Even though such a “sudden incident” had occurred in Xiaoyao Valley, the Martial Assembly could not be suspended.

Especially with Mo Daoyun having suffered severe injuries from what seemed to be the Demon Cult and remaining unconscious, the Central Plains martial world needed a reliable leader even more to quell the panic.

After an investigation by the Martial Alliance, the leaders of each sect were all in their own rooms when the incident occurred. At least it could be confirmed the culprit wasn’t among them, so the elders decided the Martial Assembly would proceed as usual.

Although the leader of the Eastern Xia faction was unconscious, and just the day before they had nearly been completely annihilated, still shaken from their night of terror, Wang Xun and Mo Chuan insisted on continuing the competition. The Martial Alliance naturally had no reason to object. However, with so few sects remaining by the third day, those who had fought their way this far were all formidable. Everyone knew in their hearts that the Eastern Xia faction would likely be eliminated as soon as they faced off.

Since the number of qualified sects was odd, they would again use a lottery system to decide who could advance directly. However, whether due to yesterday’s extreme misfortune, Wang Xun walked onto the stage with a stern face and casually drew the blank lot. Thus, the Eastern Xia faction was once again struck by this lucky break, shocking everyone—this was probably an unprecedented team advancing to the Central Plains’ top four by lottery alone.

“Western Xia faction versus Xiaoyao Sect, Taixu Sect versus Eastern Sea Island. Who do you bet will win?”

With the martial competition having reached this stage, the martial heroes who remained were either here to take sides or to place small bets for entertainment.

“The Western Xia faction has absorbed the Kunlun Sect into one force. Personally, I think the Xiaoyao Sect is questionable… As for Taixu Sect and the Eastern Sea, that’s hard to say. You don’t know—that Xu Laifeng from the Eastern Sea is extraordinarily capable. I heard that last night, the Eastern Xia martial artists were saved partly thanks to his efforts.” Someone whispered, “Anyway, no matter who wins, the Eastern Xia court has suffered such losses this time—there’s absolutely no possibility left for them.”

Walking along, Zhou Qin heard nothing but such dispiriting gossip, her expression growing increasingly grim. Fu Yanyang, seeing her like this, gave her a comforting look. “Don’t pay attention to them. They’re just jealous that we kept drawing immunity passes to skip levels directly. They’re just speaking sour words…”

“I don’t care what they say. It’s just that thinking about what happened these past two days—first Scholar Shu disappeared, then Sister Ting and Scholar Mo were gravely injured…” Zhou Qin gritted her teeth. “Master and the others finally made it this far with such difficulty, and the person who struck is still hiding somewhere unknown. How can one not be angry enough for their teeth to itch?”

Fu Yanyang was about to speak when he felt a gaze glance over from the shadows. He turned his head but detected nothing. A barely perceptible thoughtfulness flashed through his eyes as he patted her shoulder. “Don’t overthink it. As they say, do your best…”

“And leave the rest to heaven, right?” Zhou Qin rolled her eyes at him. “I don’t like that saying.”

“Mm, then do your best and don’t worry about heaven’s will,” Fu Yanyang hooked his arm around her neck and whispered in her ear, “Actually, sometimes heaven’s will is within human affairs, hmm?”

Zhou Qin naturally couldn’t comprehend such vague words, but the following matches were truly unexpected. For instance, Western Xia’s Murong Fei actually lost to the Xiaoyao Sect’s Lu Yazi as soon as he took the stage.

Everyone knew the Xiaoyao Sect hadn’t involved itself in martial world affairs for many years, nor had anyone heard of any supreme experts emerging from this generation. Even if they made it to the finals, most attributed it to average standards and luck. Who could have imagined that this Xiaoyao Sect eldest disciple, who was specifically in charge of receiving guests, would win right away—could it be that Young Manor Master Murong had underestimated his opponent?

However, Murong Fei had not underestimated him.

The second match was still between these two leaders. This time Murong Fei gave his all—even the competition platform was nearly split in two by his Murong Sword—but in the end he still lost to Lu Yazi’s divine move. Even the two sect leaders from Shaolin and Wudang couldn’t see clearly how he made his move before Murong Fei was knocked off the platform, truly shocking everyone into stupefaction.

This Lu Yazi clearly had no presence whatsoever. How had no one noticed before that this fellow was so formidable?

After Murong Fei stumbled, Western Xia could only place their hopes on Qu Buyang, but whether bad luck had latched onto the Western Xia faction or the war god had blessed the Xiaoyao Sect, the Xiaoyao Sect’s second disciple Yan Xingzi bewildered Hero Qu with speed beyond his skill level and ultimately ended the match with a heavy punch.

Losing three consecutive rounds could be said to be utterly shameful, especially losing to two unknown young disciples. Murong Fei and the others were naturally angry, resentful, yet helpless.

On the other hand, Wei Shaoxuan showed no significant reaction from beginning to end. He didn’t let Murong Fei and the others leave, and after losing the matches, he could still sit calmly in place drinking tea. This disappointed quite a few onlookers who came to watch the spectacle, shifting their attention to the second round of duels.

Taixu Sect versus the Eastern Sea. Especially since Master Yangxu had painstakingly reorganized his team for this match, logically it should have been a fierce battle between dragons and tigers.

But as this Martial Assembly’s dark horse, Island Master Xu truly lived up to his name of “stirring up wind and waves.” As soon as he jumped onto the platform, he unleashed a big move—he summoned a shocking wave that directly washed his opponent into the lake. The entire process took less than half an incense stick’s time.

The entire shore of Qiong Lake fell into momentary dead silence, then exclamations of amazement exploded. This water-summoning technique was simply too extraordinary. If not for seeing his shadow, even calling him a ghost or river deity would be believed.

Sure enough, Master Yangxu was so startled he stood up regardless of his status and said coldly, “This ghostly demonic technique—where exactly did it come from?”

Xu Laifeng heard his words and the implication of trying to incite a group attack. He paid no attention to the noise from off-stage, only addressing the Shaolin Sect Leader. “Master Huiguang, other people may lack discernment and not understand what technique this is, but surely you wouldn’t be so ignorant?”

Master Huiguang’s brow furrowed deeply, as if remembering something. “Could it be… this is Zen Master Baozhi’s Wanhua Compendium?”

Upon hearing these four characters, uproar swept through the spectator seats—among the martial artists present, more or less everyone had heard this name. Over ten years ago when the Shemo True Scripture appeared in the Central Lands, people had said that among Bodhidharma’s martial arts divine techniques, besides the Marrow Cleansing Classic and Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic, the Shemo True Scripture and Wanhua Compendium ranked supreme.

However, these two divine techniques had long become legend. To suddenly hear their names—how could people not find it hard to believe? But since Master Huiguang had spoken these words himself, how could people not believe?

Xu Laifeng had no intention of hiding his light. Having unexpectedly obtained the second layer mental method last night, he was itching to test his skills. Seeing the Martial Alliance had no intention of removing him from the platform, he clasped his hands behind his back. “Finished discussing? When shall we begin the second round?”

Xu Laifeng was already an oddity with profound internal power, astonishing stamina, and endless tricks. Now with the added ability to summon water, even if opponents could withstand the wind and waves, with one splash coming and another going, both vision and hearing obstructed, how could they have any room to exchange fists and feet with Island Master Xu?

If not for the two-match limit per faction leader, had he simply walked straight to the Martial Alliance Leader position this way, no one could have refuted it.

Logically speaking, the Eastern Sea had only brought two people. Though the martial arts of the one accompanying Xu Laifeng were strong, they weren’t quite as heaven-defying as his island master. They only needed to defeat this person, and the Eastern Sea would have no one left to compete.

Master Yangxu gave a subtle signal with his eyes. At the start of the third match, the Eastern Sea fell victim to a dirty trick.

The Taixu Sect wasn’t afraid to use hidden weapons to injure people—naturally this was Master Yangxu’s calculated scheme. This type of invisible hidden weapon, finer than powdered ox hair mist, was scattered head-on. Except for the victim himself, outsiders couldn’t detect anything amiss. Once time passed with no trace to be found, that would be best. If exposed, the person he sent out was from another sect. At that time, he could expel them from the formation and shirk responsibility.

However, Master Yangxu miscalculated one thing.

How could anyone mixing with Xu Laifeng be an easy opponent?

Though he suffered the sneak attack, his remaining power was still there. Whether from rage or stubbornness, he actually used brute force under circumstances where he couldn’t use internal power—he grabbed his opponent and bit down hard on the man’s shoulder!

Everyone was greatly shocked—they’d seen close-quarters combat but never seen someone use biting. Was this Eastern Sea person perhaps part dog?

Zhou Qin was so frightened she covered her eyes with her palm. Fu Yanyang watched for a while, then poked her with his elbow. “Don’t be afraid, look.”

She raised her eyes and saw the Taixu Sect person on the platform had already fainted. The Eastern Sea person who remained standing upright held on for quite a while before his form weakened and he knelt on the ground.

Zhou Qin gaped. “Just… just one bite like that… and the person fell?”

Fu Yanyang couldn’t help but sigh. “The Eastern Sea is truly a terrifying place…”

They naturally didn’t know that Taixu Sect had used poison on the Eastern Sea. The poison stuck to the mouth and nose area would at most scatter one’s consciousness, but if it touched blood, the result was immediate knockout—Xu Laifeng’s friend, at the first moment of being struck, understood his opponent’s vicious intent. Thus, he turned the tables, winning the third round in this incredible manner.

After these two platform matches, the assembled heroes couldn’t wait to see the Xiaoyao Sect and Eastern Sea battle for supremacy. Only when the Martial Alliance had people draw lots again did everyone remember there was still an Eastern Xia faction.

Wang Xun drew number two, Lu Yazi drew number one. This meant the next round would be a contest between Eastern Xia and the Xiaoyao Sect.

But up to this moment, the Eastern Xia faction’s leader still hadn’t appeared.

Having lost the support of two scholars, and with even Young Marquis He, who arranged troops and formations, absent, only Wang Xun and Mo Chuan could carry the burden.

But the result… was as expected.

The Xiaoyao Sect didn’t even let Lu Yazi take the stage. One Yan Xingzi alone made Qingcheng Academy’s second senior brother lose miserably.

When Mo Chuan’s sword was severed in one strike by Yan Xingzi, exclamations erupted from the crowd. Zhou Qin tightly clutched Fu Yanyang’s arm, so frightened her words stumbled. “Second Senior Brother’s sword is a black iron sword. How could it just… like that…”

Wang Xun watched the platform coldly, thinking: Something about the Xiaoyao Sect is definitely wrong.

After Mo Chuan’s defeat and descent from the platform, even the tiger’s mouth gripping his sword had split open in a large gash. Passing Wang Xun, he wanted to say something but said nothing, only gently shaking his head, signaling his eldest senior brother to be more careful.

In the second round, Lu Yazi still didn’t take the stage. The one who leaped onto the platform was a young man who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen, with the Taoist name You Hongzi, said to be the youngest junior brother of the Xiaoyao Sect.

Using the disciple with the least seniority to face the eldest senior brother of the Eastern Xia faction—Sect Leader Xue’s move could be said to be utterly contemptuous.

Wang Xun wasn’t provoked. Even though this You Hongzi looked very inexperienced, he didn’t dare underestimate him in the slightest—the moment the Xiaoyao Sword met the Wang family spear, all doubts in his heart became instantly clear.

Judging solely from the techniques, there was no difference from the commonly known Xiaoyao Sword, but the speed and force of the strikes were more than ten times stronger than before.

So Mo Chuan’s sword would be severed, and his spear tip was in precarious danger each time it collided with the opponent’s weapon.

Once a weapon was destroyed, the outcome of close-quarters combat would only be worse—Wang Xun dodged with a clever move and saw You Hongzi punch a deep crater into the competition platform with one fist.

Strength more terrifying than a gorilla’s, speed more agile than a hawk’s—unless one could learn the reason for their divine power, losing was a small matter; being able to leave the platform in one piece would be difficult.

A thought suddenly flashed through Wang Xun’s mind—could Mo Scholar’s broken bones be related to this?

With this thought, seeing his opponent about to strike him viciously, he himself leaped down from the competition platform, abandoning the match.

Another uproar swept through the seats. Someone mocked, “They say Qingcheng Academy is Eastern Xia’s premier martial arts sacred ground. Who would have thought their first disciple couldn’t even defeat the Xiaoyao Sect’s youngest disciple? Truly an empty reputation!”

With a “clang,” the verdict was announced again. Seeing the third round about to begin, Lu Yazi ascended the battle platform. A wave of cheers and acclaim rose from Qiong Lake’s shore as the Eastern Xia martial artists all closed their eyes in despair.

The Martial Alliance disciples struck the gongs and drums again. Seeing no one from the Eastern Xia camp taking the stage, they called out loudly, “Third round—who from the Eastern Xia faction will compete?”

Wang Xun and Mo Chuan exchanged glances. Both knew in their hearts that no matter who they sent, defeat was inevitable.

Just at this moment, a figure suddenly floated onto the stage. When it landed before Lu Yazi, everyone was greatly astonished.

Zhou Qin stammered, “He… what is he doing up there?”

Lu Yazi was stunned, then smiled politely at the person before him. “Island Master Xu, the match between our sect and the Eastern Xia faction isn’t yet concluded. If your Eastern Sea wishes to compete, please wait a moment.”

“Since I’m standing here, how could I not even distinguish which faction is competing with your esteemed sect?” Xu Laifeng smiled slightly and turned to address the crowd loudly. “Everyone, I hereby announce that from this moment on, I, Xu Laifeng of the Eastern Sea Island, voluntarily join Eastern Xia’s Qingcheng Academy. I will continue to compete against the Xiaoyao Sect as a student of Qingcheng Academy.”

Island Master Xu turned back around and courteously extended his hand to Lu Yazi. “Brother Lu, please.”

Author’s Note:

A tiny little theater—

Young Marquis Ye: This chapter, my wife and I aren’t in it. Please charge some money for Xu Laifeng.

Author: Understood.