High-level martial arts: Contract cashback, invincible starting from the Zerg.

The tense atmosphere in the hall had not yet dissipated.

A deep, authoritative, and steady voice suddenly rang out from the back door of the hall, silencing all the restlessness and commotion.

"No more noise in the ladder arena."

The voice was not loud, but it carried an extremely strong spiritual deterrent force, like a resounding bell falling into everyone's ears.

The sword intent surrounding Ling Changhong, who had been so aggressive just moments before, instantly dissipated, and his grip on the sword hilt loosened slightly involuntarily.

Two Martial God Instructors were slowly walking towards the main entrance of the Martial God Ladder Hall.

The leader was over forty years old, with a square and solemn face, and sharp, piercing eyes.

As he simply walked forward, a faint martial arts aura surrounded him, and every step he took seemed to resonate with everyone's heartstrings. This was none other than Master Yin, the most respected chief instructor in the Martial God Palace and the only peak Hong-rank expert.

Following behind Master Yin was Chen Feng's mentor, Yu Qian.

Ling Changhong's back stiffened slightly.

He had just relied on his superior cultivation level to overpower others, and almost violated the rules of the competition.

At this moment, facing Master Yin and Yu Qian, he already felt a sense of unease and apprehension.

On the highest platform of the arena, a figure dressed in a dark-colored robe with gold patterns slowly walked out and stood steadily in the center of everyone's sight.

The person who arrived was none other than Instructor Yu Qian, who was in charge of hosting this Martial God Ladder Tournament.

Instructor Yu Qian's gaze slowly swept over Ling Changhong and Su Qingyuan's group, who were facing off, and then over the two geniuses from the Xiang Cang and Li Buyan families.

A smile appeared in his eyes, but his voice once again resounded throughout the entire alloy hall.

"There is an important matter to inform all participating martial artists before the start of this Martial God Ladder Tournament."

"Recently, urgent military reports from the northern border of Daye have been pouring in. The forces of Beicheng have gradually consolidated their control over Upper Daye, occupying key border routes and constructing defensive fortifications. A large-scale territorial battle between Great Xia and the forces of Beicheng will break out in a very short time!"

After saying that,

The expressions of the martial artists who were subordinate to the four major families all changed.

Their original relaxed, confrontational, and wait-for-the-competition attitude vanished, replaced by a solemn expression.

Although the disciples of the four major families in Shangcheng have been cultivating and competing with each other for many years, they all understand the strategic significance of Shangcheng.

Once the Northern City army presses in, the entire northern part of Great Xia will be plunged into turmoil, and at that time, no one in Great Xia's martial arts world will be able to remain unscathed.

Instructor Yu Qian stood with his hands behind his back, his sharp gaze fixed on the family martial artist before him.

"The top thirty on this ladder ranking will directly determine the participants' eligibility for the expedition! Those at the top of the rankings and possessing exceptional strength will be directly selected for the North City expedition team, marching with the army to the front lines of Daye Upper City to participate in the direct battle against the North City forces!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed drastically.

Some looked excited, eager to seize this opportunity to make a name for themselves; others looked solemn, knowing full well the dangers of the battle on the front lines.

Su Qingyuan's gaze swept over the group of martial artists around her, some excited and some fearful, her eyes showing a clear calmness. She turned to Chen Feng and spoke.

"In the past, everyone competed for resources in the upper city and family status. Losing meant no harm to your life, while winning brought immense glory. But now, the ladder rankings are directly tied to expedition slots, which is interesting."

Chen Feng took a deep breath, his aura becoming much more subdued, and murmured, "If we don't even dare to go all out in the Heavenly Ladder where we spar with our peers, how can we talk about resisting external enemies?"

This was originally a soft murmur among the crowd, but it precisely reached the ears of the two martial arts instructors in front.

The hall was still noisy, and everyone seemed to be still immersed in the shock and uproar of the expedition. However, Master Yin had already looked at Chen Feng.

Yu Qian, who was standing to the side, also glanced at Master Yin and Chen Feng, whom he was paying attention to.

Seeing that Master Yin did not speak, Yu Qian stepped forward slowly, his deep voice directly suppressing the martial artists' murmurs.

"Well said."

As he spoke, Instructor Yu Qian rubbed his hands together slowly.

His gaze locked directly onto Chen Feng in the crowd, a bright smile in his eyes, as he spoke clearly and distinctly: "In a battle, the worst thing is to hesitate. Just now, everyone present was either ecstatic or shocked... but Chen Feng succinctly revealed the true essence of martial arts!"

Yu Qian nodded slightly, his expression becoming increasingly solemn.

His voice was full of recognition and expectations for Chen Feng: "Sparring among peers and competing on the Heavenly Ladder may seem like a contest to determine who is better, but in reality, it is a trial to hone one's skills. If one is afraid of even competing with fellow disciples and peers and dares not go all out, how will one have the confidence to draw one's sword and the courage to defend oneself when facing powerful enemies in the North City and fighting on the battlefield in the future?"

After the public praise was announced, a subtle commotion instantly broke out in the hall once again.

The Heavenly Master Yin standing in front of Yu Qian showed a faint hint of approval on his sharp face, clearly acknowledging Yu Qian's assessment.

Hearing Yu Qian praise Chen Feng so openly and honestly.

A smile appeared in Su Qingyuan's eyes as she turned to Chen Feng and said, "Being praised by the mentor in public, you're going to become a household name now."

"Thank you," Chen Feng said, scratching his head.

Soon, the Martial God Ladder competition began.

Once the brief rules of the competition were presented to the crowd, the competition organizers immediately stepped forward and conducted a live draw to determine the order of events.

The first match was none other than the Su family versus the Ling family!

"What a small world," Ling Youchang said in a low, cold voice.

He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with his five fingers, and a clear, resonant sword sound emanated from the scabbard, its piercing sharpness assaulting his senses.

As a direct descendant of the Ling family, his cultivation level was consistently among the top of his generation, and he had mastered the Ling family's fast sword technique to an unparalleled degree. However, due to his arrogant nature, he was repeatedly humiliated by Ling Changhong, causing him to lose face in the Ling family.

Now, facing the Su family in the first match is the perfect opportunity for him to wash away his pent-up frustration.

The Su family warriors' expressions tightened slightly, but Mu Wen's gaze remained calm. He raised his hand and pressed down on a Su family member who was about to step forward, saying softly, "I'll do it."

Discussions arose again in the stadium.

All eyes were fixed on the two figures on the arena, and the atmosphere instantly reached its peak.

On the high platform, Yu Qian's gaze narrowed slightly as he calmly observed the situation of the Martial God Ladder.

Master Yin's gaze was even sharper as he carefully examined the fluctuations in the auras of the two young geniuses.

However, attention soon turned to Chen Feng.

"Yu Qian, your apprentice?"

"What does Master Yin think?"

"A person who dares to face challenges head-on and stays true to themselves will surely have a martial arts mindset far beyond that of ordinary people," Master Yin said calmly.

"It was Su Qingyuan who brought him in; I don't have the ability to teach him," Yu Qian quickly laughed it off.

"After Mo Chen leaves, you can tell me if you have any trouble."

"Okay, okay~" Yu Qian said politely.

Their exchange was brief and understated, much like a casual conversation between senior colleagues.

After a brief whisper, the two martial arts instructors fell silent and turned their attention back to the arena where the duel was about to begin.