Chapter 112: Consecutive Advancements

At this moment, Zhang Xing was already gravely wounded and unable to move. Seeing Liu Feng launch another attack, he was terrified to the core.

“I admit defeat!” In the final moment, Zhang Xing quickly shouted these three words to save his life.

Liu Feng paid no further attention to Zhang Xing. He simply jumped off the arena, registered his name with the city lord, and returned to the contestants’ area.

“How is Liu Feng? Not injured, right?” Zhao Bochao asked with concern.

“Unexpectedly, you faced such a powerful opponent in your very first match,” Zhao Jun said somewhat resentfully. Yet he understood that the matchups were decided by draw, and no one could predict the strength of their opponents.

Liu Feng smiled calmly. “No injuries, just a bit of qi exhaustion.”

“Brother Liu Feng, well done. Zhang Xing is so strong, yet you defeated him. You’ve truly brought honor to our Qingyu Kingdom,” one of the Qingyu warriors praised.

“Exactly. Your victory over Zhang Xing has greatly boosted the morale of our Qingyu fighters. I wonder how the other three kingdoms will continue laughing at us now,” another Qingyu warrior added.

The two Qingyu warriors hurried over to Liu Feng upon seeing him return to the contestants’ area, showering him with compliments. It seemed the warriors from the other three nations looked down on those from Qingyu Kingdom.

Liu Feng, hearing this, asked with some puzzlement, “Are Qingyu’s warriors really looked down upon by those from the other participating nations?”

One of them nodded. “Yes, they think our fighters are weak. When you first stepped onto the stage, others were guessing how many moves Zhang Xing would use to defeat you. No one expected you to suddenly win—it was a slap in their faces.”

Another said, “This tournament will surely change how the other kingdoms view Qingyu’s fighters.”

Liu Feng nodded thoughtfully. He hadn’t realized just how much disdain Qingyu’s warriors faced.

“Just lucky to have won a few matches and already so proud—truly unsophisticated bumpkins,” some warriors from other nations retorted upon overhearing their conversation.

“Yes, Zhang Xing is strong, but he hardly represents the true strength of Mengyue Kingdom’s youth,” one scoffed.

“Win a few more matches before you start boasting. If luck runs out and you lose the rest, it’ll be embarrassing,” another added.

Liu Feng remained calm and said, “Whether it’s luck or not, you’ll see in the upcoming matches.”

“Oh? We’ll see!” they retorted.

“Hmph! Let’s see how long you can keep up that tough talk,” some competitors from other nations sneered before turning away, no longer paying attention to Liu Feng and his comrades.

While Liu Feng and the others spoke, the competition continued. It wasn’t until nightfall that the first round of the qualifying matches concluded. The city lord stood and announced, “The matches for today are over.”

“Already done for the first day? Let’s head back and rest,” Zhao Jun said, watching as the crowd around the arena dispersed, speaking to Liu Feng and Zhao Bochao.

“Good idea. It’s been a tense and exciting day; we should get some proper rest,” Liu Feng agreed.

The three hurried back to the “Litian City Inn.” They ate some food on the first floor before retiring early for the night.

The next day, Liu Feng and his companions rose early again, ate breakfast, and headed to the arena. Sitting in the contestants’ area and looking down, they immediately understood what it meant to see a sea of people.

“I didn’t expect even more spectators today. This Four-Nation Alliance Tournament really is making a huge impact,” Zhao Jun remarked, impressed by the dense crowd.

“Of course. This is a world where strength commands respect. A martial competition naturally draws great attention,” Zhao Bochao said calmly.

“Look at the two on the stage. Both are very powerful,” Liu Feng said, pointing to the duelists on the arena floor.

“They are strong,” Zhao Jun and Zhao Bochao agreed, their faces showing surprise. They fell silent, focusing intently on the match.

One contestant after another stepped onto the stage for battle. It wasn’t until the afternoon of the sixth day that the first round finally ended.

“The first round of the Four-Nation Alliance Tournament has concluded. A total of one thousand and twenty-four warriors have advanced. Let us welcome them with applause,” the city lord announced.

“Good!” The crowd rose to their feet, thunderous applause filling the arena.

After waiting for the applause to die down, the city lord continued, “That concludes today’s matches. We will continue tomorrow morning. Everyone, take this time to rest well.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd began to disperse.

Liu Feng and his two companions took the afternoon to stroll around Litian City.

“Now, every street and alley is buzzing with talk about the Four-Nation Alliance Tournament. It seems the martial spirit is growing stronger and stronger,” Zhao Bochao observed thoughtfully.

“If it weren’t for this tournament, I wouldn’t have realized how much martial artists influence ordinary people’s lives,” Liu Feng said in awe. It was no wonder he felt this way—back in Qingfeng Town, he had never sensed the presence of martial artists.

The three wandered until evening before returning to the inn to rest.

The following day, the competition continued. During this time, Liu Feng, Zhao Bochao, and Zhao Jun each took the stage and defeated their opponents.

Ten days had passed, and only one hundred and twenty-eight contestants remained.

“Haha! Just one more victory and I’ll enter the ‘Potential Heroes List,’” Zhao Jun said excitedly. Perhaps it was luck on his side that he had managed to hang on this long with his Second Stage Yin-Yang Realm strength.

“We’ve both been somewhat lucky; otherwise, we wouldn’t have lasted this long,” Zhao Bochao said with some emotion, having seen many talented Fourth Stage Yin-Yang Realm prodigies eliminated.

“Luck is also a part of strength,” Liu Feng said calmly.

At that moment, it was Zhao Jun’s turn to take the stage. Without saying much, he quickly stepped onto the arena.

“Zhao Jun!”

“Song Yu!” His opponent called out.

“If Song Yu defeats this guy, it’ll bring great honor to our Blue Frost Kingdom,” some Blue Frost warriors shouted from the contestants’ area.

“Song Yu must stop this guy from entering the ‘Potential Heroes List’,” they urged.

“Why are they so unfriendly to our Qingyu Kingdom warriors?” Zhao Bochao wondered aloud.

Liu Feng pondered, “Perhaps it’s related to the glory of the warriors from the four nations.”

Meanwhile, on stage, Zhao Jun and Song Yu had already engaged in combat.

Their figures flashed swiftly, circling the arena continuously. Illusory images flickered around the stage, making it impossible to discern which was their true form.