"Clang-"
The greatsword and the great saber collided, sparks flying as a dull clang of metal rang out.
Wang Hao stood firm without budging an inch, while the burly young man swayed, clearly coming off slightly worse in the clash.
Both men exerted force and retreated three steps. Wang Hao studied the burly young man opposite him and said in surprise, "You cultivate both internal and external techniques?"
From their exchange just now, he could sense that his opponent's strength was not much weaker than his own, and the man also possessed internal force.
If the Ten Stances of Bloody Battle had not been overbearing enough for its formidable internal strength to withstand his opponent's internal force, that force would surely have invaded his body. That would have been trouble.
Clearly, his opponent cultivated not only external techniques but also a powerful internal technique.
"Give me your name! I don't slay nameless nobodies under my saber!"
The burly young man stared at Wang Hao with bloodthirsty eyes. Their exchange had clearly made him aware of Wang Hao's strength, yet he remained confident of victory.
After all, this opponent cultivated external techniques alone. How could he understand the mysteries of internal force?
With his internal force and saber technique, killing Wang Hao was only a matter of time.
So victory would still be his in the end!
"A dead man has no need to know my name!"
Wang Hao's expression remained cold, though it had grown a little more solemn.
This was a formidable opponent, and the great saber in his hand was also forged from thousand-refined fine steel, on the same level as Wang Hao's greatsword. Neither had an advantage in weapons.
But that suited him just fine. He had no interest in an opponent who was too weak!
"You're courting death!"
The burly young man flew into a rage. With a furious shout, he charged in, slashing wildly with his saber.
Not to be outdone, Wang Hao went to meet him, and the two became locked in battle.
"Is he that Wang Xiao San whom Elder Chu thinks so highly of?"
An old man on the raised platform at the training ground studied Wang Hao as he fought, his gaze solemn and seemingly intent on seeing right through him. The hall masters of the other halls also turned their eyes toward Wang Hao.
After all, he was also one of their main reasons for coming today.
"Isn't that why you came today? Besides, he changed his name long ago. He's called Wang Hao now, not Wang Xiao San."
Zhao Fengxue continued sipping his tea calmly. Once Wang Hao arrived, he had relaxed completely and stopped paying attention to the fight on the training ground.
Because the outcome had already been decided!
In fact, he had anticipated today's events half a month ago, when the tower master, newly returned to the capital, had personally informed them that Elder Chu had taken an interest in a junior.
Apart from the Blood Sword Hall, which the tower master represented, their eight great halls competed with one another, and none wanted to see another grow stronger.
After all, the Blood Robe Tower had only so many benefits and resources to go around. If others grew stronger, their own shares would shrink accordingly.
So whenever another hall had a gifted junior, they would use underhanded means to suppress or even kill him.
Now their Blood Wind Hall had produced another young junior whom Elder Chu held in high regard, and the tower master had personally informed them of it. Naturally, the old fellows from the other seven great halls would not sit idle.
Although Elder Chu and the tower master's deterrence kept those old fellows from resorting to underhanded means, they could still act openly.
And so today's battle had come about!
But it did not matter. Having witnessed Wang Hao's growth firsthand over the past half month, Zhao Fengxue had not the slightest doubt or concern about the outcome.
Those seven juniors were good, but that was all.
Compared with that fellow, who was invincible among those at the same level, they fell far short.
"Father, when did he change his name? How come I didn't know?"
A figure suddenly appeared behind Zhao Fengxue. It was none other than Zhao Dachui, who had not shown himself for half a month.
"He changed it a few days ago. He said that in his hometown, Xiao San was a term for a third party who broke up a marriage, that it was inauspicious and not imposing enough. So he asked me to let him change it to the 'Hao' from 'heaven's vastness knows no bounds,' and he even chose a courtesy name for himself."
Zhao Fengxue explained calmly, though his expression grew odd at the end.
"Does a name like Xiao San really pack that much of a punch?"
Zhao Dachui was taken aback. He had never heard that Xiao San had such a meaning, but on second thought, the term really did suit that kind of person.
"What courtesy name did he choose?"
Looking curiously at his father, Zhao Dachui knew Wang Hao's background quite well. The fellow came from a commoner family and had, at most, spent a few years listening in outside a private school. He could read, but that was the extent of it.
Choosing a courtesy name was a sophisticated task, and not something that fellow could manage!
"Break his given name apart and you'll know."
Zhao Fengxue's expression was very odd. He was too embarrassed to say the imposing but shameful courtesy name aloud.
"Break it apart? The character for Hao breaks down into 'say' and 'heaven.' Put them together and it's... damn, that's imposing!"
Zhao Dachui was stunned. Once he recovered, he could not help swearing.
That courtesy name was simply too imposing!
The other seven hall masters sitting nearby also wore odd expressions. That courtesy name was far too shameful.
It was only because their Great Ming Imperial Court did not believe in heavenly gods and the emperor did not call himself the Son of Heaven. In an earlier dynasty, anyone who dared choose such a courtesy name could count himself blessed by the emperor's boundless grace if his entire clan of nine generations was not exterminated.
"Father, there's something I'd like to discuss with you!"
Who knew what had occurred to him, but Zhao Dachui's eyes rolled, and he smiled ingratiatingly. He even dutifully began kneading his father's shoulders.
"I'm in a good mood today. As long as it's not too much, I'll agree to it."
Zhao Fengxue narrowed his eyes and chuckled, clearly in a very good mood.
"Father, look, Wang Hao changed his name to something so imposing, but your son's name is still so vulgar. Why don't I change mine too?"
Zhao Dachui carefully revealed his true purpose.
That was right, he wanted to change his name.
The name Dachui was far too vulgar. It did not suit his handsome, dashing image at all!
When he went out, he was too embarrassed even to give his name. It was humiliating!
"Sure! As long as you can beat me, never mind changing your name, I'd have no problem changing mine too."
Zhao Fengxue was still smiling, but his words made Zhao Dachui's expression freeze. His whole spirit collapsed.
"I knew you'd say that!"
Pulling a long face, Zhao Dachui looked at Wang Hao with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
He had wanted to change this lousy name for ages, and his father had always given him the same answer. It was one of the main reasons he had trained so hard all these years.
But his father was a Grandmaster-level expert. Right now, he could hardly even last one move against him. How could defeating him be easy?
In any case, he had no hope of doing it before he turned forty.
"Clang!"
On the training ground, Wang Hao and the burly young man clashed again and each retreated three steps. This time, however, Wang Hao did not immediately attack again. Instead, he rolled his neck and muttered, "Warm-up's over. Time to get serious!"
"What? He wasn't going all out just now?"
The six young men from the other halls stared at Wang Hao in shock.
Although Wang Hao had only muttered to himself, their cultivation was not weak, so naturally they heard him loud and clear.
They had watched Wang Hao's fight with the burly young man and had been astonished by his strength. He was absolutely on the same level as them.
But now he was saying that the fight had only been a warm-up. In other words, he had not been serious at all and still had greater fighting strength in reserve.
How was that possible?
"Hmph! Enough boasting! Take this!"
The burly young man snorted coldly, not believing Wang Hao's words in the slightest. With a fierce shout, he attacked again with his saber, his momentum ferocious and unmatched, like a fierce tiger charging down a mountain.
This was the First-Rate martial art he cultivated-the Blood Tiger Saber Technique!
"Two Armies Facing Off!"
"Clang-"
Facing the descending saber, Wang Hao gripped his sword in both hands and struck with Two Armies Facing Off, the stance with the greatest explosive power from a stationary position in the Ten Stances of Bloody Battle. The blade slashed explosively upward at an angle, and another dull clang of metal rang out as saber met sword.
This time, however, Wang Hao used even more violent force than before, sending the great saber flying from the burly young man's hand.
Then the sword flashed, and the burly young man's right arm was severed partway down.
The burly young man turned pale with fright, but he was clearheaded enough not to panic. Instead, he calmly rushed toward the boundary a short distance behind him.
Inside the circle, they could indeed fight as they pleased, and it was fine even if they killed their opponents. Outside the circle was different. Aside from the restrictions imposed by the rules, his hall master alone would not stand by and watch him be killed outside it.
"Pfft!"
Unfortunately, before he could cross the boundary, a greatsword shot toward him from behind and pinned him to the ground, sinking in all the way to the hilt.
The boundary was a single foot in front of him, but that foot might as well have spanned the ends of the earth, an impassable chasm.
After a twitch, the burly young man finally breathed his last, unwillingness on his face.
Outside the circle, an old man stared at the lifeless burly young man, his face dark. Then his gaze shifted to Wang Hao, his chilling killing intent wholly undisguised.
The old man was one of the hall masters of the seven great halls who had been sitting on the platform earlier, and the burly young man was a killer under his command.
He had meant to intervene and save him, but Wang Hao had acted first, cutting off that opportunity and killing the burly young man inside the circle. Killing intent surged within him, yet there was nothing he could do.
After all, the rules were there, and he could not break them as he pleased. With that old fellow Zhao Fengxue watching from the side as well, there was no chance of killing the brat.
Of course, most importantly, Elder Chu's deterrence meant he did not dare act.
"Those who hurt my brothers, die!"
Wang Hao gave the burly young man, whose eyes were still open in death, an indifferent glance. Ignoring the hall master standing outside the circle, he pulled out his greatsword and walked back to the center of the training ground.
His gaze swept over the remaining six before settling on two young men, one wielding a pair of rings and the other empty-handed.
"One-on-one is no fun. You two, come at me together!"
The two men Wang Hao was staring at, who had already begun thinking of retreat, were taken aback. Clearly, they had not expected him to say something so arrogant.
They then stepped forward, stopping three zhang in front of Wang Hao, and said with sinister grins, "You're the one courting death!"
One-on-one, they truly would be no match for Wang Hao. After all, he had defeated even the burly young man cleanly and decisively, so how could they be his match?
Going up against him would only be courting death.
But two against one was different. Even if he was stronger than them, he could not be that much stronger. Together, they could kill him.
Even the hall masters on the platform changed expression, sat back down, and resumed watching.
They had been ready to give up, but who would have thought this would happen, giving them a chance to turn things around?
Zhao Fengxue, by contrast, was somewhat worried. Although he knew Wang Hao was very strong and could be called invincible at his level, taking on two opponents who were not much weaker at once was still too risky.
Likewise, Zhao Dachui, standing behind Zhao Fengxue, was worried, though he was even more shocked.
He had not expected Wang Hao's strength to have risen to such a level after only a month apart.
But fighting two against one was still too risky!