Starting from the pharmacy, he grew into a martial saint among men.

"Brother Zhou, you must get a good rest tonight, as we will be competing tomorrow."

Chu Hong ate the fragrant roasted meat and spoke with a smile.

Since the martial arts exam doesn't start until the afternoon, the entire three-day period won't end until tomorrow afternoon.

In other words, after tonight, the martial arts competition will end in just half a day.

And their "destined" showdown is about to begin.

The campfire crackled, its light reflecting on Zhou Mingrui's smiling face.

He tore off a piece of roasted meat, put it in his mouth, and said casually:

"What's wrong, Brother Chu? Are you scared? Why don't you just admit defeat and I'll let you go?"

"How could I be afraid? I'm worried that if Brother Zhou loses, he'll blame it on being in poor form, hahaha."

After two days of fighting side by side, the two had already developed a mutual respect for each other.

Although the competition was scheduled for tomorrow, there was no tense hostility between the two; instead, they appeared more open and composed.

Victory or defeat is no longer the key factor for them.

What they crave most is mutual competition and improvement in martial arts.

Of course, this doesn't mean that the two will hold back; on the contrary, they will definitely go all out.

Zhou Mingrui shook his head and joked, "As long as Brother Chu doesn't poison my meat, I guarantee Brother Chu won't be a match for me."

During their conversation, Chu Hong's gaze swept into the depths of the forest, where a figure could be vaguely seen flashing by.

However, he did not give chase, treating it as a lone candidate fleeing.

We already have enough identity tags; having one more or one less doesn't matter.

I just kept it in my heart, and became more wary.

-----------------

Dawn broke again on the horizon, and a thin mist swirled through the forest.

The martial arts program has reached its final stage.

Chu Hong and Zhou Mingrui woke up early, but the two did not fight on the spot.

Instead, led by Chu Hong, they headed towards a valley with an excellent location.

The place is located in the northern part of Canglang Mountain. It is a remote and open area with no dense forests to block the view, making it perfect for a fair and square duel between the two.

Behind them, a well-disguised figure silently followed, using the shadows of the trees for cover.

Halfway through the journey, Chu Hong paused, glanced back, and said in a low, solemn voice:

"Brother Zhou, have you noticed that someone seems to be following us?"

Zhou Mingrui nodded slightly:

"That's right, I had a premonition yesterday, but every time I looked back, I didn't see anything."

"He must be a master," Chu Hong said with a serious expression. "He's probably after our identification tokens."

The martial arts exam is about to end.

With their considerable wealth, they naturally attracted the covetous eyes of others.

If they are caught off guard and fight with all their might, and others seize the opportunity to launch a sneak attack, all their hard work over the past two days will be for nothing.

Even if you don't fight them head-on, just stealing their identity tokens in the chaos would still be a huge loss.

Zhou Mingrui's eyes turned cold: "Since that's the case, why not turn the tables on them?"

"We'll still have our duel as agreed, but we must each keep some reserves. If anyone launches a sneak attack, we'll... join forces and take him down!"

"That suits me perfectly!" Chu Hong nodded in agreement.

The two reached an agreement and continued to move forward calmly on the surface, but secretly they had already made preparations.

Under the heavy shadows of the trees, the bags on their bodies seemed to lighten slightly, only to return to their original weight without them noticing.

This scene was not even seen by the light screen outside the mountain.

Before long, the two arrived at the designated valley.

The valley is surrounded by dense forests, but the valley itself is flat with sparse trees and a wide view.

The two took off their bags and piled them together.

To ensure stability, Chu Hong also sprinkled a large amount of powder on it.

The two then closed their eyes and regulated their breathing, both to adjust their state and to await news.

A moment later, a majestic voice echoed from the horizon once more.

"First place, Chu Hong, ninety-six yuan."

"Second place, Zheng Yuan, ninety-four yuan."

"Third place, Zhou Mingrui, eighty-five yuan."

"..."

Upon seeing the list, Chu Hong frowned slightly, and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Zheng Yuan ranked first yesterday with 78 identity cards.

However, in just one day, it only rose to ninety-four, which was too slow an increase.

Given Zheng Yuan's abilities, he shouldn't have only gained this much.

He couldn't help but speculate.

Could it be that Zheng Yuan thought the overall situation was settled, and therefore became complacent?

Or perhaps something delayed it?

As the thought crossed his mind, Chu Hong connected it to the hidden figure lurking behind the scenes, and a guess came to his mind.

Could that person be Zheng Yuan?

But upon closer examination, Chu Hong realized it was impossible. Based on his understanding of Zheng Yuan, the other party should only be determined to forge ahead.

Of course, no matter what, we must be on guard.

At this moment, Zhou Mingrui also had some guesses in his mind.

Seeing Chu Hong look up and glance at him, their eyes met, and without saying a word, they understood each other's thoughts.

On the hilltop, Zheng Yuan stood quietly among the trees, listening to the ranking list, his gaze fixed on the two people at the bottom of the valley, his heart burning with excitement.

He suppressed the excitement in his heart and waited quietly.

When the two are fighting with all their might and are exhausted, that will be the time for him to make his move.

-----------------

The training ground outside the mountain was bustling with activity, and everyone was in high spirits.

Everyone had been waiting in front of the light screen for a long time, eagerly anticipating the final battle.

Whether it's the fateful showdown between the two martial arts school duo or Zheng Yuan's lurking ambitions, it will definitely be the most thrilling final battle of this year's martial arts academy.

The candidates who had been eliminated earlier also came to the training ground after receiving treatment and waited silently.

However, everyone had different thoughts.

The candidates who were eliminated by the martial arts duo hoped that Zheng Yuan could take away their identity tokens and eliminate them.

The candidates eliminated by Zheng Yuan hoped that the two villains could discover Zheng Yuan's ambush and join forces to defeat him.

In the Canglang Mountains, the remaining candidates were restless after hearing the rankings.

Some people admired the two ruthless martial arts masters and wanted to curry favor with them.

Some people harbored malicious intentions and wanted to team up with others to ambush the attackers.

Some people, whose rankings were low and whose martial arts exam was about to end, frantically grabbed identity tokens, hoping to seize the last opportunity to break into the top twelve.

Inside the valley, Chu Hong and Zhou Mingrui finished their breathing exercises, slowly stood up, and stood facing each other.

The mist dissipated, and sunlight streamed in.

A breeze rose in the valley, carrying a cool scent, and swept past the two figures facing each other.

Chu Hong planted his feet firmly on the ground, his body as heavy as a mountain.

His gaze, sharp as a hawk's, locked onto Zhou Mingrui's undulating shoulders.

In a fight between martial artists, even the slightest movement of the shoulder is a sign of an impending attack; there is no way to conceal anything.

Zhou Mingrui's hands hung naturally at his sides, seemingly relaxed, but actually tense. His ten fingers were slightly bent, and his aura was sometimes strong and sometimes gentle.

One hand embodies the majestic and domineering power of the Mountain-Crushing Fist, while the other hand switches to the smooth and gentle nature of the Bagua Palm.

The two looked at each other, neither making the first move.

The plants and trees seemed to have come to a standstill.

A withered yellow leaf, blown by the wind, drifted down from the hillside and lay between the two.

Just as the withered leaves were about to fall to the ground, Chu Hong suddenly burst forth with power.

He stomped heavily on the ground, the soil exploding in a flurry, but his figure moved like a cannonball, instantly closing the distance between them.

Without any probing, the first move was a deadly strike.

The fist pierced the air with a piercing whistle, yet its force was as heavy as a mountain, striking Zhou Mingrui's chest directly.

This punch gathers immense power; if it were to land, even through tough iron armor, it would shatter the internal organs.

Zhou Mingrui's pupils contracted slightly, and he felt a chill run down his spine, but he did not lose his composure in the slightest.

He knew that once he retreated, Chu Hong would control the pace of the game, and he would be passively controlled in every way.

"Well done!"