95 Chapter 95

Quefeng City, which used to be frequented only by sword cultivators, now welcomed a large number of tourists as the competition day approached. The inn, which was not very large to begin with, was soon filled up, and even several other cities around it were soon crowded with tourists. This bitter and cold land in the far north actually became lively.

The sword cultivators who were used to being aloof were even more uncomfortable. In the past, the sect competitions were just between fellow disciples in the sect. Although disciples with superb swordsmanship often won cheers from other disciples and even the elders, and those with poor moves would be criticized and embarrassed by their master, but no matter what, they were still family, and it would never be spread outside!

The result this time was great. I heard that the sect sold thousands of tickets, plus the online broadcast... some disciples who were not very skilled in swordsmanship were almost sending sparks while swinging their swords these days.

As a small internet celebrity with tens of thousands of fans, Lu Qianfeng feels even greater pressure.

Sword Cultivator's Sword: Blogger! Blogger! I heard your sect is having a competition soon! Will you be participating?

I must enter the Qingfeng Sword Sect: Blogger, you are my role model! I believe you will definitely get a good ranking! I will watch the live broadcast of the competition and cheer you on!

Gaolingzhihua: Hey, blogger, I got the tickets~ See you at the competition venue then!

What’s even more terrible is that in the comment section there are not only voices of encouragement, but also a lot of random questions and even foul language.

Sharp Pen Tips: Haha, you've been relying on the title of Sword Cultivator to take on advertisements and make money, but I think you're going to show your weakness this time!

Ask me without fault: That's right! A truly powerful swordsman wouldn't have the time to mess around with all this nonsense online. They'd be too busy practicing swordsmanship!

Black Ink Dye Vat: Do you dare to disclose the ranking of the competition? It would be embarrassing if you can't even make it to the semi-finals, haha!

This comment, which was obviously looking for trouble, quickly caused dissatisfaction among fans, and the two sides started arguing below.

Gaolingzhihua: Who says powerful sword cultivators can't go online? Isn't Yan Chixia powerful? He's even the male lead!

Sword of the Sword Cultivator: Haha, these sewer rats are just making a fuss online, but they will behave themselves once the blogger really invites you to a duel offline.

Black Ink Dyeing Vat: How dare a multi-million dollar embroidered pillow compare with Xuan Mo? Is he worthy?

Seeing that the comment section below was about to turn into a chaotic mess, Lu Qianfeng quickly posted another blog post to mediate:

Please stop arguing. I will announce my ranking in the competition. Although I am not as good as my junior brother, I will also work hard. Everyone is welcome to pay attention to my competition!

This open and honest reply finally calmed the restlessness and doubts in the comment section temporarily, but Lu Qianfeng knew that if he didn't make a name for himself in this competition, he would most likely be criticized by everyone.

No! Absolutely not! I finally found a way to make money to buy materials, how can I just give up like this? I haven't even gathered all the materials for sword training yet!

Unwilling to give up his career as an internet celebrity, Lu Qianfeng began to practice his sword skills diligently, soaking in the sword-washing pool almost non-stop. It was not until he was reminded by other disciples that he suddenly realized that the competition was about to officially begin today.

Now that things have come to this, we can only go all out! Lu Qianfeng took a deep breath and clenched the spirit sword in his hand that had just been smelted with the meteorite ore, then walked towards the arena with firm steps.

Then he got lost.

"Where is this? Where is the arena?" Lu Qianfeng was lost in the endless sea of people. He scratched the back of his head and looked up at the strange building in front of him with a bewildered look on his face.

The building in front of us is dozens of meters high and is located on a naturally formed platform, which makes it visible at first sight. From the outside, the whole building looks like a spindle with a pointed end and a straight middle. The bricks on the outer wall reflect dazzling light in the sun. At first glance, the building looks like a huge, sharp sword blade that penetrates deeply into the platform, which makes people feel shocked when they see it.

Lu Qianfeng: ...

What the hell is this? Is this still in the sect?

The monks around who had bought tickets to watch the game were of course unaware of the shock of the indigenous sword cultivators. They were still taking pictures and talking excitedly.

"Oh my god! They're truly worthy of being the Qingfeng Sword Sect! Look at this venue, it's so exciting!"

"The design of the broken sword poking into the platform is great. It feels like the remains of some desolate ancient battlefield!"

"Competing swordsmanship in Broken Sword, what a fantastic concept! I love the Qingfeng Sword Sect so much!"

"Quick! Take a picture for me! I have to post this amazing building on Wutong Eye!"

"None of the sword cultivators in the Qingfeng Sword Sect have told anyone about the magnificent buildings. They're so tight-lipped!"

The sword cultivators were equally shocked: ...

No, we just found out about this today too.

This group of sword cultivators who were shocked and speechless followed the flow of people into the venue, and found that except for the ancient arena, everything around it had changed drastically. The surrounding seats were filled with audiences, and there were many spirit shadow stones of different sizes above and around their heads. There was also a prominent position in the front where Ning Shu, the sect master and the supreme elder sat side by side.

In addition, the fence in front of the audience seats, the borders around the arena, and even the large screens hanging on all four sides are all covered with various different advertisements. The most eye-catching ones are Jiuxiao Yunque and Lingyingshi Audio and Video Store. The portraits and signs of celebrities on the huge venue and seats stand opposite each other, and there is a subtle sense of confrontation.

There were many fans of Hyun Mo in the audience who came to watch the game. They held various flashing signs and banners. Some people stood up and waved flags and cheered with Yan Chixia's posters. Some even brought their own spirit shadow stones and were eager to try, hoping to capture the heroic posture of their idol in battle.

Unlike the past when the contestants would just jump onto the stage after their names were called, this time there was a waiting area for the contestants to go on stage. Under the guidance of an elder, Lu Qianfeng and his fellow disciples walked to the waiting area and sat down. Soon, passionate music came from the podium.

This meant that the Sword Sect Competition had officially begun. The noisy voices in the audience gradually died down. Lu Qianfeng and the others looked towards the podium. They saw the actress who played the female ghost Aruo standing there in a long dress and a fiery red fox fur coat. She spoke with emotion:

"The golden wind brings coolness and the fruits are fragrant. We welcome the Qingfeng Sword Sect's first live swordsmanship competition to the public with great enthusiasm!

I hope that all disciples will live up to the teachings of our masters and the earnest expectations of our fellow sword fans. Let us compete with style, level, and unity..."

Taoist Wufeng: ...

Did this little girl write the lyrics herself? Why are they so set in stone?

The wording used here is so good that the poem is neither a poem nor a song. It is too straightforward to be called a fu, but it is also too catchy to be called a vernacular article because of its inexplicable rhyme. It is really amazing.

Ning Shu's opening speech soon concluded. After briefly introducing the competition format, she finally handed the court back to the Sect Master and Taoist Wufeng beside her: "Next, let's begin the preliminary rounds. Let's welcome the Sect Master of the Qingfeng Sword Sect, the Grand Elder, to serve as our commentator for this competition!"

Warm applause broke out in the competition venue. Lu Qianfeng, who had the misfortune of drawing the first lot, walked onto the stage with trepidation, and discovered to his despair that his opponent was actually a direct disciple who was in the late stage of foundation building.

Only Lu Qianfeng, who was in the middle stage of foundation building:

No way! Am I going to fail in the first game?

"The two players in this duel are Lu Qianfeng, who is in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, and Kong Shao, who is in the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Kong Shao has a clear advantage in terms of cultivation." The sect leader's calm and clear explanation spread through the microphone to every corner of the venue, making Lu Qianfeng's heart sink even more.

"Lu Qianfeng's only way to break through is to rely on his swordsmanship. Otherwise, he will have no chance in this match."

Lu Qianfeng's swordsmanship was indeed outstanding among the inner disciples, but he was completely unsure when facing a direct disciple.

But the current situation did not allow him to think too much. With the referee's whistle, the two figures on the ring moved at the same time. Kong Shao took the lead and stabbed forward with a move of Flying Fairy from the Sky. Lu Qianfeng immediately held his sword horizontally to defend himself, but the figure on the opposite side suddenly disappeared in an instant.

What a fast sword! Lu Qianfeng was startled and subconsciously turned around to block. Before he could see what was happening, he felt the sharp sword energy wrapped in a strong wind coming towards him. He was also knocked back a few steps by Kong Shao's powerful sword moves. He simply blocked the sword in time and did not suffer serious injuries.

Lu Qianfeng, whose palms were aching from the shock, did not dare to slack off for a moment and immediately rushed forward to fight back. However, in a short while, the two exchanged dozens of moves. The cultivators with lower cultivation outside the arena could not see clearly what had just happened. They only saw two flashing figures colliding in the arena from time to time with the flash of swords and sabers.

Fortunately, there were large screens all around, and the slow motion and the sect leader's commentary finally made the game look somewhat entertaining.

On the big screen, Kong Shao's Sky-Exceeding Fairy followed by Flash was played in slow motion for the audience to see clearly. The Sect Master took the microphone and explained at the right moment:

"The move Kong Shao used just now was the "Flying Fairy" move from the "Lonely City Sword Art." The main point is to catch the opponent off guard with extremely fast sword movements. Lu Qianfeng, on the other hand, relied on his excellent reflexes to block it with the "Pingsha Luoyan" move. In fact, if he had been a little slower, the match would have been over."

On the big screen, Lu Qianfeng's quick turn and retreat was particularly clear in slow motion. The sharp sword edge brushed past his neck and narrowly cut off a strand of his hair.

The audience didn't expect it to be so exciting right from the start. They couldn't help but gasp one after another, and even the live broadcast room was filled with barrages of comments.

"Hiss, it's only the preliminary round and it's already so thrilling? Is this the true strength of the strongest sect?"

"Oh my god! I was only looking at the ring just now and didn't see what was happening. It turned out to be so thrilling!"

"Is this what speed is all about? I'm grateful for your advice..."

"I've also gained a lot of insights. These two sword cultivators are truly superb swordsmen, on par with each other!"

They sighed while watching the match, when suddenly there was another sound of fighting on the ring. Kong Shao's sword moves were getting faster and faster, and Lu Qianfeng was trying hard to swing his sword to resist. At the beginning, he could barely keep up with the opponent's speed, but gradually he had more and more wounds on his body, and his sword swinging speed slowed down. His condition was getting worse and worse.

"Lu Qianfeng's swordsmanship is actually on par with Kong Shao's. He can keep up with Kong Shao's speed. It's just a pity that his spiritual energy reserves are insufficient. He can't sustain such a high-intensity battle for too long." The sect leader shook his head and sighed with regret:

"But he is only in the middle stage of foundation building after all. It is not easy for him to fight with Kong Shao, who is in the late stage of foundation building, until now. If his opponent is someone else, maybe he can pass the preliminary round. Unfortunately..."

The audience in the auditorium and the live broadcast room also showed sympathy and regret as they looked at Lu Qianfeng, who was gradually becoming exhausted and covered with wounds.

If it was a previous sect competition, Lu Qianfeng would have given up and admitted defeat at this point. After all, it was just an internal sect competition, and being almost there would be enough. His performance was not bad to be able to fight to this point, and his master would also praise him.

But it’s different now. This is not an ordinary competition. For Lu Qianfeng, this is a battle to defend his reputation as a swordsman. When he thinks of so many eyes watching him, he doesn’t want to admit defeat no matter what.

Hold on a little longer... If I lose the preliminary round like this, won't the account I worked so hard to build up be ruined?

He gritted his teeth and swung his sword desperately, being knocked down several times but struggling to get up. Gradually, even the noisy audience became quiet, and everyone's eyes fell on him involuntarily.

Lu Qianfeng didn't know how long he persisted like this, but he finally fell on his back on the ground exhausted.

"Alas!" The sect leader felt sorry for his disciples who fought till the last moment, but a competition was a competition, so he picked up the microphone and prepared to announce Lu Qianfeng's defeat.

Suddenly, the microphone in her hand was snatched away by Ning Shu who was beside her. She stood up and began to count the seconds in full view of everyone:

"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!"

As she counted, she stared intently at Lu Qianfeng who was lying on the ground unable to get up. Almost instantly, all the audience knew the meaning of the countdown, and everyone's mood began to become nervous. Some people even couldn't help but start cheering Lu Qianfeng up.

"Stand up! You've been holding on for so long!"

"You can do it! You definitely can do it!"

"Get up! Get up!"

"Six, five, four..." Ning Shu counted down at a moderate speed, just like a clock that kept returning to zero bit by bit.

The audience's hearts were in their throats, and everyone's eyes were focused on Lu Qianfeng who was struggling.