Zhao Hu's back disappeared into the crowd, and Zhong Yun took a deep breath, suppressing the burning anger in his heart.
Clenching his fists, he gazed forward with a resolute look. He knew that if he wanted to gain a foothold in this world where the strong prey upon the weak, the only way was to constantly grow stronger!
The outer disciple grand tournament was an annual event of the Qingyun Sect, open to all outer disciples. The winners would not only receive generous rewards but could also enter the inner sect to cultivate, gaining access to better resources and guidance.
By this time, a large crowd of disciples had already gathered around the arena, discussing animatedly and guessing who would stand out this year.
Zhong Yun walked silently to the registration desk and handed over his identity token.
The person in charge of registration was an elderly man with white hair. He glanced at Zhong Yun, a flash of surprise crossing his cloudy eyes. "Are you sure you want to enter the tournament?"
"Yes!" Zhong Yun replied with firm, unquestionable determination.
The old man gave him a deep look without saying much more, then waved his hand to signal that he could leave.
Zhong Yun walked to the foot of the arena and waited for the competition to begin.
Looking around, he noticed that among the spectators were not only outer disciples, but also several inner disciples and even a few elders.
At the front of the crowd, Zhong Yun spotted a familiar figure—Shen Yao.
Dressed in white, she looked like a snow lotus blooming amidst ice and snow, aloof and refined, drawing the gazes of countless people.
Shen Yao seemed to have noticed Zhong Yun as well. Her beautiful eyes shifted, lingering on him for a moment, and the corners of her lips curved into an imperceptible smile.
"Dong!" A deep bell chimed, and the competition officially began.
The first round was decided by drawing lots for opponents. Zhong Yun had good luck and drew an opponent of average strength.
After the match started, Zhong Yun did not rush to attack. Instead, he relied on his agile footwork to continuously dodge the opponent's assaults while secretly observing his opponent's flaws.
His opponent clearly underestimated him, assuming Zhong Yun was just a weak and easily bullied handyman disciple. However, when he realized his attacks couldn't even brush the hem of Zhong Yun's clothes, panic began to show on his face.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhong Yun made a decisive move. Employing a peculiar footwork technique, his figure flashed like a ghost behind his opponent, and he struck a palm against his back.
The opponent let out a muffled grunt, stumbled a few steps, and finally collapsed to the ground.
"Zhong Yun wins!" the referee announced.
An uproar instantly broke out beneath the stage. No one had expected that a usually unremarkable handyman disciple would possess such strength.
A flicker of brilliance crossed Shen Yao's beautiful eyes. She stared at Zhong Yun on the stage with growing interest and thought to herself, "This Zhong Yun is rather interesting..."
Zhong Yun stepped down from the arena, and the crowd automatically parted a path for him, looking at him with a mixture of awe and curiosity.
Those disciples who used to treat him with cold indifference now cast appreciative glances his way.
"Zhong Yun, well done!"
Fatty Wang squeezed through the crowd and ran excitedly to Zhong Yun's side, his chubby face beaming with excitement. "I knew you were hiding your true strength, kid!"
Zhong Yun smiled faintly, patted Fatty Wang on the shoulder, and said, "It was just luck."
"Being modest, aren't you? That footwork you pulled just now was simply divine!" Fatty Wang said with a look of utter admiration. "Teach me, will you? Then I can strut around wherever I want!"
Zhong Yun smiled and shook his head without speaking. He knew that the strength he had just displayed had already drawn the attention of certain people, and the upcoming matches would only become more difficult.
Sure enough, in the second round, Zhong Yun's opponent was an inner disciple named Zhang Hao.
Zhang Hao had a robust build and a powerful aura, clearly a seasoned expert who had been through many battles.
Once the match began, Zhang Hao did not underestimate his opponent. Right from the start, he unleashed a powerful martial art, raining down attacks that forced Zhong Yun to retreat step by step.
"Zhong Yun, hang in there!" Fatty Wang shouted at the top of his lungs from beneath the stage, his voice filled with worry.
While parrying Zhang Hao's attacks, Zhong Yun calmly observed his opponent's moves.
He discovered that although Zhang Hao's attacks were fierce, there was a discernible pattern between his techniques.
Spotting an opening, Zhong Yun's figure flickered, dodging Zhang Hao's strike while simultaneously landing a palm strike on his chest.
"Bang!"
Zhang Hao let out a muffled grunt and stumbled back several steps, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that he would be forced back by an outer disciple.
An uproar erupted below the stage, and everyone was shocked by Zhong Yun's strength.
However, Zhong Yun did not let down his guard.
He knew that Zhang Hao's true strength went far beyond this, and the real test was yet to come.
Indeed, thoroughly enraged, Zhang Hao erupted completely.
He executed a high-tier, immensely powerful martial art, and a violent surge of true qi swept toward Zhong Yun like a raging tsunami.
Facing such a formidable attack, Zhong Yun dared not be the least bit careless.
He took a deep breath, mobilized all his true qi, and executed his strongest defensive martial art.
"Boom!"
The two powerful forces collided, producing a deafening roar.
The disciples standing near the arena were knocked off their feet by the powerful shockwave.
Amidst the horrified gazes of the crowd, Zhong Yun's body flew backward like a kite with a snapped string...
"Zhong Yun!" Fatty Wang cried out in alarm, attempting to rush onto the stage, only to be held back by those around him.
At that moment, an elderly figure silently materialized at the edge of the arena, staring with deep, penetrating eyes at the flying figure of Zhong Yun while a faint, imperceptible smile played at the corners of his mouth.
"Interesting, truly interesting..."
Dust filled the air as Zhong Yun's body crashed heavily onto the edge of the arena, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
The crowd below erupted into a commotion, gasps and discussions intertwining as if a pot had boiled over.
"Zhong Yun!" Burning with anxiety, Fatty Wang struggled to rush onto the stage, but was tightly restrained by the people beside him.
Covered in cold sweat, his chubby face was etched with worry.
"It's over, it's over! I'm afraid Zhong Yun is going to lose this time!"
"Senior Brother Zhang Hao's 'Raging Dragon Fury' is no joke! With a hit like that, even if Zhong Yun doesn't die, he'll be severely injured!"
"What a pity. The kid actually had a lot of potential..."
The surrounding discussions pierced Fatty Wang's heart like needles. With reddened eyes, he stared fixedly at Zhong Yun lying on the ground, praying in his heart for a miracle to happen.
However, just when everyone thought Zhong Yun was beyond saving, a deep and resonant voice suddenly echoed across the arena: "Stop!"
Startled, the crowd looked up to see an elderly man in a cyan robe who had somehow appeared above the arena.
The elder had white hair and a beard, with refined features, but his eyes were bright and piercing, seemingly containing infinite wisdom.
A powerful pressure radiated from him, causing everyone present to feel a sense of suffocation.
"Elder Li!"
"It's Elder Li who stepped in!"
Exclamations rang out from the crowd. Elder Li was one of the most respected elders in the Tianyuan Sect, possessing unfathomable cultivation and extremely high prestige within the sect.
Seeing Elder Li appear, Zhang Hao looked surprised, but quickly bowed respectfully. "Disciple Zhang Hao greets Elder Li."
Elder Li nodded slightly, his gaze falling upon the fallen Zhong Yun, a trace of imperceptible approval flashing in his eyes.
Slowly, he spoke, "This match should end at the point of restraint. Your attacks were far too ruthless."
Zhang Hao's expression shifted, and he hurriedly explained, "Elder Li, this disciple..."
Elder Li waved his hand, cutting him off, then turned his gaze to Zhong Yun and asked, "Kid, can you still stand?"
Zhong Yun felt blood churning inside him at that moment, his bones feeling as though they were falling apart, but he gritted his teeth, struggled to push himself up from the ground, and looked at Elder Li with resolute eyes. "This disciple can still fight!"
The look of approval in Elder Li's eyes deepened. He nodded and said, "Good lad, you've got backbone! For this match, this old man will back you up. Fight with all your might and have no misgivings!"
Hearing Elder Li's words, a blazing fighting spirit instantly ignited in Zhong Yun's heart.
He knew that Elder Li was secretly protecting him to prevent anyone from resorting to underhanded tricks.
"Zhang Hao, come on!" Zhong Yun took a deep breath, his eyes blazing like torches and his fighting spirit soaring.
Seeing Elder Li personally backing Zhong Yun up, Zhang Hao felt consumed by jealousy and resentment, but he dared not defy Elder Li's command. Gritting his teeth, he launched another attack at Zhong Yun.
This time, Zhong Yun held nothing back. Pushing his true qi to the absolute limit, he unleashed all the martial arts he had comprehended, engaging Zhang Hao in a thrilling and breathtaking duel.
On the arena, blades flashed like shadows and true qi surged as the two figures crossed paths like lightning, producing wave after wave of roaring noise.
The disciples watching below were dazzled; they had never witnessed such a brilliant battle, let alone imagined that an outer disciple could fight an inner disciple to such an extent!
As time passed, Zhong Yun's disadvantage gradually became apparent, but he still refused to give up. Instead, he grew bolder with every clash, displaying astonishing resilience and potential.
"This kid is truly a cultivation genius!" Standing to one side, Elder Li watched Zhong Yun's performance with sparkling eyes, praising him inwardly.
In the distance, atop a towering cloud-piercing peak, an extraordinarily beautiful woman in white stood quietly, her expression indifferent as she watched the battle in the arena.
"Young Miss, this Zhong Yun is rather interesting," said an elderly woman in cyan robes standing quietly behind her.
The woman in white nodded slightly, a flash of brilliance crossing her beautiful eyes. Parting her lips, she said calmly, "Indeed, somewhat unexpected..."
The woman in white kept her gaze fixed on Zhong Yun. That unyielding back and those determined eyes were deeply etched into her mind.
She had merely been passing by when she was drawn to this match, and Zhong Yun's performance in particular had made her view him in a new light.
This seemingly ordinary youth possessed an unyielding willpower within him—precisely the quality she appreciated most.
"Zhong Yun..." Shen Yao murmured the name softly, a strange impulse suddenly welling up in her heart. She decided she would go meet this youth once the competition ended.
On the arena, the battle between Zhong Yun and Zhang Hao had reached its white-hot stage.
Although Zhang Hao's cultivation was a cut above Zhong Yun's, Zhong Yun relied on his agile footwork and exquisite martial arts to spar with him for dozens of moves without falling behind.
"Damn it!" Zhang Hao grew increasingly frantic inside. He had thought he could easily defeat Zhong Yun, never expecting his opponent to be so tenacious.
With Elder Li watching, he didn't dare resort to any despicable tricks either, and could only watch helplessly as he gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.
At that moment, Zhong Yun suddenly spotted a flaw in Zhang Hao's stance. His heart stirred, and seizing the opportunity, he struck out with a palm toward Zhang Hao's chest.
Unable to dodge in time, Zhang Hao took the full force of Zhong Yun's palm and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.
"Zhang Hao has lost!" An uproar arose from the crowd below. No one had expected that the victor of this match would turn out to be Zhong Yun, the previously unknown outer disciple.
Slowly lowering his stance, Zhong Yun swept his gaze across the crowd below, his heart completely calm.
During his exchange with Zhang Hao, he had keenly sensed a venomous gaze locked onto him from within the crowd.
Following the direction of that gaze, Zhong Yun spotted two familiar figures: Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo.
At that moment, the two of them were hiding behind the crowd, their faces full of vicious malice.
"As expected, they were behind this!" Zhong Yun sneered inwardly. He had already guessed that Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo must have tampered behind the scenes during this tournament; otherwise, given his strength, it would have been impossible for him to clash with an inner disciple like Zhang Hao.
Zhong Yun didn't rush to expose Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo. He intended to wait until the tournament ended before settling accounts with them properly.
At that moment, Elder Li announced the result of the match: Zhong Yun had won with an absolute advantage.
"Congratulations, Zhong Yun."
A hint of approval tinged Elder Li's voice. "You did very well, and I hold high hopes for you."
Zhong Yun bowed modestly, while secretly resolving in his heart to cultivate diligently so as not to disappoint Elder Li's expectations.
Just as Zhong Yun was about to step down from the stage, a cold, clear voice suddenly rang in his ear: "Zhong Yun, come with me for a moment."
Turning his head, Zhong Yun saw an extraordinarily beautiful woman in white standing not far away, her calm gaze fixed upon him.
"Shen Yao..." Zhong Yun was startled; he hadn't expected Shen Yao to take the initiative to seek him out.