Chapter 78

"3289, 1233, step up! ……"

After Yang Ji finished his match, he did not leave immediately. As the competition progressed, it was soon Shen Tong's turn to step up. He still wore the same outfit, plump and white, looking rather endearing, but at this point, no one dared to underestimate him.

When he narrowed his small eyes, everyone would feel a chill in their hearts.

"Among the wealthy merchants, such a martial arts genius can appear, truly a rare occurrence!"

Yang Ji looked at the stage, thinking to himself. The children of wealthy families generally had more interest in a life of luxury rather than martial arts.

This Shen Tong was a strong contender for the "Wutongsheng" title recorded in Han Bin's book. Although his appearance was somewhat comical, he was undoubtedly a martial arts genius.

Shen Tong launched his attack from the start. His obese body made him look like a rolling giant hammer. He charged forward fiercely, causing the entire stage to tremble and hum under the weight of his heavy steps, creating a terrifying momentum.

Boom!

The final blow was earth-shattering. The martial artist sparring with Shen Tong let out a惨叫, as if struck by lightning, and was hurled off the stage with a loud thud.

"3289, Shen Tong, wins!"

...

"Hum!"

Below the stage, the crowd erupted. Shen Tong's final move left a deep impression, like an enraged elephant, unstoppable and devastating.

"Ha ha ha..."

Shen Tong did not leave immediately. He laughed loudly on the stage, his booming voice echoing around:

"I told you to give up, but you insisted on suffering!"

The crowd glared at him, but they dared not speak out. Shen Tong might be arrogant, but his strength was undeniable.

At this level, the realms of the competitors were almost the same, and a match could last half an hour. Shen Tong's ability to resolve the fight so quickly demonstrated his strength.

His gaze swept over the crowd, and when he saw Yang Ji, he paused.

"Hum!"

A cold laugh, Shen Tong extended a finger from a distance, pointing at Yang Ji, then flipping it over.

Wha!

The crowd followed Shen Tong's gaze and noticed Yang Ji standing at the back, causing a stir. In the 10th unit's competition, Yang Ji and Shen Tong were undoubtedly the most prominent.

Both of them always resolved their matches quickly, and no one expected Shen Tong to issue such a public challenge to Yang Ji just before leaving.

"There is no first in literature, but there is no second in martial arts." There was no direct conflict between the two, and they could have coexisted peacefully. However, Shen Tong clearly did not like the idea of another person in the same place being as prominent as himself.

"Heh, interesting!"

Yang Ji was initially taken aback, then laughed. He did not mind fighting Shen Tong, but it would depend on whether they met.

Yang Ji smiled faintly, shook his head, and turned to leave.

"What's going on? What does this mean? Is he saying Shen Tong is not his match?"

"I think he's just ignoring it!"

"Ha ha ha, Shen Tong has met his match this time."

"Interesting, very interesting, let them fight, let them fight!"

...

The crowd fell silent, then erupted in cheers. The candidates were excited, as if they had been injected with adrenaline, eager for Yang Ji and Shen Tong to fight.

The martial arts examination had been going on for four days, and the strong candidates had gradually emerged. However, except for their direct opponents, there was no interaction. This was the first time for someone like Shen Tong and Yang Ji.

Shen Tong stood on the stage, watching Yang Ji leave. His face darkened. During the matches, he almost always saw Yang Ji in the crowd, clearly there to observe his strength.

Although Shen Tong's actions seemed provocative, they were also a response to Yang Ji. However, Yang Ji's reaction was clearly unexpected.

"Hum!"

With a cold snort, Shen Tong also left.

Neither Yang Ji, Shen Tong, nor the crowd noticed that the "black-faced giant" who had been overseeing the competition and remained silent, glanced at the two, his eyes flashing with a strange light.

"Interesting..."

A thought flashed through the black-faced giant's mind.

The opponents and order of the martial arts examination were pre-arranged only for the first day. After that, no one knew who would survive, so everything was decided on the spot.

As long as it did not violate the rules of the court, it was not impossible to specially arrange for two candidates to face each other.

...

By the fifth day, in the 10th unit, only six candidates remained. Each of these six had rich combat experience and was not an ordinary person.

"3289, Shen Tong, 1201, Yang Ji, step up! ……"

The 10th unit was packed with people. The higher the level of the competition, the more candidates gathered to watch and learn. Yang Ji and Shen Tong, standing in the crowd, were both surprised when they heard their names called.

"What's going on?"

"Did they make a mistake?"

Both Yang Ji and Shen Tong looked surprised, and their expressions clearly showed their shock.

"Boom!"

After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in cheers, like a festival.

"Too exciting. They actually met!"

"Who do you think will win?"

"I bet on Shen Tong! This guy has had so many great masters, his martial skills are amazing. And his strength is enormous; I doubt the stage can withstand his power."

"Yang Ji. I think he's good too. It won't be easy for Shen Tong to beat him!"

...

The crowd was buzzing with excitement, their faces flushed. They were more interested than Yang Ji and Shen Tong. The cheers even attracted people from the surrounding venues.

"Heh, just in time!"

Shen Tong was initially surprised but quickly recovered. "There is no first in literature, but there is no second in martial arts." The martial arts examination had only seven slots, and even if they did not meet here, they would eventually have to face each other.

For Shen Tong, it made no difference whether it was early or late.

Compared to Shen Tong's satisfaction, Yang Ji's reaction was much calmer. He stood in the crowd, deep in thought.

"Strange..."

Yang Ji muttered to himself. He felt something was off. He and Shen Tong had a conflict yesterday, and today they were scheduled to face each other, and it wasn't even the final day for the qualifying matches.

Yang Ji glanced at the "black-faced giant" on the stage, who remained expressionless. Could this be a deliberate arrangement by the court?

"Maybe I'm overthinking it..."

Yang Ji thought for a moment, then laughed. He and Shen Tong were not special enough for the court to arrange a match just for them.

"Whoosh!"

This time, Yang Ji did not keep a low profile. He took a deep breath, leaped, and in one swift motion, landed on the stage from several yards away, displaying his agile and precise movements.

"Hum!"

The crowd stirred, and many of the 10th unit candidates looked surprised. They had followed Yang Ji's matches for a long time and had never seen him display such skill.

"Heh heh, good skills! Unfortunately, the martial arts examination isn't about that!"

As soon as Yang Ji landed, Shen Tong stepped forward, sneering, looking aggressive.

"If it's not about that, is it about physique?"

Yang Ji said calmly.

The crowd laughed, and Yang Ji's words clearly mocked Shen Tong. Shen Tong's face changed, and he glared at Yang Ji, clenching his teeth.

Born into wealth, with good talent, but his physique could not be changed, despite many attempts. It was a sore point for him, and he hated being mocked.

Shen Tong was about to get angry but then laughed.

"Heh heh, you're sharp-tongued, I can't match you. You can talk all you want. Soon, I hope you can withstand a few of my hammer blows. So far, no one has withstood four of my hammer blows! By the way—"

Shen Tong glanced at Yang Ji's clothes, then pulled out some silver bills from his pocket and threw them on the ground, looking disdainful:

"Looks like you can't even afford decent clothes. This is to reward you to buy some."

"Hum!"

The crowd let out a low laugh. Shen Tong's words clearly mocked Yang Ji's simple clothes, which were not suitable for the stage. Given his wealthy background, this was not an exaggeration.

"No need, the clothes I want, you can't afford!"

Yang Ji said calmly.

His voice was not loud, but his words made the crowd fall silent, and they looked at Yang Ji with more respect.

Everyone understood that Yang Ji was not talking about ordinary clothes. As the son of a wealthy merchant, there was nothing Shen Tong could not afford.

It was well known that the only clothes money could not buy were the "Wutongsheng" robes.

So, the "Wutongsheng" who passed the martial arts examination would receive a blue robe from the court, symbolizing the court's recognition.

This was the only thing money could not buy!

Everyone understood, and so did Shen Tong, whose face turned black. He had been humiliated by Yang Ji, and he was furious.

"Words are useless. Why am I wasting time with him? The 'Myriad Hammer Technique' is something I paid a lot for, and it suits me well. At this stage, few can match me. I don't believe he can be my match. Let him be smug for now. Later, I'll break his bones with one more blow."

Shen Tong thought this, and his anger subsided. He closed his eyes and did not argue with Yang Ji.

"Begin!"

The black-faced giant waved his arm, and Shen Tong's eyes snapped open.

"Roar!—"

With a roar, Shen Tong let out a thunderous shout, and a dangerous aura surged from his body. He moved like a heavy, solid hammer, taking a step and charging at Yang Ji.

"Hum!"

The stage trembled. Shen Tong's attack was full of power, and the overwhelming momentum made the candidates watching from below gasp in shock.

Shen Tong might be hated, but his strength was undeniable.

"What a terrifying aura! Shen Tong is enraged; Yang Ji is in danger!"

Everyone thought this and felt a chill for Yang Ji. The "Myriad Hammer Technique" was a high-level martial arts technique, and although Yang Ji had verbally suppressed Shen Tong, he had also ignited his anger.

This blow was so powerful that only a second-level martial artist could withstand it!

Boom!

A deafening sound, no one could describe the speed of that moment. Then, a white, jade-like hand appeared in front of Shen Tong, like an unbreachable barrier, firmly blocking the giant hammer!...