235: Chapter 235 The Competition Begins

"Hmm? Your captain has changed? Where did Zhang Qing go?"

Seeing a fresh face standing opposite him, Xie Ning asked in confusion.

"Zhang Qing had a temporary situation and couldn't make it to the competition; Chen Moxuan is acting as the temporary captain."

It was Ma Jingyuan who explained on Chen Moxuan's behalf.

He was speaking to Xie Ning as well as to the opposing team's teacher and the referee.

"Fine, but once the participating members are decided, they cannot be changed unless there are special circumstances."

The referee nodded slightly and spoke to Ma Jingyuan.

Ma Jingyuan replied, "No problem, I understand."

Seeing that both sides were in position, the referee stood in the middle of the teams and shouted:

"I will now read the competition rules."

"First, you must not harm the lives of others; violators will be severely punished according to the law."

"Second, if one side loses their ability to fight, falls outside the arena, or admits defeat, they will be judged as the loser."

"Third, the competition uses a one-on-one format. After one side wins, they can choose to stay on the arena to compete with the next contestant, or they can choose to go down and rest, with the order of appearance moving down by one."

"Are there any objections or questions regarding the above rules?"

The referee's gaze swept over the standing contestants. Seeing no one speak, he continued:

"Since there are no objections, I hereby announce the start of the pre-match ceremony! Captains of both sides, step forward and salute."

Chen Moxuan and Xie Ning each took a few steps forward, simultaneously extending their hands in a friendly gesture.

"Chen Moxuan, I've heard of you. I didn't expect to meet you here."

The corners of Xie Ning's mouth curled up with a hint of a smile as he spoke to Chen Moxuan.

"While it's a pity I can't exchange blows with your school's Zhang Qing, I still hope we can have an exciting match."

Seeing the other party being so polite, Chen Moxuan also returned a gentle smile and then lightly shook hands with him.

However, at that moment, Xie Ning suddenly leaned forward, brought his head close to Chen Moxuan's ear, and lowered his voice:

"So... please just admit defeat directly after the match begins. I don't want to fight someone in the Blood Accumulation Realm; it's beneath me."

"If I accidentally injure you, it would also affect my reputation..."

"I hope you'll be sensible. If possible, you'd better convince your teammates to surrender directly as well. Don't waste too much of my time."

After saying that, Xie Ning quickly stepped back, and a bright, cheerful smile bloomed on his face again.

He withdrew his hand, lightly patted Chen Moxuan's shoulder, and then turned back to his own team.

Xie Ning's knowledge of Chen Moxuan also remained at the news circulating a week ago.

At that time, Chen Moxuan was only a sixth-stage Blood Accumulation Realm Martial Artist.

Xie Ning naturally assumed that Chen Moxuan was still in the Blood Accumulation Realm.

In the audience, there were many recruitment teachers from various martial arts universities who had heard of Xie Ning's name and came to investigate.

Originally, as his last major competition before graduation, Xie Ning intended to show off his strength properly.

If it were Zhang Qing, there would have been some opportunity for him to display his skills.

But the opponent was a weakling in the Blood Accumulation Realm; he feared that if he used even one or two moves, he would have to worry about violating the rule against life-threatening injuries.

With such a large Realm gap, even an easy victory would be taken for granted by others. This battle offered no benefits.

Thinking of this, a surge of resentment couldn't help but rise in Xie Ning's heart.

"So these kinds of people are common everywhere... guys who act one way to your face and another behind your back."

Watching Xie Ning's departing back, Chen Moxuan couldn't help but shake his head slightly, thinking to himself.

"This is fine too; I don't have to worry about not letting the other party lose too embarrassingly."

"I wanted to finish the match quickly to go do my business anyway."

He turned around and also returned to his own team.

"Brother Xuan, what was Xie Ning talking to you about just now?" Peng Jie asked with a curious face.

"Nothing, he just hopes the match can end quickly."

Seeing that both captains had returned to their teams, the referee shouted loudly again:

"I now announce that the pre-match ceremony is over."

"First match: Liu Hong from Jiangshui Martial Arts School versus Yang Lean from Henghuo Martial Arts School."

"Contestants, please select your weapons from the weapon rack below the arena before stepping onto the stage."

"Other contestants, please wait in the preparation area below the arena."

Amidst the referee's announcement, Chen Moxuan and the others each stepped down from the arena.

Liu Hong and Yang Lean each selected a weapon from the weapon rack in the preparation area below and then stepped onto the arena again.

These weapons were specifically for competition use and had been specially treated so they wouldn't easily cause death.

"Both sides, perform the fist-and-palm salute!"

At the referee's call, the two of them each cupped their fists in salute and announced their names.

"Jiangshui Martial Arts School, Liu Hong."

"Henghuo Martial Arts School, Yang Lean."

After the salute, they retreated backward until there was a ten-meter gap between them, then stopped and turned to face each other.

Seeing this, the referee announced once more:

"I now announce that the match officially begins!"

The signal for the match exploded like a clap of thunder. In an instant, Yang Lean was the first to charge out like an arrow leaving a bow.

He tightly gripped a large saber, the blade trailing behind him, creating a trail of sparks on the arena as he slashed toward Liu Hong with great force.

Liu Hong, meanwhile, wielded a long staff, which was also a weapon for wide, sweeping movements.

Facing Yang Lean's fierce offensive, he did not back down at all, meeting Yang Lean's attack head-on by smashing his long staff forward.

Both sides' cultivations were evenly matched, and the Martial Skills they used were both fierce styles that excelled in frontal confrontations.

For a time, the shadows of the saber and staff interlaced on the arena. One delivered a sharp saber slash, while the other countered with a powerful staff sweep, the two of them locked in a struggle, inseparable.

The clanging of metal clashing echoed continuously on the arena.

"Hmm, this kid Yang Lean's Mountain-Splitting Saber Technique has improved again. Looking at this momentum, it should be close to the Realm of Major Achievement."

"However, his opponent's staff technique level is not to be underestimated either; it's on par with his."

"Who will eventually win this battle will likely depend on who runs out of stamina first and reveals a weakness."

Watching the battle that had entered a fever pitch from the very start, Ma Jingyuan's years of teaching experience led him to comment subconsciously.

He glanced at the absent-minded Chen Moxuan beside him and couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion:

"This is what a battle for a normal martial arts student at this age should look like..."

As for Chen Moxuan, he only took a few hurried glances at the fight on the stage, his mind having already drifted elsewhere.

In his eyes, the fight between these two was so slow it was almost sleep-inducing, with flaws everywhere. Fighting like this was like children playing house and role-playing with each other.

At this moment, his Spiritual Sense had quietly spread out, seeking to locate the position of that Lei Family disciple.