Rio entered the arena and headed toward the individual combat section.
A few minutes passed as people slowly arrived and filled the seats.
Just like the first day, the crowd was full of excitement.
However, important figures such as the mayor, the Dragon Family head, the vampire, and the elf were nowhere to be seen.
The announcer entered the field through a gate reserved for the tournament staff and began to speak.
"Well, well! Welcome to the second stage of the tournament!!"
Cheers and applause erupted from all directions.
"Looks like you're all really excited for today's matches!"
"In the previous round, all the fighters gave it their all and delivered incredible battles."
(Note: In the previous stage, as expected, most nobles and members of great families emerged victorious.)
The announcer continued.
"This stage will be even more exciting and entertaining than the last one, so please keep cheering as we begin the matches!"
Since the number of participants had decreased, each fighter was given a private room to prepare.
Rio sat quietly, thinking about the upcoming fight.
Even though this was his second match, he still felt nervous.
This time, his opponent was a monk.
As someone who grew up in a village, Rio didn't know much about monks.
All he knew was that they were tough individuals, highly skilled in martial arts.
Lost in thought, he suddenly heard a knock.
Knock knock.
"May I come in?"
The voice sounded familiar.
It was the same person who had told him yesterday, "I'm your next opponent."
Rio was surprised that the man wasn't in his own room and had come here instead, but he still allowed him in.
"Yeah, come in."
When the door opened, the man was only wearing the yellow trousers worn by monks.
His muscular body looked as solid as iron.
Sweat covered his body, clearly the result of intense training, dripping down his skin.
Seeing him, Rio felt a sense of admiration.
At that moment, he realized that this opponent was nothing like the arrogant noble from before.
"Haha! Hey, my friend. How are you?"
"I'm good, thanks."
Rio stood up and reached out for a handshake, but Bai-Chen grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug.
Rio's bones cracked under the pressure, and his clothes and face were instantly soaked with Bai-Chen's sweat.
"Can you let go? You're using my clothes to wipe your sweat."
Bai-Chen released him and laughed.
"Haha, sorry! I didn't realize."
They both sat down on the chairs.
Bai-Chen looked at Rio and immediately noticed his tension.
Wanting to ease his nerves, he spoke.
"I can tell you're still nervous.
Listen, this fight is between you and me.
We should make the most of it and learn from each other.
When we step into the arena, just think that it's only the two of us. No one else exists."
Rio listened carefully and realized Bai-Chen was right.
These matches were meant for growth, and stress would only hold him back.
He smiled slightly.
"Thanks. Your words really helped. Let's see how it goes."
Seeing Rio relax a little, Bai-Chen smiled and stood up.
He walked over, placed a hand on Rio's shoulder, and said,
"Let's both give it our all in this fight."
Rio smiled back.
"Sure. But I won't wish you good luck.
After all, I'm your opponent—and you're going to lose."
Bai-Chen burst out laughing.
"Haha! I'll take you down with my first punch."
"Well then, I should head back now."
He left the room and returned to his own.
(A few minutes later)
After finishing his explanation, the announcer spoke again.
"Alright! Let's begin the first match!"
"Kai versus Bai-Chen, the monk!"
Both fighters exited their rooms at the same time and entered the arena.
Their previous battles had been so impressive that the crowd erupted into cheers the moment they appeared.
The referee stepped forward.
"The rules are the same as before. I wish you both the best."
They moved to opposite sides of the arena and bowed to each other.
Three.
Two.
One.
"Begin!"
The moment the match started, both of them rushed forward and exchanged punches.
At first, they were testing each other's raw strength.
After clashing, they both stepped back a few paces before charging again.
Although Rio's body was still relatively weak, his strength was immense.
Thanks to the healing his master had performed, his power had grown even more.
However, his combat experience was still lacking, and at times, he struggled.
They continued exchanging blows until one of the monk's punches landed squarely in Rio's stomach.
The impact felt like being hit by an enormous boulder.
Rio was sent flying and crashed to the ground.
As he tried to get back up, Bai-Chen rushed in to deliver another punch.
Rio's guard was down, and the punch was aimed directly at his face.
At the last moment, Rio scattered the dust in his hand into the air and rolled sharply to the right.
Bai-Chen's punch slammed into the ground, destroying nearly two meters of the arena floor.
Seeing Bai-Chen's power, cold sweat ran down Rio's face.
"That was close…"
Seizing the opportunity, Rio kicked Bai-Chen in the side.
But Bai-Chen's body was so solid that Rio felt pain shoot through his own leg.
Gritting his teeth, Rio poured more strength into the kick and sent Bai-Chen flying.
Rio remained standing, carefully observing the situation.
Bai-Chen stood up, rubbed the back of his head, and smiled.
"Haha… you're strong, my friend.
Looks like it's time we start using our real powers."
He slammed both feet into the ground, carving deep cracks as energy—like a fierce wind—began to flow around his body.
He returned to a combat stance.
One foot slightly back, his body angled forward, weight perfectly balanced.
His hands moved into position.
Rio felt an overwhelming pressure.
"I need to be caref—"
Before he could finish, Bai-Chen was already in front of him, throwing a punch.
Rio raised his arms just in time.
The punch struck his guard, sending him flying several meters back.
"Ugh…
He's even stronger now."
Rio stood up and enveloped his hands and feet in a blue aura.
The energy flowed like waves of the sea around his limbs.
"Haha! Now that's more like it," Bai-Chen said.
Both of them charged at each other again.
This time, every clash of fists created powerful shockwaves.
The audience was completely captivated.
"Go, Kai!"
"Go, Bai-Chen!"
In the middle of the fight, Bai-Chen suddenly spoke.
"Seal of Stillness."
As his punch landed, Rio's energy went out of control.
(Seal of Stillness: A monk technique that disrupts the opponent's internal energy for a few seconds upon contact.)
Rio didn't understand what had happened.
His energy no longer responded to his will, leaking out uncontrollably.
Bai-Chen seized the chance and delivered a powerful punch to Rio's face.
Rio crashed to the ground, blood spilling from his face.
Moments later, his energy returned to normal, and he forced himself back into the fight.
Confused, he heard Bai-Chen speak.
"You look confused.
That's my technique. I can disrupt your energy."
While continuing to fight, Rio analyzed the situation in his mind.
"So that's it…
How many times can he use it?
What's the cooldown?"
They continued exchanging blows.
After a short while, Rio felt his energy destabilize again.
He immediately jumped back, narrowly dodging Bai-Chen's punch.
Three seconds later, his energy stabilized.
He now understood the duration of the technique.
Next, he needed to figure out how long it took before Bai-Chen could use it again.
He launched another attack and managed to land a punch on Bai-Chen's face, drawing blood.
He silently counted the seconds.
After two minutes, his energy was disrupted once more.
"So… two minutes cooldown.
Three seconds of disruption.
And it seems his own energy weakens too—he's only using raw strength during that time."
Rio retreated toward the edge of the arena as a plan formed in his mind.
Bai-Chen chased after him.
Rio deliberately weakened his energy and concentrated it only in his left hand.
Two minutes had passed.
He charged forward and threw a punch with his left hand.
At that exact moment, Bai-Chen activated Seal of Stillness, disrupting both of their energies, and swung his fist.
But Rio had already neutralized the energy in the rest of his body.
Only his right arm remained unaffected.
He poured all his remaining energy into his right fist and struck with full force.
The punch sent Bai-Chen flying several meters back, smashing into the arena wall.
Dust and debris filled the air.
"Huff… huff…"
Rio stood there, gasping for breath.
From within the dust, Bai-Chen's voice echoed.
"Hah…
I didn't expect you to analyze my technique so quickly and turn it against me.
So that's how you defeated that magician."
Bai-Chen emerged from the dust.
His face was covered in blood, running down his ears, neck, and shoulders.
One of his arms hung awkwardly, clearly dislocated.
He grabbed it and forced it back into place with a grimace.
After clenching and unclenching his fist a few times, he spoke.
"You really are a formidable opponent, Kai.
I planned to win using just that technique…
But you've left me no choice."
Rio raised his guard.
He knew Bai-Chen was about to use something far more dangerous.
He charged forward.
His punch was aimed at Bai-Chen's face.
Bai-Chen didn't move.
Just as the punch was about to land, a fist slammed into Rio's stomach, sending him flying back.
"Ugh…!
What was that? I didn't even see it!"
Rio stood up and attacked again.
No matter how many punches he threw, none of them landed.
Meanwhile, every one of Bai-Chen's punches struck him.
The fight had become completely one-sided.
Yet Rio noticed something strange.
"There's no energy in his punches…
It's pure physical strength.
Then why can't I avoid them?"
Rio retreated again, but Bai-Chen moved as if he knew exactly where Rio would be.
Another punch sent Rio crashing to the ground.
Dazed, a thought crossed his mind.
"Don't tell me…
Can he see the future?"
(Eye of Vigilance: A technique that allows the user to predict the opponent's movements by reading attacks before they land.)
"If that's true…
This is going to be really tough."
Rio had no choice but to keep fighting.
All his attacks were countered, and he kept taking hit after hit.
The audience believed the match was over.
Klein, watching the fight, turned away and muttered,
"Seriously… why did we even bring that loser home and heal him?"
Just as Rio was starting to feel despair, he noticed something.
Bai-Chen's punches were getting weaker.
"Is this technique draining his strength too?"
The punches became so weak that Rio could barely feel them.
He laughed softly.
"Haha…
So you can predict my moves, but your own power drops."
Rio increased his speed and began using movements he hadn't used before.
He had learned them by observing the disciples training at Master Zhang's dojo.
Bai-Chen could predict Rio's previous movements, but these new ones were unfamiliar.
Slowly, Rio regained control and landed punches again.
Bai-Chen's technique weakened due to overuse.
His energy was nearly depleted.
Now was Rio's chance.
He poured energy into his fists and attacked relentlessly.
Bai-Chen's body was covered in blood.
He no longer used energy or the Eye of Vigilance.
Rio kept punching until Bai-Chen was on the verge of losing consciousness.
Something felt off.
"Why isn't he fighting back?
Did he accept defeat?
No… he must be planning something."
Rio continued attacking—
Suddenly, Bai-Chen grabbed his fist.
"I didn't think I'd have to use this."
"Huh…?"
The world went dark.
"Where am I?
Why can't I see anything?
I can't use my energy!"
Final Technique: Absolute Silence.
(A technique that blinds the opponent and completely seals their energy.)
Even with his eyes open, Rio saw nothing.
His energy was completely inaccessible.
Bai-Chen gathered every last ounce of strength and delivered a devastating punch.
Rio was sent flying straight into the wall and collapsed.
Everyone believed the fight was over.
Even Bai-Chen turned away.
"Well fought…
But this is the end."
Then a voice echoed.
"It's not over yet…"
"W-What…?
How are you—?!"
Bai-Chen was truly shocked.
"When everything went dark, an idea came to me.
Reverse energy emission.
I gathered reversed energy and placed it where I thought the punch would land.
It worked like a shield.
Still, the impact was so strong it sent me flying."
Blood dripped from Rio's face as he spoke inwardly.
Neither of them had any energy left.
They were completely exhausted.
Slowly, step by step, they approached each other and began throwing punches.
No energy.
No techniques.
Just endurance.
The one who remained standing would win.
They kept punching.
Bai-Chen's fists grew slower and weaker.
He had used too many techniques, and the final one had drained him completely.
Rio, on the other hand, had relied mostly on raw energy, conserving his strength.
Bai-Chen realized he had lost.
He threw one final punch.
It struck Rio's face—but it was too weak to cause any damage.
Rio's strength was nearly gone as well.
He could barely throw one or two more punches.
They smiled at each other through bloodied faces.
"That was the best fight I've ever had," Bai-Chen said.
At that moment, Rio's punch landed.
After a long, brutal battle, Bai-Chen finally collapsed, unconscious.
Rio remained standing.
Seeing that Bai-Chen could no longer fight, the referee raised his hand.
"The winner is Kai!"
The announcer shouted.
"We have a winner!"
"Kai wins the match!"
The arena erupted in cheers.
Rio collapsed beside Bai-Chen and muttered,
"Same here…"
Both of them still wore smiles on their faces.
End of Chapter 29