Citywide Martial Hall Tournament

Willow leaves drifted lightly, rustling down onto the green stone beneath the great tree, carrying a lazy stillness.

After a long while, Qin Mingyue barely managed to suppress her surging emotions, her expression gradually calming.

She looked at Shen Zhou, who was resting with his eyes closed on the recliner, and finally couldn't help but speak, her voice still carrying a trace of hoarseness: "Why let me off? Aren't you afraid I'll report to the family that you're not the Qin family's 'Heaven's Chosen'?"

Shen Zhou didn't even lift his eyelids, his tone casual and utterly unconcerned: "Go ahead and tell them. I'm tired of playing the Qin family head anyway; using that as an excuse to cut ties cleanly with the Qin family would be peaceful. As long as the Taixuan Sword is in my hands, nothing else matters."

He paused, cracked an eye to glance at her, and added, "As for you, I'm not that petty. If you'd said earlier you wanted to borrow the Taixuan Sword to get stronger, I'd have given it to you long ago. No need for all those roundabout schemes."

Qin Mingyue froze, her eyes full of shock.

In her view, the Taixuan Sword was the Qin Family Ancestral Divine Weapon, hiding the Divine King Inheritance. Anyone who got their hands on it would only clutch it tightly, never willing to give it up.

But Shen Zhou seemed to care nothing about the Divine King Inheritance; he simply liked the Taixuan Sword for its own sake.

Why?

Qin Mingyue didn't understand, nor could she comprehend.

But she knew everyone had their secrets, so she tactfully didn't press further, silently burying her doubts.

Under the great tree, silence returned, willow leaves still falling.

After all the secrets were laid bare, Qin Mingyue felt as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted. The tension in her body vanished, and she became much more relaxed.

Just then, the furious roar of the little Sword Spirit came from the Taixuan Sword, breaking the stillness: "Ah—you big jerk! I don't want to follow you, don't want to follow you! Sister, can you take me away?"

Shen Zhou opened his eyes, rolled them hard, and said irritably, "You ungrateful little thing. I've had you with me for so long and never treated you badly, yet you don't give a damn about me. Watch out, or I'll suppress you under a latrine for a hundred years... no, a thousand!"

"You... you..."

The Sword Spirit was both angry and scared, but helpless against Shen Zhou, stomping its feet in frustration inside the sword.

Qin Mingyue soothed it gently, her voice soft: "I'm sorry, Sword Spirit. I'm no match for him; I can't take you away. But he's not a bad person. You'll be fine with him."

The Sword Spirit sounded aggrieved, its voice softening with a hint of pleading: "Sister, I'll teach you my master's Taixuan Sword Scripture. Once you get stronger, you can rescue me from this jerk, okay?"

Qin Mingyue was stunned. She never expected the Divine King Inheritance to come so easily. Looking at the Sword Spirit's hopeful gaze, she snapped back to reality and nodded solemnly: "Don't worry. From now on, my goal in cultivation is to surpass him. If one day I can defeat him, I'll make him let you go."

Qin Mingyue was devoted to martial arts, obsessed with the peak of combat. Setting Shen Zhou as her goal wasn't about revenge—it was simply to prove herself.

Shen Zhou let out a scoff, his tone dripping with disdain: "Defeat me? Looks like this Sword Spirit is stuck with me for life."

The Sword Spirit fumed, retorting loudly: "Hmph! Jerk, don't look down on people! My master's Taixuan Sword Scripture is amazing. Once Sister cultivates it, with my guidance, she'll surpass you in no time! And don't you dare try to steal it—I'd die before teaching you!"

Shen Zhou curled his lip, sneering: "Pfft, what's so great about Taixuan Sword Scripture? Is it better than my Lone Nine Swords? Better than Sword Twenty-Three? Better than Divine Sword Thunder Control True Art? You know nothing, you hick!"

"Ah—you're the hick! Big jerk, how dare you!"

"Nyah nyah nyah..."

Watching the childish bickering between the man and the sword, Qin Mingyue was taken aback at first, then broke into a smile.

After this, Qin Mingyue still served Shen Zhou every day, but this service no longer held any trace of ulterior motive—only sincere respect.

In the end, she never reported Shen Zhou's secret to the family. The Qin family was in troubled times now; if Shen Zhou severed ties with them, the Qin family would only lose out.

After much thought, she buried the matter in her heart, and everything continued as before.

A few days later, Pei Dahai, who hadn't shown his face in a long time, suddenly arrived at White Deer Academy with several people in a hurry.

Before long, Old Man Ji gathered Shen Zhou, Tan Tong, and Dongfang Hongyu before him.

Through Old Man Ji's introduction, they learned that these men were all his disciples.

The lead senior disciple, Tang Shan, was in his early thirties, steady and sharp. As soon as he saw Shen Zhou, he stepped forward with a smile, raised a hand, and patted his shoulder warmly: "Little junior brother, I've heard about your deeds from Fifth Junior Brother for a while. I've always wanted to meet you, but we've been out escorting shipments all year and never had the chance. Now, finally, my wish is fulfilled."

Shen Zhou exchanged polite greetings with Tang Shan and the others, then cut straight to the point, looking at Tang Shan: "Senior Brother, Old Man Ji just called us over, saying you need my help with something. What is it?"

Second Senior Brother Meng Gang was a burly man with a full beard, looking older than his twenty-seven or twenty-eight years. Bold by nature, he jumped in, his voice booming: "Haha, little junior brother, here's the deal. The annual Flying Bird City-wide Martial Hall Tournament is coming up soon. It's co-hosted by Flying Bird Academy and the City Lord's Mansion. Basically, it lets martial hall disciples from across the city exchange skills and test each hall's teaching level."

He paused, a glint of excitement in his eyes: "In past years, our Flying Bird Martial Hall just went through the motions, no real hopes. But this year's different. After hearing from Fifth Junior Brother about your skills, I knew we've got it in the bag! Even hall masters like Xu Tianqiao and Yang Ming, who are in the Transformation Yuan Fifth Realm, couldn't beat you. In this tournament, who can compete?"

Shen Zhou caught on instantly, raising an eyebrow: "You want me to represent Flying Bird First Martial Hall in the tournament and claim the prize?"

"Bingo!"

Meng Gang slapped his thigh, his tone more urgent: "No reason to pass it up! And after you showed up at the hall last time, plus the North Mountain Mine incident, the Three Great Families all know about the hall's connection to you. Now people come challenging the hall every day—we can't even open for business or recruit apprentices. Without apprentices, we don't even qualify to compete. You've gotta handle this... Hey, why are you pulling me? Little junior brother isn't an outsider!"

Third Senior Brother Chen Xu had delicate features and a refined demeanor. He gently pulled Meng Gang back and said to Shen Zhou with a mild smile: "Little junior brother, don't listen to Second Senior Brother's nonsense. The hall rarely opens for business anyway; it's not much to do with the Three Great Families. Don't feel any pressure. Whether you join the tournament is entirely up to you—don't force yourself."

Fourth Senior Brother Cai Xiaoyan was introverted, offering Shen Zhou only a shy smile, his eyes full of goodwill.

Pei Dahai nodded from the side, signaling Shen Zhou not to feel pressured.

Before Shen Zhou could respond, Dongfang Hongyu couldn't hold back anymore, stepping forward eagerly: "Great Hall Master, let me ask—will people from Flying Bird Academy participate in this competition?"

Tang Shan nodded in reply: "Yes. Every year, Flying Bird Academy sends disciples who haven't reached the Transformation Yuan realm to observe. At the end of the competition, martial hall disciples are allowed to challenge academy disciples—it sets an example for the hall disciples and gives the academy disciples practical combat experience."

Hearing this, Dongfang Hongyu's eyes lit up, and he immediately thumped his chest: "Then I'm in! When I applied to Flying Bird Academy back then, they rejected me. I said then that one day, I'd beat their disciples and make them regret not taking me—it's their loss! Shen Zhou, you're joining too!"

With that, he tugged at Shen Zhou's arm, his eyes full of anticipation.

Shen Zhou looked at the hopeful gazes around him. He didn't refuse outright but frowned with some hesitation: "Is it appropriate for me to join? So many people recognize me now. The moment I step on stage, my opponent might just forfeit—what's the point of competing? Or worse, they might recognize me and ban me from participating. Wouldn't that be a waste of effort?"

His words plunged everyone into silence.

What Shen Zhou said was far from an overreaction.

Although the storm at North Mountain Mine had long since passed, the name "Shen Zhou" had already become firmly bound to labels like "Qin Family Patriarch," "Qin Family Sword Drawer," and "Heavenly Firmament powerhouse."

If he went to compete, he would inevitably be accused of bullying the weak by relying on his status.

In the end, Shen Zhou's current identity was no longer suitable for a tournament aimed at ordinary martial hall disciples.

Just then, Old Man Ji took a drag on his pipe, slowly exhaled a smoke ring, and offered an idea: "If you want to go, it's simple. Have Bai Feizhan help you with a disguise and change your name. Also, you absolutely cannot use the Taixuan Sword—if it shows up, you'll be exposed completely!"

Shen Zhou's heart tightened, and he immediately realized.

He had nearly forgotten—the Taixuan Sword's pitch-black, fire-poker-like blade was unforgettable once seen. It was practically a walking "identity card."

"But if he doesn't use the Taixuan Sword, how can he still take first place?"

Meng Gang frowned, his tone full of worry.

Now everyone in the city thought Shen Zhou was only strong because of the Qin Family Divine Weapon.

Shen Zhou didn't explain. He just pondered for a moment, then proposed with a straight face: "How about... I dye the Taixuan Sword with paint and give it a disguise too?"

Everyone: "..."

A disguise for a weapon?

Only Shen Zhou could come up with something like that.

Old Man Ji shot him an exasperated glare and said sternly, "Can't you all have a bit more ambition? The Citywide Martial Hall Tournament's original purpose is to let young martial artists exchange skills, grow, and gain practical experience. Is it just about taking first place?

Shen boy, you're already at the Coagulation Sixth Realm. Don't you want to see how far you can go in the tournament with your own real strength?"

Chastened by Old Man Ji's righteous scolding, everyone felt a little ashamed.

They had indeed been too narrow-minded, too fixated on winning and losing, forgetting the tournament's true intent.

In the end, the Academy Tournament roster was finally set.

This competition would center on Tan Tong, Shen Zhou, Dongfang Hongyu, and Wang Xiaomao. They would rely on their own strength, give it their all, strive for the top, and incidentally test the fruits of their training.

The rest—A Dai, San Mazi, Xi Mei, and the others—would also participate, but at most to gain experience and broaden their horizons.

For this, Shen Zhou was quite looking forward to it.

He also wanted to see where his current strength placed him in Flying Bird City.