Sorry but I only accept female disciples!

Xue Hua and Hong Shi stood across from each other in the center of the arena, the sun glaring down on their bodies.

The audience erupted in a deafening roar, their voices roaring across the arena.

Vendors weaving through the stands struggled to be heard over the chants, while children perched on their parents' shoulders screamed at the top of their lungs.

In the noble section, high-ranking officials and elders whispered among themselves, their eyes gleamed with interest.

Even the usually reserved members of the Yu Hong Holy Land leaned forward in their seats, the prestige of their Holy land hanging on Hong Shi's performance.

A low hum built from the back of the crowd, spreading like wildfire until it swelled into a thunderous chant.

"Xue Hua! Hong Shi! Xue Hua! Hong Shi!"

The arena itself seemed to vibrate under the weight of thousands of voices, and the announcer, standing high on a raised platform, raised his hands to calm the fervor.

As the crowd quieted to a dull roar, he stepped forward, his voice amplified by a technique that carried his words to every corner of the space.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Warriors and nobles! The time has come for the final match of the Continental Genius Tournament!"

"Who will emerge victorious?" the announcer called out, his voice booming. "Will it be the relentless fury of Hong Shi, or the unyielding strength of Xue Hua? Only the heavens can say!"

The crowd surged with anticipation, their voices merging into a singular, overwhelming cry:

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Xue Hua raised her fists, her gauntlets gleaming under the light, faintly cracked in profound energy as she cracked her knuckles.

'Is she not using her spear?'

Hong Shi stood there with a calm gaze, with no weapons in her hands.

*THONG* The bell tolled, and the arena plunged into silence for the briefest moment before the fight began.

*woosh* Hong Shi moved first, her bare feet slamming into the ground with explosive force as she closed the distance in a blink.

Her fist shot forward, a brutal straight punch aimed at Xue Hua's face.

Xue Hua leaned to the side, the punch grazing her cheek as she countered with a quick jab to Hong Shi's ribs.

The gauntled strike landed with a dull *thud*, but Hong Shi didn't flinch; instead, she twisted her body, driving her elbow toward Xue Hua's temple.

*thang* Xue Hua raised her arm just in time, blocking the strike, but the force sent her skidding back across the arena floor.

Hong Shi didn't wait and she surged forward again, throwing a barrage of punches with terrifying power and speed.

*thoom* *thoom* Xue Hua dodged and blocked as best she could, her gauntlets absorbing some of the impact, but the sheer force of Hong Shi's strikes rattled her arms.

A hook slipped past her guard, smashing into her ribs and drawing a pained grunt from her lips.

"Urghhh!"

Hong Shi pressed her advantage, stepping in with a vicious uppercut that caught Xue Hua's chin and sent her staggering.

The crowd erupted into cheers, the sound of flesh meeting flesh reverberating through the arena like thunder.

*cough* Xue Hua stumbled but regained her footing, her breaths ragged as she wiped blood from the corner of her mouth.

Hong Shi's face was emotionless, her focus unbroken as she raised her fists, waiting for Xue Hua to come at her.

Xue Hua obliged, charging forward with a burst of speed, her gauntlets swinging in a wide arc.

Her fist connected with Hong Shi's forearm, the impact causing a loud crack that echoed through the arena.

But Hong Shi didn't stop.

She stepped into Xue Hua's range, grabbing her wrist and pulling her forward before slamming her knee into Xue Hua's stomach.

*thoof* "Guaargh!" The blow lifted Xue Hua off her feet, the air leaving her lungs in a choked gasp.

Before she could recover, Hong Shi spun and delivered a back fist to Xue Hua's face, sending her sprawling to the ground.

*thoom* Xue Hua's body hit the dirt with a thud, her vision swimming, but she refused to stay down.

Pushing herself up, she planted her feet firmly and steadied her breath, her eyes blazing with determination.

'Damn it, she is really powerful.. seems like she has also been training hard. And she is holding back not using her Spear and Holy flames.'

Hong Shi didn't give her a moment to recover, and lunged forward with a low kick aimed at Xue Hua's legs.

Xue Hua jumped over the kick, twisting mid-air to deliver a spinning punch that clipped Hong Shi's jaw.

"WOAH!" The crowd gasped as Hong Shi stumbled back, a small trail of blood dripping from the corner of her lips.

But the moment of weakness was fleeting... Hong Shi steadied herself, her expression darkening as she wiped the blood away.

She dashed forward with terrifying speed, unleashing a flurry of strikes that Xue Hua struggled to deflect.

A punch slipped through her guard, slamming into her abdomen, followed by a brutal elbow to her shoulder.

"Shit!" The force drove Xue Hua to her knees, her breaths coming in short, sharp gasps as pain wracked her body.

With a deep breath, she pushed off the ground, her fist arcing upward in a desperate uppercut.

The gauntlet smashed into Hong Shi's chin, snapping her head back and forcing her to take a step back.

Xue Hua pressed her advantage, delivering a series of quick punches that struck Hong Shi's torso and arms.

*thoom* *thoom* But Hong Shi was unyielding, her body absorbing the blows as she countered with a devastating punch to Xue Hua's shoulder.

"SHHH!" The crowd winced collectively, but Xue Hua didn't falter.

*THOOM* Gritting her teeth, she used her right arm to deliver a powerful punch to Hong Shi's ribs, finally forcing the woman to step back.

Xue Hua closed her eyes momentarily as she remembered her mother and family 'For them, I will crush this bitch here...'

'Concentrate my energy on the gauntlets...'

A faint purple energy flickered on the gauntlets, and Hong Shi dashed forward in a blink of an eye, and swung both fists downward like hammers.

*THOOM* Hong Shi blocked with crossed arms, but the sheer weight of the blow forced her to drop to one knee, the ground beneath her cracking from the impact.

The crowd screamed as Xue Hua grabbed Hong Shi by the shoulder and drove a gauntleted fist into her jaw, snapping her head to the side.

"Kraagh!" Hong Shi spat blood and grinned, her teeth stained crimson.

"Is that all you've got?"

Hong Shi surged upward, slamming her head into Xue Hua's nose with a brutal headbutt.

"Augh!" Xue Hua reeled back, disoriented, and Hong Shi capitalized, stepping in with a flurry of punches.

*thoom* *thoom* Each strike was relentless, and a hook to the ribs that cracked audibly along with a palm strike to the sternum knocked the wind out of Xue Hua.

"Arghhh!" Xue Hua stumbled, but her defiant eyes blazed with fury.

She raised her fists again and charged forward, her gauntlet glowing faintly with her channeling energy into her strikes.

*THUD* Her first punch landed squarely on Hong Shi's chest, sending her skidding across the arena floor.

Hong Shi coughed but rolled to her feet immediately, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.

Without hesitation, she rushed back in, weaving under Xue Hua's wild swings, and her fist connected with Xue Hua's stomach, lifting her off her feet momentarily before slamming her down with a overhand right.

The crowd was in chaos now, roaring with every hit, their voices merging into a deafening storm of cheers and gasps.

Xue Hua, sprawled on the ground, and quickly pushed herself up, wiping blood from her face.

"Huff.. Huff..." Her breathing was labored, but her resolve hadn't wavered.

She charged again, and a sharp jab caught Hong Shi on the cheek as a hook landed on her ribs.

Hong Shi grunted, but her grin never faltered.

Twisting on her heel, Hong Shi countered with a spinning backfist that carved through the space between them like a blade. Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire

Xue Hua barely managed to tilt her head back, the wind from the blow whipping her silver hair into a frenzy.

Undeterred, Xue Hua surged forward, her gauntlets glinting faintly as she channeled every ounce of her strength into a devastating upward strike aimed at Hong Shi's torso.

The force of her punch cracked the air like thunder and the ground beneath her feet fractured as the energy surged through her legs into the attack.

"OHHHH!!!" The crowd collectively gasped.

But Hong Shi's eyes narrowed, and a flash of crimson light erupted from her hand.

*clang* In an instant, she retrieved a crimson spear from her storage ring, its shaft colliding with Xue Hua's gauntlet.

*WOOSH* A shockwave exploded outward, shaking the arena walls and sending debris skittering across the ground.

The force pushed both fighters back, their feet digging into the arena floor as they struggled to maintain balance.

Raising her gaze, Xue Hua took a deep breath 'So you have finally decided to get serious.'

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I hope you guys liked this chapter!