I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 154 A sweetheart
Li Jinchuan, along with several fellow disciples, arrived at the "Number One Pavilion Under Heaven" early. Standing at the back of the crowd, he listened to his senior uncle and several elders from other sects discussing who was most likely to be on this year's "Qingyun List".

"Actually, the seven people are all roughly equal in strength. It's just that their cultivation methods and martial arts techniques counter each other. It wouldn't be surprising if anyone could have the last laugh."

"Chen Ming and Huang Zhuochen are also quite strong, but since they haven't fought against the previous seven, it's hard to say who will win or lose."

“Old Hu, you’re lying through your teeth. You saw the battle yesterday. Chen Ming from Qingfeng County is so skilled that no one else present could compare. Those seven were no match for him.”

"Brother Zhang, you can't be so hasty in your judgment..."

"How about we make a bet? We'll bet on the Frost Sword you have, shall we?"

"Hmph, you old thief, you actually dared to covet my Frost Sword? Don't even think about it."

And so the meeting ended on a sour note.

The senior surnamed Zhang snorted coldly, "This old thing doesn't want to offend those powerful families and sects, so he just talks nonsense."

The others were laughing but didn't say anything.

Li Jinchuan could also tell that this Senior Zhang was a straightforward person. Seeing that he spoke up for Brother Chen, he felt quite favorably towards him.

Then, the topic shifted to something else.

Suddenly, a commotion came from the doorway, and many people walked towards it.

You don't even need to look to know that some important person is coming; it was the same yesterday.

Sure enough, it was people from the Governor's Mansion who arrived. The leader was a third-rank admiral, followed by several young men and women, who were the Governor's family members.

Wherever he went, everyone bowed and greeted him, saying, "Lord Huang." "Greetings, Lord Huang." "Greetings, Lord Huang."

Li Jinchuan obediently followed behind his senior brothers.

The middle-aged man did not step forward; his status and strength were insufficient, and there was no need for him to go.

But soon, he suddenly noticed a young woman walking towards him from behind Admiral Huang. He recognized her; she was a disciple of the Governor's wife.

Three months ago, the Governor's Mansion held a grand banquet, and he was fortunate enough to go with the sect leader and witness the apprenticeship ceremony.

This young woman, surnamed Zhao, wasn't particularly skilled in cultivation, but as the disciple of the Governor's wife, her status was extraordinary. She should not be underestimated.

Then we saw that Miss Zhao was walking straight towards us.

"Did they come here specifically to say hello to me?"

The middle-aged man felt uneasy. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Just as he was thinking about how to respond, he saw her walk past him without even glancing at him, and go to a young disciple.

"You must be Li Jinchuan?"

Li Jinchuan wasn't stupid; he could tell from his martial uncle's reaction that this woman was no ordinary person. Hearing her words, he was momentarily stunned, somewhat at a loss for words.

Zhao Xiyan smiled and said, "I've heard Brother Chen mention you before."

Brother Chen?
Li Jinchuan then realized, "You're Brother Chen's friend?"

My surname is Zhao.

"Oh."

Li Jinchuan suddenly realized who she was.

He had been corresponding with Hong Zilin and knew that Brother Chen had a close relationship with Admiral Zhao's daughter.

Unexpectedly, I would meet the legendary Miss Zhao in such a setting.

Moreover, she was the one who took the initiative to find me.

Zhao Xiyan took out a bronze token from her bosom and handed it to him, saying, "If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can take this to the Governor's Mansion to find me."

"This... I can't accept it."

Li Jinchuan was taken aback. Even if he was willing to accept it, he was about to return it.

But she put on a stern face and said, "Just keep it as I told you to."

While he was still in a daze, she had already left, glancing back at him with a smile on her face. Only then did he realize that she wasn't really angry.

After Zhao Xiyan left, Li Jinchuan suddenly sensed that something was wrong. He looked up and saw that several of his fellow disciples, including his senior uncle, were looking at him with strange eyes.

He was momentarily at a loss, holding the bronze plaque as if it were a hot potato. He looked pleadingly at the middle-aged man, "Master... Uncle-Master... this..."

The martial uncle said, "Keep it."

Li Jinchuan felt that this senior apprentice's eyes were exceptionally kind.

He could only put the bronze medal away.

At this moment, his senior brother, who was usually familiar with him, whispered, "Junior brother, you actually know a big shot from the Governor's Mansion. Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Li Jinchuan smiled wryly, "I don't know either."

It was his uncle who came to his rescue, saying, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. We'll discuss it when we get back. Jin Chuan, stand next to me."

Li Jinchuan walked nervously to his uncle's side. When he looked up, he saw his senior brother standing on the other side of his uncle giving him a friendly smile.

He quickly returned the smile, feeling a strange sense of relief.

He joined the White Feather Sect halfway through his studies and had no foundation within the sect. In addition, due to his outstanding talent, many of his senior brothers did not like him. Fortunately, his master protected him, so he was not ostracized.

Now, he felt that his fellow disciples and even his senior uncles had become more friendly.

He knew perfectly well that it was all because of that Miss Zhao. And the reason she took the initiative to contact him was because of Brother Chen.

……

"Junior sister, who is that person?"

After Zhao Xiyan returned, Pan Dingqian casually asked her a question.

She said respectfully, "A friend's younger brother."

Pan Dingqian was her master's youngest son, so he was naturally her senior brother. He was about thirty years old and had a somewhat dashing and unrestrained demeanor.

He smiled and asked, "Is it your sweetheart?"

"Senior brother is joking."

"Haha, love between men and women is human nature. What's there to hide?" Pan Dingqian was somewhat dismissive of her reaction. "Besides, you have good taste. I've heard that his swordsmanship has reached a state of perfection. He's no less skilled than Shang Jianfei back then."

Zhao Xiyan knew that this senior brother was always outspoken, so she could only pretend not to hear him.

Today, Pan Shuyi excused herself from coming, saying she wasn't feeling well. Pan Dingqian, however, came along, saying he wanted to meet her sweetheart.

At that moment, she caught a glimpse of that familiar figure out of the corner of her eye, and a sudden pang of sorrow gripped her heart.

These past two days, Chen Ming has become an overnight sensation, his name echoing throughout Jiangzhou City. She should have been happy. However, the greater his fame, the more inexplicable sadness welled up within her.

The scene of our last meeting is still vivid in my mind.

She knew in her heart that it was probably really impossible for her and Chen Ming to be together again.

Therefore, every time she hears someone say that he is her sweetheart, she feels a tightness in her chest.

"That guy in black must be him."

When Pan Dingqian's voice reached her ears, he had clearly guessed it from her reaction.

She felt even worse and didn't want to say a word.

……

Soon, everyone had arrived, and Master Chu announced the start of the third round of the competition.

The first batch still included several internal battles among the seven, but today their fighting was even more intense.

After two days of fierce fighting, they had a clear understanding of each other's strength. There was no need for probing; they immediately engaged in a bloody, head-on battle.

"Their strength has improved." Chen Ming made this judgment halfway through the reading.

This kind of evenly matched combat is most helpful for a martial artist's progress.

Not only did he see it, but everyone else present also noticed it, and they all thought it was no wonder that Jiang Shihua, Ji Qianxing and the others came to participate in the "Qingyun Ranking" competition.

This is a rare opportunity for them to improve themselves.

It's easy to imagine that after ten days, many people will have improved their skills to a higher level.

Those fifth-rank individuals who dare not participate will be left far behind by these people.

The first round of matches was extremely fierce, lasting until seventy or eighty moves before a winner was decided. One of the fighters, who had maintained a perfect record, unexpectedly lost.

At this point, only four people remained undefeated: Chen Ming, Huang Zhuochen, Li Yuqi of the Wushan Sect, and Jiang Shihua.

In the second batch, Chen Ming's opponents were of average strength, and he easily defeated them.

……

In the third match, Chen Ming finally encountered a seeded player, Fan Dongsheng from Jin Yutang. This player had only lost one match so far, demonstrating exceptional skill.

This battle is the most anticipated one today.

Everyone wanted to know whether Chen Ming, who had suddenly risen to prominence, could defeat the most outstanding young expert in Jiangzhou City.

This man is Chen Ming's touchstone; his true worth will be revealed after this battle.

Several people present who were familiar with Chen Ming, such as Zhou Weihao and Li Jinchuan, couldn't help but feel nervous.

Although they knew Chen Ming was very strong now, the reputation of a person still made them worry. Fan Dongsheng's fame was too great.

"Uncle-Master, who do you think will win?"

On the White Feather Sect's side, Wu Zhang also became a little nervous and whispered to his uncle next to him.

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then said ambiguously, "Let's split it 40/60."

However, it didn't specify who was fourth and who was sixth. As for who was fourth and who was sixth, that's up to your own interpretation.

……

"Please enlighten me."

Chen Ming gestured for him to proceed.

Fan Dongsheng gripped the spear tightly, a powerful fighting spirit igniting within him.

This Chen Ming defeated Luo Xu, whose origins were unknown, and his fame was already catching up with Luo Xu's. Major gambling houses even believed that this person had a better chance of being listed on the "Qingyun List".

These things left him feeling resentful.

He wanted to see whether this kid's swordsmanship was superior or his own spearmanship was more formidable.

As soon as the referee gave the order, Fan Dongsheng drew his gun. He immediately unleashed his ultimate move, showing no mercy or holding back. His gun shot out like a dragon, hurtling towards Chen Ming, who was standing in the middle of the field.

Jin Yutang's ultimate skill, the "Flaming Dragon Spear," combined with Fan Dongsheng's fire-attribute true energy, made it seem as if a layer of flames burned on the divine weapon "Flaming Dragon Spear" in his hand.

"Die!"

The power of this shot has exceeded the level of a fifth-rank soldier.

The use of divine weapons is not prohibited on the arena. Almost every one of the seven seeded players wields a divine weapon, which increases their strength by 20%. This makes it even more difficult for others to compete with them.

The shot missed its mark.

No matter how powerful your marksmanship is, it's all for nothing if you can't hit your target.

Chen Ming had already witnessed Fan Dongsheng's marksmanship; in terms of sheer power, it was undoubtedly the best in the entire arena. Naturally, he wouldn't engage in a direct confrontation with him.

The person who lost the previous match was because he was kited, which depleted his inner energy, ultimately causing him to lose by one move.

Of course, not just anyone can kite him.

Chen Ming had already discerned the opponent's intentions the moment they fired, almost as if he had foreseen it. He reacted in advance.

Since mastering the Vermilion Bird Sword Technique, he has become so proficient that he understands all techniques. Whether it is swordsmanship, palm techniques, or spear techniques, he can easily discern the flaws in the opponent's moves.

To put it simply, he saw through his opponent, which allowed him to handle things with ease and confidence.

So far, the only person he can't see through is Su Zhining. Her swordsmanship is also extremely high, putting him under immense pressure. Therefore, he can only take the initiative to attack, forcing her to reveal an opening, and then win with a final blow.

As Chen Ming pondered, he dealt with Fan Dongsheng's marksmanship. After about ten moves, he was exhausted and could barely hold on.

"How dare you underestimate me!"

Fan Dongsheng was no ordinary person either. He could sense that his opponent, Chen Ming, seemed to be distracted, and he couldn't help but get furious.

He accepted his defeat because he was outmatched.

However, Chen Ming's blatant disregard for him was something he found utterly unacceptable. His eyes turned red with rage, and a fire seemed to burn within him.

boom!
At that moment, only one thought occupied his mind: to pierce through the guy who dared to underestimate him. His inner energy surged as if it were burning.

Flames blazed fiercely on the "Flame Dragon Spear" in his hand.

Suddenly, Fan Dongsheng felt he had spotted Chen Ming.

"caught you!"

He thrust his spear forward with a fierce urge, a strong premonition in his heart that this thrust would surely hit its mark.

"what?"

A few gasps of surprise rippled through the crowd of onlookers. Several Rank 3 experts looked astonished; this kid had actually managed to gain some insight under such circumstances.

The group of people thought to themselves: Jin Yutang has taken on a good disciple.

……

Ok?
Chen Ming suddenly felt himself being locked onto by something, and was slightly startled. He couldn't help but become serious. He saw that the opponent's shot had blocked all his escape routes, forcing him to take the hit head-on.

A sudden breakthrough?

His eyes sharpened, and for the first time since the start of the battle, he swung his longsword.

A meteorite illuminates the night!

A flash of sword light appeared, and it flew out at a speed that was difficult to detect with the naked eye.

The sword light struck Fan Dongsheng's chest, sending him flying out of the arena.

The audience was so dazzled by the flash of sword light that they didn't even see how Fan Dongsheng was defeated. Only highly skilled experts knew what had happened.

Just now, Chen Ming threw his longsword, which struck Fan Dongsheng before the spear could get close.

It's breathtaking.

Fan Dongsheng's spear strike was beyond the ability of a fifth-rank martial artist to withstand. He actually found what might be the only chance of victory in that split second; such combat talent was truly astonishing.

Honestly, if they were in Chen Ming's position, they might not have been able to come up with this idea.

At this moment, Chen Ming on the platform praised, "Brother Fan, what excellent marksmanship!"

Fan Dongsheng, who had been thrown off the ring, got up from the ground and snorted, "A loss is a loss. You don't need to give me a way out. I'll remember this defeat."

After saying that, he turned around and left.

Chen Ming thought to himself, "He's quite a man of character."

P.S.: This is 400,000 words. Just making a note of it. Requesting monthly votes.

(End of this chapter)