Starting as a Grandmaster, all of my cultivation techniques are at max level.

Looking at Shen Jinghong, whose defeat was inevitable, Teng Qingya, the city lord of Jinhui City, felt a burning sensation on his face, as if he had been slapped hard.

Just now, he was confidently saying that Shen Jinghong would definitely win.

But now...

He glanced furtively at Pei Linhai beside him, then at the Grand Hall Master on the other side, before finally closing his eyes.

Meanwhile, Yuan Wangshu, the city lord of Shuangyue City, also had a somewhat uncertain expression; this outcome was truly unexpected.

That kid from Silver Sand City really won. Jun Wuyuan is quite lucky; he actually managed to find such a little monster.

Pei Linhai sat in the chair, his face so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it.

Although he didn't speak, he drew the attention of the city lords around him.

Everyone knew that the calmer Pei Linhai appeared, the angrier he was.

Pei Linhai hadn't expected this.

I really didn't expect that.

His proud adopted son, Shen Jinghong, who had never disappointed him since childhood, was actually defeated by an unknown nobody.

His gaze slowly shifted to Xia Jin, a lingering doubt in his heart.

Just who is this kid?

Behind him, Pei Qianling's eyes widened as well.

She had initially assumed that her sworn brother's attack would be swift and decisive, a complete rout. She thought that the bastard would be beaten to his knees, begging for mercy, and tumbling off the stage in a pathetic state.

But what I'm seeing now...

My sworn brother lost?

Her sworn brother, who was like a god of war in her heart and had never been defeated, actually lost?

Pei Qianling's gaze unconsciously fell on Xia Jin, a complex look flashing in her eyes.

Of course, there was a sense of loss.

Her sworn brother was defeated, and she felt empty inside, as if she had lost something important to rely on.

But more than anything, it's an emotion that's hard to define.

That bastard... actually won.

How could he even defeat his invincible sworn brother?

She bit her lip, her gaze fixed intently on Xia Jin.

The sunlight on the arena shone on him, making his blood-stained figure appear almost blinding. His clothes were torn, and blood clung to the corner of his mouth, making him look utterly wretched, but his eyes shone as brightly as stars.

Pei Qianling suddenly realized that her heart seemed to beat a few beats faster.

She shook her head violently, banishing the absurd thought from her mind.

"Impossible! Impossible! How could I possibly be with this bastard..." she cursed herself inwardly, but a blush involuntarily crept onto her cheeks.

A gentle breeze blew across the ring, concealing her subtle changes in expression behind her fluttering hair.

On the arena.

Shen Jinghong lowered her head, looking at her right hand that was still bleeding, and remained silent for a long time.

The golden eye tattoo had completely faded; the once lifelike golden pupil was now just a dark gray mark, as if it might disappear completely at any moment.

He could sense that the secret technique he had painstakingly cultivated was now on the verge of collapse.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will take at least several months to barely repair.

He took a deep breath, slowly squatted down, and picked up the scattered white bandages one by one from the ground.

The movements were slow and meticulous, as if they were doing something extremely important.

Xia Jin stood not far away, watching Shen Jinghong's actions without making a sound to disturb him.

He simply watched quietly as his opponent, who had just been like a god of war, now squatted on the ground picking up bandages.

That figure looked somewhat lonely, yet it also carried an indescribable stubbornness.

Shen Jinghong straightened out the bandages one by one and then rewound them around her right hand.

One lap, two laps, three laps...

His movements were practiced and skillful, clearly indicating he had done it countless times. Layers of white bandages wrapped around his dim eye, completely concealing the traces of failure beneath the cloth.

When the last bandage was wrapped, Shen Jinghong stood up.

He looked up at Xia Jin.

Those eyes had regained their clarity; the previous ferocity and madness were gone from the black pupils, replaced by a calm.

A kind of calm that only comes after going through great storms.

"Congratulations, you won."

There was no resentment, no anger, and not even any other emotion in Shen Jinghong's voice.

It's just a few simple words.

This startled Xia Jin slightly, then she smiled and her lips curled up.

There was no mockery or smugness in that smile, only an appreciation for a worthy opponent.

Shen Jinghong looked at Xia Jin and said calmly, "I underestimated everyone. This battle has taught me a lot."

His gaze fell on his right hand, which was wrapped in bandages, and a hint of self-mockery flashed in his eyes: "I always thought that there were few among the younger generation in Yun Gui County who could surpass me. Now it seems that I was just being narrow-minded."

Xia Jin shook her head and said, "You are very strong. If it weren't for the flaw in your secret technique, it would be hard to say who would win this battle."

Shen Jinghong remained silent for a moment, but her eyes gradually brightened.

"No, a loss is a loss, and a win is a win. Even if my secret technique doesn't affect my mind, I still aren't confident I can beat you!!"

He raised his head, looking directly at Xia Jin, his eyes filled with fighting spirit: "After I break through in this seclusion, I will go to Silver Sand City to fight you again."

"I will definitely win then."

Shen Jinghong's indomitable fighting spirit made Xia Jin look at him with new respect.

With this mindset and this demeanor, Shen Jinghong's future is definitely bright!

"Alright," Xia Jin nodded seriously, "I'll be waiting for you. But let me warn you, I won't be staying in Silver Sand City for long. When you want to challenge me, you'll probably have to go to the Cloud Academy!"

"Cloud Academy!?" Shen Jinghong suddenly stopped moving. He gave Xia Jin a deep look. "Hmm! With your strength, passing the Cloud Academy's test shouldn't be difficult!"

After saying this, Shen Jinghong turned around, picked up the giant sword stuck in the arena, and strode down the arena.

Seeing Shen Jinghong step off the stage, Pei Linhai also stood up expressionlessly.

"Let's go, Ling'er."

He glanced at Pei Qianling behind him, said something indifferently, and then stepped down from the platform.

"Father!?" Pei Qianling gritted her teeth and quickly followed. Before leaving, she couldn't help but steal a glance at Xia Jin, who had his hands behind his back on the arena.

"You bastard, you wait, this isn't going to end like this!!"

As Pei Linhai left, the remaining city lords, including Teng Qingya, exchanged glances and then looked at the Grand Hall Master, bowing respectfully.

"Congratulations, City Lord Jun!"

"A promising talent has emerged from Silver Sands City!"

"Lord Jun is truly blessed!"

After exchanging a few polite words, the city lords departed, but the expressions on their faces before leaving were rather intriguing.

Is it a hint of jealousy? Or perhaps schadenfreude?

After most of the others had left,

Xia Jincai returned to the front of the main hall master.

"Good lad!"

The Grand Master looked at Xia Jin as he approached and patted him on the shoulder with a smile.

"I never expected you to actually defeat Shen Jinghong." The Grand Hall Master's eyes were full of admiration. "To be honest, I was thinking you were going to suffer a loss. But look what you've done!"

"This battle has truly brought honor to Silver Sand City!"

Xia Jin showed no smugness. He shook his head and said, "You flatter me, Grand Hall Master. To be honest, I was a bit lucky to win against Shen Jinghong. Shen Jinghong's secret technique was indeed powerful. If he hadn't lost his composure first, it would have been hard to say who would have won this battle."

"By the way, Grand Hall Master, the Dragon Abyss City Lord's expression... doesn't seem too good."

"Shen Jinghong was defeated by me in public today. Pei Linhai will probably lose face. Will he specifically target Silver Sand City after that?"

Upon hearing this, the Grand Master shook his head, "You don't need to worry about that."

"It's true that Pei Linhai is concerned about his reputation and has a bad temper. But he wouldn't go so far as to target my Silver Sand City over such a trivial matter."

"Alright, these things aren't your concern. Looking at your injuries, you should go back and rest. Our mission has been successfully completed, you can return to Silver Sand City now." The Grand Hall Master glanced at Xia Jin and smiled reassuringly.

"In a few days, I will bring the test document of Cloud Academy back to Silver Sand City."

"The test documents for Yunshang Academy?" Xia Jin's eyes suddenly lit up after hearing this.