The Four Seas Martial Arts Hall.
Beside the Eight Immortals Table, Master Ye smiled. "I knew Master Huang would choose drawing lots. We at the Night Heron Martial Arts Hall like to help others get their wish, so let's do that."
What he meant was, I'm going easy on you.
Soon, the results of the draw were announced.
Liu Chun versus Longlegs Seven, A Zhen versus Black Dog, Big Silly Qiang versus Wen Wu, and Li Xiuwen versus Tian Er.
Huang Sihai's expression darkened.
With these matchups, we're finished.
This was hardly any different from letting Master Ye pick the matchups himself.
He might as well have let the other man choose. At least that would have made Huang Sihai look generous.
With these pairings, Liu Chun, the only one on his side who could reliably secure a win, was already as good as eliminated.
No matter who A Zhen faced, she was as good as eliminated too.
That was half their matches fucking lost already.
Big Silly Qiang's opponent, Wen Wu, was also naturally gifted with considerable strength.
His opponent had reached purple membrane earlier, and his combat method had long since reached minor mastery. This would be tough.
As for Tian Er, he was Pine Hall's second-greatest talent, behind only Longlegs Seven.
He had reached purple membrane two months ago, putting him a cut above A Wen, who had only just entered that stage. His combat method had also reached minor mastery long ago and was already approaching great mastery.
What the hell was the point of fighting this?
Old Huang looked calm on the surface, but inwardly, he wanted to cry. He consoled himself.
Forget it. I like keeping a low profile anyway... After today's hall challenge, everyone will know the Four Seas Martial Arts Hall has no talent, and no one will bother keeping an eye on us.
Liu Chun and Longlegs Seven were the first to step onto the ten-meter-square platform.
Huang Sihai watched with a brooding gaze.
The corners of Master Ye's mouth lifted. In his mind, a splendid show was already unfolding!
Even heaven's will was on his side. Liu Chun, their only hope, was guaranteed to lose to Longlegs Seven.
Of the others, only Big Silly Qiang posed any threat.
As for A Zhen and Li Xiuwen?
He had not even paid them any attention.
Longlegs Seven stood on the platform with an arrogant expression. He smiled. "Fists and feet have no eyes. You'd do better to concede early. My Waterbird Fist draws blood easily."
Liu Chun had always been the one looking down her nose at others. Now that someone was looking down his nose at her, she snorted. "Make your move."
The Ming Pao reporter Master Ye had paid to attend dutifully reported, "Longlegs Seven and Liu Chun are both outstanding young talents. Who will come out on top? Let's wait and see!"
Li Xiuwen already knew how this would end.
He had fought both Liu Chun and Longlegs Seven in the Grand Void Illusory Realm.
Against Liu Chun, he could last several dozen exchanges.
Against Longlegs Seven, he could not last three.
"A Wen, who do you think will win?" A Zhen asked.
"I don't know. In terms of cultivation alone, Longlegs Seven has the edge, but there are too many variables in an actual fight," Li Xiuwen said with a smile.
"Let's hope Senior Sister A Chun wins. If she can't... the three of us will be under a lot of pressure," Big Silly Qiang said.
They had exchanged only a few words when a shrill crack rang out from the platform.
Longlegs Seven spread his arms like a waterbird beating its wings, let out a piercing cry, and launched a stabbing kick through the air.
A ring of white air blasted outward from Liu Chun's chest. Her face turned ashen, her eyes bulged, and she staggered backward step by step.
She raised her foot, still intent on fighting, but Longlegs Seven sneered. "I held back just now. If we keep going, I might hurt you by accident."
Liu Chun's face flushed, burning with humiliation. She smiled. "Come on. If I get hurt, it only means I wasn't good enough."
"Liu Chun! Don't push yourself!" Huang Sihai shouted.
"Master, let me push myself this once!" Liu Chun charged forward.
Bang! Longlegs Seven unleashed an airborne sweeping kick. Liu Chun blocked with both hands but was sent flying off the platform into the crowd.
"Boring," Longlegs Seven said with a smile as he stepped down. Inwardly, he muttered, A bunch of worthless duds.
Master Ye beamed. "Master Huang, this disciple of yours is quite good. Resilient... just a little undertrained."
Huang Sihai smiled. "I'm very satisfied that she could hold out so long against a genius with a superior physique."
When Longlegs Seven returned below the platform, Black Dog, one of the three talents, came over and smiled. "Senior Brother, you were magnificent! A completely one-sided sweep!"
"Too weak. So that's all the Four Seas Martial Arts Hall's top student on the first floor amounts to. I feel like even I could have beaten her," Tian Er sneered.
The second match, A Zhen versus Black Dog, ended in an utterly predictable defeat!
She was inferior in both training method and combat method, and there was also the innate physical gap between men and women.
The hall challenge had barely begun, and they had already lost twice. Huang Sihai was beginning to struggle to keep his expression composed.
He looked toward Big Silly Qiang and A Wen, sighing repeatedly to himself.
"Master Huang, don't keep your best hidden away. I find it hard to believe this is the Sand Sea school's true level," Master Ye said with a faintly mocking smile.
"There are still two matches left," Huang Sihai said.
"Can you win them?" Master Ye asked with a smile.
"We'll only know after they fight."
"Big Silly Qiang, you have to win!" A Zhen shouted at him.
Liu Chun stood among the crowd, utterly despondent. All she could see in her mind was Longlegs Seven's breathtaking kick and that gray waterbird blotting out the sky.
Waterbird Fist at perfection, honed to absolute mastery, without a single opening... Is this the gap between me and someone with a superior physique? It really is hopeless.
Longlegs Seven was too strong. He had left this young talent with an indelible psychological scar.
At the Four Seas Martial Arts Hall, everyone had put her on a pedestal. The higher she had been lifted, the harder she had fallen.
Big Silly Qiang and Wen Wu...
Li Xiuwen recalled fighting those two in the Grand Void Illusory Realm the previous night.
He estimated their chances were even. It would depend on how they performed in the actual match.
This fight truly was a grueling battle.
In terms of strength, Big Silly Qiang had the edge.
In terms of technique, Wen Wu was stronger, with his Waterbird Fist having reached minor mastery long ago.
Huang Sihai frowned, muttering inwardly, Why hasn't Big Silly Qiang's combat method reached minor mastery yet? All that special training I gave him was wasted. His comprehension is terrible!
If Big Silly Qiang's combat method had reached minor mastery, like A Wen's, his odds of winning would have been sixty-forty.
The two fought for five minutes, exchanging over a hundred moves.
Eager to win, Big Silly Qiang exposed an opening.
Wen Wu seized the chance. His arms spread like a waterbird's wings, forcing the attack apart, and he drove a knee into Big Silly Qiang's chest.
Ripples passed through Big Silly Qiang's bulk as he spat out a mouthful of blood. Completely overwhelmed, he soon lost.
"Hah..." Huang Sihai took a deep breath and closed his eyes, no longer wanting to watch the matches.
He had not expected to beat the Night Heron Martial Arts Hall, but they could not lose this badly.
Forget it. If I can only choose between money and pride, I'll choose money.
"It's a completely one-sided crushing defeat! The Night Heron Martial Arts Hall truly deserves to stand alongside the White Crane school as an orthodox
School of martial arts. What incredible power!" the reporter shouted, his eyes red.
Master Ye smiled. "Master Huang, are you all right? Your breathing seems a little unsteady."
Huang Sihai smiled. "I'm fine."
Master Ye shook his head and sighed. "Back in the day, Master Huang, you trained geniuses like Chen Beiwang, Qiu Xiang, and Xiao Tianhong... How did things come to this?"
Huang Sihai said, "Geniuses are found by chance, not on demand. Things are quite good as they are."
"Don't blame me for speaking out of turn, Old Huang, but how much money is enough? Raise your standards, will you? Don't keep taking in worthless duds just for those few coins!" Master Ye said quietly.
"Worthless duds?" Huang Sihai sneered. "How do you know there isn't real gold among them?
"Anyone can teach geniuses! Geniuses don't even need you to teach them. Turning ordinary people into something-that's real skill!"
Before you continue