Lucky him, he drew Shi Kong.

"Master Shi Kong, please instruct."

"Master Cheng, after you."

Cheng Yuran couldn't stand his arrogant demeanor and initiated an attack, employing the swordsmanship of Wan Jian Sect, which looked quite spectacular.

Shaolin has the most comprehensive martial arts manuscripts among all sects. It's both a strength and a weakness. With an abundance of techniques, Shaolin disciples never worry about finding martial secrets.

However, old manuscripts might not be suitable for modern physiologies. Everything must evolve with time.

But Shi Kong's reputation isn't for naught. He's mastered numerous Shaolin techniques and wields an iron rod, using it to shatter many opponents' weapons due to his immense strength.

Zhou You watches the duel. After a flurry of moves, he concludes that Cheng Yuran's chances of victory are slim.

His promotion was too recent, and he hasn't fully mastered his new techniques. Given another year or two, he'd be far more accomplished.

However, his progress is commendable. Zhou You had never imagined seeing Cheng Yuran on the final championship stage.

By the next martial arts tournament, perhaps Long Gan and Li Yunxi might qualify for the finals.

Many contestants from Jiangnan Base are newcomers with limited experience, resulting in modest scores. Yet, the proportion of warriors from Jiangnan Base is steadily increasing, the fastest among all bases, making people more accepting of the live-teaching mode.

Contestants from Yang City Base include many who've worked on tasks with Zhou You. They've faced life and death together, and seeing them shine on stage satisfies Zhou You.

Perhaps even the audience is unaware. Just as Cheng Yuran and others displayed their loyalty, hundreds of contestants below silently agreed. They all benefitted from Shao Qi's efforts, and one should always remember their roots.

Furthermore, they were well aware that as long as Shao Qi was present, martial arts would never decline. Not all leaders in the military value ancient martial arts; some generals prioritize the development of modern weaponry.

In the end, Cheng Yuran was defeated, but only by a narrow margin. His opponent wasn't much better than him, evident from the multiple cuts on their clothing. Fortunately, both controlled their strength, preventing serious injuries.

Otherwise, even if Shi Kong had won, there would be no point in continuing the competition.

"So, for the second match, Zhang Huaísen will face Zhou... Zhou You." The host promptly corrected Zhou You's name.

Chapter 240: Unforeseen Turn

Zhang Huaísen knew he couldn't win. From the day he learned Zhou You was participating, his master had stated that the championship title would undoubtedly belong to Zhou You.

Yet, opportunities were rare. He always wanted a chance to compete against Zhou You, curious about the real power of a skilled psychic controller.

Zhang Huaísen wielded a sword and observed Zhou You holding his thin blade. "I recall Mr. Zhou previously had a pair of curved knives. Why not use them?"

Zhou You cleaned his sword and replied with a smile, "Because this sword was personally crafted and gifted to me by my beloved. I treasure it."

"Then, what's your most proficient weapon?"

"I don't have a specific preference; I can wield any. However, if we talk about the deadliest, it would probably be hidden weapons."

The most challenging aspect of facing a psychic controller is the ever-present threat of concealed weapons, which are hard to anticipate.

"I see. Might I have the honor of witnessing Mr. Zhou use his deadliest weapon? I wish to experience how a psychic controller manages hundreds of hidden weapons simultaneously."

"Very well." Zhou You handed his sword to a nearby staff member, then gestured to Zhang Huaísen, "Let's begin."

In the next instant, hundreds of steel needles flew from Zhou You, spiraling to form a shield-like circle behind him.

The audience gasped in astonishment, witnessing this technique from Zhou You for the first time during the competition.

"A person's psychic energy is finite. Can Zhou You really manage so many hidden weapons without strain?"

"Only someone with profound inner strength can pull this off. Otherwise, why would psychic controllers be so rare?"

For a moment, Zhang Huaísen didn't know where to begin. Before he could act, the steel needles converged on him from all directions, forcing him to defend.

What the audience then witnessed was a scene both comical and astonishing.

Zhou You stood leisurely on the arena, appearing as though all he needed was a chair and a cup of tea, making no moves while Zhang Huaísen struggled against the barrage of steel needles.

Without any noticeable motion from Zhou You, the needles whizzed around as if they had eyes, occasionally darting into openings to harass his opponent.

Zhang Huaísen defensively reacted to every move, thinking: Why isn't he tiring out? Why does his inner energy seem inexhaustible?

No one truly knew Zhou You's martial ranking. Top members of the association once tried probing Shao Qi, who only remarked that Zhou You's martial prowess surpassed his own.

Everyone initially assumed it was an exaggeration, but only when confronted with such an adversary did they realize his terrifying capabilities.

Zhang Huaísen noticed that the needles could be reused regardless of how they were hit. Thus, he changed his strategy to specifically break them.

However, he soon lamented discovering that his efforts merely provided Zhou You with more concealed weapons. The number of needles doubled, becoming smaller and more difficult to defend against.

Zhou You cheerfully advised, "You're going about it the wrong way."

Few martial artists had studied how to counter a psychic controller. And of course, no other psychic controllers were as formidable as Zhou You, leaving Zhang Huaísen to adapt on the fly.

Realizing his tactic was ineffective, he donned gloves, catching the attacking concealed weapons and tossing them off the arena.

By the rules, whether a person or weapon, anything out of bounds couldn't reenter the match, making this strategy more effective.