I Only Stomp on Weaklings

At the position of the White Feather Sect, a middle-aged man suddenly asked a disciple behind him, "Zhang’er, what do you think of this Chen Ming’s strength?"

Zhang’er was the disciple with the highest cultivation among those who came, reaching the Fifth Grade. He pondered for a moment and said, "This person must have hidden his strength yesterday. In that battle just now, he showed his true strength. His Swordsmanship is seasoned, and he’s extremely skilled at seizing opportunities. Zhu Qi’s defeat was not in vain."

The middle-aged man stroked his beard with a smile, speaking with satisfaction, "Zhang’er, during this training, your insight has improved."

Zhang’er modestly said, "Uncle, you overpraise me. I still have much to learn."

Standing at the back, Li Jinchuan heard the praise for Elder Brother Chen from his uncle and senior brother, feeling a surge of excitement boiling in his chest, along with an indescribable sense of pride.

Suddenly, a familiar senior brother turned around and asked him, "By the way, young junior brother, you’ve lived in Qingfeng City before, do you know this Chen Ming?"

Seeing his uncle also looking over at him, Li Jinchuan quickly replied, "I do indeed know him—"

Before he could finish, the third round of competitions began, drawing the attention of his sect mates over. So he stopped speaking.

Li Jinchuan looked over at Elder Brother Chen in the distance, clenching his fists tightly, with a longing in his heart to one day shine brightly in front of everyone like Elder Brother Chen.

...

After the first round ended, as usual, they rested for half an hour.

The people of the White Feather Sect were discussing who were the most likely to ascend the Cyan Cloud Ranking.

So far, only six people remained undefeated in six battles. Li Jinchuan listened on the side without participating, seeing them only mention the other five and directly overlook Elder Brother Chen, he felt a bit dissatisfied inside.

However, he was not used to arguing with others. And logically, he understood that Elder Brother Chen had only recently broken through to the Fifth Grade and might still be at a gap with those young talents who had been famous for years.

Finally, someone mentioned, "Don’t forget, that Chen Ming from Qingfeng Commandery is also undefeated in six battles."

Another person said, "He just had luck on his side, not encountering a true expert. But his luck ends here. His next opponent is Luo Xu."

Luo Xu, this suddenly emerging young master with a flamboyant and unruly nature, became a sensation as soon as he appeared. The power he displayed was universally recognized as the most likely to contend with those seven for a spot on the Cyan Cloud Ranking.

In everyone’s eyes, Chen Ming facing him was surely doomed to defeat.

...

Soon, the second round began.

The seven seeded contestants finally avoided each other, and the battles quickly concluded.

Reaching this point in the arena, no one cared about grace anymore; everyone fought without mercy, especially those who had lost before, trying to prove their strength by taking down their opponents as quickly as possible.

If you defeated this person in ten moves, then I would do it in eight moves to prove I’m stronger than you.

Almost everyone thought this way.

In the second group, it was Chen Ming’s turn again. He stepped onto the arena and met the gaze of that man named Luo Xu, sensing the malice in his eyes.

Luo Xu had a very complacent smile on his face, "I don’t know why, but from the first time I saw you, I found you particularly annoying. Now I can finally give you a beating."

Chen Ming understood that in this world, it’s ordinary to not be envied. With a system inside him, it was normal for other prodigies to be jealous.

However, throughout Great Jin, this Luo Xu could hardly be called a prodigy.

He smiled, "Let’s see if you have what it takes."

"Begin!"

With a command from the elder acting as the referee, Luo Xu’s figure vanished from the spot in the next instant.

Without thinking, Chen Ming drew his sword with a sweep.

With a clang.

Luo Xu reappeared, holding a broad-backed saber, not too long or short, wide in front and narrow at the back, looking like a machete, quite peculiar.

He looked a bit surprised, "You’ve got quick reflexes."

He had thought he could take this guy down with one move, not expecting this strike to be blocked.

"Take another of my strikes."

Luo Xu charged again, each strike faster than the last, chopping towards Chen Ming’s head. The speed was so fast that the bystanders could barely see it.

He relied on this swift saber technique to defeat six opponents in succession, and so far, no one could withstand three of his strikes.

In an instant, Chen Ming was enveloped by the saber light, causing many to sweat nervously for him.

Yet he remained composed, using his long sword to counter speed with speed, and the sound of clashing blades echoed ding ding ding...

A flurry of dense weapon collisions sounded.

He actually managed to block all of Luo Xu’s swift strikes.

The senior disciple of the White Feather Sect, Wu Zhang, exclaimed in shock, "So this is his true strength!"

Not just him, many were astounded at the strength Chen Ming now exhibited, being able to fight Luo Xu to a standstill.

Especially those six who had sparred with Chen Ming before, they were initially still dissatisfied with losing to a bumpkin from Qingfeng City. Now they were all left dumbfounded.

So it turns out, he had been going easy on them, saving them face all along.

...

"Great Swordsmanship!"

Finally encountering a rare adversary, Luo Xu was not angry but rather delighted, laughing as he truly exerted his full power, "Try this strike."

Mid-air, his saber’s power shifted.

Everyone present felt a sharp intent explode, and many turned pale, exclaiming in disbelief, "Sword Intent? How is this possible?"

A mere Fifth Grade could comprehend Sword Intent?

This strike shocked the entire crowd.

Suddenly, a deep voice rang out, "No, it’s not Sword Intent. It’s an extremely rare type of True Qi."

Everyone looked and saw that the speaker was an elder from the Wushan Sect, a Third Grade expert.

Given such a person’s words, everyone naturally believed it, though they wondered what kind of True Qi could create an effect resembling Sword Intent.

Over at the White Feather Sect, the middle-aged man seemed to recall something, a look of realization crossing his eyes.

Noticing his expression, Wu Zhang asked, "Uncle, have you guessed this person’s origins?"

The middle-aged man nodded, then shook his head, signalling him to continue watching the battle in the arena.

On the stage, the combat styles of the two had changed; as Luo Xu unleashed that unmatched sharp strike, Chen Ming’s Swordsmanship transformed as well, his sword strike resembling a phoenix spreading its wings, forcibly blocking Luo Xu’s saber power.

Subsequently, each exhibited their best skills, remaining evenly matched, hard to distinguish a victor. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The audience was spellbound, unwilling to look away.

The Saber Technique and Swordsmanship of these two were unseen by the crowd; each move seemed so novel, each style so intricate.

"Master Zhu, as one knowledgeable and experienced, do you know the origins of their Saber Technique and Swordsmanship?"

Standing beside Master Zhu, a senior from the Golden Jade Hall was curious and asked.

The short, stout Master Zhu said, "The Swordsmanship and Saber Technique these two use are indeed exceptional, but what is rare is that they are so young, yet have practiced the moves to such a degree. Given time, they will certainly become great talents."

He deftly avoided discussing the Saber Technique and Swordsmanship matters. The others, understanding, naturally did not pursue the question.

Listening to his evaluation of the two young men, those beside him couldn’t help being intrigued. These two were indeed exceptionally talented, especially Chen Ming, whose family and background were clear, without any sect affiliation, perhaps it was worthwhile attempting to recruit him...

As for that Luo Xu, many had already guessed his background. Moreover, his defiant nature wouldn’t allow him to be subordinate to anyone, so no one intended to recruit him.

...

On the stage, Sword Qi cleaved the air, while Saber Qi crisscrossed.

Those close could feel the scorching True Qi and the stinging pain on their skin from the incoming Saber Qi.

The other four matches had already been decided; yet these two remained locked in a stalemate.

In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged over seventy moves.

Luo Xu, unable to overpower Chen Ming despite continuous attacks, suddenly retreated from the fight; his face turned ashen, with a fierce glow in his eyes. He stared at Chen Ming, "I truly underestimated you. Being able to withstand so many of my ’Demon Suppression Saber Technique’, is something you can take pride in. I have one more strike; do you dare take it?"

Chen Ming, holding his long sword, looked at Luo Xu not far away, unafraid, "Bring it on."

Ha!

All of Luo Xu’s True Qi suddenly burst forth, a disturbing sharp intent emitting from the odd-shaped machete in his hand.

Anyone could see that if he unleashed this strike, it would be earth-shattering.

Just as his aura reached its peak, a blush suddenly appeared on his face, and with a wow, he spewed a mouthful of blood, falling straight to the ground.

This sudden change left everyone present dumbfounded.

[You have defeated a level 60 enemy, gaining 23,000 experience points]

Seeing the prompt before him, Chen Ming realized that Luo Xu had recklessly advanced into a new realm, causing a backlash, leading to his bewildering defeat.

PS: Second update, seeking monthly votes.