‘What… is this situation?’
Just as he arrived at the tournament venue, Gu Ming was momentarily stunned. Looking closely, he saw a dense, dark mass of people packed tightly together.
Before he could even react, someone in the crowd recognized him.
“It’s Nameless! Nameless is here!”
One person cried out in surprise, and then a group of female cultivators all looked over in unison. Upon realizing it was really him, they rushed over like a swarm of bees.
“Nameless, I love you!”
“Nameless, I want to marry you!”
“Nameless, let’s share a room tonight!”
Watching that overwhelming formation, Gu Ming broke out in a cold sweat. If he hadn’t noticed the fiery passion in the eyes of the female cultivators leading the charge, he really would have thought his identity had been exposed.
Gu Ming only hesitated for a moment before he was drowned by the crowd.
“Help… help…”
“Someone save me…”
He reached out his hand, hoping some kind soul would give him a pull. However, no one responded to his plea for help, and his hand was gradually submerged by the crowd.
***
Up on the high platform.
Seeing this scene, Ling Yuyan could no longer sit still. She stood up from her chair and covered her mouth with both hands.
She wanted to go down to rescue Gu Ming, but Ling Yunfeng grabbed her and shook his head slightly at her.
Ling Yuyan understood her elder brother’s thoughts perfectly well; he was simply afraid she would embarrass Lingyun Pavilion. She was, after all, the Second Young Miss of the Ling family.
However, she didn’t want to care about that. She knitted her delicate brows. “Let go.”
Ling Yunfeng sighed and gestured with his eyes for her to look below.
Though confused, Ling Yuyan did as he gestured. Below the high platform, the Law Enforcement Disciples of Saintess Mountain had rushed over. They forcibly carved a path through the sea of people and rescued Gu Ming.
However, Gu Ming looked rather disheveled. His hair was a mess, and his clothes were in complete disarray. What left him even more speechless was that several bright red lipstick marks had appeared on his face at some point.
Gu Ming’s head was spinning.
“Mister Wuming, please follow me.”
The lead Law Enforcement Disciple signaled for Gu Ming to follow while they cleared the way.
Gu Ming nodded and could only follow the group. Along the way, he did not forget to wipe the lipstick marks off his face with his hand.
Seeing this, Ling Yuyan finally felt a bit more at ease and slowly sat back down.
Ling Yuyan’s reckless actions were naturally noticed by the other four of the Five Great Forces.
Butler Li of the Gu family naturally said nothing. He was well into his years and had long since passed the age of romance, so he was the calmest person on the high platform.
Gu Tianba of Hundred Flowers Valley merely looked on with disdain but also remained silent.
However, the Eldest Senior Sister of the Divine Maiden Palace said with a smile, “Has the Second Young Miss of the Ling family moved her heart? It is rare to see her so flustered and reckless.”
Shen Lingxi did not respond to Feng Qing’er.
This was because she had almost stood up just as recklessly as Ling Yuyan. She had even once thought about rushing down to help Gu Ming.
However, Ling Yuyan had been two steps faster than her, causing her attention to shift from Gu Ming to Ling Yuyan, which prevented her from making a fool of herself in front of everyone.
In a sense, Ling Yuyan was her benefactor.
However —
Shen Lingxi stole a glance at Ling Yuyan with a complicated expression. She felt uneasy, experiencing the uncomfortable sensation of having a loved one snatched away.
“Has that Nameless become so popular?” Feng Qing’er murmured thoughtfully.
Shen Lingxi rolled her eyes and grumbled inwardly: ‘It’s because every single one of you came to watch the match.’
Through his performance during the first three days of the tournament, Gu Ming had already become somewhat famous. The reason it was so exaggerated now was mainly because the Five Great Forces of the Righteous Path Alliance had gathered here. This caused Gu Ming’s fame to climb at a terrifying speed, to the point where he had become a prize in the eyes of many female cultivators.
Could someone who the Five Great Forces were competing for be an ordinary person?
That was a young man with a bright future!
Coupled with Gu Ming’s good looks, he had instantly become the object of competition among the female cultivators.
In contrast, the other person in the finals — Sword Fanatic — faced a situation completely opposite to Gu Ming’s. He had arrived a little earlier than Gu Ming, yet no one paid him any mind. He stood in an empty area where the cold wind blew withered leaves around his feet, feeling quite chilly.
‘This damn face-judging era.’
Sword Fanatic shook his head slightly and walked toward the arena alone.
As Gu Ming and Sword Fanatic ascended the stage one after another, the enthusiasm below reached a new peak.
“Damn, I’ve waited so long. Both of them defeat their enemies in one move. Which one will be stronger? I’m so looking forward to it.”
“In my opinion, Sword Fanatic is still a bit more impressive. After all, the moment he draws his sword, the match is already over. Besides, the people he faced were not simple.”
“Nameless is more powerful. He didn’t use a weapon, didn’t use a cultivation method, and didn’t use any magical treasures. Relying solely on his footwork, he easily dodged his opponents’ attacks. His method of dealing with them was even more simple and crude. One kick per person — they were either kicked off the stage or kicked until they questioned their very existence. He hasn’t used his full strength at all.”
“No, no, no, Sword Fanatic is more impressive. He easily defeated Ling Yuyan.”
“If you’re going to put it that way, Nameless even beat Ling Yunfeng.”
“Nameless is stronger.”
“Sword Fanatic is even stronger.”
“Nameless is much, much stronger.”
“Sword Fanatic is much, much, much stronger.”
…
Unknowingly, the onlookers surrounding the arena had split into two groups. One group consisted of hardcore fans of Nameless, while the other consisted of hardcore fans of Sword Fanatic. As the two groups chatted, they began to argue, insisting on determining who was superior.
Looking at the noisy crowd below, Gu Ming only felt exhausted. ‘What is there to argue about? Won’t the results be out in a moment anyway?’
However, given the current situation, it seemed he had to put in some effort. Forget about passing the Sect Leader’s test; even the noisy crowd below wouldn’t accept a poor performance.
He didn’t want to end up in a miserable state where everyone criticized him.
Gu Ming sighed in his heart and decided to just go with the flow. Trying to secretly throw the match and lose now would be quite difficult to pull off.
Too many eyes were watching.
On the other side, Sword Fanatic also felt the pressure. If he were to secretly throw the match and lose, wouldn’t the crowd below tear him apart the moment the competition ended? Furthermore, there were simply too many people here on this final day of the Martial Arts Tournament.
‘With the tournament drawing so much attention, my old man will definitely find out I snuck out…’
‘This is completely different from what you said, Lingxi.’
‘You said since your family was hosting it, there would be plenty of room for behind-the-scenes manipulation…’
Sword Fanatic shot a sharp look toward the high platform.
On the high platform, Shen Lingxi sensed Sword Fanatic’s gaze and stiffly turned her face away…
“Are you two ready?”
On the arena, the referee checked the status of Gu Ming and Sword Fanatic. Seeing them both nod in succession, he announced:
“The match — begins!”
As soon as the referee announced the start, Sword Fanatic was the first to react. Without hesitation, he gripped the hilt of his sword and assumed a drawing stance.
The moment the blade left its scabbard, a violent gale erupted from the sheath… *whoosh*
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