The Grand Competition Begins

Qin Fengming's decisive killing of his opponent, though his young heart had gone through an intense struggle.

He was originally a kind village child, but he thought that if he hadn't had astonishing means just now, and a hidden weapon given by his First Senior Brother, he would have been killed by the person in front of him by now.

Although he was a child under twenty, his experiences were not comparable to ordinary children. When he was ten years old, he had killed a python one to two zhang long by himself. If other children saw such a python, they might not even be able to move their feet.

At this moment, Qin Fengming, in his young heart, had already realized the wickedness of the human world. Towards evil people, one could only be more evil than them.

After killing Yuan Kejian, Qin Fengming moved his body and rushed back to where the three people originally were. He struck each of them with another sword, completely killing all three.

After finishing everything, Qin Fengming collapsed onto the stone ground.

He was just a child at this time. The surge of energy had killed four people, but afterwards, the immense fear of killing for the first time still made him extremely scared.

He stayed for two hours before he slightly recovered his composure. He moved the bodies of the four people to a hidden place and covered them with crushed stones.

The item that had shot and killed the first person was the small jade sword that Second Senior Brother Lü Xuan had given him. Seeing this, Qin Fengming felt extremely grateful to his two senior brothers. If it weren't for the hidden weapon given by his First Senior Brother, he would have undoubtedly perished here today.

When he saw the bamboo tube on Yuan Kejian's waist, a trace of lingering fear appeared in his heart.

Recalling Yuan Kejian's expression and actions at that time, Qin Fengming was suddenly startled. At that time, Yuan Kejian must have been begging for mercy to deceive him, and then waited for an opportunity to kill him with this hidden weapon.

Thinking of this, Qin Fengming's young heart couldn't help but reflect deeply...

It wasn't until noon that Qin Fengming returned to his residence. After a brief wash, he went to the dining area to eat something. Qin Fengming wasn't worried about killing Yuan Kejian and the other three, as it was common for fellow disciples to go missing without reason.

Luoxia Valley was surrounded by many high mountains and deep valleys. It was a very common occurrence for someone to fall off a cliff. Naturally, no one would search carefully. This matter would eventually be dropped.

Just as Qin Fengming was eating a steamed bun, he suddenly heard the conversation of two Luoxia Valley disciples behind him:

"I heard that Senior Brother Lin has been extremely diligent lately. His Tiger Subduing Staff Technique has already reached the fifth level. There will be no surprises in entering the Elite Hall smoothly in next year's Grand Competition."

"That's not necessarily true. The other talented individuals are also not to be underestimated. Although they were defeated in the competition two years ago, after three years of cultivation, their strength must have greatly increased. It's possible that other disciples might emerge unexpectedly. Winning the competition is not an easy task."

Grand Competition? Elite Hall?

These two phrases, upon entering Qin Fengming's ears, startled him greatly. He had heard of the Elite Hall before, but he hadn't yet understood the specifics.

Turning around, he saw that the two people speaking behind him were about fifteen or sixteen years old. He figured they must be disciples from previous selections. So, he bowed and respectfully said, "Two Senior Brothers, excuse me. I have something I'd like to ask you about. Could you please enlighten me?"

The two looked up at Qin Fengming and saw that he was only twelve or thirteen years old, realizing he was a new disciple. A hint of displeasure appeared on their faces, and they said indifferently, "We don't know what you want to ask. If it's not too much trouble, we can explain it to you."

Seeing their expressions, Qin Fengming didn't mind. He bowed again and said, "It's no trouble. Junior Brother just wants to ask you two Senior Brothers about the Grand Competition you were just talking about?"

"So it's about that. It's understandable that you don't understand. During next year's Grand Competition, all the instructors will explain it to you in detail. Since you're asking now, we can tell you something in advance."

Upon hearing Qin Fengming's question, the two, whose displeased expressions immediately changed greatly, one of them even said with slight excitement.

"Speaking of our sect's Grand Competition, it's a major event concerning all of us disciples training in the Hundred Refinements Hall. The Grand Competition is when disciples of the Hundred Refinements Hall compete every three years. Those who rank in the top twenty can enter the Elite Hall for further cultivation. You must know about the Elite Hall, it is the essence of our sect."

"During the competition, if you perform exceptionally well and are taken notice of by a Hall Master or an Elder, you can directly become their disciple, which is like ascending to heaven in a single step. However, this competition does not require new disciples like you to participate. You can only wait for the next competition in three years."

The two supplemented each other, explaining the Grand Competition in great detail. Although it was only a few words, Qin Fengming understood everything he heard.

"Thank you for your guidance, two Senior Brothers. I wish you both success in this competition and smooth entry into the Elite Hall."

Hearing Qin Fengming's flattering words, the two showed hopeful expressions and left with a slight wave of their hands.

Returning to his residence, Qin Fengming's heart was no longer calm. Since the great battle with Yuan Kejian and the other two, he had gained an understanding of his own strength. With another year of diligent practice, his strength would undoubtedly improve greatly.

At that time, even if he couldn't compare with fellow disciples who had entered the sect for many years, it shouldn't be difficult to defeat disciples who had entered for five or six years.

Thinking of this, Qin Fengming couldn't help but feel excited.

The next morning, before dawn, Qin Fengming headed straight for Hundred Zhang Cliff. He had made up his mind that he would beg his Master to let him participate in the Grand Competition to be held next year.

However, for several consecutive days, he did not see his Master at Hundred Zhang Cliff. Even Mistress and Senior Disciple Sister Zhang Ruotong were nowhere to be seen, which greatly puzzled Qin Fengming.

Having no choice, Qin Fengming had to put aside the matter of the Grand Competition and fully immerse himself in martial arts training again. For more than ten days, although there were four fewer disciples who entered the sect, none of the other residents felt anything unusual.

In fact, all the children wished someone would disappear, as it would mean one less competitor.

One day, Duan Meng suddenly came to Qin Fengming's room and handed him a letter with a joyful expression.

Upon seeing it, Qin Fengming was immediately overjoyed. Without a doubt, he knew it was a letter from his Elder Brother. Because no one else in his family could read, he took the letter, quickly opened it, and read it carefully.

After a long time, Qin Fengming carefully put away the letter, a joyful expression on his face.

In the letter, his Elder Brother told him that the thirty taels of silver he had sent home had been received, and his parents and grandparents were all well. He told him to take care of himself, focus on practicing martial arts, and not to worry about home.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Qin Fengming's thoughts drifted back to the small mountain village where he had lived for ten years, seeing his grandparents, father, and mother...

A month later, Qin Fengming finally met his Master, whom he had not seen for a long time. After kneeling and kowtowing to greet him, Qin Fengming hurriedly explained in detail his intention to participate in next year's competition to his Master.

Hall Master Zhang listened to Qin Fengming's words, looked at him for a long time, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Fengming, at your age, participating in next year's competition is not impossible. It's just that your foundation is still shallow, and compared to other participating disciples, your strength is slightly insufficient. If you insist on participating, your ranking probably won't be very high."

Although Zhang Li was very fond of Qin Fengming, his young disciple had only been practicing martial arts for two or three years, and there was a considerable gap compared to those who had been practicing for five or six years.

"Please don't worry, Master. Junior Disciple is not aiming to enter the top twenty by participating in the competition. I just want to increase my practical combat experience. I hope Master will agree to my request."