On the tenth day of the tenth month, under gazes both open and hidden, this year’s Three Cities Tournament officially began.

The first-year, third-year, and fifth-year disciples naturally competed separately. For example, the two first-year disciples from Maple Leaf City would each face off against a first-year disciple from Three Mountains City and Ripple River City.

After the first round, the remaining three victors would engage in a round-robin format. That is, Disciple A fights Disciple B, Disciple B fights Disciple C, and Disciple C fights Disciple A. A victory would yield three points, a draw one point, and a loss zero points. The disciple with the highest score would be crowned the champion of the first-year group in the Three Cities Tournament.

In this way, both individual strength and the overall power of the academy would be considered. After all, if two disciples from the same academy were to reach the final round-robin, they could conserve their strength and target the other competitor.

The first-year tournament began first. Three cities, six cultivators, and three battles commenced simultaneously.

The competition grounds were arranged in the plaza before the City Lord’s Mansion, a place commonly used for the City Guard’s pre-departure rallies, thus earning it the moniker of “Martial Arena” among the populace.

The first-year city academy cultivators were mostly in the nascent stages of Foundation Establishment. Their battles primarily involved Dao techniques, but also incorporated martial arts. This was the easiest competition for the common folk to understand, making it the most popular.

Early that morning, the arena was packed with people. The citizens of Maple Leaf City came in droves, like attending a fair, and gathered around the Martial Arena. It took the deployment of the City Guard to barely maintain order.

On this day, Jiang An’an’s school was also canceled. Naturally, Ling He brought her to watch the competition.

Due to the overwhelming number of people, Jiang An’an sat on Ling He’s shoulders. At this moment, she clapped her little hands and cheered loudly for her older brother.

Zhao Rucheng and Huang Azhan were naturally among the first to spectate Jiang Wang’s match. However, a wealthy man like Zhao Rucheng would never stoop to yelling and shouting, as it would damage his image. Nearby, over a dozen burly men he had hired were shouting at the top of their lungs.

“Jiang Wang, you must win! Jiang Wang, you must win!”

Two large banners flapped in the wind:

The left banner read, “Fists pounding Three Mountains, no enemy in sight!”

The right banner read, “Feet stomping Ripple River, who dares claim to be a hero beneath his feet?”

Although Jiang Wang certainly would not appreciate it.

For a time, the cheers for Jiang Wang drowned out all other sounds. The tournament seemed to have become Jiang Wang’s personal performance. People occasionally whispered, asking who this Jiang Wang was. Upon learning that he was a Maple Leaf City competitor, the simple folk of Maple Leaf City erupted in cheers.

Standing in the arena, Jiang Wang felt… very awkward.

The three matches were taking place side by side, and all six cultivators were present. From the intentional glances he received, Jiang Wang realized he had become public enemy number one. Were it not for the rules, he would likely be facing a five-on-one battle. This included the senior disciple from Maple Leaf City Academy.

“What a showoff, flaunting himself!” Lin Zhengli from Ripple River City was the most displeased. Instead of focusing on his own opponent, he spat in Jiang Wang’s direction.

The sound was neither loud nor soft. Jiang Wang ignored him.

The Martial Arena was divided into three combat areas, with ample buffer space between the lines.

A cultivator from the Prefectural Academy served as the head referee, while two instructors from Maple Leaf City Academy served as deputy referees. The fighting was simple: the one who fell lost. There was little concern about biased officiating. In fact, the referees’ main role was to prevent young cultivators from losing control and causing death or serious injury.

Jiang Wang’s opponent was from Three Mountains City.

This person was short but stout, wearing close-fitting martial attire, with muscles as thick as stone blocks.

After exchanging Daoist greetings, they stood their ground.

At the referee’s signal, Jiang Wang drew his sword!

He rose like a dragon, his sword like a shooting star.

Almost as soon as the Three Mountains City cultivator began to form his hand seals, Jiang Wang’s sword was already upon him.

Decisive and swift.

Before reaching Transcendence, the Purple Qi East Comes Sword Art held an almost overwhelming advantage.

During the internal selection at Maple Leaf City Academy, he had defeated Fang Heling with this very technique. Now, it seemed he was about to repeat the feat.

But to Jiang Wang’s, and the audience’s, surprise, the Three Mountains City cultivator did not evade!

He didn’t even move, his eyes fixed on Jiang Wang’s approaching sword. His hands were steady, and his Dao incantation took shape under this gaze.

In this situation, he could either abandon the incantation and dodge, or concede defeat directly. But given the speed Jiang Wang had demonstrated, he would have even less chance to cast his next Dao technique after evading.

And he made a choice vastly different from Fang Heling!

Earth elemental qi gathered madly. Jiang Wang sensed a force erupting from the ground, and he knew what it was.

He was confident that he could pierce his opponent’s heart with his sword before the earth spikes arrived, but his own feet would also be pierced by the earth spikes that would follow.

Trading injury for death, he would still win. But he didn’t want to win like that.

Jiang Wang twisted his sword, making contact and immediately separating from the violently erupting earth spike. He then used the momentum to flip back to his original position.

At that moment, a dense array of sharp earth spikes filled the area around the Three Mountains City cultivator.

This cultivator from Three Mountains City, a fellow often scorned as a mountain savage, had just won himself a chance at survival with his life.

He immediately kicked out several times, snapping the earth spikes in front of him and sending them flying. The earth spikes whistled like throwing spears, hurtling towards Jiang Wang.

And the Three Mountains City cultivator followed behind the whistling earth spikes, launching a charge towards Jiang Wang.

Under Jiang An’an’s anxious gaze, Jiang Wang turned like the wind, lightly maneuvering through the incoming earth spike swarm, completely unscathed.

And the Three Mountains City cultivator was upon him.

His short, stout frame leaped high into the air. His fist gradually solidified into stone, swelling into a small mountain-like giant fist.

Stone-Covering Fist!

Offense and defense reversed!

He couldn’t take it head-on. Jiang Wang held his sword horizontally in front of him, using the flat of the blade to contact the stone fist, intending to use the force to float away and find another opportunity to fight.

In any case, a Foundation Establishment cultivator had limited Dao essence and couldn’t cast too many Dao techniques. As long as he dragged it out, his swordsmanship would guarantee victory.

But the stone fist suddenly flipped, grabbing Jiang Wang’s sword and shattering it!

The Stone-Covering Fist was only a Grade D Upper-level Dao technique. While Jiang Wang hadn’t mastered it, he was very familiar with it. He had never imagined that this Dao technique could have such agile variations!

In a moment of desperation, Jiang Wang discarded the sword hilt, wrapped his hands around the stone fist that had crushed the sword, and twisted with all his might.

The powerful physical strength bestowed by the Four Spirits Body Refining Art surged forth without reservation. With the twisting force, shattered stones flew.

Jiang Wang touched the ground with his toes, his entire body retreating rapidly in a backward leaning posture. At the same time, he avoided the sudden explosion of the stone fist!

While Jiang Wang destroyed the stone fist, the Three Mountains City cultivator simply detonated it as another form of attack. But he hadn’t expected Jiang Wang to react so keenly, and he still managed to avoid it at the last moment.

The explosion wasn’t without effect on him. Although he had tried to control it, his entire right arm was covered in a dense network of wounds, dripping with blood.

But as if he felt no pain, he didn’t say a word, simply chasing after Jiang Wang.

He didn’t form any more hand seals, nor did he have time to use Dao techniques. Or rather, he realized that with the Dao techniques he currently possessed, he couldn’t defeat his opponent.

Then, he would test his body that had traversed mountains and valleys, test his fists and feet that had fought lions and tigers.

Elbow strikes, knee thrusts, headbutts!

Jiang Wang also couldn’t create distance anymore. He had lost his sword, and his swordsmanship was useless.

Punches, kicks, shoulder bashes!

The two engaged in close-quarters combat!

In a confined space, the fiercest, most direct, and most savage fighting unfolded!

Many common martial artists in the audience who knew a few moves were enthralled!