The World's First Martial Arts Tournament (I)

The commotion online was like the croaking of frogs by a summer pond: noisy and incessant, yet ultimately unable to disturb the hidden dragon in its depths. After his initial fury and frustration, Master Tongtian's Dao heart had instead settled amid the extreme pressure, growing colder and sharper. He no longer paid attention to the pointless arguments on the forums or the malicious messages in his inbox. All his focus was on the upcoming "World's First Martial Arts Tournament."

To him, this was no longer merely a gaming competition. It was a battle to prove his Dao, one tied to the honor of the name "Supreme Purity Sword Master"! He would use his absolute strength to cut down every doubt and slander, along with all the opponents who dared overestimate themselves!

The official team behind Realms Expedition took the "World's First Martial Arts Tournament" extremely seriously, pouring enormous resources into promoting it. Ads blanketed online and offline spaces, the homepages of major streaming platforms featured prominent recommendations, and the game itself was steeped in the tournament atmosphere. The generous prize money, unique limited-edition rewards, and supreme honor of being "the best under heaven" attracted millions of players across the server to sign up.

The tournament was divided into multiple regions. It began with online qualifiers, using a brutal single-elimination format. Only the strongest players, who fought their way through a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, could advance to the offline finals.

The atmosphere in the villa's living room was more tense than ever... at least, as far as Lin Fan was concerned.

To ensure Master Tongtian could compete in peak condition, Lin Fan had gone to great lengths. He had upgraded the network hardware, prepared a backup power supply just in case, and even cleared space in the living room. In front of the beanbag chair where Master Tongtian usually sat, he had set up an ergonomic gaming desk. On it, along with the custom gaming phone, were snacks Lin Fan had carefully prepared—mostly chips in various flavors and fizzy drinks—as well as a screen-cleaning cloth.

"Master, I've checked all the equipment. The network latency is stable below 10 ms, and the backup hotspot is ready." Lin Fan reported carefully, like a little eunuch serving the emperor. "I guarantee no one will bother you during the matches! I've already spoken to the Great God Gong Gong. He promised not to go smash things in the backyard today... I mean, not to do his morning workout. Great God Jumang also said he wouldn't make any of his extra-strong 'experimental dishes' today."

Master Tongtian sat on the beanbag chair—or rather, what ought now to be called the "Enlightenment Battle Chair." At Lin Fan's words, he gave a slight nod, his gaze still fixed on his phone as he practiced one last time in custom mode. His fingers flitted across the screen like butterflies among flowers, leaving trails of afterimages. The "Azure Lotus Sword Immortal" on-screen darted about, its swordplay fierce and its movements carrying an unyielding resolve.

"Mm. You've been thoughtful." His reply was mild, but a chilling sharpness seemed to be gathering beneath his calm tone.

Lao Tzu still sat in a corner of the living room, sipping tea as though the commotion outside had nothing to do with him. But every so often, he glanced at Tongtian's screen with a trace of curiosity. Goddess Nüwa had set aside her beauty regimen for the day and moved a chair farther away. With a sketchbook in hand, she seemed intent on capturing some kind of "dynamic beauty" in Tongtian's focused expression and nimble fingers. Jumang quietly tended to several sprigs of Tranquility Grass in the corner, their calming scent drifting through the room as he tried to soothe any agitation that might arise.

Even Gong Gong had, unusually, neither gone out nor picked up a book. Instead, he sat sprawled on another sofa with an enormous bucket of popcorn Lin Fan had bought, looking ready to enjoy the show. "Tongtian, let me see what tricks your 'sword immortal' can pull off in those boxes! Don't get beaten flat in the very first match and bring shame to the Primordial Era!"

Master Tongtian didn't even look up. He merely snorted coldly. "You're making a racket. Just wait. I'll show you what the pinnacle of swordsmanship looks like."

At ten in the morning, the qualifiers for the "World's First Martial Arts Tournament" officially began!

Master Tongtian took a deep breath and tapped the "Enter Match" button. Match found. Loading... The battle began!

In the early stages of the qualifiers, the opponents' skill levels varied wildly. To Master Tongtian, most of them were little more than weaklings.

His playstyle was overwhelmingly aggressive, brimming with pressure. Controlling the "Azure Lotus Sword Immortal," he would often seek out his opponent right from the start, using uncanny footwork and skill timing precise to the smallest degree to gain an advantage in health or abilities in a matter of moments. His movements flowed like water, each dash, basic attack, and skill seeming to follow the most meticulous calculations, yet carrying the effortless grace of a gazelle leaping over a branch.

"One strike, two strikes... Your opening is there. It's over." Master Tongtian murmured softly. The "Azure Lotus Sword Immortal" on-screen blurred to dodge the opponent's crucial crowd-control skill, then unleashed a torrent of swordlight. A precise, dazzling combo instantly emptied the opponent's health bar.

"Victory!"

The first match lasted one minute and twenty-three seconds. It was an effortless steamrolling.

"Tch, boring." Gong Gong stuffed a large handful of popcorn into his mouth and commented indistinctly, "The opponent was too weak."

Lin Fan, however, watched with his heart in his throat. He couldn't understand the intricate micro-mechanics, but the clean kills and extremely short match times made Master Tongtian's terrifying skill unmistakable.

The next few matches were almost exact replicas of the first. No matter which hero the opponents used or what tactics they tried, they seemed helpless before Master Tongtian's seemingly all-seeing gameplay. He was like a precision killing machine: efficient, cold, and utterly emotionless.

On the forums, news began to spread that "Supreme Purity Sword Master" had entered the tournament and was crushing his way through the qualifiers. Even players who had watched the match recordings and initially doubted him had to admit that this guy's gameplay... was absurdly good!

"Holy crap! I just watched 'Supreme Purity Sword Master's' qualifier match. Those reflexes, that footwork... I'm starting to believe he isn't cheating!"

"Same here. Especially the way he dodged that point-blank area stun. That wasn't human!"

"Could we really have falsely accused a genius?"

"Don't jump to conclusions. The qualifiers are full of all kinds of players. Let's see what happens when he faces a real expert!"

As Master Tongtian racked up one flawless victory after another, public opinion quietly began to shift.

However, as the tournament progressed, the opponents grew tougher. Anyone who had made it this far through millions of players was a skilled competitor. Among them were no shortage of well-known professional players and top-ranked solo-queue stars.

A highly anticipated match was quietly set. Master Tongtian's opponent was named "Ye Yu Sheng Fan," a star player in the current Realms Expedition professional league, famous for his fluid style and refined mechanics. He was known as the "Phantom Sword," and he used the swordsman-class hero "Phantom Swordsman - Zoro."

Before the match even began, it had already drawn a great deal of attention. The official team even decided at the last minute to open a special room on a streaming platform and broadcast the match live with commentary!

"Here we go! 'Supreme Purity Sword Master' versus 'Ye Yu Sheng Fan'! A clash of titans!"

"Will the cheater finally be exposed, or will this be a genius's chance to prove himself?"

"I bet five dimes 'Ye Yu Sheng Fan' will teach him a lesson!"

"I'm betting 'Supreme Purity Sword Master' keeps crushing everyone!"

At the villa, Lin Fan was following the official stream on a tablet, more nervous than the players themselves. Somehow, Gong Gong had come over too, having even forgotten to eat his popcorn. Nüwa put down her brush, and Jumang held his breath. Even Lao Tzu's gaze returned to Tongtian's screen.

Master Tongtian himself still wore his usual expression of unruffled calm. Only his gaze had grown more focused, as though everything beyond the screen had ceased to matter.

The match began!

The map was the classic "Sword Testing Cliff." The two heroes met in the middle lane.

"Ye Yu Sheng Fan" lived up to his reputation as a professional player, playing with exceptional patience and experience. He didn't rush into an attack, instead probing with minions and careful movement as he searched for a weakness in the "Azure Lotus Sword Immortal." His "Phantom Swordsman" moved like a specter through the minion wave, its sword flashing first to one side, then the other, creating an intangible pressure.

Master Tongtian was more direct. His "Azure Lotus Sword Immortal" took an aggressive position, and even every last hit carried a strong offensive intent, as though he might strike at any moment. Their health bars slowly dwindled as they traded damage and exchanged brief blows.

"Both sides are playing very cautiously," the official commentator analyzed. "'Ye Yu Sheng Fan' is looking for an opening, while 'Supreme Purity Sword Master' is as aggressive as ever, trying to restrict his opponent's movement."

Suddenly, "Ye Yu Sheng Fan" made his move! Using an extremely tricky angle, his "Phantom Swordsman" lunged forward in an instant, his long sword tracing a strange arc as it stabbed straight toward the "Azure Lotus Sword Immortal's" ribs! It was his famous "Phantom Thrust," a skill with a tricky angle and incredible speed!

Just as the sword tip seemed about to make contact, the "Azure Lotus Sword Immortal" controlled by Master Tongtian slipped sideways by an impossibly tiny distance, as though he had anticipated the attack. The vicious sword tip skimmed past the character model's skin, and a "Miss" appeared!

"He dodged it! My god, those reflexes!" the commentator cried out.

At almost the exact same moment he dodged the attack, the "Azure Lotus Sword Immortal" struck back. A thread of sword energy hit the "Phantom Swordsman" precisely as the skill's recovery animation left him briefly frozen!

"Beautiful counterattack! 'Supreme Purity Sword Master' timed it perfectly!"

Taking advantage of his first hit, Master Tongtian pressed his attack! The "Azure Lotus Sword Immortal" unleashed a storm of sword strikes, engulfing "Ye Yu Sheng Fan." His footwork was unpredictable, and his skills flowed together seamlessly. Every attack landed in the spot where it would trouble the "Phantom Swordsman" most.

"Ye Yu Sheng Fan" was forced back step by step, his health dropping rapidly. He tried to use a movement skill to create some distance, but Master Tongtian seemed able to predict his every move, always blocking his escape route in advance.

"Total domination! 'Supreme Purity Sword Master' is completely dominating professional player 'Ye Yu Sheng Fan' in the laning phase!" The commentator sounded incredulous.

In the villa, Gong Gong's eyes had gone wide. He hadn't even noticed the bucket of popcorn tipping over. "This... This kid really knows a thing or two about fighting in those boxes!"

Nüwa's eyes shone as her brush flew across her sketchbook. She seemed to have found inspiration in some kind of "battle aesthetics."

Lin Fan clenched his fists in excitement, his palms slick with sweat.

The battle on-screen had reached a fever pitch. "Ye Yu Sheng Fan" was cornered beneath the tower, his health nearly gone. Knowing he couldn't hesitate any longer, he used Flash, then turned and unleashed his ultimate, "Three Thousand Troubles Winds," hoping for a last-ditch reversal!

A massive whirlwind of blades surged out, covering a vast area!

Yet the instant he landed from his Flash, Master Tongtian's "Azure Lotus Sword Immortal" seemed to move in sync with him. At almost the very same moment, it dashed diagonally with an accuracy so astonishing it seemed to know the future, narrowly dodging the most damaging area of the blade storm!

At the same time, the long sword in the "Azure Lotus Sword Immortal's" hand burst into brilliant light—its ultimate, "Azure Lotus Sword Song - Severance"!

A sword energy condensed to its utmost limit pierced through the void, passing through the "Phantom Swordsman" in an instant.

"First Blood!"

The system notification rang out.

The screen of "Ye Yu Sheng Fan" turned gray.

Silence.

The official livestream fell silent for a brief moment. Then the comments flooded the screen like a bursting dam.

"?????"

"Holy crap!!! A solo kill! He solo-killed a pro in lane!"

"That prediction! Those reflexes! Is he a god?"

"I believe he isn't cheating now... This guy's a freaking god!"

"'Supreme Purity Sword Master' is awesome! (voice cracks)"

The villa erupted in an uproar too.

"Nice!" Gong Gong slapped his thigh so hard that the cups on the coffee table jumped. "That was clean and decisive! Just like the time I punched Gong Gong into... Ahem, the time I punched Mount Buzhou into pieces!"

Nüwa looked pleased with her sketch. It showed the instant the "Azure Lotus Sword Immortal" unleashed its ultimate strike, sword energy crisscrossing as the hero moved with effortless grace.

Jumang smiled and nodded. The Tranquility Grass around him gave off an even stronger fragrance.

Lao Tzu lifted his teacup and blew gently across the surface. The corner of his mouth seemed to curl into the faintest smile.

Lin Fan was so excited he nearly jumped up, practically itching to let out a roar! They had won—and in such a spectacular rout against a professional player! Now the haters would have nothing left to say!

As for Master Tongtian, he merely set down his phone and flexed his stiff fingers. His face remained expressionless, as if that earth-shattering battle had been no more than brushing dust from his shoulder.

He glanced at the flood of "666" and "awesome" comments in the official stream, then at the rapidly changing posts on the forums. A trace of indifference crossed his eyes.

"A mere professional player. Nothing special." His voice was mild, yet carried the haughty air of one who looked down on all under heaven. "The warm-up is over."

His gaze turned toward the longer, more distant road to victory on the tournament screen.

The qualifiers were still underway. But after this match, the name "Supreme Purity Sword Master" had risen like a dazzling star that could not be ignored in the sky of the "World's First Martial Arts Tournament," shining brilliantly.

Every competitor now understood that a fearsome opponent unlike any they had faced before had bared his sharp fangs.

The real storm had only just begun.