Martial Dao Tournament

Back at the martial hall, night had fallen deep.

Su Yueli stepped onto the open ground in the inner courtyard, assumed her stance, and began throwing punches without a word.

First form, Mountain Splitter.

Second form, Bone Entangler...

Her blood and qi surged as she pounded the air punch after punch like a tireless machine, sonic booms ringing out one after another through the little courtyard.

She did not know how many punches she had thrown. Sweat soaked through her clothes, yet she seemed unable to feel fatigue.

The moment she stopped, her mind filled with densely packed grave mounds and her master's shattered skull.

Tie Ling'er was awakened by the commotion and came out with a robe draped over her shoulders.

Seeing Su Yueli's near-mad state, Tie Ling'er jumped in fright. She hurried over, grabbed her arm, and tried to comfort her, asking what had happened.

Su Yueli panted as she looked at the worried girl. She tugged at the corners of her lips, but could not force out a smile.

She had no idea where to begin with such blood-deep hatred and the cruel truth of the Immortal Realm. In the end, she merely shook her head and said nothing.

Tie Ling'er did not know how to comfort her, so she could only silently remain by her side.

The days passed one after another.

Ever since that night, Su Yueli had become utterly obsessed with Martial Dao.

She spent far more time practicing her fists, to the point of forgetting food and sleep. The brewing business was gradually handed over entirely to Tie Ling'er.

In the front courtyard, the number of martial apprentices recruited by Tie Tu continued to grow, and Ironbone Martial Hall's reputation shone like the sun at high noon in Azure Province City.

Tie Tu, meanwhile, was growing older and older.

Time hurried past like a white steed glimpsed through a crack. In the blink of an eye, five years had passed.

Azure Province City, inner courtyard of Ironbone Martial Hall.

"Phew—"

Su Yueli slowly withdrew her fists and exhaled a long breath of stale air.

Fourth Realm.

After five years of grueling cultivation day and night, Su Yueli had forcibly pushed her realm to the peak of the Fourth Realm. She was only one step away from Tie Tu's level, the Fifth Realm of Martial Awakening.

"Big Sister Yueli!"

Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate, and Tie Ling'er entered in a long dress of brocade.

Now twenty-three, she had long since shed her youthful immaturity. Her brows carried the shrewdness of a chief shopkeeper.

Over the past five years, she had been unable to endure the hardships of Martial Dao. After barely reaching the Second Realm, she could not advance no matter what she did. She simply gave up martial training altogether and threw herself wholeheartedly into the beer business.

Yet under her management, the liquor business had flourished more and more. They had now built a dedicated brewery outside Azure Province City, earning gold by the day.

"Big Sister Yueli, guess how much our brewery sold today?" Tie Ling'er shook the ledger in her hand and smiled as though seeking praise.

Su Yueli smiled faintly and casually took the ledger, glancing over it twice.

"You practice punches in this courtyard every day. You're practically rusting over. Come on, go out for a walk with me!" Tie Ling'er said, wrapping herself around Su Yueli's arm.

Su Yueli did not refuse and agreed.

As the two left, they passed through the front courtyard and saw sixty-five-year-old Tie Tu instructing newly arrived apprentices.

Tie Tu's temples were now entirely white, and the wrinkles on his face had deepened considerably. His blood and qi remained robust, but compared to five years ago, he clearly carried a faint air of waning age.

As his fists and feet moved, he had lost some of his former dominance and gained a measure of calm steadiness.

After exchanging greetings, the two left the martial hall and walked down the busiest long street in Azure Province City.

Before long, they passed their own liquor shop, with its enormous signboard hanging outside.

The shop was packed shoulder to shoulder. The attendants were rushed off their feet and drenched in sweat, while business was booming.

Looking at the scene, Su Yueli could not help but feel dazed.

Back then, she had merely been short of money and wanted to earn enough to buy wheat. Who could have imagined it would grow to such a scale one day?

As she watched, a sudden commotion arose among the crowd at the shop entrance.

"An immortal master has arrived! Make way!"

The customers whispered among themselves and retreated with reverence on their faces.

A woman dressed in the robes of the Crimson Flame Sect approached and walked straight to the counter. "I'm here to collect the twenty barrels of liquor reserved by Senior Brother Xu Changfeng."

The woman looked up and happened to see Su Yueli and Tie Ling'er standing at the entrance. Knowing that they were the owners of the brewery, she gave them a slight nod in greeting.

Somewhat curious, Tie Ling'er asked, "Immortal maiden, why didn't Immortal Master Xu come himself today?"

At those words, the woman's expression dimmed.

With a sigh, she lowered her voice. "Senior Brother Xu can't come. Half a month ago, our sect clashed with another immortal sect at the border. During the spell battle, Senior Brother Xu... was killed."

"However, the cultivator of the same realm on the other side was also grievously wounded by Senior Brother Xu in his desperate fight. You could say they perished together."

Tie Ling'er's eyes widened. She froze where she stood and could not help covering her mouth.

Su Yueli lowered her lashes, her heart jolting as well.

Ever since entrusting the liquor business to Tie Ling'er, she had remained in the rear courtyard practicing her fists behind closed doors. She rarely came out to manage affairs and naturally saw Xu Changfeng very little.

Still, he had been a regular customer for five years, and he had been the first cultivator she encountered in this world who did not put on airs.

She had never expected that after only five years, he would die just like that.

Five years might have seemed rather long to mortals, but to cultivators who entered seclusion for decades at a time, it was no more than the flick of a finger.

A chill surfaced in Su Yueli's eyes. Just as she had thought...

Even after crossing the Immortal-Mortal Heavenly Chasm and becoming a cultivator, if one lacked talent and strength, one would still be nothing but cannon fodder at the bottom, left for others to slaughter before the cruel struggles between sects.

At that moment, Su Yueli suddenly recalled what Shen Qing'an had said in the village all those years ago.

"What's so good about being able to cultivate immortality? Fighting and killing all day long—better to be a mortal and live a steady, peaceful life."

Her thoughts drifted far away, and Su Yueli sighed inwardly.

Perhaps Shen Qing'an had not been entirely wrong.

The cruelty of the Immortal Realm was a hundred times worse than the flashing blades and clashing swords of the mortal world.

But she could not retreat.

Deep in her bones, she had always wanted to fight for that one breath of dignity. Besides, she still bore the blood debts of her parents, her master, and Shen Qing'an.

Until she avenged them, she would never know peace.

The two lost all interest in strolling around. After walking a short distance, they turned back.

The moment they entered Ironbone Martial Hall, Tie Tu hurried over with an anxious expression.

"Yueli, you came back at just the right time!"

Tie Tu held a bright yellow proclamation in his hand. "The Great Li Dynasty has just issued an announcement. They're holding a Martial Dao Tournament! With your talent and current realm, you can absolutely give it a try!"

Su Yueli took the proclamation and swept her eyes over it.

This continent was unimaginably vast, its lands divided among eight great dynasties.

Azure Province City lay within the territory of the Great Li Dynasty.

"Are all the participants in this Martial Dao Tournament martial artists?" Su Yueli raised a brow. "What reward does the champion receive?"

"Of course, they're all mortal martial artists!"

A trace of yearning appeared on Tie Tu's face. "This Martial Dao Tournament is held only once every thirty years. It is the greatest Martial Dao event in the Great Li Dynasty."

"As for the rewards, they have always been astonishingly generous. There are not only top-tier fist and saber manuals treasured by the imperial family, but also rare great medicines that can help martial artists break through their realms!"

"Though this year's specific rewards have not yet been decided, they will certainly be of tremendous benefit to you!"

At this point, Tie Tu's voice sank.

"At the previous Martial Dao Tournament thirty years ago, Old Lu and I went together."

A flash of reminiscence crossed Tie Tu's eyes, as though he had fallen into distant memories. "We were young and full of vigor back then, and we made a bit of a name for ourselves at the competition. But it was precisely because our edge showed too sharply that we provoked those troublesome enemies..."

Tie Tu took a deep breath and suppressed his emotions. Looking earnestly at Su Yueli, he said, "But this is also a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity! The Great Li Dynasty is a place where crouching tigers and hidden dragons abound. If you make the journey, you will not only temper your Martial Dao, but also be able to befriend top experts from every side."

"As the saying goes, one more friend means one more road. If the powerful and noble martial artists of Great Li can be of use to you, it will bring you immense benefits. I hope you make good use of this."

Su Yueli held the bright yellow proclamation, her gaze deepening.

A grand competition held once every thirty years.

The place her master had gone to back then.

Thinking of that, she tightened her fingers and clenched the proclamation in her palm. "All right. I'll go."