Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 1283 - 667: Slander

"One move."

Ling Xiao withdrew his palm and shook his head.

"Next."

Liu Qingshan’s face was deathly pale, but he had no choice but to proceed.

As he leaped onto the stage, a pair of pitch-black short halberds appeared in his hands.

"The Liu family’s Twin Flood Dragon Halberds, please—"

"No need to introduce yourself."

Ling Xiao interrupted him.

"All the same."

Liu Qingshan was furious. His twin halberds crossed, drawing a cross-shaped gleam, as spiritual power surged like waves.

This strike contained all his life’s strength, even cutting cracks into the surface of the stage with its force.

Ling Xiao finally moved.

He clenched his right fist and unleashed a simple straight punch.

"Boom!"

The clash of fist and halberd exploded in a wave of air.

Liu Qingshan felt an irresistible force overwhelming him, the halberds flying from his hands, his whole body thrown back, crashing into the edge of the stage’s protective array and sliding down.

"The sixth one."

Ling Xiao shook his wrist and turned to step off the stage.

"Hold on!"

The examiner suddenly spoke, an elder with white hair and beard, his eyes carrying a complex expression.

"Ling Xiao, you’ve won six consecutive matches. According to the rules, you can take six spots. But..."

He glanced at the collapsed Tian Kun and Liu Qingshan, his eyes full of compassion.

"How about leaving them a chance?"

Ling Xiao paused and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

The examiner lightly coughed.

"I have decided to temporarily change the rules. The last spot will be determined by a match between Tian Kun and Liu Qingshan. Can you allow it?"

The audience instantly erupted.

The eliminated cultivators looked as if their hearts had died, especially strong ones like Jiang Dashan from the top three, clenching their fists tightly.

Bai Xin gave a bitter smile, muttering to himself.

"Twenty-nine years old... another three years and I’ll be too old..."

He stared at the stage, his eyes full of unwillingness.

Ling Xiao glanced at the examiner’s serious expression, then at the crowd, and suddenly laughed.

"Very well, I’ll give the Holy Land some face."

He gracefully jumped off the stage, walking towards Gu Sheng who had been waiting for some time.

"What a pity, was planning to take all the spots."

Ling Xiao transmitted, with a tone tinged with regret.

Gu Sheng grinned, patting him on the shoulder.

"Don’t be too flamboyant, kid. Be careful not to get sidelined once in the Holy Land."

"Afraid of what?"

Ling Xiao was unconcerned.

"Let’s first grab some cultivation resources while we can."

The two exchanged a knowing smile, attracting the attention of several Holy Land disciples nearby.

One of them whispered.

"Senior Brother Wang, if Ling Xiao truly joins us, in the future he might..."

The youth referred to as Senior Brother Wang had a handsome face, and upon hearing this, he smiled mysteriously.

"I have my own plans."

He gazed deeply toward the stage, where Tian Kun and Liu Qingshan had already gotten back up, facing each other.

"Thank you, examiner, for your indulgence!"

Tian Kun and Liu Qingshan bowed to the elder in unison, with newfound hope igniting in their eyes.

The examiner nodded.

"Begin."

Tian Kun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, holding his long sword horizontally.

"Liu Qingshan, today only one of us will leave standing!"

"Just what I wanted!"

Liu Qingshan retrieved his twin halberds, eyes burning with battle spirit.

The two exploded into action simultaneously, their weapons clashing instantly.

Unlike Ling Xiao’s overwhelming fight, this battle entered a fever pitch from the start.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The clash of metal was like a torrential downpour. Tian Kun’s sword skill was bold and sweeping, each strike carrying the force to split mountains.

Liu Qingshan’s twin halberds moved like flood dragons emerging from the sea, both offensive and defensive. In a blink, ten exchanges passed, each man bearing new wounds, yet fighting on with even more vigor.

"Exhilarating!"

Tian Kun laughed heartily, his sword momentum suddenly shifted, transitioning from hard to soft, the blade winding around Liu Qingshan’s halberds like flowing water.

Caught off guard, Liu Qingshan’s right halberd was deflected, leaving his chest exposed.

Tian Kun seized the opportunity, his left fist channeling all his spiritual power, striking fiercely at the other’s abdomen.

"Bang!"

In a dull thud, Liu Qingshan spat a mouthful of fresh blood, staggering back several steps, yet gritting his teeth and holding his ground, the twin halberds crossed protectively over his chest.

"It’s not over yet!"

He roared, and his twin halberds suddenly flew out of his hands, heading straight for Tian Kun.

Tian Kun was shocked and hurriedly raised his sword to block.

With two clanging sounds, the halberd blades grazed past his cheek, leaving two bloody marks.

Before he could catch his breath, Liu Qingshan had already rushed forward, fists and feet falling.

"These two..."

Below the stage, Liang Yu leaned toward Gu Sheng.

"Who do you think will win?"

Gu Sheng stroked his chin.

"It’s fifty-fifty, let’s see who can’t hold on first."

On the stage, both Tian Kun and Liu Qingshan were at their limits, yet neither was willing to admit defeat.

The fierce battle, with thousands of rounds, filled the whole ground with cracks.

Tian Kun’s fist was gathering a light blue spiritual energy, and a confident, cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Liu Qingshan, this is the end of your journey!"

Tian Kun roared, moving like lightning, directly attacking the open area of the opponent’s abdomen.

Liu Qingshan staggered back, panic evident on his face, yet in a position where Tian Kun couldn’t see, a cold glint appeared in his eyes.

His muscles slightly bulged under the tattered clothes, and his skin turned an unnatural dark golden color.

"Boom——!"

The dull sound of flesh colliding echoed throughout, followed by a deafening explosion.

Dust rose to the sky, shrouding the entire stage.

In the audience, Liang Yu and others had already stood, ready to cheer.

"Liu Qingshan is finished!"

Liang Yu excitedly patted the railing.

"Tian Kun’s punch is enough to shatter Xuan Iron!"

Gu Sheng, however, remained seated, his fingers gently tapping the armrest.

"Not necessarily."

"What do you mean not necessarily?"

Liang Yu turned his head and glared.

"Gu Sheng, you can’t possibly think Liu Qingshan can still—"

Before he could finish, a blood arrow suddenly spurted out of the dust, followed by a heavy crashing sound.

A strong wind rose, blowing away the thick mist, revealing a scene that left everyone dumbfounded——

Tian Kun lay face-up at the edge of the stage, his chest caved in, blood continually gushing from the corner of his mouth.

And Liu Qingshan, though his clothes were in tatters and he was covered in wounds, stood steadily, his body exuding an intimidating physical presence.

"This... this is impossible!"

Liang Yu exclaimed in shock.

Liu Qingshan slowly walked off the stage, leaving shallow footprints on the bluestone ground with every step.

As he passed by Gu Sheng, he nodded slightly, the corners of his mouth revealing a knowing smile.

"Did Gu Sheng see through this all along?"

Liang Yu questioned incredulously.

Gu Sheng’s gaze was profound.

"The muscle texture of a Body Refiner is different from ordinary people. Liu Qingshan deliberately feigned weakness, luring Tian Kun to attack his abdomen with full force—it’s actually the hardest part of his training."

The audience was in an uproar.

The disciples who had once felt lucky to easily earn a spot now looked at Liu Qingshan with eyes full of respect and awe.

"He hid it really well..."

Someone murmured.

At this moment, a round figure squeezed forward—it was Wang Yun, ranked eighth.

He approached Senior Brother Ling with a smile on his face.

"Senior Brother Ling, thanks to your guidance, I was lucky enough to get a spot! I will certainly serve you faithfully in the future!"

Senior Brother Ling patted Wang Yun with satisfaction, enjoying the envious glances from around.

Just as the atmosphere began to ease, the test examiner walked onto the stage, his voice loud and clear.

"The second match of the third round is officially over! The recruitment tournament for Qinghe Holy Land disciples for this year is—"

"Hold on!"

A cold shout interrupted the announcement.

The crowd parted automatically, and a young man wearing the Qinghe Holy Land disciple’s attire strode forward, a jade pendant jingling at his waist.

Seeing this person, Ling Xiao’s face changed suddenly, his fists unconsciously clenched.

"Wang Chenyu!"

Ling Xiao gritted his teeth.

Wang Chenyu didn’t even glance at Ling Xiao. He walked straight to the examiner, saluted with clasped fists.

"Martial Uncle, this year’s tournament is too much of a joke. Especially the array test in the second round, someone clearly cheated, yet no one is investigating."

The examiner frowned.

"Chenyu, what do you mean by this?"

Wang Chenyu turned around, pointing directly at Gu Sheng.

"This person’s array skills are average, but he was first in the second round. In the third round, he avoided confrontation and never showed his true strength! I suspect he used some cheating method!"

The whole place was in an uproar.

Gu Sheng’s expression remained unchanged, only his eyes gradually turned cold.

"You’re spouting nonsense!"

Liang Yu was the first to jump out.

"Gu Sheng’s strength is plain for all to see!"

Wang Chenyu sneered.