately after, Pang Fei rained heavy punches down on Lin Ye's chest.
Every punch was accompanied by the sound of fracturing bones.
The referee stood to the side, eyes lowered, completely ignoring the scene with no intention of stopping the match.
As long as no concession was voiced and the fighter hadn't fallen off the stage, the match would continue.
Bam!
With one final heavy punch, Pang Fei sent Lin Ye flying through the air, crashing down outside the stage.
Su Yueli's figure blurred as she caught the blood-covered Lin Ye and gently laid him flat on the ground.
On the stage, Pang Fei looked down at Su Yueli, sticking out his tongue to lick the blood off the back of his hand. His gaze was incredibly provocative. “Su Yueli, is it? This is just the interest. You'd better pray you don't run into me in the next round, or else your fate will be exactly the same as his.”
Su Yueli looked up at Pang Fei, her cold eyes terrifyingly calm.
But she gritted her teeth in secret.
If she drew him in the next round, she would absolutely make him pay dearly!
The crowd below buzzed with discussion, everyone thoroughly intimidated by the Pang family's ruthless methods.
On the high platform, the Fourth Prince, Zhao Yan, watched this unfold, the smile on his lips deepening.
“Since the Pang family doesn't dare to touch the Fifth Realm, they target the person beside her to throw her off balance.”
Zhao Yan looked at the jade thumb ring on his hand. “However, that kid with the saber looks like he's on the verge of death. Without an elixir, he won't survive past half an hour.”
Zhao Yan glanced at the guard beside him and casually ordered, “Go, bestow a Rejuvenation Pill upon that boy. The show has only just begun. If this pawn dies now, wouldn't we lose a lot of the upcoming entertainment?”
Besides, it was a good opportunity to curry some favor.
The guard acknowledged the order and quickly went down to deliver the pill.
Su Yueli was about to forcibly use her blood qi to sustain Lin Ye's life, when an Imperial Guard stepped forward and handed over a pill that emitted a rich medicinal fragrance.
“Bestowed by His Fourth Highness. It will keep him alive,” the guard said coldly before turning to leave.
Su Yueli glanced toward the high platform. Casting aside all hesitation, she stuffed the pill into Lin Ye's mouth.
The Rejuvenation Pill dissolved the moment it entered his mouth, and Lin Ye's faint breathing finally stabilized slightly.
“Ahem, cough...”
Lin Ye struggled to open his eyes. Looking at Su Yueli, he squeezed out a wretched smile. “Miss Su... I'm sorry. I couldn't even take a chunk of flesh off him... but... I won't die.”
“Don't speak.”
Su Yueli sighed. “Focus on resting. Leave the rest to me.”
The fifteen-minute rest period flew by, and the second round of placement matches commenced.
The atmosphere inside the martial arena began to grow feverish due to the brutal beating that had just occurred.
“Match Three: Su Yueli versus Pang Fei! Step onto the stage!” the referee bellowed.
Gasping exclamations immediately erupted from the crowd. They were actually facing each other so soon!
Su Yueli stood up. Ignoring the chatter around her, she walked onto the stage step by step.
Pang Fei also walked up with a cold sneer, his eyes staring at Su Yueli with provocation.
At this moment, he turned his head to glance toward the Pang family's section on the high platform and nodded slightly.
A trace of ruthlessness flashed in Pang Jinbiao's eyes.
With Pang Lei's failure serving as a prior warning, Pang Fei had already swallowed a Bloodburst Pill before stepping onto the stage.
The medicinal efficacy was being tightly suppressed within his dantian.
The moment the referee gave the order, he could instantly release the suppression and send his blood qi soaring.
This time, he would absolutely not give Su Yueli the chance to defeat him in a single blow! He would definitely win!
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