C26 Lucky Win!

"Congratulations, Junior Brother Zhao."

"Senior Brother Zhao, you truly are formidable. Just like before, you took down Tian Feng in a single move. I just hope I don't end up facing you later."

As Zhao Yu descended from the arena, a flurry of disciples approached to offer their congratulations.

Zhao Yu acknowledged them with a smile and a nod, choosing to remain silent.

In this world, strength was the currency of respect, and Zhao Yu had earned his share.

Yet, he had not revealed the full extent of his capabilities.

To the other disciples, defeating Tian Feng with one move was proof enough of his might. But through Sun Mingyu's eyes, Zhao Yu's victory was attributed to a slight edge in strength and Tian Feng's overconfidence.

Had Tian Feng been more vigilant, the defeat wouldn't have been so devastating.

The first match had concluded far too swiftly.

The second bout of the fourth group was already underway, while the initial matches in the other three groups were just kicking off.

Before long, numerous arena battles had unfolded.

In that time, Zhao Yu observed Zhang Xuemeng's match against a third-layer Qi Refining inner sect disciple. To everyone's surprise, Zhang Xuemeng emerged victorious.

Yet the crowd wasn't overly shocked; Zhang Xuemeng's attacks seemed average, and it was a drawn-out fight. She managed to eke out a win with her nimble movements.

It appeared that while Zhang Xuemeng was above the average inner sect disciple in strength, her abilities were still deemed quite limited, and the disciples had mentally noted this.

Zhao Yu, however, didn't drop his guard.

His practice of the enhanced martial skill, Light, had sharpened his ability to assess others' strengths. Despite Zhang Xuemeng's effective concealment, he had an inkling that she might be hiding her true power.

The more covert Zhang Xuemeng was, the more cautious Zhao Yu became.

Light reported, "After analysis, Zhang Xuemeng's cultivation has been confirmed to be above Qi Refining Layer Four."

Zhao Yu inwardly scoffed, "She's advanced two levels in a single year, a true master of deception."

Before long, it was Zhao Yu's turn to step into the fourth group's arena once more.

In this match, Zhao Yu faced off against a tall and lean inner sect disciple named Lee Feiyun, whose cultivation was at the peak of Qi Refining Layer Three, just a notch above Tian Feng's.

Lee Feiyun had taken Tian Feng's defeat to heart, fully aware of Zhao Yu's formidable strength.

So, at the outset, Lee Feiyun held back, opting for caution over immediate aggression. He circled Zhao Yu, launching tentative strikes to test the waters.

Before long, Zhao Yu appeared to lose patience and went on the offensive against Lee Feiyun.

With brute force, he rampaged across the stage like a wild bull.

From their vantage point, Zhou Yun and Wu Caiyue shook their heads, their faces etched with disappointment. They had high hopes for Zhao Yu after his first bout, but his showing in this second round left much to be desired.

Liu Feng's earlier concern gave way to a smug disdain. "Zhao Yu is just average, a mere brute relying on raw power. I could take him down in three moves," he mused confidently.

Up in the arena, a sense of relief washed over Lee Feiyun. Initially weighed down by the prospect of facing Zhao Yu, he now realized his concern was misplaced.

With his agile footwork, Lee Feiyun danced around the stage like a drifting leaf, effortlessly evading Zhao Yu's clumsy assaults.

"Just keep this up," Lee Feiyun thought. "Once Zhao Yu tires out, I'll seize my moment to strike back."

Victory seemed within Lee Feiyun's grasp, and a triumphant smile began to spread across his face.

But in a twist of fate, Zhao Yu, driven to frustration, lashed out with a wild punch to the left. Incredibly, Lee Feiyun dodged in the same direction.

That's when Zhao Yu's fist connected, catapulting Lee Feiyun off the stage, his smile still frozen in place.

"How did this happen? Did I actually lose?"

Lee Feiyun was still reeling from the turn of events when the referee elder declared, "Zhao Yu wins, earning one point."

The disciples below let out a collective sigh, deeming Lee Feiyun's loss somewhat undeserved. A bit more caution, and the victory might have been his.

"Junior Brother Zhao, we'll have another match when the opportunity arises," Lee Feiyun said with a bow from the sidelines, his eyes betraying his dissatisfaction.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Lee."

Zhao Yu responded with a slight smile.

The competition's energy surged as it progressed, especially during the matches featuring powerhouses like Sun Mingyu, Zhou Yun, and Liu Feng. The arena was packed with disciples eagerly watching the bouts.

Zhao Yu kept a close eye on the contests, particularly Sun Mingyu's. It was clear that Sun Mingyu was a cut above the rest, winning each match with decisive ease.

When he executed his signature move, the Firecloud Palm, some female disciples couldn't help but scream in excitement.

Even the Sky Profound Sect's elders were visibly impressed, nodding in approval at Sun Mingyu's performance.

A sense of gravity settled in Zhao Yu's heart; Sun Mingyu was a formidable opponent not to be taken lightly.

It was then that Light chimed in with a warning: "Master, Sun Mingyu is likely to augment his Firecloud Palm with the Fire Spirit Slash for a lethal strike against you."

Sun Mingyu's Firecloud Palm was a formidable technique that harnessed genuine energy to mimic the intense heat of flames. The Fire Spirit Slash, a Spirit Weapon with fiery properties, could enhance this attack, making it nearly undetectable to others who might simply assume Zhao Yu lacked the strength to counter Sun Mingyu's moves.

With Zhang Daoming providing a distraction, Sun Mingyu's use of the Spirit Weapon would remain concealed—a devious strategy indeed!

Zhao Yu felt the weight of this realization.

Sun Mingyu was already a formidable adversary, yet he still chose to conceal a Spirit Weapon for the competition. Clearly, he was leaving nothing to chance, determined to squash any hope of Zhao Yu gaining the upper hand.

But Zhao Yu couldn't help a cold laugh within. Sun Mingyu had his ace, and Zhao Yu had his own cards to play.

He silently resolved, "There's no need to show my hand during the preliminaries. I'll wait until the quarterfinals to take him down."

Zhao Yu maintained his composure as he stepped onto the stage, securing one victory after another with an air of nonchalance.

Yet, his approach to combat was consistently similar. He relied on brute force to overwhelm his opponents, often winning by what seemed like mere accidents.

The inner sect disciples bested by Zhao Yu were far from satisfied, but the rules were clear and unyielding. There was no chance for a rematch, no matter how much they begrudged their losses.

The other disciples empathized with Zhao Yu's opponents, some even harboring a secret desire to step up and take him down themselves.

Meanwhile, in the third group's arena, Zhang Xuemeng also racked up multiple wins.

Zhao Yu's victories, though frequent, often came with a stroke of luck.

In contrast, Zhang Xuemeng appeared stronger than her adversaries each time, yet she secured her wins by the narrowest of margins. An occasional close victory was one thing, but to consistently edge out by a hair, regardless of the opponent's strength, seemed suspicious. It defied reason that she was only slightly better than both the weaker and the stronger contenders.

"I recall Zhao Yu mentioning that Zhang Xuemeng's acting was poor. Seeing it now, it certainly seems he was right."

"Shh, are you asking for trouble? If Zhang Xuemeng's fans overhear you, you're done for!"

Whispers and murmurs spread among the disciples spectating from below.

"Our junior sister Zhang Xuemeng is quite the enigma," Wu Caiyue mused, her gaze hardening. She and Zhang Xuemeng were in the same bracket, and a confrontation was inevitable.

Zhou Yun cautioned, "Her true capabilities are elusive. Tread carefully."

Two hours later, the group stage was drawing to a close, and the rankings were nearly cemented.

Liu Feng and Zhou Yun each claimed the top spot in the first and second groups.

Wu Caiyue and Zhang Xuemeng were neck and neck for the lead in the third group.

In the fourth group, Sun Mingyu and Zhao Yu were also tied for first place.

None of these six contenders had faced defeat.

At the fourth group's arena, the presiding elder announced, "For the twelfth match of group four, Sun Mingyu will face Zhao Yu."

Instantly, all the disciples' attention was captivated.

Sun Mingyu stood out as the most formidable disciple in the Inner Sect Assessment. Zhao Yu, too, was a center of attention, particularly for his impressive winning streak that had everyone watching closely.