The Contest

At the words "supreme ruler," Ning Qingyu's expression grew even grimmer.

What kind of supreme ruler of the martial world was locked in a cage?

Look at Shaolin, Wudang, and the Sun Moon Divine Cult. Which one didn't have several provinces within its sphere of influence? Whose influence didn't extend across the entire Great Ming?

What did the Mount Hua Sect have?

The eight hundred miles of fertile land in Guanzhong were a thing of the past. If they hadn't formed the Five Mountains Alliance to bolster their reputation, the Mount Hua Sect would have been no more than a local sect.

As for wealth, the gap was even greater. They couldn't compare with Shaolin or Wudang, much less with some of the wealthier first-rate sects.

Take Emei, the Tang Sect, and Qingcheng in Shuzhong, for example. Their strength was far below that of the Mount Hua Sect, but they were wealthier than Mount Hua.

Jiangnan went without saying. Any martial world faction with influence across several prefectures was richer than Mount Hua. Even within the Five Mountains Alliance, the Mount Tai Sect had more money than the Mount Hua Sect.

Of course, wealth didn't necessarily mean greater strength.

Jiangnan had the most prosperous economy, and its martial arts sects were the wealthiest. They had the richest resources, yet the proportion of experts they produced was the lowest.

By contrast, the northern martial world, with its somewhat weaker economic foundations, produced outstanding talents in droves. The overall balance of power in the Great Ming's martial world had always favored the north over the south.

Perhaps influenced by Jiangnan's flourishing literary culture, the great southern clans preferred to send their young people to academies rather than martial arts sects.

The southern martial arts sects also had little local influence. The imperial court, on the other hand, wielded far greater power. Many gangs in the martial world had to watch the officials' expressions. Gathering thousands of men for a pitched battle, as they did in the north, was simply unthinkable.

Living in this dog-eat-dog world, the Mount Hua Sect couldn't help but want a share when it saw weaker factions enjoying the good life.

"Does this Master truly believe what he's saying?"

"I'll spare you the empty talk. Out of respect for your temple, the Mount Hua Sect is willing to make concessions. If the local forces in Luoyang give up half the city, we'll return to Guanzhong at once."

He meant it. Ning Qingyu's expectations had already fallen considerably. He no longer fantasized about uniting the Five Mountains into one, spanning the north and south of the great river.

It would be enough to take half of Luoyang, join forces with Mount Heng from afar, and extend their reach into Jiangnan to claim a share of the spoils.

Unfortunately, people often didn't believe the truth. Master Ben Chen shook his head. "Luoyang is out of the question. Benefactor Ning, why not consider Ningxia, Yulin, or Shangdang? I can guarantee that Shaolin will not obstruct you."

At that answer, not only did Ning Qingyu's expression change dramatically, but the two elders beside him, Yue and Feng, also flew into a rage. Elder Feng, unable to hold back, spoke first:

"Master, don't take us for fools. The Northwest is impoverished, and Ningxia and Yulin are vital frontier garrisons, crowded with imperial troops. How could the Mount Hua Sect possibly get a foothold there?

"Shangdang isn't any better. The main force of the Ten Elders of the Demonic Cult is still waiting there. Even if we head north, we'd go through Luoyang into Hedong. Why would we run off to Shangdang?

"If your temple is truly sincere, you could hand over Hanzhong Prefecture instead. The Mount Hua Sect has no great ambitions. We merely want to obtain what matches our strength..."

Ben Chen was troubled, too. Given the Mount Hua Sect's bizarre location, even if he wanted to tempt them with benefits, he couldn't think of a suitable prize to offer.

Shaolin Temple wouldn't care about Hanzhong Prefecture by itself. After all, it wasn't their territory, so they had nothing to lose.

The problem was what would happen after Mount Hua took control of Hanzhong. If they went south into Huguang, that would be fine; Wudang would teach them a lesson. But if the Mount Hua Sect pushed west, could the martial world of Shu withstand them?

If the sects of Shuzhong couldn't hold out, should Shaolin interfere or not?

If they did, the current situation would repeat itself, or become even more troublesome. If they didn't, the Mount Hua Sect, having seized Shu Region, would truly have the means to challenge Shaolin.

"I have long heard that Benefactor Ning's martial arts are exceptional. If you can break our temple's Vajra Subjugation Array, then I will speak on behalf of our fellow martial artists in Luoyang."

It was clear that Ben Chen didn't want things to come to this. Unless they had no choice, Shaolin didn't want a direct confrontation with Mount Hua either.

The Mount Hua Sect was in its prime. If they suffered this loss, they would surely seek revenge when the opportunity arose. Having such an enemy at their side would give Shaolin Temple a headache.

"Master, you must be joking! Three supreme experts working together are already invincible beneath heaven, let alone with your temple's famous Vajra Subjugation Array."

Before Ning Qingyu could reply, Elder Yue refused on his behalf.

He had confidence in his sect leader's cultivation, but confidence had its limits. One against three, and with a formation on top of that? It was clearly bullying.

The outright refusal made the atmosphere awkward at once. The contest was indeed unfair, and Ben Chen had no way to deny it.

"Wait. I accept. But if Master wants to stake the Vajra Subjugation Array, that's not enough of a wager!"

"Sect leader, this..."

Ning Qingyu cut him off.

"Say no more. I know what I'm doing."

The three monks exchanged glances and instantly reached an agreement.

"Very well, as Sect Leader Ning wishes. If you break the Vajra Subjugation Array, then aside from Luoyang, we will not interfere with your sect's actions in Hanzhong either."

It wasn't that they wouldn't interfere; it was that they wouldn't be able to.

If someone truly appeared who could break the Vajra Subjugation Array, Shaolin Temple would have to back down. At the very least, the forces they had gathered in Luoyang couldn't hold him in check.

Having gotten the result he wanted, Ning Qingyu laughed heartily. "Masters, please."

Before the words were out of his mouth, he had already swung his sword, as if trying to catch the three men off guard.

Three iron chains suddenly flew out, meeting Ning Qingyu head-on. If he followed through with that thrust, he could certainly take one of them down, but he would also be struck by the chains and killed.

At this critical moment, Ning Qingyu leaped into the air and decisively withdrew from the fight.

The situation on the field changed at once. Though he had taken the initiative to attack, Ning Qingyu now dodged left and right, refusing to engage the three men.

With three chasing one, the Vajra Subjugation Array naturally couldn't be formed. The heavy chains also clearly slowed the three monks down, and they couldn't keep up with Ning Qingyu's speed.

One elderly monk scolded him, "Benefactor Ning, with all this dodging, are you planning to give up on breaking the array?"

Ning Qingyu wasn't angered by the scolding.

"Master, you jest. Am I not doing my best to break the array? The three of you are highly skilled, and I know I'm no match for you.

"But this matter concerns the Mount Hua Sect's future plans and the hopes of our fellow martial artists in Guanzhong. I can only do my best and give it a try.

"Master, there's no need to rush. I estimate that in another two or three days, I'll run out of strength and have no choice but to admit defeat."

At that answer, the three men's expressions changed dramatically. They didn't know whether Ning Qingyu could hold out for two or three days in this state, but they knew for certain that they couldn't.

They were all at the same level of cultivation, and their martial arts were all among the best in the martial world. But the three of them were all nearing ninety.

Even without fighting, going two or three days without food or water would be hard on their bodies.