40: Chapter 40: Today's preliminary selection is over!

The appearance of this person carried extraordinary significance.

He pondered for a moment but ultimately did not investigate further.

After all, it had nothing to do with him.

"It seems the various sects in Northern Li did not send their Core Disciples this time."

Su Rui asked casually.

Yin Luoxia saw her Teacher look towards her and began to explain.

"You should know about this, Teacher. It is related to the Demonic Sect."

Su Rui nodded.

Currently, many people from the Demonic Cult had infiltrated Northern Li, so the various sects were naturally worried that these talented Disciples might fall victim to their schemes.

No matter how outstanding an heir was, if they were assassinated before maturing, it would ultimately be useless.

When the last person was determined, Sikong Changfeng rose and announced:

"The Preliminary Selection ends today! In three days, the sixteen winners will contend for the final victor! Everyone else may challenge the Ascending Heaven Pavilion!"

Sikong Changfeng's voice boomed, heard by everyone in the entire venue.

At this time, the sun was already nearing the western horizon.

Su Rui did not linger. He departed gracefully with Li Hanyi and the others, drawing countless gazes in pursuit.

Among the crowd, many watched the departing figures with complex expressions.

Once everyone on the stage dispersed, news of this martial competition quickly spread throughout the city.

Especially the fact that all five of Su Rui's Disciples had advanced to the final round, which made many people yearn for more and inquire about the martial arts school.

Although the martial arts school remained closed to visitors, everyone had long since determined that Su Rui was a hidden master and no longer dared to treat him lightly or offend him.

The sixteen winners also became the hot topic of discussion in the city over the next three days.

Moon Dusk, Flower Dawn, who summoned myriad flowers to dance with a single sword move;

Sikong Qianluo, who swept a spear, freezing the entire field;

Mu Liangyue, with her dreamlike butterfly illusion formation, unpredictable and bizarre;

The Su Sisters, whose movements were like ghosts and phantoms;

Ximen Chuixue, clad in white surpassing snow, his sword cold and his heart detached;

Ji Wuming, whose Killing Intent soared to the heavens, striking terror into the hearts of others;

Xu Weixiong, possessing an extraordinary bearing and a strong personality;

Song Yanhui, experienced and steady yet somewhat rigid;

Yue Ji Yue Ji, the Underworld Marquis, famous in the Jianghu for delivering invitations that demanded life;

Xing Hun, mysterious and unfathomable, a young prodigy of amazing talent;

Duan Lang, who shouted about making a name for himself, his face full of defiance;

And two women with peerless looks and vastly different temperaments—

The Demonic Sect's enchantress Wanwan, and the admirable Shi Feixuan;

Lastly, there was the Gusu Murong Fu, who always wore a hypocritical smile.

The victors this time each possessed their own strengths.

But anyone with even a little insight could see—

Li Hanyi and Sikong Qianluo had already grasped Sword Intent.

They held a clear advantage during the duels.

Especially Li Hanyi, possessing both Realm and Sword Intent, she had already become the frontrunner favorite.

The city's gambling houses had long since posted odds, attracting countless gamblers to place their bets.

The gambling house was noisy, with everyone busy placing wagers.

"Li Hanyi's odds are too meager!"

Someone couldn't help but complain.

Li Hanyi, odds were one hundred to one.

Bet one hundred taels, only earn one tael of silver.

What was the point of gambling on that!

"The odds are posted right here. If you don't like it, don't bet!"

The people at the gambling house weren't pushovers either.

Li Hanyi's strength was evident to any discerning eye; she was almost certainly the sure bet for first place.

"Fifty million taels, betting on Li Hanyi!"

The shout silenced the entire venue instantly.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Fifty million taels?

Hearing that figure, some people's legs went weak.

The most nervous were the people from the gambling house.

"The limit... the limit is one hundred thousand taels!"

That person reported the rule, trembling.

"What? Since when did the gambling house have such a rule?"

As everyone was wondering, their gaze fell upon the person placing the bet, and their expressions immediately changed.

"Fairy Luoxia?"

A round of sharp gasps echoed.

"Our Thousand Gold Pavilion accepts it!"

A woman spoke in a clear voice and slowly walked out of the crowd.

She gave Yin Luoxia a slight bow.

"Senior Sister."

"Stop calling me that. I have nothing to do with you now; I'm just here to place a bet."

Yin Luoxia dropped a stack of banknotes and turned to leave.

"I'll bet ten thousand taels on Li Hanyi too!"

"I bet fifty thousand taels!"

Seeing Yin Luoxia leave, the crowd immediately swarmed forward.

"Li Hanyi's odds are adjusted to one thousand to one!"

The woman who had just bowed to Yin Luoxia suddenly spoke.

Everyone was stunned. What did this mean?

"The Fairy said the gambling house shouldn't have limits, so the odds can naturally be changed!"

As the words fell, the crowd was speechless.

This one thousand to one ratio,

Bet ten thousand taels, only win ten taels?

What was the point of playing!

Fortunately, there were still people betting on other rankings, and the odds were relatively normal.

After leaving the gambling house, Yin Luoxia headed straight for the martial arts school.

She lightly vaulted over the backyard wall.

She immediately saw Su Rui staring at her coldly.

She suddenly felt a bit awkward.

"Teacher."

"Hand!"

Yin Luoxia was startled. She saw Su Rui pick up a peach branch from the stone table.

Li Hanyi and Sikong Qianluo, who were practicing nearby, couldn't help but stifle their laughter.

Yin Luoxia's face flushed, and she slowly extended her hand.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Three strikes landed on her palm.

"Next time, use the main gate!"

"Yes, Teacher."

She replied in a low voice, her face red as if blood could drip from it.

Her palm throbbed faintly, yet it was mixed with a strange tingling sensation that made her uneasy.

What was wrong with her?

"Teacher, I have already placed that money."

Su Rui nodded, then turned to look at Li Hanyi.

"Hanyi, if you don't get first place this time, I'll have to sell myself to your Senior Sister Luoxia."

Li Hanyi was startled, completely confused by what she heard.

Yin Luoxia, however, her eyes lit up. She secretly glanced at Su Rui's profile, and to her surprise, she felt a bit of anticipation.

Just as Su Rui was disciplining his Disciples, a person far away was nearly exploding with rage.

Murong Fu was trembling with anger, his eyes bloodshot, his fury almost spewing out of his chest.

"These bastards, how dare they talk about me like that?"

Earlier, amidst the chaos, he had seen Shi Feixuan's composed demeanor and thought it was a good opportunity to showcase himself.

He wanted to use the moment to boost his reputation and pave the way for the future.

The result was that his clumsy imitation backfired terribly!

Shi Feixuan was genuinely that way. Although she seemed hypocritical in Wanwan's eyes, her actions came from her true nature.

But what about Murong Fu?

He had decided on the spot to put on an act.

That fake smile, that habit of constantly referring to himself as 'Gusu Murong'—

Who couldn't see what he was trying to do?

However, Murong Fu did indeed possess some strength behind him.

If he couldn't win the fight, he could at least gain a verbal advantage.

The title of hypocrite was thoroughly cemented.

Now, besides Li Hanyi and Sikong Qianluo, he had become the most notorious person in Snow Moon City.

If it were a good reputation, he would naturally be overjoyed.

But now...

Everything had gone contrary to his expectations.

"Cousin..."

Wang Yuyan looked at the volatile Murong Fu, her eyes filled with fear.

Bao Butong and Feng Biaoe stood to the side; they could understand his current mood.

Although the two were fiercely loyal, they were also somewhat blindly devoted.

They essentially followed whatever Murong Fu decreed.

"Young Master, perhaps we should let this matter rest for now?"

"Impossible! An opportunity like this is rare!"

Upon hearing the suggestion to give up, Murong Fu calmed down slightly.

"The imperial power in Northern Li is not stable. The great generals tightly control the military power; even the Emperor has to yield to them by a few points. We must make a name for ourselves in Snow Moon City this time!"

Wang Yuyan and the other two women did not understand.

AZhu and ABi, however, understood.

Their plan was to first use this opportunity to gain fame to connect with the high-ranking officials who controlled military power and various major factions.

If that path proved difficult, they would simply throw their lot in with the Northern Li court.

After all, the current Emperor of Northern Li was old, and several princes were vying for the throne.

It wouldn't be difficult to gain substantial benefits at this time.

There was even a chance to seize military power amidst the chaos, just like those generals now.

Once that happened, everything would naturally become clear.

The plan sounded good, but they had hit a wall on the very first step.

Yet Murong Fu had traveled a thousand miles to get here; how could he give up easily?

"I need to prepare for the next competition these few days. You two continue to keep an eye on that martial arts school!"

Murong Fu stated.

"As for the three of you—"

He looked at Wang Yuyan and the others, frowning slightly.

However, considering the considerable wealth of the Mandara Mountain Villa, it would be a great asset to him if he decided to raise an army in the future.

"The three of you can just wander around Snow Moon City."

After speaking, without waiting for Wang Yuyan to reply, he dismissed them.

"Miss Wang, we still have a mission. Why don't you let AZhu and ABi accompany you out for a stroll?"

AZhu and ABi also tried to persuade her. Wang Yuyan pondered for a moment.

"No need. Since Cousin has important matters, the three of us will go to a restaurant with Third Brother Bao and Fourth Brother Feng for a drink."

"That sounds good!"

Bao Butong and the others exchanged a look and nodded in agreement.

Although Snow Moon City boasted good public order,

With Li Hanyi having made her move previously, and now numerous Jianghu figures gathered here, it wouldn't be good if anything unexpected happened.

Unfortunately, their worries came to nothing.

Three days later, Su Rui woke up early. After washing up, Li Hanyi, Mu Liangyue, and the others also started to leave their rooms.

"Get ready, we'll set off after breakfast."

"Yes."

At that moment, a knock sounded on the door.

Li Hanyi opened the martial arts school's main door and saw Sikong Qianluo rush in, with Yin Luoxia closely following behind.

Behind them were several Disciples wearing Snow Moon City uniforms, holding steaming food boxes.

"Perfect, saves me the trouble of making breakfast for you all."

Su Rui said with a smile.

"This food is far inferior to what Teacher makes!"

Yin Luoxia chimed in.

"I was hoping you'd praise me for something else."

Su Rui shook his head helplessly.

"Teacher is not only a good cook, but he is also handsome, just like an immortal from the heavens!"

Sikong Qianluo immediately interjected, flattering him along the way.

Su Rui smiled and rubbed her head.

With her being the source of joy, this breakfast was destined not to be quiet.

But he didn't mind.

When the group arrived at the Jingwu Platform square, Sikong Changfeng had already reserved the previous seating area for Su Rui.

As soon as they reached the entrance, someone guided them over.

Along the way, they saw high-ranking officials from various powers and many experts nodding and smiling in greeting.

Su Rui naturally did not put on a cold face.

The main task for these people over the past three days had been to investigate his background.

Upon investigating, they were all shocked.

The more they investigated, the more they felt this man was unfathomable.

But they gained absolutely no real intelligence.

The few pieces of information they did acquire were already enough to make them extremely surprised.

Now, many people suspected that this young-looking man was actually a master who had mastered the art of preserving youth.

Seeing Su Rui arrive, Ji Ruofeng immediately rose to greet him.

After bowing, his gaze fell upon the Cheng Ying Sword in Li Hanyi's hand.

But he was met with a sharp glance from Li Hanyi that sent him looking away.

"The sword name has recognized its master; you don't need to think about it anymore,"

Su Rui said lightly.

Ji Ruofeng's eyes showed a flicker of disappointment upon hearing this, but he couldn't say much more, so he returned to his seat with a crestfallen expression.