Buddhist Sect Disciple (Requesting Recommendation and Monthly Votes)

The young man with a jujube-pit mark between his brows curled his lips into a smile. His expression remained calm, betraying not the slightest fear, even as the force of the palm made his bones creak.

Just as the palm wind was about to crush him into pulp, his black robes flapped wildly, letting out a mournful, overloaded whine.

"Hall Master Bai, the rules jointly established by the six schools for the martial meet state that life and death are not to be pursued. Bullying the young with your age like this is rather unbecoming of an elder."

General Li, who had been standing atop the platform and watching, frowned at the sight. Seemingly astonished by the man's outrageous audacity, he extended a large hand and gave it a light wave.

A golden shield phantom three zhang wide bloomed a foot before the black figure in midair. Layers upon layers of talismanic cloud patterns stacked across its armored surface, followed by a dull boom.

The palm wind was abruptly shattered on impact, scattering like floating clouds and melting snow. The shield phantom's force had yet to fade, and with a sway, it continued onward and slammed toward the black figure.

The force was so violent that a shrieking blast tore through the air.

Seeing the shield phantom rushing toward him, the black figure's pupils abruptly contracted. He let out a roar.

His arms moved, and he struck out with two palms against the wind, meeting the shield phantom head-on.

Crack!

After landing, the black figure staggered, revealing a lean middle-aged man with graying temples. His sleeves rippled endlessly like drifting clouds, swaying unstably.

The enraged attacker was none other than Bai Xuan, the current hall master of Giant Whale Martial Hall.

Bai Xuan narrowed his eyes and cast a deeply meaningful glance at General Li, who now stood with his hands behind his back.

No one noticed that beneath Bai Xuan's sleeve, his left arm was swollen red as though it were about to burst, its skin cracked in a miserable state.

The difference between the two had been decided in an instant. Victory and defeat were already clear.

Then, with a vicious gaze and a smile that was not quite a smile, he spoke.

"Boy, you killed my disciple this time. I hope you can leave the city alive!"

Those threatening words made the crowd below exchange looks. To dare issue threats before the Governor's Office lord of the outer city—he was truly audacious beyond measure, with no one in his eyes.

"Humph!"

With a flick of his sleeve, he walked into a tooth tent that had been set up beforehand.

"That old bastard really thinks I don't dare kill him!"

General Li swept his sharp brows over him, killing intent rising in his heart. Yet with the martial meet still underway, he had no choice but to suppress his displeasure.

"The martial meet shall continue. Those who wish to contest the platform may continue stepping forward!"

His gaze swept over the jujube-pit mark between the black-robed youth's brows, and he could not help but pause. His iron brows twitched as though something had occurred to him, and he gave the latter an approving look.

In a tall building overlooking the martial meet arena, lush greenery abounded, brimming with the vital essence of countless living things. Strands of inky-black gas drifted through the air.

Like koi swimming in a pond, they swayed and darted freely. Yet every movement of those gases was like an iron whip lashing through the sky, detonating thunderous cracks.

What was even stranger was that no matter how earthshaking the sounds inside the pavilion became, no matter how they burst forth with metallic clamor capable of splitting mountains and rocks, not a trace of sound spread outside.

"Hehe, a hundred years have passed before I even realized it..."

"Has your Buddhist Sect finally recovered enough to return to the world? I wonder how much foundation you still possess now..."

"Tsk, tsk, Vajra Ancient Vein... There even seems to be a trace of Vajra Relic aura. It has not appeared for who knows how many years, yet it remains as domineering and unmatched as ever."

The long-browed old man who had left the stands earlier now stood by the window. His eyelids resembled the bark of an ancient tree, half-open and half-closed, as he smiled and shook his head.

"Profound-rank martial arts... The Demon Sect is rising again, and the foreign tribes at the border are stirring..."

That unfathomably powerful dark-green gas spread out from around his body, then burrowed back into him like a receding tide, cycling endlessly without cease.

"White Light City is about to fall into turmoil as well..."

Whoosh!

Another savage collision canceled out both forces. Wang Xuance slid backward, effortlessly dispersing the impact.

After fighting Li Mingyu fiercely for a hundred exchanges, he had relied on the heavy, violent force of Vajra Fist to battle him to a standstill. The clash had been extraordinarily intense.

Looking at his transparent panel, even Wang Xuance was somewhat unable to make sense of the situation.

[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]: 380

Back when he had escaped from Stele Pagoda Temple after being besieged by three Fetal Breath Realm old bastards and a man wielding a nine-ring broadsword, even taking those beatings for nothing had only earned him two hundred and sixty strands of True Martial Qi.

Yet now, after merely fighting a one-on-one battle against someone at the Three-Knock Blood Pass, the True Martial Qi he had gained was so plentiful that it defied belief.

"It seems that if I want to obtain as much True Martial Qi as possible, fighting one-on-one and killing enemies are the methods with the greatest growth."

"Still, it is a pity that my qi and blood are insufficient. After repeatedly driving the three forms of Vajra Fist and trading moves with him, I have ultimately run out of stamina."

Wang Xuance understood that the other man's palm technique was likely still at the beginner stage. It was only because their respective strengths and weaknesses complemented one another that they had reached this outcome.

But the disadvantage of his insufficient foundation meant that Wang Xuance would only grow more disadvantaged as the battle continued.

He could already feel waves of emptiness within his tendons and veins, while his fascia felt sore and swollen.

Especially his arms—while resisting the cold yin force in the other man's palms, he did not dare spare even a moment to regulate his breathing and smooth the circulation of his qi and blood.

The circulation of his qi and blood had already begun to decline. Within ten moves, the force of the punches he delivered would no longer be able to suppress the other man's palm wind.

If he stubbornly held on, his life might well be in danger.

"Forget it. Gaining three hundred and eighty strands of True Martial Qi is already enough. One cannot be too greedy."

"Hehe, Brother Li has excellent skills. Wang admits defeat."

As soon as he finished speaking.

Wang Xuance tapped the ground beneath his feet and left the arena under Li Mingyu's sinister gaze.

"Look, that man actually got away unscathed. Are those at the Two-Knock Blood Pass this domineering now?"

"The fact that he could step down on his own was his ability. Wasn't there also someone at the Two-Knock Blood Pass who even killed an elite disciple of Giant Whale Martial Hall?"

"I've watched several Six Schools Martial Meets, but this is the first time I've seen martial artists at the Two-Knock Blood Pass possess such tyrannical strength."

"Ah, they're still only a few. See that? A whole pile of Two-Knock Blood Pass fighters have already died. Not everyone has the abilities of those two."

The words from below reached Li Mingyu's ears, leaving the genius renowned throughout his martial hall both shocked and enraged. His entire body trembled uncontrollably.

He was clearly at the Three-Knock Blood Pass, yet he had fought someone at the Two-Knock Blood Pass to a draw. If they had both possessed the same Two-Knock Blood Pass foundation, he likely would not have lasted ten moves against him.

His knuckles crackled under his grip as an inexplicable rage surged into his heart.

"Whew..."

Wang Xuance glanced toward the other nine arenas and could clearly sense a dense smell of blood.

Quite a few Two-Knock Blood Pass fighters like himself had mounted the platforms with confidence, only to die on the spot. They had failed to endure more than a few exchanges before their heads were sent flying and their bodies split apart.

"He came too? But when did he gain that jujube-pit mark between his brows?"

"So this is why he escaped alive—he killed a Three-Knock Blood Pass fighter alone while at the Two-Knock Blood Pass!"

Wang Xuance stared fixedly at an arena where a fierce battle was in full swing.

It was the black-robed youth who had hammered a Giant Whale Martial Hall disciple to death. At this moment, he was fighting viciously against Yuan Nanting, a disciple of Iron Garment Martial Hall, one of the six schools.

He was likewise at the Two-Knock Blood Pass, yet his attacks were even fiercer than Wang Xuance's. He had even killed a disciple of the Six Schools, sending a chill down Wang Xuance's spine.

"It seems he was no ordinary man to have escaped with his life. But when did that mark appear between his brows?"

His gaze swept across the scene. Apart from the one killed by the black-robed youth, all the elite disciples sent by the Six Schools were standing on the arenas.

"It seems the Six Schools are determined to claim the Governor's Office rewards."

Wang Xuance calmed his mind and slowly regulated his breathing to recover his qi and blood.

As the foremost Three-Knock Blood Pass fighter of Iron Garment Martial Hall's current generation, Yuan Nanting had cultivated his horizontal training stance art—Iron Strength Skill—to the level of mastery. One more step forward and he would enter the level of a martial artist.

His external training martial art, the Rolling Blade Technique, made him capable in both offense and defense.

Yet when he encountered the black-robed youth before him, he felt tremendous pressure.

Before entering the arena, he had watched the youth's match where he hammered the Giant Whale Martial Hall man to death. He had merely thought the Giant Whale Martial Hall disciple had been overconfident and underestimated his opponent, thus meeting such an end.

But after fighting the man before him, Yuan Nanting was shocked and enraged. Each time he swung his blade at the youth's arms, it was as though he were chopping against a cliff face, producing strings of unbelievable sparks in the air.

Not only had he failed to injure his opponent in the slightest, the impact had instead left his tiger's mouth covered in bloody cracks, making the Black Feather Blade in his hand difficult to grip steadily.

There seemed to be an invisible barrier surrounding the other man's body. Yuan Nanting had only ever encountered such a situation when facing his own master, Yan Zhen, the hall master of Iron Garment Martial Hall.

His qi and blood foundation was clearly far stronger than his opponent's, yet in the end they were fighting on equal footing.

Clang—

The black-robed youth rolled his sleeve around the blade's edge. His feet rooted themselves like bamboo and trees growing into the earth, immovable and unshakable even in howling winds.

With a pull of force, he dragged both man and blade close before him. Then he turned and swung out a Fist Aura toward Yuan Nanting's head, recreating the miserable fate of the Giant Whale Martial Hall disciple.

"Humph!"

Yuan Nanting snorted coldly and followed the momentum, flicking his blade up in a reverse sweep. The edge instantly tore through the youth's sleeve and collided viciously with his fist!

"Third Form of the Rolling Blade Technique: Wild Goose Returns to Crossing!"

The black blade in his hand coiled like a black python, its chaotic edges slashing and sweeping.

In an instant, killing intent surrounded the black-robed youth from every side. Countless blade shadows lunged toward his face.

The two were less than three feet apart. Impenetrable blade shadows bloomed before him like a flood bursting through mountains, swift beyond measure and impossible to predict.

The black-robed youth was forced back again and again, evading the blade's edge. His clothes were instantly carved with countless slash marks, exposing a layer of close-fitting garments beneath.

"Heh heh heh... Boy, do you understand the strength of the Three-Knock Blood Pass now?"

"I told you long ago that your heaven-bestowed talent can only display its true power when matched with exceptional martial arts!"

"How could you be like this now, driven into such a wretched state by a Three-Knock Blood Pass fighter? If those people were to—"

"Shut up, you old ghost! If I did not need to use most of my qi and blood to suppress the Yin Demon Baleful Qi, I would have hammered this man to death the moment we exchanged blows!"

The black-robed youth roared furiously within his heart. He was utterly enraged and had not the slightest patience for the voice within his body.

"Hehe, rest easy. There is no issue with what I sensed. After all, I used up my final chance to employ that talent!"

"For some reason, that man escaped with his life and rushed all the way here. Unfortunately, I cannot determine his exact location, so you must resolve it yourself!"

"Humph. I hope what you said is true. Otherwise..."

Yuan Nanting's retreating advance and swift changes between offense and defense fully displayed his outstanding martial talent and keen control over the battle's rhythm.

The spectators below watched with eyes wide and mouths agape, stunned beyond measure. The disciples of Iron Garment Martial Hall were equally shaken. As expected of the foremost martial artist beneath the Fetal Breath Realm, his reputation was well deserved.

Only one man remained expressionless: he was short in stature, bald atop his head, with a bare gleaming scalp and a face full of fierce flesh that made him look extremely menacing.

Yet his belly was enormous, like that of a woman eight months pregnant, making his entire appearance exceedingly bizarre.

His fan-like hands kneaded two dark greenish-black iron balls, producing a constant series of crackling impacts.

This man was Yan Zhen, the hall master of Iron Garment Martial Hall.

Yet his brows were furrowed tightly, and his face was full of worry. He seemed deeply concerned for the disciple fighting on the arena.

"Master, Eldest Senior Brother has already escaped danger. He is driving that man back step by step, so why are you still so worried?"

Yan Zhen let out a long sigh and helplessly shook his head.

"The martial art that black-clothed boy cultivates is far too domineering. Though his qi and blood are weak, the strength of his physical body is almost no weaker than that of a Fetal Breath Realm martial artist. Your Eldest Senior Brother is most likely no match for him..."

The instant those words fell, the tooth tent went silent. Everyone stared at their hall master in disbelief.

If his body could rival that of a martial artist, did that not mean no one in this match could contend against him?

"Sigh... This Six Schools Martial Meet has truly produced a dark horse."

While the Six Schools Martial Meet in White Light Outer City was being fought with blazing intensity, its outcome impossible to determine.

Within the Chen Clan compound, however, everyone remained as silent as cicadas in winter. The atmosphere was layer upon layer of grimness, utterly unlike the lively scene outside.

Six figures, each with an aura no weaker than that of the Three-Knock Blood Pass, sat upon six rosewood chairs worth a hundred gold each.

Sunlight spilled down, only adding to the sinister atmosphere in the courtyard hall. The faces of the six figures could not be seen, concealed in darkness, with two or even several people standing behind each of them.

If Wang Xuance had been there, he would have seen Chen Linger, with whom he had interacted considerably at Medicine King Shop, standing behind an old man as well.

Her expression was full of resentment, her face solemn and hateful as she stared at the young man seated across from her. It was Chen Feng, who had not appeared for a long time!

"Since the representatives of the six branch families have all gathered here, let us begin the meeting!"

"Given that the signs of chaos have already emerged outside, in order to ensure that our Chen Clan can safely pass through this extraordinary period!"

"The first item on the agenda is to determine the successor to the position of clan head!"

The moment those words fell, the six people seated in the hall stopped drinking their tea. The atmosphere instantly plunged to its lowest point.

"Humph. Ever since the Chen Clan established itself in White Light City, every successive Chen Clan head has always come from the main branch. This is something every member of the Chen Clan knows well!"

"What..."

"What is there to discuss about this?"

Among the six rosewood chairs, a thin old man in yellow robes spoke faintly. His deep eyes carried a gloomy cast, while his bearing was cold and sinister.

Though the hall was brightly lit as if it were daytime, it could not ward off the chill that seemed capable of invading one's blood and bones.

"Hehe..."

"First Elder, times are different now. Great Zhou may appear peaceful and prosperous, with clear rivers and calm seas!"

"But the truth is that rebel forces are rising in the heartland of the Central Plains, while the foreign tribes in the border towns are restless."

"But what has allowed our Chen Clan to stand at the frontier for a hundred years... It is our ability to assess the situation and adapt when circumstances change."

A hoarse voice came from the chair opposite the yellow-robed old man.