Even Mu Qiu of the Yuqing Sect had grown somewhat uneasy. His gaze never left Mo Yang, yet no matter how he observed and probed, he ultimately could not fathom Mo Yang's true depth.
At this moment, even Pang Long felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Seeing Qian Wushuang blasted off the stage with a single punch, he suddenly felt that all eyes were no longer on him, and being knocked off the stage earlier suddenly didn't feel quite so humiliating.
After two rounds of matches, the Lingxu Sect's points were now tied with the Yuqing Sect, while the Dragon Pool Pavilion had fallen to third place beyond everyone's expectations, leaving the Xuan Sect firmly at the bottom.
Yet from Mo Yang's current performance, it was clear that in the third round of matches, the Lingxu Sect would not fare too poorly. Although Mo Yang would very likely be matched against Mu Qiu, no one dared to draw conclusions about the outcome too early, because in everyone's eyes, Mo Yang was somewhat freakish.
If Xu Xin hadn't continually held Su Feier back and reminded her that a young lady needed to maintain her dignity, Su Feier would likely have jumped for joy on the spot, calling out "Brother Mo Yang" with every breath until the bones of those nearby felt weak and tattered.
In fact, ever since Qian Wushuang was blasted off the stage by Mo Yang with a single punch, everyone already had some guesses about his cultivation level. He was at least in the Heaven Profound Realm, and must certainly be focused on the path of body-tempering just like Pang Long.
Having experienced such ring battles, the subsequent fights felt rather insipid to the onlookers. Even though Mu Qiu took the stage several times, he did not encounter top talents of Level 3 Earth Profound Realm like Long Wu or Qian Wushuang, and his true strength had never been truly revealed.
"Just wait and see tomorrow! Tomorrow Mo Yang should go up against Mu Qiu, and we'll see if this fellow can still bounce around then!"
"Hard to say what the outcome will be. Even Qian Wushuang lost so miserably; even if Mu Qiu manages to win in the end, it probably won't be easy!"
Many watching cultivators had long since lost the heart to watch the matches, and were endlessly debating the possible outcomes of the third round.
That evening, when Mo Yang opened his Storage Ring to retrieve a Marrow Cleansing Pill, he discovered to his surprise that there was actually a token inside, with the character "Qian" engraved upon it.
"Qian... Could this be the token of the Qian Sect?" Mo Yang was somewhat startled. The only possibility was that the Sixth Senior Sister had slipped it in when she snatched his banknotes, yet at the time he hadn't perceived the slightest hint of it.
"Damn it, just thinking about it makes me mad! Such a crappy token, no battle weapon given, perfunctory cultivation techniques—even though the Senior Sister is pretty, she robs my money the moment she makes a move. What kind of lousy sect is this..."
Muttering to himself for a moment, Mo Yang took out a bottle of Marrow Cleansing Pills and swallowed them all in one gulp. Having taken them far too many times, a small dose no longer had any effect on him.
Afterward, he took out another bottle of Spirit Origin Pills and consumed them. He intended to attempt breaking through to the second profound meridian.
When he broke through to the Heaven Profound Realm, he had forcefully reopened his dantian once, which at the time caused his dantian to rupture and nearly cost him his life.
Half an hour later, Mo Yang finished his practice, exhaling a breath of stale air. The second profound meridian had been forced open.
Mo Yang felt that this time, by contrast, it had been remarkably easy. Although there was no special sensation within his body, true qi flowed through that meridian as if it were a small treasury, and as he continued his cultivation in the future, it would be able to generate power.
"Next is Level 2 Heaven Profound Realm. At the beginning of cultivation, the Dao foundation must be sufficiently solid. I'd better suppress it for a while!" Mo Yang introspected his meridians. Originally, he could have broken directly through to Level 2 Heaven Profound Realm at this moment, but after hesitating for a moment, he put the thought away.
Ever since he began practicing the Star Emperor Pagoda, even when he fell asleep late at night, the cultivation technique within his body would still operate on its own. The spiritual qi of heaven and earth from all around seeped into his body at every moment; even if he did not deliberately cultivate, the true qi within his body would slowly grow stronger.
What puzzled Mo Yang the most was the mysterious mark in his dantian. Every time his cultivation broke through, that mark would become slightly clearer, yet it never underwent any other changes, leaving him unable to figure out any clues. He had always suspected whether that might be the so-called seal.
Chapter 33: Is This Hard Enough?
Mo Yang practiced in the Star Emperor Pagoda for the entire night. Although he did not sleep, he did not feel the slightest bit drowsy; instead, he was brimming with vigor.
Today was the final day of the Martial Arts Convention, and also hailed as the most exciting round of matches, because the strongest disciples of each sect would take the field.
Yet after the first two rounds of matches, what the numerous onlookers most hoped to see was Mo Yang and Mu Qiu battling on the ring. Everyone wanted to know who would ultimately claim the victory.
Because prior to this, Mu Qiu had intentionally concealed his strength, defeating his opponents by only the narrowest margins each time, so his true strength had yet to be exposed; judging by his performance, however, he seemed to have already stepped into the Heaven Profound Realm.
Mo Yang was the same. Even Qian Wushuang had been blasted off the ring by him in two punches, leaving him with boundless strength that he had no chance to display. Whoever faced Mo Yang was left with a bellyful of grievance, yet utterly powerless to do the same.
"Victory or defeat rests entirely on today, Junior Brother Mo! Everything depends on you!" Upon arriving at the seating area, Xu Xin earnestly spoke to Mo Yang.
"Brother Mo Yang is the best!" Su Feier had already begun buttering him up. Now calling him "Brother Mo Yang" with every breath, her face neither red nor skipping a beat, she found it increasingly natural.
"Uh... Don't look at me with those gazes. How am I the best?" Mo Yang was speechless, especially when looking at the adoring gaze filling Su Feier's eyes; it made him feel somewhat panicked.
"Brother Mo Yang is the best at everything!"
Su Feier's remark left Xu Xin completely speechless. This young lass Su Feier seemed to have fallen for him completely; now, anything concerning Mo Yang was good, and whatever Mo Yang said was right.
Third Elder also spoke to Mo Yang: "Mo Yang, how much certainty do you feel you have?"
Everyone knew he was referring to encountering Mu Qiu of the Yuqing Sect. Immediately, the other disciples looked toward Mo Yang; after all, only Mo Yang himself knew best how much strength he possessed.
With an indifferent expression, Mo Yang said, "No matter how much certainty I have, it's just a matter of one punch. Small scene, don't panic!"
Third Elder was rendered utterly speechless. He even felt that Mo Yang was far too arrogant; judging by Mu Qiu's previous performance, he should have reached the Heaven Profound Realm, and the combat power gap between the Heaven Profound Realm and the Earth Profound Realm was vast indeed.
At this moment, only Su Feier believed him implicitly, while the other disciples maintained a tacit silence.
The third round of matches was somewhat similar to the first, except that in the third round, each sect could select a maximum of five people to take the field, and those who took the field were the strongest individuals of each sect.
Moreover, in order to preserve their strength, almost every match would decide victory or defeat in the shortest possible time.
The first match was a duel between Qian Wushuang and Pang Long. Although everyone knew the outcome, when Pang Long suffered his defeat, many cultivators still couldn't help bursting into laughter. Pang Long was so depressed he felt like vomiting blood; throughout this convention, he seemed to have barely won a single match.
In the subsequent matches, the Xuan Sect suffered consecutive defeats as well, provoking endless discussion among the onlookers.
Without a doubt, the Xuan Sect finishing at the bottom was a done deal.
"Tsk tsk, thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west; don't bully the Lingxu Sect for being weak. This year, even the Yuqing Sect might not necessarily take the crown!" Many cultivators could not help sighing with emotion.
"That fellow Pang Long deserves it. Last year, Xu Xin of the Lingxu Sect was almost stripped of her dress by him; this year, retribution has come!"
...
"It's our Lingxu Sect's turn. Shall I go up and fight a match first?" Qi Heng looked toward Mo Yang, his gaze carrying a hint of inquiry.
"Forget it, I'll go. Maybe, just like before, I'll win without even having to fight!" Mo Yang pondered slightly and stood up from his seat.
Seeing Mo Yang stand up, the surrounding cultivators immediately began to discuss among themselves.
"Looking at his posture, could he be planning to monopolize all five matches by himself?"
"Hard to say. Didn't Mu Qiu fight all five matches by himself last year..."
The first match was against a disciple of the Xuan Sect. The face of the Xuan Sect's elder turned completely dark; if a Xuan Sect disciple were blasted off the ring by Mo Yang with a single punch yet again, it would truly throw away all the Xuan Sect's remaining dignity.
"Our Xuan Sect concedes!" Before that disciple could even speak, the elder leading the Xuan Sect voiced the surrender first.
Mo Yang paused, looked toward the direction of the Xuan Sect, and said, "Isn't it just coming up to take a punch? Who knows, maybe it could even help you clear your meridians. Truly boring."
The elder's face turned livid, and he felt like he could vomit blood.
Even the veteran cultivators presiding over the ring battles were speechless for a moment, feeling that Mo Yang was somewhat bizarre—not only was his style of action unlike that of a normal person, but his speech was also unconventional.
The next sect to face them was the Dragon Pool Pavilion. Amidst a wave of cheers, Long Wu slowly walked out from the seating area.
Within the Dragon Pool Pavilion, both Long Wu and Qian Wushuang were genius-level disciples. Aside from having outstanding cultivation talent, she was also hailed as the number one beauty of the Dragon Pool Pavilion, truly combining appearance and strength.
Mo Yang quietly watched Long Wu as she stepped gracefully onto the ring, and couldn't help saying, "Your cultivation is the same as Qian Wushuang's. Aren't you afraid of meeting the same ending as him?"
"I'm naturally a kind-hearted person, and I somewhat can't bring myself to strike women. Big sister, why don't you just concede defeat directly?"
After walking onto the ring, Long Wu quietly observed Mo Yang for a moment, then a faint smile emerged at the corner of her lips as she said, "It's rare to encounter an opponent like Brother Mo. Even if I end up defeated in the end, it is worth it!"
"Then do you want two punches or one?" Mo Yang asked.
Long Wu's expression immediately turned somewhat unsightly. They were both proud talents; in the past, who would ever dare speak to her like this? The crucial point was that she had heard from Qian Wushuang that this freak Mo Yang possessed astonishingly immense strength and an extremely formidable physical body.
"It's a rare match; won't Brother Mo display some other methods? So many spectators have come from afar, so Brother Mo shouldn't spoil everyone's enthusiasm, right?"
After changing expression slightly, Long Wu wore a smile once more.
Down below the ring, the crowd also chimed in one after another.
Mo Yang was somewhat speechless and said, "It seems you don't like being treated softly and prefer the hard way. Very well, I'll grant your wish!"
Long Wu furrowed her delicate brows slightly. Why did this fellow speak in such an unorthodox way? It didn't sound like anything proper at all.
With that, Mo Yang raised his hand, and a wisp of sword qi condensed from his fingertips. At the same time, his cultivation aura emanated outward.
Long Wu's expression changed instantly.
She never expected that Mo Yang had actually reached peak Level 1 Heaven Profound Realm, and that fluctuation was very strange, as if he could surge into Level 2 Heaven Profound Realm at any moment.
On the side of the Yuqing Sect, Mu Qiu could not help changing color either.
In his estimation, Mo Yang's cultivation was at most at the early stage of Level 1 Heaven Profound Realm and could not possibly be stronger than him. Perhaps Mo Yang had practiced some kind of body-tempering technique, which was why he possessed such terrifying strength. Yet now, even he was thoroughly unsettled.
Before Long Wu could even recover from her shock, she only saw a phantom flash past. The next moment, a bone-chilling coldness struck her neck. When she came to her senses, a wisp of sword qi was already resting horizontally against her fair neck, freezing her body stiff and unable to move.
"Is this hard enough?" Mo Yang's voice rang in her ear.
"I lost!" After a moment of silence, she said helplessly. She hadn't even been able to clearly see Mo Yang's movement; continuing the fight was meaningless.
Mo Yang smiled, his figure flashing backward as he said, "Wouldn't it have been fine to do this sooner?"
Chapter 34: Playing Dirty
On the stands surrounding the central plaza, exclamations rang out wave after wave. What surprised the crowd at this moment was not that Long Wu had lost and conceded, but rather Mo Yang's cultivation level.
Just now, when Mo Yang raised his hand to condense sword qi and his cultivation aura spread out, no one had imagined that Mo Yang was actually this strong.
"It's actually peak Level 1 Heaven Profound Realm, and it feels like he's about to break through at any second... What kind of sheer dumb luck did the Lingxu Sect stumble into to find such a freakish fellow?"
"Truly astonishing! It seems the destiny of the martial arts convention among these four sects is going to be rewritten from now on!"
Amidst the endless discussions, no one noticed that on a pavilion not far away, a figure stood quietly by the window. This person was none other than the mysterious woman who had approached Mo Yang earlier.
She gazed from afar at Mo Yang on the ring, a slight smile playing at the corner of her lips as she muttered to herself, "This junior brother is indeed rather interesting. Born in a place like this, not only can he refine pills, but he has actually cultivated such a profound movement technique!"
...
On the ring, the next match featured another disciple of the Dragon Pool Pavilion. That young man refused to believe it and gritted his teeth as he stepped onto the ring to exchange blows with Mo Yang, but the outcome was self-evident: the Level 1 Earth Profound Realm cultivation simply couldn't withstand a single punch from Mo Yang.
By now, the elders of the other three sects felt exceptionally aggrieved, and even the veteran cultivators presiding over the convention were speechless.
This year's convention lacked any viewing value whatsoever. The ring battles that should have been peerlessly brilliant were ended by Mo Yang with just a single punch each time, leaving everyone feeling like they had watched a whole lot of nothing in the end.
Although this fellow did not play fair according to martial ethics, he didn't violate the rules of the ring battles either, so they could only watch helplessly.
After several matches involving other sects, Mu Qiu also fought a match against Long Wu. After exchanging more than ten blows, Long Wu was defeated. Facing Long Wu, Mu Qiu's strength was completely exposed—he was indeed in the Heaven Profound Realm, though he was at the early stage of Level 1, seeming to have just broken through not long ago.
When it was Mo Yang's turn again, Mo Yang stood on the ring with his hands behind his back, looking toward the seating area of the Yuqing Sect, and said, "Brother Mu Qiu, I've long admired your reputation. How about... coming up to take a punch?"
Seeing how earnestly Mo Yang spoke while wearing a harmless, gentle smile, the disciples and the leading elder of the Yuqing Sect instantly had faces as dark as a blackened wok.
Mu Qiu was still quite calm; hearing this, he stood up and said, "Then I shall grant Brother Mo's wish!"
The gazes of the crowd all converged upon Mu Qiu. Many still clearly remembered Mu Qiu's grace at the previous year's martial arts convention; prior to this, he was hailed as the strongest person among the four sects, and naturally there was a reason for that.
Walking onto the ring and standing opposite Mo Yang, Mu Qiu said calmly, "Is Brother Mo planning to decide victory or defeat in a single move?"
He was already prepared to welcome Mo Yang's accursed fist.
"That depends on Brother Mo Qiu!" With that, Mo Yang flashed forward. Mu Qiu was also of the Heaven Profound Realm, and Mo Yang had always wanted to see what tier his combat power actually reached at present.
Seeing Mo Yang flash toward him, Mu Qiu had already prepared to dodge, only to see that what was blasting toward him wasn't a fist at all. Mo Yang had produced a sword from somewhere and slashed forward with it just like that.
Mu Qiu directly channeled all his cultivation power, instantly erupting with the strength of the Heaven Profound Realm as he gripped his sword and slashed fiercely outward.
He knew very well that facing someone like Mo Yang, the moment he showed an opening, he would likely end up just like those previous people, blasted directly off the ring.
"Clang..."
The two swords collided in the blink of an eye, erupting with a piercing, jarring resonance. Mu Qiu's expression changed instantly: the sword qi on his own sword was directly shattered, and his body was driven back step by step.
"Boom..."
The moment Mu Qiu steadied his stance, an astonishing wave of sword qi emanated from his body, triggering a wave of exclamations.
"This is the Yuqing Sword Technique! He actually executed the fourth form—Senior Brother Mu Qiu has successfully mastered it!" It was a disciple of the Yuqing Sect who spoke, looking extremely shocked.
That wave of sword qi was extremely strong, making his entire body look as though it were glowing, with shimmering rays circulating around him. The sword in his hand flicked with brilliant light, while a sharp aura emanated outward.
In the eyes of the numerous watching cultivators, the power of this Yuqing Sword Technique was terrifyingly peerless, and that sharp aura alone made people's backs feel chilled. But to Mo Yang, who practiced the God-Slaying Art, this kind of sword qi was very weak; the cultivation technique was not even on the same tier, and it was far inferior to even the incomplete technique he practiced.
Mo Yang slowly raised the sword in his hand, fully channeling the true qi within his dantian and pouring it all into the blade. Then his body surged forward, and holding the sword with both hands, he swept it horizontally.
Mu Qiu did not dare hesitate, and also fiercely raised his sword to chop vertically downward. A terrifying clash echoed across the entire central plaza, and a ring of shockwaves violently expanded outward from the ring, whipping up gusts of wild wind while gasps of astonishment echoed around the plaza.
When the crowd finally saw clearly, Mu Qiu had retreated to the edge of the ring. Blood was flowing like a stream from his sword-gripping hand, the webbing between his thumb and forefinger had burst open and was still trembling incessantly, his internal blood qi was churning, and most terrifyingly, cracks were spread all over his sword.
As for Mo Yang, standing opposite him, he looked at the mere half-section of a broken sword remaining in his hand, feeling as if his heart were dripping blood. This sword had cost him two hundred thousand taels of silver to purchase after arriving in Xuantian City, and it had actually snapped just like that.
"Damn it, if I'd known, why bother fighting..." Mo Yang wore a pained expression, feeling that this deal was a massive loss. He was completely unharmed, but the sword simply couldn't take it.
Mu Qiu steadied his stance and looked at this scene, his face filled with shock. The power of the fourth level of the Yuqing Sword Technique was almost close to the strength of a peak Heaven Profound Realm cultivator, yet when facing Mo Yang, it had been unable to inflict the slightest injury upon him.
What truly shocked him was the exact moment of their clash just then: he felt as if a force of ten thousand jun was pressing down upon him, making it utterly impossible to resist.
After muttering to himself for a while, Mo Yang casually tossed the broken sword aside, raised his head to look at Mu Qiu with a trace of displeasure, and said, "Little Qiuqiu, look, the sword is broken too. Why don't you just concede defeat directly, saving me from having to throw another punch?"
Mu Qiu's slightly pale face grew even uglier. After a moment, he smiled helplessly and said, "I never expected the Lingxu Sect to produce a monster like Brother Mo. I am indeed not Brother Mo's match; I look forward to sparring with Brother Mo again at next year's convention!"
With that, he put away his sword, turned around, and slowly walked down the ring.
Mu Qiu had stepped onto the ring wanting to fight for it with all his might, but that single exchange of blows had shattered every hope in his heart. If he continued to fight, he was confident he could still resist for a few more rounds, but he would suffer heavy injuries. Since he couldn't change the outcome, risking his life naturally wasn't worth it.
From this point on, this year's four-sect convention was a foregone conclusion. Although there were still ring battles involving other sects afterward, they had already become insipid.
Many watching cultivators kept looking toward the direction of the Lingxu Sect, murmuring and discussing in low voices. Prior to this, the Lingxu Sect had practically become the laughingstock of the four sects; who could have imagined that a monster like this would suddenly emerge this year?
Chapter 35: You Want to Drag Me In?
Until the third round of matches completely ended and the veteran cultivators presiding over the convention declared the results of this convention, the surrounding area finally erupted into a boiling uproar.
Without a doubt, the sect that claimed the crown this time was the Lingxu Sect, with the Yuqing Sect taking second place, followed by the Dragon Pool Pavilion, and the Xuan Sect bringing up the rear.
The other disciples of the Lingxu Sect were so excited they almost shed tears. Su Feier was so elated that she directly hugged Mo Yang, startling Mo Yang so badly that a layer of cold sweat broke out across his back.
Qi Heng looked at Mo Yang with a complex expression. Only now did he understand just how vast the gap was between himself and Mo Yang. Once a sect good-for-nothing for ten whole years, in the blink of an eye his cultivation had actually surpassed him by an entire major realm. Although it was somewhat hard to accept in his heart, with the Lingxu Sect claiming the crown at this convention, he was ultimately happy.
Third Elder sat in his seat and let out a long breath. Mo Yang had actually truly brought a surprise to the Lingxu Sect. Although he had roughly known the outcome when the second round of matches ended, now that the moment had truly arrived, his emotions remained difficult to calm.
"Tonight, all of you can wander around the city as you please and relax properly. Tomorrow morning at dawn, we set off back to the sect!" A joy that could hardly be concealed graced Third Elder's face. This time, the Lingxu Sect had truly saved face; there was no helping it—he couldn't *not* be happy.