Chapter 38 - 38

Chapter 38: Chapter 38 If Yun Man hadn't been there, Zhou Peng would have mercilessly killed Xiao Ruqian.

He knew that this kind of woman was capable of anything. Today, she could hook up with Zhao Feng, who was at the fourth level of Lingdong, and tomorrow, she could lure a master of Juling realm.

One day, he might accidentally die at the hands of this woman.

Half a month of killing had subtly changed his mindset, making him indifferent to the act of murder.

Looking at Xiao Ruqian with disheveled hair, Zhou Peng said coldly, "Behave yourself!"

Then, he retracted the pressure emanating from his body, and the intense killing intent dissipated instantly. Xiao Ruqian heaved a sigh of relief, collapsed onto the ground, and stared coldly at Zhou Peng as he walked away, biting her lips fiercely until they bled...

"What? Zhao Feng is seriously injured?"

"Who did it?"

"It's Zhou Peng again."

"The Zhou family is really not taking the Zhao family seriously..."

Zhao Wudi, the patriarch of the Zhao family, had fiery red eyebrows and hair, blazing eyes, and a commanding presence that forced the people around him to step back more than a meter. His robes fluttered without the slightest breeze, and a faint ring of fiery red auras emanated from his feet...

At the seventh level of Lian'gang, he was the strongest being in Qinghe City.

The Four Families Invitational Tournament was not just a competition among the four major families in Qinghe City but rather a competition involving all the families in the city.

Initiated by the four major families, the tournament had evolved over decades into the most significant event in Qinghe City.

The tournament employed an elimination system, with losers being eliminated, and rewards being given to the top ten finishers. The rewards for the top three were especially generous, with the first prize being even more lucrative.

All rewards were predetermined before the tournament and funded by the four major families.

This year's rewards were more generous than ever before. The first prize consisted of a grade-six pill, along with a magical weapon.

The grade-six pill, known as the Fuhu Pill, had the effect of refining the body and purifying the marrow, enabling the taker to experience a drastic physical transformation equivalent to ten years of cultivation. For disciples at the Lingdong realm, this was undoubtedly the best pill available.

As for the magical weapon, it went without saying that it was highly coveted. Among the dozens of families in Qinghe City, no more than ten possessed magical weapons, and the total number didn't exceed ten.

By offering a magical weapon as a prize in this tournament, it was evident that the organizers had spared no expense, igniting the of countless young talents.

However, many people knew that the first prize wouldn't be easy to obtain.

Among the disciples under twenty years old from the four major families, there were many Lingdong realm masters, and it would be extremely difficult to compete for the top spot.

Moreover, with the participation of Xiao Rufeng, the genius of Qinghe City, the chances of others winning seemed even slimmer.

The central square was packed with people like an ocean tide.

Each family had designated areas, with the four major families occupying the central and largest spaces, while smaller families were allocated areas further out.

On one side of the square was the referee panel, comprising elders selected by the four major families. All of them were at the Juling realm, ensuring that they could intervene immediately in case of an emergency.

Zhou Peng, accompanied by Yun Man and Meng Lei, made their way to the central square and pushed through the crowd towards the designated area for the Zhou family. Many pedestrians automatically made way for him.

After several battles, Zhou Peng's reputation in Qinghe City had gradually grown, and many people believed that the city's former genius had returned.

However, more people were skeptical of Zhou Peng's chances due to Xiao Rufeng.

Among the younger generation of disciples, Xiao Rufeng was the true genius, the top talent in Qinghe City, and the most likely to reach the Lian'gang realm before the age of thirty.

When Zhou Peng arrived at the designated area for the Zhou family, he greeted the patriarch respectfully, "Greetings, Patriarch."

Zhou Zhantian smiled slightly and gestured for Zhou Peng to take a seat.

Just as Zhou Peng was about to sit down, he felt a fierce killing intent emanating from one side. Glancing over, his heart skipped a beat. "A golden boss."

As soon as the Central Square filled up with people, the buzz of whispers grew louder, all murmuring about who would emerge victorious in this Family Invitation Tournament. Most favored Xiao Rufeng, as he had won first place for four consecutive years and was now at the sixth level of Lingdong Realm, making it a logical assumption that he would clinch the top spot again.

Some mischievous individuals even set up gambling odds, with Xiao Rufeng's being one-to-one, while the odds for other disciples were unusually high. Zhou Peng's odds, in particular, stood at an astonishing one-to-eight, making him the least favored contestant.

However, Zhou Peng paid no heed to these odds, calmly sitting aside and awaiting the commencement of the tournament.

After a brief moment, Zhao Wudi, the patriarch of the Zhao Family and the most prestigious family in Qinghe City, coughed and strode to the front of the arena to announce the start of the competition. Only he, as the head of the most prominent family, had the authority to do so, much to the chagrin of the patriarchs of the other families.

The tournament adopted a random draw system, pitting contestants against each other as their names were drawn.

With over fifty families, each represented by three disciples, the total number of participants exceeded one hundred and sixty.

However, the tournament employed an elimination system, and after several rounds, only a handful of contestants remained.

As the tournament began, the war drums situated beside the arena thundered, their booming sound echoing throughout the arena, igniting the participants' blood and斗志高昂.

Over eighty disciples ascended the arena stage, each drawing a slip of paper from a giant box and standing motionless. The referee elder then approached, announcing the names of their respective opponents one by one.

The competition commenced, with the vast arena divided into ten sectors to expedite the elimination process. After three rounds, the smaller arenas were vacated to accommodate the more skilled contestants.

Only those who survived the initial three rounds possessed strength beyond the Lingdong Realm, necessitating larger spaces for their battles.

Zhou Peng was among the second batch of contestants.

The initial battles were largely unremarkable, with disciples at the Wuzhe Realm swiftly eliminated.

"Next up, Yang Shen versus Zhou Peng," announced the referee.

Zhou Peng stepped forward, a serene smile on his face as he faced Yang Shen, who was at the first level of the Lingdong Realm.

"Zhou Peng, I'm sorry," said Yang Shen coldly, his qi surging as he released an intimidating aura. Drawing his broadsword from his back, he charged straight at Zhou Peng.

Encountering a Lingdong Realm contestant right off the bat, one couldn't help but wonder if Zhou Peng was exceptionally lucky or unlucky. After all, two-thirds of the participants were at the Wuzhe Realm.

"It should be me apologizing to you," replied Zhou Peng, his body not emanating any qi or aura, appearing as still as a mountain.

Just as Yang Shen's sword was about to strike, Zhou Peng's fists suddenly moved. Despite not utilizing any qi, the speed and ferocity of his punches were astonishing, leaving Yang Shen no time to react. Before his sword could land, he felt a searing pain in his chest.

Then, with a loud "bang," Yang Shen was sent flying four meters away, crashing heavily to the ground, unable to move.

Zhou Peng stood tall and unmoving, as if nothing had happened.

The once-noisy arena fell into a stunned silence, the crowd gazing in disbelief at Zhou Peng. To defeat a Lingdong Realm contestant with a single, unaided punch was nothing short of astonishing. The sheer power contained in that ordinary punch was immense.

What was even more remarkable was Zhou Peng's demeanor, as calm and serene as still water.

After a long moment, the referee finally announced, "Zhou Peng wins and advances to the next round."

The now-quiet square erupted once again into heated discussions.

"To end the fight with a single blow? That's ridiculously powerful."

"Yang Shen was at the Lingdong Realm, not an easy opponent. I can't believe Zhou Peng took him down with a single punch."


"Five years ago, he was Qinghe City's top talent. After five years of obscurity, is he about to reclaim his title?"

As Zhou Peng descended from the stage amidst the chatter, he noticed several pairs of eyes fixed on him, filled with malice. Yet, he remained as placid as ever, his expression unchanged.

That punch was a show of strength, a sign that he intended to dominate the tournament.