46 Standing Still

Meng and Hengjun returned to their seats and let others take their assessment and draw a number for their match.

"Little Meng, although I truly appreciate what you did...we could have easily handled this. Right now, you have angered numerous people." Tie Zhancang said with a bit worried expression while looking around as others were glancing towards Meng with hateful looks, ready to tear him to pieces.

"To be honest...I am very happy for my outburst and loss of control over my emotions." Meng said with a genuine smile.

"Eh? Why?" Everyone in his group was surprised and who wouldn't...?

"I just realized something." Meng replied shortly and mysteriously.

'So that's why I was unable to grasp spear intent...An excessive amount of strong emotions must be gathered in a place at one moment for one to express the spear intent. The spear intent is formed from one's emotions and will. The stronger the will and emotions are, the stronger the intent' Meng thought with closed eyes before he opened them after a half minute, revealing his sharp red eyes. However, the look in his eyes completely changed in those 30 seconds...Right now, his eyes looked like they were capable of piercing through someone's body and soul.

Meanwhile, the assessment was finished and 30 elders started floating above 30 small circular arenas. They immediately started calling out disciples' names according to their group and turn.

Meng looked at his drawn number 2104. The first 2 numbers meant which arena and group he is in and the second 2 numbers meant the number of his match.

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"Group 21, fourth match, Iron Spear Clan's Su Meng versus Skyblade Clan's Ye Changqing!" As he was looking at other arenas where others already started fighting, he was quickly called out as the 3rd match on the 21st arena already ended.

Meng looked at the elder hovering above the arena before he jumped up on the arena to face his opponent. The moment he saw his opponent, his eyes narrowed as he could remember him being one of the people who were running their mouth, well, Meng would be hard-pressed to find someone who wasn't ridiculing his clan among those weaklings.

Ye Changqing was already at 2nd Spirit Profound Realm and although their match wasn't special in any way, a few eyes were paying attention to their match as Meng caused many people to hate him but when others got to know that he is up to someone stronger, most didn't even bother to look. However from one of the most interesting figures here...the ones secretly observing his match were Chu sisters, Yun Che with Xia Yuanba, and obviously his own clan, however, there was one more person paying a bit attention to his match and that was none other than Xuanyuan Yufeng. If one would look into her eyes, none would be capable of telling what are her thoughts or intentions.

"Junior, you should take out your weapon before it's too late" Ye Changqing said with a slight sneer.

"No need, thank you for your kind concern, "senior"" Meng said and used quite a bit ridiculing tone when he called him senior.

"Match, start!!" The Elder announced the start of the match.

"Then don't blame me for hurting you!!!" Ye Changqing clenched his teeth as he saw Meng standing still with a carefree air around him. He rushed in front of Meng and sent his right fist enveloped in his profound energy towards Meng's tranquil face.

Meng slowly watched as his opponent's fist was nearing his face before he moved with his palm striking forward or more like pushing motion since there was no real strength behind it.

*whoosh* *bang* Ye Changqing's body was blown away from the 21st arena and crashed into one of the obstacles far away. His external injuries weren't almost visible at all but his internal injuries were a different matter.

"?!" The elder widened his eyes as he didn't notice Meng use even a bit of his profound energy in that exchange.

"Senior?" Meng looked up and questioned with a confused expression.

"Ah, Iron Spear Clan's Su Meng wins!" The Elder woke up from the daze and announced.

"Weren't you too heavy-handed, junior?! Ye Changqing's injuries are all internal that are heavy to cure and even when he recovers, he will have trouble training for some time! This was just meant to be a friendly spar among talented individuals!" An older man shouted at Meng who was intending to leave the arena which made him stop at the spot.

"He is one stage higher than I, how could I know that he is so weak?" Meng replied with a disinterested expression.

"You-!"

"Enough! The match has already ended! However, it is indeed the truth that you were a bit too harsh, junior. He must have taken some pity on you for being stronger but you used his negligence to heavily injure him...Try not to be so heavy-handed the next time." The Elder said, trying to trick his own mind that he saw their match wrong. He was trying to tell himself that Meng actually used profound energy to defeat his opponent.

"This junior understands! This junior won't fight back in the next match, the elder can oversee my promise!" Meng cupped his fists and said with a small cold smile.

"You...Just go back and wait until you are called again." The Elder let Meng go while warning the other side taking care of Ye Changqing with his sharp gaze.

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"What the hell? Why did that brat return so fast? Could it be that he surrendered?"

"Are you blind?! Look at arena number 21!" A few people started gossiping when Meng returned so fast after being called out.

When he arrived, Hengjun was just called out, his opponent was someone with just a cultivation base of 1st Spirit Profound Realm but he was still acting all high and mighty in front of Hengjun who was just 6th stage of True Profound Realm.

"Are you worried, clan master?" Meng asked with fixed eyes on arena number 23.

"Little Meng, how can I not be worried? That guy against my son is nearly half realm above him..." Tie Zhancang looked at Meng and said with a fake smile.

"Heh...just a half realm above him...To brother Hengjun, such an opponent is at most good for a light warmup. Clan master, please just watch how much stronger your son became in the span of those 9 months." Meng said with a faint smile while holding his head high and looking at the 23rd arena.

"You little rascal, there is more to his sudden increase in profound strength? Why do I even worry *sigh*. Since little Meng says so, I will fully trust your words." Tie Zhancang sighed with a tired expression but a relieved smile appeared on his face as he relaxed on his seat.

Hengjun's match began and his opponent didn't give him any leeway, instantly attacking him with his superior profound energy. When the profound energy was about to hit Hengjun, he disappeared and appeared a few steps to the side, flawlessly dodging the attack without any change in his tranquil expression. His opponent continued attacking him but Hengjun just kept dodging with a completely cool head.

"Will you just keep dodging like a coward?!" His opponent shouted and sent another slash of profound energy.

Hearing his words, Hengjun disappeared once again to dodge the incoming attack but this time instead of appearing a few steps away, he appeared a few meters behind his opponent who was still looking for him.

"Zephyr" Hengjun muttered and numerous large and sharp green wind blades attacked his opponent from all sides.

*bang*

When the dust cleared up, Hengjun's opponent was lying on the ground with a few small cut wounds and ruined clothes, barely clinging to his body.

"I just wanted to give you some face by extending this fight." *sigh*

"Iron Spear Clan's Tie Hengjun, wins!"

Hengjun said before he released a short sigh and left the arena as the Elder announced him as a winner.

'His speed is definitely above those of True Profound Realm. His affinity and proficiency in wind laws are quite high...' The Elder responsible for the 23rd arena thought while watching Hengjun's back with a long ponytail dancing in a gentle breeze.

Everyone who remembered him as someone of only True Profound Realm was surprised to hear such an announcement but they were still holding onto the belief that those two matches were just luck.

Once he came back to his group, he was immediately questioned by others what kind of Profound Technique he used in that match just like a pack of fangirls. It took him some time to silence them for the time being, promising to explain everything later.

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The second match for Meng quickly arrived and he jumped onto the 21st arena.

When Meng looked at his opponent, it was someone at the 4th stage of Spirit Profound Realm but that wasn't important as he could remember that he was one of the people he doesn't have to show any respect or mercy.

"I hope you will hold true to your words and you won't move an inch in front of my attacks, junior, HAHA!" His opponent apparently heard his promise or perhaps he heard it from other people.

"No need for such things. It was just a figure of speech." The Elder hovering above the stage looked at Meng and then at the other person before saying aloud.

"Not at all, once a man makes a promise, he must keep it no matter what. I won't move a single step, neither will I defend myself. I will stand here just like this until there is a clear winner." Meng said with a folded arms which completely shocked those who finally decided to pay some attention to this match.

"You-!" His opponent immediately started trembling in rage as what he previously said was meant to make fun out of Meng and get a scared expression out of him or perhaps make him surrender but he never expected this answer...no one did.

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"What is he thinking?" Chu Yuechan muttered with a puzzled expression.

"I don't know, he never struck me as an arrogant person but that was before his cultivation was restored..." Chu Yueli replied.

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"Fine! I will ruin that pretty face of yours so you can no longer form that arrogant smile!" His opponent didn't even bother to draw his weapon and just rushed in to punch his face while putting all his profound energy into his fist.

The Elder watching this narrowed his eyes as he felt that Meng truly didn't intend to move. This entire situation garnered a lot of attention and right now, as Meng was about to get punched in the face, the 21st arena had more prying eyes than any other arenas where much stronger people fought.

*BANG!* When the fist hit Meng's face a loud sound resounded through the entire Sword Discourse Arena, making some people's hearts skip the beat. However, contrary to everyone's expectations for Meng's head to explode or be gravely injured...

"AAAAGH!" His opponent screamed out like a pig about to be slaughtered, falling to his knees, holding onto his shoulder as his arm was simply just hanging on his body, almost as if there were no bones inside it.

"WHAT?!!!" The Elder overseeing their match cried out but he wasn't the only one who was dumbfounded, however, he was the one who was the closest to their match and he perfectly and clearly saw that Meng didn't even put up any protective layer of profound energy and directly took it head-on...

"That tickled a bit...So? I am still waiting for the second attack, as I promised...I won't attack, neither will I defend myself. Go ahead, senior~!" Meng with his folded arms looked down at his opponent with his glowing red eyes and said with a bright friendly smile.

"...T-That won't be necessary! I-I surrender!" His opponent couldn't even raise his head as he said that.

"..."

"Senior? I believe that I have fulfilled my promise so there should be no problem, right? Also, I haven't been as harsh as before just like the senior requested of this junior." Meng cupped his fists and said with a graceful smile.

'Haven't been harsh? My ass! His injuries are at least 5 times worse than the previous person's!'

The elder wanted to shout aloud but he refrained from it since Meng truly didn't move a muscle during that "exchange" if it even could be called the exchange.