Faced with this dense and swift barrage of ranged attacks, Xu Wuyi’s gaze hardened.

He activated Instant Shadow Step, his body flickering like a phantom to narrowly dodge two of the shuttles. At the same time, he brandished his Meteor Iron Long Spear, its shadow spinning like a wheel to block the other two, letting out a crisp DING! DING!

However, there were many Qi and Blood shuttles, all controlled by Cheng Yagang’s Spiritual Will. They were exceptionally nimble, continuing their assault from tricky angles and putting Xu Wuyi on the defensive for a moment.

Seeing this, Cheng Yagang felt a bit more at ease.

’He’s just become a Martial Artist, after all. He’s clearly not experienced enough in dealing with externalized Qi and Blood.’

But just then, a fierce glint flashed in Xu Wuyi’s eyes.

’Staying on the defensive isn’t my style.’

Melting Furnace Boiling Blood!

BOOM!

An aura far more violent and scorching than before erupted from within Xu Wuyi!

The dark-red Qi and Blood around him seemed to ignite, boiling and churning as it radiated a suffocating, high-temperature pressure.

In that instant, his speed and strength leaped to another level!

After advancing to the Martial Master Realm, the effects of Melting Furnace Boiling Blood had become even more potent, and the enhancement it provided to his body far surpassed what it was before.

"Break!"

Xu Wuyi roared. He stopped dodging, and his Meteor Iron Long Spear transformed into a bolt of dark-red lightning, savagely crashing head-on into the incoming Qi and Blood shuttles!

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The moment they made contact with the spear, the condensed Qi and Blood shuttles shattered and disintegrated like ice under a scorching sun, reverting to chaotic Qi and Blood Energy that scattered in all directions!

"What?!" Cheng Yagang’s pupils shrank.

Just as his Heart and Spirit trembled and he was about to change his move, Xu Wuyi’s figure was already upon him!

Under the effects of Melting Furnace Boiling Blood, Xu Wuyi’s speed was beyond imagination. His dark-red spear carried an unstoppable momentum as it thrust straight for Cheng Yagang’s center!

Cheng Yagang hastily crossed his arms to block, his earthy-yellow Qi and Blood condensing into a thick arm shield.

CLANG—!

The spear and shield collided with a deafening crash.

Cheng Yagang felt an irresistible force strike him, and the arm shield shattered instantly. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

His entire body was sent flying backward as if struck by a high-speed star-rail train. He slammed violently into the light barrier at the edge of the arena, and his virtual body flickered intensely, nearly dissipating on the spot.

He struggled to get up, only to see the tip of the dark-red spear already resting against his throat.

A cold sensation, carrying with it the threat of death, was transmitted through the virtual system.

Cheng Yagang looked at Xu Wuyi, whose aura was still scorching but whose eyes were calm. A bitter look appeared on his face as he forced out the words, "I... I surrender."

[Victory! Points +1.]

The system notification sounded.

Xu Wuyi slowly retracted his spear, and the boiling Qi and Blood around him gradually calmed.

He glanced at the incredulous Cheng Yagang, gave a slight nod, and his figure vanished from the arena.

Cheng Yagang sat there in a daze, staring at the spot where Xu Wuyi had disappeared, speechless for a long time.

’A newly advanced Martial Artist just crushed me, a veteran Martial Artist with an Energy Level of 33.4, in a direct confrontation with absolute power and explosive force...’

"Star Martial University, Xu Wuyi..." he muttered the name under his breath.

...

Cheng Yagang’s figure slowly materialized in his private matchmaking room.

Instead of immediately queuing for the next match as he usually would, he stood in place with his brow furrowed, replaying the short but stunning exchange in his mind.

"Xu Wuyi..." He murmured the name. The savage, domineering, scorching Qi and Blood, and that final, earth-shattering spear thrust seemed to be seared into his senses.

’How could a rookie who just became a Martial Artist possess such terrifying power and explosive force?’

’This can’t be explained away by just the caliber of students at Star Martial University.’

With a thought, he pulled up his contact list and found a name—Wang Yu.

He was a fellow townsman from back home, two years his junior, and was currently a second-year at Star Martial University. The two of them had always been on good terms.

The call connected quickly, and Wang Yu’s cheerful voice came through. "Yo, Yagang, aren’t you in the middle of the Youth Tournament? How come you have time to call me? Don’t tell me you got knocked out in your first match?"

Normally, Cheng Yagang would have shot back with a witty insult, but he wasn’t in the mood. He got straight to the point. "Cut the crap. I have a serious question for you. At your Star Martial University, is there a student named Xu Wuyi? He probably just reached the Martial Master Realm."

"Xu Wuyi?" Wang Yu’s voice was filled with obvious confusion as he seemed to search his memory. "A Martial Artist? I know basically all the Martial Artists in the second year at our university. I’ve never heard of him."

"Is he an upperclassman? Or did you remember the name wrong?"

Cheng Yagang’s brow furrowed even tighter. "No way I got it wrong. The system showed Star Martial University, Life Energy Level 30.2. We just fought. His strength is ridiculous! My Energy Level is 33.4, and I didn’t even last a few moves against him."

"Energy Level 30.2? Just became a Martial Artist?" Wang Yu’s voice grew even more astonished. "At that level of skill, if he were from our university, there’s no way I wouldn’t have heard of him... Wait!"

The other end of the line suddenly went silent. After a few seconds, Wang Yu’s voice came through again, laced with incredulous shock and a hint of realization. "Xu Wuyi... I remember now! Damn! No way?! It’s him?!"

"Who?" Cheng Yagang immediately pressed.

"A freshman from our university’s first year! He registered his breakthrough to Martial Artist a while ago and caused a huge stir over at the East Courtyard! But I didn’t pay much attention, since he’s just a first-year..."

Wang Yu’s tone became urgent. "Are you sure it’s him? The first-year, Xu Wuyi?"

"First year?!" Cheng Yagang repeated, stunned. His mind went blank. "A freshman who’s been enrolled for less than a year? A Martial Artist?!"

This news was even more shocking than his defeat.

He had assumed the opponent must be a hidden genius among the second-years, since the upperclassmen from the Three Greats wouldn’t participate in the Youth Tournament.

But he turned out to be a freshman? This completely overturned his understanding of the world.

"It’s absolutely true! I just checked the university’s internal announcements!" Wang Yu confirmed, his tone full of disbelief. "Yagang... you... you lost to a first-year freshman?"

The corner of Cheng Yagang’s mouth twitched, and his face burned with shame, but it was the truth. He could only mumble an admission, "...Yeah. And it was a complete loss. He didn’t even use his ability to externalize Qi and Blood."

Both ends of the call fell into silence, with only the sound of heavy breathing remaining.

A freshman Martial Artist enrolled for less than a year, who also possessed the combat ability to suppress a veteran Martial Artist... this was beyond the scope of a "Genius." He was simply a monster.

"I see... Thanks." Cheng Yagang hung up, his emotions in a tangle. He needed time to process this astonishing fact.

He stared at the empty matchmaking room before him, and for the first time, he had a strange premonition about the competition in the Youth Tournament.

’This Xu Wuyi is probably going to make huge waves in this tournament.’

It had only just begun.