Chapter 25

Rushing through the dust, he galloped into the Azure Cloud City.

The grand martial arts competition of the Martial Hall was to be held in a month. According to the rules, students who wished to participate had to register one month in advance.

A month ago, a conversation with Elder Zhuang Nantian made Luo Xiu realize that to stand out and gain the attention and cultivation of the Martial Hall, he had to demonstrate his strength and talent.

The annual grand martial arts competition was undoubtedly the moment for Martial Hall students to showcase their strength and talent.

Before long, Luo Xiu arrived at the Martial Hall and headed to the registration site.

When he got there, many Martial Hall students had already gathered, but most were just spectators. Those who registered to participate in the grand martial arts competition were mostly from the intermediate and advanced classes.

"Every year, the grand martial arts competition has a ranking. I heard that the top three receive incredibly generous rewards," a young man in martial attire said.

"Brother Zhao is now at the seventh level of Body Tempering. I wonder if he plans to participate in the grand martial arts competition?" someone asked with a smile.

"Of course I will participate. Although the chances of getting into the top three are slim, the most important thing is to show my talent and strength on the competition stage, which can also earn the attention of the Martial Hall's higher-ups!" the young man said proudly.

Luo Xiu looked in the direction of the voice and saw the young man in martial attire, Zhao Liang, who was from the intermediate class and had bet with him in the black stone monument area.

Back then, Zhao Liang was at the sixth level of Body Tempering, but now he had reached the seventh level.

"There are many experts in the intermediate and advanced classes. I heard that if you can enter the top ten, you can receive rewards of Essence Stones and medicinal pills!"

"Entering the top five, you can even be taken as a disciple by a Martial Hall elder!"

"Hehe, if you get into the top three, it's said that you can receive personal guidance from the Martial Hall's head and have the opportunity to choose a fourth-grade martial art!"

Many students were discussing among themselves, and the various generous rewards made many Martial Hall students excited.

Each elder of the Martial Hall was a先天武师 (Xiantian Martial Master), holding high status and power in the Azure Cloud City. If one could become an elder's disciple, it would be a symbol of status and position.

The head of the Martial Hall, to many Martial Hall students, was a legendary figure, the first martial expert of the Azure Cloud City, rumored to have surpassed the Xiantian realm!

Especially the reward of a fourth-grade martial art was even more shocking and exciting.

However, everyone also knew that it was very difficult to enter the top three in the grand martial arts competition, as the competition was held annually, and those who had performed well in previous years, with the help of the rewards, had made rapid progress in cultivation and strength, far surpassing others.

However, if one's cultivation broke through to the Qi Sea realm or was over eighteen years old, they could not participate in the grand martial arts competition, as there would be no comparability otherwise.

The population of the Azure Cloud City was hundreds of thousands, and the number of students in the Martial Hall was countless. Just those whose cultivation reached the seventh level of Body Tempering numbered in the hundreds.

Next to the registration site, a stone monument stood, listing the names of Martial Hall students from the lowest to the highest.

This stone monument was the ranking board of the Azure Cloud City Martial Hall.

The ranking board had only fifty spots, with the minimum requirement being the eighth level of Body Tempering. Many people gathered around the ranking board.

Luo Xiu also focused his gaze and saw the name at the top of the ranking board: Xu Qiusheng!

From the discussions around him, Xu Qiusheng was eighteen years old, a disciple of the elder who guarded the Scripture Pavilion, and his cultivation had reached the peak of the ninth level of Body Tempering. His internal skills, martial techniques, and body methods were all third-grade martial arts.

The second to tenth places on the ranking board were all eighteen years old, with cultivation at the ninth level of Body Tempering.

In the Martial Hall, eighteen was a threshold. Once one exceeded eighteen, they were no longer a Martial Hall student, and the Martial Hall would no longer cultivate them. A few with exceptional talent who broke through to the Qi Sea realm could become outer disciples of the Free and Easy Sect, the lowest threshold for outer disciples.

Almost no one knew that Luo Xiu's cultivation had reached the peak of the ninth level of Body Tempering, so his name was not on the ranking board.

"There is still a month left."

Time flowed like water. In the dense forest, Luo Xiu's figure darted, performing the Thunderbolt Sword Technique with perfect mastery, fluid and seamless, the sword light piercing the air, almost impossible to see with the naked eye.

"Boom!"

With the support of internal energy, he split a large tree with one sword strike, sending dust flying.

During this period, he had also absorbed the power of fire from Lu Mengyao several times, making his internal energy pure and thick to the extreme, ready to break through to the Qi Sea realm at any time.

However, Luo Xiu suppressed his cultivation from breaking through because once he did, he could no longer participate in the grand martial arts competition.

The opportunity to enter the Scripture Pavilion and choose a fourth-grade martial art for the top three in the competition was something Luo Xiu did not want to miss.

These few months of training had made Luo Xiu very different from before, especially his aura, which was distinct, his eyes sharp and full of vigor, like a sharp sword about to be unsheathed.

"Clang!"

Sheathing his sword, Luo Xiu wiped the sweat from his forehead, exhaled a breath, and thought to himself, "Apart from Chen Hu and his group last time, I haven't encountered any attacks during this period."

While training in the Eight-Headed Mountain, he generally avoided the martial artists hunting in the mountains, which was not difficult with his special ability to sense life.

...

In the Azure Cloud City, the Zhang family residence.

"Boom!"

A loud noise, and the tightly closed gates of the residence shattered into pieces. Several figures entered one after another, the sound of metal clashing filling the air. Everyone drew their swords and rushed into the residence.

The Zhang family was a prominent clan in the Azure Cloud City and had cultivated a group of guards. At this moment, they were on high alert.

Twenty people had broken into the Zhang family residence, each wearing blue armor, exuding a fierce and oppressive aura.

"Blue Armor Guards?" The faces of nearly a hundred Zhang family guards changed instantly.

The strongest of these guards was at the ninth level of Body Tempering. Despite outnumbering the intruders five to one, many of their bodies began to tremble.

The Blue Armor Guards were a guard unit under the Martial Hall, each a martial artist who had broken through to the Qi Sea realm!

Most members of the Blue Armor Guards were former Martial Hall students who had not become outer disciples of the Free and Easy Sect and had joined the Blue Armor Guards instead.

"Zhang Shaoyong, the head of the Zhang family, is suspected of murdering a Martial Hall student. We, the Blue Armor Guards, are here on orders. Those who do not want to die, step aside!" A burly man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, the leader of the Blue Armor Guards, shouted, his voice like rolling thunder, making the Zhang family guards retreat in fear even before the fight began.

Zhang Shaoyong, with a grim face, stepped forward, "Captain Han, what does it mean for you to bring people into my residence?"

Captain Han, the leader of the Blue Armor Guards, remained expressionless and coldly said, "I am here on orders from Elder Zhuang. You are suspected of murdering a Martial Hall student. You will have to explain to the elder."

As he spoke, Captain Han waved his hand, "Capture Zhang Shaoyong. The elder has ordered that if there is any resistance, you are to kill without mercy!"

Zhang Shaoyong's face changed drastically. He knew that if the charge of murdering a Martial Hall student was confirmed, he would be sentenced to death, and the entire Zhang family would suffer, possibly even being erased from the Azure Cloud City!

However, he quickly calmed down. The Zhang family had a background that allowed it to stand firm in the Azure Cloud City. He believed that if the old ancestor came out, the Zhang family would be safe.

With this thought, Zhang Shaoyong did not resist and allowed the Blue Armor Guards to take him away. Otherwise, these guards, who followed the orders of the Martial Hall's higher-ups, would really kill him without mercy.

After the head of the family was taken away by the Blue Armor Guards, the Zhang family was in chaos. Zhang Shaoyong's younger brother, Zhang Shaohai, overcame opposition and took the position of head of the family.

"The Zhang family cannot be without a leader. Before my brother returns, I will act as the head of the family!" Sitting on the throne, Zhang Shaohai's lips curled into a cold smile. He had waited for this day for too long!

"If the old ancestor can come out and save my brother, the position of head of the family will not be mine. Only his death will make the position truly mine!"

He summoned his confidants and ordered, "Take a few people to Panshi Town and bring Luo Xiu's family here."

...

Finally, the grand martial arts competition of the Azure Cloud City Martial Hall, the most anticipated event of the year, was about to begin.

On the martial arts arena, the competition stages were surrounded by almost all the students of the Martial Hall. Not far from the competition stages, a pavilion had been built, with seats for the higher-ups of the Martial Hall to watch the competition.

As time passed, more and more people arrived. On the viewing platform, in addition to the elder who guarded the Scripture Pavilion, the four elders, including Elder Zhuang, had also arrived.

"The head of the hall has arrived!"

With a cry from the crowd, everyone looked up to see a figure in purple robes stepping through the air and flying directly into the pavilion, sitting in the main seat in the center.

"Air travel, flying through the air, this is a legendary skill!"

"I heard that the head of the hall's cultivation has long surpassed the Xiantian realm, making him the true first martial expert of the Azure Cloud City!"

Luo Xiu was also among the crowd, and the skills displayed by the head of the hall left him equally amazed.

When will I be able to have such strength?

"Silence!"

Suddenly, Elder Zhuang Nantian stood up on the platform and shouted, "The auspicious time has arrived!"

"According to the rules of the grand martial arts competition, the competition will be a one-on-one elimination match, with participants drawing lots. Those who draw the same number will compete on the stage. There are no restrictions during the competition, until one party concedes or falls off the stage."

"During the competition, weapons are blind, but no killing is allowed. Otherwise, the participant will be disqualified, expelled from the Martial Hall, and imprisoned for ten years!"

As Elder Zhuang announced the rules, a wooden box was brought to the competition stage, and all the participants went up to draw lots.

Luo Xiu reached into the box and drew a paper ball, which read ninety-eight when unfolded.

There were ten competition stages, and those who drew numbers one to ten would compete first.

The winners would advance to the second round.

With over three hundred participants, the first round would eliminate over a hundred people!

Moreover, no one knew who their opponent would be.

"Now, the competition begins!"

As the elder announced, figures leaped onto the competition stages.