The First Marquis of Daxuan

Li Tianzun's confidence made Lei Tianzun, Qi Lingyun, and the others somewhat hesitant.

Could it be that Liu Rufeng is not an extraordinary person?
Just then, a loud bang drew everyone's attention back to the arena.

On the stage, the outcome is already decided.

Su Mu stood holding an umbrella, with the fish-dragon-transformer beast coiled behind him, exuding an overwhelming aura.

Dozens of feet away from him, the Martial Ancestor knelt on one knee, drops of blood falling onto the ground in front of him, making a pattering sound.

The audience was silent.

The Martial Ancestor, who had never been defeated in a thousand years, was defeated.

This competition took place right before everyone's eyes.

Undeniably, Su Mu was able to defeat the Martial Ancestor thanks to the divine weapon in his hand.

But for martial artists, divine weapons are also a reflection of their own strength.

Su Mu won this battle without any controversy.

But those who witnessed this scene firsthand could not hide their shock.

An invincible powerhouse has fallen from grace, and an invincible powerhouse has taken the stage.

Given Su Mu's age, he will probably remain in this invincible position for many years to come.

Yang Hong, the sect leader of the True Saint Sect, clenched his fists, his expression constantly shifting.

He hesitated.

Logically, he should be going up on stage now to challenge Su Mu.

Take advantage of Su Mu's recent battle and defeat him.

But Yang Hong doesn't dare to do it now.

During this period, he had some extraordinary encounters, and his strength improved by leaps and bounds. However, Yang Hong was well aware that his current strength was at most on par with that of the Martial Ancestor.

With good luck, one might defeat the Martial Ancestor; with bad luck, one might be defeated by the Martial Ancestor.

Now that Wu Zu has been defeated, he has no chance of defeating Su Mu either.

The power of that fish-dragon-transformer was comparable to that of a celestial being, and he couldn't think of a way to break it no matter how hard he tried.

But he was reluctant to give up the opportunity right in front of him.

Just as Yang Hong was hesitating, Wu Zu staggered off the stage.

Wu Zu did not speak to anyone, nor did he linger. Instead, he walked step by step toward the city gate, his back view looking extremely desolate.

Looking at the Martial Ancestor's retreating figure, Yang Hong finally made a decision.

He didn't want to end up like that himself.

If you know you're bound to lose, why bother?
Yang Hongke has never been the kind of person who would endure hardship without facing it.

However, giving up directly seems a bit shameful.

Yang Hong frowned, and a plan came to mind.

He raised his hand and shouted loudly at the back of the Martial Ancestor.

"Brother Wu, wait for me, I have something important to discuss with you."

Yang Hong's voice was loud enough for everyone present to hear.

Then everyone saw Yang Hong chase after the Martial Ancestor and quickly disappear from sight.

Everyone: "..."

What important matter has caused you to give up the fight for the position of Lord Yang?

Everyone had some doubts.

Yang Hong, the sect leader of the True Saint Sect, is also considered a top contender by many.

Does his departure prove that Su Mu has directly become the Lord of Yang?

"Congratulations, Lord Yang!"

One of the martial artists couldn't wait any longer and shouted loudly.

Before he could finish speaking, Li Tianzun had already appeared on the arena.

"In the first battle, Su Mu won."

Li Tianzun spoke, his voice easily drowning out the shouts of the martial artist below.

"Next, who else wants to come up and challenge Su Mu?"

Li Tianzun continued, "This is a rare opportunity, so don't miss it."

The martial artists looked at each other in bewilderment.

Having witnessed Su Mu's battle against the Martial Ancestor, who would still be confident enough to fight Su Mu?

Going on stage like that, I'm afraid it won't even serve as a learning experience.

With their meager strength, they couldn't even withstand a single finger from Su Mu.

If it were someone weaker, they might dare to go up on stage for a spar, even if they didn't win, they could still gain more combat experience.

However, like Yang Hong, they completely gave up on Su Mu.

Liu Rufeng looked around and, seeing that no one dared to go on stage, couldn't help but snort inwardly.

He originally wanted to have more people wear down Su Mu's stamina before he went on stage to make his move.

Unexpectedly, these people, who are just as useless as Du Rongcheng, were so easily intimidated by Su Mu!
"waste!"

Liu Rufeng cursed inwardly.

Since no one else is coming up, he'll have to make the move.

Otherwise, the position of Yang Master would fall into Su Mu's hands.

"I come."

He slowly stood up, straightened his clothes, and then spoke.

Before he finished speaking, Liu Rufeng appeared on the arena like a gust of wind.

This unpretentious entrance brought a smile to the faces of the onlookers.

They didn't care who Liu Rufeng was; they just wanted to watch the show.

In any case, no matter who comes to power, they can't possibly beat Su Mu.

"This guy looks unfamiliar. Who is he? He's got some nerve. How many breaths do you think he can last?"

One of the martial artists spoke up with a grin.

"A few breaths? You're giving him too much credit. This guy doesn't look famous at all. He just wants to take advantage of this opportunity to show off and make everyone remember him. I bet he can't even withstand one move."

One of the martial artists said disdainfully.

“You’re probably mistaken. I know this person. I saw him come with Li Tianzun from the Cangqiong Sect. He is very likely a master secretly cultivated by the Cangqiong Sect.”

One of the martial artists said, "I reckon he can last at least three moves."

The whispers of the crowd reached Liu Rufeng's ears, making him tremble with anger.

Liu Rufeng was considered a rising star in the Great Qian Dynasty, yet he was being looked down upon by these people!
That's right, Su Mu is very strong, but does that mean Liu Rufeng can't even withstand three of Su Mu's moves?

Liu Rufeng narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with surging killing intent.

Just then, he heard a familiar voice.

"How about we make a bet? I bet Su Mu will lose."

This is Du Rongcheng's voice: "Place your bets now! If you bet on Su Mu to win, the odds are 3 to 1; if you bet on Su Mu to lose, the odds are 1 to 1."

Liu Rufeng almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

That bastard Du Rongcheng actually used him to run a betting operation!

You should have opened it before I took the stage, so I could have placed a bet and made some pocket money!
"Bet on Su Mu to win at three to one? You're not kidding, are you?"

A group of martial artists surrounded Du Rongcheng.

It should be noted that the vast majority of people present believed that Su Mu would definitely win.

This is a sure win situation, isn't this just giving them free money?
"A real man keeps his word. I, Du Rongcheng, am a man of my word."

Du Rongcheng patted his chest and said.

"Can you afford to pay?"

Some martial artists do not believe in the underground passage.

"I can't afford to pay?"

Du Rongcheng squinted and said, "You know nothing about my wealth!"

He waved his hand.

Crash.

A pile of spirit stones fell to the ground and formed a small mountain.

Those spirit stones numbered at least a thousand, and they were all top-grade spirit stones!

Ordinary gold and silver are meaningless to martial artists; the currency circulating in the martial arts world is spirit stones.

Top-grade spirit stones are the best spirit stones; one top-grade spirit stone can be exchanged for a hundred high-grade spirit stones.

This small pile of top-grade spirit stones is priceless.

A collective gasp filled the room.

Everyone stared intently at the mountain of top-grade spirit stones, their chests heaving.

To be honest, if it weren't for the presence of twenty-one Celestial Venerables today, some people would probably be considering taking the risk by now.

Now everyone is aware of Du Rongcheng's financial resources.

No one thought Du Rongcheng couldn't afford to pay his gambling debts.

"I bet Su Mu will win, ten thousand high-grade spirit stones!"

A martial artist shouted.

"I'm also betting on Su Mu to win, 30,000 high-grade spirit stones!"

"I'll bet five thousand high-grade spirit stones!"

"Eight thousand yuan."

"I bet Su Mu will lose."

Some people also want to take a big gamble.

Soon, another pile of spirit stones appeared next to Du Rongcheng's pile.

Although this pile of spirit stones was only of high grade, it quickly surpassed Du Rongcheng's pile.

"Bet on Su Mu to win, 100,000 high-grade spirit stones."

A voice sounded.

Swish!
All eyes turned to that direction.

One hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones is a huge sum of money even for a powerful being at the Heavenly Fate Realm.

They all wanted to see who was behind such a grand gesture.

"Cat Nine Heavens Venerable?"

Everyone's eyes widened.

"What? Does this betting depend on cultivation level? Does that mean even a Celestial Venerable can't gamble?"

Mao Jiu raised his head and said.

"As long as you dare to gamble, I dare to take the bet. I'm just afraid you'll lose all of your 100,000 high-grade spirit stones."

Du Rongcheng grinned.

"Hey, it's okay to gamble, even if you lose."

Cat Nine is an old man, seemingly invincible.

"I'll play a round too."

Lei Tianzun raised his hand, and a pile of spirit stones landed in front of Du Rongcheng. "I am not as rich as Mao Jiutianzun, so I will bet 50,000 high-grade spirit stones."

Although the other Celestial Venerables were somewhat tempted, they respected their status and were unwilling to lose face in front of the world, so they refrained from placing any bets.

"I'll bet one million high-grade spirit stones."

Just as Li Tianzun was about to announce the start of the competition, someone suddenly spoke up timidly.

Everyone looked over again at the sound, and saw a man in a dragon robe standing in front of Du Rongcheng, one hand raised high, speaking.

“I am Li Chuan, the emperor of the Great Xuan Dynasty. I bet one million high-grade spirit stones that Su Mu will win.”

"one million?"

This number made Du Rongcheng frown.

This is not a small amount.

If Su Mu really wins, he will have to pay the other party three million high-grade spirit stones.

but--

A cold smile flashed in Du Rongcheng's eyes.

If someone comes to him with spirit stones, there's no reason to turn them away.

"I took it!"

Du Rongcheng said.

Li Tianzun had reached his limit and shouted, "Let the competition begin! Don't waste the time of all the Tianzun!"

On the arena, Liu Rufeng's gaze fell on Su Mu.

"Su Mu, your puppet emperor has a lot of confidence in you. However, it seems that this million high-grade spirit stones will be wasted. I wonder if your Great Xuan Dynasty can afford this loss."

Liu Rufeng did not rush to make a move, but instead said coldly.

"It seems you're confident of victory. How do you know I'm bound to lose?"

"If I win, I might make a profit of several million high-grade spirit stones."

Su Mu chuckled and said, "You say that only because you know nothing about my strength."

Liu Rufeng said with a cold smile.

Having just been fooled by Du Rongcheng, Liu Rufeng now felt that those words were fucking awesome!

"Since you're so confident, would you mind if I increased the bet?"

Su Mu chuckled and spoke.

"What do you want to bet on?"

Liu Rufeng blurted it out.

With the Seven Dragon Scale Armor protecting him, he never thought he would lose.

Since Su Mu still wanted to contribute something to him, he certainly wouldn't refuse.

Swish!
With a flick of his wrist, Su Mu sent the Heavenly Net Umbrella flying, which slammed into Du Rongcheng's front with a whoosh.

Du Rongcheng was startled, then overjoyed.

Was Su Mu afraid? That's why he took the initiative to return the Heavenly Net Umbrella?
"Su Mu, you're smart enough to return the Heavenly Net Umbrella. I'll have Liu Rufeng show mercy and spare your life."

Du Rongcheng said.

Liu Rufeng's face darkened.

Who are you to me? Do you expect me to do whatever you tell me to do?
The only reason I give you face is because your father is the Minister of Works!

If I didn't care who your father was, what would you be anyway?
"you misunderstood."

Su Mu shook his head and said, "The Heavenly Net Umbrella is my bet; I bet I'll win."

He had a smile on his face.

One umbrella is enough; he feared that even if Du Rongcheng went bankrupt, it wouldn't be enough to compensate for the excess.

"You should know the price of the Heavenly Net Umbrella better than I do. It's okay if you're hesitant to accept it—"

Su Mu said, his tone somewhat contemptuous.

What Du Rongcheng couldn't stand the most was being looked down upon by others.

"I can not?"

Du Rongcheng sneered, "Who do you think you are? I'll take it!"

Liu Rufeng originally wanted to stop Su Mu, after all, the value of the Heavenly Net Umbrella was too great, and if anything unexpected happened, even with Du Rongcheng's status, he wouldn't be able to compensate for three Heavenly Net Umbrellas.

But then I thought, would he lose?

will not!

In that case, wouldn't it be a good thing if Su Mu took the initiative to give away the Heavenly Net Umbrella?

Moreover, Su Mu has staked everything on the Heavenly Net Umbrella, which means he's lost a trump card in the upcoming matches.

From any perspective, this is a good thing for him, so why would he stop it?
"If you don't start now, you're all out."

Li Tianzun had reached his limit and said coldly.

"Su Mu, let's do it!"

Liu Rufeng composed himself and looked at Su Mu with murderous intent in his eyes.

He took a sudden step forward and raised both hands.

call!call!
Several golden dragons roared out.

The moment those golden dragons appeared, the surrounding spiritual energy surged towards them in a frenzy.

The golden dragons bared their fangs and claws, devouring spiritual energy while simultaneously opening their mouths wide towards Su Mu.

As the attack approached, Su Mu's pupils contracted slightly.

He calmly and slowly raised his hand and grabbed a golden dragon by the neck.

The golden dragon struggled, but it couldn't break free from Su Mu's grip.

However, Su Mu still felt a powerful suction force coming from the golden dragon, as if it was trying to draw away the power within him.

"So this is the Heavenly Dragon God Technique? It's quite interesting indeed."

Su Mu thought to himself.

boom!
He unleashed a burst of power in his hand, crushing the golden dragon in one blow.

Then he stomped his foot, and the power in his body was completely unleashed.

It's too late to say.

With a few swift movements, Su Mu shattered all the golden dragons and arrived in front of Liu Rufeng, raising his hand to deliver a punch.

Liu Rufeng's expression remained unchanged.

He hadn't used his full strength to begin with.

This is just a test between the two sides; both are trying to find out each other's strengths and weaknesses.

It's normal that Su Mu was able to catch his move; it would be abnormal if he couldn't.

He remained calm and collected, changing his hand gestures as he unleashed several more attacks.

The two exchanged blows, displaying a variety of moves, making for a very exciting scene.

If the previous match between Su Mu and Wu Zu was a life-or-death struggle, then the fight between Su Mu and Liu Rufeng now seems more like an exhibition match.

Their moves were all very beautiful, and each move was very rewarding for the audience.

But for some reason, everyone felt that something was missing from their competition.

"Don't you guys think they're just putting on a show?"

One of the martial artists finally couldn't help but speak up.

"Performance?"

The warriors all nodded in agreement; those two words truly expressed what they were thinking.

No wonder they always felt something was off.

This isn't a life-or-death battle; it's just a performance.

"Liu Rufeng, what are you doing? Quickly, make your move and kill him!"

Hearing the crowd's discussion, Du Rongcheng couldn't help but shout loudly.

"Hurry up, don't delay my chance to make a fortune."

Liu Rufeng's face darkened, and he wished he could slap Du Rongcheng to death.

Is he testing Su Mu's true strength?

In martial arts competitions, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory.

Going all out from the start without thinking is a sign of being brainless!

I need to figure out Su Mu's background first, then I'll know what methods to use against him, and I'll be able to win easily.

You know the shit!

Unfortunately, he couldn't point these words at Du Rongcheng's nose and curse him on the ring.

Liu Rufeng was distracted for just a moment, and Su Mu seized the opportunity.

Su Mu moved like a dragon, his speed suddenly increasing several times over, breaking through Liu Rufeng's defense and landing directly on Liu Rufeng's chest.

A strong wind howled, and Liu Rufeng was startled.

Seeing that Su Mu's palm was only inches away from his chest, Liu Rufeng cursed Du Rongcheng in his heart.

boom!
Unable to dodge in time, Liu Rufeng had no choice but to activate the Seven Absolute Dragon Scale Armor.

With a muffled thud, Su Mu's fist landed on Liu Rufeng, but instead of injuring him, Su Mu was forced back two steps by the light emanating from Liu Rufeng.

For the first time since the start of the war, the situation has changed.

Su Mu retreated!
The martial artists below the stage all paled.

Su Mu was actually forced back?
Those martial artists who had placed heavy bets on Su Mu suddenly became restless.

They believed Su Mu would definitely win, which is why they placed such a large bet.

If Su Mu loses, they will be bankrupt.

"There's something fishy going on here! There must be something fishy going on!"

One of the martial artists shouted excitedly, "Are you all ganging up to cheat us out of our spirit stones?"

"I knew it! This Liu Rufeng is nobody, how dare he come up here? So you were up to this trick! You wanted Su Mu to deliberately lose to Liu Rufeng so you could cheat us out of spirit stones!"

Another martial artist shouted.

"Give me back the spirit stone!"

Some people are already trying to reclaim the spirit stones they bet on.

"Let's see who dares!"

Du Rongcheng was furious.

It's fine to slander him, but trying to steal his spirit stones is absolutely unacceptable!

"Quiet!"

Li Tianzun glanced displeasedly at the chaotic crowd and said coldly.

An invisible force instantly enveloped the entire area, and everyone immediately fell silent.

"I can vouch for my reputation that Liu Rufeng and Su Mu have absolutely no collusion."

Li Tianzun said coldly, "In this competition, the outcome depends solely on strength; there is absolutely no behind-the-scenes manipulation."

Do you really think that so many of us Celestial Venerables would play along with their act?

"Don't dare."

The martial artists, drenched in sweat and pale-faced, spoke.

"Anyone who dares to spread rumors and mislead the public again, don't blame me for turning ruthless!"

Li Tianzun snorted coldly.

"Li Tianzun is certainly protective of his own."

Qi Lingyun said with a mocking expression.

She already had Liu Rufeng's information.

This was provided by the Azure Sky Sect.

They had already stated that the identity of everyone who came to the stage would be vetted.

Liu Rufeng represented the Cangqiong Sect in the battle, and his information was naturally provided by the Cangqiong Sect.

It must be said that the information fabricated by the Azure Sky Sect was flawless.

Liu Rufeng's ancestors for eighteen generations were all disciples of the Azure Sky Sect, and he has been cultivating within the Azure Sky Sect since birth.

Qi Lingyun was certain that even if she investigated these materials, she would only find that they were all true.

Li Tianzun wasn't stupid. Since he dared to take out these materials, he wasn't afraid of others investigating.

Disciples of the Azure Sky Sect with impeccable lineage are certainly qualified to compete for the position of Yang Master.

Unless Lei Tianzun and Qi Lingyun have evidence to prove that Liu Rufeng is an extraordinary person, they can only watch Liu Rufeng go on stage.

They have no evidence.

Of course, even if they have evidence, they might not immediately produce it.

It would be much more interesting to have Su Mu kill Liu Rufeng in the arena than to expose Liu Rufeng's identity.

The opportunity to spar with an extraordinary person is rare, so why not let Su Mu practice with him?

Lei Tianzun, Qi Lingyun, and the others were well aware of Su Mu's strength. In their view, with Su Mu's strength, it was almost impossible for him to lose to Liu Rufeng.

Moreover, Su Mu has another trump card up his sleeve.

However, the fact that Liu Rufeng was able to force Su Mu to retreat was indeed somewhat beyond their expectations.

“Li Tianzun, the cultivation technique used by Liu Rufeng doesn’t seem to be from your Cangqiong Sect.”

Lei Tianzun said coldly.

"How much do you, Thunder Celestial Venerable, know about the cultivation techniques of my Azure Sky Sect?"

Li Tianzun sneered, "You wouldn't be thinking of using underhanded tactics because you see Su Mu is about to lose, would you?"

I'm telling you, this competition is fair and just, and no one can interfere with the outcome!

His words were resolute and forceful.

Lei Tianzun and Qi Lingyun looked disdainful.

“Well said. We will resolutely oppose anyone who tries to play tricks.”

They spoke.

With the assurances of the Heavenly Venerables, the crowd dared not make any more noise or cause trouble, and all eyes were fixed on the high platform.

At this moment, everyone could see that the light surrounding Liu Rufeng was clearly emanating from a protective armor.

Previously, Su Mu used a divine weapon to defeat the Martial Ancestor, but now Liu Rufeng is defending himself flawlessly with a piece of precious armor.

No matter how fierce Su Mu's attacks were, they could not cause Liu Rufeng any damage when they landed on that precious armor.

For a moment, everyone had the same thought in their minds.

Feng Shui turns.

Victory is due to divine weapons, defeat is also due to divine weapons.

Su Mu is probably in big trouble this time.

Divine weapons represent foundation, but in terms of foundation, how can the Great Xuan Dynasty compare to the Azure Sky Sect?

Those martial artists who had placed heavy bets on Su Mu were all devastated.

Du Rongcheng seemed to have already foreseen the outcome and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Su Mu didn't die in vain, I'm rich now."

Du Rongcheng laughed loudly. (End of Chapter)