Chapter 548 - 187: Underestimated Him

Steward Xue’s gaze swept across the entire arena like a hawk. His voice boomed like a great bell, "The first match of the Fushan Grand Competition’s fifth round: Chu Yunhai of Celestial Derivation Peak versus Li Cangwu of Fen Yang Peak!"

As his voice fell, the entire Fushan Square erupted in an instant, the roar of the crowd soaring into the clouds.

Countless disciples waved their arms, shouting the two contestants’ names to cheer them on.

However, Chu Yunhai’s name was shouted far more frequently than Li Cangwu’s.

After all, he was the top prodigy on the Hidden Dragon List, a true legend within the Xuanzhen Sect. Even in the vast Jintai Prefecture City, he was extremely famous—an existence countless people looked up to.

On the high platform, Cao Zhen, the Sect Leader of the Xuanzhen Sect, sat in the center, flanked by the seven Peak Masters, all wearing calm expressions.

Cao Zhen’s gaze flickered over to the Elders of the Hong, Lin, and Su families on the secondary platform. Seeing them all sitting upright and focused, he slowly drew his gaze back to the arena stage.

This time, although the Patriarchs of the Hong, Lin, and Su families had not come in person, they had each sent their highest-ranking Grand Elder to lead their delegations.

The three Grand Elders were all old men with graying hair and beards, their auras deep and composed. They sat next to each other in their seats on the secondary platform, discussing in low voices. Their eyes occasionally swept over the young disciples below the stage, filled with scrutiny and consideration.

At the same time, two figures leaped onto the arena stage one after the other.

Chu Yunhai was dressed in blue robes, his posture straight and tall. His expression was as calm as ever, as if he were merely attending an ordinary banquet.

Li Cangwu, on the other hand, wore fiery red martial attire. His face was resolute, his eyes sharp as blades, and his entire being radiated a faint, ferocious aura.

Li Cangwu was already extremely strong, and his fighting style was even more ferocious and domineering, with every move being ruthless.

Although he cultivated a Low-grade True Skill, the *Mountain-Splitting Fist*, he had pushed its power to the absolute limit through years of arduous training and life-or-death battles. It was hardly inferior to a Mid-grade True Skill.

What was even rarer was his exceptionally rich combat experience, far surpassing that of an ordinary disciple at the Peak of the Qi Eating Realm. It was a ruthlessness forged through repeated life-and-death struggles.

However, despite Li Cangwu’s formidable strength, he was completely suppressed by Chu Yunhai, finding himself at an absolute disadvantage.

Li Cangwu’s fists, wrapped in powerful winds, shot toward Chu Yunhai like a tiger descending a mountain. The force of his punches whistled, faintly creating the sound of tearing air.

But Chu Yunhai neither dodged nor retreated. Without moving his feet, he simply thrust out a palm.

The palm strike seemed gentle, yet it felt as if it contained the power of heaven and earth. It landed lightly on Li Cangwu’s fist.

BANG!

With a muffled thud, Li Cangwu felt an irresistible force surge toward him. His entire body felt as if it had been struck by a heavy blow, and his qi and blood roiled.

Before he could even recover, Chu Yunhai’s figure had closed in like a phantom. A flurry of palm strikes flew out, each one aimed at a vital point.

Li Cangwu defended with all his might, but he couldn’t even touch the corner of Chu Yunhai’s clothes.

On the ninth move, Chu Yunhai lightly pressed a palm against Li Cangwu’s chest.

Li Cangwu grunted, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string. He landed heavily outside the arena stage, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Chu Yunhai won the battle without any suspense, advancing to the sixth round of the Fushan Grand Competition.

The crowd below thundered with cheers. Chu Yunhai simply gave a slight nod to the audience, then turned and walked off the stage, maintaining his detached and carefree demeanor.

Immediately after, Steward Xue’s voice rang out again: "Second match: Bai Ziyu of Thunder Peak versus Meng Fan of the Main Peak!"

At the announcement, two figures ascended the stage.

Meng Fan had a powerful build, broad and burly. His aura was steady and composed, clearly marking him as a strength-based Martial Artist.

His overall strength was impressive. Both his power and speed far surpassed those of an ordinary disciple at the Peak of the Qi Eating Realm. His Horizontal Training Skills were particularly solid, making it difficult for ordinary blades to even scratch him.

But in the end, he had only cultivated a Mid-grade True Skill, the *Mountain-Shaking Palm*, to the Peak of the Qi Eating Realm.

Even if Meng Fan was much stronger than a typical disciple at the Peak of the Qi Eating Realm, the gap between him and Bai Ziyu was still far too wide.

Bai Ziyu cultivated a Top-grade True Skill, the *Profound Yin Claw*, supplemented by a Mid-grade True Skill, the *Wind-Chasing Step*. He had mastered both martial arts to the Peak of the Qi Eating Realm. His Body Technique was agile, his claw style was sinister and ruthless, and he was well-balanced in both offense and defense.

As soon as the match began, Meng Fan attacked fiercely. His palms struck out with the force of a roaring tiger as he attempted to suppress Bai Ziyu with sheer power.

Bai Ziyu, however, simply flickered. He used the *Wind-Chasing Step* to weave around Meng Fan like a slippery spirit serpent.

The tips of his claws glinted with a bone-chilling light. He would strike out from time to time, aiming specifically for Meng Fan’s openings.

Meng Fan possessed immense strength, but he couldn’t even touch Bai Ziyu’s shadow. Forced onto the defensive, he quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.

On the eleventh move, Bai Ziyu spotted an opening. His right hand formed a claw and shot toward Meng Fan’s shoulder as fast as lightning.

Meng Fan hastily twisted to dodge, but he was a step too slow. The tips of the claws grazed his shoulder blade.

A sinister, cold energy instantly invaded his body. Meng Fan felt half of his body go numb. No longer able to support himself, he staggered back several steps and lowered his hands to concede defeat.

From start to finish, Bai Ziyu’s expression remained calm and his breathing steady, as if he hadn’t used his full strength at all.

It had to be said that even among those at the Peak of the Qi Eating Realm, the gap between individuals could be as vast as an insurmountable chasm.

Steward Xue loudly announced the result: "Bai Ziyu of Thunder Peak is victorious!"

Bai Ziyu became the second disciple to advance to the sixth round of the Fushan Grand Competition.

...

Below the arena stage.

Gazing at Bai Ziyu’s calm figure as he left the stage, Fang He shook his head in amazement. "If I didn’t know these guys were still stuck at the Qi Eating Realm, I’d suspect they had secretly broken through to the Qi Absorption Realm. They’re just too strong! It feels like my Qi Eating Realm and their Qi Eating Realm are two completely different realms."