Xu Mu caught the flying wood-cutting blade with one hand.
"Looks like you really plan to fight me. Fine—let's get moving!"
Peng Wei stamped his foot.
With a boom, the ground beneath him caved in. His figure blurred into a black streak, rushing at Xu Mu.
Swish!
His short knife slashed for Xu Mu's neck.
Xu Mu only leaned back slightly and avoided it.
The next instant, Peng Wei suddenly dipped low and stabbed toward Xu Mu's "second brother."
"Damn!"
Xu Mu sprang up and stomped down on Peng Wei's head.
Peng Wei had planned to hack at Xu Mu's leg, but a violent surge of gang qi exploded through his body. His mind went blank as Xu Mu drove his head into the ground.
Pshhk!
His own short knife skewered across his waist at an angle.
The spectators all froze.
What just happened?
He bent to stab a vital spot, got his head stepped on, face-planted like a dog eating dirt… then stabbed himself with his own knife?
Was the drama really necessary?
"Bro, you okay?" Xu Mu asked the dazed Peng Wei on the ground.
Up on the platform, Jiang Sheng immediately shouted, "Get him to the hospital—now!"
Two attendants jogged over, hoisted Peng Wei up, and carried him away.
When Jiang Sheng applied for the relic site, he'd already planned for injuries today and had people on standby.
"That kid's pretty lucky," Jiang Sheng said, smiling as he looked toward Xu Mu in the distance.
"Against a low feint, he instantly adjusted, redirect to the head, and finished it. That kind of reaction isn't something ordinary," Wei Jingzhi remarked.
"True enough," Jiang Sheng nodded, then glanced at Jiang Huihui and saw her finally breathe out in relief.
Back beside Chen Xuan, Xu Mu swept his sense around; the whispers of nearly everyone nearby fell cleanly into his ears.
Most were chalking it up to luck.
"Mu, you're brutal," Chen Xuan grinned.
"Just luck," Xu Mu said, smiling as he handed the chopper back.
"I was right in front of that guy's face—others might've missed it, but I saw it clear," Chen Xuan said, stowing the blade in his woven bag. "He'd already blacked out the moment you stepped on his head."
Xu Mu smiled faintly. As expected of a protagonist.
Just then, the screen up front flashed the name Chen Xuanxuan.
(This was the alias Xu Mu had told Jiang Huihui to set for him; she'd only added one extra character.)
Seeing the opponent holding a longsword, Chen Xuan drew the wood-chopper again and walked to the field.
His opponent clearly wasn't talkative. He said nothing; at the signal to start, he charged with the sword.
Chen Xuan gripped the chopper. As the man stepped in, Chen Xuan swung once.
The opponent raised his sword to block—
Crack!
The longsword shattered to powder. Shock rippled through his body and he was blown backward.
The crowd burst into startled murmurs.
Who is this guy?
"Old Jiang, who's that?" Xue Dongsheng suddenly asked.
"Oh, that kid? Grandson of an old friend," Jiang Sheng improvised. He couldn't exactly say Chen Xuan was his granddaughter's original fiancé. Hardly anyone knew, besides the parties involved.
"This kid isn't weak—though still beneath my grandson," Xue Dongsheng said with a smile, looking down at Chen Xuan.
Elsewhere by the stands, a black-robed figure glanced at Fang Kui. "Xiao Kui, what's wrong? You've been gloomy."
"It's nothing," Fang Kui pursed her lips, staring coldly at Chen Xuan in the distance.
…
The first round ended quickly—half the field eliminated. There'd been almost no evenly matched fights; most were over within a minute.
The second round was about to begin—this was where real experts would start colliding.
Xu Mu figured he didn't need first place, since there were still 10 points for traditional painting. Still, he couldn't rank too low—others might pick up participation points there too.
On the platform, the organizers stuffed the winners' slips back into spheres. This time they only used Boxes 1 and 2.
Second-round matches began.
Wei Jingzhi drew, and the names lit the big screen:
Xu Mu vs. Zhao Hui.
"Mu, didn't think it'd be your turn again so soon," Chen Xuan laughed, handing over the chopper.
Xu Mu took it and headed out.
On the platform, Lü Pinlong's grandfather Lü Chuan said with a smile, "Zhao Hui is a disciple of our Golden Radiance Hall. He's just stepped into the Mystic Art Realm. We sent him to gain experience."
"Our Lingxiao Sect brought a few disciples as well," Xue Dongsheng added. "It's a great chance to exchange blows with experts."
Hearing that Zhao Hui had reached the Mystic Art Realm, Jiang Sheng's heart started to race.
If so… wasn't Xu Mu done for?
He sighed inwardly. Since Huihui hated Lü Pinlong, he could only pin hopes on Xue Kaixuan now.
"Kid, concede. Otherwise you'll be carried out," Zhao Hui said with hands clasped behind his back, looking at Xu Mu with disdain.
"My future wife is watching from up there. And you want me to surrender?" Xu Mu called back.
Jiang Huihui's eyes warmed.
[Favorability +10]
Jiang Xingjun narrowed his eyes slightly, staring down at Xu Mu.
"Then lie down," Zhao Hui snapped, flicking his hand. A golden crescent of energy slashed toward Xu Mu.
The spectators already knew what should happen next:
Xu Mu would be blown away.
With one hand in his pocket and the other holding the chopper, Xu Mu simply took two steps to the left and the strike missed.
"What?"
Zhao Hui flared his qi again and hurled two more golden arcs.
Xu Mu first slipped his torso aside, then stepped back twice, avoiding them cleanly.
The onlookers were baffled.
What was this?
Xu Mu's movements weren't even fast—so how did he dodge at exactly the right time every time?
Wei Jingzhi's eyes widened. "This kid…"
Others might not see it, but he saw it clearly: the moment Zhao Hui launched each attack, Xu Mu was already reacting—creating the illusion of "slow" movement that nonetheless avoided everything.
"Little punk!" Zhao Hui's body lit with golden motes as he lunged straight in.
But when he was two meters from Xu Mu, he suddenly froze, glancing around as if searching for something.
Xu Mu stepped to his flank and slammed the back of the chopper into Zhao Hui's jaw.
Thud!
Zhao Hui collapsed on the spot, unable even to get up.
Everyone stared, dumbstruck.
What just happened?
Why did Zhao Hui suddenly stop moving and let Xu Mu smack him?
"Rigged! This is totally rigged!" a young spectator shouted from the stands.