"That's the arena where Guhan is stationed. What is Miao Wuyin doing going over there?"
"She's probably going to challenge Guhan."
"Challenge Guhan? Has she lost her mind?"
The newcomers from the various families, who had been fighting over the eighth arena, watched Miao Wuyin suddenly head toward the first arena. One by one, they shifted their gazes to her, curiosity burning about what she was up to.
"Second Sister?" Fen Xiao stared in disbelief, dumbfounded.
Even if she wanted to secure one of the top eight spots, challenging Guhan was not the way to do it.
Guhan's strength had always been far ahead of everyone else. He was simply on an entirely different level from the rest of them. And now, after receiving the Violet Sword's intensive cultivation, his power was leagues beyond what it had once been.
Challenging Guhan would be nothing more than wasting a precious opportunity.
It wasn't just Fen Xiao who was stunned. On the second arena, Yuan Xiaoqian also watched with an expression of utter disbelief, her face full of shock.
If Lingyue from the Pang family were to challenge Guhan, there might have been a slim chance. But Miao Wuyin, whose combat talent was mediocre at best? What was she thinking?
It was worth remembering that this competition wasn't an alchemy contest. They wouldn't be fighting monsters. Even with powerful equipment and a level advantage, none of that mattered on the arena — everyone's attributes were equalized. It all came down to individual skill, and on that front, Miao Wuyin fell drastically short.
Meanwhile, the spectator stands had erupted into chaos over Miao Wuyin's actions. The elders and patriarchs of the Pang family were especially frantic.
Fighting for the top three had already been a long shot. But if Miao Wuyin could make the top eight, and Fen Xiao managed to snag fourth place, that would give the Pang family two of the eight spots — which was at least somewhat passable. As for whether they could maintain the Azure Commerce Association's leading position, as long as Miao Wuyin went to develop under the Violet Sword and the Zeus Financial Group stepped back from involvement, the Pang family would be fine.
But now she was throwing away a challenge opportunity by directly targeting Guhan. It was the height of stupidity.
"That girl certainly has some nerve." Below the arena, Zui Yan, who was presiding over the matches, glanced at Miao Wuyin, who had already taken her position on the first arena, and offered a mild word of praise.
However, on the first arena, Guhan showed no appreciation whatsoever. His expression had turned distinctly unpleasant.
"Wuyin, it seems you've made considerable progress at Zero Wing — enough to come challenge me directly," Guhan said coldly.
They were still in the preliminary rounds, selecting the eight spots. Even if she wanted to challenge him, a truly capable fighter would have waited for the official tournament. Choosing him during the preliminaries was nothing short of a slap in the face, an announcement to everyone that he was easy pickings.
"Yes, I have made tremendous progress at Zero Wing," Miao Wuyin nodded, her tone completely earnest. "So I want to see just where my limits are."
"So you really are serious." Guhan looked at Miao Wuyin's earnest expression and realized she wasn't playing games with him. The anger simmering in his chest flared, and without another word he drew the massive silver greatsword strapped to his back. "Very well then — let me see just how much you've improved!"
"Thank you," Miao Wuyin said, grateful that Guhan was taking her seriously.
"Don't thank me. I always treat genuine challengers with the respect they deserve. But I also hope you won't disappoint me. During our training at the Violet Sword, among our generation, only Yuan Xiaoqian could barely exchange a few rounds with me. Everyone else was too dull — not a single one could make me fight seriously," Guhan said.
As soon as Guhan finished speaking, Zui Yan walked to the center of the first arena.
"If you're both ready, then let the match begin." Zui Yan glanced at the two of them and officially declared the start.
The spectators, hearing Zui Yan's announcement, immediately erupted into an uproar. Nobody had expected Guhan to actually go all out, and excitement surged through the crowd.
"I thought we'd have to wait until the official tournament to see Guhan and Fen Xiao fight seriously. Now, thanks to that Miao Wuyin, we get to see Guhan go all out ahead of time."
"I wonder how many minutes that Miao Wuyin can last."
"Minutes? You're giving her way too much credit. Even Fen Xiao probably couldn't last more than ten moves against him."