Qian Jun felt extremely frustrated.

It's like I punched a fistful of cotton. I just ended up looking like a pathetic clown.

He could only comfort himself in his mind.

Xu Ke is going to die anyway, so what does it matter if he ignores me?

Originally, when Qian Jun entered the gymnasium, he had already prepared his lines. He planned to threaten Xu Ke and then threaten Wong Qifu, to make her regret not following Wong Ting. But in this situation, what was there to say? He was so choked up he couldn't even let out a fart.

In the end, he squeezed out a single sentence. "Let's go!"

"Yes..." everyone muttered quietly and followed Qian Jun.

Qian Jun and his "contestants" had arrived with grandeur, but now they walked toward the contestant area looking dejected and defeated. Their morale had been completely crushed by Xu Ke's disregard.

But just as they had taken two steps, Wang Qiya could no longer restrain herself. "HAHAHA! Why are their faces so green? Are they learning face-changing?"

Her laughter echoed throughout the quiet gymnasium. Wong Qifu, who had been quiet, couldn't help but smile upon hearing her sister's laugh. And the audience, who had been holding back their own laughter, completely lost it.

"HAHAHA..."

A wave of laughter filled the hall. The faces of Qian Jun's team members burned hot with humiliation. They hung their heads, unable to even walk in a straight line, which only made the laughter grow louder. It was only after Qian Jun roared in anger that his men finally managed to straighten up and stumble their way to the contestants' area.

After they sat down, Su Ximing and Zhao Xiangping shot a venomous glare back at Wong Qiang.

It's all this guy's fault! Why did he have to run his mouth? Now we've lost so much face!

Wong Qiang felt wronged, but he didn't dare say a word. After all, they all knew in their hearts who the real culprit was.

The real culprit is Qian Jun. But who would dare blame him?

…

Xu Ke sat alone on one side while Qian Jun and his people sat on the other. The distinction was as clear as day.

At eight-thirty, Jin Hankang, Chen Xiong, and the others took the stage and began their opening speeches. After Jin Hankang rambled on, Mo Yunchang and Shi Junneng each said a few words.

Finally, Chen Xiong announced the start of the competition. "Today's opening match in the upper bracket features contestant number one, Xu Ke, against contestant number two, Wong Qiang. I believe everyone understands the rules, but I want to emphasize a few key points: no firearms, no lethal force, and no prohibited drugs.

"Additionally, anyone who falls off the ring, whether voluntarily or not, may be immediately declared the loser.

"If an opponent is knocked down and unable to continue fighting, they will lose the match. The winner may not maliciously continue their assault. Violators will be disqualified and punished by the Martial Alliance.

"The referees will be Jin Hankang, Shi Junneng, and Mo Yunchang. They are responsible for maintaining order, judging the victor, and intervening promptly to correct any misconduct..."

Chen Xiong continued speaking, outlining the important rules of the competition, but the expressions on the faces of the crowd were peculiar. The Martial Alliance competitions had always forbidden lethal blows, but everyone knew that when martial artists fought, fists and feet didn't have eyes. Accidental deaths were a common occurrence.

Now that Jin Hankang and his allies were the referees, it was debatable whether Xu Ke would simply be declared defeated or be allowed to die when he lost his ability to fight. This point was worth pondering.

A sinister smile played on Jin Hankang's lips.

Qian Jun looked at Wong Qiang and said coldly, "Remember what I told you when we arrived."

"Understood, boss!" Wong Qiang stood up and nodded. He had even taken off his glasses and put in contact lenses.

Although his momentum was still low from the mockery, his fighting spirit was slowly building. He was, after all, one of Wong Ting's men. Even if his composure was shattered, he could pull himself together for a battle.

Meanwhile, Xu Ke slowly got up and stretched.

On the Wang Family's side, Wang Qiya's heart hammered in her chest. She couldn't help but ask, "Is my brother-in-law guaranteed to win?"

"Relax," Wang Wu said with a faint smile.

In the Ye Family's section, Ye Yunfeng's eyes were gloomy as he said lightly, "Even if you don't die in this match, you'll be crippled for life!"

"Exactly!" Ye Chong nodded with satisfaction.

From the Huang Family, Huang Zhendong sat up straight. "I sincerely hope you die here, Xu Ke!"

Shi Hongda, however, stared at Xu Ke with venomous hatred, hissing under his breath, "You'd better not die. You have to live, so I can have the pleasure of tormenting you myself!"

Yuan Shang's heart was in his throat.

Is it really okay for Xu Ke to delay the onset of his poison?

As the families reacted in their own ways, Chen Xiong finally finished his speech on stage and shouted, "Let's welcome the Martial Alliance representatives: Wong Qiang from Yun City and Xu Ke from Tianhai City, to the stage! The Martial Alliance Leader selection tournament officially begins!"

The announcement was met with a massive roar from the crowd, and applause swept through the venue like a tidal wave.

Xu Ke and Wong Qiang stepped forward at the same time.

The Wong Qiang of this moment was no longer the panicked mess from yesterday, nor did he show any trace of his recent shame and anger. He stared at Xu Ke with a ferocious grin, raised his left hand to his throat, and slowly dragged his thumb across it.

The throat-slitting gesture overflowed with killing intent.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the entire venue exploded.

"Fight! Fight!"

"This won't end well unless one of you dies!"

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder before the match even started. The crowd roared, their faces flushed with excitement.

To their disappointment, however, Xu Ke merely glanced at Wong Qiang's gesture with an indifferent expression. Without even pausing, he turned and walked toward the ring.

This left them somewhat dissatisfied.

He ignored Qian Jun, and now he won't even respond to this? What does that mean? What a coward!

Some people even started to boo.

"Coward!"

"Respond, you waste!"

"Are you scared before the fight even starts?"

Seeing this, Wong Qiang scoffed.

Does Xu Ke think he can get away with ignoring me a second time? I've grown since then.

With that thought, Wong Qiang also walked onto the ring.

Witnessing this, Su Ximing, who was sitting behind them, sneered, "Does this Xu Ke really think fighting is so easy? With his cowardly lack of response, he has no fighting spirit. Wong Qiang might just kill him!"

"That would be for the best," another person added.

The group laughed with contempt. In their eyes, a fight required a fierce spirit.

Even with strength, if you don't have the will to fight, you're bound to lose!

Qian Jun remained silent, but the scorn in his eyes betrayed his thoughts.

…

The ring was huge, almost the size of a classroom that could hold sixty or seventy people. It was surrounded by loudspeakers so everyone in the venue could hear what was being said. On the left side of the ring was a platform where the three referees sat. This platform kept them from interfering with the fight while allowing them to intervene quickly if necessary.

This time, it was Mo Yunchang who stepped forward to speak. He glanced at both fighters and asked, "Are you ready? Do you understand the rules?"

Xu Ke and Wong Qiang simply nodded.

"Good." Mo Yunchang raised his hand and began the countdown. "Three..."

"Two..."

With each count, the gazes from the crowd—filled with disdain, worry, excitement, and ferocity—grew more numerous and more intense. The very air in the gymnasium seemed to rise by several degrees.

The next moment...

"One... Begin!" Mo Yunchang shouted.

ROAR!

As his shout fell, the entire crowd erupted.

The next instant, an explosive BANG! echoed from the ring, shaking the entire gymnasium.

The moment the countdown finished, Wong Qiang shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. He appeared before Xu Ke at a terrifying speed and swung a vicious punch down at his head, seemingly about to connect.

Simultaneously, Wong Qiang's voice, amplified by the loudspeakers, reverberated through the gymnasium.

"Xu Ke, remember, the man who will kill you is named Wong Qiang!"

His killing intent was boiling; his expression, savage.

BANG!

In the next instant, Wong Qiang's fist struck Xu Ke.

The crowd was stunned.

It's over just like that? Is Xu Ke that useless? He couldn't even dodge?!