The visitor this time was Donglai Martial Arts School, located in Donglai Town, a major town near Qingshan Town.
Donglai Town had always been prosperous, with many wealthy families and affluent residents. On top of that, transportation was well-developed, so Donglai Martial Arts School had opened a branch there and begun accepting disciples five years ago.
Donglai Martial Arts School's business had originally been excellent, with many people coming to become disciples. But ever since Guande Martial Arts School appeared, its business had taken a sharp turn for the worse, because Guande Martial Arts School's reputation had grown louder and louder.
People knew that if their natural aptitude was poor or they began learning martial arts at an older age, then even if they joined Donglai Martial Arts School, they might still fail to become Martial Artists. Even so, many people continued to harbor fantasies about it and joined Donglai Martial Arts School to practice martial arts.
Guande Martial Arts School was different. As long as one became a disciple and entered at the Entry Level, the school would teach them the Azure Origin Body Tempering Art. And the Azure Origin Body Tempering Art really could turn an ordinary person into a Martial Artist.
That was the greatest difference between Guande Martial Arts School and Donglai Martial Arts School, and also why Guande Martial Arts School was so highly sought after throughout the surrounding villages and towns.
It was not only Donglai Martial Arts School that was dissatisfied with Guande Martial Arts School. Even the martial arts schools in some other prosperous towns were filled with hostility toward it. They would probably come knocking one after another to challenge and exchange pointers.
They wanted to ruin Guande Martial Arts School's reputation this way.
Donglai Martial Arts School's visit this time could be considered the first to lose patience and make a move.
Once Guande Martial Arts School failed to withstand Donglai Martial Arts School, the martial arts schools in the other major towns would certainly come challenging one after another under the pretext of having their disciples exchange techniques.
After all, as the old saying went, there was no first place in literature and no second place in martial arts.
If one opened a martial arts school and accepted disciples, it had to withstand the scrutiny of its peers. Otherwise, it had no qualifications to continue operating.
The prodigies in the martial arts school—Zhong Wanyu, Zheng Mengyang, Qi Yaxue, Qin Shuqin, Jin Guangqing, and the others—were all cultivating with every ounce of their strength, preparing to welcome Donglai Martial Arts School's visit.
It was not only these martial arts geniuses who were working hard. Even some disciples with excellent natural aptitudes refused to fall behind, such as Xie Baolin.
During this period, a senior martial arts school official had specifically informed Xie Baolin that he would very likely have to take the field against Donglai Martial Arts School. If he won, he would receive generous rewards.
Xie Baolin therefore cultivated as if his life depended on it.
It was not only Xie Baolin. Ye Zongsheng and Sha Pengxiao, who lived in the neighboring dormitory, had also received some information from senior martial arts school officials. They might have to take the field against Donglai Martial Arts School, but they might also be left out.
After all, Guande Martial Arts School had many disciples. Though many were older disciples and apprentices with poor natural aptitude, it still had no shortage of elite disciples. Thus, whether they would get the chance to face Donglai Martial Arts School would depend on their condition when the time came.
As for Su Mo, he had not received any notification from any senior martial arts school official.
Clearly, he had no chance to take the field against Donglai Martial Arts School.
"It seems Senior Brother Luo Lianbo failed to convince those senior martial arts school officials!"
Su Mo murmured softly. Two days earlier, Senior Brother Luo Lianbo had come to find him, asking him to prepare himself. He had also promised to convince the other senior martial arts school officials to select Su Mo for the roster of disciples facing Donglai Martial Arts School this time.
But clearly, Senior Brother Luo Lianbo had failed.
The other senior martial arts school officials had never thought highly of Su Mo.
In particular, the senior martial arts school officials led by Senior Brother Liu Feiliang and Second Senior Sister Ao Lingyu had directly rejected Luo Lianbo's proposal regarding Su Mo.
Liu Feiliang and Ao Lingyu were not merely senior martial arts school officials. They were managers second only to Master Yu Guande, and they were also bona fide martial arts geniuses. As geniuses themselves, they naturally looked down on Su Mo, who seemed no different from a mediocre talent.
Even though Su Mo had performed very well after entering the martial arts school, dazzling everyone on more than one occasion, and had now even broken through to the peak of the mid-stage Body Tempering Realm, Liu Feiliang, Ao Lingyu, and the others still bluntly stated that Su Mo would need several years to break through to the late stage of the Body Tempering Realm.
It was precisely because Su Mo had only begun learning martial arts after turning eighteen, when his natural aptitude had already solidified and become blocked. In Liu Feiliang and Ao Lingyu's eyes, this doomed Su Mo's martial arts path to go no farther.
The late stage of the Body Tempering Realm might already be his limit, and even that would take Su Mo many years to reach.
Compared with martial arts geniuses such as Zhong Wanyu, Jin Guangqing, Qi Yaxue, Qin Shuqin, and Zheng Mengyang, he was simply far behind. Even when compared with the next tier—Xie Baolin, Ye Zongsheng, and Sha Pengxiao—Su Mo was inferior.
Therefore, it was not surprising that he had been left off the roster for this martial arts exchange with Donglai Martial Arts School.
Time passed quickly. Donglai Martial Arts School brought its people and disciples to Guande Martial Arts School as scheduled.
Although the senior officials of both martial arts schools smiled cheerfully when they met, they all knew that the other side had come with bad intentions.
Donglai Martial Arts School in particular had selected ten Body Tempering Realm disciples with extraordinarily powerful strength, talent, and natural aptitude. Its master, Li Donglai, had brought them to face the currently flourishing Guande Martial Arts School.
He wanted to dampen Guande Martial Arts School's morale and make it understand that one still needed real strength of one's own. Relying on special methods to open its doors wide and recruit disciples would ultimately not work.
Donglai Martial Arts School's move also stirred the martial arts schools in the other prosperous towns into action. They all began watching closely, since they had long been displeased with Guande Martial Arts School as well.
This exchange between the two martial arts schools also caused many of Guande Martial Arts School's disciples to grow highly excited.
The exchange took place at the training ground in the front courtyard of the martial arts school.
Many martial arts school disciples gathered to watch, while numerous townspeople and wealthy families had also been invited to observe the martial arts exchange between the two schools.
The atmosphere at the scene was noisy and heated.
The martial arts school's geniuses were eager to try. In everyone's eyes, Donglai Martial Arts School was also an old-established school, so this martial arts exchange would surely be a fierce struggle between dragons and tigers.
But what no one expected was this.
As soon as the martial arts exchange between the two schools began, Guande Martial Arts School sent out Xie Baolin. Xie Baolin's reputation was not as great as that of martial arts school geniuses such as Zhong Wanyu, Qi Yaxue, Qin Shuqin, Zheng Mengyang, and Jin Guangqing.
But he was still somewhat famous within Guande Martial Arts School.
He was also Su Mo's roommate, so many people knew him.
The disciple sent out by Donglai Martial Arts School was not very old and was around the same age as Xie Baolin. As soon as the exchange began, Xie Baolin launched the first attack. The opposing disciple responded with a move of his own, but after several dozen exchanges, Xie Baolin overpowered him and defeated him, leaving him severely injured.
This opening victory instantly drew wave after wave of cheers from Guande Martial Arts School's side.
But this was only the beginning.
Guande Martial Arts School then sent its genius, Jin Guangqing, into the arena. Donglai Martial Arts School refused to show weakness and also sent out a genius to meet him.
But what shocked everyone was this.
Jin Guangqing defeated Donglai Martial Arts School's genius in only two moves.
This made Donglai Martial Arts School's master, Li Donglai, look somewhat unpleasant.
Afterward, Donglai Martial Arts School sent out several more geniuses, but every one of them was severely injured and defeated by Jin Guangqing alone.
Of the ten disciples Donglai Martial Arts School had brought for the martial arts exchange, Xie Baolin defeated the first one, while Jin Guangqing then single-handedly defeated the remaining nine in succession.
Such a record left everyone utterly stunned.
It was as if Jin Guangqing were several levels stronger than Donglai Martial Arts School's disciples. As for martial arts school geniuses such as Zhong Wanyu, Qi Yaxue, Qin Shuqin, and Zheng Mengyang, none of them even took the field.
There was no need for them to. Jin Guangqing alone could handle Donglai Martial Arts School.
This made Donglai Martial Arts School's master, Li Donglai, look utterly grim. In the end, he left Guande Martial Arts School with a dark expression, bringing Donglai Martial Arts School's disciples with him. The smiles and mutual flattery from their arrival were nowhere to be seen.
In this martial arts exchange, Guande Martial Arts School had directly stripped Donglai Martial Arts School down to its undergarments. An old-established martial arts school that had operated for several years—was this all the strength it had?
Not only had it failed to win even once, it had also been defeated nine times in a row by Jin Guangqing alone. If word got out, Donglai Martial Arts School would be unable to hold its head high.
This also indirectly proved that Guande Martial Arts School's strength was far beyond what an ordinary martial arts school could match.
"Guande Martial Arts School is truly formidable. Donglai Martial Arts School is the major martial arts school of neighboring Donglai Town, yet who would have thought it would be beaten so miserably by Guande Martial Arts School? It couldn't win even once and could only slink away with its tail between its legs, stripped of all face."
"Isn't that the truth? I thought this would be a fierce struggle between dragons and tigers, but I never expected Donglai Martial Arts School to lose so cleanly. Truly, one cannot see Mount Lu's true face simply because one is within the mountain itself. Guande Martial Arts School is this powerful—coming here to become a disciple is definitely the right choice."
"As for the other martial arts schools, there's no need to go to them!"
With Donglai Martial Arts School's crushing defeat, Guande Martial Arts School also made it clear to everyone: if they wanted to become disciples, they should choose Guande Martial Arts School; if they wanted to learn martial arts, they should come to Guande Martial Arts School.
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