Inside the Martial Arts School.
"Thump, thump."
Standing in the Martial Arts School's Martial Arts Training Hall, Xu Taiping lightly tapped the floor with his foot and discovered that, though it looked wooden, it felt harder than rock.
It had clearly undergone special treatment.
"Eldest Brother Taiping, I'm truly sorry. We still ended up dragging you into this."
Lu Yun, standing beside Xu Taiping, spoke with an apologetic expression.
He looked about eighteen or nineteen, with a petite build, delicate features, and a little baby fat still on his face.
"I was the one who wanted to step in. There's no need to apologize, miss."
Xu Taiping withdrew his gaze from the floor and turned to Lu Yun.
Although he very much wanted to explain his connection to their Mysterious Cloud Martial Hall, this clearly was not a good time.
"Eldest Brother Taiping, according to the rules between our Martial Arts Schools, as long as you formally exchange blows once, you can concede straight away."
At that moment, the younger brother, Lu Wen, also came to Xu Taiping's side.
"Brother, although you're quite strong, Ma Wenxuan's Senior Brother Jiang Wu not only has a Qi Refining cultivation at the peak of profound connection, but his Martial Dao cultivation is also at the peak of the Martial Venerable Realm. He even received the true teachings of an eminent Buddhist monk in his Vajra Samadhi Fist."
He added this afterward.
"If you lose this match, will the Mysterious Cloud Martial Hall be struck off the rolls?"
Hearing this, Xu Taiping nodded noncommittally, then asked a question in return.
"Yes."
The young man nodded, looking somewhat downcast.
"There's nothing we can do about it. Even if we don't lose this match, my elder brother and I probably won't make it through the next