The news of the "Great Brightness Cult Leader" challenging at the Five Directions Arena spread, drawing a massive crowd eager for excitement. The plaza where the arena stood was packed, with rooftops crammed with spectators, stretching back into the nearby streets.

After all, Jiangning City was filled not only with Fair Party elites and representatives from various factions, large and small, but also with those who lived by the sword, seeking fortune and adventure, and local strongmen hoping to participate in this grand gathering. When it came to joining the excitement, no one wanted to be left behind.

The little monk, Ping An, only learned about the event after breakfast, and he rushed to the plaza with the throng. By then, the entrances and rooftops were already overflowing.

Though young, he possessed considerable martial skills and could easily force his way through the crowd. However, despite having the ability, the little monk lacked the overbearing attitude of Long Xiaoge, who had already begun calling himself "Martial Arts Alliance Leader." He politely called out "Amitabha," and "Excuse me," on the outer edges of the crowd, but after being cursed at with phrases like "What are you pushing for?" and "I'll kill you, you little bald brat" during his attempts to squeeze through, his enthusiasm waned.

Eventually, he found a tall flagpole by the roadside and climbed to the top like a monkey, standing there to gaze at the center of the plaza. He jumped up and down a couple of times, softly calling, "Master, Master..." Lin Zongwu, at the center of the plaza, naturally couldn't hear him. Ping An sighed on the flagpole, then looked at the surging crowd below, thinking that the new Dharma name Long Xiaoge had given him was indeed fitting; he had truly become a monkey.

The flagpole bore the banner of "King Yama" Zhou Shang. Some of King Yama's men noticed him climbing the pole and began shouting abuse from below: "Hey, you little devil, get down here!"

"Get down now! Or we'll beat you to death!"

"Where did you come from..."

"Grab him and bring him down!"

Several figures shouted amidst the crowd. Although someone was issuing orders, no one dared to climb the pole. Someone tried to throw something at him but was stopped by those around. Although the little monk was good-natured, he had been travelling the martial world with Lin Zongwu and was not without his dislikes. His master was dismantling "King Yama's" stage up front, so what was wrong with him stepping on his flag? He turned and shouted:

"Little monk Sun! Wu! Kong!"

For some reason, using a fake name gave him a sense of freedom and purity. Things he wouldn't normally say or do now seemed possible.

Those below didn't quite understand, still shouting things like "What was that...?" and "Come down if you dare..." Ping An chuckled, then said "Amitabha" as he repented for having the wicked thought of spitting down on them.

Amidst the outer clamor, the verbal sparring at the Five Directions Arena had come to an end. A giant of a man, like an iron tower, carrying a Vajra pestle, walked onto the stage and began to negotiate and confront Lin Zongwu.

The Jiangning Heroes Conference was still in its registration phase. The arenas set up by the Fair Party's five factions were not elimination tournaments. The Five Directions Arena, for example, was essentially a stage for King Yama's core fighters. Anyone who could win three rounds would be recognized, receiving not only a hundred taels of silver but also a plaque reading "Hero of the Realm."

In reality, anyone who fought two rounds could expect an offer from Zhou Shang. If you accepted, the third round would be brief. If you refused, Zhou Shang would send someone far more difficult – it was essentially a recruitment process.

Of course, the public image was more impressive. Phrases like "Not a hero until you pass the Five Directions Arena" were thrown around casually. If someone claimed to be skilled in martial arts, they'd be told to prove it at the arena. With such a reputation, Lin Zongwu had come on stage to declare that if they believed they were qualified to judge who was a hero, then the champion must be incredibly skilled and should prove it.

It was like the Royal Fist Academy of years past. With Zhou Tong presiding, it was a true Royal Fist Academy. Zhou Tong's opinions were respected by all. These weaklings setting up an arena and claiming that someone was a hero after passing a few of their tests was unacceptable.

The two sides exchanged verbal blows. Initially, the other side used Lin Zongwu's seniority as a defense, but they gradually gave up. Lin Zongwu had arrived with great fanfare, and with thousands watching, any retreat would be seen as a defeat.

If they continued to back down, and Great Cult Leader Lin sat on the stage for half a day, the talk of Jiangning City would be about the "King Yama's" Five Directions Arena being a joke.

Furthermore, King Yama's men had experienced battles and seen bloodshed over the past two years. Even if someone was called "Number One in the World," how good could they really be? Many were unconvinced.

The one who stepped onto the stage now was one of King Yama's most outstanding fighters, "Sick Vajra" Zhang Xing. He was tall and burly, seemingly taller than Lin Zongwu by half a head. He was known for his ruthlessness and immense strength. His heavy Vajra pestle was said to have smashed many into pulp on the battlefield or in competitions. Rumors even claimed that "Sick Vajra" ate people, consuming their essence to grow so fearsome.

Lately, any skilled fighters who challenged the Five Directions Arena, refused to be recruited, and weren't willing to give anyone an easy time, would often face him in the third round. He had already killed many, and the scenes were always extremely bloody.

As he appeared, King Yama's men cheered, shouting "Kill that bald donkey!"

Lin Zongwu put his hands together in prayer, then opened them wide: "This one doesn't want to bully the younger generation. You can call two more to come up together."

"Sick Vajra" Zhang Xing swung his Vajra pestle a few times, creating a whistling sound. He said, "I'm enough. Monk, are you ready to die?"

"To die is..." Lin Zongwu wanted to say something sincere, but he gave up and sighed, "...Very well, I'm ready."

Before him, the Vajra pestle fell like a mountain collapsing.

Below the stage, Ning Ji's playful expression had vanished, and he watched intently.

This "Sick Vajra" was tall and strong, with an excellent foundation. Judging by his breathing, he had practiced extremely powerful internal arts from a young age. He had killed many on the battlefield and in the arena, his hands stained with evil. If he lived to old age, these extreme experiences and exertion methods would cause him great suffering, but at this moment, his strength was at its peak. The force of that iron pestle was overwhelming. In the Huaxia army, perhaps only Chen Fan, with his monstrous strength, could withstand it head-on.

But at that moment, the large figure in the bright yellow kasaya on the stage stood empty-handed, his feet sinking heavily, his fists splitting upwards and downwards, his left hand upwards, his right hand downwards, the kasaya whistling as it opened up the world.

The Vajra pestle slammed down on his upward-reaching left arm and head.

With a muffled "Boom," the Vajra pestle seemed to have struck a huge vortex that had been directly pushed open. The vortex manifested in Lin Zongwu's entire kasaya, shaking violently, and the Vajra pestle in Zhang Xing's hand was pushed aside! The giant didn't notice the strangeness of the moment and charged forward like a chariot!

Ning Ji's mouth had already opened slightly.

This was the usage of Tai Chi...

And it was different from how everyone in the Huaxia army who had come into contact with this martial art used it. The fat man on the stage, with the circular motion of Tai Chi combined with his extremely profound internal force, was not displaying the characteristic of gentleness, nor simply the combination of hardness and softness, but a ferocity like a tsunami, a hurricane, a great whirlpool. That was why the other party's full-force strike with the Vajra pestle had failed to break through his bare-handed defense!

The Tai Chi usage was so fierce that Red Aunt might be able to defeat him, but she could never replicate it in a similar way. Perhaps the only one in the world who could do this was the monster before him.

He had excellent vision, and being a youth at heart, he trembled with excitement as he watched this scene. After all, for a young man of this age, how could a gentle technique compare to this kind of dominating ferocity? Truly my life's enemy... he thought.

Experts see the subtleties. But to the many onlookers whose vision didn't reach Ning Ji's level, that moment was just the signal for the fight to begin. On the stage, the two figures clashed. "Sick Vajra's" knee struck straight at Lin Zongwu's chest, but was forced back by the equally massive Lin Zongwu. He swung the Vajra pestle, roaring madly, his body twisting and smashing. Lin Zongwu stood his ground, not moving much, engaging in a head-on battle with the other party's Vajra pestle, fists, and kicks. The audience saw the powerful sounds of the fighting, the powerful and rapid movements of both sides, and the clash of tremendous forces, and felt a surge of adrenaline.

After fighting like this for a moment, Lin Zongwu took a few steps back. The "Sick Vajra" was furiously attacking, but had fought with Lin Zongwu for about half the arena. At this moment, as he swung his pestle horizontally, Lin Zongwu suddenly moved forward, reaching out to grab his right shoulder, and with a whoosh, took the Vajra pestle from his hand.

The hair on Zhang Xing's back stood on end, and he staggered back, trying to disengage, but felt a sharp, bone-deep pain in his thigh. Lin Zongwu, holding the Vajra pestle, had swung it at his leg.

Zhang Xing's body shook violently, and he flipped and fell to the ground. As a martial artist, his reaction was extremely quick. Knowing that this blow was a matter of life and death, he used his strength to leap up and somersault forward, escaping the other party's attack range. However, just as his body popped up, Lin Zongwu's Vajra pestle struck his butt with a thud, sending him flying back down like a shrimp.

The audience below stared in disbelief at the sudden turn of events.

Previously, it seemed to be a back-and-forth, head-on battle, but with this one change, Zhang Xing had fallen to the ground, and even more strangely, had bounced up and fallen back down – why did he bounce up?

On the stage, Zhang Xing struggled. Lin Zongwu, holding the Vajra pestle, struck him again. After a moment, Zhang Xing crawled forward a step, and he smashed down again. He continued to hit him one blow at a time, as if he were casually disciplining his son, beating Zhang Xing as he squirmed on the ground.

It looked like he was insulting the entire "Five Directions Arena" in front of everyone.

The subordinates of "King Yama" on the arena exchanged whispers. Lin Zongwu's gaze was cold as he struck the unresisting Zhang Xing with the Vajra pestle, seemingly about to slowly and brutally beat him to death. After a few more blows, they finally couldn't stand it anymore, and three martial artists stepped forward together: "Cult Leader Lin, stop!"

Lin Zongwu raised the bloody Vajra pestle, then released his grip, letting it fall into the pool of blood. His gaze turned towards the three men, becoming cold.

"Give you face. Don't want face. Fine." His voice, word by word, echoed across the martial arena, "Three people, come up together. If you can live, I'll allow you to set up an arena."

His aura now dominated the entire scene, and everyone's hearts were seized. The three who had come on stage seemed to want to say something to boost their side's morale, but they couldn't utter a word.

With a roar, the three charged at Lin Zongwu, who still faced them empty-handed.

Four figures danced wildly on the stage. The three who had rushed up carried a spear, a whip, and a saber, respectively, and their martial skills were all impressive. By the thirteenth move, the man with the spear thrust at Lin Zongwu's chest, but Lin Zongwu suddenly grabbed the spear shaft and bent the iron shaft in half with his bare hands. By the seventeenth move, the man with the whip was caught by Lin Zongwu, who grabbed his throat and slammed him onto the stage with a crash.

This battle was extremely dangerous from the start. The three men advanced and retreated together, and if one was targeted by Lin Zongwu, the other two would immediately move to protect him. In a battle of this level, Lin Zongwu could only give up on attacking one person relentlessly. But by the seventeenth move, when the man with the whip had his neck grabbed, the saber from behind fell towards Lin Zongwu's back. Lin Zongwu used the force of his whistling kasaya to deflect the blow, and his massive body pressed the enemy onto the stage like a demon, tearing the man's throat apart, splattering blood everywhere.

His offensive was fierce. A moment later, he struck the man with the spear in the chest, then kicked and broke the leg of the man with the saber. All that was seen on the stage was a rain of blood, as Lin Zongwu killed the three highly skilled martial artists one by one. His original bright yellow kasaya, hands, and body were now stained with specks of crimson.

On the stage, Lin Zongwu threw the corpses of the men together. His massive figure, mixed with the terrifying colors of red and yellow, was like a demon descending from the heavens. He then slowly sat down on the corpses, and the surroundings were silent, everyone stunned.

Then they saw Lin Zongwu pick up the Vajra pestle and swing it violently backwards, the Vajra pestle cutting through the air and smashing the "Five Directions Arena" plaque behind him to pieces.

At this moment, Lin Zongwu had crushed this arena.

****************

That afternoon, Long Aotian walked along the road near the Su family's old residence, found some edible food, and threw a portion to Xue Jin, who was begging by the roadside.

He then returned to the inn he had temporarily chosen and sat in the lobby, gathering information.

The inn, which he had selected the night before, was actually located near the bridge where Xue Jin and the woman named Yue Niang lived. Ning Ji had spied on Xue Jin for half the night, and after discovering that he could stay there, he had checked in after dawn. The inn's name was "Five Lakes," a very common name. There were many people from all walks of life staying there, and according to the waiter, people would exchange information about the city every day, or listen to storytellers talk about recent events in the martial world.

Compared to the southwest, where the newspapers always recorded various dry national events, the people in Jiangnan, after being ruled by the Fair Party, preferred to talk about martial arts rumors in places where the order was slightly more stable. Some even had "newspapers" specifically recording such things, and the many rumors on them were popular among martial artists who traveled around.

In the morning, the story of Great Brightness Cult Leader Lin Zongwu representing "Wheel Turning King" crushing Zhou Shang's Five Directions Arena had spread throughout the city. The rumors about how the Great Cult Leader single-handedly killed four great masters were now filled with embellishments like "whistling palm winds" and "kicks like lightning." The names, origins, and achievements of the four great masters also had various versions. Of course, for Aotian Xiaoge, who had watched the entire process from the front row, such rumors were rather boring.

The martial arts of his life's enemy made him feel excited. But at the same time, he had also noticed the aura that Lin Zongwu had created at the fighting grounds, and the various means he had used to increase his own prestige were truly amazing.

Like Lin Zongwu's first fight against Zhang Xing, it didn't need to last that long. With his martial arts at the level of the fat man, it would have been very easy to take Zhang Xing's life in a one-on-one situation, but his earlier moves, and the pounding "Vajra pestle," were simply to fool the surrounding onlookers.

After everyone saw the magnitude of the power and the great strength of Zhang Xing, he seized the Vajra pestle and began to beat people. The momentum was all there. Even those who didn't understand martial arts could understand how powerful the fat man was. But if he had taken down Zhang Xing from the beginning, many people would not have understood this, and might have thought he was beating up an unknown child.

The fighting that followed was also true. The brutal methods, which were covered in blood, were simply to scare people, to maximize his deterrence. In this way, the unnecessary gestures and ferocity he exhibited in the fighting could be completely explained.

So powerful...

From the time he watched the martial arts competition in the morning until now, Ning Ji had thoroughly deciphered some of the doubts in the other party's fighting process, and he couldn't help but sigh that the fat man's cultivation was indeed pure and perfect. According to his father's past words, this fat man was indeed worthy of spreading a cult.

Thinking back to himself, he couldn't even seize the opportunity to report the domineering name of "Long Aotian" in front of people, and he wasn't even very skilled at laughing with his hands on his hips... He was just too young and needed more training.

At this moment, he hated himself for being lazy for the past few days. He had clearly said that he was running away from home to practice martial arts, but he had only done two acts of chivalry in the three months since he left home. Pretending to be a doctor might have saved him a lot of trouble, but didn't it also reduce the number of tests?

Long Aotian, Long Aotian, you've already arrived in Jiangning, you should be rushing forward when you encounter things. These are all big bad guys, hit them when you see them, your skills are definitely forged from battles, and you can report your name more often. Wouldn't you become proficient if you reported it more?

He pouted and sat in the lobby, thinking about this, and began to look around with unkind eyes, thinking about simply grabbing a bad guy and beating him up on the spot, and then the inn would definitely know the name of Long Aotian... However, after patrolling like this, he was really too embarrassed to cause trouble like this because no one came to provoke him.

Most of the people around were talking about Cult Leader Lin, and a few were talking about Zhou Shang's side, saying that Zhou Shang had suffered such an insult and would never let it go, and that something would happen in the city sooner or later. Ning Ji listened to the description of "something happening" and secretly looked forward to it.

He should find a chance to get rid of that "Heavenly Killer" Wei Xuwen, who was said to be in the city, and leave the name of Long Aotian behind. Then he would definitely become famous throughout the city. Well, he had to pay attention to the following changes...

He was calculating how to learn from Lin Pangzi and how to make "Long Aotian" famous in all the details. After all, he had only thought about it this morning, and today was the first day that the martial world had become more eventful, and he was still very motivated. Thinking about it, he felt a surge of excitement in his heart...

At this time, not far from the lobby, several martial artists were holding a simple newspaper and discussing various rumors about the martial world.

"...It is said...that a major event occurred in Tongshan last month..."

Ning Ji seemed to have noticed something.

"...The thing was like this... It is said that the Yan family's convoy, which arrived here a few days ago to prepare for the marriage with 'Equal King' Shi Baofeng, passed through Tongshan last month..."

"...Alas...they experienced this major event... They encountered a demon..."

This demon is me, that's right... Ning Ji recalled his actions in Tongshan last month, when he fought bravely and made the bad guys of the Li family terrified, and realized that they were talking about this matter. This matter was actually in the newspaper... He immediately felt a burst of excitement.

"...It was this demon who was highly skilled in martial arts and actually kidnapped the Yan family's young lady under heavy guard... He then left his name..."

"...The name of this demon is called... Shameless Bastard, Long Aotian..."

...

...

"...That's not right..."

In the inn, Xiao Ning Ji, who was sitting here, looked at the people speaking over there, his face changed color, and his eyes began to become dull...

...

...

"...Everyone, pay attention. The so-called Shameless Bastard is not actually the Shameless Bastard of despicable and shameless, but is actually the four words 'Five-Foot Bastard'. It is the five of one, two, three, four, five, and the foot of size, saying that he...is not tall, and is extremely short, so he got this nickname..."

"...This is 'Five-Foot Bastard' Long Aotian. Everyone with female relatives at home must be careful..."

In Jiangning City, in the hall of another inn, a handsome cripple and a dark-skinned man were resting and drinking tea. They were talking privately about some things they wanted to do this time, and then a younger woman with even darker skin and a strong figure came over, took a sip of water, and gestured to them.

"Listen to what the storyteller is saying..."

"Um...I've heard it before. Blackie, what's your opinion on the Bastard? He's so short, maybe it's because no one likes him..."

"That's not right, Yuwen...this Long Aotian...seems to be something..."

"...It's understandable...Uh?"

"..."

"..."

Blackie frowned, Xiao Hei frowned, and the young man named Yuwen Feidu was holding a silkworm bean. At this time, he also frowned and looked at his companion.

"No way..."

"No, no, no..."

"I'm going..."

"Impossible..."

The three were suspicious and uncertain, cheering each other up, and encouraging each other.

"If it's true...he'll be beaten to death when he goes back..."

"There must be some inside story..."

"Alas, it's just running away from home..."

"How did it become like this..."