Surviving in a world of demons and monsters to achieve martial arts sainthood

The next morning, the carriage left the post station and continued north along the official road.

The further north you go, the flatter and more open the terrain becomes, and the villages and towns along the way become noticeably denser. Caravans come and go frequently, with carriages and horses like dragons, creating a bustling scene.

"Qingzhou Prefecture is the capital of Qingzhou, with a population of over one million. It has a thriving commerce and a flourishing martial arts community." Inside the carriage, Chen Yun softly explained the information she had learned from her family. "In addition to the Demon Suppression Division, there is also the Qingzhou Martial Academy, branches of various sects, and many martial arts families in the city."

Li Hu gasped, "A million people? Our Qinghe County only has less than 100,000, right?"

Wang Lin nodded: "Qinghe County and Qingzhou Prefecture are completely incomparable. There are quite a few young martial artists in Qingzhou Prefecture who are at the fourth or fifth level of the Body Tempering Realm."

Shen Lian looked out the window. On the distant horizon, the outline of a majestic city was already faintly visible. The city walls were towering and stretched for countless miles, appearing and disappearing in the morning mist, like a crouching giant beast.

In the afternoon, the convoy finally arrived at the south gate of Qingzhou Prefecture.

The city gate was about five zhang high, built of bluestone, with a deep archway. The city tower was majestic, with banners fluttering, and squads of armored soldiers stood with halberds, their eyes as sharp as eagles.

Long queues formed at the city gate, with caravans, pedestrians, and horse-drawn carriages undergoing inspection in an orderly manner.

Zhao Shan showed his Demon Suppression Division badge, which the city guard captain verified, and he bowed respectfully: "Commander Zhao, please. The Demon Suppression Division of the prefecture has arranged accommodations for the participants from all over the country at the 'Reception Hall' in the west of the city."

"Thank you for your trouble." Zhao Shan nodded.

As the convoy entered the city gate, a breathtaking view suddenly opened up before them.

The wide street could accommodate eight carriages abreast, and shops lined both sides, their wine flags fluttering in the breeze. Pedestrians thronged shoulder to shoulder, their cries of vendors, laughter, and the clatter of horses' hooves creating a bustling and vibrant scene.

"How lively!" Li Hu couldn't help but lift the carriage curtain and widen his eyes.

Along the streets, there are not only ordinary shops, but also many weapon shops, medicine shops, and martial arts schools. Occasionally, you can see martial artists dressed in various colors walking by, their auras either sharp or profound, clearly indicating that they are quite skilled.

"Those are disciples of Qingzhou Martial Academy." Chen Yun pointed to a group of young people dressed in light blue outfits in the distance. "Qingzhou Martial Academy is a martial arts hall officially established by the state government. It only recruits those with outstanding talent. The minimum requirement for admission is the fourth level of the Body Tempering Realm."

Shen Lian glanced over and saw that among the seven or eight martial arts academy disciples, three had a combat power of over 30, and one of them, a cold-faced young man, had a combat power of 38-45.

"It seems that Qingzhou Prefecture does indeed have quite a few geniuses." Wang Lin said with a solemn expression.

The carriage traveled through several streets and stopped in front of an impressive building.

The guesthouse occupies a vast area with high walls and a large courtyard. Two lifelike stone lions stand in front of the gate.

Zhao Shan led the group through the gate. Many demon-suppressing envoys from various places had arrived and were chatting in the courtyard.

"Brother Zhao Shan, how have you been?"

A loud voice rang out, and a burly, rugged-looking middle-aged man strode in, followed by seven or eight young demon-suppressing envoys.

Zhao Shan clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, "Commander Zhang, I didn't expect you to be leading the team from Heishan County this year."

"Haha, I was also temporarily assigned this task." Zhang Zongqi's gaze swept over Shen Lian and the other four. "These guys are the promising talents from Qinghe County this year? They all look quite energetic."

"Greetings, Commander Zhang." Shen Lian and the others bowed.

Behind Zhang Zongqi, a tall, thin young man coldly looked at Shen Lian and the others: "Qinghe County only has these five people this year? I heard you didn't even make the top twenty last year."

Upon hearing this, Li Hu's face darkened, Chen Yun frowned slightly, Wang Lin's eyes flashed with displeasure, and Lin Feng gave the young man a cold glance.

Zhao Shan's expression remained unchanged: "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. We'll only know how things are this year after the competition."

"Zhou Yang, don't be rude." Commander Zhang glared at the young man, then smiled at Zhao Shan, "Young man, you're ignorant, Brother Zhao, please don't take offense. You must be tired from your journey, settle down first, we'll talk later."

"please."

The servants led Zhao Shan and the others through the courtyard to a separate courtyard on the west side. Inside the courtyard were three clean and tidy rooms, fully equipped.

"Please rest here. A servant will bring you dinner at dinnertime. If you need anything, please ring the bell." After giving his instructions, the servant respectfully withdrew.

After settling them in, Zhao Shan summoned the five people to the courtyard.

"That Zhou Yang from earlier is the strongest newcomer in Heishan County this year, at the peak of the third level of the Body Tempering Realm, with considerable combat strength," Zhao Shan said in a deep voice. "Heishan County is adjacent to Qinghe County, and there has always been some competition between us. They will definitely target us in this competition."

"Heishan County had one player make it into the top 16 last year, so their overall strength is stronger than ours. But this year we have Shen Lian and Lin Feng, so we might have a chance to compete."

"Zhou Yang's provocation just now was nothing more than an attempt to test our strength and unsettle us. You don't need to pay attention to it; just focus on your preparations."

"Yes," the five replied.

"Tomorrow morning, all participants will gather at the Demon Suppression Division's training ground for the draw and rules explanation," Zhao Shan said. "You can rest for the rest of the day or wander around the guesthouse to familiarize yourselves with the environment, but please do not leave the guesthouse."

After everyone dispersed, Shen Lian did not rest, but went to the open space in the courtyard and slowly practiced his swordsmanship.

The three forms of the "Demon-Subduing Blade Technique" were wielded with ease in his hands, sometimes as fierce as splitting a mountain, sometimes as continuous as cutting through waves, and sometimes as solid as shattering a mountain. The wind from the blade howled, yet it was contained and not released, showing that his control over the force had reached a very subtle level.

After practicing for about half an hour, Shen Lian sheathed his sword and stood still, his breathing steady.

"Excellent swordsmanship."

A gentle voice came from behind.

Shen Lian turned his head and saw a young man standing at the courtyard gate, dressed in the uniform of the Demon Suppression Division of Baiyun County. He had a handsome face and a refined demeanor, and was looking at him with a smile.

[Combat Strength]: 32~40

Shen Lian felt a slight chill run down his spine, and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "You flatter me. May I ask who you are, brother?"

"I am Chu Wen from Baiyun County." The young man entered the courtyard with a friendly attitude. "I saw you practicing your sword outside the courtyard just now, and I was itching to try it myself. I apologize for disturbing you."

"So it's Brother Chu." Shen Lian sized him up, noticing his clear, unambiguous gaze, and asked, "Brother Chu, are you also here to participate in the competition?"

"Indeed." Chu Wen nodded, then sighed, "Qingzhou Prefecture is indeed full of talented people. I've seen many geniuses in various places along the way. Just now, seeing that Brother Shen's swordsmanship has reached a high level and his strength is well-rounded, I knew that Qinghe County would definitely have a dark horse this year."

Shen Lian laughed and said, "Brother Chu, you flatter me. Baiyun County has always been a strong force, and last year one of our members even made it into the top eight. This year, we expect to be even stronger than before."

The two exchanged a few words and found they got along quite well.

Chu Wendao asked, "Brother Shen, do you know if there are a few people we need to pay special attention to in this competition?"

"I would like to hear the details."

"Among the local people of Qingzhou Prefecture, there are three who are the most outstanding." Chu Wen said seriously, "The first one is Chu Chunqiu, the son of the deputy commander of the Demon Suppression Division of the prefecture. He showed his talent last year and is now said to have broken through to the fifth level of the Body Tempering Realm. He is a favorite to win the championship."

"The second one is Lin Qing'er, the chief disciple of Qingzhou Martial Academy. Her 'Willow Leaf Sword Technique' is superb, and her cultivation is at the peak of the fourth level."

"The third is Qin Lie, who comes from the Qin family, a family of martial arts practitioners. He cultivates the family's 'Blazing Blade Technique'. He has a violent personality and extremely strong combat power."

Shen Lian listened attentively; these were all potential rivals.

Chu Wen continued, "Besides these three, there are many experts in various counties. Xiao Chen from Dongping County is the younger brother of Xiao Tian, ​​the previous champion, and his strength is unfathomable..."

He told Shen Lian all the information he knew without reservation.

Shen Lian said gratefully, "Thank you for informing me, Brother Chu."

Chu Wen smiled and said, "Brother Shen, there's no need to be so polite. It's an honor for me to make friends with someone like you. I hope we can both perform well on the stage."

The two chatted for a while longer before Chu Wen took his leave.

Shen Lian returned to his room, now having a clearer understanding of the situation regarding the upcoming competition.

"Chu Chunqiu, Lin Qing'er, Qin Lie, Xiao Chen..." He murmured these names, his eyes gradually burning with fighting spirit.

In the evening, a servant brought dinner, a sumptuous meal of four dishes and a soup.

During the meal, Li Hu recounted what he had seen and heard at the guesthouse that afternoon.

"I saw people from Dongping County, that Xiao Chen, he has such a strong aura, I can feel the pressure from a distance." Li Hu lowered his voice, "And Tang Shu from Xihe County, he was standing in the corner with his sword, his eyes were as cold as ice."

Chen Yun said softly, "I just ran into Zhao Ling from Nanshan County in the corridor. She was practicing her boxing. She was very strong and extremely skilled in boxing techniques."

Wang Lin said, "I've inquired around, and there are a total of 128 participants this time. Among them, at least 15 are at or above the fourth level of the Body Tempering Realm. As for the fifth level, the only ones I know of so far are Chu Chunqiu and Xiao Chen."

Lin Feng, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up: "Tomorrow is the draw. If we encounter these top figures early on, we might be eliminated in the first round."

Shen Lian calmly said, "Martial arts cultivation is like rowing against the current. You become stronger when facing a strong opponent and weaker when facing a weak one. If you shrink back because your opponent is strong, you have already lost in terms of mentality."

He looked at the four of them: "Tomorrow we'll draw lots. Whoever your opponent is, fight with all your might. Even if you lose, lose honorably and without regrets."

Li Hu nodded emphatically: "Brother Lian is right! Who cares about geniuses or not, we'll only know after we've fought!"