The thought, as soon as it arose, was immediately stifled by Wu Long!
If this were true, how monstrously gifted would this fellow be?
Even if not comparable to Wu Ying, he would definitely be stronger than most of them! This was something they, with their extraordinary backgrounds, instinctively did not want to accept!
Wu Long quickly found a justification for himself: "Brother Li likely specializes in burst speed. The reason he reached the top four is because none of us understood him, and I will introduce his opponents to them. Yes, it must be because of this!"
It was simple to verify this. He hadn't introduced Li Zhonglou's opponent this time, and Li Zhonglou's opponent was also a Fourth Layer expert. As long as what happened before didn't reoccur, Li Zhonglou's strength would naturally be revealed!
Not just him, but everyone else also looked at the stage with anticipation, wanting to know the true strength of this outsider.
This time, the opponent stepped onto the arena first. As Li Zhonglou had just steadied himself, Uncle Quan had already raised his right hand.
However, at that moment, Li Zhonglou also suddenly raised his right hand.
"I concede."
A moment of silence fell over the venue.
It wasn't until a while later that bursts of discussion erupted from below the stage.
"Uh, what's going on?"
"Is this kid doing it on purpose? Afraid we'll see his true strength?"
"I think it's a wise move. He's probably a burst-type fighter, and his previous surprise element is gone. If he doesn't concede, besides exposing his strength, he'll still end up losing."
A confident individual offered their judgment, and Wu Long, standing not far away, silently nodded in agreement.
His thoughts were precisely the same. After all, if that wasn't the case, Li Zhonglou's strength would be far too monstrous.
As Li Zhonglou exited the stage, the discussions about him gradually faded. However, his opponent, a Fourth Layer expert from the Li family, cast a disdainful glance at him.
Li Zhonglou was a bit bewildered by this but didn't dwell on it. Wu Long then said, "Brother Li, your choice is correct. Rather than exposing your strength early for an uncertain spot, it's better to save it for the next match. Perhaps you can surprise them again."
Li Zhonglou then understood Wu Long's thinking. He was happy to go along with it and nodded with a smile.
Below the large screen, Mu Qi's expression finally relaxed.
She didn't care about Li Zhonglou's ranking; she only worried about his safety. An An's boyfriend then said, "Qiqi, your friend is very smart. By doing this, he'll at least have a slight advantage in the subsequent matches."
Clearly, almost everyone shared the same thought: Li Zhonglou's move was to avoid revealing his true strength or weaknesses too early.
Time passed quickly. Li Zhonglou felt as if it were the second round in the blink of an eye. He had only managed to deduce four secret techniques. Until the finals, Wu Ying, the strongest among the younger generation, had not revealed his true strength.
He won solely through internal energy. Forget secret techniques; he rarely even used proper stances. This was somewhat a regret for Li Zhonglou.
When the second round of matches officially began, Li Zhonglou was surprised to find that no one challenged him in this round!
"Are they afraid of capsizing in a ditch?"
Li Zhonglou was puzzled. He had been worried about attracting too many challenges after drawing attention and was even planning which match to show some real skill to deter the younger generation. He never expected this outcome!
As the competition quickly progressed towards the middle stages, and he hadn't had a single match, Li Zhonglou couldn't help but approach Wu Long for the third time after Wu Long descended from the stage: "Brother Wu Long, how many matches do I need to fight in this round to secure a spot?"
Wu Long was taken aback. After a moment of thought, he replied, "If it's just the most common spot, you'll need at least two matches. But if you want to secure a good one, I think you should aim for a mid-tier spot."
As he said this, Wu Long's expression turned serious.
"Are the spots divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers?"
Li Zhonglou frowned slightly. This meant the situation in the forbidden land was far more complex than he had imagined.
Wu Long didn't offer much explanation: "Yes, but if you follow my advice, it won't be a problem. The reason I want you to aim for a mid-tier spot is that it's difficult for me to arrange common spots for you, Brother Li."
Another piece of knowledge that surpassed his understanding. Just as Li Zhonglou was about to inquire, Wu Long shook his head: "Brother Li, it's still too early to discuss these things. In the first round, they didn't display their true strength. This round might not be so simple."
Indeed, he hadn't even secured a spot yet, so discussing further was a bit premature. Li Zhonglou nodded and confirmed again: "So, how many matches do I need to fight now?"
Wu Long replied without hesitation: "Three matches. I need at least four. I was eliminated too early in the first round."
As Wu Long spoke, he couldn't help but sigh. Li Zhonglou didn't say much more and walked directly towards the stage.
Since no one else was challenging him, he would have to initiate the challenges himself!
It was only after Li Zhonglou went on stage that Wu Long realized what he had said earlier.
"Uh, what was Brother Li saying just now? How many matches does he need to fight? Not how many matches he needs to win?"
Wu Long shook his head, wondering if he had misheard or if Li Zhonglou had misspoke.
The second round was a challenge system. Everyone could step up and challenge others, but each challenger was limited to one appearance on stage, while the challenged could be forcibly challenged a maximum of twice.
As for accepting challenges, there was no limit. Wu Long's three appearances on stage were all from ordinary challenges initiated by others.
When Li Zhonglou stepped onto the stage, everyone's gaze turned expectant.
However, this anticipation was not for Li Zhonglou to choose them, but for Li Zhonglou to reveal his true strength.
"Please select your opponent."
Uncle Quan looked at this stranger he saw for the first time, with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He, the strongest present, couldn't discern Li Zhonglou's true strength in those two matches.
For a moment, he couldn't tell whether it was Li Zhonglou's surprise tactic that caught him off guard, or if he was truly hiding himself so perfectly.
Upon hearing the reminder, Li Zhonglou scanned the area and finally chose an opponent whose strength he could only perceive as Third Layer.
"Him, then."
Li Zhonglou pointed at the man, who, without hesitation, raised his hand and said, "Uncle Quan, I refuse."
The surrounding people were not overly surprised. After all, even Fourth Layer fighters had lost to Li Zhonglou, so it was understandable for a Third Layer fighter to have some self-awareness.
However, in the next second, Li Zhonglou added, "I want to wager points."
The targeted man's expression immediately changed, followed by a surge of anger.
I don't want to take risks, but that doesn't mean I'm afraid of you!
This forced challenge carried a hint of disdain!