Chapter 79
“Wang Shixiong, it’s your turn.”
A fellow disciple beside him reminded him.
Wang Hao finally snapped back to reality and stepped onto the competition stage.
He faced a true disciple at the Inner Breath Jade Liquid stage.
The aura he exuded was also at the Inner Breath Jade Liquid stage, but he was significantly older than his opponent.
His martial arts foundation was much deeper as well.
The two exchanged blows, engaging in a fierce battle that reached a boiling point.
In the end, it concluded with Wang Hao’s victory.
However, after defeating his opponent, Wang Hao didn’t retract his imposing aura. His gaze, sharp as a blade, swept over Li Mo.
The hostility and intent to challenge were unmistakable.
Seeing Wang Hao like this, Li Mo felt a sense of relief wash over him.
Finally, he didn’t have to worry about not getting a fight.
If he stepped onto the stage and his opponents all jumped down to concede, the Jiu Feng Hui Wu would be utterly lacking in experience.
Of course, he thought, he couldn’t possibly encounter opponents who would concede in every match, right?
According to the famous Murphy’s Law, the more you wish for something not to happen, the more likely it is to occur.
In the next match.
On the stage, two old acquaintances stood in silence.
“Li Xiong.”
Murong Xiao looked at him, a shy smile on his face.
Li Mo: “.......”
He cast a skeptical glance at Elder Qian, who was responsible for the draw.
Elder Qian took a gentle breath, his face equally puzzled. How did this kid draw another familiar face?
Murong Xiao was also a popular disciple of the Qingyuan Sect.
Though he was merely at the Blood Qi stage, his half-demon physique and exceptional body refinement had allowed him to defeat several opponents of higher realms.
From his performance, he was even stronger than Lin Jiang.
If luck was on his side, he had a chance to enter the top sixteen.
On the high platform.
“Murong Xiao, the Qilin Child of Ziyang Mansion.”
“In this battle, he should unleash his full strength, right?”
The young man in white looked at Murong Xiao with a sense of mutual respect and intense fighting spirit.
He was the chief disciple of this generation, heavily favored by Fen Yu Lin!
He too bore the half-demon physique.
The Qilin Child of Ziyang Mansion?
That title should belong to him!
On the side of the Chi Jing Gang, the Blood Robe Young Master remained silent, his eyes already narrowed.
He couldn’t see through the depths of that young man.
Just like Ying Bing.
“Han He, what do you think?” After asking, Qian Bufan turned to the elder from the Divine Weapon Peak.
It was well-known that Elder Han He was stern and stubborn, unlikely to engage in any underhanded dealings.
So this match would surely be fair.
Unexpectedly, Han He shook his head:
“Murong Xiao is not Li Mo’s opponent.”
His recognition was quite decisive.
This left the elders baffled.
As a master, he must have a good understanding of Murong Xiao’s strength, yet he was so certain that Murong Xiao would lose without a second thought?
If that was the case, there was only one possibility.
Li Mo indeed possessed strength that Elder Han He acknowledged.
“It seems my disciple can truly surprise us,” Xue Jing said with a smile, casting his gaze toward the arena.
However, Qian Bufan’s voice soon rang out:
“Murong Xiao concedes.”
“Li Mo wins!”
This time, the elders didn’t say much, their expressions turning contemplative.
The other disciples watching, as well as outsiders, were completely baffled.
A chorus of exclamations erupted:
“What? Murong Xiao conceded too?”
“Did you see how he kept calling him ‘Li Xiong’? It seems he has a good relationship with Li Mo, so he threw the match?”
“Aren’t the elders going to intervene?”
“They say Li Mo is well-liked; today we’ve seen it firsthand. Can he really rely on connections to break into the top thirty-two?”
“If there’s any foul play, Elder Qian would surely know. I suspect he might have been bribed.”
...
A wave of discussions and doubts filled the air.
Li Mo took a deep breath: “Murong Xiong, you...”
“Li Xiong, you seem to have broken through again. I’m afraid you won’t be able to hold back,” Murong Xiao shivered slightly.
Images of Li Mo’s earlier display in the martial arts hall flashed in his mind.
At that moment, he had even doubted if the ground had shaken.
“Can’t we at least exchange a few moves, just for the sake of it?”
Li Mo felt a wave of helplessness wash over him.
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“I... still wanted to push for the top sixteen...”
Murong Xiao felt aggrieved as well.
That massive piece of whale breath coral had been directly turned to a different color.
Li Mo hadn’t even used his martial arts; with a single punch, he unleashed the attack strength of the Inner Breath Jade Liquid stage. Just the residual killing intent made Murong Xiao’s scalp tingle.
Now that he had broken through, what would happen?
Li Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
He hadn’t fought a single match and was already in the top thirty-two.
If it was about relying on connections, it shouldn’t count as such.
Where could he voice his grievances?
........
The morning matches concluded with Elder Qian announcing a break.
Afterward, two more rounds of battles took place.
From the thirty-two, they advanced to the top eight.
The individuals who emerged from the fray each had their strengths and showcased their skills, making this year’s Jiu Feng Hui Wu the most prestigious yet.
Among them were those like Wang Hao, who was perfectly at the age limit for participation, with a solid foundation and rich combat experience.
There were also prodigies like Murong Xiao, who displayed exceptional talent.
Of course, one couldn’t forget Ying Bing.
Every time she took the stage, she crushed her opponents with absolute dominance, finishing her matches in record time.
However, there were indeed those who were faster than her.
For instance, a certain true disciple from Qunyu Peak, who had yet to make an appearance...
In any case, the afternoon’s competition was filled with highlights.
......
At the main peak of Qingyuan, in the cafeteria.
Li Mo, Murong Xiao, Xiao Qin, and Lin Jiang were sitting at a table, eating.
Watching the three of them devour their meals, Li Mo felt a twinge of melancholy.
“Now everyone in the sect says I got in through connections.”
“Some even say I threw my matches.”
“Do you have any insights on this?”
Having participated all morning without a single match, he felt inexplicably frustrated with all his energy pent up.
“Li Xiong, if I fought you, I might not be able to advance,” Murong Xiao said sheepishly.
Lin Jiang nodded in agreement, feeling as if he had survived a disaster:
“Li Xiong, the Hundred Flowers Dew Cream probably can’t bring someone back from the dead...”
Li Mo’s mouth twitched, and he turned to the side:
“Old Xiao, what about you? You’re at the Inner Breath stage; you should at least put up a fight with me.”
“Ah?”
Xiao Qin, with dark circles under his eyes and a tissue stuffed in his nose, looked bewildered.
He pointed at himself with a bandaged finger:
“Me?”
Old Xiao had had a rough time.
He had encountered a true disciple at the Inner Breath Jade Liquid stage and had engaged in a real man-to-man duel, resulting in injuries on both sides.
In the end, he barely managed to win, but his right hand was now temporarily incapacitated due to injury.
And then...
In the next round, he faced Li Mo.
---
Chapter 76: Li Mo vs. Wang Hao
At the main peak of Qingyuan.
On the mountain path not far from the discussion hall.
“Master, the Sect Leader has summoned us for a meeting,” the helmsman said, bowing his head.
“Qingyuan Sect, truly a place where things have changed...”
The Blood Robe Young Master of the Chi Jing Gang gazed down at the vast and misty Qingyuan Mountains, suddenly feeling a wave of nostalgia.
“What do you mean by that, Young Master?” the helmsman asked, slightly puzzled.
The gang leader had only mentioned that they should show utmost respect to this mysterious young master, without revealing much else.
He naturally assumed that the young man might be a scion of a prominent family from the Eastern Wilderness or a noble from another state.
From the way he spoke, it seemed he had been to Qingyuan Sect before?
“In every aspect,” the Blood Robe Young Master replied, hands clasped behind his back as he walked ahead, seemingly in a good mood and willing to chat a bit more.
“What do you think of the current Chi Jing Gang?”
“My Chi Jing Gang has many disciples, with ears and eyes spread throughout Ziyang Mansion. Wherever the Chi Jing sails, it commands the rivers and lakes, naturally thriving,” the helmsman said, his tone tinged with pride.
“Ha...”
The Blood Robe Young Master remained noncommittal, casually asking:
“How does that compare to the current Qingyuan Sect?”
“Not far off,” the helmsman replied straightforwardly.
If one were to discuss influence in the rivers and lakes, Qingyuan Sect couldn’t hold a candle to the Chi Jing Gang.
However, after witnessing the talent at the Jiu Feng Hui Wu today, he had only given a “not far off” evaluation; otherwise, it would have been hard to distinguish between the two.
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