Return of the King, Dominating the City
Chapter 61 - 61 60 Soaring to the Skies

61: Chapter 60 Soaring to the Skies 61: Chapter 60 Soaring to the Skies The competition started quickly, and after meticulous selection, 40 new challengers had emerged.

These 40 would undergo further screening to select the strongest five to challenge individuals on the Dragon List or the Dragon Elephant List, while those already on the Dragon Elephant List could directly challenge the person ranked above them or choose to fight someone of a higher rank.

The one at the top of the Elephant List could directly challenge people on the Dragon List, but they had to fight their way up without skipping ranks.

Those on the Dragon List could choose to defend or challenge, but most opted to challenge since those on the Dragon List were the real backbone of fighters, too proud to simply play defense.

Watching the 40 competitors attacking each other bored Song Yun; the style of this competition was hardly a duel between masters.

Typically, a match between experts was decided in an instant, not after lengthy probing like what these fighters were doing.

However, Song Yun admitted there was certainly an element of showmanship to their fights.

Some were wielding horse-cutting swords, others carried Mo Blades rumored to be from the lost crafts of the Tang Dynasty, and one even brandished a giant iron hammer covered in spikes, seemingly unconcerned with injuring himself before the fight even began.

The most impressive kid was handling two axes, looking like a member of the axe gang straight out of a Mr.

Xing movie, standing there with an imposing presence.

His stance was decent, but his skills?

Not so much.

He nearly had his lineage ended by the guy with the iron hammer.

Song Yun leaned back in his chair, utterly lacking the self-awareness of a high-level expert.

Just look around—everyone else, expert or not, sat upright as if touching the chair back would somehow tarnish their reputation.

The big shots in the stands, meanwhile, were thoroughly enjoying the matches, occasionally discussing the competitors.

It wasn’t long before the top five new contenders were selected, including the guy with the Mo Blade and the hefty one with the big hammer.

As per the competition rules, these five could choose to challenge someone on either the Dragon List or the Elephant List.

Every step the heavyset hammer-wielder took made his flesh quiver.

He boomed, “I want to challenge the one ranked 20th on the Elephant List.”

The crowd gasped in surprise.

Bold move, challenging one of the top twenty Elephant List fighters right off the bat.

Though the Elephant List wasn’t as prestigious as the Dragon List, with some even claiming it was merely a backup, its members were still formidable.

With a total of fifty fighters on the Elephant List, one might wonder why this upstart didn’t start by knocking off the lower ranks to secure a position before aiming for the top twenty.

What kind of courage was this?

Seeing Song Yun also looking surprised, Old Luo pulled a sheet from a stack of documents and handed it to him, saying, “This kid is from the SD area, named Huo Canjun, born into a Martial Arts Family.

Known for his immense strength since childhood, his father had a giant hammer custom-made for him.

But this kid’s confidence might be a bit too much, thinking he can immediately jump from being a nobody to the top twenty of the Elephant List.

Ah, what a shame.

With a few more years of training, he could have made it big.”

Song Yun chuckled, “Who says this kid can’t make it?

I quite like his chances.”

“Impossible,” Old Luo replied as he rifled through the documents.

“I’ve got the file on the 20th ranked of the Elephant List here.

His name is Yan Wang, born in NMG.

His iron fists have defeated countless heroes.

At the age of twenty, due to the fatality caused by his punches, he was sentenced to ten years and three months and sent to Qin City Prison, China’s strictest penal facility.

“After his release, he remained as wilful as ever but was noticed by higher-ups who gave him a chance to compete for the Elephant List, and who would’ve thought he’d fight his way up from the fiftieth to the twentieth rank?”

Old Luo took a sip of water and continued, “I bet that Huo Canjun is bound to lose.”

The match began swiftly.

With Huo Canjun wielding the giant hammer and Yan Wang sporting a pair of gloves, they faced each other on the platform, their fighting auras already flaring before they’d even exchanged blows.

“You’re courting death by choosing me,” said Yan Wang coldly, feeling utterly humiliated and disgraced by the audacity of this challenge.

“Let’s find out,” Huo Canjun replied with a naive grin, his grip on the hammer tightening.

After the referee’s signal, Huo Canjun charged forward, swinging his huge hammer at Yan Wang, who skillfully grabbed the hammer with his bent fingers.

The material of the gloves was such that he could ignore the hammer’s spikes.

“Hmm, you have some brute strength, but it’s a big mistake if you think you can win against me with that,” Yan Wang roared, leaving an imprint in the hammer.

Huo Canjun retreated several steps, dodging Yan Wang’s close-range punches, and then, with a flip of his hands, he placed the hammer horizontally in front of him, letting out a loud shout.

Under his weight, the flagstones beneath his feet shattered.

“Thud, thud, thud.” Huo Canjun charged at Yan Wang, looking to win with a single blow that would send his opponent flying out of the ring.

Just as Huo Canjun’s hammer was about to strike Yan Wang, a hand shot out toward Yan Wang’s collar.

Yan Wang sneered, grabbing the hand, but didn’t anticipate Huo Canjun’s countermove—a reversal that lifted him off the ground before slamming him back down hard.

Laying on the ground, Yan Wang spat out blood twice, banged his chest with a fist, and spat out more blood.

After expelling the bruising, Yan Wang declared with satisfaction, “I won’t give you another chance.”

With a bang, Yan Wang’s palm struck Huo Canjun’s chest, who staggered back several paces, his chest swelling red.

“Hahaha, this is a satisfying fight, come on, let’s go again,” Yan Wang shouted, letting loose a series of punches at Huo Canjun.

Suddenly, Huo Canjun, with a strong push, lifted Yan Wang’s arms and, in a Herculean move, slammed him to the ground.

The impact scattered Yan Wang, who was unable to get back up, biting his back teeth in pain.

Struggling to his feet, he weakly asked, “How did you not feel any of my blows?”

“If you were using Internal Boxing, I might be wary, but yours is an external style.

Your punches only cause superficial damage; they can’t reach internal organs,” explained Huo Canjun.

“What’s wrong with my body?

Ah, why can’t I move?

What did you do to me?” Yan Wang shouted, as his body, which was upright merely moments before, slumped powerless to the side.

“Ah, you bastard, what the hell did you do?

I’m going to kill you,” Yan Wang cried out in a pitiful howl.

Yan Wang’s futile screams echoed as the referee, checking the time, announced the result upon seeing Yan Wang’s incapacity, “Three minutes have passed.

Yan Wang has lost the ability to move.

Huo Canjun wins and advances to be the 20th ranked on the Elephant List.”