The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

The main branch of the Iron Sword Gate in the east of the city occupies a larger area than the entire Willow Leaf Lane combined. The stone lions in front of the gate are as tall as a person, and the black lacquered gate is inlaid with copper nails the size of bowls.

Sect leader Zhao Tieyi was practicing his swordplay in the training ground. The thick-backed ghost-head sword in his hand weighed eighty-two pounds, and it moved with great force when he wielded it.

He is forty-eight years old this year, and with a cultivation level of sixth rank, he is already considered a first-class master in the martial arts world of Runzhou.

The young disciple scrambled into the training ground and gave a detailed account of the Wudang boxing school's challenge.

Several Iron Sword Sect disciples who were sparring with him were taken aback at first, and then burst into laughter.

Some people mocked Yu Lianzhou, saying he was like an old man who had hanged himself because he was tired of living. Others joked that they heard this kind of talk eight hundred times a year, and that if he had the guts, he should actually come and kick him.

Luo Lie, the leader of the Iron Sword Sect's Four Vajras, frowned. He was the one with the highest cultivation and the most experience in the martial world among the four.

He reminded the sect leader, Yu Lianzhou, that if he dared to stake the entire reputation of the boxing gym, he must either have real skills or be crazy, and a madman wouldn't survive in Runzhou for so many years.

He suggested that the sect leader personally oversee the operation, sending the Four Vajra Warriors to probe the situation first, while he himself would stay until the very end.

Zhao Tieyi slammed the ghost-head saber into the ground, the hilt sinking three inches into the earth. The sound of the blue bricks shattering echoed through the training ground, making the young disciple's legs go weak.

He remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, instructing Luo Lie to bring the other three Vajras and ten more skilled fighters to surround the arena.

He also warned everyone that Yu Lianzhou was not crazy; he had seen him take action twenty or thirty years ago.

That man's swordsmanship was both subtle and gentle, but at that time his cultivation level was not high, and it is unknown what level he has reached in the past few decades.

He originally wanted the government to intervene and disrupt the competition, but since the other side dared to set up the competition so openly, they must have already made arrangements with the government.

After receiving the order, Luo Lie strode towards the west of the city. The remaining disciples in the training ground looked at each other, all sensing an unusual solemnity in their sect leader's words.

The arena in Liuye Lane has been set up in the open space in front of the Wudang Boxing Hall.

Yesterday, Zhang Songxi had the entire open space leveled, and four wooden stakes were erected at the four corners, with red ropes strung on the stakes to form a three-zhang square arena.

A long table was placed directly in front of the arena, covered with a red cloth, on which were placed writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone, for signing life-or-death contracts.

More and more people gathered, crowding the entire Willow Leaf Alley to the point of being impassable.

The walls next to us were covered with teenagers, and even the second-floor windows of the teahouse across the street were crowded with heads.

The teahouse owner simply moved the tea table to the window and sold a bowl of tea for three times the price.

Yin Liting stood on the arena, clasped his hands in a salute to the surrounding crowd, and said with a smile: "Fellow villagers, the Wudang Martial Arts School has set up this arena today to make friends through martial arts. Fists and kicks have no eyes, and once you sign the life-or-death agreement, you shall leave your fate to fate."

"Win and you'll win a prize; lose and you'll make a friend. I am Yin Liting, a martial arts instructor from the Wudang Martial Arts School. Today, I will start by offering my humble opinion as a starting point!"

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted from the crowd.

Several daring young people were eager to try, but they looked at each other and hesitated.

No one was willing to be the first to go up and test the sword.

A moment later, a burly man with a bushy beard squeezed out from the crowd, carrying two iron axes on his back. He leaped onto the arena, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "I am Tie Hu, a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) from Zhenyuan Escort Agency. I would like to learn from Master Yin's skillful techniques."

Yin Liting drew his sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the morning light.

He made a sword incantation with his left hand, pointed his longsword diagonally at the ground with his right hand, and said with a smile, "Brother Tie, please."

Tie Hu didn't hold back either, pulling out his double axes and smashing them down on Tie Hu's head.

His axe technique was characterized by its sweeping and powerful strokes, each strike faster than the last, causing the red rope on the arena to rustle loudly in the wind.

Yin Liting remained calm and composed, his feet moving with Tai Chi steps, turning left and right, each axe grazing the hem of his clothes and striking empty air.

While dodging, he secretly counted Tie Hu's axe moves, waiting for the eleventh axe to fall.

He suddenly turned to the side, and his longsword slashed upwards along the axe handle, the blade grazing against Tie Hu's axe handle with a sharp metallic clang.

If this sword strike lands squarely, Tiehu's finger will be severed.

But the tip of the sword stopped steadily half an inch from his finger, without moving an inch.

Tie Hu looked down at the sword tip that was resting on his finger bone, beads of sweat rolling down his nose. He said in a hoarse voice, "Master Yin's swordsmanship is exquisite. I, Tie, have lost."

The crowd erupted in deafening cheers.

Yin Liting sheathed his sword, helped Tie Hu up with both hands, and said loudly, "Brother Tie's axe technique is fierce and powerful. I only managed to win by a single move by chance. I'll treat you to drinks another day when I have time!"

Tie Hu wiped his sweat, and although he staggered a little as he stepped off the stage, he had a smile on his face that showed his complete acceptance.

Then, seven or eight more wandering martial arts practitioners came up to challenge them.

Most of them were martial artists of the third or fourth rank, and Yin Liting accepted them all, stopping each battle at a point.

His swordsmanship incorporates emotion, combining strength and gentleness. He makes a friend with every victory, creating a harmonious atmosphere both on and off the stage.

When the sun was high in the sky, the four great warriors of the Iron Sword Sect finally arrived.

Despite having fought several battles, Yin Liting remained steady, though a thin layer of sweat glistened on his forehead.

When he saw the Four Heavenly Kings, he was not intimidated at all. Instead, he was delighted and said with a smile, "Finally, a worthy opponent has arrived. But Brother Luo, you know my Sixth Brother is waiting over there. He has a bad temper and will start cursing if you wait too long."

He sheathed his sword, bowed to Luo Lie and the others, and then announced loudly to the crowd, "That was just a warm-up!"

"Next up, Yu Lianzhou, the deputy head of the Wudang Boxing Academy, will defend his title."

"Whoever can withstand thirty moves from Brother Yu will receive fifty taels of silver; whoever can withstand fifty moves will receive one hundred taels of silver. If you can defeat him, the Wudang Boxing School's signboard will be chopped up and used as firewood!"

Yu Lianzhou stood up from behind the long table, took off his outer robe to reveal an indigo blue outfit underneath, and strode onto the arena.

With each step he took, his aura grew stronger.

When he reached the center of the arena, he only displayed a sixth-grade cultivation level, but his powerful blood and qi caused the red ropes around the arena to swing outwards.

He slowly drew his longsword, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, his voice not loud but clear enough to be heard throughout Willow Leaf Alley: "Yu Lianzhou of Wudang, please enlighten me."

Luo Lie, the leader of the Iron Sword Sect's Four Great Vajras, narrowed his pupils slightly.

He was also a sixth-rank official, but at this moment, facing Yu Lianzhou, he felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

He turned and exchanged glances with the other three. The four of them leaped onto the arena, stood at the four corners, and drew their weapons at the same time.

"Iron Sword Sect members Luo Lie, Han Meng, Zhao Tieshan, and Sun Tieshou, welcome to learn from Vice Master Yu's superior skills," Luo Lie said, clasping his hands in greeting.

Yu Lianzhou nodded slightly, the tip of his sword still pointing diagonally at the ground, unmoving.

He had been waiting for this moment for far too long.

In his previous life, he was the strongest fighter among the Seven Heroes of Wudang, and his Tai Chi swordplay combined both strength and gentleness. However, in this life, he was trapped at the sixth rank by mediocre skills and could not break through for a long time.

Now that he has mastered the Tai Chi Divine Skill, and his seventh-grade Qi and blood are surging through his meridians, he needs to use actual combat to verify his swordsmanship and to show the entire Runzhou what he is capable of.

The Wudang Boxing Gym is back.

Sun Tieshou took the initiative, striking out with his iron palms in a crisscross motion, the fierce wind of his palms aimed straight at Yu Lianzhou's chest.

Yu Lianzhou neither dodged nor evaded, but instead drew an arc from bottom to top with his longsword.

The sword tip touched Sun Tie's palm, using his force against him, causing him to spin half a circle and stagger back two steps before regaining his balance.

Sun Tieshou looked down at the thin, hair-like sword mark on his palm, and his expression changed.

If the sword had gone in even half an inch further, his tendons would have been severed.

Han Meng roared and brought his bronze cudgel down with tremendous force.

Yu Lianzhou turned to the side, and the long sword slid down the staff, the blade sparking a long string of sparks as it scraped against the staff.

He flicked his wrist, and the tip of the sword lightly touched Han Meng's wrist, causing Han Meng to feel a numbness.

The bronze staff flew out of his hand, smashing into the red rope at the edge of the arena and breaking a wooden stake in two.

Zhao Tieshan followed closely behind, his long spear emerging like a venomous snake, its blossoms covering Yu Lianzhou's entire body.

Instead of retreating, Yu Lianzhou advanced, moving through the shadows of the spear with Tai Chi footwork.

The longsword struck the spear shaft three times in quick succession, each strike precisely hitting the weakest point of the spear's power.

When the third sword fell, the spear snapped in two, half of the spearhead stuck diagonally into the wooden board of the arena, while the spear tail trembled on its own.

In the blink of an eye, three of the Four Heavenly Kings had perished, leaving only Luo Lie.

He took a deep breath and held the longsword horizontally in front of his chest, the blade gleaming with a faint red light.

He had pushed his sixth-grade qi and blood to their limit; the sword trembled slightly, and the air vibrated as if buzzing.

He approached Yu Lianzhou step by step, each step leaving a shallow footprint on the wooden plank of the arena.

Yu Lianzhou finally gripped the sword with both hands, slowly raising the tip to point at Luo Lie.

This was the first time he had used both hands to wield the sword that day.

The Tai Chi sword technique was like a seal, blocking Luo Lie's sword momentum from within three feet of him.

Just as Luo Lie's old strength was exhausted and his new strength had not yet been generated, he suddenly changed the direction of his sword, and the tip of his sword broke through Luo Lie's defense and stopped steadily an inch in front of his throat.

The sword tip was only a sheet of Xuan paper away from Luo Lie's Adam's apple. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and beads of sweat rolled down his nose.

He slowly sheathed his sword, held it horizontally in front of him, took three steps back, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said in a deep voice, "Master Luo, you flatter me."

Below the arena, Song Yuanqiao stood behind the long table watching Lianzhou sheath his sword. He turned to Zhang Songxi beside him and whispered, "Lianzhou has truly demonstrated the essence of Tai Chi swordsmanship in this battle."

"Have someone spread the word as widely as possible. Our Wudang martial arts school has been quiet for so long, let Runzhou City see it for themselves today."