The three people on the stage, each occupying a corner, gazed at each other from a distance.
Ye Huanzhen was skilled with the spear, Jian Wuming with the sword, and Feng Ying revealed her weapon for the first time – a soft sword.
The three paused for a moment. Ye Huanzhen’s long spear pierced the air, the entire space seeming to fold and compress. In the blink of an eye, the spearhead appeared before Nan Shiying’s face. Nan Shiying raised her soft sword and executed a move called ‘Fuyou Swordplay’, her sword a blur of afterimages.
The soft sword coiled around the spearhead, and powerful energy vibrated through the spear towards Ye Huanzhen’s hand. Ye Huanzhen felt his tiger’s mouth go numb, and then his entire hand followed suit. He almost lost his grip on the long spear.
Jian Wuming seized the opportunity and attacked Ye Huanzhen.
Ye Huanzhen drew his long spear, turned, and met the attack.
Nan Shiying pressed forward, but instead of attacking Ye Huanzhen again, she thrust towards Jian Wuming’s back.
The three fought fiercely, inseparable. When any two were locked in combat, they would invariably team up against the third. The exchange lasted for nearly an hour, ultimately ending with Jian Wuming being forced off the stage.
On the arena, only Nan Shiying and Ye Huanzhen remained.
Ye Huanzhen’s hands trembled slightly. By this point in the battle, he had little internal energy left. He wondered if his opponent was in the same state.
Seeing Ye Huanzhen’s tightly pressed lips, Nan Shiying smiled, retracted her soft sword into her shoe, turned, and leaped off the stage.
Ye Huanzhen’s face stiffened slightly, and then his chest began to heave violently. A soft “噗呲~” escaped him.
Seeing this, Xuan Xiao couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Ye Huanzhen, hearing the laughter, turned to glare at him.
The others who had been forced off the stage earlier also started to laugh. Even Gui Yidao’s eyes showed a hint of amusement. His gaze towards Nan Shiying now held less contempt and more apprehension. So, this was the reason for proposing the free-for-all?
It was indeed a good method.
Without shedding blood, she had eliminated an opponent.
In Ye Huanzhen’s current state, he wouldn’t be able to withstand another match on the stage.
“Sister Ying, you’re so wicked, I still love you~”
A desperate cry came from below the stage, from Lu Yiyi. Wei Ruyun’s face froze, wishing she could rush onto the stage and cover that loose, rambling mouth.
Nan Shiying’s lips twitched slightly, and she pretended not to hear.
Huang Yuyao pressed a hand to her forehead, hiding her face, utterly embarrassed. Poison Elder chuckled and took a sip of tea, his throat dry from all the cheering.
As for Xuan Yi.
Xuan Yi was not present.
Gui Yidao cheerfully stepped onto the stage and issued a new challenge.
Ye Huanzhen: “……”
Ye Huanzhen took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the long spear.
“Fight!”
“Fight!”
The long saber and the long spear met in the air.
An incense stick later, the battle concluded with Ye Huanzhen’s exhaustion and retreat, his long spear cut in half.
Gui Yidao stood on Stage Three, holding his long saber.
Kou Zhenhai faced his first opponent, Ling Dongji.
Lin family had an unexpected guest. Lin Yuzhi was leading someone towards the arena.
“Does the Prince know about the County Princess’s visit?”
Lin Yuzhi had heard of this County Princess’s deeds. When she was still a County Heir, she had secretly run away from home to Yuzhou, where she happened to meet the divine physician Feng Luan of Medicine King Valley. A beautiful story of them joining hands to treat disaster victims unfolded, and she was subsequently conferred the title of Jiaching County Princess by His Majesty.
When Lin Yuzhi inquired, Mu Xiaoxiao felt a little guilty. However, she wouldn’t be honest with outsiders, so she replied, “Of course, he knows!”
“Uncle Lin, do you think I’m lying?”
“Not at all!” Lin Yuzhi quickly waved his hands, but only he knew whether it was true or not.
Mu Xiaoxiao wrinkled her nose and urged Lin Yuzhi to quicken his pace. She heard bursts of exclamations from the direction of the arena and wondered what exciting scenes were unfolding.
Lin Yuzhi led Mu Xiaoxiao to the spectator stands and arranged for her to sit in a relatively comfortable spot. At this moment, everyone’s attention was focused on the arena, so no one noticed their arrival.
Mu Xiaoxiao watched the martial arts experts spar on the stage, feeling a surge of excitement.
“Good!”
She exclaimed along with the crowd.
Ling Dongji was no match for Kou Zhenhai. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he was struck down from the stage by Kou Zhenhai’s palm.
Elder Tianchi took the stage to challenge Gui Yidao.
The battle between the long saber and twin sabers concluded with Gui Yidao winning by a single move.
Gu Sanmen stepped onto Arena Number One, challenging the previous Martial Alliance Leader, He Cangling.
“Is that the previous Martial Alliance Leader?”
Mu Xiaoxiao pointed at He Cangling and asked Lin Yuzhi.
Lin Yuzhi nodded, “Yes!”
“And who is challenging him?”
“Gu Sanmen.”
“Gu Sanmen?”
Mu Xiaoxiao looked confused. Who was this person? She had never heard of him.
“From which sect or school?”
“Unknown!”
Lin Yuzhi shook his head.
Mu Xiaoxiao blinked, repeating in disbelief, “Unknown?”
Lin Yuzhi nodded. “Since the martial world’s chaos has subsided, the competition for Martial Alliance Leader has gradually shifted from a struggle for power to a contest of martial arts. The current Martial Alliance Leader’s title more accurately represents a person’s martial arts realm, the so-called number one under heaven. Therefore, the contestants’ background and affiliations are no longer highly valued. The sole criterion for evaluation is strength.”
“Of course, there’s also an element of luck and strategy involved.”
For instance, if a martial artist was skilled but encountered a formidable opponent in the preliminaries and was eliminated, failing to even enter the semi-finals, that would be a matter of luck.
And as for strategy.
It was like Feng Ying tricking Ye Huanzhen at the beginning of the semi-finals, eliminating a competitor without bloodshed. Of course, after the Martial Alliance Leader was decided, if those defeated in the semi-finals were unconvinced, they could challenge again.
“Feng Ying?”
Another name she hadn’t heard before.
“Yes, Feng Ying, that person.”
Lin Yuzhi pointed to the woman in red standing off-stage.
The woman.
The woman who had entered the semi-finals and then played a trick on someone.
Mu Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened.
Sensing the intense gaze behind her, Nan Shiying turned her head and looked towards the spectator stands. The moment her gaze fell upon Mu Xiaoxiao, Nan Shiying’s pupils contracted.
She recognized Mu Xiaoxiao, and Mu Xiaoxiao saw her.
“Prin…”
Mu Xiaoxiao suddenly stood up, the word “Princess Consort” almost slipping out. Poison Elder followed Nan Shiying’s gaze and saw Mu Xiaoxiao, his scalp suddenly tingling.
Damn it.
Why was this girl here?
Why was the Princess Consort here? Feng Ying, what Feng Ying? She was the Princess Consort Nan Shiying!
Mu Xiaoxiao’s mind was momentarily shaken, but fortunately, she didn’t blurt out “Princess Consort” in front of Lin Yuzhi. Lin Yuzhi’s gaze shifted between Mu Xiaoxiao and Feng Ying, a flicker of inquiry hidden deep within his eyes.
Prince?
Prince what?