On the wide stone arena platform, Shi Feng slowly sheathed the Abyssal without so much as glancing at the level 30 Berserker already sprawled on the ground.
"Next." Shi Feng said flatly.
The arena's rules stipulated that in close-quarters combat, a strike to a vital point meant instant defeat. One clean hit to a vital spot, and it was over—whether against a high-defense, high-HP Shield Warrior or otherwise. A Berserker was no exception.
Watching Shi Feng's composed expression, everyone who had previously taken issue with him fell silent, their eyes filled with wariness.
Although Berserkers weren't the fastest Class, defeating one in a single blow was still no easy feat—let alone against a seasoned veteran of countless battles.
They were comrades. They knew each other's strength all too well.
The Berserker Shi Feng had just killed with a single sword strike might not rank in the top five among them, but his combat power was still firmly in the upper-middle tier. For Shi Feng to land a vital hit so precisely that the Berserker couldn't even react—it was almost unbelievable.
"As expected of someone the Pavilion Master has her eye on. He's got some skill. Then allow me, Gray Hawk, to put that to the test."
A lean, middle-aged man with sharp, hawk-like eyes stepped out from the crowd.
When the others saw the Berserker known as Gray Hawk step forward, the shock from Shi Feng's devastating strike evaporated, replaced by their usual pride and confidence.
"Gray Hawk, it's all on you. Don't let him look down on us!" the others cheered from the sidelines.
Gray Hawk was the strongest fighter among them all. Despite being well over forty, his razor-sharp technique and wealth of combat experience were far beyond what any ordinary young player could match.
"I'll do my best." Gray Hawk gave a curt nod and slowly walked up to Shi Feng.
In the spectator stands, Feng Qianyu wore a pleasant smile.
"I couldn't quite gauge Hei Yan's true strength before, but now that Gray Hawk is stepping up, we should be able to find his limit." Feng Qianyu watched the replay of Shi Feng's earlier fight and spoke with a smile.
"Miss, Gray Hawk would be considered a top-tier expert even within the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion. In our guild, only Long Wu from the younger generation could rival him—he has a solid chance of beating anyone else. How could he possibly lose to Hei Yan?" Ling Xiang couldn't help but voice her surprise.
Ling Xiang felt that Feng Qianyu was overestimating Shi Feng's strength.
She had been distracted earlier and hadn't witnessed Shi Feng's sword strike firsthand. After reviewing the replay, the strike wasn't so fast as to be impossible to block—Shi Feng had simply chosen an extremely cunning angle, combined with a last-second adjustment aimed at the Berserker's blind spot. That was what left the Berserker unable to respond in time, resulting in the fatal blow.
But Gray Hawk was different. His combat experience far exceeded everyone else's. Even if Shi Feng's improvised techniques were sharper, they wouldn't pose a real threat to a veteran like Gray Hawk.
"We'll find out soon enough."
Feng Qianyu was well aware of Gray Hawk's capabilities. Under the original plan, she had intended for Gray Hawk to serve as the team leader. If Hei Yan hadn't cleared the Hell Difficulty Ruins of the Bird God, she wouldn't have come here to seek out Shi Feng in the first place.
Just as Feng Qianyu finished speaking, the battle countdown on the arena floor reached zero.
"Let me see just how strong you really are." Gray Hawk drew his war blade, and his eyes instantly turned cold—so cold that the surrounding air seemed to freeze along with them. Nothing could escape those eyes.
Before Shi Feng could even move, Gray Hawk's blade was already slicing toward his shoulder.