Wu Po Xing was not a man of flowery words. He received no oratorical training, nor did he need it. Under the crushing weight of his aura, every simple word he spoke struck the audience's hearts like a heavy hammer.

"A hundred years ago, during the Era of Great Cataclysm, the vicious beasts ran amok.

"The strongest among us had only just stepped onto the threshold of the General Rank."

He stopped suddenly, his eyes weighted.

"Now? The resources available to martial artists are beyond anything we could have imagined. You have your safety, unlimited guidance, and clear paths with no detours.

"Yet, in a hundred years, I've not seen any latecomers surpass their predecessors. Not a single new wave was strong enough to crash over the old!"

Wu Po Xing's disappointment was palpable as he swept his gaze across the venue. "Honestly, I… am very disappointed."

Qin Mu quietly clicked his tongue in the crowd.

Hundred of years

Positions of powerhouses like Wu Po Xing and Bai Ming remained unshaken. Qin Mu had initially thought this was merely the respect the younger generation held for their Seniors. Only now did he realize the brutal truth: It was simply because no one stronger than Wu Po Xing had ever appeared to challenge him.

Wu Po Xing raised his single hand.

"Rise!"

Rumble!

The ground in the middle of the square groaned loudly, and a gigantic formation that one would refer to as a virtual Dragon's Nest rose from thin air. It was rebuilt by hard-light projections and force fields.

"I hope under this immense pressure from the Nest of a Ninth Order Dragon, your generation can finally break your shackles! Become the backbone that protects Dragon Star!"

Wu Po Xing didn't wait for applause. He waved his hand, activating the protocol.

"The first round is a Selection."

"Everyone will be entering the Dragon's Nest at the same time. Kill the Beasts. Gain points."

"The top 30 Martial Artists and the top 30 Mentalists will go through to the Elimination Round."

"Begin!"

With a wave of his hand, the spatial technology turned on. The ground in the middle of the square inflated as if a thousand times heavier, becoming a pocket dimension. It was a one-to-one replica of the real danger zone.

Above the Nest, a gigantic holographic scoreboard suddenly appeared, detailing the name of each participant.

"Temporary rules change?

Guo Youwei's face sank as he had not expected this, "Thirty Mentalists. the pressure is huge."

The Myriad Sword Pavilion had entered more than thirty Mentalists in this event.

"If they coordinate, the Sword Pavilion could theoretically sweep the entire top thirty," Guo Youwei muttered, a bad feeling growing in his stomach. "If this were a 1v1 arena bracket, they would eventually have to knock each other out. But in a points race? They can dominate the map."

Qin Mu ignored all that politics and scanned the entrance of Dragon's Nest.

The Vicious Beasts start at Fifth Order, not Ninth. That's easy.

Whoosh!

Before Guo Youwei could even advise, Qin Mu was already airborne, surfing on his alloy shield.

A white blur suddenly flew past him.

"Qin Mu!"

"I told you!" Bai Qiuye shouted over the wind, his voice dripping with arrogance. "We settle this today. The one with the most points is the King. The loser eats dust!

Ha ha.

Qin Mu had almost forgotten about this guy.

"If you're eating dust, don't gorge yourself," Qin Mu called back, lazily. "A couple of pounds should be enough to fill you up."

Bai Qiuye narrowed his eyes: "Cut the joke. Actual combat, your tricks will not save you. This time, there won't be infinite beasts to farm!

Leaving that harsh remark, Bai Qiuye accelerated his Flying Sword, diving straight into the Dragon Nest.

Qin Mu didn't give chase and simply floated there, taking his time to look around.

But then another figure went out into the garden a moment later.

Up to now, Bai Qingyan.

"Qin Mu," she said, all business. "The Alliance Leader changed the rules because he wants to find true diamonds in the rough. The reward for the Champion is no longer just the Dominion Trial.

Qin Mu turned his head and said, "Why are you worried? Your Commander 9th Rank with Grandmaster-level combat power qualifies you for the top three."

"Top three?"

Bai Qingyan looked truly offended. "The Champion can only be me! Even in a points match, I will stand at the summit."

Holy cow.

Is every person that is born to the Bai family injected with pure, liquid confidence since birth?

Qin Mu shrugged and said nothing.

Seeing his nonchalance, Bai Qingyan huffed a soft laugh. "Qin Mu. was that Dominion Grandmaster really you that day?"

Without waiting for an answer, she burst: "Fine, even if it was! So what?"

She lifted her head proudly. "Which Mentalist from the Myriad Sword Pavilion present doesn't have Grandmaster-level combat power? Your talent is good, but you look down upon the heritage of the Sword Pavilion!"

Qin Mu blinked and a grin spread across his face. "Supervisor Bai seems very confident. How about another bet?

Bai Qingyan paused. "A bet? Alright. But your score has to enter the Top Three to count. As for what's at stake. you can name it."

"Why be so serious? I am not a robber, too," Qin Mu waved his hand. "If I make the Top Three, you just owe me. let's say, three Martial God Hall login devices."

Hiss.

Does he dare to bet on it?

Bai Qingyan was in a daze. "Think carefully. Top Three among all participants."

"Of course," Qin Mu replied calmly.

Bai Qingyan calculated quickly, "One device is 30 billion via the Merchant Alliance. Three is 90 billion. That is a heavy stake. What will you give me if you lose?"

"Whatever you want. We can decide after I win."

Pfft!

Bai Qingyan almost burst out laughing. "Decide after you win? You just want to join my Myriad Sword Pavilion, don't you?

"Hmph. Young, but calculating," she smirked. "Fine. Even if you don't rank, joining the Pavilion will still grant you a Dominion Trial slot."

Dammit.

What kind of reasoning is that? That I am losing deliberately to join her sect?

Just before Qin Mu corrected her, Bai Qingyan cast a light beam digital contract. "Sign it. Once you do, you belong to the Pavilion if you lose."

"Huh?"

Qin Mu signed the agreement with a casual flick of his finger. He was grinning at her. "Supervisor Bai, the sun is still high up in the sky. If you want to dream, go find a bed."

Martial God Hall - VIP viewing platform.

Along the centre of the hall stood a long table fashioned from ancient Dragon Wood, flanked by twelve high-backed chairs in a semi-circle.

Wu Po Xing sat in the middle. On his left was Bai Ming, while on his right was Gun King, the founder of Hegemony Martial Arts Hall. The rest were all high-ranking Council Members.

"Alliance Leader," Bai Ming said with a faint smile. "By opening up the Tournament to a points system, you are essentially handing the rankings over to my Myriad Sword Pavilion."

"Your Mentalists have the upper hand," Wu Po Xing admitted, observing the screens. "But I, too, have retained 30 positions for pure Martial Artists."

His eyes were grave. "In one hundred years, Dragon Star's warriors have never been without resources, but they have lost their ferocity; whether they are Dragons or worms. will be clear at a glance today.

"Resources of the Dragon Star cannot be spent anymore on ones who cannot bleed for their homeland."

No sooner were these words spoken than the room began to grow cold.

Powerful Director of the Ten Thousand Merchants Alliance, William Norton frowned, "Martial Artists inside or outside the city all contributed towards the economy and development, would it be proper for the Alliance Leader to imply the efforts of the majority with a single sentence?

Hmph.

Bai Ming snorted coldly. "No danger within the city, what the hell is the meaning of Cultivation then? Looking pretty?"

"What do you mean 'no danger'?" William shot back acerbically. "Martial Artists in the city drive commerce! Once their strength advances, they naturally play their part!"

"Enough!"

Wu Po Xing's voice slashed through the air like a whip.

"There is no need to debate. No matter what the Alliance decides, my Star-Breaking Martial Arts Hall will review its resource deployment."

The cold light flashed across William's eyes. "Alliance Leader, such a major shift without a vote. I am afraid that is not something the public can believe in.

"Still don't believe me?

Wu Po Xing turned slow, his eyes suddenly filled with a terrible pressure. "Who does not believe?

A complete silence filled the room. Nobody had the courage to utter a word.

A moment later, the Gun King dispelled the awkwardness. "Everyone. Today marks a day for celebrating talents. Let's see if there are any seedlings worthy of cultivation. Otherwise, the crisis in the Dragon's Nest will be eternally hanging over our heads."

Bai Ming leaned back in his chair, at ease. "Bai Qingyan's strength is Number One, beyond dispute. However. there is a young fellow named Qin Mu worth looking out for.

As his voice fell, the Smart System automatically projected the scoreboard.

[Current Rankings]

1: Bai Qingyan - 720 Points

2. Qi Jun - 530 Points

So, how does she come across to one who has read these five books?

183: Qin Mu - 100 Points

"183rd place?"

Bai Ming blinked, really caught off guard.

According to his intel, this young man possessed Dominator Grandmaster combat power. That should place him easily in the top fifty, even if he was napping. Even if the intel was exaggerated and he only had the Azure Flame Sword, he should be in the top one hundred.

"Fetch the combat footage," Bai Ming ordered.

Swish.

The main screen had switched to Qin Mu's perspective.

On screen, Qin Mu stood lazily on his shield, drifting through the air of Dragon's Nest. He didn't resemble a warrior in a death match so much as a tourist on a sightseeing excursion.

There was not even a need to raise a finger, unless some Vicious Beast literally threw itself at him.

"What is he doing?

"Does he know this is a tournament review?"

A council member snorted, calling up Qin Mu's registration data. His eyes scrunched up in puzzlement.

"Dominator. Second Stage?"

"Ah?"

"Can a person of such a low Rank enter even the Martial Arts Tournament? "

"Who cleared this application? Has all the discipline gone to the dogs?!"

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