The red-robed elder at the lead took a scroll from his sleeve and unrolled it. His gaze swept across it, and he read out two names:
"First match: Qin Yuan of Longxing County versus Tie Xiong of Desert North County."
From within the crowd, Qin Yuan's dark gold figure stepped forward at the call.
He walked with a composed gait, each step carrying a rhythm as steady as a mountain, as if he were treading a path in his own backyard, not a Battle Platform.
Opposite him, a burly figure also strode onto the platform.
It was an extremely stout man with dark skin and gnarled muscles, carrying a giant blade on his shoulder that looked like a door panel.
With every step he took, the platform surface let out a dull tremor.
The red-robed elder glanced at the two, retreated to the edge of the high platform, and said flatly:
"Begin."
The moment his voice fell—Tie Xiong moved first.
