Chapter 121: Ancient Snake Fist

The short girl executed her Snake-Style fist with spectacular skill, moving just like a venomous serpent, striking left and right with vicious, lethal intent aimed squarely at her opponent’s lower body. The man, goaded into a fit of rage by her constant circling, suddenly spotted a lapse in her defense. With a thunderous roar, he threw a powerful punch, hoping to end the fight in one fell swoop.

But at that moment, the short girl sprang up like a striking viper, her speed unparalleled. Her right arm became the serpent’s body, her fingers its fangs. With the suddenness of a viper’s strike, she bit deep. A wet, tearing sound echoed as blood geysered from the man’s throat, his massive frame instantly losing all strength.

*Crack.* The man was ejected from the secret realm, scooped up by the medical team like refuse. Meanwhile, a sharp *snap* came from the short girl’s left arm; the light-shielding barrier shattered, and her limb hung at an unnatural angle, clearly fractured.

Exposing a weakness is a gamble, and it cannot be done half-heartedly. She had won her opponent’s life, but he had cost her an arm.

"Hoo..."

Shi Tiexin, watching from the stands, couldn't help but let out a breath. The girl’s martial arts were fierce, ruthless, and relied on using a small frame to overcome a larger one—one wrong move would have meant total defeat. He had been holding his breath subconsciously. Now that the bout was over, a realization dawned on him.

The girl’s actual level wasn't much higher than her opponents, but she consistently landed one-hit kills because of the unique nature of her style.

Being short, she fully leveraged her stature, refining her Snake-Style to perfection. Her footwork was nimble, favoring rapid changes in direction and evasion over blocking, constantly harrying her opponents while waiting for a flaw. Once she seized an opportunity, her attack was lightning-fast, coming from unconventional, low-to-high angles. For her, the throat—a target others found difficult to reach—was the easiest point of entry.

Furthermore, she was willing to pay the price. Looking at her broken arm, it was clear that she and her opponents were evenly matched. In her style, it was either a rapid, decisive kill or being killed in turn.

To win, one must pay the price. She had paid it, she had seized the moment, and so she had won.

Unfortunately, the examination was not a one-off death match, but a grueling endurance race.

"Loser exits, winner proceeds. Merge!"

With four battlefields remaining, the girl’s luck held. Her next opponent was a woman about 1.68 meters tall, also covered in wounds. The woman stared at the girl with guarded, wary eyes, calculating whose injuries were more severe, while covertly scanning the girl’s bones and joints to analyze her fighting style.

"Ready—Begin!"

*Boom.* This time, the short girl launched the offensive, her small frame surging with an unstoppable, terrifying momentum. "Hah!" With a startling, thunderous shout, she leaped into the air and descended upon the woman with a flurry of strikes.

Is this... Tiger-Style?

Shi Tiexin was truly stunned; he hadn't expected the girl to be so versatile. To have mastered Snake-Style to such a refined level while also being proficient in Tiger-Style was remarkable.

Whether she was truly "proficient" remained to be seen, but judging by that momentum, she was undoubtedly a master of the Tiger-Style.

Her voice roared like a tiger shaking the beasts; her posture was that of a ferocious tiger descending from the mountains.

A "Tiger Descends the Mountain" strike came crashing down toward the woman. The sheer intensity made even Shi Tiexin, a mere spectator, feel the hair on his arms stand up, let alone the woman who bore the brunt of it. She was thrown into a panic, scrambling to react.

The woman had assumed that given the girl’s height, she would favor short-range, high-risk tactics, and had focused her defense on preventing low-to-high strikes. Who would have guessed the girl would lead with a crushing blow from above?

Just as the woman raised her arms to block and evade, the short girl—mid-air and mid-assault—suddenly hooked her leg in a bizarre, silent, and incredibly vicious motion.

*Crack.* The woman’s throat was mangled, her cervical spine shattered, and with a look of utter disbelief, she was kicked out of the secret realm.

Shi Tiexin almost wanted to stand up and applaud.

Brilliant! Truly brilliant!

The "Tiger Descends the Mountain" was a feint—it was still the Snake-Style!

The girl had a sharp mind. She knew that a woman of 1.68 meters, while short for this era, had limited options in martial arts and likely followed a path similar to her own. If they were to engage in a prolonged struggle, the girl’s injuries would put her at a disadvantage.

She understood that women of this height, having long faced opponents larger than themselves, would be naturally cautious. If they hadn't been careful, they wouldn't have made it this far.

The girl had exploited this psychology, unleashing a Tiger-Style display so realistic and imposing that it caused her opponent to lose her composure, instinctively ignoring the threat from below. Then, she launched a surprise Snake-Style sneak attack, securing a one-hit kill.

Such things are easier said than done. To fake a Tiger-Style strike while seamlessly transitioning into a mid-air Snake-Style attack—and using a leg as a limb for that strike—was simply incredible. Shi Tiexin didn't know what level she had reached, but she was certainly a master, and likely deep into the "Refined" stage.

On the stage, in the blink of an eye, life and death were decided.

Shi Tiexin felt once more the greatness of the Sages of Time and Space. Without these secret realms, martial artists would never have the chance to unleash their full potential. Now, a hundred flowers could bloom.

"Loser exits, winner proceeds. Merge!"

Only two secret realms remained. The short girl had fought her way to the semi-finals; the Heaven-Sent Golden Light was only a step away!

Shi Tiexin found himself wanting to cheer for her. He looked at her opponent and tensed; he knew she had met a formidable foe. The opponent was a man, 1.9 meters tall, well above average. Yet, he was no lumbering giant; he was lean with a cold, sharp gaze, and moved with great agility.

Shi Tiexin focused on the man’s muscles—long, fine fibers. His arms were thin but taut. This was likely a speed-based, cool-headed martial artist—a natural counter to the girl.

Fortunately, Shi Tiexin carefully observed the man’s legs and noticed they appeared injured. It seemed he, too, had not emerged from his previous fights unscathed.

To win this, she would have to exploit that weakness.

But Shi Tiexin could see it, the girl could see it, and surely, the man knew it too.

"Ready—Begin!"

At the command of the Dragon-Diagram Scholar, neither side acted rashly. Having reached the semi-finals, with the golden light within reach, both were far more cautious.

The girl and the man approached each other inch by inch, testing the waters with quick feints before retreating. They circled each other like characters in an old drama, looking almost playful, but in reality, they were engaged in a fierce, invisible clash of wills.

Just then, a massive gasp erupted from the audience.

Shi Tiexin turned his head toward the other secret realm, only to discover that the match there had already concluded.