A Competition

"Don't be foolish. Senior Brother Zhao probably thinks Senior Brother Qin is a worthy opponent and invites him to a friendly competition. Senior Brother Zhao isn't as violent as you think," one of the outer sect disciples explained to the others.

"My name is Zhao He."

Qin Shu was cultivating his body when he felt a presence near him. He looked up to see Zhao He, a burly figure like a mountain, extending a friendly hand toward him.

"Hello, Senior Brother Zhao. I'm Qin Shu." Qin Shu shook Zhao He's hand, feeling the strength in it. He had just mastered the Great Strength Art, so he welcomed the challenge.

Unexpectedly, Zhao He exerted more force, but Qin Shu stood his ground, using the Great Strength Art to match him. 

If it were an ordinary disciple, they would have long succumbed to Zhao He's strength, either conceding defeat or showing weakness. However, Qin Shu was well-prepared, secretly using the Great Strength Art to confront Zhao He.

The two of them remained in this deadlock, and Zhao He's eyes first showed confusion, followed by shock and disbelief. He believed that his strength had already reached the limit for this realm, but he did not expect Qin Shu to be able to contend with him.

"Senior Brother Zhao, shall we move to the table? Standing here might obstruct others." 

"Hmm? Sure."

Upon noticing the situation, Qin Shu spoke up to break the deadlock, and Zhao He responded promptly.

The two of them walked over to the table, and at this point, other outer sect disciples who were watching the commotion, not minding the commotion, gathered around, eager to witness the showdown between the two.

"Thank you for letting me win, Senior Brother Zhao," Qin Shu said, placing his arm on the table.

Zhao He, however, seemed more serious now. He had felt Qin Shu's strength during their handshake, making him realize this would be a challenging contest.

This was a kind of pressure that none of the other challengers had.

"Come on!"

They locked eyes, and a surge of spiritual energy emanated from both.

"Senior Brother Zhao, come on!"

"Senior Brother Qin, come on!"

The crowd immediately split into two factions. One group, which had received Qin Shu's help before, cheered for Qin Shu, while the other, impressed by Zhao He's absolute strength, rooted for Zhao He.

"Junior Brother Qin, be careful!" Zhao He, feeling the grip strength from Qin Shu, was once again surprised and spoke up as a reminder.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Zhao. Feel free to start."

Qin Shu felt Zhao He's strength increasing, so he smiled slightly, and the Great Strength Art within his body began to surge. He wanted to find out how much it would enhance his strength.

Both increased their strength and Zhao He started to struggle. His face turned red, and his arms trembled. In contrast, Qin Shu remained composed, showing no signs of strain.

The onlookers were surprised, and some disciples were now eager to challenge Zhao He.

"Why is Senior Brother Zhao, a peak Level 5 Qi Refinement expert, struggling like this?"

"Senior Brother Qin is only holding back to save his reputation. After all, Senior Brother Zhao can lift a thousand pounds of weight on his own. Ordinary experts at the same level can't match him."

"I lose." Qin Shu began to feel the strain, so he let go of his spiritual energy and admitted defeat. Continuing like this would only lead to a situation where both sides would be injured, and that was something he didn't want to see.

"Senior Brother Zhao, you truly have extraordinary talent, strong physique indeed."

"Junior Brother Qin, you're no slouch either. Please visit our Zhao Family's dojo when you have the chance. I'll be your host and show you around Black Wind City."

Zhao He also followed the path Qin Shu had set and made a sincere invitation to Qin Shu. After all, strong individuals tend to have a certain degree of mutual respect.

"Of course." Qin Shu accepted the offer with a respectful nod.

"What's there to be proud of for these people who rely solely on brute force?"

A dissonant voice echoed from nearby. A female disciple standing beside the stunning girl wore a disdainful expression as she softly ridiculed her.

"What did you say? Are you asking for trouble?" 

Though her voice was hushed, it reached the ears of Zhao He, Qin Shu, and others. Zhao He immediately lost his temper and marched toward the female disciple.

"Why? Do you think I'm afraid of someone like you?"

The female disciple retrieved a yellow talisman from her waist and tossed it into the air. It transformed into a towering golden-armored soldier, three to four meters tall, wielding a long saber, and gazing at Zhao He with a stoic expression.

"It's the Level 8 Origin Pattern Art, the Golden Armor Soldier."

"Sister Qing Yuan is truly remarkable. She can summon a Level 5 Qi Refinement armored soldier at Level 4. I wonder how Zhao He will handle this."

"That's right, armored soldiers don't feel pain. Unless their souls are scattered, they're immortal. Ordinary people can't deal with them."

In the Immortal Martial World, the Origin Pattern Art was akin to cultivation techniques, ranging from Level 9 to Level 1. The highest grades were Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow, which was the limit for Qin Shu and other disciples.

Qin Shu observed the golden-armored soldier emitting radiant light and then glanced at the seemingly frail Qing Yuan. He suddenly had an idea and walked over to Zhao He, discussing it with him. Zhao He examined the armored soldier and Qing Yuan, responding with a determined nod.

"What are they discussing?"

"I'm not sure, maybe Qin Shu wants to help Zhao He?"

"I don't think they're evenly matched. Didn't you notice that when Sister Qing Yuan summoned the golden-armored soldiers, she had several talisman papers in her hand? There were at least three or four Golden Armor Soldiers."

The onlookers discussed animatedly, putting immense pressure on Zhao He and Qin Shu.

Xuanyuan Quanlong curiously approached Qin Shu and asked a few questions in a hushed tone. As Qin Shu answered, Xuanyuan Quanlong found it difficult to hide his amusement.

"Let's begin!"

Zhao He's blood essence erupted, shrouding everyone in an invisible pressure. He appeared more like a ferocious, rampaging beast than a human.

"Golden Armor Soldiers, attack!"

Qing Yuan pointed toward Zhao He, and the Golden Armor Soldier swung its long saber, charging at him. The saber's backside was used to strike Zhao He, indicating Qing Yuan's intention not to harm him fatally.

"Ah!"

With power in his legs, Zhao He charged at the Golden Armor Soldier. However, when they were about to collide, Zhao He suddenly changed direction, bypassing the Golden Armor Soldier. He clenched his fists and struck directly at Qing Yuan.

"You disregard martial ethics!"

Qing Yuan panicked and she tried to resist Zhao He's punch with her weak hands. A gust of wind brushed past her, tousling her hair. That wind came from Zhao He's punch as he stopped himself.

"You lose."

Zhao He said solemnly as he scratched his head, 

"I can't accept this. You ignored martial ethics and ambushed me!"

Upon feeling everyone's eyes on her, Qing Yuan's face turned red as she protested.

"Xiao Yuan, a loss is a loss. There's no such thing as an ambush. If he hadn't stopped, you might have been defeated."

A gentle hand rested on Qing Yuan's shoulder. A beautiful woman smiled as she comforted her.

"B-but, Sister Zi Yue, I can't accept it. If I had the chance to set up an array formation, a hundred of them wouldn't be able to defeat me!"

As she felt distressed and exasperated, Qing Yuan looked at her surroundings, not expecting to be ambushed. Zhao He and Qin Shu had broadened her horizons. Zi Yue could only shake her head and sigh. She then glanced at Qin Shu, who was squatting on the side and watching the spectacle unfold. She slowly approached him.

"Hello, I'm Zi Yue."

Qin Shu looked up and saw the young lady standing before him. She extended her delicate, jade-like hand and introduced herself in a gentle tone.

"I'm Qin Shu."

After shaking hands, Qin Shu introduced himself.

"Your idea wasn't bad. Most people would have considered how to deal with the Golden Armor Soldiers instead of targeting the one who summoned them. But how did you know Qing Yuan wouldn't set up a defense?"

Ziyue voiced her doubts. If Qing Yuan had set up other formations around her, then charging at her would have been a dead end for Zhao He.

"I guessed." Qin Shu replied candidly, admitting that he had only seen the simplified Golden Armor Soldiers from the Origin Pattern Art. He hadn't seen anything else.

"I see."

Zi Yue, Xuanyuan Quanlong, and others were left speechless. Meanwhile, Zhao He continued to argue with Qing Yuan.

"Hehe, if I hadn't come, you brats might have torn this place apart."