Martial Meet Begins, Autumn Killing Black-Yellow Drum

On the third day of the first lunar month, White Light City in the Western Desert held its once-every-six-years Six Halls Martial Meet.

Ten arenas had been set up across the entire venue, standing within the largest circular stone depression in the outer city.

This stone pit had existed for ages. Legend said that when Emperor Zhou Wu had personally come to the front lines, he had buried alive three hundred thousand Western Barbarian soldiers here. Their piled bones had weathered wind and sand until they became this pit, hundreds of zhang wide.

No one knew the true details anymore. Yet the walls within the pit were as hard as stellar steel; blades, spears, swords, and halberds could not leave so much as a scratch upon them, making it the perfect place for martial artists to fight.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The thunderous drum sounded three times, carrying far into the distance. Golden whirlpools rippled across the sky, its immense presence visible even ten thousand li away.

This was White Light City's weapon of slaughter and defense—the Autumn Killing Black-Yellow Drum.

It had been forged atop Hundred Forge Mountain in the Central Plains, using the Essence of Thick Earth from a thousand zhang beneath the Western Desert, together with Great White Metal Essence, Deep-Sea Silver Mother, and Armor-Clad Divine Wood.

Back when White Light City had held off one hundred thousand elite Western Barbarian troops with the strength of a single city, the heavens had bestowed it upon them, that it might forever guard the frontier.

Ordinary people could only beat the drum; they could not draw forth its killing power. But if one who had set foot upon the martial path struck it, it would become an instrument of suppression bearing fierce and brilliant heavenly might.

Wang Xuance gazed toward the central bell tower, his eyes resolute, then shut his door and left.

The streets were a sea of people. Countless citizens streamed along the central avenue toward the martial meet arenas.

The entire grounds sprawled across hundreds of zhang, grand and imposing. Each of the six martial halls had raised its own banner and sent disciples early to claim a sizable space.

They counted the disciples who would take the stage to fight, figures bustling everywhere in busy motion.

At the center of the arenas, one tall and one short figure stood with their hands behind their backs. Beneath the rising sun, an air of grim slaughter pervaded the place.

One was General Li of the outer city Governor's Office, clad in black-yellow battle armor with a black case strapped to his back. He stood like an abyssal pool and towering mountain, his bearing soaring like a rainbow.

The other wore a long black robe. His exposed skin was blue-black like the bark of a century-old tree, and his extraordinarily long brows hung all the way to the ground. With a peaceful expression, he spoke.

"Hehe, there are quite a few more little ones this year than in years past."

"General Li, have you spotted any little ones you fancy? Why not take them under your wing and replenish your Eighteen Heavy Guards?"

Before the elder beside him, General Li was respectful and humble, not daring to show the slightest bit of insolence.

"My lord, please stop teasing me. If there are any fine talents, shouldn't you choose first? You have never taken a disciple."

As soon as he finished speaking, the black-robed elder smiled and looked toward the distant crowd, then shook his head.

"Begin. The time is about right."

His body flickered, and he vanished from where he stood, leaving behind only the helpless-looking General Li.

The old Daoist's identity was exceedingly unusual. General Li had met him once when he had first entered the martial path as a youth. Later, after joining the army and fighting his way across Great Zhou's key frontier strongholds before being assigned to guard this place, the old man still looked exactly the same.

His tone was as it had always been—gentle, mild, and approachable.

General Li had once asked his master about the man's origins. His master had merely told him that whenever he encountered the man, he must remain respectful and never arrogant; his words should be plain and restrained, his desires never allowed to run wild.

"This man does not follow the ordinary martial path, and his relationship with Great Zhou's imperial clan is beyond compare."

Letting out a breath of stale air, General Li's gaze hardened. With a flick of his sleeve, a Buzi Great Halberd appeared in his hand.

He twisted it, swept the hooked blade down, and carved a perfect arc through the air before smashing fiercely into the ground, bursting out a chain of dazzling sparks.

Clang—

The cry of the halberd nearly pierced everyone's eardrums, whipping up a gale that swept across the entire viewing platform.

"The hour has arrived. The Six Schools Martial Meet begins!"

"Let me state the rules once more. If anyone dares violate the prohibitions during the matches, this general will personally make you understand the consequences!"

His tiger eyes swept over the six martial halls and the crowd below the stands, sharp as wheat awns, leaving no one able to meet his gaze.

Below the platform, Wang Xuance stood at the edge in a black robe, like a solitary duckweed adrift upon the water.

"Since I'm participating in the martial meet, that person will most likely come as well. It seems the thing I prepared earlier will finally come in handy."

That person's strength should far surpass his own, and at an important event like the Six Schools Martial Meet, he naturally would not be absent.

For this reason, Wang Xuance had specially acquired an Azure Nether Armor that could muddle one's aura. Once it covered his face, it would merge into his muscles and membranes for three days.

Unless it was a martial expert above the Fetal Breath Realm, no one would be able to see his true appearance.

In the brief time it took for this thought, the first arena battle had already begun.

A so-called arena match meant that one person defended the stage and fought ten consecutive battles alone.

The ten arenas would select ten people. After that, they would fight in pairs to determine the final five.

The five finalists would then enter a free-for-all. The last person left standing would be the champion of the Six Schools Martial Meet, personally rewarded by General Li and granted an official court rank and position.

Thus, every fight on every arena would be extraordinarily bloody. At best, one would lose hands or feet; at worst, one would die on the spot.

Wang Xuance's strategy was to take the stage from the very beginning, fight martial artists at the Three-Knock Blood Pass as much as possible, and accumulate True Martial Qi.

"Wounding the enemy is mostly unpredictable, but escaping with my life should not be a problem."

Looking at the progress of his martial arts on the transparent panel, the youth fixed his resolve. He took a deep breath and stepped onto the arena.

[Wang Xuance]

[Dragon Elephant Grand Stance]: 100/3000 (Beginner)

[Tortoise-Snake Great Stance]: 0/6000 (Mastery)

[Crane Form Grand Stance]: 1800/3000 (Proficient)

[Vajra Fist]: 900/4000 (Proficient)

[Great Arm Scripture]: 0/2000 (Beginner)

[True Martial Qi]: 0

"Come, let my first battle begin!"

His opponent was Li Mingyu, a disciple of one of the Six Schools—the Flying Fish Martial Hall.

He cultivated the Flying Fish Martial Hall's foundational stance art, the Wandering Fish Azure Wave Art, which invigorated the blood and strengthened one's power.

His external martial art was the Shattered Essence Demon Palm, a high-grade mortal-tier martial art. Its killing power was fierce and treacherous; a single palm strike could shatter another's sinews and sever their blood and bones.

Li Mingyu had strikingly handsome features and ape-like arms. His broad white robes gave him an air of carefree grace.

Yet as he stood upon the arena, his whole body resembled a sword-grass growing in water, its edge fully bared. When he saw Wang Xuance step onto the stage, he could not help frowning.

Why had someone who had not even reached the Three-Knock Blood Pass come up?

"Wearing a blue armor mask? Trying to act cold?"

The young man looked puzzled. As he watched Wang Xuance, he seemed to be asking, "Are you here to court death?"

"Eh, he's a martial artist at the Two-Knock Blood Pass. How does he dare challenge Senior Brother Li on the arena? He really isn't afraid of dying!"

"Hmph, a fame-seeking fool. He merely wants to make a name for himself in White Light Outer City this way. Hehe, unfortunately, after facing Senior Brother Li's Shattered Essence Demon Palm, he will have almost no chance of surviving."

"He isn't afraid of taking too big a stride and tearing his crotch. He dared go up in the very first match—I don't know whether to call him brave or stupid."

The moment Wang Xuance stepped onto the arena, mocking and disdainful voices rose from all directions, most of them coming from the Flying Fish Martial Hall's camp.

The Flying Fish Martial Hall had sent two people to this Six Schools Martial Meet, both outstanding Three-Knock Blood Pass disciples from the hall.

Not only were their stance art foundations solid, but they had also mastered their killing martial arts and techniques. In paired combat, they were no weaker than hardened soldiers from the army.

Li Mingyu was precisely the best opponent Wang Xuance had selected after careful consideration.

Wang Xuance knew little about weapons, while most of the defenders on the other nine stages carried weapons. Charging them head-on would certainly not have been wise.

He practiced fists, while Li Mingyu practiced palms. With his Vajra Fist at the proficient level, it was hard to say whether he could defeat his opponent, but protecting himself would definitely not be difficult.

"Kid! I advise you to get down now. Don't say I didn't warn you—I won't show mercy once I strike."

"Otherwise, I don't mind teaching you exactly how the word 'death' is written!"

Li Mingyu's tone was chilling. Frost surged in his eyes as he stared at Wang Xuance's fearless expression, and killing intent immediately rose within him.

Gifted from childhood, he had been sent by his father to the Flying Fish Martial Hall to train. He studied bitterly and practiced diligently, never stopping through winter or summer, never daring to slack off in the slightest. Sixteen years of bitter cold and scorching autumn had forged his formidable martial path.

"Hehe, then why don't you teach Wang here how to write the word 'death'?"