The Martial Arts Grounds' Development and a Sparring Match

"Sorry for the trouble!"

Lin Bei replied calmly.

Though Mu Qingyue was somewhat surprised, she had finally confirmed one thing.

Lin Bei supported Zhang Teng's challenge against the Zhang Clan.

After taking her seat, Mu Qingyue took a certificate bearing the Central Hall's seal from inside her robe and handed it over.

Lin Bei glanced at it, feeling rather strange, because it bore the words "Martial Arts Grounds Martial Arts Hall."

"Master Lin, this certifies that your Martial Arts Grounds has joined our Central Hall and been classified as a second-rate force. I brought it over for you."

Before Lin Bei could speak, Xiao Liuzi's face lit up with excitement.

"Wonderful! With this, our Nameless Village can recruit people to settle here!"

Tieniu was just as delighted and could not help saying, "Master, when can we start recruiting settlers? We have plenty of farmland waiting to be reclaimed..."

Everyone at the Martial Arts Grounds had joy written all over their faces.

They understood.

With the Central Hall's recognition, life in Nameless Village would grow prosperous.

Before... they had been poor. To avoid paying taxes, they could only reclaim land in remote areas.

But the more remote the area, the deeper the poverty.

Now, at last, they had a chance to change that.

Mu Qingyue smiled faintly. "If you choose to recruit settlers, there are plenty of villages outside Qingyun Town's sphere of influence."

"But recruiting them won't be easy. After all, they chose to reclaim land in the surrounding areas because they were too poor to pay taxes. They have no money to move to Qingyun Town, and likewise, they may not be willing to abandon the farmland they've already reclaimed to settle here."

Lin Bei nodded.

"You make a good point, Miss Mu."

Mu Qingyue smiled. "To establish a settlement, you need both safety and prosperity."

"As the main hall of a second-rate martial arts hall, the Martial Arts Grounds certainly has no need to worry about safety. But prosperity is still a long way off. Roads, commerce, supplies-you have practically nothing here."

At this point, Mu Qingyue took a sip of tea.

Lin Bei smiled faintly. "Indeed. These disciples of mine have lived hard lives since childhood. Now that they have a chance to improve the villagers' circumstances, they're eager to help. But the road is long and strewn with obstacles."

Mu Qingyue nodded repeatedly in agreement, then looked toward Zhang Teng, who was practicing his punches a short distance away.

At that moment, she seemed to hesitate over something she wanted to say.

Lin Bei noticed immediately and asked, "Is there anything else you'd like to say, Miss Mu?"

Hearing this, Mu Qingyue took the opening. "Here's the thing. On our way back, Xiao Liuzi and I discussed the Challenge Letter in detail. I heard that Zhang Teng once defeated a martial intent expert at the manifestation stage?"

"That's true."

Mu Qingyue was inwardly startled and asked in astonishment, "If I remember correctly, Zhang Teng hasn't been your disciple for long, has he? Wasn't he only at the fifth tempering of his Dao Body when they fought?"

"It seems you really have looked into this in detail. You even know some of the stages through which we immortal cultivators temper our Dao Bodies."

Lin Bei smiled. "That's right. When Zhang Teng fought Zhang Yong, he was at the fifth tempering of his Dao Body."

A glint of fighting spirit flashed through Mu Qingyue's eyes. "Master Lin, to be honest, I thought I understood the Immortal Cultivation school quite well. Only now do I realize I was gazing at the sky from the bottom of a well."

"Would it be possible for me to test Zhang Teng's strength myself?"

"Of course."

Lin Bei readily agreed, then looked in Zhang Teng's direction.

"Zhang Teng, come here!"

Zhang Teng immediately brought his practice to a close and ran over.

"Master, did you call me?"

Lin Bei had been urging him to practice diligently lately, so even when Mu Qingyue arrived, he had acted as though he had not seen her and focused on his cultivation.

"Your disciple is here!" Zhang Teng said respectfully.

"Miss Mu would like a proper sparring match with you. Go a few rounds with her!"

"As you command, Master!"

After saying that, Zhang Teng muttered, "We're fighting again? Haven't we already sparred?"

Mu Qingyue was speechless... She could tell that Zhang Teng seemed somewhat displeased with her request for a sparring match.

She immediately said, "Zhang Teng, I held back my strength during our previous match. I entered the manifestation of martial intent realm years ago. Fighting at the Dantian Sea Realm level doesn't allow me to display my true strength."

"This time, I want to spar with you using my full strength. Of course, if you can defeat me, I'll ask our hall master to nominate your Martial Arts Grounds as a candidate for first-rate martial arts hall status when I return."

A candidate for first-rate martial arts hall status? That would help the Martial Arts Grounds develop! Zhang Teng's eyes lit up.

"In that case, please show me what you can do, Miss Mu!"

Mu Qingyue's gaze instantly sharpened.

"Blades have no eyes. Please be careful during this match."

Zhang Teng was brimming with confidence. He had defeated Zhang Yong while still at the fifth tempering. Now he had completed the sixth tempering and was working on the seventh!

He was far stronger than when he had defeated Zhang Yong. Even if Mu Qingyue belonged to the Central Hall and possessed considerable strength, so what?

"Please!"

The two moved to an open area of the Martial Arts Grounds.

Mu Qingyue stood with her sword in hand.

"Fellow martial artist Zhang, watch out!"

"Make your move!"

The sparring match began.

In an instant, Mu Qingyue's eyes became like swords, cold and merciless.

Her sword intent seemed to become one with her.

The next second, sword in hand, Mu Qingyue turned into a streak of light and thrust!

The instant she thrust her sword, three white strands of sword qi condensed into blades at its tip. These were swords formed through the manifestation of martial intent!

Clearly, unlike Zhang Yong, who used martial intent to enhance his attacks and speed, she not only strengthened her attacks and speed with it, but also gave her martial intent physical form in an instant!

Just as her thrust was about to reach Zhang Teng, the three swords condensed from martial intent abruptly changed course, attacking him simultaneously from above, the left, and the right.

Tieniu instantly grew nervous. "I never expected Miss Mu to be this powerful!"

"She uses the manifestation of martial intent so proficiently! Condensing three sword forms with it-Zhang Yong couldn't do that back then!"

Lin Bei was also quite impressed.

Although Mu Qingyue and Zhang Yong were both at the manifestation of martial intent realm, she was clearly stronger by far more than a little.

At that moment!

Mu Qingyue's fierce attack had arrived!

Her pupils contracted slightly, and doubt stirred within her.

What's going on? Why isn't he dodging my manifested sword intent? It's too late to dodge now. Is he courting death?

Although puzzled, Mu Qingyue showed no intention of stopping her attack!

She wanted to see exactly what gave Zhang Teng, who had supposedly defeated someone at the manifestation of martial intent realm, such confidence.

At that very moment.

Fighting spirit boiled in Zhang Teng's eyes. He drew a deep breath and began drawing in Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Power.

Then he faced the sword intent and roared.

"Break!"

The next second, the white sword qi, condensed until it seemed solid, was shattered by that roar like bursting foam.

Mu Qingyue's eyes widened slightly, disbelief filling her gaze.

At that moment, she instantly recalled how Zhang Teng had previously demonstrated his ability to make it difficult for her to manifest her martial intent.

He can actually... break my martial intent?

After a brief moment of inward shock, Mu Qingyue did not waver. Instead, her sword attack grew even fiercer.

Manifestation was merely one way of using martial intent!

So what if he had broken it?

An expert at the martial intent realm was powerful in every respect.

The two were about to clash.

Brimming with fighting spirit, Zhang Teng shouted.

"Just what I wanted!"