From Beast Abilities to Sect Grand Master

"Die!" Tan Rui shouted as he hacked down at Ho Ming with his sword.

To his surprise, Ho Ming thrust forward with the sword in his right hand and raised the sword in his left to block Tan Rui’s sword.

He had gone through all the different possible scenarios with Lin Fan, and this was the most predictable one Tan Rui would make.

"Argh."

The tip of the sword, although blunt, still caused a considerable amount of pain for Tan Rui.

When they saw this, the inner disciples gritted their teeth and nearly wanted to blurt out "cheater" at Ho Ming.

Ho Ming didn’t let Tan Rui have time to react.

He thrust again with the twirling wind strike, which Tan Rui rolled and dodged.

The next moment, Ho Ming got close and used the slithering strike on Tan Rui.

Tan Rui turned half a circle and, with a backhand, slashed at Ho Ming’s head.

It missed as Ho Ming leaped back.

Even with some distance between them, Ho Ming thrust with his twirling wind strike again.

This time Tan Rui couldn’t be bothered to dodge and slashed in the form of an X, and the wind blade went at Ho Ming.

Ho Ming sidestepped but was caught by the wind blade at his leg.

His robe ripped open, and a slash wound was left on his leg.

He didn’t bother and lunged at Tan Rui with his slithering strike again.

Tan Rui grinned and, once again, turned and slashed at Ho Ming.

This time Ho Ming’s leap back wasn’t fast enough, and it caught Ho Ming’s shoulder.

All the inner disciples snickered.

What a dumb fool.

Doing the same thing repeatedly.

Is that what that menial disciple taught him?

Don’t tell me he’s going to do it again.

When they saw Ho Ming thrusting out his sword with a twirling wind strike again, they finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

What a fool, Tan Rui thought to himself as he sidestepped, waiting for Ho Ming’s slithering strike next.

Thud!

To his surprise, Ho Ming lunged and headbutted him.

The impact knocked Tan Rui back, and he stumbled, trying to stand up.

Ho Ming then threw his sword in his left hand at Tan Rui.

With no other choice, Tan Rui swiped it away with his sword.

But by this time, Ho Ming had already leaped to his side, and Ho Ming thrust out his twirling wind strike at close range towards Tan Rui’s waist.

"Argh!"

Tan Rui shouted out in pain as the twirling wind strike drilled into his flesh and created a wound.

Luckily, Tan Rui’s cultivation level wasn’t low, and the strike didn’t go in any further.

Ho Ming then pulled back his arm, ready to plunge his sword into the wound, but before he could do that, a voice shouted.

"Stop! I declare Ho Ming as the winner."

"What! I can still fight! How could I lose!"

Tan Rui, with a hand holding onto his wound, wasn’t too happy with the judge, and he protested.

"Yes, how can you declare a win for Ho Ming!"

"Tan Rui obviously can still fight."

"Let them fight!"

The inner disciples weren’t too happy with the result, and they joined in the protest too.

Being the one in the limelight, Ho Ming didn’t bother, and he just looked at Lin Fan.

Lin Fan nodded and gave him a thumbs up.

Even though Ho Ming didn’t know what a thumbs up meant, he thought it most likely meant something good.

"Silence! Ho Ming won because if I didn’t stop him, his next strike would have gone in through the wound and Tan Rui might have died."

The judge shouted and gave his justification of why he deemed Ho Ming to have won.

This shut them up for good.

They started to doubt their view of Lin Fan.

Maybe he was not what he seemed to be.

He might even be better than Ho Ming?

"Competitors leave the sparring area; next two get ready."

The ranking matches for new disciples went on, and the others weren’t a match for Ho Ming.

And he got first place for the monthly ranking within the new disciple bracket.

With a handsome reward of a hundred contribution points.

Tan Rui, after being defeated, didn’t do well and lost to others who weren’t as good.

"Lin Fan, here, my reward of a hundred contribution points. I think it should belong to you."

When Lin Fan saw Ho Ming walk over, Ho Ming took out his wooden slab and wanted to gift him the reward.

"No, I can’t take it. You need the points for your pills and elixirs for cultivation."

"But you’ve helped me so much," Ho Ming insisted.

"All right. Since you insist, just fifty contribution points will do," Lin Fan said and took over the wooden slab and transferred fifty contribution points over.

He’d created this bargaining scenario so that Ho Ming would get to keep fifty contribution points.

Otherwise, he knew Ho Ming would be pestering him to take all the reward.

Ninety contribution points, not bad for a start, Lin Fan thought as he checked the balance in his wooden slab.

"Now that your ranking is over, it’s time for mine now," Lin Fan said, turned, and walked towards the direction of the menial disciple quarter.

"Let me come with you," Ho Ming said.

When all the other inner disciples heard what Lin Fan had said, they were intrigued.

This was their chance to see who this menial disciple was.

And also find out why Ho Ming, a Double Sword cultivation root holder, would be asking for his advice.

Instead of going back to their peak to meditate, it was a no-brainer for them to go and see for themselves.

When they got to the menial disciple quarters, they were surprised.

The sparring area was just the open area in front of the quarters.

There were groceries, furniture, and even clothing being washed at the perimeter of the sparring area.

It reminded them of why they’d looked down on menial disciples.

To their relief, the first match immediately started, and it was Lin Fan’s match.

"Next match up, Lin Fan versus Low Pei."