The matches were still ongoing.
The victors advanced while the losers were eliminated.
Each match lasted an average of five minutes, and approximately ten matches took place every hour.
The matches carried on all the way from the morning into the afternoon. At 3 p.m. in the afternoon, all 51 matches finally concluded with 52 victors emerging in the end (one contestant drew a bye[1])!
“I officially announce the end of the two-man matches! Now, let us begin the most exciting challenge matches!”
As the host returned to the ring, he said in a resounding, passionate voice, “All losing or eliminated parties may challenge any of the 52 victors. If the challenger can defeat them, they shall take their place and join the ranks of the victors!
“However, each person only has a single chance to issue a challenge...”
“There’s even a segment like this at the end?”
Meng Lei was rather surprised when he heard the host. However, when he thought about it, he found it rather understandable.
The current group of 52 emerging victors wasn’t the strongest of the lot for sure. There was no lack of people stronger than them among the eliminated parties.
After all, the free-for-all was riddled with loopholes, while the two-man matches were too imbalanced and absolute. All of these could lead to people with strong abilities being... brutally eliminated!
The challenge matches identified gaps and made up for what was lacking in order to give these people a chance. As long as they could seize the opportunity, they would be able to obtain a spot.
“I hereby announce the official start of the challenge matches!”
Whoosh!
Right after the host’s announcement, a stream of light suddenly shot toward the ring and landed within.
It was a muscular man. Roughly 2.5 meters tall with intertwining muscles all over him, his whole body was filled with explosive energy.
“My name is Mondan, and I wish to challenge him!”
With two heavy hammers in his hands, the muscular man pointed at the contestant benches with the hammer in his right hand and declared in a low, muffled voice.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
All the spectators in the house looked toward where he was pointing, and then, they saw the person being challenged seated on the bench.
For a moment there, all the spectators became awfully excited.
“Meng Lei!”
“Someone is actually challenging Meng Lei!”
“Teach him a lesson, Meng Lei! Show him what you’re capable of...”
“Someone is challenging me?”
Meng Lei was rather bewildered.
The challenge matches were the eliminated contestants’ last chance. On top of that, they only had one chance to issue a challenge. As long as there was nothing wrong in their heads, everyone would know that they should be challenging the weakest there.
Or alternatively, the guys that didn’t look very strong.
Yet someone was actually challenging Meng Lei now. In addition, the very first challenger in the ring had specifically pointed him out to challenge him...
“Do I look that weak?”
Somewhat displeased, Meng Lei got up and walked toward the fighting ring.
I drove back the ant tide at North River Pass, blasted the fighting ring in the free-for-all, and defeated Chester in the two-man match...
I’ve made a great name for myself and crushed all my opponents in every match!
Yet I’ve actually given you the impression that I’m very weak!
Good! Very good!
...
“Haha! Someone has challenged that little fellow right away!”
Flit the 66th couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Everyone, why do you think that big guy is challenging that little fellow? Does he look that weak?”
“Your Majesty! In my opinion, there are two reasons for this.”
The smiling muscular elderly man replied, “Firstly, that little fellow Meng Lei is simply too young. Even if he has made a great name for himself, hearsay means nothing while seeing is believing. Therefore, others are still unwilling to concede defeat at this point.”
“That makes sense!” Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Secondly, it’s because he’s too famous.”
The muscular elderly man chuckled and went on. “Among the 52 victors, that little fellow is definitely the most famous of them all. A 16-year-old Ninth-Grade Great Magician, the top genius in history, the hero that drove back the ant tide at North River Pass... and so on.
“He’s much more famous than all the other contestants. Due to his fame, as long as one can defeat that little fellow in a match, they’ll be able to take his place and become famous with a single match.
“Gaining fame with a single match, you know! Cultivators like us pursue nothing but fame and fortune, after all. Who would be able to resist the allure of fame and fortune?”
“That makes sense!” Everyone nodded once more.
The muscular elderly man added, “Of course, there’s no lack of those that are reluctant to concede defeat, too. They are indignant at being defeated by a 16-year-old boy, so it’s also likely that they would challenge him.”
“Yes!”
At this point, the match had already started.
Mondan, the bronze-hammer-wielding muscular man, was incredibly mighty and powerful. He charged toward Meng Lei like a raging bull. Judging solely from his might, he had an extremely strong and powerful body, and he didn’t lose out in the least, even when compared to Chester the Green Dragon Person.
“Die, kid!”
The muscular man let out a furious bellow. He raised his hammer high into the air and swung it viciously toward Meng Lei. This strike of his contained a might so incomparably fearsome that it was enough to smash any Eighth-Grade Magical Beast dead.
“You actually dare to challenge me when you only have this bit of strength?” Meng Lei snorted.
A fiery-red glow suddenly blossomed around his right fist, and it went smashing toward the heavy hammer crashing down on him.
Crash!
The hammer and Meng Lei’s iron fist
