Wu Jian knew that he couldn’t get Yue disqualified by accusing her of being older than the tournament’s rules allowed. Like she said, he had no proof, but this was also a double-edged sword for Yue.

“I might not have proof, but you can’t use chi during the tournament unless you want to be disqualified. That means I still have a chance!”

“What?!”

Yue’s shout was followed by an astonished yelp as Wu Jian got his legs in between them, tucked his knees into his chest, and kicked. The loud bang of a harsh impact rang out like fireworks. Yue was launched into the air, traveling in a beautiful parabolic arc before she struck the ground hard.

Skipping back to his feet, Wu Jian raced toward Yue. His opponent had already stood back up. She met his punch head on. Their fists connected. A shock wave swept out from the point of contact. Wu Jian grimaced as he was pushed back. He now understood that her strength wasn’t natural. It was the chi-infused strength of someone who had reached the Hunger Realm.

I’m fortunate she can’t use her chi overtly. If she could, this battle would have already been over. I need to fight smart. I can still win if I just outmaneuver her.

As the battle continued, Wu Jian found himself being continuously forced back. Yue thrust a fist at him that he dodged by a hair’s breadth. She didn’t stop with just a punch, however, and Wu Jian struck the ground hard when she kicked his legs out from underneath him. He rolled across the arena floor as she tried to stomp on him. Each attack caused cracks to appear on the arena’s tiles.

So this is the strength of someone who has reached the Hunger Realm!

Wu Jian had of course sparred with Instructor Lan, but the Wu Clan instructor always went easy on him and the others. He had never displayed this kind of intent to kill before. This woman was exuding a palpable bloodlust that made the hairs on his scalp prickle.

He didn’t want to admit it. However, Wu Jian could feel his body shaking in fear as he realized how much more powerful she was than him. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if he knew she meant him no harm, but he could feel the ill-intent pouring from her.

“Are you… trying to kill me?” he asked.

“Of course not,” Yue said with a grin.

She darted forward so fast that he almost had no time to react. He was only able to get his hands up to block her strike, but she didn’t hit him. Instead, she redirected his arms away from him and whispered in his ear.

“I was only told to cripple you. They said I’ll get paid extra if I can destroy your dantian.”

The dantian was the region in the body where a person’s chi was concentrated. One could even say the dantian was the source of a cultivator’s power. Destroy the dantian, and even the most powerful cultivator would become a cripple. While his was not active yet, that did not mean he didn’t have one. Everyone had a dantian. It only became active after someone broke through to the Hunger Realm.

But even inactive as it was, it could still be destroyed.

Wu Jian’s eyes widened as he tried to knee the woman, but she leapt backward to avoid it. She flashed him a grin.

“Are you not going to say anything? You could tell the referee I’m cheating,” Yue said. It was soft enough that nobody but he could hear her words over the roar of the crowd.

He glanced at the referee standing off the stage, then at his parents in the VIP booth. Yue was facing away from both. She had manuvered herself in such a way that she could talk without anyone important overhearing her or reading her lips. So long as she avoided being overheard and didn’t use chi, no one would suspect she was at the Hunger Realm.

Also…

She told me this to show me that she doesn’t bare me any ill will. By telling me that she was paid, she’s informing me that someone else is pulling the strings. That someone is probably Ming Han and Elder Wei. She’s letting me know in case I need to use this information against them. She’s actually quite kind.

He didn’t know what she needed money for, but it must have been important if she was willing to do this.

While she seemed kind, he didn’t dismiss the possibility that she was telling him this to instill a sense of gratitude toward her within him. He couldn’t deny it worked. Even if he didn’t want to, he did feel grateful that she told him this. This might make him naive, but he didn’t want her to get in trouble.

There was also one more reason he didn’t want to say anything.

“We both know I can’t say anything without proof. And honestly, I don’t know why I would do that. You’re the strongest opponent I have ever fought. This is the perfect chance to test myself. I’d like to see if I can beat you,” Wu Jian said.

Adversity created strength. It was only by facing and overcoming great obstacles that someone could gain power. If Wu Jian told everyone that Yue was at the Hunger Realm, she might get disqualified and he would go on to the next round, but would that satisfy him? Would he attain greater strength?

Of course not.

“Come on. Show me what you’ve got. I’ll defeat you here and now,” he took a deep breath and set himself up in a non-conforming combat stance.

“Hmph. You’re good. I’ll admit it. I underestimated you… but do you really think you can beat me? You’re just a frog in a well! Know your place!”

Yue rushed forward with the intent to cripple him. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest as she closed the distance faster than anyone in the Body Forging Realm ever could. Her next attack was a powerful kick. He dodged, but the force of her kick was enough to send him tumbling across the arena floor.

Wu Jian scrambled to his feet, even as Yue leapt into the air, flipped around, and descended for a heel drop. It was caught on Wu Jian’s forearms as he crossed both arms in the shape of an X over his head. The flooring beneath him cracked and his arms groaned in protest, though they fortunately did not break. Wu Jian gritted his teeth to keep from crying out in pain.

“I can’t believe you caught that! But it’s all over now!” Yue shouted.

“You’re right. It is over. For you.”

“Huh?!”

Using the last of his strength, Wu Jian grabbed Yue’s leg, spun around, and tossed her. This throw would not injure her. It had nowhere near the power. But Wu Jian had not been fighting to defeat her through combat. Their battle had taken them all the way to the edge of the arena, and Wu Jian had simply thrown her out of it.

Yue blinked as she landed on the ground outside of the arena.

The Zhou Clan elder refereeing the match raised his hand. “Winner by ring out! Wu Jian!”

As the crowd cheered and applauded Wu Jian for his victory, Yue placed her hands on her hips and laughed. “Ah ha ha ha ha! You’re good, brat! I never expected you to use cunning and tactics to beat me!”

Wu Jian shrugged. “Not like I had much choice. There was no way I could win against you in a normal battle.”

“True. Welp, it seems I’ve lost, so I’ll be taking my leave now. Maybe I’ll see you around some time.”

With a smirk on her face, Yue turned around and walked out of the arena, tossing him a wave from over her shoulder.

Now that his victory had been secured, Wu Jian walked off the stage. He flinched when he jumped down and felt his muscles groan in protest. Yue’s last attack had damaged both his arms and legs. There was a good chance his arms had fractures in them, and the muscles in his legs felt like they had been strained. Her goal of crippling his cultivation might not have been accomplished, but she had weakened him considerably.

“You did it!” Wu Meiying shouted as she rushed up to him. Wu Jian winced as he caught the excited girl in his arms. Hou Jingshu walked over from behind the excitable girl.

“I did,” Wu Jian said, patting Wu Meiying’s head.

“It looks like your match is up next,” Hou Jingshu said to Wu Meiying.

“You two are going to watch me, right?” said Wu Meiying.

“Of course we are.” Wu Jian smiled. “I wouldn’t miss one of your matches for the world.”

Wu Meiying’s next fight was against Zhou Lihua. The older girl was already standing on the stage by the time they arrived, going through some basic warmup stretches.

Spinning around, Wu Meiying grinned at Wu Jian. “How about a kiss for good luck?”

“I’m sure you don’t need one, but sure.” Under the blushing Hou Jingshu’s eyes, Wu Jian kissed Wu Meiying on the cheek. “Good luck, Mei.”

“Haaah. I was hoping for a kiss on the lips, but I suppose this will have to do.”

After pouting at him, Wu Meiying stuck out her tongue, spun around, and leapt onto the stage. The fact that she could easily leap the four feet needed to reach the top was a testament to her strength. Her last strength test had placed her at around 6,200, more than a thousand units of power needed to break through to the Hunger Realm.

“You’ve got this, Mei!” Wu Jian cheered. He looked at the quiet Hou Jingshu, then lightly poked her in the side. “You should cheer for her, too.”

“Ah! Um, you can do this! I believe in you, Wu Meiying!” Hou Jingshu shouted as well, though her cheeks were stained red.

***

With her loved ones cheering for her, Wu Meiying could not stop herself from smiling as she walked to the center of the stage.

“Your friends are quite enthusiastic,” Zhou Lihua said. Even her voice was beautiful and lilting.

Wu Meiying smiled brightly. “Yes, they are. But you’re mistaken about our relationship.”

“Oh?”

“Jian is the man I am going to marry in the future, and Hou Jingshu is going to become my sister when she marries him too,” Wu Meiying said proudly.

“So you are both engaged to Wu Jian? I suppose it is natural to be engaged at this age, but aren’t you a little young to be thinking about marriage?”

“Not at all. Marrying Jian has been my dream for as long as I could remember.”

“So I see. Well, far be it for me to try and talk you out of achieving your dream. Let us instead enjoy a good battle together.”

“Yes! I’m looking forward to learning from you!”

Zhou Lihua and Wu Meiying got into position as a Zhou Clan elder came up to serve as their referee. He had them bow to the audience, to him, then to each other. This was a tradition cultivations across the continent had done since ancient times. No one remembered when this form of bowing had become commonplace, but Wu Meiying had a feeling she knew and just forgot.

“And… begin!”

Wu Meiying rushed forward the moment the fight began, spinning her body around on the balls of her feet as she closed the distance and launched a powerful kick. Zhou Lihua did not dodge. She raised her leg and caught the kick on her shin, then shifted her leg and redirected the attack to the side. As Wu Meiying stumbled, Zhou Lihua grabbed the hand she stretched out to reclaim her balance and tried to toss her, but Wu Meiying twisted her body and landed with her feet on the ground, legs bent and body parallel to the arena floor.

They were still connected via their hands, and while Wu Meiying was not in an advantageous position, she used the strength in her arms, legs, and core to counter throw Zhou Lihua. The other girl flew through the air. However, just like Wu Meiying, she landed on her feet.

That was just the opening act. The two quickly traded blows one after the other. Wu Meiying’s style relied primarily on kicks and throws, and it seemed Zhou Lihua had a similar style of fighting, though her attacks were far more aggressive and she launched more punches. Wu Meiying’s style was based on predicting her opponent’s and counterattacking. Her opponent’s style was all about maintaining the initiative by launching a barrage of powerful attacks, then going for a grapple when her opponent least expected it.

Wu Meiying was impressed by Zhou Lihua’s talent. She was exceptionally skilled and powerful. At a guess, Wu Meiying would have said her opponent was a little stronger than she was. Of course, Zhou Lihua was also older than her by several years, so anyone else would have said that it was natural for her to be stronger.

“You’re… huff huff… really good…” Wu Meiying complimented as they separated.

Zhou Lihua smiled with a huff. “You’re not… so bad… yourself.”

“I hope you don’t think I’ll lose… to you.”

“Hmph. I don’t intend to lose either.”

The two remained in place for one second, then threw themselves at each other again. Their feet flew as they launched low and high kicks at a rapid-fire pace. Each attack was countered by their opponent. The sharp thud of impacting feet echoed across the arena.

Wu Meiying leapt into the air, performing a backflip, which she used the momentum of to kick at Zhou Lihua’s face. The attack would have taken a normal person out. Zhou Lihua simply moved back to avoid it, then launched a high kick at the still airborne Wu Meiying.

“You’re wide open!” Zhou Lihua shouted.

“Hmph! Says you!”

Wu Meiying snorted as she met the girl’s kick with one of her own. Of course, because she was airborne, her kick lacked any power, but her intention was not to meet power with power, force with force. She used the other girl’s attack to throw herself higher into the air, flipped around, and landed on the arena several meters away.

“I had no idea you were so skilled at acrobatics,” Zhou Lihua said as she raced forward, her veil fluttering about and revealing a hint of beautiful red lips. “But being able to jump around like a rabbit won’t save you from me.”

“A rabbit, huh? I guess that’d make me a rabbit goddess.”

Wu Meiying met Zhou Lihua’s attacks head on without a hint of hesitation. Their clash reverberated around the dead silent arena.

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