Shackles of Humanity

Perhaps Xiaoxue’s appearance had inspired the contestants, as more people began challenging the Martial Artists. Among them, a Mutant with a long tail was particularly eye-catching. He was incredibly agile, capable of leaping several meters into the air and spinning around his opponent. With a dagger wrapped around his tail, he launched circular strikes that were impossible to defend against.

Most of the military’s Martial Artists weren’t proficient in technique, and the prolonged battle had drained much of his stamina. He was at a loss against such an elusive opponent. Before long, he was in full retreat and covered in wounds. Defeat was certain if he continued. Logically, he could have conceded, but his injuries ignited his fighting spirit. With a bull-like roar, he ignored the incoming dagger and charged straight for the Mutant.

If the Mutant had been more ruthless, he could have directed the dagger to pierce the man’s heart. But this was just a competition, after all, not a fight to the death. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react and could only retreat passively. However, the ring was small, and he was about to be forced off.

"Ah Hu, get your ass down here!" At that moment, a loud shout came from below. The Martial Artist on the stage reacted instantly to the voice. He immediately stopped in his tracks, regained his composure, and jumped off the stage, his face flushed with shame.

A Martial Artist had finally been defeated, and excited cheers erupted from the audience.

Another Martial Artist from the military entered the ring. He was a powerfully built man, a full two meters tall, and was the same person who had just yelled for Ah Hu to get down. He was massive, with gnarled muscles coiling over his body. Standing there, he looked like a small mountain, radiating an invisible sense of pressure.

The Mutant stood no chance against him. The moment he raised his tail to attack, the giant man grabbed it and threw his entire body out of the ring.

Luo Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly. ’This hulk must have the strength of a Mid-level Martial Artist. Finally, a halfway decent opponent has shown up.’

The hulking man in the ring also looked his way, his large, bell-like eyes full of vigilance. Most people couldn’t comprehend Luo Kai’s fighting style, but a select few in the entire arena understood it, and he was one of them.

Luo Kai gave him a slight smile before turning his head to look elsewhere. Yue Han had also entered a ring, and she too was challenging a Martial Artist. Body Techniques were a combat art, a contest of Power and speed. Women were slightly inferior to men in these aspects, but they had an advantage in flexibility, meaning their agility was greater than men’s.

Compared to Xiaoxue, her figure was much more slender, and her Body Techniques were far more superb. Instead of dodging attacks, she used a form of Jujutsu to deflect them. This was the same Jujutsu that had once given even Luo Kai a headache, which showed just how unique it was. Naturally, her opponent was helpless against it.

Moreover, Yue Han was very familiar with the fighting techniques of soldiers. Battlefield killing arts mostly consisted of wide, sweeping movements, which were more suited for group battles. In one-on-one matches, they were actually a disadvantage. Besides, First Rank Martial Artists were far from reaching a state of fluid mastery; their movements were still stiff. Yue Han quickly gained the upper hand and won the match.

The competition proceeded quickly. Next should have been the ranking matches for the winners’ bracket, but with five people firmly occupying the five rings, it had turned into a king-of-the-hill-style contest. Only by holding a ring could one secure a spot in the top five.

Of the five rings, three were held by military Martial Artists. Luo Kai knew the other two, who were from Jinlan Academy: one was Yue Han, and the other was Hao Fei’s cousin, Hao Peng. Hao Peng was the only Martial Artist from the five great Physical Arts Schools. Both he and Yue Han came from families with deep martial traditions, and their combat prowess was a cut above that of ordinary First Rank Martial Artists.

If Luo Kai hadn’t appeared, this year’s top five spots would have belonged to them. Fewer and fewer people went up to challenge them. It looked like this year’s competition would be over in a single day, with only the final ranking of the top five left to be decided.

"Brother Luo, why haven’t you gone up yet?" Hao Fei asked anxiously from the side.

Perhaps because of Xiaoxue’s prediction, a shadow lingered in Luo Kai’s heart. He looked up at the sky. A dark cloud was drifting over from the distance, carrying the scent of an impending storm. He took a deep breath, stood up, and walked into the arena.

As he entered, the noisy stands fell silent once more. It wasn’t just the stands; the entire arena sank into a strange quiet. On the main platform, the five High-level Martial Artists all straightened their backs.

The ring closest to Luo Kai was the one occupied by Yue Han. Who knew what was wrong with the girl, but her face suddenly turned bright red. Her large, almond-shaped eyes were fixed on him, unblinking.

Luo Kai subconsciously touched his face. ’Looks like being too handsome isn’t always a good thing. It attracts trouble.’

Of course, he wasn’t going to fight Yue Han for her ring. He turned and walked toward another one, where a man covered in blade scars stood.

Strangely, this rough-looking man also stared fixedly at him, then suddenly turned and jumped down, forfeiting on his own.

Now it was Luo Kai’s turn to be a little surprised. Everyone in the arena was stunned. What was going on?

In truth, this scar-faced man had been at the scene of the fight with the assassins last night. He had personally witnessed Luo Kai use powerful, lightning-fast methods to crush a group of Martial Artists, leaving them unable to fight back. He knew he was no match for him and decided it was better not to invite humiliation.

At this moment, the towering warrior from the military on the adjacent ring suddenly leaped down and then onto Luo Kai’s stage. He bowed and said, "Please grant me your guidance."

’Other things about a person don’t matter; what’s crucial is courage and conviction. News of Luo Kai’s battle last night had actually already spread, but this man still dared to issue a challenge. That showed he at least didn’t lack courage.’

Luo Kai smiled and raised a hand in return. Just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly shifted. He looked into the distance. An airship was flying toward them, and it soon arrived overhead. A powerful sense of crisis rose in his heart, and his blood and qi began to circulate rapidly without conscious thought. ’What’s coming has finally come!’

The airship was brand new, not like the dilapidated ones from the Xingma Kingdom. It was also painted with a strange symbol: a set of scales.

The expressions of the several people on the main platform all changed. Others might not understand what the scales represented, but they knew. It was the symbol of the Heretic Judgment Bureau, a mysterious organization under the Body Technique Association. The appearance of this symbol signified Heresy, and it also signified a bloodbath.

Fang Hong said in a low voice, "Come with me to greet them."

Yiven chuckled. "It seems Chairman Fang knew long ago that the Judgement Department was coming today."

Fang Hong said expressionlessly, "My Lord, the Xingma Kingdom is obligated to cooperate with the Judgement Department’s work. Please give the order to evacuate the crowd. Today’s competition is over."

Liu Hou was full of doubt. "Are they here because I applied to the Association to have the Dragon Shark Pirates classified as an Evil Cult?"

Fang Hong looked at him deeply and said, "Principal Liu, as of today, you are temporarily suspended from your duties, pending an investigation by the Judgement Department."

The airship stopped in the sky, and five people in strange attire jumped directly from it. After landing, they dropped to one knee, their cold eyes scanning the crowd. They wore short, black-and-white robes and each carried a golden Knight’s Greatsword on their back. They exuded a strange aura, so dazzlingly sharp that people didn’t dare to look directly at them.

The five of them quickly locked onto their targets. Each took a corner, surrounding the competition grounds.