Lin Jiang had a vague understanding of things.
Anyway, he couldn’t win.
So, he just chose to admit defeat.
In a way, that was quite logical.
Ke Mo was at a loss for words, unsure of how to refute that, and could only laugh helplessly: “You win.”
“Thank you, Brother Ke, for sparing my precious hands.”
Lin Jiang breathed a sigh of relief.
Thus, the first battle of Qunyu Peak ended triumphantly.
They agreed to compete with strength while fostering friendship, but to the onlookers, this competition truly was friendship all the way down.
Among the inner sect disciples, whispers erupted.
“There has to be some inside story here!”
“I know Lin Jiang, he would dare to fight against ninth-grade late-phase monsters during the sect trials.”
“Something’s off; there’s definitely something fishy going on.”
Amid the murmurs from the disciples of Shenbing Peak, Wang Hao’s eyes glimmered with cold intent as he watched the young man gracefully step down from the platform.
Wang Hu hadn’t come out ever since joining Ruyi Peak.
Along with him, because of their family ties, he had been interrogated for three days by the Ruyi Peak’s disciplinary disciples.
That was when Wang Hao finally figured out what was happening.
Wang Hu had gotten entangled with the Huanmo Sect, which was strictly forbidden by the Da Yu dynasty. Any sect that discovered such a threat would k*ll them without mercy.
“Brother Wang, it’s your turn now.”
A fellow disciple nudged him back to reality, and Wang Hao climbed onto the competition stage.
Facing him was a true disciple at the Inner Breath Jade Liquid Realm.
The aura he exuded was also that of the Inner Breath Jade Liquid Realm, but he was much older than his opponent.
With a deeper martial arts foundation too.
The two exchanged blows and fought hard until it heated up.
It finally concluded with Wang Hao’s victory.
After defeating his opponent, Wang Hao didn’t retract his imposing air; instead, his gaze swept over Ke Mo like a hawk.
His hostility and intent for battle were too apparent.
Seeing Wang Hao like this, Ke Mo actually breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, no need to worry about not having a match.
Once on the arena, if the opponents jumped down to admit defeat, he would practically have zero experience at the Nine Peaks Tournament.
Of course, he shouldn’t encounter opponents that surrendered that easily every time, right?
According to Murphy’s Law, you can be sure—it’s when you least want something to happen that it will happen the most.
In the next round.
On the stage, two old acquaintances faced each other in silence.
“Brother Ke.”
Murong Xiao looked at him with a shy smile.
Ke Mo: “…….”
He cast a doubtful glance at Elder Qian who was responsible for drawing lots.
Elder Qian took a breath, equally puzzled—how did this kid end up facing his acquaintance again?
Murong Xiao was also a popular young disciple from Qingyuan Sect.
Though he was only at the Qi bl**d Realm, his half-demon body and excellent body refining techniques had allowed him to defeat several opponents of higher realms.
From his performance, he seemed even stronger than Lin Jiang.
If luck was on his side, he could very well enter the top sixteen.
On the podium.
“Murong Xiao, the young prodigy from Ziyang Mansion.”
“In this battle, he should unleash his full power, right?”
The robed young man looked at Murong Xiao with an understanding gaze and fierce fighting spirit.
He was the top contender supported by Fen Yu Lin!
Like Murong Xiao, he also bore the weight of a half-demon body.
Ziyang Mansion’s young prodigy?
That title should belong to him!
On the other side, the bl**d-clad young master from the Chiqing Gang remained silent, his eyes squinted.
He couldn’t gauge the depths of that young man.
Much like Ying Bing.
“Han He, what’s your take on this?” Qian Bufan asked, and everyone turned their eyes toward the elder from Shenbing Peak.
It was well-known that Elder Han He was stern and stubborn, unlikely to have any underhanded dealings.
So this match was definitely fair.
But to everyone’s surprise, Han He shook his head:
“Murong Xiao isn’t a match for Ke Mo.”
His recognition was rather blunt.
Seeing this, the elders were momentarily thrown off.
As a mentor, he surely understood Murong Xiao’s strength, yet he didn’t even hesitate to state he would lose?
If that’s the case, it only left one possibility.
Ke Mo indeed possessed strength that could get Elder Han He’s approval.
“It seems my disciple will truly bring us some surprises,” Xue Jing chuckled, shifting his gaze to the arena.
Before long, Qian Bufan’s voice echoed:
“Murong Xiao admits defeat.”
“Ke Mo wins!”
This time, the elders didn’t comment, their expressions deep in thought.
The other observing disciples and outsiders completely failed to grasp what was happening.
A clamor of voices erupted:
“Huh? Murong Xiao admitted defeat too?”
“Did you see him calling Ke brother constantly? Seems like he has a solid relationship with Ke Mo and let him win?”
“Aren’t the elders going to intervene?”
“They say Ke Mo is well-liked; today was an eye-opener. Can he just use connections to get into the top thirty?”
“If there’s foul play, Elder Qian would know. I suspect he took a little bribe.”
…
A barrage of discussions and doubts circulated.
Ke Mo took a deep breath: “Brother Murong, you…”
“Brother Ke, you seem to have broken through again. I’m afraid you won’t hold back.”
Murong Xiao shivered slightly.
The scene of Ke Mo unleashing his power in the Martial Arts Hall flashed through his mind.
He had suspected the ground shook at that moment.
“At least let us exchange a few moves, for the sake of camaraderie.”
Ke Mo felt utterly helpless.
“I… still wanted to push for the top sixteen…”
Murong Xiao felt wronged too.
That big chunk of whale-breathe coral stone had changed color after being struck.
Brother Ke didn’t even use martial arts; just one punch, and the intensity of the Inner Breath Jade Liquid Realm’s attack was enough to send chills down his spine.
Now that Ke Mo had broken through, what could he do?
Ke Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
One match, and he was in the top thirty.
Claiming it was due to Connections? Well, maybe it wasn’t exactly that.
Where could he voice his grievances?
……..
The morning matches ended with Elder Qian’s announcement of a break.
The battles continued into two more rounds.
From the top thirty to the top eight.
The champions emerging from this melee all had unique skills and talents, making it the most prestigious Nine Peaks Assembly ever recorded.
There were those like Wang Hao, who was lucky enough to stand at the competition’s red line, capable and battle-hardened.
And then there were newcomers like Murong Xiao with exceptional talents.
And of course, one couldn’t forget Ying Bing.
Every time she took the stage, she crushed her opponents with overwhelming force, swiftly finishing every match.
Although… there were those who might have outpaced her.
Like a certain true disciple from Qunyu Peak who had yet to step into battle…
In summary, the afternoon matches promised to be full of highlights.
……
At Qingyuan Peak’s cafeteria.
Ke Mo, Murong Xiao, Xiao Qian, and Lin Jiang were seated at a table, devouring their meals.
Ke Mo looked at the three who were focused on their food and felt a bit melancholic.
“Now everyone in the sect says I got a free pass from connections.”
“Some even say I threw a fake match.”
“Any clues you guys?”
Having participated all morning without competing at all, he was filled with a strange kind of frustration.
“Brother Ke, if I fought you, I might not even make the cut,” Murong Xiao chuckled awkwardly.
Lin Jiang nodded in agreement, feeling like he had survived a disaster: “Brother Ke, the Hundred Flower Dew Ointment probably won’t help much…”
Ke Mo’s mouth twitched and he glanced over at the other side: “Old Xiao, what about you? You’re at the Internal Breath Realm; you should at least get on with a little spar with me, right?”
“Ah?”
Xiao Qian looked dazed, with dark circles under his eyes and his nose stuffed with tissue.
He pointed at himself with a bandaged finger: “Me?”
Old Xiao wasn’t having the best luck.
He’d faced a true disciple at the Inner Breath Jade Liquid Realm and ended up in a real-man 1v1, battling it out until both were injured.
In the end, he barely squeaked by, but his hand was now temporarily incapacitated due to his injuries.
Next round, he faced Ke Mo.
