"It was actually him."
Li Mu looked in the direction of the shouting and saw a richly dressed young man roaring at him, hysterical and crazed. It was none other than Xiao Feng, the senior whose bare backside Li Mu had once exposed.
"Li, you made me lose all face in the entire academy! Today, no matter what, I won't let you off! If I don't avenge this grudge, I, Xiao Feng, swear I'm not human!"
Xiao Feng lunged straight at Li Mu, the savage look in his eyes proclaiming his determination to tear Li Mu to pieces.
As the legitimate son of the Xiao family of Qinglan City, he had always been the moon surrounded by stars. Who could have imagined that after Li Mu's little stunt last time, people pointed and whispered wherever he went in the academy, their private conversations filled with the unbearable scene from that day.
If Senior Nangong had not believed it unwise to have too many conflicts with the Profound Tier Class before the Class vs. Class Competition, he would have long since charged to Li Mu's door and torn him limb from limb.
After finally enduring until the day of the academy tournament, the sight of Li Mu sent a surge of fury rushing to his head. He no longer cared about his senior's attempts to stop him and charged forward.
Five steps, three steps, one step...
He was about to reach Li Mu. He was about to smash his fist viciously into that face he hated day and night.
Suddenly, a massive fist appeared from Xiao Feng's right without warning. Its force was restrained, seemingly ordinary, yet Xiao Feng's heart trembled. This was the scent of death.
Though the eldest young master of the Xiao family was arrogant and domineering, he was no fool. In that flash of lightning and spark of flint, he crossed his arms before his chest and blocked the bizarre punch.
The instant the fist struck Xiao Feng, a mountain-toppling, sea-overturning force erupted. Xiao Feng felt like a tiny boat in towering waves, small and helpless.
Bang!
As expected, Xiao Feng was sent flying by that punch. Just as he was about to crash into the Earth Tier Class camp, a blue figure flashed forth amid cries of alarm, stepped forward, and struck out with a palm, catching the flying Xiao Feng.
"Senior Hao Meng, the competition has yet to begin. Why did you strike and injure a student of my Earth Tier Class? Shouldn't you give me an explanation?"
The one who had acted was none other than the foremost student of the Earth Tier Class, Nangong Qi, at Half-step Foundation Establishment.
"Senior Xiao attacked without reason first. How did it become Senior Hao Meng injuring someone?"
Li Mu looked at Nangong Qi, dressed in a blue robe and carrying himself with elegant grace, and spoke blandly.
"Is this a place for you to speak? You're merely a new student. So what if you're the city lord's son? In the Cangyun Empire, strength is revered above all else. You are not qualified."
Nangong Qi stood proudly, not taking Li Mu seriously at all. In his eyes, Li Mu was still that highborn waste who had not cultivated for ten years.
"Nangong, watch your words. Junior Li is now the class monitor of our Profound Tier Class. If you have any objections, the two of us can have a spar before the competition begins."
Seeing the other man speak so rudely, Hao Meng immediately took offense. He stepped forward, intending to teach this Nangong family young master, whose eyes were higher than his head, a proper lesson. With the White Tiger Glazed Gauntlets on his hands and the Marauder Wisteria Armor on his body, both his offense and defense had greatly increased. Now, he feared no one beneath the Foundation Establishment Realm.
"Hmph. As expected, you're a coward who only knows how to drink flower wine at Twin Phoenix Tower, hiding behind others to cling to life. Hao Meng, we'll have plenty of chances to fight during the competition. I hope you can last longer than you did last year. Let's go!"
Nangong Qi did not accept Hao Meng's challenge. After throwing out a few harsh words, he led the Earth Tier Class away. No one noticed that his right hand, hidden within his sleeve, was trembling slightly. The lingering force of that punch had injured him when he had defused Xiao Feng's crisis.
The White Tiger Glazed Gauntlets, paired with Hao Meng's years of unchanging accumulation, were truly terrifying.
This little interlude was quickly forgotten, because the far more exciting Qinglan Academy tournament officially began. After Mu Bai's opening speech, every student in the academy was rubbing their fists and palms in anticipation.
In previous tournaments, everyone had mostly come to test the fruits of half a year's cultivation. This year, however, because of Xuantian Sword Sect's arrival, everyone also wanted to display their abilities before them. After all, if they could catch a sect's eye and enter its mountain gates to cultivate, the road of immortality ahead would become far smoother, and their achievements would be greater.
The various events of the academy tournament unfolded in an orderly manner, but ordinary tests such as mechanical combat and spell demonstrations clearly could not draw Elder Qin's attention from the stands. During this time, he was either resting with his eyes closed or conversing with Mu Bai and the others, as though everything in the arena had nothing to do with him.
"Elder Qin, the time is about right. Shall we announce the start of the Class vs. Class Competition?"
Seeing that most tournament events had entered their final stages, Mu Bai smiled and spoke to the Xuantian Sword Sect elder.
"I'll follow Brother Mu's arrangements. I truly can't wait to see the strength of your academy's finest students."
Elder Qin stroked his long white beard and turned his gaze toward the Training Ground. There, representatives from the Heaven, Earth, and Profound Tier Classes had gathered. The Class vs. Class Competition, the tournament's grand finale, was about to begin.
According to academy custom, the Heaven Tier Class and Earth Tier Class would fight first. The loser would then compete against the Profound Tier Class. Each class could send out at most ten people for one-on-one battles. Victors could choose to continue fighting until all ten opponents had been defeated, at which point the other side would win.
The format was actually highly favorable to the Profound Tier Class, which fought later. After all, regardless of whether the Heaven or Earth Tier Class won, they would inevitably be depleted. Yet in recent years, the Heaven Tier Class had completely opened a gap in strength from the other two classes. To preserve its strength, the Earth Tier Class had directly conceded for several consecutive years, ensuring a greater advantage in its battle against the Profound Tier Class.
When Mu Bai announced the official start of the Class vs. Class Competition, Liu Yu, as the Heaven Tier Class monitor, took the lead without hesitation. With a light tap of her jade foot, she was the first to leap onto the arena. Her dark hair danced in the breeze, and the long sword at her side, paired with her peerless beauty, made even Li Mu sigh in admiration. Truly:
A beauty fair, who slew demons and devils.
Hair loose, sword in hand, green robes swift as a shuttle.
Since ancient times, immortal maidens had been alluring and charming;
Yet only this Liu lady dared, amid life and death, to fight for all she was worth.
Ranging across Qinglan, her sword never betrayed the years that flowed like song.
The one who stepped onto the stage for the Earth Tier Class was Nangong Qi. He too leaped up, and he too held a longsword. Yet compared to Liu Yu, this legitimate eldest son of the Nangong family clearly lacked a measure of composure and calm. Both were at Half-step Core Formation, but when it came to the use of power, the difference between them was obvious at a glance.
"Senior Sister Liu, you possess the bearing of an immortal. This junior admires you immensely. Though I greatly wish to seek your guidance, this competition concerns the allocation of our entire class's resources for the next half year. As class monitor, I dare not indulge only my own selfish desires. Therefore, our Earth Tier Class will concede this year."
Nangong Qi cupped his hands toward Liu Yu and, representing the Earth Tier Class, gave up the competition against the Heaven Tier Class and directly conceded defeat.
Though his speech sounded lofty and righteous, it still drew secret scorn from many spectators. Clearly, his strength fell short, yet he was unwilling to lose in public. He had to make it sound as though he were putting the greater good first.
Liu Yu's expression remained calm, as if it made no difference to her whether he conceded or not. She turned, leaped down from the arena, and returned to the Heaven Tier Class camp.
"Brother Mu, I never expected your academy's Earth Tier Class to concede directly. It seems this old man has no such fortune today. I won't get to see those promising talents of the Heaven Tier Class make their moves."
Elder Qin of Xuantian Sword Sect was clearly dissatisfied with Nangong Qi's direct withdrawal. He had come for those few geniuses, and this greatly reduced what he could gain.
"Elder Qin, please don't blame him. That child Nangong Qi bears the heavy responsibility of class monitor, and sometimes he thinks too much for others. Clearly, he had the strength to fight Liu Yu, yet he gave it up for his classmates. Though he is loyal and righteous, it truly is a pity for him personally."
Seeing Elder Qin's expression turn clouded and uncertain, the Nangong family's Grand Elder hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over. But when Elder Qin did not respond, he could only close his mouth awkwardly.
Because the Earth Tier Class had conceded, the Heaven Tier Class won the first Class vs. Class Competition.
In the second match, the Profound Tier Class would face the ten members of the Earth Tier Class. At last, the moment had come. Hao Meng took a deep breath and strode out in one great step.
"Look, the Profound Tier Class has sent out just one person again. Are they trying to win the match with one man's strength again?"
"Again? Although the Senior Hao Meng they sent is powerful, the previous matches have already proved that one person cannot fight ten alone. It looks like the Earth Tier Class will win again this time."
"Yeah, but I heard the Profound Tier Class received two formidable new students this year. They can't take part in this tournament, but next time, the Earth Tier Class may not have it so easy."
Hao Meng's solo appearance once again set off a flood of discussion among the audience. Yet none of those idle words could affect him now. From the instant he stepped onto the arena, victory was the only thing left in his eyes.
Someone slowly emerged from the Earth Tier Class camp as well. He too stood seven feet tall, his muscles equally full and powerful, explosive strength coursing continuously around him. One look was enough to tell that he was also a student who focused on body cultivation.
"Earth Tier Class, Wu Sheng. Please instruct me, Senior."
"Profound Tier Class, Hao Meng. Please."
The two stood in the center of the arena, facing one another. Wu Sheng's eyes burned with desire for victory. As a second-year student, this was his first year qualifying for the Class vs. Class Competition. To defeat a former Heaven Tier Class student who was also famed for his fist techniques would be the most perfect assessment of his year at the academy.
As the eldest son of the Wu family, which monopolized Qinglan City's pawnshop trade, Wu Sheng had cultivated his Vajra Fist to the level of Perfection. His strength was formidable, and he ranked among the top five in the Earth Tier Class. Having heard that Hao Meng was the academy's foremost fist technique expert, he volunteered to take the stage first.
The two did not speak much. After exchanging courtesies, they began fighting immediately. Wu Sheng seized the initiative and threw a punch at Hao Meng. His fist force was fierce, stirring bursts of explosive wind. It was the Tiger Subduing Stance of the Vajra Fist. A Vajra Buddha appeared and vanished indistinctly as it charged straight toward Hao Meng.
"I heard that Senior's Dragon Tiger Fighting Saint Fist has reached the point of marvelous perfection. Let my Tiger Subduing Stance seek your guidance. Before my Vajra Buddha, no matter how fierce the tiger, it must lie down."
Wu Sheng's momentum rapidly climbed to its peak, his fist force completely locking onto his opponent. His heart brimmed with the boldness of sweeping through all before him.
Hao Meng refused to be outdone. He stepped his right foot back into a bow stance, then launched his right fist toward Wu Sheng. This was the Dragon Tiger Fighting Saint Fist's second move, Tiger Roars Across the Plains. A massive white-browed tiger with hanging eyes let out an angry roar and rushed toward the incoming Vajra.
"These two are not bad. Their attainments in fist techniques have both reached the stage where intent takes form. They likely need only accumulate vital energy before forming their cores."
Even Elder Qin, who had initially lacked interest, was moved by Hao Meng and Wu Sheng's battle, and his observing gaze grew more serious.
But what happened next made everyone in the arena drop their jaws. The expected evenly matched clash never appeared. The Vajra Buddha formed from Wu Sheng's Fist Intent proved unable to withstand a single blow beneath Hao Meng's roaring tiger and shattered outright. Wu Sheng was struck by the remaining Fist Intent and sent flying directly out of the arena. He hit the ground and rolled several times before stopping, already unconscious.
One punch. With only one punch, Hao Meng had defeated Wu Sheng, who could be called a pinnacle of fist arts. What kind of strength was that?
Hao Meng himself was so excited that he could barely contain it. The gauntlets on his hands provided as much as a fifty-percent increase to the power of his fist force, instantly elevating the might of his Dragon Tiger Fighting Saint Fist to an entirely new realm. And within this new realm, he had gained new insights into fist techniques.
"Damn it, how did his strength improve so much? Didn't they say he hadn't broken through in years and had lost all his edge?"
Nangong Qi cursed inwardly. He had endured enormous pressure to concede the match against the Heaven Tier Class precisely so he could crush the Profound Tier Class. But Hao Meng's strength had exceeded his expectations. Wu Sheng could only barely rank fifth in overall strength within the Earth Tier Class, but even Nangong Qi did not believe he had the ability to defeat him in a single move.
"The good show has only just begun, Senior Nangong. Today will be an unforgettable day for the Earth Tier Class."
Watching Nangong Qi's expression shift constantly, Li Mu, standing at the front of the Profound Tier Class crowd, smiled instead.
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