"Crack!"

A crisp sound of bone breaking came from Song Qing's wrist.

Song Qing was filled with shame and fury.

He had thought that with his strength and speed, he could press Tang Yan into a swift, satisfying exchange and turn the fight into his own grand display. Who would have thought it would become a joke instead?

He drew up a breath of True Qi, intending to attack again, but Tang Yan had already arrived before him.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The two fell into a fierce exchange.

Yet calling it an exchange was hardly accurate. It was more like Tang Yan's own display of close combat.

Under Tang Yan's swift and fluid assault, Song Qing, who was known for his rich fighting experience, was suppressed until he could only defend. His decline was plain for all to see.

"Bang!"

In the midst of his rapid attacks, Tang Yan suddenly unleashed Thousand Mountains Fist, and many people were shaken to the core.

"His ordinary moves and martial skill are joined so perfectly! Could it be... Heart of Combat?"

The moment Mo Bin saw Tang Yan's martial skill and movements flow together without the slightest break, he rose directly from his seat.

Heart of Combat?

When the City Lords heard this, shock flashed through their eyes.

This was not something that could be awakened by astonishing talent alone. Timing, place, opportunity, and many other factors all had to come together before there was even a chance of triggering it.

What exactly had Tang Yan experienced to comprehend even Heart of Combat?

"Bang!"

Song Qing, who had been pressed down by Tang Yan the entire time, finally could not hold on. Tang Yan kicked him flying, and he crashed heavily onto the arena.

"You lost," Tang Yan said calmly, making no move to attack again.

Although unwillingness still lingered in Song Qing's eyes, he knew he had indeed lost.

He struggled up from the ground, looked at Tang Yan, and said, "You truly are strong. But one day, I will surpass you."

A trace of surprise flashed through Tang Yan's eyes.

To lose and still maintain such fighting spirit was no easy thing.

"I'll be waiting."

Leaving those words behind, Tang Yan turned and walked down from the arena.

The ten battles soon came to an end.

After the organizers handed each contestant a Pill for restoring True Qi, they had everyone prepare for the next round.

Tang Yan looked at the Second Rank low-grade Pill in his hand, but did not take it.

Instead, he took out his own Pills and gave one to Lin Dongxue. After that, the two went to the resting area to recover their spent strength.

An hour later, the clear, lingering sound of a bell rang out.

Tang Yan knew the next match was about to begin.

Although it was called drawing lots, it was not entirely fair.

The Four Young Masters of the East Domain drew separately from the other six contestants, in order to avoid having the Four Young Masters clash too early and cause hidden talents to be overlooked.

Aside from the Four Young Masters of the East Domain, the remaining six were Wan Fei and Chen Yang of Fang City, Sun Long and Chen Qingzhi of Qing City, and Tang Yan and Lin Dongxue of Yun City.

Other than the Four Young Masters of the East Domain, everyone was curious to see who among the rest would enter the top five.

When the crowd looked at Tang Yan, their gazes all carried a strange trace.

If this boy won, Fang City would probably want to weep.

As for those who had placed wagers at the scene, almost no one had bet on Tang Yan's victory.

Tens of thousands of gamblers, Fang Wentian included, began silently praying that Tang Yan would be eliminated as soon as possible.

After everyone finished drawing lots, Tang Yan drew number five, while Lin Dongxue drew number one.

Mo Bin gave a light cough, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

With a gentle smile on his face, Mo Bin said slowly, "Those able to participate in the Eastern Region Grand Competition are all outstanding talents of the Eastern Region.

"Those able to reach the top ten are even the finest among them.

"When Azure Dragon Academy accepts disciples, we do not look only at strength. We also look at Potential and individual qualities.

"Therefore, in the battles to come, there is no need for any of you to hide your abilities, nor do you need to feel burdened. Even if your final ranking is not high, you may still have a chance to be admitted by special exception into Azure Dragon Academy."

Everyone's spirits lifted.

With Elder Mo's words, the ten contestants would surely display all their abilities. The battles to come would be even more worth watching.

"Will the number one contestants please enter the arena!" the red-robed elder called loudly.

As soon as the red-robed elder finished speaking, Lin Dongxue rose from her seat.

From Qing City's side, Sun Long also stood up with a face full of smiles.

Fang Wentian quietly let out a breath of relief.

Fortunately, the one going up this time was Lin Dongxue, not Tang Yan.

In this round of ten advancing to five, among the five matches, only one contestant would avoid facing one of the Four Young Masters of the East Domain.

Now that Tang Yan had missed that chance, the heavy wagers placed on him were about to belong to Fang City.

Those who had placed wagers on Sun Long immediately burst into cheers.

In their eyes, their winnings had already doubled.

"Miss, must we truly fight?"

Seeing Lin Dongxue's flower-like beauty, Sun Long's thoughts stirred. "Why don't we find a place to drink tea and admire the flowers? I believe that would be far more meaningful than fighting."

"Miss Lin, accept Young Master Sun's invitation!" someone below the arena shouted, immediately drawing a burst of laughter.

As the daughter of a City Lord, Lin Dongxue's reaction was not slow.

She replied in a lukewarm tone, "If Young Master Sun admits defeat of his own accord, I will bring Young Master Tang along to the gathering later."

Anger rose in Sun Long's heart, and he said coldly, "Since Miss Lin insists on competing, then do not blame this Sun for showing no mercy."

"The duel begins!" the red-robed elder ordered.

In Lin Dongxue's mind, Tang Yan's words from before she stepped onto the stage quickly surfaced.

"Sun Long's strength as a whole is very formidable, and he is very likely hiding his true strength. When you fight him, avoid his sharpest edge and make use of your own strengths.

"Between the two of you, you do not hold the advantage in raw strength. Your advantages lie in fighting skill and speed. Use those advantages. Even if his strength has reached Fourth Grade, you still have the power to fight.

"My suggestion is to close in quickly and suppress him, so that even if he has strength, he cannot bring it out."

After spending these days with Tang Yan, Lin Dongxue already trusted his words completely.

The match had only just begun when the power of peak Black Rank Third Grade erupted from her.

With a step technique beneath her feet, she swiftly closed in on Sun Long.

With a clear shout, she sent a swift punch straight toward his face.

Sun Long smiled disdainfully and swung his fist to meet it.

Just as their moves were about to collide, Lin Dongxue's fist Force did not change, but one knee bent toward the ground.

Although the direction of her punch did not change, the point of attack shifted downward by a few degrees.

Tang Yan's eyes brightened.

This girl was indeed clever. She could even think of such a method?

Lin Xiao also stared at Lin Dongxue in astonishment.

Since when had his own daughter become so skillful in her attacks?

"Not bad."

Seeing Lin Dongxue's move, Mo Bin revealed a faint smile.

Lin Dongxue's foundation was decent, and her attacks were sharp and tricky. For a girl to possess such talent was truly rare.

Sun Long had not expected Lin Dongxue to suddenly use such a strike.

Caught off guard, he sighed inwardly and no longer held back. A fresh surge of strength burst forth as he forcibly changed the direction of his attack and blocked Lin Dongxue's strike.

Sensing the aura Sun Long suddenly revealed, everyone was stunned at once.

Black Rank Fourth Grade!

Someone could not help crying out in alarm.

Those who had placed wagers on Sun Long grew even more delighted.

In an instant, the voices in the arena supporting Sun Long rose higher and higher.

"Miss Lin, admit defeat. Drinking tea is better than all this fighting and killing," Sun Long urged again.

Lin Dongxue's eyes flickered.

If this had been before, faced with a gap in strength, she truly might have shown fear.

But after staying beside a monster like Tang Yan, a small difference in grade was no longer enough to decide everything.

Sun Long's Fourth Grade strength was indeed troublesome, but Lin Dongxue had long been prepared for it. She calmly met him head-on.

After that first strike, Lin Dongxue did not pause.

Borrowing the momentum, she swept out with one leg and launched her second attack.

As time slowly passed, the faces of those supporting Sun Long began to show a trace of doubt.

A full quarter of an hour had already passed, yet Lin Dongxue still held the initiative in the arena.

Sun Long had not even found a single chance to attack first!