I was told I'd be a late bloomer, but I was born with the potential to achieve great things!

The arena was paved with blue bricks.

Rows of weapon racks stood all around, and the smell of aged wood wafted through the air.

In the sunlight, dust began to rise and fly.

"They're here."

"Everyone's here."

"He Qianshan, the master of the Limitless Martial Arts Academy, Wen Tailai, the master of the Thunder Martial Arts Academy, and even Master Zhu, known for her beautiful legs, have all brought people from the Red Thread Martial Arts Academy..."

"Look over there, that's Magistrate Ning of the county government, a former military officer who passed the imperial examination."

"The Qian family, the Li family, the Guo family, the Feng family, and the prominent families of the inner city have also arrived. Old Sun... those are your Sun family members over there, right?"

As Fang Yi followed Manager Li Shanming into the competition arena, gasps of surprise came from Qian Youde and Liu Shuqing.

Wang Yi was on high alert, Sun Wenhao remained silent, while Zhou An only felt that the two of them were being a little noisy.

Where's the promised gloom and despair? The performance couldn't even last the first bit, how are we supposed to improve the odds?

However, this also made Zhou An realize that the commotion caused by this martial arts competition was too great.

The two, who had grown up in the city, were instinctively excited upon seeing the legendary figures.

Although both came from impoverished backgrounds, their expressions differed from Wang Yi's when he entered the room, which were characterized by wariness and suspicion.

To Zhou An, everything before him was just a series of stereotypical characters, not worth paying too much attention to before he truly got to know them.

All you need to know is what these people are responsible for.

Because big shots never care about the thoughts of ordinary people along the way, no matter how much you look up to them or ask for something, it's useless.

But once you can take them down, they'll naturally kneel down.

"As expected, even the head of the Ultimate Martial Arts School, the top martial arts school in the group, is inferior to the government."

It wasn't just because of the official's status, but also because the magistrate of Ning County possessed considerable ability.

Zhou An thought to himself.

Although he was cultivating behind closed doors, he was always aware of the situation outside and knew that, on the surface, the strength of the various masters and gangs in Ningshan City was only at the Visceral Realm.

The strength and weakness of the internal organs are extremely obvious.

Those who have undergone nine blood transfusions are considered top-tier individuals, and such people are extremely rare. Therefore, those who have undergone five or six blood transfusions are already considered high-level experts.

"These masters have accumulated a wealth of experience, and it's common for them to be several times my age. It's possible that some of the top masters have built up their inner strength through the accumulation of a large amount of resources."

Zhou An made up his mind: he could win, but he had to win with skill, not by being too flashy.

"So, are you confident?"

Upon arriving at the location of the Seven Mysteries Sect, Li Shanming lagged behind, looking solemnly at Zhou An.

"Eighty percent."

Zhou An nodded, exchanged a glance with Feng Hui from the Bajiquan Martial Arts School, and gave a conservative figure.

"That's fine then."

Li Shanming nodded and asked no more questions.

Although he had supplied Zhou An with a lot of resources during this period, they no longer cared about Zhou An's victory or defeat at this point in the situation.

After all, he was a disciple who had only been cultivating for a short time, and the Seven Mysteries Sect could not place all their hopes on him.

Sending him out first not only gives the Bajiquan martial arts school a legitimate reason for its training, but also serves as a form of guidance and testing.

"clang!"

Soon, a loud bell rang throughout the entire competition venue.

Zhou An looked up and saw Li Shanming and the people from the Bajiquan Martial Arts School meeting on the high platform under the watchful eyes of their respective sect leaders and school masters, and beginning to sign a contract.

"This competition is actually to resolve the business dispute between the two parties, so we must stop when the point is reached and no one should be killed."

Anyone who begs for mercy is considered defeated, and the victor should not press their advantage.

Anyone who falls off the ring is considered a loser...

With the witnesses of County Magistrate Ning, Master He of the Extreme Martial Arts School, and Master Zhu of the Red Thread Martial Arts School, the two parties quickly agreed on the terms.

Zhou An only listened to the news about the winning party's compensation and the shops on the street once before paying no further attention.

His gaze remained fixed on Feng Hui, who was not far away, and on the list of participants.

"The first match was a contest of boxing skills, and the second match was a contest of weapons skills. Both participants were under 20 years old."

If Feng Hui's defeat is too comical, can I get a bigger reward if I pretend to lose in the second round?

The more Zhou An thought about it, the brighter his eyes became.

The rewards may be uncertain, but the first round of betting will definitely be very profitable, and may even affect the second round.

While outstanding performance will certainly arouse jealousy and attract a lot of hidden hostility, if the opponent is too weak, then there will be not much to fear.

Upon thinking of this, Zhou An's eyes became dark and unfathomable.

There were so many experts on site, it really tested his skills... the difficulty was quite high.

"The first match is between Zhou An of the Seven Mysteries Sect and Feng Hui of the Eight Extremes Martial Arts School."

With the sound of a bell, the entire arena fell silent, only to become noisy again as the two figures emerged.

"The Seven Mysteries Sect is quite confident, actually sending out a respectable young man who hasn't been practicing martial arts for long to be the first to go on stage."

Some people openly praise, but their tone is often sarcastic.

"This is destined to be just a formality; the key will be the next few matches."

Nobody thought Zhou An would win.

This is normal; one side is a novice who has only been practicing martial arts for a little over three months, and the other side is the son of the martial arts master.

Unless Feng Hui is out of his mind, there's absolutely no way he could lose.

"What if Zhou An is a genius? He is said to be skilled in swordsmanship and once forced three disciples of the Bajiquan Martial Arts School to retreat with a single sword strike."

Some gamblers, attracted by the odds, bet on Zhou An, hoping to experience the thrill of a comeback, and spoke up for him.

"But the first match wasn't about weapons."

"..."

The two sides were very heated in their remarks, but as the two people in the audience went on stage, they spontaneously calmed down.

It was as calm as a volcano about to erupt.

"You can't win. You don't need an incense stick, just a cup of tea will do."

On the stage, Feng Hui stood still, his feet slamming into the ground, the "cross force" of Bajiquan permeating his entire body.

He had a handsome face, raised eyebrows, and the muscles on his shoulders and back stretched his black training clothes taut, making him look extremely attractive.

"Before coming here, I drank a bowl of blood-nourishing powder."

Zhou Anqing's attire, while not as imposing as Feng Hui's, possessed a gentle and elegant air.

"What do you mean?"

Feng Hui frowned.

Did you drink the blood-tonifying powder?

That stuff is useless; he took better pills before taking the stage.

Everyone knew he would win, but he dared not be careless in the slightest, because an ugly victory meant a defeat.

Although he appears to be a spoiled rich kid to outsiders, if he really loses, his own father will break his legs.

"I can talk to you for a whole day and night."

Zhou An's lips curled slightly. He noticed that the young man opposite him was in a bad mood and was easily agitated.

This person is someone who can't accept defeat.

Thinking about the grudges between the two since they met, Zhou An's mind became clearer.

"You're sharp-tongued, but this isn't the street you're patrolling anymore. Even if I break your bones, the authorities won't care."

Feng Hui said coldly.

Since there were already regulations in place, and this was not a private fight, there was no need to sign a life-or-death contract.

"The duel shall officially begin, with a time limit of one incense stick's time."

"clang!"

In an instant, the bell rang again.

"drink!"

Feng Hui exhaled and stomped his foot, unleashing a muffled thud. Dust rose from his feet as he charged toward Zhou An like a fully drawn bow.

His main strategy is to win quickly and decisively.

"Good timing."

Zhou An remained calm and composed, his arms hanging naturally, his shoulder joints more relaxed than the average person's.

Seeing him slightly turn his body, extend his right hand forward, and pull his left hand back, he struck and hit, directly dissipating most of the force.

"snort"

Feng Hui snorted coldly, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. He showed no trace of the arrogance of a spoiled brat, but rather resembled a soldier on the battlefield.

He advanced and lunged forward, as fast as an arrow, his left hand protecting his face, while his right elbow struck Zhou Anxin's heart like a battering ram.

The Eight Extremes Killing Move: Heart-Piercing Elbow!

The fierce and violent force brought with it a rapid, short whistling sound.

Before the elbow even reached her, her hair was already being brushed aside and flying backward.

Instead of retreating, Zhou An advanced, stepping sideways with his right foot to dodge the incoming elbow strike.

The next moment, the seemingly drooping left arm suddenly sprang up, like a whip cracking, and lashed out at the outside of the elbow that was crashing towards Feng Hui.

Feng Hui's expression changed as he felt a tricky force deflect his powerful elbow strike by three points, causing his center of gravity to sway slightly.

He felt a chill, but reacted quickly, lowering his shoulder and raising his other elbow to strike Zhou An's jaw.

The tyrant forcibly broke the reins!

Zhou An suddenly leaned back, his spine bending rapidly like a bow, watching Feng Hui's elbow brush past the tip of his nose.

At the same time, Zhou An used the momentum of leaning back to extend his left arm from his shoulder to his elbow, and from his elbow to his wrist, as if an extra section of his arm had grown out of thin air.

"Hiss."

His fingertips, like a snake's tongue, spewed out force, pointing towards Feng Hui's exposed armpit.

Feng Hui broke out in a cold sweat as his clothes were torn by the force, and he instinctively pulled his arm back to block.

But Zhou An was faster.

With a soft "plop," his fingertip touched the inside of Feng Hui's forearm, and a penetrating force came through, with all sorts of tingling, numbness, and needle-like sensations reaching straight to the bone marrow, causing him to stagger back several steps and his face to turn red.

A gasp came from the sidelines, as if no one expected Feng Hui to retreat so quickly, and to suffer a setback right at the start of the game.

"What a formidable Tongbei Fist!"

Feng Hui gritted his teeth, his anger rising.

He was confident in his solid skills, and his skin was even as tough as iron, far exceeding the copper skin that was rumored to exist.

Even so, he still felt the force in his forearm was hard to dissipate, and the pain was unbearable for a while.

Something's not right. This person is suspicious.

Feng Hui took a deep breath, suppressed his suspicions, and his demeanor changed drastically when he went up again.

He took several steps, proceeding cautiously and deliberately.

With arms outstretched, he unleashed a series of strikes—chopping, hooking, supporting, and leaning—like a raging storm, enveloping Zhou An entirely.

"Bajiquan is fierce and violent, with each strike having the power to split rocks and shatter monuments. Although this kid is impetuous, he is not stupid."

I can't fight him head-on; I have to win through a prolonged battle. Otherwise, even if I win, too much of my strength will be exposed.

Zhou An moved with the agility of a monkey, shifting and turning, avoiding the strong and attacking the weak.

Despite appearing disheveled, Feng Hui's momentum faltered at every crucial moment.

To the onlookers, this scene appeared as if Feng Hui were a mad tiger, unstoppable.

Zhou An, on the other hand, swayed and moved with light, quick steps, like a small boat in a stormy sea, facing imminent danger.

"A prolonged defense will inevitably lead to defeat. Within thirty moves, this disciple of the Seven Mysteries Sect will be defeated."

"Unfortunately, if this person had enough time to cultivate, he might have had a chance to win."

The crowd discussed it animatedly, feeling sorry for Zhou An and gaining a new perspective on Feng Hui.

I'd always heard that this guy liked to bully others and was a complete spoiled brat, but now, seeing his boxing skills...

It's powerful and domineering, not just for show.

"We can surrender now. We've already lost fair because Feng Hui worked so hard. We can train him more afterward."

Li Shanming, along with the sect leaders, elders, and managers of the Seven Mysteries Sect, nodded in agreement.

The disciple on the stage is truly putting in the effort; those blood-nourishing powders weren't wasted.

"That's about it."

Zhou An took in the expressions of everyone around him and felt it was time.

With this thought in mind, he gradually moved towards the edge of the arena.

The authorities are fascinated.

Feng Hui became increasingly frustrated as the fight progressed.

Despite his superior strength and overwhelming momentum, he always seemed to punch cotton, with seven or eight tenths of his force being neutralized.

Occasionally, when they clashed head-on, a strange spiraling force would come from his arm, causing his blood and qi to surge.

What Feng Hui found most unacceptable was that Zhou An's arms were unpredictable, often appearing from blind spots.

Although not fatal, a single hit will cause a burning pain, accompanied by a tingling and numb sensation.

"Trying to leave?"

After thirty moves, Feng Hui's breathing became labored and sweat beaded on his forehead, but his eyes lit up.

Zhou An was breathing more rapidly than him, his forehead was covered in sweat, and his face was flushed. He had already reached the edge of the arena in no time to dodge.

"A good opportunity."

Upon seeing this, Feng Hui's spirits lifted!

Now, all he wanted was to knock Zhou An off the stage as soon as possible.

If the other party doesn't jump, it will be a perfect opportunity for him to gloat.

"hiss!"

Feng Hui's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He took a deep breath, and his entire body's strength exploded, then condensed into his right fist.

Eight Extremes Techniques.

A cannon that reaches the sky from the ground!

Everyone from Changwai stood up in unison, staring in horror at Feng Hui's powerful performance on the stage.

"We're going to win."

On the high platform, even Feng Hui's father, the master of the Bajiquan Martial Arts School, instinctively leaned forward.

A protracted fight is already shameful, but if this final move is executed beautifully, then no one else will have anything to say.

Zhou An's eyes revealed a hint of panic. At this critical moment, he seemed to be "unable to dodge in time" and could only barely cross his arms to protect his chest.

"Bang!"

The fists and arms struck each other, producing a dull thud like a drum.

Zhou An retreated repeatedly until he finally managed to steady himself at the edge of the field. He was panting heavily, his face flushed, and his arms were trembling uncontrollably.

Feng Hui was overjoyed and pressed his advantage, lunging forward with a feint with his left fist and a right punch aimed at his ear, intending to finish the fight with a killing blow.

Just as he leaned forward, shifting his weight, Zhou An, who appeared disheveled, suddenly extended and retracted his arms, like drawing a bow and releasing an arrow. His forearms, like iron whips, burst forth, striking Feng Hui's right elbow joint.

At the same time, Zhou An silently thrust his left foot forward, blocking Feng Hui's forward-leaning right heel.

"what!"

Feng Hui felt a sharp pain in his right arm joint, his punching momentum instantly collapsed, and he lost his balance and fell forward.

The arena is right in front of me, empty space.

Feng Hui's pupils suddenly contracted, and he wanted to stop, but a strong force came from behind him at that moment.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, the onlookers saw Feng Hui's face turn pale as he lost his footing and was knocked off the field by Zhou An, landing in the mud and raising a cloud of dust.

"..."

In an instant, the entire room fell silent.

The loud cheers abruptly stopped. The disciples of Bajiquan Martial Arts School and their friends looked at each other, their faces turning red like chickens being choked.

Only the most hardcore gamblers stared wide-eyed, their eyes burning red, their chests pounding like bellows, causing their entire bodies to tremble violently.

……