"Pairs of two, begin the battle immediately, starting with you," a soldier said to a man standing at the front left.
The man nodded and walked straight to the arena, with the person next to him following immediately.
Soon, a hundred arenas were filled with pairs ready to battle.
At this time, Han Zhen's voice rang out again:
"You may use fists and feet, or you may use weapons."
"There is no concern for life or death, only victory or defeat, stop when a hit is scored. The martial arts tournament, begins!"
As his words fell, the two people on each of the hundred arenas quickly began to fight.
At this moment, dawn had broken, and the sun was shining down.
It seemed to be early summer, already somewhat hot, yet everyone stood in place, watching the battles with spirited enthusiasm.
Mu Rufeng was among them.
His position was in the first row, and it would soon be his turn to compete.
Watching the two on the arena exchange blow for blow, fist to flesh, he couldn't help but be surprised.
Previously Mu Rufeng had not noticed, but now, it was clear that there was a powerful energy within both fighters.
With every clash, Mu Rufeng could distinctly feel that surge of energy.
A punch like that, if it landed on an ordinary person, would certainly be fatal.
The soldiers in this instance were not simple, indeed, this instance truly possessed supernatural powers.
Mu Rufeng glanced at the other arenas and saw that it was the same everywhere.
This indicated that supernatural powers were quite common.
"Is that the Qi Blood Power?" Mu Rufeng could feel the strong Qi Blood Power emanating from their bodies.
The battle in the arena ended quickly, with Contestant No. 1 achieving victory.
Neither side had used weapons but fought solely with fists and feet, and they were not seriously injured.
"Both sides to your places, next pair," the referee called out as soon as the winner was determined.
Mu Rufeng immediately stepped toward the arena.
The soldier to his right also made his way to the arena at once.
"Brother, I'm not very skilled in unarmed combat, my strength lies in this Big Blade. May we test weapons?" the man asked Mu Rufeng with a salute.
"Sure," Mu Rufeng nodded slightly.
"Then, brother, please draw your blade," said the man.
"I am not adept with blades, I will use this," Mu Rufeng replied, pulling a Magic Wand wrapped in Bandage from his waist.
"Huh... a short stick? Brother, are you sure you want to use that?"
"It really doesn't matter whether I use it or not, let's make it a quick fight so as not to keep everyone waiting," Mu Rufeng said.
"If brother says so, then I won't hold back," responded the man.
The man immediately pushed off the ground, his body shooting forward, his Big Blade enshrouded with an invisible Qi Blood Power.
As he neared Mu Rufeng, he swung fiercely, chopping directly at Mu Rufeng.
But what came wasn't the blade's edge, but rather the back of the blade.
Mu Rufeng sidestepped lightly, effortlessly dodging, and then with a seemingly light punch, he sent the man flying away.
The man flew for about five or six meters, going beyond the bounds of the arena.
He landed on his feet and was pushed back several steps by the force before he could stabilize.
The man rubbed his chest in shock.
Realizing what happened, he immediately cupped his fists and said, "Thank you, brother, for showing mercy."
He had been sent flying five or six meters with a single punch and without a scratch, indicating a profound level of strength control. His power was clearly extremely strong.
It could be said to be a crushing existence.
The soldiers watching the fight also became more serious upon seeing this.
Clearly, Mu Rufeng's strength was beyond their expectations.
This move, indeed, had subdued many.
Of course, some were not intimidated but became even more excited, seemingly eager to have a fight with Mu Rufeng right away.
"Both sides to your positions, next pair!"
As time went on, the first round of battles finally ended.
Out of ten thousand contestants, five thousand were victorious, while the other five thousand were eliminated.
"Winners to the left, losers to the right," Han Zhen, who had been standing on the high platform, called out.
In just over a minute, winners and losers quickly separated into two hundred groups.
"Pair up and fight. Stop when a hit is scored, and the contest continues."
It was now past ten in the morning. Han Zhen did not let them eat but continued the contests.
Perhaps hunger was also a test for everyone.
No one seemed to mind; being hungry was a small matter, as after all, everyone was in the same boat, having not eaten.
Mu Rufeng stepped towards the arena.
He was in the first pairing to compete.
After exchanging greetings with a salute, his opponent pushed off the ground and leaped into the air.
With a few bounds, he arrived above Mu Rufeng and kicked straight down.
It was clear that the man was skilled in body movement and specialized in leg techniques.
Mu Rufeng saw this and did not dodge, instead, he reached out to grab the attacker's incoming thigh.
The man, feeling contemptuous, as he specialized in leg techniques and could even break steel with a kick, felt confident in his victory in this match.
However, his expression quickly changed.
He felt a hand grasp his thigh firmly.
He reacted swiftly, turning and kicking with his other leg toward Mu Rufeng.
Mu Rufeng raised his right hand, grabbed the man's left leg, rotated forcefully, and then threw him out.