Half a day had passed.
In the depths of a dense forest, a male archer held his breath, drawing his bow as he aimed at another contestant wielding twin blades.
Just as he was about to release the string—
"Whoosh—!"
An arrow shot from behind, piercing cleanly through his skull.
The one who fired it—was Cang Yu.
Without the slightest hesitation, she confirmed her hit and swiftly retreated, her figure vanishing among the trees.
Archmage Clan Head, Cang Song
"Watched for so long, and finally made her move, huh."
Feng Yu
"Yeah, her style's always cautious and steady."
From within the shadows, You Ying's amused voice echoed softly:
"Quick and decisive. Attacked, confirmed the kill, then withdrew immediately—smart. That twin-blade fighter already noticed something's off nearby. He'll definitely come to check. The corpse may have been teleported away by the system, but the arrow remains. One glance is enough to know who fired it."
Crimson Lotus Clan Head, Hong Jin
"Even if she didn't finish off the other one, it's fine. That arrow alone planted the seed of fear in his heart. Look—my clan's fighter has already crawled into a cave, trembling~"
Spear God Clan Head, Ling Qiang
"Heh, in an environment like this, anyone without experience or enough strength will mentally collapse sooner or later!"
Fist King Clan Head, Zhen Yue
"When night falls, it'll only get worse! Old man, your boy's taking it easy, huh?"
Cang Song
"That's just how he is. Always reading that same book when nothing's going on. It's the only thing that connects him to his father... Anyway, let's keep watching and see how the others perform."
Over the past several hours, contestants had begun running into one another, leading to skirmishes all across the field.
Some were eliminated, others escaped with injuries.
As for Tian Lan—he still hid quietly in the shadows.
He had encountered several contestants, but none had noticed his presence.
And he had made no move to attack.
From within the darkness, You Ying watched the screen, speaking softly:
"Not bad. Not on the level of Ying Ci, but still impressive. He might actually clear this round… perhaps I should consider recruiting him later."
Cang Song
"Oh? That's high praise, coming from you, You Ying."
Beast King Clan Head, Kuang Chen let out a low, disdainful chuckle.
"Heh—"
But just when everyone thought Tian Lan would continue hiding until the end—
he moved.
A short while earlier, Tian Lan had been observing a lone contestant.
"No weapon… decent muscle tone… doesn't look like a mage. Probably a martial artist."
He took a deep breath.
"Should be fine."
The next moment—he burst out from cover!
"Fwoosh—!"
Wind roared past as Tian Lan shot forward from the underbrush, sliding low across the ground before springing upward.
He twisted midair and swung his leg toward the opponent's neck!
"Bam—!"
The martial artist grunted, stumbling several steps, but didn't fall.
Tian Lan clicked his tongue.
"...Tch. Not enough power."
He pressed in again, spinning for another kick—
but the opponent had already recovered, crossing his arms to block. The impact forced both back a step.
"Damn, that was close! A bit stronger and I'd be on the ground," the man panted.
You Ying
"If you're going to ambush, at least use a dagger! Kicking's too risky!"
Cang Song
"Ahem, You Ying… aren't you getting a little too into this?"
Caught off guard, You Ying fell silent and melted back into the shadows.
Zhen Yue
"Kid! Don't stop now—keep pressing the attack! Don't give him time to recover!"
Tian Lan steadied his breathing, eyes narrowing.
He lunged forward with a straight right—blocked.
He twisted, grabbed the man's arm, yanked him forward, and drove his knee upward—
"Thud!"
Both staggered back, each retreating a few steps.
For a moment, Tian Lan's gaze sharpened.
"...Much weaker than that gorilla."
He shifted tactics—dodging, parrying, analyzing.
Every movement became sharper, more precise.
The opponent, growing impatient, began swinging wildly.
Then—an opening.
"Now!"
Tian Lan ducked low, sweeping at the man's ankle.
The opponent's footing vanished, sending him off balance.
Tian Lan followed through, throwing a flurry of punches at his face—blocked.
He smirked. That was what he wanted.
With both arms raised, the man's midsection was wide open.
Tian Lan drove his fists deep into the abdomen.
"Thud! Thud!"
The sound echoed through the forest as the man's defense crumbled.
An uppercut snapped his chin skyward.
Then—Tian Lan spun and delivered a crushing roundhouse kick to the ribs.
"BANG!"
The martial artist's body twisted, his stance broken, and he collapsed with a dull thud, unconscious.
Zhen Yue
"Not bad! Still rough around the edges, but at least you're fighting like a man now!"
Tian Lan glanced at the fallen fighter, confirmed he was out cold, and simply turned away.
Hong Jin
"He just left? Didn't even finish him off? What's that—hesitation, or ignorance of the rules?"
Cang Song
"Probably the former. That look in his eyes—he was checking if the guy might ambush him when he got up.
What a strange kid. Could've kept hiding, but instead chose to fight… and even after winning, refused to eliminate his opponent. What's going through his head?"
Some time later, the defeated martial artist awoke, stunned to find himself still in the match.
After a moment's confusion, he laughed in relief.
Meanwhile, the sunlight had begun to fade.
Kuang Chen
"Heh… now the real pain—and danger—begin."
As the forest darkened, the night silently crept in.
(To be continued)