The competition continues.
The second match: Uru, a warrior from an ancient Indigenous tribe, versus Puhui, a martial monk from the Orin Temple!
Uru walked with steady steps, his movements generating a faint gust of wind. After emerging from the passageway, he kept his gaze forward, not glancing to the sides. With a final, powerful stomp, he leaped onto the massive Broken Mountain Arena like a soaring bird.
Though his bulky frame gave the impression of clumsiness, his leap was surprisingly agile and graceful.
Under normal circumstances, such a visually striking display would have earned cheers from the audience.
However, after witnessing the earlier battle between Taro and Tao Pai Pai, the audience no longer found this particularly impressive. With the high-level ki techniques displayed earlier, Uru's feat seemed less remarkable.
Although the first match between Taro and Tao Pai Pai had been brief, the spectacle of techniques like the Flight Technique, Dodonpa, and Taro's Ki Barrier that blocked Tao Pai Pai's attacks—not to mention the way Tao Pai Pai seemed to be "repelled" by an invisible force—had been nothing short of mystical.
The Orin Temple monk, Puhui, followed closely behind, his hands clasped together in a prayer gesture. He noticed Uru's impressive leap onto the stage, and a glimmer of interest flashed in his half-closed eyes.
Puhui approached the Broken Mountain Arena, taking the ordinary steps at the corner of the stage. His pace was slow, but each step was deliberate, like the tolling of a Buddhist bell, awakening those lost in the sea of suffering.
Uru on the stage immediately turned his gaze toward Puhui, watching as the monk ascended the stage and stood opposite him, reciting a soft "Amitabha."
This monk truly has skill!
Uru inwardly praised, his fighting spirit ignited. As the top warrior of his tribe, he had once been offered the chance to visit the sacred grounds beneath Korin Tower, but he had declined. The world was vast, and he had yet to explore it fully. How could he settle down in the sacred grounds without first meeting the legendary masters and warriors he had heard so much about?
Unlike the first match between Taro and Tao Pai Pai, the two fighters in this second match were evenly matched in strength and skill. As they locked eyes, their auras clashed, creating a pressure that was even more intense than the first round.
The truth was, Taro was simply too far above Tao Pai Pai. Taro's power was as vast as the heavens, while Tao Pai Pai was nothing more than a tiny insect beneath that sky.
"Why does this feel more like the martial arts showdown I imagined…?" a spectator joked. For some reason, the chaos that Tao Pai Pai had nearly caused earlier seemed to have been quickly forgotten by most.
After the host introduced the fighters as usual, he raised one hand and swung it down, announcing, "The second match of the World Martial Arts Tournament finals begins now!"
"Hey!"
The two fighters on the stage immediately sprang into action!
---
In the rest area, most of the contestants paid little attention to this match.
The reason was simple: based on today's elimination bracket and the results of the draw, whoever won between Uru and Puhui would face…
The three qualifiers from Central City, the pale-faced psychic Chaos, and the two disciples of the Muten School all glanced toward the old man leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, silently feeling sorry for the two fighters currently battling.
No matter who won, their next match would almost certainly end in defeat.
The two Muten School disciples felt that the phrase "almost certainly" was unnecessary… As disciples of the Muten School, though their school had declined and only a few of them remained, they had grown up hearing stories of their founder, the Muten Master, who had single-handedly and effortlessly annihilated the Outer Realm Demons, saving the world.
There were even tales of their founder summoning a divine dragon to revive all those who had died. Monkey D. and Lanton, as true disciples of the Muten School, firmly believed in these legends.
And just a few nights ago, they had witnessed their founder's godlike ability to restore the old Muten School dojo as if turning back time. Compared to their founder's unfathomable power, what did the other contestants here amount to?
Purin watched the broadcast on the rest area's television. On the screen, Puhui, dressed in his short monk's robe, was locked in a fierce battle with the dark-skinned Uru. Their exchanges were intense, each punch and kick landing with a visceral impact, thrilling the audience! Every time the fight reached a critical moment, waves of cheers erupted from the crowd…
It was certainly entertaining to watch, but how could it compare to the effortless mastery displayed by that old man?
Purin couldn't help but smile bitterly for his junior brother. However, when they left the temple to participate in this World Martial Arts Tournament, their primary goal had always been to meet martial arts masters from across the world. The prize money was secondary—though, of course, winning a substantial amount to support the temple would have been nice.
'At least we've had the chance to meet someone like… the Muten Master. This trip hasn't been in vain,' Purin consoled himself.
Everyone had their own thoughts, and soon, the match on the stage reached its conclusion.
Uru narrowly won!
The circular audience seats erupted in waves of gasps and exclamations (there were large broadcast screens set up around the arena) because the final exchange had been incredibly intense!
Both the tribal warrior and the monk had exhausted their techniques, and when they unleashed their ultimate moves in a final clash, Puhui, as a monk, had hesitated slightly. But Uru, a man forged in the harsh environment of a primitive tribe, had no such reservations. Once he struck, there was no turning back!
"Thud!"
Puhui was sent flying like a ragdoll, tumbling off the stage. Uru, panting heavily, was also seriously injured. Sweat poured down his bare, painted torso, smearing the tribal patterns.
"Junior Brother!"
Purin shouted in the rest area, his voice filled with anguish.
The others showed little reaction. In martial arts battles, holding back was never an option. Even death wasn't uncommon, and Puhui hadn't died… Only Taro, leaning against the wall, opened his eyes at this moment. His arms, which had been crossed, moved slightly. With a flick of his left hand, he pinched two beans between his fingers and flicked them!
"Whoosh—"
The sound of the beans cutting through the air was like tearing silk!
Purin's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively raised his right hand to catch them. With a soft "snap", his hand, now emitting faint smoke, held what felt like two beans… 'Huh? That sounded incredibly powerful, but why do I feel nothing in my hand?' Purin wondered, puzzled.
"No way…"
"Is this for real…"
The few contestants in the rest area who noticed this scene gasped in disbelief, looking at Taro, who had closed his eyes again, as if he were some terrifying old monster.
Purin opened his palm and saw two ordinary beans. Sensing the strange atmosphere in the room, he asked, "What happened?" But worried about his junior brother's injuries, he quickly decided to leave the rest area and check on Puhui.
The pale-faced Chaos pointed behind Purin: "That…"
As Purin turned to leave, his body froze. He looked at the two beans in his hand, then at the astonishing hole in the wall behind him… A cold sweat broke out on his back. Had he really caught something so dangerous with his bare hand? 'I must be insane!'
"Give those two beans to both of them to eat."
Taro's voice echoed in Purin's mind.
Filled with a mix of reverence and fear, Purin turned back and, under the half-confused, half-understanding gazes of the others, bowed respectfully toward Taro, who was still leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.
Though he didn't know what the beans were for, since such a formidable grandmaster had spoken, he decided to give it a try!
Purin left, and the next match was between Noah Robe and a champion from Central City.
Carefully sheathing his sharp blade, Noah Robe silently took out a wooden sword and, under the provocative filled gaze of the Central City champion, calmly walked toward the contestant passageway.
Taro, with his eyes closed, smiled faintly. "Hehe, pretending a bit with these youngsters makes me feel like I've regained some youth."