Before the Finals

Perhaps you feel that I am not real enough now, that I have deviated from human nature, but is human nature always a good thing? Selfishness, greed, and belligerence—aren't these flaws? I am clean and pure now, and I really don't want to go back to that quagmire, to be surrounded by the stench of desire.

"... Are you planning to cultivate immortality?"

"It depends on what kind of 'immortal' you're talking about. If the immortals are like those in folk myths, full of emotions and desires, and constantly fighting amongst themselves, then it's better not to cultivate such an immortality. But if this immortal is the kind of carefree immortal that Daoist School speak of, then it's worth a try."

Suddenly Shan Gu remembered something and said, "By the way, I recently came across a Daoist School mental cultivation manual called 'The Carefree Virtueless Art.' After practicing it for a few days, I've gained some insights, and I'd like to share them with Brother Si Ming. How about we turn our martial arts duel into a literary one, discuss the universe, share our martial arts experiences, and have a proper competition? What do you think, Si Ming?"

Fuck you!

Si Ming kicked the man off the balcony and left in a huff.

He hurried to the door and met Murong Qing, who was waiting for him. Murong Qing, seeing his expression, understood and said, "Looks like you didn't get what you wanted. What's wrong?"

"Cultivating immortality is harmful!"

Si Ming sighed and then explained the whole story.

After listening quietly, Murong Qing said thoughtfully, "Originally, I thought the hidden dangers of Super Martial Dao were that they would make people belligerent and crazy, or at least guide their temperament in that direction. Now it seems that's not the case. So if a person cultivates both the 'Supreme Plain Decay True Scripture' and the 'Great Beginning Transition True Scripture' at the same time, it's impossible for him to be irritable and angry one moment and indifferent to desires the next, right?"

Si Ming's eyes lit up after hearing this; he hadn't considered the problem from this angle before. "Dissociative identity disorder is one possibility, but mutual cancellation and fighting poison with poison are also possibilities. Perhaps as long as one cultivates all the Super Martial Dao, one can return to one's original nature and eliminate all hidden dangers."

Given the perverse sense of humor of that Super Martial Dao creator, he felt the latter was more likely.

"However, this is just speculation. We don't even know how many levels of the Super Martial Dao are, so how dare we try? If we end up with a madman who's sometimes furious and sometimes melancholic, it'll be too late for regrets."

Si Ming didn't want to take any risks. Super Martial Dao was powerful, but not enough to make him risk losing his mind.

Murong Qing pondered, "Actually, there's another possibility. Perhaps it's not as complicated as we think. There are mutually canceling connections between Super Martial Dao Cultivation Method, like yin and yang. As long as you cultivate the corresponding two Cultivation Method simultaneously, you can eliminate the hidden dangers."

"That makes sense. Compared to collecting all the Super Martial Dao, this method is easier to implement. However, the problem remains the same: we don't know which two Cultivation Method correspond to each other. Testing them on others is too dangerous. Super Martial Dao have a high threshold, requiring a certain level of comprehension and aptitude. Not just anyone can practice them, and who would dare to use a genius for such an experiment?"

Si Ming shook his head and said, "Let's not talk about that anymore. Let's focus on the finals. Our opponent is Heavenly Black University. Judging from their performance in the previous match, they are not weak. If we are careless, we could still lose."

Murong Qing nodded and said, "The outcome will be decided in two days."

Chapter 791 Before the Finals

The day of the Martial Dao League finals arrived quickly. An hour and a half before the finals began, the 60,000-seat stadium was already packed, with even a row of standing-room-only spectators in the aisles. Heavenly Black University had many supporters, but Linked Mountains University had just as many. Moreover, while the former was a regular in the finals, the latter was making it to the finals for the first time in sixteen years, so they were even more excited and thrilled.

At this moment, more than ten dragon boats were shuttling and swimming in Deep Pit Lake as a pre-race performance. Colorful flags were waving, water splashed, and the deafening drums and shouts of people blended into a lively and noisy din.

However, all the attention was on the blind man; the audience's focus wasn't on the performance at all. They were all discussing the upcoming match, listing various reasons to prove that their supported team was bound to win. If these supporters were mixed together, it might escalate from words to fists, resulting in a spectacular brawl. Before the match even started, the supporters would have a huge melee. This had happened before, causing the finals of that year to be postponed by half a month.

Later, the league made it clear that supporters of the two teams had to be arranged on both sides of the stands, separated by neutral players. If necessary, barbed wire could be used to block them. In this way, although some might slip through the net, being in the enemy camp would surely make even the most loyal supporters keep quiet and pretend to be friendly.

Besides the general audience, the VIP seats were also filled with guests, all of whom were well-known figures in the martial arts world. Compared to previous years, there were even more Spirit Transformation Grandmaster present this year, prompting the cameras to frequently pan to them. The audience members also discussed the celebrities they recognized. Among them, Liu Qingqing's master, Ji Shichen, was present, as were Senior Zhu Hao and the Holy Maiden Tu Wangyue. Yan Jinghong and Ling Huanxi were not there, but the two rarely appeared in public anyway.

"High Priest, I've witnessed your disciple's duel; you've truly taken on a very special student."

The one who spoke was a burly man with a thick beard and bronze skin. Most striking were his hands, as large as palm leaves, with each finger seemingly cast in steel, giving the impression of invincibility. This man was Jiu Namo's master, "Ten Fingers Part the Heavens" Pan Hong.

It's unique in that it's not strong.

Ji Shichen glanced at the other person and said slowly, "Don't worry, if my disciple faces your disciple, I'll have her go easy on me."

Pan Hong's face twitched. He wasn't exactly known for his composure and forbearance. He snorted and said, "Let's not even talk about who's giving way to whom. Your disciple has always participated in doubles matches, hasn't he? I doubt he's ever had a chance to face my disciple."

These words were a sarcastic remark about Liu Qingqing, implying she could only cooperate with others and couldn't stand on her own. Ji Shichen wasn't angry; this level of provocation was insignificant. She immediately retorted, "Don't worry, I have connections with Yan Jinghong and Ling Huanxi's apprentices. I'll ask them to go easy on me and try not to kill anyone."

Si Ming and Murong Qing's backgrounds are a secret to ordinary people, but they are nothing to these big shots, who already know everything about them. With Pan Hong's discerning eye, he can see that the two are far stronger than the other contestants, especially the former, whose strength is incredibly powerful. Pan Hong himself thinks that even if he were to personally participate, he wouldn't be confident. He doesn't know how Yan Jinghong could have trained such a freak, since their styles are completely incompatible!

However, not wanting to lose face, Pan Hong retorted, "Don't be too happy yet. My apprentice and Xiang Donglai might both participate in the doubles event in this final. Who knows who will go easy on whom then!"

Seeing that the two were getting increasingly agitated, bystanders quickly tried to dissuade them, especially Zhu Hao, the kind-hearted man sitting between them. He couldn't help but complain that the organizers were inconsiderate, only knowing to separate the audience but not the guests. He said that if the Spirit Transformation Grandmaster started fighting, it would be much more intense than a battle royale where everyone in the audience was fighting.

Of course, it's not hard to understand the organizers' thinking. They probably thought that everyone sitting here was a well-established senior expert who was proud of his status and wouldn't let conflicts erupt in public. But they had no idea that Spirit Transformation experts were a bunch of willful guys. If they really lost their temper, they wouldn't care about these rules and regulations. They didn't care about public opinion at all, and they didn't rely on this for their livelihood.

Zhu Hao could only pray that the competition would start soon. It wasn't just Liu Qingqing and Jiu Namo's master sitting here; Xiang Donglai and Dong Hanwen's masters were also there. Although Ke Chajing, the president of the Second Martial Arts Club, didn't have a master at the Spirit Transformation level, she did have a grandmaster at the Spirit Transformation level.

In a stable social environment, behind every genius martial artist stands a powerful figure; very few people emerge suddenly from nowhere without a sect, lineage, or master.

It's not that you can't succeed without a background, nor is it that everyone loves to curry favor with powerful figures. Rather, when someone sees a talented and promising individual going unnoticed, those with powerful connections will naturally come forward. This is partly why Ji Shichen was willing to take Liu Qingqing as her apprentice. If she didn't, someone else would have. Finding a successor to carry on the family legacy is no easy task, and once you miss the opportunity, it's too late to regret it.

In the lounge of the Linked Mountains University Second Martial Arts Club, Hu Jixian is explaining tactics.

"Based on the intelligence gathered, the enemy has three strong points: 'Stele-Breaking Thunderbolt Hand that Jiu Namo,' Drunken Steps Across the Nine Provinces 'Xiang Donglai, and' Invincible Divine Palm's Dong Hanwen. Although all three were injured to varying degrees in the last battle, unfortunately, their injuries were not serious. With the help of some secret techniques, they can adjust their condition to the best. Therefore, we should not expect them to underperform."

Ke Chajing said, "We never thought that way in the first place. The stronger the opponent, the more meaningful our championship will be."

Ignoring the chairman's statement, Hu Jixian continued, "Fortunately, although the opponent's core combat force is still there, their main force is basically destroyed. Meng Meng and Jin Fengjing are both seriously injured, and even if they suppress their strength with secret techniques, it will affect their performance. It's better to let others fight. The golden duo, the Jiulong Brother and Sister, were stabbed through the stomach and are still in the hospital. The only one who can be used is 'Evil Eagle' Ye Wangduan. Therefore, as long as it's a fair fight, we won't lose."

Ke Chajing nodded in agreement, but Hu Jixian changed the subject. "On the other hand, the other side definitely won't want a fair fight with us. They will try every means to use their superior horses against their average horses, and their average horses against their inferior horses. Therefore, our basic tactic is to secure the singles matches and strive for the doubles matches. As long as we win all three singles matches, no matter how fancy their tactics are, it won't matter."

He first turned his gaze to Si Ming and said, "Si Ming can guarantee victory no matter who the opponent is. Therefore, it would be best if he could face Dong Hanwen, as he could exchange for the opponent's strongest piece. The opponent is unlikely to schedule Dong Hanwen for the last game, otherwise they would be missing an important force in the first four games. If the game ends 3-1, he won't even have a chance to play. Therefore, Si Ming should be responsible for the first or third game."

Si Ming thought for a moment and said, "Let's play the third game. I'll be starting in the semifinals, which will make a good impression on them. The third game is crucial, and we can't avoid it."

Hu Jixian nodded, then turned his gaze to Murong Qing, Murong Qing said, "There's no need to worry about the others, but against Dong Hanwen, I only have a 60% chance of winning."

After all, she was three years younger than her opponent, and they advanced to the Nascent Spirit Transformation around the same time. If she had an extra year to cultivate, she was confident that she could increase her chances of winning to 80%.

"That's enough. Sending someone else would only lower our chances of winning. As for the final one-on-one match..."

Before Hu Jixian could name anyone, Chen Shimi let out a low laugh, unwrapping the bandages from his hand as he hummed, "In the eyes of the Dragon Devil, all living beings are ants. I will grant them a fair defeat."

Hu Jixian said helplessly, "Alright, if your other hand is usable again, then this battle is yours." There's no better candidate anyway.