The aftermath

As he watched the Blazing Mountain Martial Hall party leave with the unconscious Yue Feng,

a trace of killing intent flashed in Chen Tie's eyes.

Yue Zhengshan's public outburst just now, coupled with Blazing Mountain Martial Hall's years of relentless harassment and its practice of harming disciples with pills, had stirred genuine murderous intent in Chen Tie.

The man was narrow-minded, vindictive, and vicious, willing to use any means to win.

Having crippled his prized disciple today, Chen Tie feared this feud would not end until one of them was dead.

Chen Tie soon calmed himself and quietly considered the matter.

Yue Zhengshan had established himself in the city for years, running a martial hall and tangling with Chen Tie's master all that time. He must have some trump cards tucked away, and his strength certainly could not be lacking.

For now, Chen Tie would endure. Once his Bone Forging cultivation advanced another step, he would find an opportunity to uproot Blazing Mountain Martial Hall and eliminate Yue Zhengshan, that source of trouble.

On the platform, Mo Hong withdrew his gaze and turned toward the straight-backed Chen Tie, a smile in his eyes that he could no longer conceal.

This brat's acting was simply explosive.

During that tangled fight, Chen Tie had shown weakness at every turn, one peril following another. Even Mo Hong had nearly believed he had only just entered Bone Forging, with an unstable foundation, and was being suppressed by someone at flesh refining perfection.

Who could have imagined that he had been playing the pig to eat the tiger from beginning to end?

Had it not been for that final burst, even Mo Hong would have remained in the dark.

In today's battle, Chen Tie had not merely won the contest. He had also won reputation and status, and the awe of the entire martial hall community.

At that moment, every martial hall master present had their eyes on Chen Tie, their expressions carrying a measure of deliberate goodwill.

Someone who reached Bone Forging so young would be a future pillar and a formidable expert in any martial hall.

Such a monstrous genius was worth taking the initiative to befriend. No one wanted to offend him lightly.

Mo Hong returned to the main seat on the raised dais, his face radiant as a spring breeze, his bearing composed.

In last year's competition, Fierce Tiger Martial Hall had placed tenth, neither high nor low.

But today's battle had turned the tide for them. With the strength of a newly advanced Bone Forging disciple, they had secured a place among the city's top martial halls. Taking the nominal honor of first place would be excellent too.

Among the spectators, a graceful figure stood silently.

Xiao Yue wore plain clothes, her face lovely, but her eyes were now filled with deep bitterness and regret.

She had watched the entire battle, from Chen Tie's patient show of weakness to his final crushing defeat and crippling of his opponent. Waves had long since surged through her heart.

Previously, she had only regarded Chen Tie as an ordinary disciple with average aptitude who had broken through by luck, and had never taken him seriously.

When they occasionally met, she had treated him with mere indifference, never considering offering him support.

Who could have foreseen that, in such a short time, this unremarkable junior brother would quietly break through to Bone Forging!

Bone Forging!

That was a threshold countless Flesh Refining martial artists in the city could never touch in their entire lives, the mark of truly joining the ranks of powerful martial artists!

Conflicting feelings churned in Xiao Yue's heart, all of them steeped in regret.

If only she had looked further ahead and supported Chen Tie when no one thought highly of him, it would have been like delivering charcoal in the snow, forging a bond of goodwill.

With Chen Tie making his name today, she could then have gained a voice within her lineage.

But now it was all too late.

Chen Tie was now a bona fide Bone Forging expert.

The meager resources in her hands would now be no more than flowers added to his brocade, something he could take or leave.

On the platform, the competition continued.

The subsequent bouts between the various flesh refining greater mastery and flesh refining perfection contestants remained fierce. Fists and feet collided, Qi and blood clashed, and exquisite techniques unfolded. On any other day, they would have sent the entire crowd into a frenzy of cheers.

But now, Chen Tie's battle with Yue Feng stood before them like a pearl and jade.

It left every subsequent match looking ordinary and lackluster.

The spectators showed little enthusiasm, their gazes drifting toward Chen Tie beside the platform from time to time.

Compared with these drawn-out struggles between evenly matched opponents, everyone held far greater awe for this young man who had just reached Bone Forging.

Several rounds passed, and soon it was time for the final ranking matches.

Under the rules for drawing opponents, none of the martial halls due to take the platform next dared accept a match once they drew Fierce Tiger Martial Hall.

At this stage, Chen Tie was the only one from Fierce Tiger Martial Hall who could fight.

With a newly advanced Bone Forging expert holding the platform, who in the Flesh Refining Realm dared challenge him?

Anyone who stepped up would undoubtedly lose, with a high likelihood of serious injury or even permanent disability.

In two consecutive matchups, disciples from the opposing martial halls were just about to step onto the platform when they saw Chen Tie's name on the opponent list and immediately cupped their fists in surrender.

"Our hall concedes!"

"We withdraw voluntarily!"

No one wanted to stake their future in martial arts on a desperate clash with a true Bone Forging expert.

One match, two matches, three matches...

The others could only compete for the lower rankings.

The competition soon drew to a close.

Zhang Changfeng delivered the final verdict:

"Every opponent in this round has withdrawn! Fierce Tiger Martial Hall wins every match!"

"First place in this year's Five Great Wards Martial Hall Grand Competition goes to Fierce Tiger Martial Hall!"

As his words fell, belated, earth-shaking cheers erupted across the training grounds!

The clamor gradually subsided, and this year's Martial Hall Grand Competition seemed about to draw to a close.

Zhang Changfeng stepped onto the platform. The noisy training grounds fell silent, and all eyes settled on him.

His gaze swept over the martial hall masters on the raised dais, then turned toward the disciples below.

"Everyone, the competition is nearing its end, but there is something I need to discuss with you."

"The times are growing more chaotic by the day, and ordinary people are struggling to get by. Bandits gather in packs, entrenched along mountain roads and in dense forests, plundering traveling merchants and abducting villagers. Many caravan hands and people from villages outside the city have fallen into their clutches."

"If this continues, the trade routes will be severed. Business in our city will become difficult, and recruiting disciples and gathering resources for our martial halls will grow ever harder. For everyone's livelihood, I propose that all twenty-five martial halls join forces, choose a day to leave the city, and wipe out the bandits together!"

At these words, the gathering instantly erupted, with people from the various halls wearing differing expressions.

Some looked hesitant. Leaving the city to suppress bandits was no platform contest. Blades and spears had no eyes; this would be a genuine life-and-death struggle.

Some people's eyes lit up as they weighed the gains and losses, while many young disciples felt their blood surge and were eager to try.

Hearing this, Chen Tie looked toward Mo Hong and saw his brow slightly furrowed. Clearly, he had not known about this beforehand either.

The first to step forward and declare his position was Shi Lie of the city's Black Stone Martial Hall.

He was burly, fierce-tempered, and pragmatic, with a voice like a great bell.

"Hall Master Zhang has put it plainly. The aristocratic families live safe and carefree, while lowly martial halls like ours and the people outside the city suffer!"

"Bandit raids have cut off the trade routes outside the city. Our martial halls scrape by taking apprentices and accepting escort work. If we don't move to wipe them out, next year we won't even be able to scrape together enough money and grain! Every member of Black Stone Martial Hall will take part!"

As soon as he finished, Lin Song of Green Pine Martial Hall cupped his fists beside him and voiced agreement.

"Chaotic times are coming. Sitting and waiting for death leaves only a dead end. We can both eliminate this scourge and hone our disciples' practical fighting skills. There is every benefit and no harm. Green Pine Martial Hall is willing to take part in the bandit suppression with all its strength!"

Immediately afterward, Gale Martial Hall, Boulder Martial Hall, Flowing Water Martial Hall, and several others declared one after another that they would fight.

Then a questioning voice rose from the crowd.

"Hall Master Zhang! Since bandits are causing trouble outside the city and the times are growing chaotic, even affecting the livelihoods of neighborhood martial halls like ours, why do the City Guard and the Five Great Aristocratic Families turn a deaf ear and never take part in suppressing bandits or restoring order?"

That single question silenced the noisy training grounds.

Everyone's eyes converged on Zhang Changfeng atop the platform. This was the question in all their hearts as well.