Min Tie's expression did not look good.
Augu Martial Hall had always been their sworn rival.
At a critical juncture like this, Augu Martial Hall had gotten so close to their investors. The meaning behind it was self-evident.
Lei He, standing to the side, did not look much better either.
"Hall Master!"
"We'll take it one step at a time," Min Tie said.
Lei He nodded slightly and said nothing more.
Lin Mu stood beside them with a calm expression, but he knew that Min Tie must have been under immense pressure.
Just then, a group of people walked over.
When they saw Min Tie, cold smiles curled at the corners of their mouths.
Their uniforms made it clear that this group was from Augu Martial Hall.
Lin Mu swept his gaze over them.
The man at the head of the group was around Min Tie's age. He was tall and powerfully built, giving off the feeling of a humanoid Fierce Beast. He was clearly a Third Order expert as well.
When he saw Min Tie, the provocation at the corner of his mouth was impossible to miss.
They clearly had a deep grudge between them.
However, neither side spoke. After waiting for a while, someone stepped before the crowd. His voice was loud and resonant as he addressed everyone present.
"You all know the rules of the competition! Each martial hall, take your people to your designated area!"
As soon as he finished speaking, many people began moving.
Led by Lei He, Lin Mu arrived at a room containing dozens of machines.
The martial hall students who had come with him each entered a machine.
Lei He looked at Lin Mu with a faint smile. "Good luck!"
Lin Mu nodded and entered one of the machines.
The next moment, his consciousness was transmitted onto an Arena.
There were several other Arenas nearby, and some students were teleported onto them.
"The following matches will be completely random. Once one battle ends, the next will begin very quickly. Anyone who feels unwell may withdraw at any time!" a voice rang out.
A figure slowly materialized before Lin Mu.
While Lin Mu's side had already begun fighting, battle information for each Arena appeared on the enormous screen outside the Virtual Duel Hall.
The hall masters of the various martial halls took their seats.
Some media outlets also turned on their cameras and began livestreaming.
A flood of paid commenters poured in.
"It's started! The annual Martial Hall Grand Competition has begun!"
"Who do you think will take the crown?"
"Do you even need to ask? It'll definitely be Wen Yue Martial Hall. They've taken first place every year!"
"That's true. Wen Yue Martial Hall is far too strong. They have experts every year, but their fees are too high. Ordinary martial artists simply can't afford them!"
"It would be more accurate to say that the top ten are all expensive. Ordinary people like us should look at the martial halls ranked below the top ten!"
"I heard Augu Martial Hall is pretty good. My dad signed me up, and the results have been decent!"
"Really? I wonder how they'll perform this time!"
"Exactly! You can tell how strong they are just by watching the competition!"
"..."
Many people discussed it animatedly, all curious about this martial hall competition.
Lin Mu stood on the Arena as a skinny man materialized before him. Lin Mu was slightly stunned when he saw him.
The man before him was actually from his school. His name was Zhao Yu.
However, he was not in Lin Mu's class.
They were not familiar with each other.
A faint smile appeared on Zhao Yu's lips. "I didn't expect to run into someone I knew even here!"
Lin Mu nodded slightly without saying anything.
There was curiosity in Zhao Yu's eyes. "The school is full of rumors about you. They say you've been playing the pig to eat the tiger. I'd like to see just how capable you really are!"
Lin Mu's expression remained calm. He did not take Zhao Yu seriously at all.
Zhao Yu was only ranked within the top thirty in the neighboring class, and his Blood Qi Value was just 1.14. He could not possibly be Lin Mu's opponent.
Seeing that Lin Mu did not respond, Zhao Yu's face showed a trace of anger.
He moved and charged straight at Lin Mu.
But the moment he reached Lin Mu—
Lin Mu casually waved one hand.
Zhao Yu was sent flying.
The match ended!
Lin Mu gained 10 points.
At once, the data outside changed.
"Jiang He Martial Hall's Lin Mu has gained 10 points!"
When this information appeared, many people present changed expression drastically.
The competition had only just begun.
Yet this person had already scored.
"Holy shit, am I seeing this right? How long has it been? One second?"
"Damn it, even an instant kill shouldn't be this fast!"
"What's going on? He scored that quickly? Pull up his battle footage!"
"..."
Many paid commenters chimed in.
Some people brought up footage of Lin Mu's fight.
When they saw Lin Mu send Zhao Yu flying with a single slap, shock filled many people's eyes. After all, Zhao Yu was a First-Order Martial Artist.
Even if he was no match for Lin Mu, he should not have lost so cleanly!
Wasn't that man a little too strong?
The people from Augu Martial Hall did not look good.
They had not expected Jiang He Martial Hall to score first.
"It was just luck!" the leading man said coldly.
In his view, their martial hall's strongest student must have encountered the weakest opponent.
That was why such a situation had occurred.
Yet he had not considered that even the weakest competitors were still among the better students of their respective martial halls. No matter what, they should not have lost so cleanly.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Min Tie's mouth.
Lin Mu's performance had indeed surprised him somewhat, and it had also brought honor to their martial hall.
Lin Mu's expression was exceedingly calm. In his eyes, Zhao Yu was merely a clown leaping on a stage.
He was nothing worth mentioning.
"Still, it seems I'm too strong," Lin Mu thought to himself.
With his current strength, he was among the top students in the school.
Naturally, someone like Zhao Yu could not be his opponent.
However, judging by the school's admissions every year, fewer than fifty percent of students could reach First-Order Martial Artist before the Martial Arts Exam.
Among the various martial halls, Zhao Yu could be considered passable.
Just as Lin Mu was thinking, another figure appeared.
This man was burly, with several knife scars on his face. He was clearly someone who loved fighting and feared nothing.
The instant he appeared, he charged directly at Lin Mu.
Lin Mu could sense that this man's Blood Qi was considerably stronger than Zhao Yu's.
It should have been around 1.9.
But the moment he reached Lin Mu—
Lin Mu delivered another slap!
The man was sent flying.
His points changed accordingly.
Then several more figures appeared one after another.
Without exception, they were all instantly killed by Lin Mu.
Lin Mu also discovered that apart from the few top martial halls, the students in most martial halls were fairly average.
Even the strongest among them had a Blood Qi Value of only 2.7.
This matched the true overall standard of Li City.
After all, those with great talent and strong cultivation were only a minority.
Among Li City's population of several million, they accounted for only a fraction of a percent.
If Lin Mu himself had not been outstanding enough, he might never have crossed paths with them in his entire life.
Before you continue