Chapter 538 - 183: Origin, Blood Feud

It was incredibly difficult to quickly improve one’s strength and rise through the ranks in such an environment.

It was precisely because of this that Ma Guoliang had resolutely decided to switch to Fen Yang Peak.

Peak Master Fen Yang was ostentatious and lavish, and the resources his disciples could obtain were far greater than those on Lingxi Peak.

He had to use the power and resources of Fen Yang Peak, and even the entire Xuanzhen Sect, to grow stronger as quickly as possible. For every day he failed to avenge his mother, he could not find a moment’s peace.

He knew that after what happened back then, the gossip within the sect had never truly died down.

Some said he was too selfish, that he would do anything for resources.

Some said he was foolish, spurning the favor of Peak Master Lingxi to instead curry favor with Fen Yang Peak.

Still others called him a heartless ingrate for betraying Peak Master Bai Bing’s kindness.

But he never cared about any of this idle chatter.

To him, reputation was nothing more than smoke in the wind.

’As long as I can avenge my mother, what does it matter if I have to give up my life?’

To grow stronger, to get his revenge, he would stoop to any means and pay any price.

Soon, Ma Guoliang had eaten every last bit of food in his bowl.

He set down his bowl and chopsticks, wiped the corner of his mouth with a towel, and said to Chang Xiaoyu, "Xiaoyu, take your time. I’m going to practice my spear."

Chang Xiaoyu was already used to this. She nodded and replied softly, "Alright. Don’t push yourself too hard, Senior Brother Ma. Remember to get some rest."

Ma Guoliang didn’t answer. He just turned and strode out of the house into the courtyard.

The night was hazy, and moonlight, like water, spilled into the empty courtyard.

He closed the courtyard gate, then took a deep breath and reached for the greatspear propped against the corner of the wall.

The shaft was cool to the touch, with a familiar, heavy weight.

Ma Guoliang sank into a low stance, and the greatspear in his hands instantly began to dance.

His eyes were ice-cold, and beneath that coldness was a roiling killing intent.

’He hated. He hated the Ma Family for their cold-blooded heartlessness.’

’He was furious. Furious that he still hadn’t killed his enemies with his own hands.’

’If he didn’t vent this hatred and violent rage, he felt like his chest would explode.’

The despairing, sorrowful look in his mother’s eyes as she lay dying seemed to appear before him again.

The sneering faces of those Ma Family members, laughing wildly around his mother’s coffin, were also seared into his mind.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"If I don’t avenge my mother, what kind of son am I?!"

Ma Guoliang roared, his spear techniques growing ever sharper.

The spear’s shadow danced like a sudden storm, its sharp whistle tearing through the courtyard’s silence.

The spear tip sliced through the air, leaving trails of chilling light. In that moment, only a single word remained in his heart—Kill!

....

「The next day」

At 7:00 AM, the morning light broke through the clouds, spilling down onto Fushan Square.

The square, usually quite spacious, was now a clamor of voices, bustling with noise and excitement.

The disciples from the Main Peak and the Seven Veins who had advanced to the fourth round all stood solemnly below the central arena stage. Each one stood tall with sharp eyes, their bodies faintly exuding the fierce aura of a Martial Artist.

On the high platform, Cao Zhen, the Sect Leader of Xuanzhen Sect, sat in the center, flanked by the seven Peak Masters, all of whom gazed down dispassionately at the scene below.

The secondary platforms were filled with the Elders of the Main Peak and the various veins, their gazes fixed intently on the arena where the matches were about to begin.

Across all of Fushan Square, including the disciples from every vein who had come to watch, there were several thousand people in total.

A grand gathering of this scale was a rare event even within the Xuanzhen Sect.

The fourth round of the competition soon began under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Main Peak Steward Xue Kun strode onto the arena stage, cleared his throat, and infused his voice with Inner Strength to carry across the entire square. "First match of the fourth round of the Fushan Grand Tournament: Chu Yunhai of Celestial Derivation Peak versus Zhu Haotian of Qingxu Peak!"

As his voice fell, two figures leaped up simultaneously, landing steadily in the center of the stage.

Chu Yunhai, dressed in blue robes, stood with his hands behind his back. His expression was composed, as calm and unruffled as ever.

Zhu Haotian, in contrast, had a grave expression. His fists were clenched, and his eyes were fixed warily on Chu Yunhai, as if facing a great enemy, not daring to relax for a moment.

He was well aware that the person before him was the number one prodigy on the Hidden Dragon List, whose strength was undoubtedly far superior to his own.

With Xue Kun’s cry of "Begin!", the first duel officially started.

Zhu Haotian didn’t dare make a reckless move. He was keenly aware of Chu Yunhai’s power and wanted to start on the defensive, searching for an opening.

But Chu Yunhai gave him no chance to maneuver. With a shift of his feet, his figure closed the distance like a phantom, instantly unleashing his primary palm technique.

This time, Chu Yunhai didn’t defeat his opponent in a single move as he had before. After all, Zhu Haotian was also a master of the Qi Eating Realm. His strength was considerable; he was no pushover.

Chu Yunhai thrust out a palm, the wind from the strike whistling as it carried a heavy pressure straight toward Zhu Haotian’s face.

Zhu Haotian hastily raised his fists to block. Fists and palm collided with a dull THUD.

Zhu Haotian felt an irresistible force surge up his arms, jolting his qi and blood into turmoil. It felt as if his organs had been displaced, and he staggered back three steps before steadying himself.

After just one move, Zhu Haotian was already at a disadvantage.

Having gained the upper hand, Chu Yunhai pressed his advantage. His figure moved like a shadow, and layers of palm-strikes fell like a torrential downpour.

Each palm accurately struck at Zhu Haotian’s openings, suppressing him completely.

Zhu Haotian could only barely parry. The veins on his forehead bulged, his face flushed red, and he had no room to even counterattack.

In just a moment, Chu Yunhai had already launched four consecutive palm strikes.

As the fifth palm fell, he twisted his wrist, and the edge of his palm precisely slapped Zhu Haotian’s shoulder.

Zhu Haotian grunted, his body flying backward like a kite with a snapped string, and landed heavily outside the arena.

"First match, victory to Chu Yunhai of Celestial Derivation Peak!" Steward Xue walked onto the stage and announced loudly.

Match after match began, and match after match concluded.

In the first three matches, Chu Yunhai, Bai Ziyu, and Lu Shaohua still defeated their opponents cleanly and decisively. However, compared to the previous rounds, they no longer won in a single move. Instead, it took them three to five, or even seven to eight moves, to secure victory.

After all, those who made it to the fourth round were all outstanding experts in the Qi Eating Realm; their strength was not to be underestimated.

"Fourth match, victory to Jiang Lin Yuan of the Main Peak!"

"Fifth match, victory to Cui Yuan of Zhenyue Peak!"

"Sixth match, victory to Gu Changfeng of Yunxi Peak!"

"Seventh match, victory to Li Cangwu of Fen Yang Peak!"

"Eighth match, victory to Su Muyuan of Celestial Derivation Peak!"

Xue Kun’s voice rang out again and again as the fighting on the stage grew increasingly fierce.

In the later matches, the opponents were more evenly matched. It often took dozens or even hundreds of moves to determine a winner, drawing gasps of astonishment and thunderous applause from the crowd below.

Finally, it was time for the ninth match.

Xue Kun picked up the roster in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before he announced in a clear voice, "Ninth match of the fourth round of the Fushan Grand Tournament—Yang Jing of Lingxi Peak versus Ma Guoliang of Fen Yang Peak!"

...

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