At the Guande Martial Arts School's training grounds.
A tall platform had been built, and the place was packed with clamoring spectators. Martial artists and disciples from the various schools surrounded the area, along with many people from Qingshan Town, all there to witness the grand martial exchange between the three schools.
Such a grand event was rarely seen in Qingshan Town, even once every few years.
This martial exchange between Guande Martial Arts School, Changchun Martial Arts School, and Qiufeng Martial Arts School had drawn not only many wealthy families from Qingshan Town, but also rich clans from several neighboring large towns. They had all come to Qingshan Town just to witness this grand gathering.
It could be said to be an unprecedented spectacle!
The higher-ups of the three schools took their seats one after another. The masters of Changchun Martial Arts School and Qiufeng Martial Arts School also sat firmly atop the platform, while Yu Guande, the old man from Guande Martial Arts School who rarely showed himself, also appeared at the training grounds.
When Yu Guande appeared, the masters of Changchun Martial Arts School and Qiufeng Martial Arts School both rose to greet him. Although the strength of these two masters was no weaker than Yu Guande's—and they were even stronger than him—
Yu Guande's seniority was, after all, firmly established. It was said that he also had extremely deep connections with Anyuan County Town.
That was also why the two schools had chosen to come challenge Guande Martial Arts School to an exchange instead of directly kicking down its doors.
Although Yu Guande had been born in Qingshan Town, he had put down roots and cultivated in Anyuan County Town for several decades. His background and connections were far beyond what they could compare with.
Therefore, in the presence of Old Master Yu Guande, the two Tendon Changing Realm masters did not dare act arrogantly.
"Old Master, how have you been feeling?"
Zhou Changchun, the master of Changchun Martial Arts School, spoke up in greeting. He knew that although Yu Guande had broken through to the Tendon Changing Realm, he had suffered a severe injury in his early years, and his qi and blood had deteriorated badly. It was said that he had returned to Qingshan Town to enjoy his retirement.
But if you wanted to retire, then retire. Why open a martial arts school? And even if you opened one, why did you have to snatch away fifty or sixty percent of the business from their respective schools? That was simply unbearable.
"My health is still passable." Yu Guande's complexion was ruddy and his spirit vigorous. There was not the slightest sign of deteriorating qi and blood.
Zhou Changchun was secretly astonished. Could the rumors have been wrong?
Zeng Qiufeng, the master of Qiufeng Martial Arts School, laughed heartily. "Then the old master is truly hale and hearty despite his age!"
As a fellow Tendon Changing Realm expert, Zeng Qiufeng had also failed to detect anything abnormal about Yu Guande's body. His qi and blood showed no sign of decline; instead, they were as exuberant as a blazing furnace. He hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over.
"I heard that each of your schools has produced a genius whose reputation has, for a time, overshadowed the five great geniuses of our Guande Martial Arts School?"
Old Master Yu Guande did not respond to Zeng Qiufeng's words. Instead, he asked this question.
The five great geniuses of Guande Martial Arts School naturally referred to Zhong Wanyu, Qi Yaxue, Qin Shuqin, Zheng Mengyang, and Jin Guangqing.
As for the geniuses of Changchun Martial Arts School and Qiufeng Martial Arts School, they naturally meant Cao Xuanchu and Mo Chengjun.
Hearing this, Zhou Changchun said humbly, "Not at all. Although our school has produced Cao Xuanchu among the Body Tempering Realm disciples, he is probably still inferior to the five great geniuses of your Guande Martial Arts School. I heard that Zhong Wanyu and Qi Yaxue of your school won't be participating in this martial exchange. Xuanchu won't be able to fight either of the two geniuses from your school. It truly is a pity for him."
Zeng Qiufeng added, "Indeed. Old Master, your Guande Martial Arts School is now extremely famous, and its reputation has spread throughout the surrounding villages. Who doesn't know about your school's five great geniuses? It is truly our honor that Mo Chengjun of Qiufeng Martial Arts School can fight them."
Both Zhou Changchun and Zeng Qiufeng kept their postures extremely low, as though the geniuses produced by their schools were utterly helpless and no match for Guande Martial Arts School.
Every word they spoke praised the extraordinary qualities of Guande Martial Arts School.
A smile appeared on Old Master Yu Guande's stern face.
Clearly, he found these words very pleasing.
However, he knew that Changchun Martial Arts School and Qiufeng Martial Arts School had come with ill intentions this time. He had still instructed his disciples Liu Feiliang, Ao Lingyu, and the others to make all the necessary preparations.
"The martial exchange between the three schools begins now."
Liu Feiliang and Ao Lingyu stood on either side of their master, Yu Guande. After receiving a signal from him, they announced the official start of the three-school martial exchange.
The rules of this exchange were simple: whoever could hold on until the end would be the first-place winner.
That meant there was almost no room for defeat. Once someone lost, they would be eliminated.
This exchange differed from Donglai Martial Arts School's previous challenge. Since many people would be fighting, whoever won a match could remain on the platform and continue fighting, or rest before returning to compete again.
The first-place winner would be whoever had no challengers left beneath the platform.
The reward for first place was that entire bottle of Blood Qi Pills.
Second and third place would be ranked according to the number of opponents defeated. Their rewards would also be Blood Qi Pills, but there would definitely be fewer than the first-place prize.
Second place would receive five Blood Qi Pills, while third place would receive three.
In other words, the combined rewards for second and third place were still less than the reward for first place.
In civil matters there was no first; in martial matters there was no second.
The value of contending for first place in the martial path went without saying.
Soon, Changchun Martial Arts School sent a disciple onto the platform first. Qiufeng Martial Arts School made no move, while Guande Martial Arts School sent out Xie Baolin.
Xie Baolin was fairly well-known in Guande Martial Arts School. He was also Su Mo's junior disciple from the same dormitory. Furthermore, he had previously defeated a core disciple of Donglai Martial Arts School, so his strength was not weak.
"Baolin should be close to reaching the peak of the mid Body Tempering Realm, right?"
Su Mo stood below the platform. Xie Baolin had been cultivating very diligently lately, and had even cultivated the martial art Thunderous Fist, which the school had previously rewarded him with, to the Entry Level. His strength had risen tremendously. An ordinary martial artist at the peak of the mid Body Tempering Realm was no match for Xie Baolin.
Changchun Martial Arts School had sent out a disciple at the peak of the mid Body Tempering Realm.
Just as everyone thought they were about to witness an evenly matched battle, Xie Baolin had exchanged only a few moves after stepping onto the platform before being forcefully suppressed by the Changchun Martial Arts School disciple. Even after using the Entry Level Thunderous Fist, he still could not withstand his opponent's fierce assault.
The Changchun Martial Arts School disciple had likewise cultivated a martial art no weaker than Thunderous Fist, and had also reached the Entry Level.
With one side gaining while the other lost, Xie Baolin was naturally no match for him. After twenty moves, he was defeated and admitted defeat.
Xie Baolin's loss was something many people from Guande Martial Arts School had not expected. After all, Xie Baolin could be considered one of the more powerful disciples below the school's five great geniuses—Zhong Wanyu, Qi Yaxue, Zheng Mengyang, Qin Shuqin, and Jin Guangqing.
"The disciples of Changchun Martial Arts School are all quite strong. Most of them are even at the late Body Tempering Realm, or perhaps the peak of the Body Tempering Realm."
Su Mo immediately saw that the disciples of Changchun Martial Arts School were not weak. Their weakest cultivators were already at the peak of the mid Body Tempering Realm. Their ordinary elite disciples were at the late Body Tempering Realm or the peak of the late Body Tempering Realm. The aura of their strength was entirely no weaker than that of the several great geniuses from Guande Martial Arts School.
Su Mo was not the only one who noticed this. The higher-ups of Guande Martial Arts School had also discovered it. None of them had expected Changchun Martial Arts School to possess such profound foundations.
Even Senior Brother Liu Feiliang sighed inwardly. As expected of an established martial arts school that has put down roots in a large town for more than a decade.
The foundation of Guande Martial Arts School at the Body Tempering Realm was still clearly lacking.
After Changchun Martial Arts School claimed the first match, its disciple did not rest. Instead, he continued to issue challenges.
Qiufeng Martial Arts School still made no move. Seeing this, Second Senior Sister Ao Lingyu directly sent out a disciple at the late Body Tempering Realm, intending to win one back.
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