C23 The Competition Began

As a division of Nature's Mystery Pavilion in Stormford's East Mansion, there was a martial arts arena capable of holding 50,000 spectators. This arena featured a colossal projection array that could amplify the action on the stage manyfold, broadcasting it live to the audience.

Deepmere, the hub of East Mansion, boasted a population of five to six hundred thousand. The martial arts field was teeming with people; a full tenth of the city's population had converged there, highlighting the immense anticipation for the showdown between Twin Rage and Soul Capturing Sect.

In this world, cultivators were held in high esteem. In a city with hundreds of thousands, those with spiritual roots were not uncommon, akin to the esteemed university students of his former life. Known, coveted, and revered by all.

For most Deepmere denizens, Twin Rage Sect and Soul Capturing Sect represented the entirety of their knowledge of the Immortal World. These sects were shrouded in mystery and regarded as otherworldly, making this rare chance to witness their true nature an opportunity not to be missed.

Adjacent to the majestic martial arts arena stood a seemingly ordinary shop. Fong Yong was at the entrance, beckoning to passersby, "The sects' competition is about to start. Care to come in and place a wager?"

"Will it be Twin Rage Sect's comeback or Soul Capturing Sect's overwhelming victory? Aren't you tempted to test your luck?"

"Our establishment is backed by Nature's Mystery Pavilion, with honesty as our foundation. Miss this chance, and there won't be another."

Fong Yong had a knack for drawing in a crowd. With his thick skin and honeyed words, it wasn't long before many were drawn to the shop, whispering, "Is it insured?"

"Don't worry," Fong Yong reassured them. "Our gambling house is legitimate, with the backing of esteemed seniors. There's nothing to fear."

Content, the customers filed into the shop.

...

"There's no need to worry," Lee Qingyun said with a suppressed chuckle, looking at Peace's tense little face, as taut as a drum. "Relax."

Peace glared back, his expression unyielding. "No, I am nervous."

"Relax, just don't get nervous, okay?"

Peace was the first to step into the arena, facing off against last year's top outer sect disciple of the Soul Capturing Sect, the current number one, Zhang Yuan.

At seventeen, Zhang Yuan's cultivation had reached the peak of the ninth Qi Refinement stage, the maximum level for an outer sect disciple. Advancing to the tenth stage meant entry into the Inner Sect, suggesting he deliberately suppressed his cultivation for the competition. His true strength likely surpassed the ninth stage long ago.

Despite Peace's advantage from the spirit gathering formation and his extraordinary talent, his cultivation time was far too short, only reaching the eighth stage's peak.

Understandably, Peace was quite anxious.

Lee Qingyun tried to soothe him while peering outside.

The competition's host was now present, droning on about the rules to the audience.

"In this friendly match between sects, we seek to determine the victor, not to witness death. Contestants may concede at any time, and those knocked out of the ring will be deemed defeated..."

Lee Qingyun tousled Peace's spiky hair. "You catch that?"

Peace nodded vigorously. "Yes!"

"And what does that mean? Say it back to me."

Taking a deep breath and standing tall, Peace declared, "I won't hurt him. I'll give him a chance to concede."

Lee Qingyun paused. "..."

"It's okay if he gets hurt..."

"Huh? Okay..." Peace was taken aback by Lee Qingyun's response, clearly startled.

"Now, please allow me to introduce the first contender from the Soul Capturing Sect, the top outer sect disciple—Zhang Yuan!"

With a resounding "Boom!" the arena shook.

Zhang Yuan made a grand entrance, descending from above and landing on the stage with such force that a long fissure cracked beneath his feet. His entrance oozed dominance.

The spectators, having never witnessed such a spectacle, erupted into a tidal wave of cheers.

Basking in the crowd's excitement, Zhang Yuan gave a confident smile and bowed slightly. "I am Zhang Yuan from the Soul Capturing Sect. I look forward to your guidance."

Lee Qingyun couldn't help but roll his eyes. This guy was a master at playing it cool.

"Coming up next, we have the disciple of the Twin Rage Sect's Sect Master, Lee Qingyun—Peace!"

The crowd's excitement in the arena was palpable, erupting into cheers and shouts.

"It's your turn, go on," Lee Qingyun encouraged Peace with a pat.

"Okay."

The host, noticing the contestant hadn't shown up yet, continued, "The sect master of the Twin Rage Sect is said to..."

He was cut off by a wave of frenzied whistles and screams from the audience.

A little boy, seemingly about ten years old with rosy cheeks, stepped onto the stage. Yet, this adorable child was shouldering an enormous axe nearly two meters long.

The stark contrast left the audience in disbelief.

"Why has the Twin Rage Sect sent a toddler to the fight?"

"Are my eyes deceiving me? Why does that kid have such a massive axe?"

"That's no axe; it's bigger than the blades on a blacksmith's windmill..."

Amidst the clamor of the crowd, Peace approached Zhang Yuan. Peace was only as tall as Zhang Yuan's stomach, but the axe he carried towered over Zhang Yuan by two heads.

They stood face to face, yet Peace didn't look up at Zhang Yuan. Instead, he earnestly gazed at Zhang Yuan's belly.

Zhang Yuan was internally exasperated. The Seventh Elder had summoned him to face the Twin Rage Sect, and they sent a child? The kid seemed clueless, not even bothering with the customary greeting or sizing up his opponent before the match.

The host cleared his throat, "Our Twin Rage contestants sure have a unique way of making an entrance. Now that both competitors are ready, let's not waste any more time and begin!"

As soon as the host finished, Zhang Yuan quickly backed away, creating distance between himself and Peace. He knew nothing about Peace, but with the weapon in hand, he was at a clear disadvantage up close.

Attacking head-on would be reckless. He needed to watch his opponent and plan his next move.

But Peace wasn't even looking at him. She was fixated on the ground, leisurely wandering around the stage. Then, with a sudden glint in her eye, she drew the colossal axe from behind and swung it with all her strength.

Zhang Yuan cried out, "Oh no!" and instinctively leaped backward, only to find that Aoxue hadn't launched an attack at him but had instead brought her axe down upon the stage itself...

Behind the stage, Lee Qingyun could do nothing but cover his face in resignation, while Aoxue's face flushed with embarrassment. Two days earlier, Aoxue had lectured Lee Qingyun, saying:

"What do you understand? This technique is known as the 'Sword Cutting Technique.' It's all about honing the precision of one's strength. It may seem like just a simple chop, but the reality is, each strike targets the most vulnerable part of the wood, fostering a combat instinct to directly exploit an opponent's weakness."

Now, with Aoxue's axe embedded in the ground, the resulting split had revealed the most fragile point of the stage, right at its very center.

Lee Qingyun teased Aoxue with a sly grin, "Pretty even chopping there..."

"Are you still cracking jokes?" Aoxue's face turned even redder from Lee Qingyun's comment, her embarrassment boiling into anger. She lashed out to smack him.

But Lee Qingyun was quick, catching Aoxue's delicate hand in his. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he declared sharply,

"Wait a minute!"