Chapter 8 : Competition in the martial arts arena

Near the martial arts arena, a group of young members of the Zhou family gathered. Among them was a slender and handsome young man, none other than Zhou Tong's second uncle's son, Zhou Yiyuan. Dressed in white, Zhou Yiyuan exuded an elegant and extraordinary aura as he waved a folding fan towards his two brothers from a distance.

Zhou Tong was slightly surprised but waved back at Zhou Yiyuan.

Soon, the two brothers approached Zhou Yiyuan.

"Second brother, why are you here?" Zhou Tong asked.

"I came to test the new martial arts I've learned," Zhou Yiyuan said with a smile. "Let's do it later. I'll have a match with the big brother first." Zhou Tong patted Zhou Yiyuan's shoulder and asked, "Why didn't I see Second Uncle at the council last time?"

"Dad is still in seclusion. He's expected to come out before the family competition," Zhou Yiyuan explained.

"Got it." Zhou Tong nodded.

Zhou Tong and Zhou Xuanfei leaped into the arena, drawing the attention of many Zhou family members who crowded around. The atmosphere became lively.

"Old Fourth, let me test your strength after breaking through to the Heaven Yuan Realm," Zhou Xuanfei said to Zhou Tong.

"Big brother, be careful," Zhou Tong laughed.

"Swords and blades have no eyes, you be careful too," Zhou Xuanfei replied.

With that, Zhou Xuanfei's sword vibrated, and several sword auras moved with him. These spiraling sword auras attacked Zhou Tong.

"Excellent!" Zhou Tong shouted, taking a step forward to face the sword auras. His fists moved, and the fist imprints flashed as they collided with the sword auras.

Bang! Bang!

The sword auras exploded and disappeared, leaving Zhou Tong's fists unharmed as he continued to strike at Zhou Xuanfei.

"Such powerful fist strength, truly worthy of the Zhou family's martial arts. You can actually withstand my sword aura attacks," Zhou Xuanfei thought to himself.

Zhou Xuanfei's right arm shook, and the long sword drew an arc, blocking Zhou Tong's fists.

Boom!

The collision created visible ripples, and Zhou Tong's fists suddenly stopped in mid-air.

"Ha!" Zhou Xuanfei shouted, pushing outward with force.

Zhou Tong's figure trembled, stepping back to stabilize himself. Then, Zhou Xuanfei's figure flickered, jumping close to Zhou Tong. He lifted his left leg, and the knee viciously slammed into Zhou Tong's back.

Zhou Tong slapped backward, deflecting Zhou Xuanfei's incoming left leg, then skillfully entangled it, using the force to throw Zhou Xuanfei away.

After Zhou Xuanfei fell to the ground, he quickly stood up, shook his somewhat numb left leg, and exclaimed, "Impressive!"

"You're too kind, big brother," Zhou Tong modestly replied.

Shaking his head, Zhou Xuanfei smiled and said, "Something's not right, Old Fourth. You just broke through to the Heaven Yuan Realm. How did your strength increase so quickly?"

Zhou Xuanfei was puzzled. In their previous sparring, he clearly felt that Old Fourth's strength was inferior to his own. However, just now, Old Fourth easily threw him away, indicating a vast disparity in strength.

"Big brother, you'll find out later. Let's continue," Zhou Tong said with a smile.

"All right." Zhou Xuanfei agreed.

Zhou Xuanfei's body suddenly surged with a majestic momentum.

"Cloud Brushing Sword Technique!" Zhou Xuanfei roared, charging at Zhou Tong like a cheetah with a sword slashing and cutting, displaying a formidable aura.

"So sharp sword intent. It seems that big brother's newly learned sword technique is indeed extraordinary!" Zhou Tong silently thought.

In battles between warriors of the same level, momentum was crucial. If one's momentum was suppressed, defeat was inevitable. Therefore, the stronger the momentum, the greater the chance of victory.

Facing Zhou Xuanfei's fierce attacks, Zhou Tong calmly employed the Empty Abyss Body Technique, skillfully evading each of Zhou Xuanfei's sword moves.

"Old Fourth, what kind of body technique is this? How can you move so fast, avoiding my attacks?" Zhou Xuanfei asked in amazement.

Zhou Tong smiled, "Empty Abyss Body Technique."

Frowning, Zhou Xuanfei pondered for a moment and asked, "Do we have such a body technique in the family? Why didn't I see you use it in the previous matches?"

"Big brother, do you still have confidence in defeating me in the family competition?" Zhou Tong asked with a smile.

"Hahaha..." Upon hearing Zhou Tong's words, Zhou Xuanfei burst into laughter, then stared seriously at Zhou Tong and said, "Old Fourth, I admit, I underestimated you just now. Let's have another round, and this time, I'll give my all!"

"Please, big brother, enlighten me," Zhou Tong said, cupping his hands in a salute.

"Good!"

With that, Zhou Xuanfei stomped the ground, leaping into the air. He held a sword, patting towards Zhou Tong's chest.

Zhou Tong quickly dodged, narrowly avoiding Zhou Xuanfei's sword.

Swish!

Swish!

Zhou Xuanfei's agile figure continuously attacked Zhou Tong with his sword.

Zhou Tong's body moved gracefully, constantly shifting and dodging. Regardless of Zhou Xuanfei's sword techniques, Zhou Tong skillfully

 defused the attacks. Although Zhou Tong had just entered the early stage of the Heaven Yuan Realm, he could confidently face Zhou Xuanfei's assaults, showcasing the excellence of the martial arts he practiced.

The speed of the two was astonishing. The onlookers below the stage could barely catch their movements, only vaguely discerning the trajectory of their actions.

"Such an exquisite body technique." The Zhou family disciples below were amazed. "What is this technique called?" Some youths whispered to each other.

"I've never seen it. Have you?"

"No."

...

On the stage, Zhou Tong and Zhou Xuanfei's intense battle continued. Neither could gain an advantage over the other.

Suddenly—

Swoosh!

Zhou Tong's figure retreated several steps, leaving Zhou Xuanfei's attack range.

Zhou Tong suddenly realized that the Empty Abyss Body Technique he used in the fight was different from the one he had practiced before. It now carried an elusive feeling.

"So, the Empty Abyss Body Technique has more to it than meets the eye." Zhou Tong muttered. "Could it be due to the cultivation in the bracelet?"

Not daring to be negligent, Zhou Tong immediately focused his mind and carefully contemplated, aiming to elevate his body technique.

Suddenly, Zhou Tong's figure disappeared from the original spot.

"This body technique is so strange."

The Zhou family disciples were astonished; they could only barely capture Zhou Tong's afterimage but couldn't see his exact position. Such a situation surprised everyone; this body technique was too mysterious.

On the stage, Zhou Xuanfei's face changed suddenly as he realized that he couldn't perceive Zhou Tong's whereabouts.

"What kind of body technique is this, and why is it like this?"

"Big brother, let's end it here today. If we continue, we won't be able to determine the winner. Let's have another competition in the future!" Zhou Tong said with a smile.

"Fine." Zhou Xuanfei reluctantly sheathed his sword.

"Old Fourth, your cultivation is advancing too fast; it's truly terrifying! I admit defeat this time. Let's have another showdown next time!" Zhou Xuanfei sincerely declared.

Although Zhou Xuanfei was unwilling to accept it, he admired Zhou Tong deep down.

"Haha, we'll settle the score at the family competition." Zhou Tong laughed.

In the following days, Zhou Tong spent most of his time practicing martial arts in the courtyard. The remaining time was spent watching practice sessions at the martial arts arena.

With exceptional talent, Zhou Tong, who had just entered the Heaven Yuan Realm, could spar evenly with Zhou Xuanfei, who was at the mid-stage of the Heaven Yuan Realm. However, Zhou Xi, who had broken through to the Heaven Yuan Realm earlier, likely reached the late stage, just one step away from advancing to the Elemental Dan Realm. To catch up with him in such a short time, Zhou Tong realized he needed to focus on the two martial arts techniques in his hands: the Empty Abyss Body Technique and the Refined Void Fist.