The One Whose Feet Both Touch the Ground Loses

Si Ming, "In the past, it was troublesome to do everything myself and organize personnel, but now I only need to say a word, and people will take care of it. Since it doesn't require any effort, why not do it?"

"Then you'd better pray you win this time, otherwise your plans will be laughed at by your subordinates, which will damage your reputation as the alliance leader."

"Ha, so be it. Fame is just an external thing; being carefree is also a kind of elegance."

"You're quite philosophical about it!"

Si Shuiyun said irritably, then walked to the side to meditate and gather her energy.

"Why are you suddenly angry?" Si Ming was a little confused.

Hongdou said, "Shuiyun was really keen on this martial arts competition. She's been diligently practicing the 'Void Shadow Killing Technique' these past few days, not wanting to embarrass you. But you didn't take the outcome seriously. Doesn't that mean all her efforts have been in vain?"

Si Shuiyun, with her sharp ears, immediately retorted, "It's... it's not because of that guy! I'm working hard to improve my martial arts skills so I can better protect Miss. It has nothing to do with that guy."

Recalling the early days of the Heavenly Martial Alliance, it was Si Shuiyun who handled the affairs and statistics. Si Ming suddenly realized, "I understand. For your sake, we must win this bet no matter what!"

Si Shuiyun said angrily, "I've already said it has nothing to do with you. Don't flatter yourself. I don't care whether you want to win or not. As a martial artist, no matter who the opponent is, I will go all out." After saying that, she walked further away.

Si Ming turned his head and asked curiously, "You can actually read people's minds? That's incredible. Could it be that someone is impersonating you?"

Hongdou proudly raised her head and puffed out her chest, then snorted, "Half a year has passed, so you should look at me with new eyes. I've grown too, don't think I can only draw."

Looking at the two spheres defying Earth's gravity and exuding a strong presence in front of him, Si Ming thought to himself that they had indeed grown; no wonder Si Jingyu had become increasingly unmotivated lately.

There's a saying that goes, "The scariest thing in the world is someone smarter than you working even harder than you." Faced with such a "hardworking" Hongdou, it's indeed quite disheartening.

As time passed, the sun gradually rose, casting its light through the trees. Even the dark valley became dappled, displaying a unique beauty. Unfortunately, for the martial arts practitioners gathered here, this breathtaking scenery was not as captivating as the freshly roasted birds. Some couldn't help but shout, "Why hasn't the competition started yet?"

Master Wuguo assessed the time and said to both sides, "It's almost time. How are your preparations?"

Si Ming waved his hand and said, "Let's begin, let's begin. Can't you see everyone's getting impatient?"

Gu Changsheng, the representative of the Aristocratic Family Alliance, was a dignified middle-aged man with a long beard and a majestic appearance. He nodded solemnly and said in a serious tone that contrasted sharply with Si Ming's, "Our side is ready and waiting, and can begin at any time."

"Any objections to the rules should be raised now; otherwise, it will be considered as agreement." Wuguo waited a while, and seeing that no one spoke, continued, "The first martial arts match will be held in the bamboo forest to the west. The rules are simple: apart from the prohibition of poison, any method used to make the opponent's feet touch the ground constitutes a victory. Furthermore, the side that kills the opponent is considered to have forfeited."

The final condition was that his compassion kicked in, and he didn't want the two sides to become too sworn enemies. There was a big difference between having lives and not having lives, but swords have no eyes. If a fight really gets heated, it's hard to hold back. For example, if both sides unleash their ultimate moves, whoever dares to hold back will be courting death. Therefore, he was prepared for both sides to refute him later.

"Heaven cherishes life; let's stop here. That's fine." Si Ming readily accepted.

"We have no objection either." Gu Changsheng did not object.

Master Wuguo exclaimed Wuguo, "Excellent, excellent! Thank you both for your understanding. I firmly believe that there is no hatred in this world that cannot be resolved. As long as both sides take a step back, they can turn hostility into friendship. Today's situation may pave the way for resolving future conflicts in the martial arts world and find a relatively peaceful path."

After calming himself down, he continued, "In that case, both sides shall retreat thirty paces away. The entire bamboo forest area shall be designated as the fighting zone, and no third party may enter. The fighting will begin in a quarter of an hour. To ensure fairness, both sides should write the names of those participating in this fight on slips of paper and hand them to me beforehand."

This is done to avoid situations where personnel are replaced at the last minute. For example, one can deliberately delay the entry of one's own players, and then send out a martial artist with a counter-attribute Cultivation Body after seeing the opponent's players clearly.

Furthermore, the rules for the martial arts competition established by Master Wuguo were Wuguo the conventional method of knocking down the opponent, but rather that the opponent should land first. In this way, although the stronger party still had the advantage, the weaker party also had a greater chance of defeating the stronger party, and martial prowess was no longer the decisive factor.

It can be said that Master Wuguo considered everything very comprehensively, from the competition venue to the various rules, trying his best to create a fair dueling environment. He really put in a lot of effort, hoping to take this opportunity to promote this martial arts mode so that future generations would have a precedent to follow and not think of killing the other party whenever a conflict occurs.

"Unfortunately, the outcome will surely disappoint him. There are individuals who betray their class, but no class that betrays its interests. His kindness may move some people, but it cannot move an entire class. For the sake of profit, an organization like a powerful Aristocratic Clan, whose hands are already stained with corruption, is capable of anything."

Si Ming didn't think much of Master Wuguo's idea; the old monk was too kind, too naively kind.

"Senior, it's my turn to go on stage."

The first candidate for the Heavenly Martial Alliance was Liang Zhenhuan. Compared to half a month ago, he had undergone a complete transformation. His eyes shone brightly, and his powerful aura was uncontrollable, radiating outwards. His body was noticeably stronger, and he had several scars, adding to his fierce appearance. It was as if he had grown from a lowly soldier into a vanguard general.

"Go, and remember, the one who lands on both feet loses."

Si Ming offered a reminder, but didn't elaborate further, knowing that this ambitious and intelligent young man would understand him.

"I understand."

Liang Zhenhuan arrived at the bamboo forest, pushed off with both feet, and with his body, based on the "Hundred Birds Frolics" technique, he moved as nimbly as a bird and easily climbed to the top of the bamboo. Not far ahead, his opponent was already waiting there.

"Chen Feiyan of the Chen Family, please enlighten me."

The Aristocratic Family Alliance sent a petite woman with a beautiful face and slender figure, who immediately attracted the attention of many men.

Because this match tests agility more than ordinary fist and foot techniques, they sent out their best fighters who, while not top-tier in martial arts, possessed exceptional agility.

"Liang Zhenhuan of the Origin Return Sect, I am honored to learn from your superior skills."

As soon as Liang Zhenhuan exerted his internal energy, the force spread outwards, causing the nearby bamboo to bend outwards.

Chen Feiyan glanced down at Liang Zhenhuan's feet and noticed that he had pressed the two bamboo poles down more than half a foot. She then laughed and said, "So that's how it is. You've recently consumed a large number of pills, forcibly boosting your cultivation level, which is why you can't control your internal energy. Hehe, you're destined to lose this fight."

In contrast, she stood on a bamboo stalk with both feet, and only lowered herself by two inches, clearly demonstrating a superior level of skill in light-footed movement.

"Thinking that superior agility guarantees victory is no different from thinking that greater strength guarantees victory on flat ground; both are laughable ideas. The outcome will only be known after the fight."

Without saying a word, Liang Zhenhuan slightly raised his arm and unleashed a palm strike from a distance.

Chapter 353 The One Who Lands on Both Feet Loses

Wherever the palm strike landed, the bamboo bent and snapped, leaving a blank space in front of Liang Zhenhuan, with no more green obstructing his view.

But Chen Feiyan had already dodged. She moved with the speed of a whirlwind, and the bamboo beneath her feet did not move an inch. She truly resembled a flying swallow, darting through the bamboo forest. This superb lightness skill immediately drew cheers from the spectators.

"Get down!"

Chen Feiyan suddenly appeared behind Liang Zhenhuan and struck his back with a palm strike from a distance. However, Liang Zhenhuan seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, and he took a step to the side, stepping on another bamboo to avoid the strike in time.

"Let's see how many palm strikes you can dodge?"