Not long after, most people had arrived, forming a vast, impressive crowd!


    "By the way, Uncle Wei, who is the leader of Shengyi Gate?"


    Su Chen asked casually.


    "Uh, why are you asking this?"


    Wei Hua nced at Su Chen and asked offhandedly.


    "Yeah, Su Chen, why are you so concerned about Shengyi Gate?"


    Yao Zhe, on the other side of Wei Hua, asked curiously.


    Becausest time at Hidden Dragon Hall, Su Chen had also asked about Shengyi Gate.


    "Since it''s the preeminent sect and its figures in the Martial Arts world, I''m naturally very ''admiring'' of them!"


    Su Chen said with a mysterious smile at the corner of his mouth.


    The reason he sat next to Wei Hua was actually to ask him this question.


    A few days ago, they attended an exchange meeting, which was inconvenient; today''s martial artspetition was naturally the best opportunity!


    Wei Hua didn''t seem suspicious and looked toward a direction:


    "It''s that middle-aged man in his forties, diagonally across from you."


    He didn''t point a finger because the other party would certainly notice, which would be extremely impolite!


    Upon hearing this, Su Chen looked over and saw a middle-aged man smiling at him!


    Although there were many people around Su Chen, he knew the man was smiling at him!


    This middle-aged man gave Su Chen a very, very special feeling. If described with a single word, it would be—dark!


    Words like sinister, cruel, and insidious failed to urately describe it; darkness was Su Chen''s most intuitive feeling at the moment!


    As though he lived without ever seeing the sunlight!


    Even the smile on his face was like that. It wasn''t a sinister smile but a standard smile, yet for Su Chen, it still felt dark!


    Moreover, that smile seemed to contain incrediblyplex meanings!


    Even though there were many people there, and many middle-aged men, Su Chen had a strong intuition that he was the leader of Shengyi Gate—Mo Changqing!


    No need for evidence, no need for reason; he knew it was him!


    Su Chen''s myriad thoughts turned into a smile, subtly looking at the other man!


    At this moment, an elder stepped onto the stage, the great elder of Qingyun Sect!


    The elder looked at everyone with a hearty smile:


    "Firstly, wee everyone to the Martial Arts Conference hosted by our Qingyun Sect. We feel greatly honored by your presence! If there are any shorings, please pardon us!"


    "Next is the time forbat, with rules the same as before, free challenges! Anyone can be a challenger and the challenged. If you know you can''t win, you can concede!"


    "In the path of martial arts, victory and defeat aremon, so don''t take it too seriously!"


    "Additionally, our Qingyun Sect has prepared some small rewards for this Martial Arts Conference: two Spirit Stones and four Hao Yuan Pills!"


    The great elder continued.


    He said they were small rewards, but that was merely modesty!


    Everyone was excited upon hearing these rewards!


    No one expected Qingyun Sect to be so generous, offering two Spirit Stones and four Hao Yuan Pills!


    Leaving Spirit Stones aside, their preciousness is known to all; even those four Hao Yuan Pills aren''t ordinary. Once consumed, they can effectively enhance cultivation speed!


    The only downside to Hao Yuan Pills is that they are only suitable for Martial Artists in the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    To be honest, presenting these items, Qingyun Sect felt a twinge of pain!


    Because in the Martial Arts world, whether Spirit Stones or Elixirs, they are very rare treasures!


    But as hosts, it was a matter of face and they could only grit their teeth and present them!


    They can''t allow the entire Martial Arts world to say Qingyun Sect is miserly, right?!


    "Alright, surely you all don''t want to listen to this old man''s chatter any longer. So below, I announce: thebat for this Martial Arts Conference officially begins!"


    The great elderughed and then floated off the stage!


    Though thebat is free challenge, there are some basic unwritten rules!


    For instance, typically, the challenger and challenged do not greatly differ in realm!


    After all, for most Martial Artists, if the realm difference is too vast, there''s no point inpeting!


    At that time, even if the one with the higher realm wins, it wouldn''t be honorable, and the one with the lower realm can concede without shame!


    Another unwritten rule is that top figures don''t usually enter thebat, such as Wei Hua, Mo Changqing, and Ling Long!


    Not only them, but even some who pride themselves on their status won''t step onto the stage!


    After all, thisbat is ultimately just to liven up the Martial Arts Conference and make it lively!


    "I''ll go first!"


    As soon as the great elder stepped down, a young man with Half-step Meridian Expansion flew to the stage!


    After this young man flew onto the stage, another young man immediately followed, also at the Half-step Meridian Expansion realm!


    Though the cultivation of these two young men seemed too low to many, the audience still apuded for encouragement!


    After a few rounds, the young man who came onter was kicked off the stage by the first!


    "I ept!"


    The young man on the stage cupped his fists with pride and said!


    The one kicked down also cupped his fists, shook his head, sighed, and returned to his ce!


    "Let me try!"


    Quickly, another person stepped onto the stage!


    Also at the Half-step Meridian Expansion, but after a few rounds, was struck away with a palm p!


    After all, the first one on stage was just a step away from the Meridian Expansion Realm!


    But he didn''t enjoy his victory for long before another young man came on stage!


    After two or three rounds ofbat, the first young man conceded.


    Because the opponent was indeed in the Meridian Expansion Realm, though only at the First Layer, but had entered the realm nevertheless, not someone he could defeat!


    To some experts, such contests seemed low-level, but there was no disdainful sentiment. Everyone hade from their youthful days!


    Watching these young people, they seemed to recall their own youthful times!


    Time gradually passed, and those eager young warriors took turns ascending and descending the stage...


    Sun Yang was also eagerly waiting below; to him, the First Layer of Meridian Expansion was indeed low; at least, his opponent needed to be at the Second Layer, as he was now in the Third Layer of the Meridian Expansion!


    Finally, when a Second Layer expert appeared on stage, Sun Yang could no longer contain himself, and leaped up!


    After a brief mutual gaze, they began!


    Watching the battle between these two on stage, the audience below expressed admiration!


    After all, in the Martial Arts world, entering the Meridian Expansion Realm at a young age is rare, let alone being in the Second Layer and Third Layer!


    (ps: The previous text mentioned that killing is prohibited in the Martial Arts Conference. This was removed by Feng Yu not long after.


    That is to say, there''s no explicit rule against killing, though some readers definitely saw the line. Here''s a brief exnation!


    This is just a minor detail and doesn''t have much impact, but Feng Yu thought having less restriction would be better!)