Martial Tournament Contest (1)

The sun had set over the Qing Mao Mountains, and the Gu Yue Clan's academy was bathed in the soft glow of the cloudy sun. In the center of the courtyard, two students faced off against each other, ready for their graduation exam. The audience of fellow students and instructors gathered around them, eager to see who would come out on top.

"Ready?" called out the instructor, his voice echoing across the courtyard.

The two students nodded, their eyes locked on each other.

The first, a short and wiry boy with messy hair, raised his hand and summoned a Moonlight Gu from his sleeve. The Gu worm wriggled out, its body glowing with a soft blue light. He was called Jiang Shen, and he happened to be Jiang Ya's little brother, who was in charge of the academy gu building.

The second student, a tall and skinny girl with a serious expression, raised her hand and summoned a defensive Gu. She was called Ping Ling. It looked like a small, armored beetle with razor-sharp mandibles.

Jiang Shen smirked. "You think that little bug can protect you from my Moonlight Gu?"

Ping Lin didn't respond. Instead, she stepped forward and held out her palm. The beetle Gu crawled onto her hand and scurried up her arm, settling on her shoulder.

Jiang Shen's Moonlight Gu shot out a beam of light, but the girl was ready. She raised her arm and the beetle Gu unfurled its wings, emitting a powerful blast of wind that deflected the beam. The crowd gasped in surprise.

Jiang Shen gritted his teeth and summoned another Gu from his sleeve. This one was a small, glowing orb with a pair of wings.

"I'll show you the power of my Little Light Gu!" Jiang Shen shouted, hurling the orb at his opponent

The girl didn't flinch. She raised her hand, and the beetle Gu scurried down her arm and onto the ground. It burrowed into the dirt, and a split-second later, the ground beneath the boy's feet erupted in a shower of dirt and rocks.

The boy stumbled back, but he didn't give up. He summoned another Moonlight Gu and fired it at the girl, but she was too quick. She dodged the beam and hurled a handful of pebbles at the boy's face, distracting him.

In that moment, the girl pounced. She charged forward and slammed her fist into the boy's stomach. The display of skills was great, but Jiang Shen knew that he would face the most danger in close range, and had worked out a lot to build a stury body. It was exactly for this kind of situation that he had endured Mo Bei's insane training program.

Ping Ling face was pale. She was shocked to see that her punch had been blocked by the tall boy's abdominal muscles.

He smiled, before kicking her in the ribs. Despite having activated her defensive Gu Worm, she had suffered this much damage!

The strength and technique behind his kick were not ordinary. From afar, Chi Shan, the strongest strength path Gu Master in the Gu Yue Clan, nodded at the form of the low kick. It was simple, but very efficient. Obviously, Jiang Shen had worked a lot.

The instructor stepped forward and raised the boy's hand in victory. The crowd erupted in cheers. From her face, it was quite obvious that several ribs had been broken in the interaction.

"You fought well, Ping Ling" the boy said to the girl, offering her a hand up. "It is a pity that you have never followed Mo Bei's teachings. He has said many times that the strongest combination available in the academy shop is the Little Light Gu and the Moonlight Gu"

Although the scene looked very empatic from the spectators' point of view, Ping Ling knew that the boy was mocking her for not following Mo Bei. Half of the class, especially those with no backing, decided to choose him for the sake of building connections with the future heir of a family.

Although all ended up paying Mo Bei protection fees, only a dozen of them could be considered part of his 'close circle'. The close circle he had built would often practice overtime in the academy ground, and Mo Bei would personally impart his wisdom on them. Many tried to join the circle, but it was not that easy. Only those who showed enough heart and loyalty to him could enter it. Anyone who was disliked by the demoness Tang Chi or the mischievous Shi Feng would be outed immediately.

The girl never expected that her decision not to join Mo Bei would be faced with such a tragedy. Had she not made this decision, she might have won against Jiang Shen. Their talent was not very much different, yet the fight had been one-sided. Medical Gu Masters arrived, the girl and the boy made their way to the edge of the courtyard.

The crowd was in awe.

This year's batch was definitely above average.

Several more duels happened, and all of those who followed Mo Bei's advice of taking the [Little Light Gu] worm won against their opponents.

"How come they have all chosen the [Little Light Gu]? It is not very well known, right?", a Gu Master asked

"You haven't heard? The Mo family heir Mo Bei has established a small force in the academy, and suggested his subordinates to choose the [Little Light Gu]. He then taught them how to use them accordingly, and this is the result!"

"How come this gu worm is so strong then? It should be expensive. Has the academy grown wealthy?"

"It is actually pretty cheap for a reason. It has a high primeval essence consumption. However, it seems like Mo Bei trained them well on close combat and accuracy. None of them shot out moonlight blades in the air, unlike the others"

Just like this, Mo Bei's reputation was soaring.

Even Elder Chi Lian, who was the political opponent of Mo Chen, could not help but praise the Mo heir: "Old friend Mo Chen...What kind of monster did you raise? Leadership, cultivation...What else does this child have in reserve?"