C77 The Second Strongest in Martial Arts!

Before the referee's voice had even faded, another voice rang out.

"Qing Yuan wins!"

The two stages were close by, and Lee Yu turned to lock eyes with Qing Yuan.

"Lucky you!"

Lee Yu mouthed the words without making a sound.

The first round narrowed the field from twelve to six, and the second from six to three. With the finalists selected, the martial contest drew to a close. Since there was no need for specific rankings, the Qing's simply needed to secure a spot in the top three.

"You're the lucky one!" Qing Yuan retorted with a laugh.

As the referee was about to declare the results, both competitors called out to him in unison.

"Hold on."

Lee Yu's eyebrows arched. "In literature, there is no ultimate first; in martial arts, no second place. We wish to have another bout."

"I couldn't agree more!" Qing Yuan responded defiantly, fixing Lee Yu with a stare. "You're in over your head, and I'm going to teach you a lesson. Next time, you'll think twice about taking just any seat!"

Lee Yu was driven by a desire for vengeance on behalf of Qing Anqi, uncertain when another opportunity might arise. There was no better day than today.

Qing Yuan's irritation stemmed from Lee Yu's seating before the duel and the fact that Lee Yu had been listed before him in the roster! Digging deeper, it was likely because Lee Yu belonged to the County Duke's faction.

Both were adamant about having another match.

"This..."

The referee hesitated, facing an unprecedented situation, unsure of how to proceed.

"Let them fight," came a commanding voice.

"The County Duke!"

The referee turned to see Qing Heng approaching. Qing Heng addressed the pair.

"Excellently put. There is no supreme in literature, no runner-up in martial arts. Every member of the Qing's should embrace this mindset for the prosperity of our martial tradition!"

Qing Heng's voice, amplified by spiritual energy, echoed across the martial arena.

He turned to the contenders. "This time, I shall preside as judge. The rules remain unchanged! And this duel will determine who takes the lead at the Hundred Clans Assembly!"

Qing Yuan had reached the Fifth Grade, and appointing a Fifth Grade judge could be risky—if any trouble arose, help might arrive too late.

The crowd in the martial arena, spurred by an unknown instigator, erupted in chants:

"Martial peerlessness!"

"Martial peerlessness!"

Lee Yu's smile broadened as he declared, "My wish has come true!"

Without a word, Qing Yuan enveloped himself in spiritual energy and soared onto the platform. His standard Fifth Grade maneuver shifted the crowd's cries; they now chanted his name. Eyes closed, Qing Yuan basked in their adoration.

Lee Yu gave a nonchalant shrug and leaped onto the stage with ease.

Qing Heng, having fulfilled his duties as a judge, stepped aside, his gaze fixed on the arena, ready to intervene at the first sign of danger.

"You've got guts," Qing Yuan taunted, stretching his limbs with a menacing grin. "Just don't whimper too quietly when I'm twisting your limbs!"

"Less talk, more action," Lee Yu retorted. His spiritual energy surged, mimicking a torrent of Qi and blood, and his strength and speed surged. In a blink, he vanished, reappearing to Qing Yuan's left with a kick aimed at his head.

"Is this your vaunted confidence?" Qing Yuan, taken aback, instantly diffused his spiritual energy around him, creating a protective barrier.

Lee Yu's strike, swift as thunder, missed its mark. Qing Yuan merely tilted his head, dodging with ease.

"Are you relying on a martial arts technique?" Qing Yuan asked, his tone casual, yet probing. "Such theatrics might impress the masses, but don't you realize the Divine Path reigns supreme over the Martial Path? The higher the realm, the wider the divide."

Qing Yuan's words echoed a widely accepted truth in their world.

While the disparity among lower-level cultivators might be subtle, from the Sixth Grade up—especially at the Fifth Grade—the Divine Path ascended above the Martial Path. Those of noble bloodlines invariably forsook the Martial Path for this reason.

For cultivators of the Sixth Grade and beyond, unleashing spiritual energy posed an increasing threat to Martial Path practitioners. By the Fifth Grade, Divine Path cultivators gained the power of flight, and at this echelon, they faced no prospect of defeat against the Martial Path.

Qing Yuan sneered at Lee Yu's technique of using spiritual energy to mimic Qi and blood, and it was precisely for this reason.

With a mere thought, the wood-attribute spiritual energy around him stirred to life, transforming into a massive fist that catapulted Lee Yu through the air.

"If you can't even break through a Spiritual Domain, what big talk are you spouting? Playing the hero, are you?"

Ice filled Qing Yuan's gaze. Following his successful strike, he didn't let up but pressed his advantage, manipulating the wood-attribute spiritual energy within the Spiritual Domain into an arsenal of weapons to assail Lee Yu.

With each strike, the stones of the platform were pulverized, and a cloud of dust enveloped the scene.

"Is this your idea of a tickle fight?"

From within the haze, Lee Yu's voice emerged, his form flickering in and out of sight before he stepped out, bare-chested.

Lee Yu fixed his gaze on the man before him, now visibly taken aback, and scoffed, "What's the matter? You hit like a girl!"

"How can this be?"

Disbelief etched Qing Yuan's features as he stared at the unscathed youth. Any Sixth Grade Supreme Dao cultivator on the receiving end of his previous attack would have struggled to withstand it, let alone emerge without a scratch.

The Spiritual Domain was the hallmark ability of every Fifth Grade Supreme Dao cultivator. It granted them the power of flight and an elevated status over their lower-ranked peers.

While a Sixth Grade cultivator would externalize spiritual energy stored within their body, a Fifth Grade could manipulate the spiritual energy in their vicinity, even repelling or assimilating it.

This was the essence of the Spiritual Domain.

Qing Yuan had never before encountered a lower-ranked cultivator who could so effortlessly disregard the constraints of the Spiritual Domain.

He had seamlessly integrated the spiritual energy within his control, extending his own power, yet Lee Yu seemed utterly unaffected, moving with ease within his Spiritual Domain as if unbound by its forces.

"It's the Thunder Caves!"

Qing Heng watched with clarity. Lee Yu had unleashed the thunder within him to neutralize the Spiritual Domain's oppression.

The primary purpose of the Seven Star Thunder Manual that Lee Yu practiced was to create seven Thunder Caves within his body to house the thunder, explaining the abundance of thunder attribute spiritual plants in his diet—each one fueling his internal lightning.

"I'm curious, how many lightning channels has he opened? And how sustainable is that level of energy expenditure?"

Qing Heng watched Lee Yu intently as he fought on the stage.

The two were locked in combat within the arena.

As a fellow top seed, Qing Yuan had mastered elite techniques and had been cultivating not only longer than Lee Yu but had also started his training earlier.

Yet, the battle was far from one-sided.

"Can Lee Yu really hold his own against Qing Yuan for this long? It's almost defying the natural order!"

"If anyone had told me a Sixth Grade could stand toe-to-toe with a Fifth Grade, I'd have laughed in their face. But here it is, unfolding before my very eyes. It's utterly astounding!"

"Qing Yuan must be holding back. Lee Yu's defeat seems inevitable, doesn't it?"

"You're missing the point. The real shocker is how long Lee Yu has been able to hold out!"

The crowd beneath the stage was in an uproar.

On the stage, Qing Yuan was equally stunned, panting, "How are you managing this?"