Chapter 126: White Gao

For the second round, all disciples on the arenas will be reorganized. Only one registered disciple may remain on each arena to advance to the third round!

Xie Yuan’s voice reached everyone's ears, followed by the appearance of the same light spots as before. Yang Ze grasped the light spot in front of him and, upon unfolding the paper, discovered that the number written on it was exactly the same as before—it had not changed at all.

He felt a sudden surge of surprise. Was his luck truly that good, or was there some manipulation behind the scenes?

However, he pushed this trivial matter to the back of his mind. Even if there were foul play, what could he do about it? Only one person could possibly manipulate such matters, and that individual was not someone he could contend with.

Rather than overthinking, it was better to simply defeat every enemy standing before him.

Yang Ze scanned his surroundings. With six thousand arenas remaining, each held ten registered disciples. This meant that even after the brutal combat of the first round, sixty thousand registered disciples remained. Among these sixty thousand, the lowest cultivation level was the sixth stage of True Origin Qi, while the seventh and eighth stages were ubiquitous.

He was truly struck by the might of the Piaomiao Martial Academy. To have so many registered disciples, providing a constant influx of fresh blood to the outer court every year—only with such a vast number of disciples could the academy produce a steady stream of young talents to carry on its legacy.

After receiving their numbers, the remaining disciples quickly found their respective arenas. Yang Ze, feeling rather awkward, stood still and waited for the others to arrive.

Once everyone had gathered, nine new opponents stood with Yang Ze. Among them, one was at the ninth stage of True Origin Qi, two were at the eighth stage, and the remaining six were all at the seventh stage.

Yang Ze was somewhat surprised to see the ninth-stage practitioner; he recognized the man—it was the vice sect leader of the Yishui Sect, that pale-faced youth.

Yang Ze had not expected to encounter him here. He had previously inquired about this man and learned his name was Bai Gao, who had joined the Yishui Sect three years ago.

Initially, Bai Gao had just been a registered disciple who had entered the eighth stage of True Origin Qi. Over the years in the Yishui Sect, he had climbed the ranks, and now he was the second-in-command only to Shui Ziming.

As Yang Ze noticed Bai Gao, Bai Gao also saw Yang Ze. Upon seeing him, Bai Gao’s face turned grim.

Bai Gao still remembered how highly Shui Ziming had rated Yang Ze, calling him one of the few notable registered disciples in District Ding. At the very least, within the Yishui Sect, no one besides Shui Ziming himself could suppress Yang Ze.

Bai Gao believed this assessment deeply; after all, he had only recently reached the ninth stage of True Origin Qi, and his ability to judge talent was certainly not as keen as Shui Ziming’s. Furthermore, when Yang Ze had only been at the eighth stage, they had already exchanged a blow, and Yang Ze had been his equal. Now, the gap had likely widened significantly.

He had originally hoped that even if he couldn't reach the end, he could at least survive a few more rounds. But now, Bai Gao’s heart sank; at this rate, even surviving this round seemed unlikely.

Yang Ze stared at Bai Gao. On the surface, he remained calm, but inwardly, he began to sneer. Bai Gao being here gave him the perfect opportunity to teach him a lesson. Every member of the Yishui Sect was Yang Ze’s enemy, and he despised them all. If he caught them in a moment of vulnerability, he would certainly not let them off.

Yang Ze flashed a smile at Bai Gao, which made the latter shiver with fear.

The silence on the arena was broken by the shout of "Begin!"

Yang Ze stepped forward. This time, he chose to strike first instead of waiting for the others. The aura of the ninth stage of True Origin Qi erupted, instantly overwhelming everyone on the arena. Their expressions changed; Yang Ze’s pressure was something they could not withstand.

After the eruption of his aura, Yang Ze stepped out and launched himself forward. He did not target the others but charged straight at Bai Gao.

As this scene played out before the other eight, their faces lit up with joy. If Yang Ze and Bai Gao were to fight to the death, it would only be a good thing for them.

Seeing this, Bai Gao shouted, "Yang Ze, have you lost your mind? There are so many people here! Instead of working with me to eliminate them, you attack me! What good does it do you to attack me first? If we both end up heavily injured, wouldn't it just benefit them?"

He was nervous; he couldn't believe Yang Ze wouldn't understand such a simple situation. Yet, he never expected that his shout would only cause Yang Ze to sneer.

"Heavily injured? You aren't worth it!"

As he spoke, Yang Ze reached Bai Gao and swept his leg horizontally toward his body. Bai Gao instinctively went to block, but the moment his arms touched Yang Ze’s leg, he felt an irresistible force strike him.

Bai Gao’s body was sent flying under the force of the blow, rolling several times across the arena floor before coming to a stop.

The other eight gasped in shock. To kick a ninth-stage practitioner away with a single blow—Yang Ze’s strength was truly terrifying.

Bai Gao climbed to his feet, dust clinging to his face. He brushed it off, his face pale with rage as he glared at Yang Ze.

"I said, you aren't worth both of us ending up injured."

Speaking calmly, Yang Ze charged out again, reaching out with his right hand to grab Bai Gao.

Having learned his lesson, Bai Gao did not dare to receive the attack head-on. He moved to the side to dodge, but as he shifted, he found Yang Ze’s speed was superior; he was already waiting in the direction Bai Gao was moving.

Before Bai Gao could react, Yang Ze threw a punch. Bai Gao blocked with both arms, but the impact sent him flying once more. Using all his True Origin Qi, Bai Gao managed to control his landing.

But before he could steady himself, Yang Ze rushed at him again. With such speed, he was upon him in the blink of an eye. With a furious shout, Bai Gao struck out with his palm, deciding to take the initiative.

Yang Ze countered with a palm strike of his own. Their palms collided, and the resulting shockwaves of force swept over them, pushing Bai Gao back three steps.

Terrified, Bai Gao could not comprehend how Yang Ze’s strength had improved so rapidly in just over a month. But faced with this crisis, he had no time to ponder; he reached into his garment and pulled out a folding fan.

Yang Ze did not retreat, instead clenching his right fist and striking toward Bai Gao’s face.

Bai Gao flicked his fan open, blocking the punch.

Yang Ze retracted his fist, noticing a white mark on his palm. Looking at the fan, he realized this was Bai Gao’s weapon. Had his fist not been wrapped in True Origin Qi, he might have been injured by that fan.

Although Bai Gao had blocked the punch, he felt no joy. His folding fan was a mid-grade mortal weapon, allowing him to exert his full strength. Yet, Yang Ze had not even drawn a weapon.

Staring at Bai Gao’s solemn expression, Yang Ze sneered and stepped forward, grabbing at Bai Gao with both hands in a complex maneuver.

Bai Gao swung his fan, unleashing two gusts of wind. Yang Ze countered with his palms, dispelling the gusts and exerting even greater force, moving faster than Bai Gao could react to grab him.

Bai Gao felt a shock and tried to circulate his True Origin Qi to break free, but as soon as he started, Yang Ze exerted a force that disrupted his flow, instantly preventing him from channeling his energy throughout his body.

Before Bai Gao could react, Yang Ze’s hands shook, and with a crisp snap, Bai Gao’s left arm was broken.

Bai Gao let out a scream as Yang Ze flung him aside.

The Swift Wind Bone-Breaking Hand had easily crippled one of Bai Gao’s arms.

Enduring the agonizing pain, Bai Gao stood up and looked at the eight stunned onlookers, roaring, "What are you waiting for? If I go down, you’ll be finished too!"

With that, Bai Gao held his fan in his right hand, pouring all his remaining True Origin Qi into it. As he swung, the fan opened, and a flurry of silver light shot out, mixed with his True Origin Qi.

"Hidden weapons!"

Yang Ze recognized the move instantly. He pointed his right finger, triggering the Nine-Spin Finger. Piercing, rigid finger-blasts shot from his fingertips.

The blasts shattered the True Origin Qi and the hidden weapons Bai Gao had launched.

Following the attack, Yang Ze leaped forward and struck Bai Gao with his palm. Bai Gao was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing off the arena and vomiting several mouthfuls of blood.

After disposing of Bai Gao, Yang Ze scanned the others. Their bodies trembled, and they retreated in fear.

"Are you going down yourselves, or should I help you?"