Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 77 A Dragon Among Men

On the stage, Xu Kun looked Tuoba Feng up and down, a smile playing on his lips: "From the Northern Border? Very well, let me see what I've got."

He struck first, his palm strike carrying a sweet, metallic scent as it hurtled straight at Tuoba Feng's face.

Tuoba Feng neither dodged nor avoided, but instead raised his hand and struck with a palm.

This palm strike was unremarkable, even appearing somewhat slow, yet wherever the palm wind passed, the fishy, ​​sweet smell was completely swept away.

Xu Kun's expression changed, but it was too late to change his tactics.

"Bang!"

Xu Kun was sent flying backwards and crashed onto the edge of the stage, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He struggled to get up, but found that his whole body was sore and weak, and he didn't even have the strength to lift his arms.

This was the method he used to drug Zhao Binquan, but now it backfired on him after being struck by a palm.

The room fell silent once again.

one move.

It only took one move.

Tuoba Feng withdrew his hand, his expression calm, as if he had only done something insignificant.

On the judging panel, the three senior judges exchanged glances, each seeing surprise in the other's eyes.

"Tuoba Feng of the Northern Frontier wins," Nie Mingfei announced.

Tuoba Feng stood on the stage, his gaze sweeping across the audience: "Who else?"

After a moment of silence, another person jumped onto the stage.

"Qingxia Sect, Zhou Yuan!"

This person is a direct disciple of the Qingxia Sect, and his Qingxia sword technique is already quite proficient, making him somewhat famous among the younger generation in the martial arts world.

He drew his sword with incredible speed, the blade flashing like a bolt of lightning, aiming straight for Tuoba Feng's throat.

Tuoba Feng remained unmoved and did not dodge or evade.

When the sword tip was three inches from his throat, he suddenly raised his hand and gently pinched the sword between two fingers—the blade remained completely still.

Zhou Yuan's expression changed drastically, veins bulged on his forehead, and he desperately tried to pull the sword back, but it seemed to be rooted to the spot and remained motionless.

Tuoba Feng loosened his grip, and Zhou Yuan, unable to stop his momentum, staggered back three steps, nearly falling.

"You flatter me," Tuoba Feng said calmly.

Zhou Yuan's face flushed red. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he slunk off the stage.

The people in the audience looked at each other in bewilderment.

He defeated two people in a row, and both times it was easy and effortless.

Who exactly is this person?

"Who else?" Tuoba Feng spoke for the third time, his voice still not loud, but it struck everyone's heart like ice shards.

The audience was silent.

Three games.

According to the rules, if he wins just one more game, he will directly secure the final winner's position.

Even Xu Kun and Zhou Yuan couldn't last a single move, so who would dare to go up and invite humiliation?

Everyone's gaze turned eastward—towards the Hidden Abode.

The martial arts world of the Central Plains cannot be suppressed by a person from the Northern Border, can it?

Chen Xu shifted his body, as if trying to stand up, when a hand pressed down on his shoulder.

"I'll do it." Chen Lei stood up, patted his robes, and walked slowly toward the stage.

His steps were steady, his expression calm, and he exuded an air of composure.

"Yinzhai, Chen Lei." He clasped his hands together, his voice gentle yet conveying a reassuring certainty.

Tuoba Feng glanced at him, his gaze becoming more serious.

He slowly drew the sword from his waist—a narrow, straight-bladed Northern longsword, its blade gleaming coldly.

He nodded. "Please."

The two faced each other in silence.

The audience of over a hundred people held their breath; you could hear a pin drop.

The air seemed to freeze, and an invisible pressure spread from the stage, causing the people in the front row to unconsciously lean back.

Suddenly, the two of them moved at the same time.

Chen Lei's swordsmanship is meticulous and steady, each strike carrying profound internal force, like a mountain pressing down, each move upright and righteous.

The sword wasn't fast, but each strike blocked Tuoba Feng's escape route, forcing him to take the blows head-on.

Where the sword wind swept, the dust on the table swirled into small vortexes.

Tuoba Feng's swordsmanship was sharp and fierce, carrying the chill of the northern wind and snow.

Swift as lightning, yet cunning in its approach; seemingly aimed at the chest, it suddenly shifts halfway to the throat.

The tip of the sword hummed as it vibrated, like the howl before a blizzard.

Swords flashed and clashed, more than thirty moves in the blink of an eye.

Chen Lei swept his sword horizontally, unleashing a torrent of sword energy that forced Tuoba Feng back two steps.

Tuoba Feng lightly touched the ground with his toes, leaping into the air as his longsword slashed down from above, accompanied by a whooshing sound.

Chen Lei neither dodged nor evaded, but raised his sword to strike upwards—the two swords collided in mid-air.

"clang!"

A sharp crack resounded, making the ears of the people in the audience ring.

The two men each took three steps back, the blue bricks beneath their feet creaking and groaning.

This is what a true clash of masters looks like.

There were no fancy moves, no unnecessary probing; every move went straight for the vitals, and then it ended just right.

The sword energies collided, creating a visible shockwave that swept away the dust on the stage.

Fifty moves, sixty moves, seventy moves... and still no one can tell who is better.

Chen Lei's robe was ripped by the sword energy, and a few strands of Tuoba Feng's hair were also loosened.

Both of them were breathing heavily, but their eyes were getting brighter and brighter—it was the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.

In the seventy-eighth move, Chen Lei thrust out his sword, the sword energy condensing into a line, heading straight for Tuoba Feng's chest.

Tuoba Feng dodged to the side and struck Chen Lei in the chest with a backhand palm strike, the wind from his palm as cold as an ice blade.

Chen Lei sheathed his sword to parry, their palms clashing with each other, and with a "clang," it was the sound of metal colliding.

The two men took three steps back at the same time, and several pieces of the blue bricks under their feet broke, sending pebbles flying.

They exchanged a glance and both saw a hint of admiration in each other's eyes.

"Impressive skill." Tuoba Feng sheathed his sword, his voice still calm, but a rare warmth appeared in his eyes.

"You're not bad either." Chen Lei also sheathed his sword, a smile appearing on his lips.

On the judging panel, the three elderly men exchanged a few words in hushed tones.

Nie Mingfei stood up and said loudly, "This match is a draw. Both of you are outstanding individuals, so there's no need for you to fight anymore."

Applause erupted from the audience.

Chen Lei cupped his hands in greeting to Tuoba Feng, then turned and stepped off the stage.

Tuoba Feng nodded slightly and followed him down.

A thrilling duel left everyone breathless and made them realize who truly deserved to compete for the Dragon Crystal.

A moment later, Chen Xu stood up from his seat and strode towards the stage.

"Yinzhai, Chen Xu." He clasped his hands in a fist salute, chin held high, his gaze sweeping across the audience, arrogance radiating from his eyes and brows. "Who would like to come up and offer their guidance?"

A burly man jumped onto the stage: "Divine Blade Sect, Ma Kui!"

Chen Xu didn't even draw his sword; he defeated the man in just a few moves.

"Who else?"

Another one went up, and was shot down again.

Having defeated two opponents in a row, Chen Xu stood on the stage with an undisguised smile on his lips, his expression clearly conveying four words—"Nothing special."

Chen Lei sat in the audience, looking at his younger brother's appearance, his face darkened, but he ultimately remained silent.

"Who else?" Chen Xu shouted again, his gaze suddenly falling on Jiang Xun. "What, no one dares to step up?"

That look was clearly a provocation.

Jiang Xun didn't want to go up—he wasn't there to show off, so he wanted to save his energy.

But he simply couldn't stand Chen Xu's attitude.

He stood up and slowly swayed towards the stage.