The Participants Are Chosen / The Martial Contest Begins

"Who should we send next, among the five?"

Si Ming's smile appeared even more unfathomable to everyone, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

Chapter 351 Personnel Appointment

"Is anyone willing to volunteer?"

Si Ming looked around and asked in a frivolous tone.

"Count me in," said Feng Liancheng. "I've learned a lot at the Heavenly Martial Alliance lately and was just looking for an opportunity to test my skills. I didn't expect this opportunity to come knocking on my door, and besides, I can also repay a favor."

With the help of Hongdou to draw the Soul Intent Diagram, his mastery of the "Taiyi Scripture of Deliverance from Sin" has made rapid progress during this period, almost catching up with his master. Therefore, he couldn't help but feel itchy to show off his skills.

Everyone looked up, trying to discern the other person's identity. Unfortunately, although the Six Paths Temple was famous, its disciples were rarely known due to their elusive nature and eccentric personalities. As a result, no one recognized him and subconsciously judged that Feng Liancheng, like the previous two, was an unknown figure.

"In terms of merit, this is a great opportunity to establish the alliance, how could I, Kou, be absent? In terms of personal matters, I have many grudges with the Aristocratic Clan in the past, and I would like to take this opportunity to settle them all. I humbly request that the alliance leader grant me permission to fight." The one who volunteered was none other than Kou Feng, the Kou Feng of the Mysterious Sword Sect. He looked at Shen Wumian with a hostile gaze, "Your One Sword strike back then still causes a lingering pain in my shoulder."

Shen Wumian remained expressionless and did not respond.

Seeing that even the opportunist Kou Feng had volunteered for the fight, the others quickly realized the benefits. Regardless of the rewards for victory, just to increase their chances of winning the bet, the leader of the alliance would certainly not be stingy with martial arts instruction.

You should know that even Tyrant Saber admires the Alliance Leader's vision in martial arts. The martial arts manual clearly states that a single instruction costs a full five thousand contribution points, a price comparable to a top-grade martial arts manual. But now, one can receive instruction for free under the pretext of serving the Alliance. What a worthwhile deal! Moreover, if one can defeat a powerful Aristocratic Clan in the betting game, the rewards afterward will certainly be substantial.

Thinking of this, everyone's eyes lit up, and they all stepped forward to volunteer for the battle, but it was too late.

"The remaining three spots will be filled by myself, my second wife, and our maid." Si Ming's tone was very casual. "I know many people are curious about my abilities, so I'll give you a chance to test them. Regardless of the rules, I will definitely be the last to perform, so you'd better give it your all and don't lose too quickly, or you won't see me make a move."

Shen Wumian replied, "That's possible. Your Heavenly Martial Alliance had already lost four matches before this."

His tone carried a hint of anger, because the selection of people the other party had given was utterly ridiculous. They were almost all unknowns, and even his own maid and concubine had been sent. It was as if they didn't take this important gamble that would determine the fate of both sides seriously at all, which made him feel that he was being looked down upon.

"Ha, it's always good to have dreams, so you don't get crushed by harsh reality. Anyway, we've made it clear to you that our lineup is entirely composed of members of the alliance; we haven't brought in any outside help. If you have any objections to our selection, feel free to raise them now, and we're open to questions."

The Gu family representative rolled his eyes and taunted, "Who knows if you're just using trickery? If you change your team at the last minute, we'll have no choice but to call you despicable. If you're truly sincere, you might as Wuguo guarantee Master Wuguo that you will not send anyone else besides these seven. Otherwise, it will be tantamount to admitting defeat."

"Will you send assassins to ambush me after I make such a guarantee? I came here with sincerity, but don't take me for a fool. In short, believe it or not." Si Ming wasn't foolish enough to put himself in such a predicament.

The Gu family representative wanted to say more, but Shen Wumian stopped him. "Enough, let's go. Don't embarrass yourselves any further. Alliance Leader, and everyone from the Heavenly Martial Alliance, see you in half a month. Farewell!"

The members of the Aristocratic Clan all took their leave. Then, Master Wuguo said, "This humble monk also needs to find a suitable place for martial arts sparring. I will definitely give the Alliance Leader a satisfactory answer within ten days. Farewell."

"Take care, Master."

After everyone had left, Zhao Jiaren stepped forward and said, "Master, it's not that I intended to boost others' morale and diminish my own, but I've only been practicing martial arts for half a year and I know my own abilities very well. I might have a chance against ordinary masters, but against the carefully selected masters from aristocratic Aristocratic Clan, I'm afraid I'll embarrass you."

"It's alright. Just consider it gaining practical experience. Nobody thinks you'll win, so even if you lose, no one will blame you. They'll only blame me for being careless in choosing the right people. Besides, there are still fifteen days left. These two weeks aren't for the Aristocratic Clan to prepare; they're for tightening the noose around their necks. Of course, you shouldn't waste this time either. Take advantage of this opportunity for some special training. Even if you lose, don't lose too badly."

Si Ming didn't really care about winning or losing this bet. As long as things developed peacefully, the Heavenly Martial Alliance would definitely be the one to have the last laugh. Even if they lost the game, it would only delay the demise of the aristocratic Aristocratic Clan for a while, and it wouldn't affect the overall situation.

Kou Feng immediately said, "What the Alliance Leader says is absolutely right. This battle will surely attract the attention of the world. Even though fame is nothing but a passing cloud to the Alliance Leader, if we lose too badly, it will inevitably damage the prestige of the Heavenly Martial Alliance. Fortunately, our sect has a unique skill called the 'Mysterious Star Sword Technique.' In the past, we lost two moves due to an Anomalies calamity. We hope to receive guidance from the Alliance Leader so that we can shine in the competition and enhance the prestige of our alliance."

"You certainly know how to strike while the iron is hot; no wonder the Mysterious Sword Sect has flourished under your leadership."

Si Ming Kou Feng. When he took over as the leader of the Mysterious Sword Sect in his early years, his situation was somewhat similar to that of the Mount Hua Sect in the Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Proud Wanderer. His ancestors had a reputation and left behind some good martial arts skills, but unfortunately, the sect lacked talent. There were only a few big cats and small cats, and the number of masters was very small, which was only at the lower end of the second-rate level.

Compared to Yue Buqun, Kou Feng was equally cunning, but he was more pragmatic and didn't care much about his reputation. As long as he could expand the sect's strength, he didn't mind getting a little stigma. Of course, he was also lucky that no "Mount Song Sect" was eyeing his foundation and trying to suppress him. Therefore, after twenty years of careful planning and hard work, he rebuilt the Mysterious Sword Sect's foundation and returned to the ranks of the top in the martial arts world.

In the eyes of others, Kou Feng was nearly fifty years old, had already achieved great success, living up to the expectations of his elders and the admiration of his disciples. Even if his life came to an abrupt end, he could still leave behind the reputation of "the restorer of the sect" in the history of the sect. But he was obviously not satisfied with the status quo and wanted to go further.

Si Ming didn't dislike this kind of person. How could a sect leader not be cunning? Just look at Qiao Feng, a man of integrity and uprightness, who was schemed against and became a public enemy of the martial arts world, with a bad reputation and hated by everyone.

"You flatter me, Alliance Leader." Kou Feng had already made up his mind to cling tightly to Si Ming's coattails.

"What are you waiting for? Time is precious. Quickly practice the Mysterious Star Sword Technique once. If you're not afraid I'll steal it, memorize the Mnemonic as well. I'll see if I can help you complete the Swordsmanship."

Kou Feng laughed and said, "If the Alliance Leader is willing to secretly learn, then it's a favor to those below him."

Si Ming then turned to Zhao Jiaren and Liang Zhenhuan and said, "You two go out and think carefully about how to quickly improve your strength in a short period of time. I will do my best to guide you for the next fifteen days. How much you learn depends on yourselves."

"Yes, Master (Leader)."

Chapter 352 The Martial Arts Battle Begins

Yin River Butterfly Valley, at first glance, appears to be a desolate and cold valley, resembling a barren Gobi desert. However, upon closer inspection, one will find the ground covered with clusters of flowers and lush trees. The air is filled with the fragrance of flowers and the fresh scent of grass and trees, the two aromas intertwining to create an intoxicating experience.

The entire valley is divided into two scenes by a waterfall. On one side, there are crisscrossing streams, towering trees, birds singing, flowers blooming, and butterflies fluttering. On the other side, there is a waterfall, a clear stream, a gateway to heaven, and strange peaks and rocks, such as Eagle's Beak Peak.

This valley is located in a remote area, with no large towns nearby, so it is sparsely populated. Even the local mountain people only linger on the outskirts and dare not venture deep into the valley. But today, this tranquility has been broken. Martial arts practitioners from all over the country have gathered together, numbering over ten thousand. The noise, conversations, and sounds of fighting are mixed together, and with the powerful voices of the martial artists, Yin River Butterfly Valley is even noisier than the bustling city center. Countless birds have been startled into flight, and thousands of crows have flocked there in an endless stream.

These people were naturally there to watch the duel between the Heavenly Martial Alliance and the Aristocratic Family Alliance. After all, the Six Paths Temple in the Western Martial World did not have the same dominance over the martial world as the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect and the Glazed Temple. Its structure had always been a disorganized mess, and it had not seen such a sensational event in the entire martial world for many years.

Admittedly, the friends and relatives of the two major alliances made up half of the group, and the leaders of the various branches of the Heavenly Martial Alliance took the opportunity to promote the Heavenly Martial Alliance's philosophy and martial arts exchange system in order to achieve better "performance".

"Master Wuguo has excellent taste; he actually chose such a uniquely advantageous location, one that's not even within the sphere of influence of either of the betting parties."

Which side do you think has a better chance of winning?

"Of course it's the Heavenly Martial Alliance. I heard that the Heavenly Martial Alliance has nearly two million members. Even the Glazed Temple, which claims to have disciples all over the world, doesn't have that many monks. If each of them spat, they could drown the Aristocratic Clan families."

"Tch, this isn't a war between feudal lords. What good are numbers? This is a duel between experts. Each side can only send seven people. It's about quality, not quantity. I was initially optimistic about the Heavenly Martial Alliance, but I heard their leader is too arrogant. Apart from himself and Kou Feng the Planet Sword, the rest of their representatives are nobody. Sigh, as the Heavenly Martial Alliance says, pride comes before a fall. No matter how good your hand is, if you run into someone who doesn't know how to play, you'll end up losing everything."

"That's right. Even the extent of this alliance leader's abilities has always been a secret. He might just be a figurehead. Just look at the people he sent out: two are his disciples, and two are his women. You can tell he's arrogant and disdainful of everyone. As the saying goes, a bad soldier is a bad soldier, but a bad general makes a bad army. With such an alliance leader, the Heavenly Martial Alliance is doomed to defeat."

"Didn't you say you didn't care about winning or losing this bet? Why are you stirring up that reverse public opinion now?"

Si Shuiyun overheard the discussions in the wind, and it was clear that everyone was pessimistic about the Heavenly Martial Alliance. Considering everything that had happened in the past, she could easily guess what was going on.