In the blink of an eye, another two days passed. On Monday afternoon, after school, most of the members of the Fighting Center's Swordsmanship Club had gradually gathered.
Today was the weekly seat battle, and those confident in their martial arts cultivation were already gearing up for a chance to hit the jackpot.
The Swordsmanship Club had five seats: first seat, second seat, then third, fourth, and fifth. Securing a seat not only meant an extra free martial meal weekly but also a one-on-one private lesson with the leading teacher.
Even though there was only half an hour of private instruction each day, such opportunities were something many ordinary students could only dream of!
It's worth noting that even a Martial Artist of Professional First Rank charges over twenty thousand per private class. Xu Lan, being a Martial Artist of Professional Third Rank and young and beautiful, could charge up to a hundred thousand and still have willing patrons.
With so many benefits, it's no wonder the competition for the Swordsmanship Club's seat battle was intense.
In the venue, Xu Yuebing was concentrating her spirit, making pre-battle preparations, diligently adjusting her state.
The Xu Family was a prestigious name in Linjiang City's martial arts world. Xu Yuebing didn't lack martial meals or private instruction; she simply didn't like losing.
As the beloved daughter of the Xu Clan, Xu Yuebing's martial arts talent might not be exceptional, but it was at least above average. With her willingness to work hard, her skills in swordsmanship were quite advanced. At least in the Fighting Center, there were only a few who could consistently beat her.
Within the Swordsmanship Club, only Lu Yifan could barely surpass her, relying on his age and experience.
Of course, a certain freakish newcomer was automatically excluded by Xu Yuebing.
So far, she couldn't see any hope of defeating Ye Qingzhou.
Thinking of that annoyingly handsome face that made her grit her teeth in her mind, Xu Yuebing became unhappy. She instinctively looked around but didn't see Ye Qingzhou, making her frown and even more irritated.
Today was the seat battle, and that guy dared to be late?
"Hey, Little Bingbing, what are you looking around for?"
The one asking was Xu Yuebing's desk mate in Class Two and her good friend, Yao Siyu, who smiled teasingly: "Oh, I get it, are you looking for Ye Qingzhou?"
Xu Yuebing rolled her eyes at her, showing obvious disdain, clearly not wanting to answer such a boring question.
But Yao Siyu couldn't resist her curiosity and wanted to dig deeper: "I heard you two are privately engaged?"
Xu Yuebing tightly knit her brows, her five snow-white fingers gripping the sword hilt, and her good upbringing made even her anger seem elegant: "Rumors."
"Hehe, I've heard that you've even given him your inseparable sword, Flying Frost."
"Nonsense, the sword was snatched by him, not given by me."
Xu Yuebing lightly pursed her lips; just mentioning the matter made her both ashamed and furious.
This was the worst defeat she ever had since childhood.
So she had to personally regain her honor, because she was Xu Yuebing!
Just as Xu Yuebing was contemplating how to defeat Ye Qingzhou and reclaim her sword, an arrogant voice came from the entrance.
"Is this the Swordsmanship Club?"
The newcomer was tall with long legs, exuding a commanding presence, and had an ornate, ancient-looking sword at his waist.
Even though the sword remained sheathed, it was clearly extraordinary, especially with a very recognizable insignia on the sword guard—a towering mountain reaching the clouds and a winding river.
Xu Yuebing recognized this insignia at once, surprised: "The Mountain and Water Pattern, could this person be from Three Pure Ones Mountain?"
Three Pure Ones Mountain was one of the famous Daoist mountains, the meeting place of the Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing sects. Since the flourishing of the martial arts, the Three Pure Ones Sect had advanced together, relying on profound cultivation to gain a formidable reputation in the Southern Martial Arts World, their strength and status unmatched by lesser sects like Iron Fist Sect.
Even the Linjiang Xu Clan was insignificant before such a force like Three Pure Ones Mountain.
"I am Leon, from Three Pure Ones Mountain. I just transferred to Linjiang First High School today and heard that the Fighting Center's Swordsmanship Club is full of experts, so I wanted to see for myself."
After entering, Leon glanced around the room, his gaze pausing only briefly on Lu Yifan and Xu Yuebing, dismissing everyone else entirely.
"Where are the so-called experts?"
His words immediately stirred a commotion.
Zheng Zigang stood up in a rage, and a few senior members from the high school section of the Swordsmanship Club also gave Leon unfriendly looks.
"You're looking for trouble, aren't you?"
"Daring to cause trouble at our Swordsmanship Club, are you tired of living?"
Leon, however, was neither afraid nor cowed but instead spoke more disdainfully: "I'm not interested in talking with mud; step aside and let your strongest come face me."
Lu Yifan, who had been sitting quietly, sighed. The Swordsmanship Club was having a turbulent season. First came Ye Qingzhou, who didn't know how to speak plainly, and now Leon, whose words were full of bravado. What a mess.
But with the current situation, as the club's chief, he had to step up.
"Leon, I am Lu Yifan."
"You? The chief of the Swordsmanship Club?"
Leon scrutinized Lu Yifan for a moment, then tutted: "Linjiang First High's Swordsmanship Club is disappointing if someone like you is the chief. But no worries, now that I'm here, the history of this club's poverty and weakness ends today. Rejoice, celebrate, and welcome your new king!"
To utter such overzealous words with a straight face, one couldn't help but worry about Leon's mental state.
Lu Yifan was easygoing and wasn't angered by Leon's words, but Zheng Zigang, with his fiery temperament, immediately drew his training wooden sword and lunged at Leon: "Clueless fool, still spouting nonsense, not even regarding me!"
"I'll make you drop right here, watch my sword!"
As the second seat of the Swordsmanship Club, Zheng Zigang's Wind Force was nearly at a skilled level. When he attacked, the air in the room began to flow, and an invisible force gathered.
Yet faced with this wind-stirring attack, Leon remained disdainful, not even bothering to lift his eyes: "Ignorance."
Then, he took a deep breath, while his left hand clenched, forming a Five Thunders Seal.
The Five Qi arises from the viscera: lungs belong to metal, liver to wood, heart to fire, kidneys to water, spleen to earth. When the Five Qi interact, vitality surges, and Thunderbolt Power is born.
"Five Qi, generate thunder, shock!"
Leon's roar was like thunder, shaking the surroundings, and with a shout, Zheng Zigang was thrown off balance, collapsing backward.
After this roar, Leon beckoned to Lu Yifan and Xu Yuebing with a finger: "In this vast Swordsmanship Club, only you two are somewhat presentable. Come, attack together, fall under my sword, and submit to me. From today onwards, learn to look up to my back, for only then will you witness the most beautiful scenery of your life."