The arena did not settle after the first match.
Even as a few people left, more remained.
Word spread quickly through the crowd.
The outsider had won.
And not just barely.
Now-
They wanted to see more.
Xu Tian stood near the edge of the arena.
Unmoving.
His posture relaxed.
But his awareness remained sharp.
The children rested in his arms.
The boy slept quietly, his breathing steady.
The girl's eyes moved constantly, observing everything.
Every shift.
Every movement.
Xu Tian noticed.
"…You're already used to this," he thought.
The three men who had brought him here stood nearby.
Watching.
Silent.
They did not interfere.
They did not need to.
This was no longer about testing.
This was about evaluation.
Xu Tian stepped forward.
The moment he moved-
The crowd reacted.
Subtle at first.
Then more noticeable.
Voices lowered.
Attention focused.
The moment his foot touched the stone floor-
The atmosphere tightened.
Sharper.
More concentrated.
Xu Tian walked toward the center.
Each step steady.
Controlled.
He stopped.
Waiting.
The arena felt different now.
Not just a place.
But a stage.
Everything watched.
Everything judged.
Across from him-
Another figure stepped forward.
This one was different.
His build was heavier.
His stance lower.
His presence-
Denser.
More forceful.
Xu Tian felt it immediately.
"…Stronger."
The man stopped a short distance away.
His gaze locked onto Xu Tian.
No hesitation.
No curiosity.
Only intent.
"You're the one who won earlier," he said.
Xu Tian didn't answer.
The man exhaled slowly.
"…Good."
He rolled his shoulders once.
Then stepped forward.
The arena floor creaked faintly beneath his weight.
"This won't be the same."
Xu Tian's voice remained calm.
"I know."
The man's expression hardened.
Then-
He moved.
Fast.
Faster than his size suggested.
A direct charge.
Xu Tian reacted instantly.
He stepped to the side.
The man's strike hit the ground.
The stone cracked violently.
Fragments scattered outward.
The impact echoed through the arena.
A faint ripple spread through the crowd.
Xu Tian's eyes sharpened.
"…Heavy."
The man didn't pause.
He turned immediately.
Another strike.
Wider.
Stronger.
Xu Tian moved again.
Avoided.
Then-
Countered.
A short, precise strike.
The impact landed.
A dull sound echoed.
The man didn't move.
Not even a step.
Xu Tian noticed.
"…Hard body."
The man smiled slightly.
Then attacked again.
Faster.
Xu Tian adjusted.
Step.
Turn.
Avoid.
But the pressure was different.
Each strike carried real weight.
Not just speed.
Impact.
Force.
The space around him felt tighter.
The man advanced again.
Relentless.
Xu Tian stepped back.
One step.
Then another.
The ground cracked beneath each heavy strike.
Dust lifted slightly with every impact.
The crowd reacted.
Louder now.
Xu Tian's gaze sharpened.
"…Predictable."
The pattern was simple.
Strong.
But not refined.
Xu Tian shifted.
This time-
He stepped forward.
Into the attack.
The man's strike came down.
Xu Tian moved.
Just enough.
Then-
Countered.
A precise strike.
The impact landed.
This time-
The man's stance shifted.
Half a step.
Xu Tian saw it.
And moved again.
Another strike.
Then another.
The man raised his guard.
Blocked.
But the force still pushed him slightly.
The balance began to change.
The man's expression tightened.
"…You're faster."
Xu Tian didn't respond.
He moved again.
Closing the distance.
The man attacked.
Wide.
Heavy.
Xu Tian stepped inside it.
His movements sharper.
Cleaner.
Each motion guided.
The energy inside him flowed naturally.
His strike landed.
Then another.
This time-
The man stepped back.
One step.
Then two.
The crowd reacted again.
More voices.
More movement.
Xu Tian didn't stop.
He pressed forward.
The man roared.
Then-
His presence surged.
The air around him shifted.
Heavier.
More oppressive.
The pressure spread outward.
Xu Tian felt it immediately.
"…So there's more."
The next strike came.
Faster.
Stronger.
Xu Tian reacted.
Blocked.
The impact pushed him back.
One step.
Then another.
The difference returned.
The man advanced again.
Relentless.
Xu Tian steadied himself.
His breathing remained calm.
His focus sharpened.
"…Good."
This was what he needed.
Real pressure.
The man attacked again.
A sequence.
Multiple strikes.
Heavy.
Continuous.
Xu Tian moved.
Avoided.
Redirected.
But the pressure increased.
Each attack forced him further.
The space behind him shrank.
The arena edge was closer now.
The crowd leaned forward.
Watching closely.
Xu Tian's eyes narrowed.
"…Not enough."
He stepped forward.
Not back.
Their strikes collided.
A loud impact echoed.
The force spread outward.
Dust rose from the ground.
For a moment-
Neither moved.
The balance held.
The pressure locked between them.
Then-
It shifted.
And this time-
Neither side had control.
The fight had entered a new stage.