Soon, all the prestigious schools had arrived.
Together with Tian Nan University, there were originally twenty-two participants. However, just now, Lin Mo had incapacitated Liu Qiang, leaving only twenty-one competitors.
The academies didn't discuss much and planned to go from twenty-two to eleven just like the previous session.
But, because they were short one due to Liu Qiang's absence, after consultation among the twenty-one martial arts schools, it was decided that the last champion, Xuanyuan Chen, would directly advance to the final one-on-one championship match.
Soon, the draw began. Lin Mo, however, did not take it as seriously as the other students who were nervous and earnestly drawing.
Lin Mo casually picked one.
He drew Huang Zhi from Huaqing University.
There were ten pairs in total, entering the elimination round of twenty to ten.
The competition officially started.
Xuanyuan Chen, Zhang Hao, as well as those professors and principals of various prestigious schools were seated below the martial arts stage, watching the competition.
At this time, an elderly man sitting on the left side of Ma Bo glanced at Lin Mo on the stage and then chuckled lightly,
"Principal Ma, this Lin Mo has astonishing academic talent, but in terms of martial power, I think our Huang Zhi from Qingdong University has the upper hand."
Hearing this, a few of Huang Zhi's junior fellows behind him nodded their heads, their expressions filled with confidence:
"Professor Wang is right. Our Brother Huang Zhi is not only incredibly strong but also, it is said that his martial arts realm has advanced a level recently."
"If you ask me, this Lin Mo is bound to lose."
Glancing at Ma Bo, Professor Wang, with a slight squint in his eyes, chuckled:
"Did you hear that, Principal Ma? You really should have known better. If Lu Chendong couldn't participate, there was no need to bring in such a young man just for appearances, right?"
Ma Bo remained calm and replied indifferently, "Let's speak again after seeing the results."
Still, Professor Wang couldn't help shaking his head: "You, you just refuse to accept reality."
At this time, Huang Zhi, standing on the martial arts stage, looked coldly at Lin Mo, his eyes filled with arrogance:
"Why isn't it Lu Chendong participating in this session, but instead they sent a young man like you who hasn't even grown proper facial hair?"
Lin Mo, hands behind his back, glanced at him, his brows slightly furrowed: "Do you think you are better than Lu Chendong?"
Huang Zhi thought for a moment, then with a flicker in his eyes, said, "Of course he is."
"Since that's the case, you can leave," Lin Mo said indifferently.
"What did you say?"
Huang Zhi was stunned. He had never expected this Lin Mo to be so arrogant.
"Hmph! Young man, even though my strength isn't as good as Lu Chendong's, I can easily defeat you."
"You are only sixteen or seventeen years old, could your strength possibly be stronger than Lu Chendong's?"
As he spoke, Huang Zhi shouted coldly and suddenly stomped his foot, instantly rushing toward Lin Mo.
That seemingly fierce punch, however, was caught effortlessly between Lin Mo's two fingers in the next second.
"What?"
Huang Zhi was completely dumbfounded. He had put all his strength into that punch, aiming to knock Lin Mo off the stage with a single blow.
But to his utter disbelief, his punch was stopped by just two of Lin Mo's fingers.
It wasn't just him; Huang Zhi's teachers and fellow disciples were all completely flabbergasted.
"I don't believe it!"
Huang Zhi roared, channeling the True Qi within his body, trying to break free from Lin Mo's control, but despite using all his might, he couldn't budge at all.
"Your disbelief stems from your lack of strength," Lin Mo retorted.
With that, Lin Mo's fingers moved slightly, and in an instant, Huang Zhi flew out of the arena like he had been hit by a truck.
Professor Wang and Huang Zhi's fellow disciples were all wide-eyed, their looks filled with horror.
Afterwards, as Lin Mo jumped down from the stage, the other group matches were still ongoing.
Upon seeing Lin Mo, Ma Bo couldn't help feeling a bit excited: "Mr. Lin, truly extraordinary."
Lin Mo remained composed and then found a chair to sit down, leisurely closing his eyes.
At the same time, Zhang Hao's expression suddenly changed, and he said to Xuanyuan Chen in a deep voice:
"Sir, I think this Lin Mo is no simple character."
Xuanyuan Chen remained composed, his eyes slightly cold as he spoke, "If he were too weak, I wouldn't even be interested in making a move. This is exactly to my liking. I hope he is stronger than I imagine; that would make the game interesting."
Just then, Zhang Hao's gaze landed on Lin Mo, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Sir, look at that young man."
Hearing this, Xuanyuan Chen slightly turned his head and immediately frowned slightly, "Heh, this young man sure knows how to pose. But no matter what, he is doomed!"
Soon, the top ten had moved on to the top five.
This time, Lin Mo's opponent was even weaker than the previous one, Huang Zhi, so there was really nothing worth watching.
In the end, two of them directly forfeited.
On the Martial Arts stage, only Lin Mo and a self-confident young man remained.
Below the stage, there was a flurry of discussion.
"What's the story with that Lin Mo? He seems even more formidable than Lu Chendong from the previous session, and Lu Chendong only made it into the top five."
"This Lin Mo managed to get into the top three of the Azure Gang Tournament!"
"Hey, this is going to be interesting."
"How so?"
"Didn't you see those two guys just forfeited? Zhou Yang was the runner-up last tournament, and no one can match his strength, except for Xuanyuan Chen."
"Then who do you think has a better chance of winning this match?"
"Of course Zhou Yang. Lin Mo might have stood out, but Zhou Yang is a seasoned expert."
Meanwhile, on the stage, Zhou Yang, looking at Lin Mo with his hand behind his back, wore an arrogant expression:
"So? You aren't planning on forfeiting?"
Lin Mo's expression remained calm as he flatly replied, "Why should I forfeit?"
"Hmph!"
Zhou Yang snorted lightly and then subtly stomped his foot. Instantly, the ground around him cracked, extending several inches.
Not only that, it seemed like the air itself was violently disturbed by his action.
Those watching below were utterly shocked.
"Zhou Yang is too amazing, isn't he?"
"Indeed, he belongs to the Intermediate Martial Sect!"
"What? That's terrifying!"
"It looks like Lin Mo is bound to lose."
People below buzzed with discussions, but on the stage, Lin Mo maintained an expression of indifference, not moving an inch.
"Heh, very well!"
"You don't want to admit defeat in front of me, Zhou Yang? Then I'll beat you until you do."
As he spoke, his eyes sharpened like a blade, fiercely penetrating.
The next second, he violently leaped up, soaring two to three meters high, then crossed the space with a kick powerful as a tank's crushing force.
"It's Zhou Yang's signature move, the Mountain-shattering Kick!"
"It's over! Lin Mo is doomed!"
Seeing Zhou Yang employing his signature move, some couldn't bear to watch directly and covered their eyes.
In their view, Lin Mo was utterly reckless.
However, reality far exceeded their expectations. As Zhou Yang's kick came, Lin Mo instantly grabbed his ankle. He tried to wrench it back, but it was impossible.
Below the Martial Arts stage, everyone's eyes widened as Zhou Yang spun in the air like a kicked football, making seven or eight rotations, then Lin Mo threw him out.
Boom!
When Zhou Yang's body appeared again, it had already smashed into three or four chairs, which instantly turned into debris, and Zhou Yang himself had broken over a dozen ribs, his body covered in blood, a sight of utter misery.
Everyone was stunned. Just how strong was Lin Mo?
Zhou Yang couldn't even complete his attack before being thrown out?
The entire Martial Arts Hall fell silent, until, after three or four seconds, Xuanyuan Chen's lips curled into a cold, unprecedented smirk:
"Interesting, truly interesting!"