"England mounted a counterattack." Jing Shan was surprised. Her eyes were filled with wonder and mixed feelings.

No one thought that Tintu, who managed to get second place last year, would be the first country to lose. They had been defeated by England too, who only managed to get fifth place the year before.

At the same time, England had also shown an amazing strength. They managed to win even though one person from their side was a low-level Innate, and their ruthlessness was truly impressive.

Of course, it was wrong to say that Tintu was not ruthless enough, but at the end of the day, only one side can win!

"Awakened ones have a much greater advantage indeed." Ye Lingchen frowned.

At the very end, both Alex and Vikas were already at the end of the line, but Alex only needed to use his mind to manipulate the metal, while Vikas could only sit and wait.

That tiny little difference was not to be underestimated. The tiniest loss was the difference between life and death!

Lin Xi nodded in agreement. "Yes, the awakened ones can manipulate the elements much easier than us."

"The awakened ones are at an advantage but they also have flaws. They will be greatly affected by environmental factors, and because their technique is only limited to one, they're not as explosive as warriors. For example, a fire-based awakened one will lose at least half of his strength if he fights at sea," Sun Hongtao pointed out.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"England wins!"

The referee then announced the result loudly!

Vikas was still lying on the ground with blood gurgling from his three wounds and sadness in his eyes.

Tintu was defeated in that battle!

Their performance was no doubt outstanding and they each gave their all, but all of them were seriously injured and their combat power was greatly reduced. It would have a great impact on the next round and they were likely to be ranked last that year.

Fortunately, there still had a buffer of two days to recuperate.

...

"Tintu had been defeated. Their injuries are severe and it will likely affect their battles the day after tomorrow," Chen Xiaoxiao lamented slightly. For the time being, Tintu suffered plenty of injuries and disability; those who still had combat effectiveness numbered only two or three.

If they lose again, their ranking would definitely fall further behind.

The competition system separated the group of winners from the losers. The group of winners comprised four teams and the losers consisted of four teams as well. Winners and losers would be grouped again from each of those groups, with the winners facing the winners and the losers facing the losers. The ranking would then be derived from the result.

Since Tintu had been defeated in the first round, the most they could get was fifth.

It had to be said that luck played a big part in the confrontation. While it was unlucky to draw a strong opponent, luck was also part of one's strength. It was only with such luck that resources could be arranged appropriately.

What was the point of holding the tournament then? They could just give more resources to powerful countries and be done with it. Therefore, the competition was held in order to give some relatively weak countries a chance to mount a counterattack.

"There'll be a good show later this afternoon. Hellas will go up against the Sun Nation," Jing Shan spoke in a teasing tone. "Come on, let's go eat. Then we can sit and wait for the exciting battle that's scheduled for this afternoon."

"Hellas might probably crush the Sun Nation, hehehe ..." Chen Xiaoxiao said expectantly.

With the end of the first competition, the contestants continued to head for the exit. Some people began discussing England's strength and lamenting Tintu's failure. Others remained silent and had a heavy heart.

The fierce competition had exceeded many people's expectations, but in all honesty, the outcome might be the same if anyone went up. No one wanted to lose, so all they could do was fight to the death!

It was not just about sparring with each other and seeing the outcome—the most important point was to have a clear outcome to distinguish the strong from the weak!

Although no one died, the injuries sustained were shocking and everyone was seriously injured!

If that was just the first battle, whatever would happen next?

Would the afternoon matches be more tragic?

It would be an even more miserable sight when it was finally time for the competition for first place.

Of course, no one fought timidly, and it was the nature of martial artists not to shy away from it. Fighting in a reserved manner would certainly not be agreed by their own country, and not even the world's martial artists would consent to it.

Cowardice was forbidden for martial artists!

After lunch, the discussions faded away and everyone waited patiently.

Two o'clock sharp.

The International Martial Arts Tournament arena.

Everyone quickly found their seating arrangements from that morning, and quickly took their places. Each person looked forward to it.

Wu Tianbao had already begun, "It was a cruel game that morning, but I'm very gratified because no one voluntarily surrendered. They all fought to the end, up until the very last breath. Their sacrifices on the battlefield were not in vain. Good job!

"Compared with the previous tournaments, your progress has been really great. I remember during the first few years where only martial artists with adept inner strength were able to participate in the tournament. At most, they were low-level Innates. Now, the mid-level Innates are ubiquitous and what was their foundation? Their foundation depended on countless predecessors who were not afraid of death!

"Warriors must fight for resources and for a chance to survive. It is a must to strive for integrity when seizing any opportunity!"

Along with that opening line, the afternoon round had officially begun.

"Next, let's take a look at the lineup of Hellas and the Sun Nation.

"Hellas: Arina, Eris, Gaia, Hera, Hebe.

"Sun Country: Zokawa, Akai, Anzai, Asao, Aso.

"We witnessed a spectacular battle this morning. Will it be more exciting this afternoon?

"Stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled!

"The two countries this morning paid special attention to the first and last battle. Will the next two countries adopt the same tactics? "

Wu Tianbao laughed loudly and said, "Please come to the arena!"

...

"Huh? Hellas's first contestant is a woman," Wu Tianbao could not help but cry out in astonishment when he saw the first contestant.

Everyone was surprised.

Ye Lingchen frowned and looked at the woman. She was dressed in light armor and had a heroic character, with her long purple hair fluttering against the wind. Her blue pupils shone like gems, and her height could be considered on the higher end when compared to other women. Standing at a height of 1.78 meters, she had a good figure too.

The appearance of Western women was very different, but they were all extremely beautiful. The weapons of her choice were a spear and a shield!

She was a mid-level Innate and her Qi was different from Warriors and awakened ones. If one were to point out the specific differences, hers seemed to have a sense of sacredness to it.

Ye Lingchen looked at her with a slightly solemn expression.

That woman had extraordinary Qi!

Arina leapt and landed in the middle of the arena.

At the same time, Zokawa was walking slowly on the other side.

"Bang!"

His body fit his name very well, for he resembled a giant elephant. At two meters tall, his entire body piled together like a hill and his footsteps made a muffled sound when he walked over. The weapon he wielded was a heavy hammer!

Beauty and the Beast!

That was the first thought that popped up in everyone's mind.

Zokawa was absolutely menacing. His mountain-like body and huge heavy hammer were daunting to anyone who looked at it. In comparison, Arina looked much weaker.

"Arina from Hellas!"

"Zokawa from the Sun Nation!"

...