Everyone present was utterly shaken by what had just occurred on the stage.
For a moment, the entire venue fell into stunned silence.
It was as if time itself had been frozen.
Just a second ago, the massive arena—filled with tens of thousands—had been bursting with noise and excitement.
Now, it had become eerily quiet.
All eyes were fixed on a single figure.
Liu Yuan.
Standing calmly at the center of the stage, as if nothing had happened.
And outside the arena—
Lin Xi lay defeated, blasted away in a single strike.
What… just happened?
It's over?
Just like that?
Almost no one could process it.
They hadn't even seen Liu Yuan move clearly before the match was decided.
This overwhelming gap—one that completely defied common sense—delivered an unprecedented shock to everyone present.
A long moment passed.
Only when the referee finally snapped out of his daze did he take a deep breath, raise his hand, and announce loudly:
"The winner—Liu Yuan!"
That single sentence shattered the silence like a stone dropped into still water.
Boom—!
The entire arena erupted.
"My god! What did I just see?! That was an instant kill!"
"Senior Lin Xi couldn't even block one move?!"
"That Liu Yuan… he's terrifying!"
---
Among the crowd—
Ju Zi and Ke Ke stood frozen, mouths slightly open, eyes filled with disbelief.
After a moment, Ke Ke nudged Ju Zi and said helplessly:
"A-another instant kill? And we were actually worried about him…"
Ju Zi gave a bitter smile, her tension finally easing.
In its place, a subtle sense of admiration quietly took root.
---
In the second-year viewing area—
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen exchanged glances and smiled.
"As expected of Brother Liu Yuan!"
There wasn't a trace of surprise on Xiao Hongchen's face—only excitement, even a hint of fanatic admiration.
He knew Liu Yuan's strength better than anyone.
This outcome… was only natural.
---
In the sixth-year section—
Ma Rulong slowly lowered his arms.
For the first time, shock appeared in his sharp eyes.
He stared intently at Liu Yuan, replaying the scene in his mind—
But he couldn't.
Because even he had failed to clearly see Liu Yuan's movement.
Only a golden afterimage.
And then—
Lin Xi was gone.
"What terrifying speed… and explosive power…"
At that moment, Ma Rulong's evaluation of Liu Yuan changed completely.
This was no longer just a junior worth noting.
This was a true contender.
Perhaps even his greatest opponent.
---
Inside Mingde Hall, on the top floor—
A brief silence filled the room.
The Sun Moon Emperor, Xu Yunhan, leaned back slowly, amazement evident in his eyes.
"This… is truly extraordinary."
Beside him, even Kong Deming, known for his strict standards, showed rare approval.
He glanced at Jing Hongchen and spoke calmly:
"You old fox…"
"This time, you've truly cultivated an exceptional genius."
Jing Hongchen burst into laughter, unable to hide his pride.
"Hahaha! That child has brought me great honor!"
---
After Liu Yuan stepped down, the matches continued.
But compared to his overwhelming victory, everything else seemed dull.
Soon, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen also entered the arena.
Both displayed crushing dominance, winning their matches without suspense.
As time progressed, the referees accelerated the tournament.
Round after round passed rapidly.
Liu Yuan, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen advanced like unstoppable blades, cutting through every opponent in their path.
Until—
The fourth round.
True clashes finally began.
Liu Yuan and Xiao Hongchen continued their dominance and advanced smoothly.
However, Meng Hongchen encountered a formidable opponent—
Ma Rulong.
Facing the academy's strongest under twenty, even she could not overcome the overwhelming gap.
She was defeated.
---
Thus, the final four were decided:
Liu Yuan (Second Year)
Xiao Hongchen (Second Year)
Ma Rulong (Sixth Year)
Mi Jia (Fifth Year)
---
Soon, the semifinal matchups were revealed:
Liu Yuan vs. Xiao Hongchen
Ma Rulong vs. Mi Jia
The arena erupted once more.
"It's happening! Liu Yuan vs. Xiao Hongchen!"
"This is going to be insane!"
---
On the stage—
Liu Yuan and Xiao Hongchen faced each other.
A bitter smile appeared on Xiao Hongchen's face, but his eyes burned with determination.
"Brother Liu Yuan… I know I'm not your match."
"But I still want to see… just how big the gap is."
The battle began.
And ended.
In an instant.
A flash of golden light—
And the next moment—
Xiao Hongchen was already at the edge of the stage, a clear handprint on his chest.
He sighed, smiling bitterly.
"As expected… same result."
He stood up and said sincerely:
"Good luck in the finals, Brother Liu Yuan."
---
On the other stage—
Ma Rulong overwhelmed Mi Jia completely.
Relentless artillery fire gave Mi Jia no chance to approach.
In the end, he was blasted off the stage.
---
Both semifinals concluded.
The referee stepped forward and announced in a powerful voice:
"The final of the Sun Moon Royal Academy Internal Selection Tournament!"
"Will be contested between—"
"Sixth-year head, Ma Rulong!"
"And—"
"Second-year… Liu Yuan!"
-------------Author---------------
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