Zhou Hong quickly walked to the first position under everyone's watchful eyes.
"Brother, would you mind yielding the first spot to me!" Zhou Hong said to the young man occupying the top position.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Didn't you hear me reveal my strength? I'm a Martial Artist at the 45th stage." The young man standing at the first position frowned, a surge of anger on his face.
"Heh, I reveal mine too. Actually, I'm a Martial Artist at the 46th stage, just one step higher than you," Zhou Hong said with a smile.
"What?" All the spectators were shocked. A person who was originally only in the second position suddenly claimed to have revealed his strength and was exactly at the 46th stage. This was too dramatic! If he possessed such power, why didn't he directly challenge for the first position earlier?
"Are you crazy? If you're a Martial Artist at the 46th stage, why didn't you come up earlier?"
"Just like you, I've been concealing my strength. I was afraid that reaching the 46th stage of Martial Artist at such a young age would invite jealousy, so I didn't reveal it. Therefore, I only aimed for second place, appearing both low-key and profound. However, I suddenly regret it, so I want to reveal my hand. I'm exactly one stage higher than you. Will you yield the first position to me, or shall I kick you out?" Zhou Hong asked with a defiant grin.
"You're truly arrogant, come on, if you have the guts...!"
"Bang!" Before the 45th-stage Martial Artist could finish his sentence, Zhou Hong kicked him out, sending him flying off the stage.
"Ah!" The audience was dumbfounded. Just moments ago, they thought Zhou Hong might be putting on a show, but it turned out to be real. He was indeed a Martial Artist at the 46th stage.
For a moment, everyone in the entire martial arts hall was struck speechless.
The young man who had flown off the stage scrambled to his feet, feeling dizzy and disoriented.
"Damn it, is it really worth it for a provincial martial arts competition!" the young man cursed inwardly. He thought his strength was already exceptional for participating in a provincial-level competition, only to find someone even stronger.
Zhou Hong stood in the first position, and no one dared to challenge him.
Looking around, Zhou Hong couldn't help but let out a wry smile. He hadn't intended to win the championship in the first place, but by a twist of fate, it seemed destined.
"Zhou Hong, I'm going to compete for third place!" Changsun Ruoyan said to Zhou Hong. The second place was taken by the person Zhou Hong had just kicked out, so Changsun Ruoyan could only compete with the two youths who had been vying for second place to secure third. If she failed, her ranking might be even lower. She had initially aimed for first place, and this outcome was truly unexpected.
"Good luck, you must get third place!" Zhou Hong said to Changsun Ruoyan.
"Mm-hmm!"
At this moment, the young man who had been kicked off the stage by Zhou Hong returned, his gaze immediately fixed on the second position.
The two youths who had been fighting for second place immediately stopped their battle, obediently yielded the second position, and went to compete for third.
Thus, the first and second places were quickly decided.
Meanwhile, at Jinzhou University, Qiao Xiaoyu was weeping with excitement. She never imagined that Zhou Hong would give her such a huge surprise, or rather, a scare.
"Xiaoyu, did you see? Zhou Hong had been hiding so much of his strength," Qin Mengxue said, equally stunned.
"Mm-hmm, this scoundrel, he didn't even tell me. His real strength is so formidable, he hid over ten levels," Qiao Xiaoyu said, crying and scolding.
"Don't blame him too much. Didn't he say earlier that he was afraid of being envied for reaching such a realm at a young age? What if someone eliminated him, wouldn't that be a tragedy?"
"Mm-hmm!" Qiao Xiaoyu suddenly appeared worried. She completely understood why Zhou Hong had been hiding his strength. Indeed, reaching such a level at a young age could be life-threatening. If some powerful individual became displeased, they might nip him in the bud, and that would be terrible.
"It's all our Qiao family's fault for not having the strength to protect him. He shouldn't have become an live-in son-in-law in our Qiao family. He should have gone to those top families in Jinzhou City; only they have the ability to protect him," Qiao Xiaoyu said with great guilt.
"Let's not think too much about it for now. We'll take it one step at a time," Qin Mengxue replied.
At the martial arts hall, Changsun Ruoyan and the other two youths fiercely competed for third place.
Finally, after a bloody battle, Changsun Ruoyan successfully repelled the other two youths and firmly secured the third position.
The other two youths had no choice but to leave dejectedly to compete for fourth place.
"Sob, sob, sob!" Changsun Ruoyan was immensely moved. Although her initial goal was first place, she was still somewhat thrilled to have only achieved third, as third place was not easy to attain.
Just like that, an hour quickly passed.
The ranking battles concluded.
"Time's up!" the referee shouted.
Everyone immediately stopped fighting, some rejoicing while others despaired.
"I announce that the first place in the Jiangnan Province Martial Arts Competition is awarded to student Zhou Hong from Jinzhou University," the referee loudly declared.
"Patter, patter, patter!" Intense applause erupted from the audience.
Below the stage, the dean was weeping, seemingly also surprised by Zhou Hong's strength and how deeply he had concealed it.
"Student Zhou Hong, you've now won first place. Is there anything you'd like to say to everyone!" the referee walked up to Zhou Hong, holding the microphone to his lips.
"Well, I don't know what to say. I'm afraid if I say too much, people will think I'm showing off, and if I say too little, they'll think I'm aloof," Zhou Hong said with a faint smile.
A wave of laughter swept through the audience. They didn't expect the champion to be so humorous.
"Student Zhou Hong, allow me to ask you a question, and you answer it. Countless eyes across Jiangnan Province are watching you right now."
"Alright," Zhou Hong nodded.
"Why didn't you compete for first place from the beginning?" the referee quickly asked.
"Didn't I say? I was afraid that reaching the 46th stage of Martial Artist at such a young age would invite jealousy, and if someone envied me and eliminated me, who would I turn to?"
"But you must have some power behind you to protect you, right? Your cultivation to this level, doesn't it stem from a prominent family?"
"Of course not. I'm a poor boy from the shantytown, a live-in son-in-law from an ordinary family."
"So that's how it is. No wonder," the referee nodded. The entire audience began to murmur, seemingly worried for Zhou Hong. In such a situation, if he were truly targeted, it would indeed be very dangerous.
Meanwhile, not far away, a woman who had secured eighth place heard Zhou Hong's words and felt speechless. This woman was Huang Xiaoshan, the granddaughter of the chief judge. The reason she was speechless was that no one knew Zhou Hong's strength better than she did; even her grandfather was no match for him, yet he claimed to fear being eliminated. Now, with so many people genuinely worried for him, she could only feel speechless.