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"Let the match begin!" The Chu Family elder said calmly. As soon as he spoke, his body flew off the platform. Since this was Chu Ming's first match, Chu He and Yu Guxue were very nervous, deeply afraid of any unexpected occurrences.
"Chu Ming, I advise you to admit defeat voluntarily. Otherwise, it won't be good if you get injured!" Chu Li said with a slow, confident smirk, his large blade gradually stretching out, and immediately waves of Sword Force spread, leaving shallow trails on the platform.
Chu Ming calmly said, "Have you said enough? If so, let's begin!"
Anger flashed through Chu Li's eyes. His tall figure immediately lunged at Chu Ming. The large blade in his hand kept swinging through the air, continuously accumulating Sword Force, compressing it to a terrifying level, producing continuous sonic booms.
"Wave-Slicing Slash!"
Waves of white energy emanated from Chu Li's blade, making his attack even more aggressive. Airwaves swept in all directions.
"Tyrant's Tears!"
Chu Ming didn't even need to draw his sword. His Cyan Yuan Technique had reached the Sixth Layer, and the quality of the spiritual power in his body far surpassed Chu Li's. A golden light emitted from Chu Ming's fist, trailing a shimmering golden tail, thundering toward Chu Li. He had to control his strength, fearing he might accidentally kill Chu Li.
*Splat*
The layered white blade light instantly shattered and turned into a phantom. Chu Li only felt a tremendous force hitting him, immediately vomiting blood. His body uncontrollably flew backward.
The Chu Family disciples below the stage were all somewhat surprised. Chu Ming was in the First Layer of the Transcendence Realm, while Chu Li was in the Third Layer. The gap was enormous, yet Chu Ming defeated Chu Li with just one move.
"Chu Ming is a Sect Disciple; the martial techniques he's trained in must be of the highest quality!" Someone speculated jealously in their heart. Apart from this reason, they couldn't think of any other explanation.
"Hahaha, congratulations, Brother Chu! The son of a tiger won't be an ordinary cat!" In the VIP seats, the Fourth Prince gleefully said to Chu He, whose face showed surprise but quickly masked it with modesty. "Not at all!" Chu Ziping snorted, turning his face to the side.
Chu Ming stepped down from the platform, looking toward another ring where a burly man easily knocked a Chu Family disciple down. Sensing Chu Ming's gaze, the burly man turned around. Recognizing Chu Ming, he sneered disdainfully before leaving.
This burly man was Chu Feng, the highest contender for the family tournament championship.
Besides Chu Feng, several other Chu Family disciples had impressive cultivation: Chu Ru, Chu Qiweng, Chu Yong, Chu Yue...
Chu Family disciples faced them, either forfeiting or being effortlessly defeated within half a move, far surpassed by these elites. Despite Chu Ming's evident prowess, he wasn't seen as a match for these top contenders. In everyone's eyes, the top five spots were undoubtedly theirs.
The most complacent person now was undoubtedly Chu Ziping. Chu Feng was his eldest son, and Chu Yong his second. With Chu Feng almost certain to win and Chu Yong likely to secure a top-five spot, he was pleased.
"Talents emerge in large numbers. It's hard to say who will prevail." The Fourth Prince remarked from the side, favoring Chu Ru. Chu Ru, an Inner Sect Disciple of the Martial Extreme Sect, had won the last tournament, yet he wouldn't mention this to avoid displeasing Chu Ziping.
Chu Ziping smiled faintly. "Yong'Er's Celestial Wheel Fist has reached the Realm of Perfection, a powerful and well-balanced technique. Feng'Er has trained in the Profound Level, Low Tier martial technique, Thousand Burning Palm from Burning Fire Valley, making him unbeatable by most Sixth Layer Transcendence Realm fighters."
Hearing this, the usually calm Fourth Prince was slightly moved. Any Profound Level martial technique had its unique features. Learning that Chu Feng had mastered one made the Fourth Prince favor him even more.
Chu He said nothing, his worried gaze fixed on Chu Ming. The situation had become clear: the competition for first was down to six people: Chu Feng, Chu Yong, Chu Yue, Chu Ming, Chu Qiweng, and Chu Ru.
All of them had significantly higher cultivation levels than Chu Ming, worrying Chu He. Although Chu Ming had defeated several elite disciples, they were relatively ordinary within the family. These competitors were all Sect Disciples.
Another round of drawing lots ensued, and Chu Ming glanced at his opponent: Chu Yong.
"Hahaha, Chu Ming, I didn't expect to face you so soon. Your winning streak ends now." Chu Yong said excitedly. Of all the competitors, he had the highest chance of defeating Chu Ming. Despite the low probability of drawing him, it had happened.
Chu Qiweng vs. Chu Ru!
Chu Feng vs. Chu Yue!
The first match: Chu Ming vs. Chu Yong!
Seeing this result, Chu Ziping immediately sneered. To him, Chu Yong's victory over Chu Ming was assured. He glanced at Chu He, mockingly saying, "Better prepare some elixirs for treating internal injuries, in case someone gets severely hurt!"
Chu He's face turned pale but he still ordered some elixirs to be prepared. It wasn't a lack of confidence in Chu Ming but uncertainty about his limits. Even the Fourth Prince remained silent, knowing words could only escalate the tension.
"Let the match begin!" The elder on the platform announced loudly, then immediately retreated. Chu Ming and Chu Yong stood facing each other, Chu Yong's gray robe fluttering. He looked at Chu Ming with a cold smile.
"I advise you to surrender quickly, or you might not get the chance to later!" Chu Yong unleashed his spiritual power, red spiritual power flickering, forming Primordial Gang, making him look like a person on fire.
"Too much talking!" Chu Ming said calmly, his expression serene. Chu Yong's strength was comparable to Yan Zhenhai's. Before breaking through to the Transcendence Realm, he could disable Yan Zhenhai with three punches. Now, he didn't know his limits, but someone like Chu Yong could be settled with one punch.
"You're seeking death!" Furious at Chu Ming's calm demeanor, Chu Yong's body erupted with yellowish spiritual power. He lunged at Chu Ming with thundering speed, his right fist blooming with fiery red power, carefully prepared.
"Celestial Wheel Fist!"
Celestial Wheel Fist, a top-tier Yellow Level martial technique, was Chu Yong's most powerful attack, intended to leave Chu Ming bedridden for months. Though the tournament didn't permit fatal injuries, severe injuries were expected in such matches.
Chu Ming saw through Chu Yong's intentions and sneered inwardly. When Chu Yong was still three meters away, he struck back with a fist ablaze with golden fire, trailing a dazzling golden light. In an instant, the golden light surged like a dragon.
"Tyrant's Tears!"
The two fists collided solidly, red and yellow light interwoven, clashing and exploding into fireworks-like shockwaves.
*Splat*
One figure was thrown back, creating waves of air as they spewed blood, their arm hanging limp, destroyed.
It was Chu Yong!
The Chu Family disciples below the stage were utterly shocked. While they could accept Chu Ming defeating Chu Li and others as the result of his superior Sect training, him severely injuring Chu Yong with one punch could only mean that Chu Ming was extraordinarily talented.
Perhaps, the label of "waste" on Chu Ming had been quietly removed. If he was considered a waste, what did that make them?
"Elder, you can announce the result!" Chu Ming said calmly, stepping off the platform. The stunned referee elder finally reacted, recalling how Chu He had earlier instructed him to intervene if Chu Yong used excessive force on Chu Ming. He smiled wryly, the outcome completely reversed.
"Chu Ming wins!" The elder announced loudly, replacing his wry smile with a look of satisfaction. Regardless of who won, a stronger Chu Family was a good thing in his eyes.
In the VIP seats, nine-tenths of the martial artists were stunned. Even Chu Ming's father, Chu He, couldn't believe it. He trembled, looking at Yu Guxue, and asked, "Did I just see what I think I saw?"
"Ming'Er seemed to have severely injured Chu Yong with one punch..." Yu Guxue answered hesitantly, still shaken by what had happened. She had feared for Chu Ming when Chu Yong attacked, but the result was unexpected.
"Hahaha, Ming'Er won." Chu He laughed heartily, his spirits soaring. In ten years, aside from becoming Patriarch, he had never felt so elated.
Then he looked at Chu Ziping and said, "I advise you to prepare some elixirs for treating injuries, in case something serious happens."
Chu Ziping held back his rage, gritting his teeth, and said, "Chu He, your son has such a deep scheming mind at such a young age. I doubt he'll achieve much in the long run!"
He then called over several Stewards to carry Chu Yong away for treatment. Although Chu Yong wasn't in mortal danger, he'd be bedridden for at least half a month. Only then did Chu Ziping relax a bit, though his face remained as dark as coal.