Deterring the Heroes

As Li Mu fell into deep thought, the challenge matches began.

Whether it was because the previous actions of Cai and Yao had frightened the crowd, or because everyone possessed self-awareness, no one dared to approach the No. 1 and No. 2 rings where the two stood.

Since no one came to challenge them, the ring masters could not very well force others to step up. Especially with Yao Buzhou being the senior disciple of the sect, it was even more impossible for him to challenge his junior brothers.

The two who should have been the protagonists were now completely "idle," left to awkwardly stare at each other on the stage.

In contrast, the other three rings were bustling with activity. The lowest cultivation level among those who signed up to challenge was late-stage Second-Rate, with the majority being at the peak.

Many initiated these challenges not for the sake of ranking, but to utilize the duels to squeeze out their own potential and seek a breakthrough in their current realm.

Although one could seek breakthroughs through combat at other times, the process was fraught with danger; not everyone was a protagonist who could achieve a breakthrough directly in the heat of battle.

The sect grand competition was different, as all opponents were fellow disciples. If one gained an epiphany, they could simply stop to meditate, and at such moments, the opponent would cease their attacks.

Moreover, every ring was watched by an elder who would intervene when necessary, minimizing the occurrence of accidents to the greatest extent.

With little disparity in cultivation and all having rolled through the rivers and lakes, everyone possessed combat experience, making the scenes exceptionally intense.

"Since no disciples are initiating challenges, Buli and Buzhou, step down and clear the rings for the others."

The voice was not loud, but it was filled with unquestionable dominance. Regardless of where one stood in the venue, the voice sounded as if it were ringing right in one's own ear.

This sudden display by Ning Qingyu shocked everyone deeply. One must know that there were no fewer than ten thousand guests present today; to clearly transmit one's voice into the ears of every single person required profound internal energy that was impossible to achieve otherwise.

"Half-step Innate!"

Someone exclaimed, and the entire venue fell into dead silence. Since Zhang Sanfeng, no Innate expert had appeared in the martial arts world, and the Peak realm had become the ceiling of the jianghu.

Ning Qingyu had been famous for a long time; he had been a Peak expert ten years ago. In recent years, he had been cultivating in seclusion within the sect and rarely acted in public, but no one had expected his cultivation to have reached this point.

Li Mu was also stunned. He had originally thought the top expert of the Mount Hua Sect was Feng Qingyang, never expecting that the Sect Leader, Ning Qingyu, was hiding his strength so deeply.

The only thing he couldn't understand was why Ning Qingyu, who lived a reclusive life, would choose to expose his cultivation at this moment.

Even if he wanted to suppress the Sword Sect, he could have done it behind closed doors. Regardless of how fiercely the two factions fought, as far as Li Mu knew, no one dared to act out in front of Ning Qingyu, the Sect Leader.

With two more rings available, the speed of the competition increased significantly. There was no need to organize draws; the senior brothers who were looking for breakthroughs simply walked onto the rings themselves.

Seeing this scene, many of the watching elders revealed smiles, while in contrast, many of the guests in the seating area turned pale.

The opponents they chose for themselves were all evenly matched, which could maximize the stimulation of their potential and increase the probability of a breakthrough.

Of course, the result of being evenly matched was often mutual destruction. Basically, after one match, the subsequent ranking battles had nothing to do with them.

Those who could take this step were individuals who saw through the essence of the matter; not only did they realize that "one's own cultivation is the foundation," but more importantly, they believed they could definitely break through.

Once they grasped this point, as long as no accidents occurred, these people would likely break through to the First-Rate realm; the only difference would be the timing.

This jianghu is vast, so vast that one cannot walk it in a lifetime; this jianghu is also small, so small that everyone clashes over a few pieces of loose silver.

For Mount Hua, this meant they had successors. In the eyes of other martial arts factions, it was a potential threat, and it was likely that many present had increased their vigilance toward the Mount Hua Sect.

The competition continued, and the atmosphere outside the rings grew heated.

Do not think that because those competing on the stage were Second-Rate martial artists, they were worthless. In reality, a Second-Rate martial artist was already an expert in the jianghu.

Although the jianghu was full of experts, that was built upon a massive base of martial artists; the vast majority of people in the jianghu had mediocre skills.

Common escorts, guards, and house protectors were mostly unranked, capable of dealing with seven or eight strong men.

Third-Rate martial artists could serve as head escorts, and most of the wandering martial artists and knights in the jianghu were at this level.

Ordinary disciples of major sects were also at this level, capable of fighting over ten armored elite soldiers, which already exceeded the level of normal people.

A Second-Rate martial artist was already a regional powerhouse, having made a name for themselves in the jianghu, capable of supporting a small martial arts family or a small gang.

The middle-tier strength of major sects was at this level. In many sects, they could even serve as elders, capable of fighting over a hundred armored elite soldiers.

Of course, this specific quantification was not accurate. In different places, the combat effectiveness a martial artist could exert was vastly different.

If they charged directly into a military formation, even a First-Rate martial artist would bleed on the battlefield. But if they were in the high mountains and steep ridges, a single Second-Rate martial artist could cause an elite unit to collapse.

Perhaps this was why all major sects were established in famous mountains and great rivers. After all, no one could guarantee when the Emperor might have a lapse in judgment and decide to suppress uncontrolled, illegal armed forces.

The guests who came to observe were mostly Second or Third-Rate martial artists, and the current duels were exactly within everyone's range of understanding, so the response was naturally enthusiastic.

"Li Bumu, I request Senior Brother Wang to grant me his guidance!"

Before the words had faded, Li Mu had already drifted onto the ring; many had not even seen how he got up there.

This was intentional on Li Mu's part. To challenge across a small realm and win, one must have extraordinary skills.

Compared to exposing his own sword cultivation, Li Mu felt it was better to expose his movement techniques. Although it would also invite wariness, it was better than making people think of a "second Feng Qingyang."

"Junior Brother, please!"

It was a short three-word phrase, but from Wang Buyao's solemn expression, one could still see deep wariness.

Li Mu did not stand on ceremony. After greeting him, he drew his sword and began to press the attack.

His elegant movement technique, paired with the ethereal Thirteen Styles of Gentle Breeze, made his entire person appear "as if present yet absent, as if solid yet illusory, as if changing yet unchanged," opening the eyes of the onlookers.

This made things difficult for Wang Buyao on the stage. It was not that he had never seen the Thirteen Styles of Gentle Breeze, and he had even seen many people use it more skillfully than Li Mu, but no one else had such speed!

The movement technique Li Mu displayed was something few First-Rate martial artists could match, and Wang Buyao's several attempts to counterattack all missed.

Another June 1st has arrived; Haiyue wishes everyone a happy holiday!!!