Clash with Li Haotian!

Ronald's Victory Shocks the Arena!

"Ronald wins!"

The entire arena erupted in chaos.

"Sht! Those iron lumps were magic artifacts?!""Fck, there goes my thousand gold coins!""Damn, tossing around magic artifacts like that… this guy's filthy rich!""Wait a minute… isn't he that human bandit from yesterday? Guess robbing people really does pay off…"

The spectators were abuzz with discussion, some even joking about turning to a life of banditry themselves.

Meanwhile, in the stands, Qin Ji and Li Haotian looked as if they had swallowed a bitter pill. Qin Xue covered her mouth in shock, while Mia stared at her so-called "ex-husband" in disbelief.

Ronald had once again defied expectations—he wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, but his tricks and tactics made him an unpredictable force.

Back in his seat, Ronald shot a glance at his hunter companion. She immediately walked over to Qin Ji's group.

"Your Highness," she addressed Mia, "my young master has sent me to retrieve something."

Mia hesitated. After a moment of silence, she reached up to her neatly pinned-up hair and carefully removed a delicate hairpin.

Her long, silken locks cascaded down like a waterfall, framing her face with an almost ethereal beauty.

Pinned-up hair was a sign of a married woman. Loose, flowing hair… meant something else entirely.

She stole a glance at Ronald, who remained silent beneath his armor, before gently shaking her head and handing the hairpin over.

Deep in her gaze, a flicker of emotion surfaced—was it guilt?Loss?Or perhaps… reluctance?

As she absentmindedly ran her fingers through her freed hair, an unfamiliar sense of emptiness settled in her heart, as if something had just slipped away forever.

Ronald took the hairpin, studied it for a moment, then carefully tucked it away.

He sighed softly.

It wasn't about pride, nor about pettiness—he had to take it back because this hairpin might hold clues left behind by his mother.

There were too many suspicious details about her death. The more he pieced things together, the more he doubted she had truly perished.

If she was still out there somewhere… he had to find her.

But that was a mission for another day.

For now, he had made it through the second round. If he could win two more matches, he would secure his place among the top contenders—one step closer to the so-called "honor" of marrying the City Lord's daughter.

As the tournament progressed, the expected top ten warriors advanced effortlessly. However, what caught everyone off guard was the quiet success of Qin Ji and Li Haotian.

Both were elite warriors of the human race, their weapons and techniques refined to perfection. Ronald had observed them carefully—both were at the Second Stage of Body Refinement. Qin Ji was nearing the peak, while Li Haotian was slightly weaker.

After two rounds, the audience made an astonishing discovery:

The humans were dominating.

Among the remaining forty contestants, eight were human—an unprecedented number.

Various factions within the city started whispering among themselves, their brows furrowed in concern.

The rise of humanity in Yunzhou was not good news.

Behind the scenes, alliances were being forged, secret discussions taking place, and new strategies being devised.

But Ronald had no time to worry about politics.

Because his next opponent…

Was Li Haotian.

A grudge long overdue.

Some debts had to be settled.