Chapter 16: Ten-Man Arena_2

Without giving Lin Yuan another chance to carefully assess, four people successively entered the stage, and once they stood, the ten were complete.

"In the arena melee, those who fall off the stage fail, those who surrender fail, those who have no power to fight fail, and those who are subdued fail. From ten people, the last one standing is the winner. Any questions?" A disciple in charge of refereeing announced the competition rules beside the stage.

"Yanghua Academy selection, ten-person arena match, the second battle on the thirty-eighth platform, officially begins."

As the word for the start was declared, two people beside the tall guy suddenly took action in tacit agreement, attacking the tall guy.

"If you want me out, the two of you won't make it." The tall young man was prepared, waving his right hand to block a coming punch.

"Tiger Tail Whip."

The tall guy's left foot swept towards another assailant like a hungry tiger's tail. The man lacked enough strength to withstand the premeditated strike from the tall youth, and after being kicked in the waist and abdomen, he bent over and fell to the ground, unable to fight anymore.

"Get down for me."

After dealing with the person on the left, the tall youth struck again, a move like "Plum Blossom Under Snow," directly countering a punch.

His body then descended like a fierce tiger coming down the mountain, pressing against the boy on the right.

Facing such an offensive, the boy could not resist, and after bearing the brunt of the tall guy's body, he accidentally fell off the platform, losing and being eliminated.

Lin Yuan, locked in battle with someone beside him, was holding back, appearing to win with difficulty. But his attention was constantly on the battle situation. Seeing the tall guy's profound martial skills, it was no wonder he was somewhat confident.

In a few breaths, another person fell at the hands of the calm-eyed ponytailed girl. Seeing the tall guy defeat two people in a few moves, the people on the stage paused their actions.

With their eyes scanning back and forth, everyone looked guardedly at their opponents on the platform. Lin Yuan continued to spar with the person next to him, neither allowing them to lose nor joining another battle group, giving the appearance of barely suppressing them.

The strongest among them, the tall guy and the ponytailed girl, exchanged glances and reached a tacit agreement.

The weak shall be eliminated first.

The two struck at the same time, with the ponytailed girl attacking two people beside her.

The tall guy targeted the short-shirted boy.

Unexpectedly, the boy was only nervous but not weak in skill, exchanging several rounds with the tall guy without losing.

"Hungry Tiger Pounces." The tall guy used this move again, lunging at the short-shirted boy.

At this moment, the two who had been fighting beside him suddenly paused, focusing their Qi-Blood power, as one punched and the other kicked towards the lunging tall guy.

Feeling the fierce wind approaching, the tall guy in mid-air sensed impending danger, feeling angry in his heart.

"Elephant Mountain."

But he had to use his trump card, as his Qi Force became even stronger, greatly boosting his defense, taking on the two men's attacks. Meanwhile, the short-shirted boy, in a defensive stance, seized a rare opportunity to counterattack, boldly striking out with both fists.

"Splat."

Caught unprepared, the tall guy used "Elephant Mountain" to defend against the three attackers.

However, the three attackers were not weak, and combined with forcibly reversing the martial technique, his Qi-Blood stagnated, unable to suppress the blood in his throat, which spurted out.

No sooner had the tall guy tried to guard than another attack arrived—it was the ponytailed girl striking. The already injured tall guy, unable to withstand the blow when it landed, flew off, falling unconscious to the ground, unable to fight anymore.

The situation changed rapidly, and before everyone could react, the two who had attacked the tall guy once again went after the short-shirted boy. Meanwhile, the ponytailed girl retreated from the battlefield, recovering her energy while observing the two battlegrounds.

The short-shirted boy, having already exhausted all his tricks under the tall guy's attack and consumed much energy, soon lost and conceded facing the two attackers.

Turning back, the three stopped to observe Lin Yuan's fight.

But Lin Yuan didn't give them much time to study; the Eight-step Breaking Fist in his hands suddenly intensified, increasing the pressure on his opponent, making them miserable.

"Four Sounds Breaking Fist, strike immediately for suppression."

Lin Yuan seized the opportunity when the opponent's old strength waned, and new strength hadn't arisen, launching a punch.

His opponent, already struggling to hold on against Lin Yuan's sudden burst, had no resistance left when the punch landed.

Lin Yuan's double fists fiercely shook open the opponent's guard, leaving them wide open, then hit directly on the chest with a piercing fist, eliminating them.

"The man in the cloth garment is well hidden, a master indeed. I underestimated him before." The ponytailed girl noticed Lin Yuan seizing the moment to defeat his opponent.

Although others might see it as wearing down the opponent, she had keen insight to notice some subtleties.

The battle on the platform evolved into complexity, yet its conclusion was swift.

At this point, including Lin Yuan, four people remained on stage.

The tall guy initially strong was sure to have a place among the four, yet he was now gravely injured and unconscious. His overconfidence had led to others' wariness.

With the situation as it was, Lin Yuan had little to worry about; even if the three attacked him, he felt confident to handle it. Exchanging a glance with the ponytailed girl, they instantly reached an agreement.

Both attacked their opponents separately. This time, neither held back.

"Stop, stop, stop, I concede."

After only a few rounds, Lin Yuan's opponent signaled to withdraw.

Looking at the slender Lin Yuan in his cloth clothes, his opponent found it taxing to cope with the force Lin Yuan exerted with his full strength.

Red-faced and breathless after the fight, he saw Lin Yuan as calm as ever, as if it was just a leisurely outing.

How could he continue fighting? Without Lin Yuan going all out, there was nothing more he could do but concede defeat.

On the ponytailed girl's side, her battle also swiftly concluded. Yet her hurried breathing revealed the struggle she faced in her victory.

"Now only the two of us remain; I can fight freely and gauge your true strength."

The ponytailed girl steadied her breath, her gaze turning sharp afterwards.

"White Crane Wing." As she used the Wind Wandering Step, her ponytail fluttered, and the move White Crane Wing seemed exceedingly agile in her hands.

But should one underestimate its power, it would surely be to their detriment.

Lin Yuan dared not be reckless, mustering his Qi-Blood power, executing the Wild Bull Strength. His fists clashed with the opponent's cutting palms. As their fists met, before he could unleash his fist's potency, the ponytailed girl danced lightly, withdrawing her palms and stepping back.

Just as Lin Yuan retracted his fists, she attacked again, engaging with an agile battle style.

"Bull Kick."

Uncertain how long he fought with this girl, Lin Yuan's mind remained calm. Her nimbleness was met with a lack that he recognized; though lacking the pace to fully match her in form, his steadiness provided an assured stance.

Opting for calm over rash action, he realized her reliance on movement consumed more than him. Besides, he had only employed the beginner stages of the Wild Bull Strength, which was a negligible drain for him.

With Lin Yuan's approach, the ponytailed girl had no viable strategy to break through.

"His punch strength is fierce; being hit means injury. There's no face-to-face confrontation. This man is as stubborn as a turtle, outrageously vexing."

The only slight frustration appeared in the ponytailed girl's calm demeanor. Despite her superior movement technique, she tried her utmost to provoke Lin Yuan into attacking, believing an opportunity would arise when he moved.

Yet she underestimated Lin Yuan's patience; regardless of her provocations, he remained unmoved as a mountain. Whenever she attempted to feint, he intercepted with brute force, compelling her to withdraw her offensive.

Facing such a "turtle" tactic, she begrudgingly admitted it was excessively obstinate.

As time passed, her internal Qi-Blood nearly depleted; if the battle continued, defeat by Lin Yuan's endurance seemed inevitable.

She could only resort to her trump card.

Suppressing the hint of resignation in her eyes, the ponytailed girl shifted her aura, her rosy hands raised, as her body mirrored a white crane drinking and soaring from a clear spring.

With the transformation of her aura, her pure, fair face bore a keen intensity, the single tail of her long hair moving without wind, exuding an imposing presence.

"Crane Chirps at Clear Spring." Instantly, her momentum peaked as she leaped towards Lin Yuan.