“Miss Meng Yu, do you know him?” Bei Xiao asked in surprise.
“Just go find him,” Meng Yu replied, lowering her head and whispering a few words in his ear.
Bei Xiao nodded slightly, then walked step by step toward Xu Zimo.
“Fellow cultivator, would you be willing to compete on my behalf?” Bei Xiao asked sincerely.
“Please don’t refuse right away. Once I become City Lord, on the day of my investiture, when I travel to the North Sea, I will take you with me. How about it?”
“She told you that, didn’t she?” Xu Zimo glanced at Meng Yu and smiled faintly.
“Will you agree?” Bei Xiao didn’t answer the question, only repeated his own.
“All right,” Xu Zimo said, waving his hand casually.
He needed to meet the Dragon Maiden and visit the Pool of Demon Transformation, both of which were far more important than this.
“Many thanks,” Bei Xiao said, bowing with joy.
“Father, I’ve chosen my three participants. Why not start the match now?”
“Very well,” said the middle-aged man seated in the armchair, nodding lightly.
Beside him, Bei Qinghai’s expression grew solemn. “Gong One, you go first.”
“Yes.” Among the three Gong brothers, the eldest stepped forward immediately.
His gaze swept across the crowd as he shouted, “Who dares face me?”
“I will.” From among the two Qi brothers, the elder, Qi Wen, stepped out. He held a folding fan, a red mark between his brows.
His eyes were as sharp as drawn swords, and the spear on his back gleamed with cold silver light under the sun.
“Please.” The two clasped fists in greeting. As soon as the words fell, spear intent and blade intent erupted at once.
Qi Wen spun his spear in a full circle around him; the spearhead tore through space itself, flashing with killing light.
Gong One, wielding his twin cleavers, sent forth a gust of blade wind that became a storm of flashing edges.
Blade and spear clashed, sparks flying everywhere.
Their movements were graceful, their techniques exquisite, both the Qi family’s spear art and the Gong family’s blade art were at a high level.
The pressure of their God Meridian cultivation surged.
Around them, spectators watched with rapt attention.
“The Gong family’s blade techniques and the Qi family’s spear techniques both have their merits,” someone praised.
“These two are evenly matched. It’ll take a while before a winner’s decided.”
Just as that man predicted, the battle dragged on for more than ten minutes.
After more than ten minutes, both fighters were panting, their bodies covered in wounds.
“You’re done for,” Gong One laughed. “Better surrender while you can.”
“Bullshit. I can fight dozens more rounds,” Qi Wen snorted coldly.
He thrust his spear forward, the tip bursting with endless sharp light.
An inch longer, an inch stronger.
Gong One swung his blades in a flurry, the air roaring with every strike. When the weapons met again, waves of energy blasted outward.
At that moment, Gong One suddenly thrust his left hand forward, several sharp arrows shot out from the wide sleeve of his robe.
Qi Wen’s face changed; he lifted his spear upward, deflecting the arrows with a twist, knocking them all aside.
But Gong One seized the opening, his blade sliced through Qi Wen’s robe, leaving a bloody mark on his back, then kicked him hard, sending him flying.
“Despicable! Using tricks!” Qi Wu, Qi Wen’s younger brother, roared angrily from the side.
“In battle, there’s only victory or defeat,” Gong One retorted coldly. “There’s no such thing as fair or unfair. He wasn’t strong enough, he should accept it.”
“Fine,” Qi Wu growled, his jaw clenched. His broad frame loomed as he stepped forward, muscles tight as steel.
“Who’s next?”
His tiger-like eyes glared around; under that gaze, few dared meet his eyes directly.
“Gong Two, you go,” Bei Qinghai commanded.
“Yes.” The second Gong brother stepped out slowly, sword in hand.
He stood upright in his white robes, facing Qi Wu from across the arena.
“Please enlighten me.”
“Enough talk, let’s start,” Qi Wu said impatiently.
Gong Two raised his sword and slashed downward.
But Qi Wu didn’t even draw a weapon; he caught the blade barehanded.
The sword struck his palm as if it had hit solid steel.
Gong Two tried to pull it back, but couldn’t.
Qi Wu roared like a tiger shaking the mountains and snapped the sword in two before slamming a heavy fist into Gong Two’s chest.
Blood sprayed as Gong Two’s body was hurled across the ground.
“Second Brother!” the other two Gong brothers shouted.
“I’m fine… I can still fight,” Gong Two said weakly, standing up and waving his hand.
Though blood streamed from his mouth and nose, he still straightened his back proudly.
“Gong Two was careless,” Xie Changle said calmly from the pavilion.
“It’s said the Qi family’s spear technique is unmatched, but Qi Wu hasn’t practiced the spear.
He’s trained his body like a savage beast’s, winning purely by brute strength,” Xu Zimo nodded in agreement.
“If Gong Two had kept his distance and used sword energy instead of clashing directly, he might’ve won. But now, it’s too late.”
As Xu Zimo finished speaking, the outcome was already clear.
Badly wounded, Gong Two couldn’t withstand more than a few more furious blows before collapsing.
With one win and one loss each, the final match would decide everything.
Bei Xiao felt uneasy. He turned to Meng Yu and asked, “That man… he’s reliable, right?”
He couldn’t help but worry. This young man was a complete unknown; if he lost, there would be no chance for redemption.
“Trust my judgment,” Meng Yu said softly, narrowing her eyes.
“My turn,” Xu Zimo yawned, walking lazily onto the stage.
Such fights didn’t interest him in the slightest.
If not for wanting to meet the Dragon Maiden, he wouldn’t have bothered at all.
From the crowd, the youngest Gong brother stepped forward.
Among the three, his cultivation was the highest, he had already stepped into the Immortal realm.
Dressed in green robes, he had an air of grace about him.
His eyes were calm as water, his presence serene, faint immortal aura rising around him. Each step he took seemed imbued with celestial rhythm.
“You’ve copied an immortal’s demeanor but learned none of the essence,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.
At that, Gong Three’s expression turned cold. Even the red mark between his brows flared, releasing a beam of scarlet light.
Amid that eerie glow, a third eye slowly opened.
“Say that again,” Gong Three said coldly.
“I said, you’re trash,” Xu Zimo replied, still smiling.
“Courting death!” Gong Three snapped, wasting no more words. The third eye between his brows shot out a crimson beam like roaring flames, devouring everything in its path.
“It’s the Scarlet Flame Celestial Eye!” someone exclaimed.
“They say Gong Three once slew the king of the Scarlet Flame Eyebeasts and transplanted its eye into his own forehead. Looks like the rumors were true.”
As the scorching red light surged toward him, Xu Zimo raised his right hand and struck outward.
A crushing force filled the air, the red beam was instantly deflected back.
The reflected light hit Gong Three squarely in the brow.
The crimson glow exploded. He fell to the ground, writhing in agony.
It took a full minute before he could even begin to recover from the pain.