Becoming a Saint Starting with the Chasing Wind Leg Technique

Chapter 161 The Agreement of the Prefectural City

Qian Rushan suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Song Jing, losing not only his almost-secured "prospective outer disciple" qualification but also damaging his prestigious reputation as the number one person in the inner city. He could not swallow this insult no matter what.

Especially when he thought of Song Jing's calm, almost indifferent gaze, and the once awe-inspiring but now strange looks from those below the arena, the shame, anger, and resentment in his heart burned like poisonous fire.

"Song Jing—I will never let you get away with this!" Qian Rushan's face was gloomy. He summoned Sun Sihai, Li Qingmei, Zhao Yuanqing, who also hated Song Jing to the bone, as well as Lei Zhen, who had just recovered some of his strength and was also full of resentment towards Song Jing, to plot a countermeasure.

"The new rule is to defend the title for a month and accept any challenge from the top ten. He didn't say I can't challenge him consecutively!" Qian Rushan's eyes flashed with a cold light. "We'll find people to use a rotation strategy! We'll wear him down! He just went through a major battle and just broke through to the Perfection realm; his cultivation is still unstable. After a series of fierce battles, he'll surely have weaknesses! When I make my move then, I'll be able to avenge my previous defeat and reclaim fifth place!"

"However, among the top ten, several of us have already been defeated, and Junior Brother Lei Zhen is ranked low, and—" Zhao Yuanqing hesitated. He had suffered the most crushing defeat and was the most terrified of Song Jing.

"It's alright!" Sun Sihai interjected, his face ruthless. "Among the top ten, besides us, there's Wu Gang, the seventh-ranked 'Broken Mountain Blade'; Liu Yiyi, the eighth-ranked 'Flowing Cloud Fan'; Shi Yong, the ninth-ranked 'Iron Tower'; and Mo Qi, the tenth-ranked 'Ghost Shadow'!"

These four men have some prior ties with us, and they might not be without their own ambitions regarding Song Jing, this suddenly emerging young man from the outer city who has captured everyone's attention. If we offer them substantial rewards, we might be able to persuade them to take action!

"Yes! A war of attrition! One a day! Until he's exhausted and drained of his energy!" Li Qingmei shouted shrilly. "Let's see how long he can keep up his arrogance!"

With the plan settled, the group split up and took action.

With the influence of the inner city families and the generous gifts they promised, including elixirs, contribution points, and even guidance on family martial arts, they quickly persuaded Wu Gang, Liu Yiyi, Shi Yong, and Mo Qi.

These four people were ranked between seventh and tenth, and they were somewhat resentful and jealous of Song Jing, the "dark horse," who occupied fifth place. In addition, they agreed because there was something to gain.

They agreed that starting from the third day of the challenge, Mo Qi, ranked tenth, would lead the charge, with one person challenging Song Jing each day. Their aim was not to win, but to deplete Song Jing's strength and condition to the greatest extent possible.

On the last day, Qian Rushan, who had been conserving his energy and was the strongest among them, launched the fatal blow!

Somehow, the news leaked out and quickly reached Nie Feng and Bai Yunfei's ears.

"Despicable! Shameless!" Bai Yunfei's face turned red with anger. He slammed his fist on the table. "If they can't beat them, they resort to underhanded tactics! A war of attrition? How could they even think of that! And they're all supposed to be influential figures in the inner city, they've completely lost all sense of shame!"

Nie Feng also frowned, his face ashen: "Qian Rushan can't afford to lose. Wu Gang, Liu Yiyi, Shi Yong, and Mo Qi are all strong, each with their own unique skills, and they have been occupying the seventh to tenth positions for a long time."

If they truly wear him down repeatedly, even if Senior Brother Song wins, he will inevitably suffer heavy losses and his condition will plummet. At that time, Qian Rushan will be able to wait in comfort and strength.

The two felt increasingly uneasy and immediately rushed to Song Jing's quiet room in the Jiazi district, telling him everything they had learned and their worries.

However, after listening to their anxious narration, Song Jing merely lifted his eyelids from the ancient book in his hand, his expression calm and unwavering, as if he had only heard idle chatter such as "the weather is nice today."

"Okay, I understand," he said casually, his gaze returning to the pages of the book.

Nie Feng and Bai Yunfei were stunned. They knew? That's all?

"Senior Brother Song! You can't be careless!" Bai Yunfei said urgently. "Those four are not to be underestimated, and Qian Rushan is especially eager for revenge! Last time you won against him with great difficulty, and this time they are both prepared and unprepared—"

"I understand." Song Jing interrupted him again, his tone still indifferent, without even glancing at them. "You may leave."

Nie Feng and Bai Yunfei looked at each other, feeling both anxious and helpless.

They could tell that Song Jing genuinely didn't take the matter to heart; his calmness wasn't feigned, but rather a kind of indifference stemming from absolute power.

But they simply couldn't imagine how Song Jing would deal with this blatant scheme of attrition warfare.

The two left the quiet room with heavy hearts.

Inside, Song Jing gently closed the book "Geography and Customs of Yunxiu Prefecture" in his hand, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.

"A war of attrition? Wear and tear?" He was completely unmoved, even finding it somewhat laughable.

"After breaking through to perfection, my strength is far greater than when I defeated Qian Rushan. My power, speed, and defense have all increased exponentially, and my control over the Wildfire Spear Technique has reached a new level. Those four? They're nothing but chickens and dogs. If they can even last five moves against me, that's already a testament to their skill."

"As for Qian Rushan—" A cold glint flashed in Song Jing's eyes, "Last time I played two hundred and fifty moves with him, but it was just to use him to hone my newly mastered spear technique, and also to see what this so-called number one in the inner city was really made of. Now that my realm is stable, killing him will be enough within a hundred moves. A war of attrition? Heh, I'm afraid it will only give them more time to accumulate despair."

His thoughts had already drifted far away. To him, the petty scheming and backstabbing within the inner city were nothing more than the clamor of a frog in a well.

His gaze had long since passed beyond the city walls of Tianshui, reaching towards a wider and more magnificent world.

Ever since learning that the "outer disciples" would be going to Pingtianmen in the prefectural city to cultivate, Song Jing's heart has been involuntarily drawn there.

In the past few days, besides cultivating, he has been reviewing the information about the prefectural city and even the entire Yun Prefecture that he can access in the Jiazi District.

Although the "Geography and Customs of Yunfu" in his hand was only a basic introduction, it opened a window for him to peek into the outside world.

Yunxiu Prefecture, encompassing eleven cities, is a vast and prosperous region.

Its center was Xiuyang City, where the prefectural government was located.

That was a true megacity, magnificent and imposing, far surpassing the small border town of Tianshui.

According to the book, the prosperity of Yangcheng was thousands or even dozens of times greater than that of the inner city of Tianshui!

Skyscrapers stand side by side, wide streets can accommodate ten horse-drawn carriages side by side, shops line the streets, and rare and precious treasures are on display.

The crowds were dense, with a very high proportion of martial artists among them. Martial artists at the Bone Forging Realm were a common sight, unlike in Tianshui City where they were as rare as phoenix feathers.

In fact, beings who surpass the Bone Forging Realm are not just legends; they are often heard of.

That place is the stage for true powerhouses, where the most elite forces and geniuses of Yunfu gather.

Pingtianmen is one of the five major sects that dominate Yunxiu Prefecture. It has a huge influence, a deep foundation, and its disciples are all over the prefecture.

Among them are the five major families of Zhou, Wu, Wang, Zheng, and Chen, who are also the top martial arts forces in Yunxiu Prefecture. They, along with Pingtianmen, belong to the Five Elements Sect, a major sect.

Its sect leader is said to have come from Tianshui City, so he has taken good care of Tianshui City, set up a branch here, and regarded Tianshui City as one of the important sources of disciples.

However, the true mountain gate, elite troops, and the main body of the outer and inner gates are all located in Fuchengyang.

Besides Pingtianmen, Xiuyang City also has many other renowned sects, families, and chambers of commerce.

There are "Forging Pavilion" which is good at crafting weapons, "Hundred Herbs Hall" which is good at making elixirs, "Wind and Rain Pavilion" which is good at intelligence, and various martial arts families with long-standing traditions and many masters.

That is the core of Yunxiu Prefecture's martial arts and economy, where opportunities and risks coexist.

"Only there can I witness the true grandeur of the world and compete with even stronger geniuses." Song Jing closed the book, a strong desire welling up in his heart. "Only by constantly clashing with the strong and honing myself on a broader stage can I reach the pinnacle of martial arts and master even greater power."

In this chaotic world, only absolute strength can ensure survival and protect what one cherishes.

He was already getting impatient.

Tianshui City is ultimately too small.

The so-called geniuses and the "Four Heroes of the Inner City" here have lost their significance in his eyes. His battlefield is in the prefectural city, outside Pingtian Gate, and in the wider world to come.

Just as Song Jing was lost in thought, a guard from the Commandant's Office quietly arrived and respectfully handed over an unsigned letter.

The letter, however, exuded a faint metallic and fiery scent.

Song Jing's heart stirred, and he opened the letter. Sure enough, it was Master Wang Xuanwu's handwriting.

The handwriting is vigorous and powerful, like iron strokes and silver hooks.

In the letter, Wang Xuanwu first congratulated Song Jing on defeating Qian Rushan and winning the Jiazi District seat, expressing his admiration.

Then he got down to business:

It turns out that one of Wang Xuanwu's close friends was also highly skilled in weapon crafting. He had now established himself in the "Weapon Forging Pavilion" in the prefectural city and become a powerful weapon crafting master in the pavilion.

His old friend couldn't bear to see such a talented man as Wang Xuanwu remain confined to the "countryside" of Tianshui City. He wrote to him many times, urging him to move up, and used his connections to secure a better position and resources for him at the "Forging Pavilion".

Wang Xuanwu disliked constraints, but he had a deep friendship with his old friend, and the "Forging Pavilion" in the prefectural city did indeed have richer materials, more profound skills to pass on, and more opportunities for exchange, which might be beneficial for him to break through his current bottleneck in weapon forging.

In addition, he does need to go to the prefectural city every month to purchase some rare refining materials that are hard to find in Tianshui City.

After much deliberation, he decided to accept his old friend's arrangement and set off for the "Forging Pavilion" in the prefectural city next month to take up his post. He would then spend most of his time in the prefectural city.

"I know you have won fifth place in the Jia-class area. After defending your title for a month, you can head to Pingtianmen in the prefectural city. You will be unfamiliar with the place and the people there. Although you will be received by a sect, it will be good to have more connections to help you."

"If you can successfully defend your position for a full month, you can then travel with me to the prefectural city. We can look after each other on the way."

"Once we arrive in the prefectural city, I can show you around and introduce you to my old friend and a few other acquaintances who have some influence there. This might be of some help to your future cultivation at Pingtian Gate."

At the end of the letter, Wang Xuanwu changed the subject, writing with a hint of teasing: "Of course, the premise is that you have to live up to my expectations and hold out for this month! Don't let yourself be defeated by those nobodies and leave me waiting in the city for nothing! Haha, I believe in you, you can definitely do it."

After reading the letter, Song Jing felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

Master Wang Xuanwu may seem aloof, but he actually takes good care of him.

This is not just a gesture of goodwill, such as pairing up and introducing connections, but also a form of support and expectation from elders for the future path of their promising juniors.

"Master Wang—" Song Jing carefully put the letter away, looked out the window, and his gaze was firm.

"A month—a relentless battle? A mountain of money?"

He clenched his fist gently, feeling the immense power brought by the perfect state within his body.