Chapter Sixty-Seven: Masters in Abundance
Chapter Sixty-Seven: Masters Abound
No one understood better than Shangguan Yunfei just how terrifying Shi Bai’s strength truly was. Someone who could effortlessly unleash the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms was far beyond their reach. At first, when he saw Murong Lingfeng, Shangguan Yunfei felt a thrill, thinking he finally had a worthy opponent in this tournament. But the moment Shi Bai appeared, all his excitement vanished. It was as if the top scholars of Class One met their rivals from Class Two, smug in their own cleverness—only to discover that in Class Three, a boy named Einstein was waiting. One can imagine the feeling.
After Shangguan Yunfei finished his internal force test, the arena grew quiet. Most contestants’ results were less than ten years, hardly worth mentioning. The host read out scores one after another, growing weary, when a young man approached. The female host’s eyes widened at the sight.
“Murong Lingfeng!”
“To think the third young master of the Murong family is here as well!”
“This tournament is sure to be exciting this year.”
“That’s right! Everyone knows Murong Lingfeng’s prowess—he’s won the martial arts tournament twice already!”
“His duel with Shangguan Yunfei will be a spectacle!”
The hosts grew animated, and the crowd was abuzz with excitement. Especially among the young women, who were captivated by Murong Lingfeng’s handsome appearance.
The young men began to debate.
“Who do you think will win the championship this year?”
“It has to be Murong Lingfeng! I heard he’s become a disciple of the master of the Green Mountain Sword Sect. His skills must be extraordinary.”
“Not necessarily. I think Shangguan Yunfei is pretty impressive too—he had internal force at age three, can you imagine?”
“True, Shangguan Yunfei is a genius as well.”
…
Murong Lingfeng pressed his hand onto the rubber plate, smiling slightly as the indicator rose. The sound of throats gulping echoed through the arena, followed by an explosive roar.
“Twenty years! He actually has twenty years of cultivation! Murong Lingfeng is only twenty-one this year!”
“Did he have internal force at age one?”
“How is that possible?!”
…
Ye Ying’er leapt to her feet, waving her arms to cheer for Murong Lingfeng. “Brother Murong is the best!”
The heads of the prominent families leaned together, whispering.
“What on earth is going on?”
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“I have no idea!” Ye Xingzu was equally astonished, quickly glancing at Ye Rulong. “Father, what do you make of this…?”
Ye Rulong stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Most likely the Green Mountain master gave him some rare medicinal treasures.”
Ye Xingzu suddenly understood. “I didn’t expect the Green Mountain master to value him so highly!”
Ye Rulong nodded. “The young man’s talent is indeed exceptional.”
Ye Xingzu turned again to Murong Lingfeng, his gaze filled with admiration. “If Ying’er were to marry him, it wouldn’t be a bad match.”
But Shangguan Yunfei’s expression gradually darkened. He had always considered himself the foremost of the younger generation in the ancient city, until he met the anomaly that was Shi Bai. Meeting Shi Bai was one thing—but now even Murong Lingfeng had surpassed him.
His lifelong confidence suffered a tremendous blow.
The internal force test continued as a tall young man, carrying two hammers, approached. He wore a yellow robe, his round face and head completely shaved except for a small braid on top.
The male host announced, “Next, please welcome the second son of the Li family from the West City, Li Po Kong!”
Li Po Kong lumbered toward the internal force tester, dropping his hammers to the ground with a resounding “duang!” that echoed through the hall. The hammers had sunk into the floor, forming a small crater.
The female host jumped in fright. “Those… those are some heavy hammers!”
The male host was startled as well. “It looks like Li Po Kong’s skills have improved greatly over these three years!”
Murong Lingfeng and Shangguan Yunfei both frowned—such heavy hammers would be difficult to handle.
The heads of the great families shifted their expressions, glancing toward Li Baxian and his kin in the west.
Li Po Kong flexed his muscles, then pressed both hands onto the rubber plate. With a crack, the plate broke, a hole appearing in its center!
“How can that be?!” Both hosts cried out in shock. “Such strength is incredible!”
“Yes! This is rubber—it’s harder to break than iron!”
“Oh heavens, this is terrifying!”
The crowd erupted in murmurs, staring at Li Po Kong as if he were some kind of monster. Only Li Baxian, the Li family head, tipped his chin up with a proud smile.
“This tournament will be my son Po Kong’s moment of fame!”
Li Po Kong’s small, bean-like eyes widened as he stared at his hands, then rubbed his smooth scalp and offered a sheepish smile.
“Oh dear, sorry about that—I broke it.”
His voice was foolish but confident.
A nearby staffer quickly brought a new rubber plate and repaired the tester. The host asked Li Po Kong to try again.
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This time, Li Po Kong was exceedingly careful, placing his hands on the plate as gently as warming his hands by a fire. The indicator slowly rose, eventually settling at the fifteen-year mark.
The whole arena erupted.
“Fifteen years! Another contestant with fifteen years of cultivation! This year’s tournament will be far more exciting than usual!”
“That’s right! We’re in for a real treat!”
The heads of the families whispered among themselves, the crowd abuzz with speculation.
Ye Xingzu looked to Ye Rulong, who frowned and stroked his chin.
“It doesn’t add up! Three years ago, he was just average—how could he have improved so quickly?”
Ye Xingzu asked, “Could it be… Li Sanhammer also received some rare medicinal treasures?”
Ye Rulong nodded. “That seems the only explanation.”
Ye Xingzu gazed toward Li Baxian in the distance, his face clouded with uncertainty.
The internal force test continued, and finally it was Shi Bai’s turn.
The female host glanced at Shi Bai, suddenly letting out a surprised “Oh?” “The next contestant seems to be a newcomer.”
The male host said, “Yes, I’ve never seen him before.”
“Let me check his name—it appears he’s from the Ye family, called… Ye Xiaobai.”
This was the result of negotiations between Ye Rulong and Shi Bai. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Shi Bai had adopted a Ye family name.
Shangguan Yunfei, Wang Zhongtian, Li Mubai, Wang Yun and the rest all looked surprised—Shi Bai’s close connection to the Ye family was unexpected.
Ye Rulong, Ye Xingzu, and Li Jiankui all sat up straight, their excitement mounting as their master and grandmaster took the stage.
Li Ruyi, Liu Heming, the Golden Blade Sect Master and others also perked up, their expressions grave as they watched Shi Bai. They all wanted to see what was so extraordinary about the young man who had become Ye Rulong’s teacher.
Yet most of the audience paid no attention. To them, Shi Bai was an unknown, hardly worth their interest.
Shi Bai stepped up to the tester and placed both hands on the rubber plate.
The female host, seeing his ordinary appearance and lack of reputation, lost interest and let her hands fall, waiting for the male host to announce the results.
The male host, microphone in hand, stared at the indicator for a long time—only to find it remained perfectly still. He grew anxious.
“Is the tester… broken again?”
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