Dragon Elephant Martial Arts School

Half a month later.

Qingjiang County Town, west of East Market.

Within three months, a grand estate with lofty gates and high walls had risen there. Inside, pavilions, towers, artificial hills, and emerald pools were all present.

There was also a vast open space paved with green stone.

In the southwest corner of the open space stood wooden training dummies of varying heights. In the southeast corner lay all manner of traditional weapons—long spears, broadswords, swords, halberds—each polished to a gleaming shine, reflecting a chilling glint.

Before the gates, a pair of imposing stone lions stood proudly.

Not far away was a towering willow tree, its countless drooping strands trailing into the emerald Square Pond.

The plaque bore four large, glittering golden characters: Dragon Elephant Martial Arts School.

At this moment.

Red firecracker scraps carpeted the ground, red silk hung from the plaque, and a crowd had gathered at the entrance. There were wealthy merchants dressed in magnificent robes, as well as ordinary common folk in plain clothes.

"Everyone, today my Xu Family has opened the Dragon Elephant Martial Arts School. I hope you will all show us your support!"

Xu Mingwei was the Xu Family's next Patriarch and a Grandmaster seed with peerless talent. His words were enough to represent the Xu Family, carrying considerable weight.

"Please, come in."

"The Wang Family presents three top-grade treasured swords, in celebration of the Dragon Elephant Martial Arts School's grand opening!"

"The Cao Family presents a pair of jade pendants inlaid with dragon patterns, in celebration of the Dragon Elephant Martial Arts School's grand opening!"

"The Wu Family presents three top-grade treasured sabers—"

With the martial arts school opening, those who came naturally had to bring congratulatory gifts.

Yet not every guest was a welcome guest, and not every gift was given in goodwill.

The Xu Family intended to take a slice of Qingjiang County's martial arts hall pie. The many Families all knew this perfectly well, and most had come simply to watch the spectacle.

After all, behind the Three Major Martial Arts Halls stood the Wu, Fang, and Wang Families.

These three could be called the three strongest Families in Qingjiang County. They had been established here for nearly two centuries, their foundation deep and profound.

Even the current Xu Family fell far short when compared to them.

Yang Zhao had been transferred to the Prefecture City, lessening their apprehension toward the Xu Family by several degrees. After all, a powerful dragon could not crush a local snake.

What was more, the Xu Family was now trying to touch their interests.

There would naturally be no shortage of troublemaking and suppression.

Present for the Xu Family today were the three brothers Xu Mingwei, Xu Mingyuan, and Xu Mingxuan.

They led the guests around to inspect the grounds, then introduced the hired Instructors and Gu Yiping, the Hall Master.

However, none of these Families took Gu Yiping seriously. They believed he was merely the Xu Family's puppet on the surface, while the true authority remained with the Xu Family.

"Xu Family Eldest Young Master, we have inspected this Dragon Elephant Martial Arts School. It has indeed been built quite impressively, but the true core of a martial arts hall lies in its Instructors and Hall Master."

"Without fine teachers to guide them, studying at a martial arts hall would only be a waste of time. What do you think?"

A burly middle-aged man wearing a black gauze cloak embroidered at the collar with golden chi-dragon patterns suddenly stepped forward. He looked at Xu Mingwei, his eyes carrying a trace of disdain.

"The Black Wind Hall Master's insight is truly illuminating. Then what do you believe qualifies as a fine teacher?"

"A martial arts hall is centered on martial arts. Among Martial Artists, the strong are revered."

"Understand. Then Black Wind Hall Master, who do you intend to send from your school?"

"No need to waste time. I will test you personally."

"Then please, everyone, move to the Training Ground."

The crowd made their way in grand procession to the Training Ground. The Black Wind Hall Master walked to the center of the open space and swept his gaze over the people beside Xu Mingwei.

"Xu Family Eldest Young Master, whom do you intend to send out? Rest assured, Wang Mou will not bully the young with seniority."

"I have long admired Hall Master and wish to seek a few pointers."

Xu Mingwei smiled as he walked to stand opposite the Black Wind Hall Master.

The Black Wind Hall Master's eyes lit up, and the thought of severely injuring Xu Mingwei and crippling his Martial Dao path flashed through his mind.

Xu Mingwei posed far too great a threat.

If he could be strangled in the cradle now, it would at least delay the Xu Family's development by over twenty years.

"Make your move, Xu Family Eldest Young Master. Let this Hall Master see what strength you possess now."

The Black Wind Hall Master was exceedingly confident. He had been an Innate Martial Artist for many years. Though he remained only at the initial stage, his foundation was extremely solid.

Suppressing seven or eight Houtian Peak Martial Artists would be as easy as turning over his hand.

Xu Mingwei did not waste words. With a sudden burst, he shot before the Black Wind Hall Master. His palm slithered like a serpent, twisting and winding, producing layer upon layer of afterimages in the air.

Palm wind howled as it stamped toward the man's chest with strange and ever-changing force.

The Black Wind Hall Master's pupils suddenly contracted. He stamped his foot and rapidly retreated, but Xu Mingwei was no slower than him, his palm print clinging on like a green snake that would not let go.

He leaped into the air, flipped over, and landed behind Xu Mingyuan.

Xu Mingwei changed his palm into a fist, his soft and yielding force turning hard, fierce, and tyrannical. With a mountain-toppling, sea-overturning momentum, his fist wind bore down relentlessly.

The Black Wind Hall Master had already retreated once. If he retreated again, people would think he feared Xu Mingwei.

And who was he?

One of Qingjiang County's few Innate Martial Artists.

Even within the Wang Family, he held extremely high seniority. He was the uncle of the Wang Family Patriarch.

If he retreated, it would mean the Wang Family had retreated before the Xu Family.

"Black Wind Palm!"

The Black Wind Hall Master held nothing back. A stream of black qi condensed into a black palm print and met Xu Mingwei's fist head-on.

"Innate True Qi?"

"Black Wind Hall Master, I happened to master it not long ago as well!"

Innate True Qi erupted, and his fist wind turned golden. In an instant, it condensed into a golden fist, blazing with light as it brought domineering, fierce force to its utmost limit.

Bang—

Fist and palm collided in midair.

Black and gold each occupied half the space.

Several breaths later.

With a boom, the two men each retreated several steps, evenly matched.

"The Xu Family Eldest Young Master actually broke through to Innate?!"

"He is not even twenty yet, is he?"

"In another three months, after the Yearly Sacrifice, he will turn twenty."

"As expected of a future Grandmaster. He has only just entered Innate, yet he can already stand shoulder to shoulder with an established Innate Martial Artist like the Black Wind Hall Master."

The surrounding Families exclaimed in astonishment. Some who had originally intended only to watch the excitement felt new waves stirring in their hearts upon seeing Xu Mingwei's breakthrough.

At this rate of advancement.

Given Xu Mingwei another dozen or so years, might he not become a Grandmaster Martial Artist?

With such martial might to deter others, not a single Family in all Qingjiang County would dare provoke him. Even the county government would be wary.

After all, the strongest force in the county town was only Innate Perfection.

"The Black Wind Hall Master is indeed vigorous in his old age. Again!"

Xu Mingwei gave a great shout and charged at the Black Wind Hall Master once more.

The Black Wind Hall Master's face turned livid, as if he had suffered a humiliation. His moves began targeting Xu Mingwei's vital points one after another.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

One attacked and one defended, their roles constantly shifting.

During the exchange, the Black Wind Hall Master noticed that Xu Mingwei's force was becoming fiercer and fiercer, as though it had no upper limit.

Yet an Innate Martial Artist's Innate True Qi was finite.

If he truly launched such fierce attacks with every move, then after several dozen exchanges, his Innate True Qi would likely run dry.

Before long.

The Black Wind Hall Master began to be suppressed by Xu Mingwei.

Through their unceasing exchanges, both his hands had been jolted until the webs between his thumbs and forefingers went numb. He nearly no longer had the strength even to grip a weapon.

He was only holding on by force now.

But if this continued, the tendons and bones in his hands might be damaged—or even crippled outright.

"What terrifying tendons and bones. He truly deserves to be called a martial arts prodigy!"

The Black Wind Hall Master was past sixty, and his bones had begun to weaken.

Naturally, he could not compare with Martial Artists of the same realm in their prime.

Much less an Innate Martial Artist like Xu Mingwei, bolstered by a Destiny Talent.

Just as he did not know whether to grit his teeth and continue or admit defeat, Xu Mingwei suddenly stopped. "As expected of an old Senior. Your experience is beyond comparison for a Junior like me. Why not end today's test here?"

The Black Wind Hall Master was surprised. The other man had given him a way out, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But then he recalled that Xu Mingwei was not yet twenty and had only recently entered Innate.

Meanwhile, he had immersed himself in the Innate realm for more than a decade. Though he had not broken through to Mid-Innate, his foundation was still solid.

Truly, a young man's wild fists could beat an old master to death!

The Black Wind Hall Master sighed softly. "Xu Family Eldest Young Master possesses peerless talent. I fear it will not be long before he surpasses this Old Man."

"Age has caught up with me."

With another sigh, the Black Wind Hall Master withdrew from the field and returned to the Wang Family's side.

"May I ask whether any other Seniors wish to offer a few pointers?"

Xu Mingwei's gaze suddenly sharpened, sweeping across his surroundings like blade edges. Ordinary people did not even dare meet his eyes.

He remained calm and composed, already carrying a measure of Grandmasterly bearing.

Damn it, part of the previous chapter got censored again.