The Yellow River Assembly had stirred the hearts and minds of countless people across the land.
Not just Qin and Chu. How could it not affect Jing Mu?
In a small courtyard in Xin'an City, Li Jianqiu pushed open the gate and walked in alone.
Peach Branch, the sword that had made a name for itself in the Zhuang Kingdom, hung at his waist. His figure was forlorn.
He had failed.
In the contest for a place at the Yellow River Assembly, he had lost to Lin Zhengren, who had come from Wangjiang City Daoist Academy.
Only last year, the Zhuang Kingdom had risen to a new level through a national war. It would take time to digest the gains of that conflict; the kingdom's foundations were still too shallow. It could not produce young, powerful Outer Tower cultivators capable of competing with the prodigies of the various nations, much less anyone able to take part in the unrestricted decisive matches for those under thirty. Only in the Inner Palace realm did it still have a chance to show its strength.
When Zhu Weiwu was still here, naturally there had been no choice but to send him. After Zhu Weiwu turned his back on his homeland, there was finally room for competition over that place.
He, Li Jianqiu, had given it everything, yet still met with failure.
There was nothing to be too dejected about.
Lin Zhengren had always been stronger and more famous, and the State Monarch had valued him more, granting him greater resources.
He had managed his relations with everyone, from top to bottom, extremely well. It could be said that the entire court and country had their eyes on him.
In battle, Lin Zhengren had brought out one method after another, with hidden cards that seemed