EFB Chapter 31 Martial Arts Arena
Chapter 31 Martial Arts Arena
Private fights are prohibited inside the Liangzhou Martial Arts Hall.
The only exception is the martial arts training ground.
There are Yuanling Pearls here, which suppress everyone's strength to about 1,000 jin. This amount of strength is not enough to kill a tough-skinned martial artist, unless a weapon is used to pierce their vital points.
But that wouldn't be a friendly sparring match; it would be murder, and naturally, the higher-ups of the martial arts academy would step in to punish it.
However, that's not the key point. The key point is that private fights are not prohibited in this martial arts arena!
This means that even if Li Chong and his group, relying on their superior numbers, beat up Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong severely, the two of them would have no recourse.
The purpose of setting up the martial arts arena is to exchange skills and fight!
It's perfectly normal for martial artists to get injured, so even if they wanted to report this to the martial arts hall, no one would pay them any attention.
Looking at Li Chong and his group of six, Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong's expressions were extremely solemn.
Their refusal to come to the training ground from now on will undoubtedly affect their training progress.
Moreover, the other party is targeting them, and I'm afraid they've used more than just this little bit of tactic.
"What, you don't want to leave?"
Li Chong raised an eyebrow and said, "If you don't want to leave, that's fine too. Then just pay up, consider it a treat for us fellow disciples to have some drinks."
Wang Yuan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How much?"
"Haha, Senior Brother Wang is indeed from a prominent family and has considerable wealth. Don't worry, the brothers won't ask for too much."
Li Chong laughed and said, "One thousand taels of silver per person is enough, which is only the price of a first-tier demonic beast. What do you junior brothers think?"
"This price is fair!" "We'll do as Senior Brother Li says."...
The crowd shouted in unison.
"What kind of wine do you drink that costs a thousand taels of silver each time!" Zhao Tong said indignantly.
A decent banquet would cost at most ten taels of silver, and even the finest wines would only cost a few dozen taels of silver.
Each person pays 1,000 taels of silver at a time, and they come almost every one or two days. Where do they get this money?
Even for someone like Wang Yuan, accumulating this amount of money over time would be unbearable.
"What's wrong, Senior Brother Zhao? You're unwilling to join the association, and you won't even treat the other disciples to drinks?"
Zhang Zhong gave a cold laugh and said, "Alright, then please proceed!"
clank!
Two swords were drawn and aimed at Zhao Tong.
"You..." Zhao Tong's eyes widened in anger, as if he wanted to devour the other person.
Zhang Zhong stepped forward, patted the other man on the shoulder, looking as if he had Zhao Tong completely under his thumb, and said:
"Don't look at me like that. I've changed my mind now, Senior Brother Zhao. If you want to enter the martial arts arena in the future, it will cost two thousand taels of silver per entry."
"Screw your two thousand taels!"
Zhao Tong finally couldn't hold back any longer. He cursed and raised his long stick, smashing it angrily at Zhang Zhong!
boom!
A dull thud was heard, as Zhang Zhong and the others had not expected Zhao Tong to dare to make a move, and were caught off guard and hit squarely.
Zhang Chong groaned and stumbled back several steps, falling into the arms of the person behind him.
"You dare to attack me first?!"
Having been struck by the stick, Zhang Chong was enraged and shouted, "Go! Teach them a lesson!"
Immediately, everyone drew their weapons and rushed forward.
Although Wang Yuan wanted to settle things peacefully, there was no point in saying anything under the circumstances. He had no choice but to draw his long sword and, together with Zhao Tong, face off against the enemy.
The two sides immediately engaged in battle.
……
Xiaohan Peak.
In an open area very close to the mountaintop, where the white mist is thin and the sun shines brightly, there are several exquisite little courtyards.
Those who can live here are undoubtedly from the highest levels of the Liangzhou Martial Arts Academy.
In front of the lawn of one of the courtyards, there was a babbling stream, and an old man sat there brewing tea.
There were two other people here. One was calm and composed with regular features. He was Zhou Xian, who had previously brought Mo Zheng into the martial arts hall. The other was a girl in red, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with delicate features and a slender figure. A plum blossom mark between her eyebrows added to her charm.
"You mean that little guy named Mo Zheng cultivated the Wind Shadow Sword Technique to the Microscopic level in just one month, and even broke through to the Lesser Completion of the Skin and Flesh Realm?" the old man asked casually.
He wore a moon-white long robe, had a lean face, and sported a long, gray beard with three wisps, exuding an otherworldly air. He sat there quietly, seemingly one with the world around him, giving people a sense of inexplicable comfort.
"Yes, Master Liu, I only learned about this from the report of the steward of the Treasure Pavilion. There is a recording stone as proof." Zhou Xian respectfully presented a recording stone.
The old man was named Liu Qing, and he was a teacher at the Martial Arts Hall.
He activated the recording stone, and the first thing he saw was an image of Mo Zheng killing the Iron-Armed Golden Ape with the Wind Shadow Sword Technique. He calmly commented, "Not bad, the Wind Shadow Sword Technique is indeed exquisite. He is somewhat... um?!"
The words abruptly stopped, and a look of surprise appeared on Liu Qing's face, because the image of Lan Jun, the Deadly Spear, slaughtering the Iron-Armed Golden Ape had already been displayed on the recording stone.
"That marksmanship, such perfect control..."
Liu Qing sighed, "Lan Jun can break through to the Unity Realm at any time. It will take him two or three days at the earliest, or a month at the latest. He will definitely pass through the fourth level of the Tower of Ascension and become the twenty-first true disciple."
"He's only been a student for three years, right?"
"It took three whole years for the headmaster to bring him back, around the same time I brought my junior brother Mo Zheng back."
Zhou Xian replied with some envy. He knew what Liu Qing was thinking. He was also shocked when he first saw this video.
Becoming a true disciple in just three years—this speed ranks among the top ten in the entire history of the Liangzhou Martial Arts Academy.
And these geniuses, with the exception of a very few who died along the way, all became great masters of the Visceral Realm.
Normally, true disciples break through to the next level after the seventh year. Those who break through within the last five years are all peerless geniuses.
Lan Jun is an unparalleled genius!
"It's a pity that someone with such talent is only good at shooting..."
Liu Qing shook his head, looking regretful.
At this moment, the image on the recording stone changed, showing the footage of Mo Zheng killing the second monster.
Mo Zheng displayed a completely different attitude towards the second demonic beast.
Compared to the Iron-Armed Golden Ape's arduous battle, Mo Zheng in the scene gracefully dodged a few times, found an opening, and stabbed the monster in the throat with his sword, completing the kill cleanly and decisively.
"This little guy is progressing very quickly; he could be nurtured."
Seeing Mo Zheng's progress, the old man nodded slightly, clearly acknowledging Mo Zheng to some extent. However, no matter how you looked at it, his expression seemed somewhat listless.
Zhou Xian cursed Mo Zheng inwardly for not taking a picture, as he had actually included Lan Jun in the recording.
In the entire martial arts hall, which genius doesn't pale in comparison to Lan Jun?
"Should I lead him to see Master Liu?" Zhou Xian asked.
Although he was not Liu Qing's disciple, his master had a deep relationship with him, so he knew the other party's background well.
This was not only a master of the Visceral Realm, but also a renowned figure in the Visceral Realm, having once killed two other experts of the same level with his sword.
You should know that every martial arts master who has cultivated to the Visceral Realm was once an unparalleled genius, a veteran of countless battles, and a master of self-preservation.
Defeating them is easy, killing them is hard, let alone killing two of them?
"Whether he sees me or not is not up to you or me, but up to him. Let's wait until he passes the first level of the Tower of Ascension before we discuss anything further," Liu Qing said calmly.
"Yes, Master Liu."
Zhou Xian responded and then took his leave.
As soon as the figure disappeared into the white mist below the mountain, the sword-wielding girl in red with bright eyes and white teeth stopped abruptly, stepped forward, and took Liu Qing's arm, saying coquettishly, "Oh, Grandpa, you didn't even watch me practice swordsmanship. I've been practicing for so long for nothing."
"Little Rou'er, don't blame your grandfather. Didn't your grandfather discover two outstanding talents?" Liu Qing smiled and gently scratched the girl's nose.
"A prodigy?"
The girl asked doubtfully, "You mean the boy that Senior Brother Zhou Xian mentioned earlier, someone who can be compared to Lan Jun? Junior Brother Lan Jun is a peerless genius born with two hearts!"
Regardless of martial arts cultivation, in terms of cultivation speed alone, no one in the entire Liangzhou Martial Arts Hall can surpass Lan Jun. His potential is so great that no one can say how far he will go in the future.
Even if this young man surnamed Mo has some talent in swordsmanship, how could he be qualified to be compared with Lan Jun?
"Your Uncle Han also mentioned this young man to me. Judging from his performance, he does have some merits. With a little polishing, he may not be as good as Lan Jun, but it shouldn't be difficult for him to become a true successor."
Liu Qing laughed and said, "If that day ever comes, it wouldn't be impossible for me to betroth Fei'er to him."
"Does Uncle Han also think highly of him?"
Liu Rou was startled. Given Liu Qing's status, she naturally knew Han Zheng's background; he had once been a great master of the Visceral Realm.
Both he and Zhou Xian thought highly of this young man, fearing that he might actually achieve great things in the future.
But Fei'er has always been arrogant and looks down on anyone who isn't from a prestigious family. Would she accept him?
……
Mo Zheng was unaware that his image stone had been delivered to a master of the Internal Organs Realm in just one afternoon, and the master had given him a good evaluation.
Still immersed in the emotions of comprehending the dual swords, he changed into a set of training clothes, picked up his weapons, and happily headed towards the training ground.
"Phew, this pressure..."
As soon as he entered the training ground, he felt the weight of his own body and a look of amazement appeared on his face.
He had already memorized the introduction to the martial arts academy that Zhou Xian had given him, so he naturally knew where this feeling came from.
The Yuanling Pearl originates from the Yuanling Beast.
It's no wonder it's a high-level martial arts world with monsters; it has all sorts of amazing treasures.
In this martial arts training hall, no matter how strong your internal energy is, it's useless; what matters is the level of your external martial arts skills.
Moreover, sparring in this environment makes it easy to discover one's weaknesses, which is very helpful for improving one's external martial arts skills.
He took a few more steps inside, his eyes scanning the area, but he couldn't find Zhao Tong and Wang Yuan.
Strange, didn't they arrive a while ago?
Why are all these people looking at me?
Mo Zheng had a vague feeling that something was wrong. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of two familiar figures out of the corner of his eye.
Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong!
Why are they huddled in the corner?!
This is……
Mo Zheng's pupils suddenly contracted as he recognized the two people.
When they left his courtyard earlier, the two were full of energy and enthusiasm, but now they were leaning against the corner of the wall, covered in blood and wounds, their faces bruised and swollen, and their clothes covered with footprints.
"Senior Brother Wang, Senior Brother Zhao, what's going on here...?" Mo Zheng frowned and stepped forward to ask.
Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong looked at Mo Zheng, their eyes filled with anger and resentment.
They were about to speak when they were suddenly interrupted by a voice from the side:
"Haha, this must be the new Junior Brother Mo."
Mo Zheng looked closely and saw five or six figures surrounding him. The leader had some bruises on his face and some marks on his body from sticks.
"Did you hit Senior Brother Wang and Senior Brother Zhao?" Mo Zheng asked in an unfriendly tone.
"It's just a misunderstanding, nothing more than a small misunderstanding. Let me introduce myself, Junior Brother Mo, my name is Li Chong."
Li Chong forced a smile, but it aggravated his injuries, causing him to wince in pain.
He said, "So that Junior Brother Mo may know, our Senior Brother You has established the Hidden Dragon Society and is recruiting many talented individuals from the Martial Arts Hall. I wonder if Junior Brother Mo would be interested in joining?"
"The Hidden Dragon Society?"
Mo Zheng shook his head and said, "Never heard of it."
That's the truth; Zhou Xian's introduction to the martial arts academy didn't mention this name at all.
However, his words immediately angered several people behind Li Chong. One of them, a burly young man, immediately shouted, "You brat, you have quite the nerve. Just wait and see..."
"Junior Brother Zhang, please don't be angry."
Li Chong interrupted the young disciple and said to Mo Zheng with a forced smile, "Junior Brother Mo has only been in the hall for a short time, so it's normal that you haven't heard of him yet."
"Why don't we ask them both? They can think it over carefully before giving an answer."
"Finally, I have a piece of advice for my junior brother: sometimes you shouldn't speak carelessly. Even a three-year-old understands the saying that trouble comes from the mouth."
Advice, or threat?
Mo Zheng gave Li Chong a deep look, then squatted down and said to Zhao Tong and Wang Yuan, "Senior brothers, were your injuries inflicted by them?"
Wang Yuan sighed and said weakly, "Junior Brother Mo, you are no match for them. Let's go."
This already answers Mo Zheng's question.
"You Laosan is arrogant and conceited, he'll suffer a great loss sooner or later. The Hidden Dragon Society is not a good place, you shouldn't get involved in this matter," Zhao Tong also weakly advised.
In their view, Mo Zheng had only recently joined the sect and his martial arts cultivation was not as strong as theirs. He would certainly be no match for Li Chong and his group.
"What exactly happened?"
Mo Zheng asked with a dark face, a hint of anger already rising in his heart.
Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong had treated him well, and he had long regarded them as friends. Naturally, he was not happy that they had been beaten up like this.
"Sigh... It's Li Chong. He forced us to join the Hidden Dragon Society, otherwise he wouldn't allow us to come to the martial arts hall unless we paid money. In the end, he demanded that each of us pay one thousand taels of silver per visit. I asked him once, and he made me pay two thousand taels. Why should I pay him!"
Zhao Tong gritted his teeth and glared at Li Chong, saying, "These guys are going too far! I'll never come to the martial arts arena again, but I'll get my revenge sooner or later!"
So that's how it is.
Mo Zheng understood. These people were using the rules of the martial arts arena to force his two senior brothers to join the association. If they didn't agree, they would be subjected to a "sparring match." However, sparring was not allowed in the martial arts arena, so even if they reported this to the martial arts hall, it would be useless.
It costs a thousand taels of silver each time, which is about the price of a first-tier demon beast!
A surge of anger rose within him.
……