Challenge

Hearing Feng Lengchan say this, Shi Mu and the other martial hall disciples perked up. They gathered around the platform and took their places.

Li Canghai and the other instructors also came over, accompanied by two unfamiliar faces. One wore armor and carried a sword at his waist. His expression seemed half-smiling, half-not, and he was clearly a military officer. The other was a beautiful woman in her thirties, her hair swept up in a high bun and her face expressionless. She was the Houtian Martial Artist the Four Great Martial Halls had invited to serve as a judge.

The martial hall was a commandant of Feng City's garrison, while the woman was the leader of a large underground faction in the city.

A moment later, Feng Lengchan stepped onto the platform and announced the rules of the competition.

"This competition will follow the same format as before, with the winner decided over three rounds. In each round, the Four Great Martial Halls may each send one person to challenge another. The challenged martial hall must fight with all its strength. Disciples who lose may not enter the next round, while those who win may continue challenging other martial artists in the next round. After three rounds, the rankings will be determined by how many disciples retain the right to challenge."

As soon as Feng Lengchan finished speaking, he jumped down from the platform. The military officer took his place without haste. He merely cupped his hands briefly, then stood there without saying a word.

Below, Li Yunfeng heard the rules and curled his lips slightly.

"Brother Li, what do you think of these rules?" Shi Mu asked curiously when he saw his expression.

"Brother Shi, you may not know this, but this three-round challenge system is most advantageous to a martial hall with a powerful fighter. In the last competition, Wang Tianhao represented the Jingang Martial Hall and practically swept through all three rounds by himself. None of the other martial halls could stop him." Li Yunfeng replied with a wry smile.

"I see. These challenge rules are rather interesting." After thinking it over, Shi Mu understood the true purpose behind the rules and chuckled.

Just then, someone leaped onto the platform and called out loudly:

"I am Wu Ming of the Tianlu Martial Hall. I would like to test the skills of the senior brothers from the Flowing Wind Martial Hall."

"Yunfeng, go up. This man lost to you last time, so you should have no trouble handling him." The red-faced man from the Flowing Wind Martial Hall ordered without turning his head.

"Master Min, don't worry. Leave this kid to me." Li Yunfeng hurriedly stopped talking with Shi Mu and replied, chest puffed out.

Li Yunfeng slipped both hands into his belt. In an instant, each hand held a blue fist guard. He gave them a light shake, producing a crisp metallic clatter. Each guard was studded with bronze plates about the size of a fingernail.

As Li Yunfeng jumped onto the platform, the young man already there let out a roar, brandished a gleaming dagger in each hand, and rushed at him.

In the blink of an eye, the two were locked in combat.

Li Yunfeng twisted his body, whipping his arms back and forth. His fists attacked from angles so bizarre they were hard to anticipate.

The young man called Wu Ming wielded his two daggers with nimble, unbroken movements, forming a defense as tight as a wall against wind and rain. They repeatedly clashed with Li Yunfeng's fists, sending sparks flying. The sight was almost dazzling.

"Not good. Wu Ming has trained his Void-Piercing Dagger until not even water can penetrate it. I'm afraid Yunfeng is going to suffer a little." After watching for a while, the red-faced man said, his expression changing.

"Indeed. Wu Ming had only just begun learning the Void-Piercing Dagger back then. Who would have thought he'd reach the minor mastery stage in just one year? Li Yunfeng's Python Bone Fist still lacks refinement. It'll be very difficult for him to win." Li Canghai offered his assessment.

As if to prove his point, a low growl suddenly rang out from the platform. The two figures fighting there abruptly sprang apart. Wu Ming stumbled backward several steps, one hand pressed to his chest, his face deathly pale.

Across from him, Li Yunfeng had the two gleaming daggers embedded halfway into his shoulder. Blood streamed down his arm, and he was clearly in no condition to fight on.

"First match, victory to the Tianlu Martial Hall!" the military officer announced, stepping forward on the platform.

Li Yunfeng shot Wu Ming a furious glare, then could only jump down from the platform, unwilling to accept defeat.

With two soft puffs, the red-faced man pressed a finger to either side of Li Yunfeng's shoulder, then grabbed him by both shoulders and gave him a sudden shake. The daggers were forced out. Two streams of blood shot up about a foot before abruptly stopping.

"Apply medicine at once and bandage the wounds. He should be fine in three to five days," the red-faced man said gravely.

Though Li Yunfeng was in such pain that sweat poured down his head, he could only nod repeatedly and thank him.

By then, a young man with a staff from the Jingang Martial Hall had taken the platform and challenged the Tianlu Martial Hall.

The Tianlu Martial Hall sent out a disciple with a saber, and the two clashed with a clatter of weapons.

After a dozen or so exchanges, the Jingang Martial Hall challenger accidentally had his weapon knocked from his hands by his opponent. He could only concede and withdraw.

The Tianlu Martial Hall had won two matches in a row, and its prestige soared. Feng Lengchan stroked his beard with one hand, his face wreathed in smiles.

After the two matches, the crowd below the platform began buzzing with discussion.

"What's there to watch? I've heard all about the Thick Earth Physique. You, boy, come out and let me test you!" Just then, someone suddenly leaped out of the crowd and landed steadily on the platform, holding a long spear in reverse grip. He shouted toward the Feihong Martial Hall.

The man wore an arrogant expression. He was none other than Wang Tianhao.

"That brainless kid! Didn't I tell him not to rush onto the platform? And now he's challenging the Feihong Martial Hall right in the first round!"

Over on the Jingang Martial Hall's side, a gray-haired elder who had failed to grab Wang Tianhao in time was so furious he nearly jumped up and cursed.

A stir ran through the Feihong Martial Hall's people.

Tie Dong, dark and lean, saw this and flashed a fierce look. He stepped forward, but a long-bearded elder standing in front of him grabbed him and shook his head.

"Dong'er, there's no need for you to go up so early. Even if you win, you'll expend too much strength and won't be able to last to the end. Gu Zhong, go up and see whether Wang Tianhao's Blazing Fire Spear Technique has improved."

Gu Zhong was frustrated by this, but he could only accept the order, draw his long sword, and leap onto the platform.

"I'm not looking for you. Send that boy up instead," Wang Tianhao said impatiently as soon as he saw Gu Zhong.

"Defeat me first, then worry about anything else." Gu Zhong was deeply afraid of Wang Tianhao, but those words still filled him with angry embarrassment. He gave a low shout and flicked his long sword. It immediately swept forward like a raging gale.

It was the Splashing Water Sword Technique, which he had painstakingly practiced for years.

"You're asking for it!" Wang Tianhao's expression darkened. He swept his spear across his body, and the front half of the weapon blurred and vanished.

With a whoosh, a bowl-sized flame suddenly appeared in front of Wang Tianhao. It turned into a mass of red light and shot forward.

With a thunderous boom, Gu Zhong screamed as his entire body flew off the platform, trailing the smell of charred flesh.

The ball of fire spun around before returning to its original shape. It was a gleaming spearhead, its entire surface wrapped in fiercely burning flames. It looked incredibly bizarre.

"Blazing Fire Flame!"

The long-bearded elder from the Feihong Martial Hall below cried out in alarm. His figure blurred, turning into a gray shadow as he shot into the air, then caught Gu Zhong in his arms.

Only after the long-bearded elder landed again could everyone see Gu Zhong clearly in his arms. He was blackened all over, more than half his clothes reduced to ash, and his exposed skin covered in white blisters of all sizes. He looked utterly miserable.

"Brother Xu, I never imagined your nephew Wang would cultivate the Blazing Fire Spear Technique to this level. You certainly kept us in the dark." Holding Gu Zhong, the long-bearded elder's face was livid as he turned and challenged the gray-haired elder, "Uncle Xu."

"Haha, don't accuse me unfairly. I only just learned that Tianhao had mastered the Blazing Fire Flame. By all rights, it should have been impossible—only Houtian Martial Artists should be able to use such a move." Uncle Xu of the Jingang Martial Hall replied without hesitation, both shocked and delighted.

"Fine. Fine. I'll remember this." The long-bearded elder stamped his foot, then could only hurry to have someone carry Gu Zhong to a quiet room for treatment.

The other martial hall instructors now looked at Wang Tianhao as though he were some blue-faced, fanged monster. Every one of them wore an expression of disbelief.

"This is impossible. How could anyone really master the Blazing Fire Flame at the Martial Disciple stage? If he can do that, who could possibly withstand his attacks?" Li Canghai muttered, his face grim.

"Haha, now that Wang Tianhao has mastered the Fang Fire Flame, he's more than qualified to enter the Kaiyuan Martial Academy directly. I don't think there's any need to compete for first place this time. Of course, anyone who disagrees can challenge him. If Tianhao loses, the Jingang Martial Hall will withdraw from the rest of the competition and willingly take last place." Uncle Xu jumped onto the platform and nodded to the military officer, who seemed a little dazed, then spoke with an air of triumph.

Feng Lengchan and the instructors of the other three martial halls exchanged glances.

"Hmph. If the Jingang Martial Hall wants first place, it'll have to ask me first." Though Tie Dong was equally shocked by the flames on Wang Tianhao's spear, he flew into a rage at those words. He moved to charge onto the platform.

"Dong'er, stop! Your Thick Earth Physique may be powerful, but it absolutely cannot withstand a single strike of the Blazing Fire Flame." The long-bearded elder hurriedly grabbed Tie Dong again, his expression dark.

At those words, Tie Dong's heart sank.

Though he had always been unruly, he trusted this elder, who had brought him from an island to Feng City, completely.

At the same time, Feng Jun stood at the other end of the platform with both fists clenched. His nails dug deep into his palms, yet his face was deathly pale and he didn't dare say a word.

"Shi Mu, come up here. Looking over everyone here, I suspect you're the only one who can fight me." Wang Tianhao swept his gaze over the crowd below the platform. A look of disdain flickered in his eyes. Then he suddenly smiled strangely toward where Shi Mu stood and shouted.