"Impossible, with your paltry skills, how dare you provoke those ruthless devils!"
Qi Yunyi re-donned his battle attire, his eyes blazing with an unyielding light. "Don't assume only you have seen hell. I spent two years in the slums you speak of. My strength might be insufficient, but what erupts from the very core of one's being doesn't extinguish because of the level of martial arts. It burns fiercely within, until you do what your heart dictates!"
"Impossible, you weakling, you can't even protect yourself, how could you possibly..."
Jiang Cheng retreated, his mind once again consumed by those hellish images of the refugee camps.
"It's not that the higher your martial arts, the braver you are to protect the weak. It's that you first possess the heart for it. Once you have a clear goal, it makes you stronger. Like this tournament, winning or losing isn't that important. For me, it's simply a trial, a trial of determination!"
Qi Yunyi seemed to ignite completely. His fists shot out like dragons, his punches fierce and powerful. Jiang Cheng parried from left and right, retreating step by step. The situation had completely reversed from the start of the second round!
Their fight was nothing like the previous one. The audience was treated to a visceral visual feast. Spotlights flashed across them continuously. Jiang Cheng, who had been valiantly defending, saw the light in his opponent's eyes, a flame burning ever brighter. The negative energy that had plagued him for years was being burned away by that light.
His expression instantly softened, the corners of his mouth turning up imperceptibly. After deflecting the offensive with a palm strike, he retreated rapidly, almost to the edge of the ring!
"What is this brat trying to do!" Chu Tianxiong's face turned grim, sensing trouble!
As Qi Yunyi's punches were blocked, he saw his opponent forced back to a desperate position. He immediately launched a sweeping leg kick to Jiang Cheng's lower body. Jiang Cheng naturally leaped up, and at that moment, Qi Yunyi seized the opportunity, launching two rapid punches at his upper body. Jiang Cheng had committed to his move and couldn't defend well in mid-air. He should have crossed his arms to block, but before the force of the punches even reached him, he retreated, making it appear as if he had been knocked back!
This maneuver was extremely subtle, and perhaps only a handful of people in the entire venue could discern it!
Qi Yunyi's punches carried immense force, and he couldn't stop them. The two blows landed squarely on Jiang Cheng's chest, but Jiang Cheng, leveraging the force of the punch, actually sent himself flying out of the ring, eliminating him from the competition!
The audience erupted in cheers. Some embraced each other, others slapped hands. No one had expected the second round for Aegis City to turn the tide so dramatically, sending Qi Yunyi directly to the East District finals!
The Aegis City team exploded into a frenzy. The moment the referee announced Qi Yunyi's victory, they swarmed him, mobbing him. But Qi Yunyi knew clearly that if Jiang Cheng hadn't deliberately exposed a weakness, he would have had no chance of winning.
Jiang Cheng slowly rose from beneath the ring, offering Qi Yunyi a faint, almost imperceptible smile before preparing to return to the Zigui City team area, bracing for a storm of scolding.
Gao Chenfei's subsequent match was also full of drama, but despite the intense fighting, he lost three points to Zhou Jun of the opposing team in the second round.
The score stood at 3:0.
During the interval, Ren Yuanhao could see that Gao Chenfei was physically spent, his body drenched in sweat, likely from expending too much energy during his fierce battle with the Jade Chamber City team.
"Hey, kid, you still have that pill, right?" Ren Yuanhao asked gruffly.
"I do, but I feel like even if I make it to the East District finals, I'll just get eliminated. Why don't I give the chance to Peng Lin? His injury isn't any lighter than mine."
Gao Chenfei recalled that in his fight against the black belt, his final move was definitely executed with a style similar to 'Seven Injuries Fist'. Though he seemed fine now, his ankle was likely badly injured.
"Relax, I'm just asking you one thing: do you want to fight in the East District finals!" Ren Yuanhao's expression was like that of a shady dealer in anime, lurking in the dark corners selling various illicit goods.
"I do, of course I do, but~"
Gao Chenfei's expression turned serious. If he could overcome the intense pain from his injury at this moment, he had at least a sixty percent chance of winning this match and advancing to the East District finals. However, the rarity of such a pill, within his understanding, was likely in the precious category.
Unexpectedly, Ren Yuanhao seemed to read all his thoughts. He leaned in conspiratorially and whispered in his ear, "Kid, I have plenty of these pills. Eat them to your heart's content. I don't feel the slightest bit of heartache."
— *Bah, you wish you don't feel heartache. One 'Six Qi Blood-Nourishing Pill' costs 100,000. That's enough for how many breakfasts for this old man?*
Though his heart ached, he put on an air of immense wealth, completely stunning Gao Chenfei.
"Brother, stop joking. If they were as cheap as beans, you wouldn't have only left one when you departed." Gao Chenfei's intelligence was sharp, making Ren Yuanhao somewhat embarrassed.
"Why are you being so hesitant, like an old woman? I'm just asking, do you want to win or not?"
"I want to, but..."
"But what? Take it. Do you think this is some divine artifact? Once its effects wear off, it'll hurt like hell."
Ren Yuanhao was like an exhausted insurance salesman, practically giving it away for free and still needing the buyer's consent!
"Alright, since you've said it, Brother, I won't worry about wasting a treasure."
Gao Chenfei swallowed the Six Qi Blood-Nourishing Pill. He felt an incredibly cool energy rise from his dantian, cascading through his body like cosmic debris, and like a clear spring flowing through him. His sore and aching muscles, fatigued nerves, and acupoints all trembled!
"This is simply divine! Brother, I feel like I can take on twenty people now!" Gao Chenfei clenched his fists, his demeanor instantly changing!
"Shhh, can we be a little more low-key?" Ren Yuanhao patted his shoulder. "Kid, remember, never forget your original intention. Only by understanding what you're fighting for can you become stronger."
Gao Chenfei nodded gravely. The bell for the third round of the match rang again, and the audience erupted into a thunderous applause.
The two returned to the center of the ring. With the aid of the pill, Gao Chenfei was brimming with confidence. However, Zhou Jun, the second strongest fighter for the Zigui team, also had a hidden trump card. The ultimate victor was becoming increasingly uncertain.