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The first round of matches lasted an entire day. Xunuo finished his competition early and, under the guidance of Guo Shujiang, began observing other matches. It wasn't until just before dinner that all the competitions concluded.
After watching, Xunuo felt confident that as long as he gave his all against these so-called tough opponents, victory was assured. However, there were two senior brothers whose techniques were not from their sect's Fist Technique, which would require some effort to overcome.
After the first round, in the Outer Hall, a Vice Hall Master presided over the drawing of lots for the next round's opponents among the victorious disciples. After seeing Xunuo's opponent, Guo Shujiang remarked, "This one also practices Tongbi Fist and joined Wuhua Sect at the same time as me. His martial arts skills are mediocre; you should have no trouble defeating him. Let's go eat and rest well for tomorrow's battle."
After they had dinner and returned to their quarters, Xunuo noticed that Guo Shujiang was still lingering and asked, "Brother Guo, aren't you on duty today?"
Guo Shujiang, still excited, replied cheerfully, "I took leave to accompany you for these matches. Your impressive victories bring me great pride."
Xunuo chuckled and said, "Brother, are you worried about losing money if I don't perform well?"
Guo Shujiang laughed sheepishly and said, "That's just one aspect of it. But seeing you so valiant makes me happy regardless of any monetary concerns."
The two discussed some details about their upcoming match before heading to bed.
At Wuhua Sect, Xunuo spent his days doing chores and practicing martial arts. At night, he focused on cultivating the Huayang Classic and Elixir Formula. He had never gone to sleep early before. With Guo Shujiang off duty today, he felt uncomfortable practicing in front of him and decided to sleep instead. However, he found it hard to fall asleep and decided to extend his Divine Sense to observe others' actions.
Soon enough, he discovered that his opponent for tomorrow, a senior brother who practiced Tongbi Fist, had not yet gone to bed. He was inside discussing the upcoming match with four or five others and appeared quite dejected. It turned out that Xunuo had won easily earlier in the day and was now regarded as a formidable opponent by many Outer Sect Disciples entering the second round. Naturally, this senior brother felt anxious about facing him.
A tall and thin individual advised him, "Don't worry too much. I watched Lu Zaisheng's first match from the sidelines. Although he used Tongbi Fist techniques, his moves were more akin to Flowing Cloud Fist. I suspect he must be proficient in Flowing Cloud Fist. Your Tongbi Fist has its merits; after all, strength can overcome skill. Just rely on your Tongbi Fist against him. Even if he has some tricks up his sleeve, he won't be able to perform effectively against your absolute strength."
The man nodded in agreement.
Another person chimed in, "Lu Zaisheng has only been in the sect for less than a month; some of his skills might have been taught by Guo Chaozi. Guo Chaozi is only half-competent himself; those he teaches aren't particularly strong either. However, I've heard that Lu Zaisheng possesses innate strength. If you rely solely on Tongbi Fist against him, it may not be easy. If you use Three Talents Fist instead, you'll have a better chance with both skill and strength."
As soon as these words were spoken, a wave of discussion erupted.
Xunuo couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He never expected that in just one day, his name would become so well-known. It made even the third-year disciples feel uneasy. Turning his attention elsewhere with his Divine Sense, he discovered that many were indeed discussing him.
Xunuo thought to himself: Regardless, I must find a way to stand out in the Outer Sect Disciple competition within the year. It is necessary to gauge the level of the Outer Sect Disciples now. If I can make a name for myself, it wouldn't be a bad thing. When I first entered the Wuhua Sect, I faced exclusion and was given a year’s probation. It seems the sect is aware of the difficulties my family faces and fears being implicated. They couldn’t just expel me outright, fearing backlash from the martial arts community. If I can demonstrate my talent in martial arts within this year and show some strength, it would be difficult for them to take action against me, at least not covertly. If I remain obscure, no one would know if the higher-ups sought to eliminate me, and no one would stand up for someone so powerless and nameless.
With this thought in mind, he felt more at ease.
A little later, Xunuo's Divine Sense involuntarily reached the Manager's area among the Outer Sect Disciples. He saw Zhang Changzai conversing with two men dressed in white robes, both looking rather serious. Zhang Changzai's expression was fluctuating between anger and frustration. Xunuo had been in the sect for some time and recognized that those in white robes were all Outer Sect Disciples.
At that moment, one of the Outer Sect Disciples said, “You can’t even handle this simple task; instead, you let him gain fame during the Monthly Test. If he truly establishes himself here and disrupts Hall Master’s plans, even your brother-in-law won’t be able to save you.”
The tone was harsh, showing no regard for Zhang Changzai.
Zhang Changzai's face flushed red as he retorted, “I’ve assigned him the most burdensome tasks; ordinary newcomers can’t even complete them. This heavy workload is easy for him with his innate strength. I can’t just arbitrarily double his chores without reason. And if he excels in the Monthly Test, how can that possibly be my fault?”
Another disciple in white interjected sharply, “Why shouldn’t you double his chores? Even triple or quadruple them! As long as you can find a way to pin something on him and get him expelled from the sect, that counts as you completing your task. Otherwise, aren’t we just wasting resources on you?”
Hearing this, Zhang Changzai finally lost his temper and stood up abruptly. “The miscellaneous tasks in the sect aren’t something I can change at will as a Manager! I can only do my best within my responsibilities. You all keep pushing responsibility onto me; you’re overestimating my position.”
The white-clad disciple glanced at Zhang Changzai with disdain and sneered, “It seems like Fatty Zhang has developed quite an attitude after a few days; very well then, you can stand there and answer. I wouldn’t want to sit next to you out of embarrassment.”
Zhang Changzai was furious, his blood boiling as he glared at the two but didn’t dare to sit down again. The two continued to mock and scold him mercilessly.
Finally, one of the Outer Sect Disciples said, “We don’t care what methods you use; before next month’s Monthly Test, you must find a way to expel Lu Zaisheng from our sect. If you can't do it, then find someone else who can.”
The two stood up and left without even glancing at Zhang Changzai, striding away. Zhang Changzai stared blankly as they walked further away before slamming his hand on the table and cursing loudly.
Xunuo had initially felt concerned when he saw two Outer Sect Disciples arrive, fearing that his Divine Sense might be detected if he carelessly probed. He intended to retract his Divine Sense, but upon overhearing them discussing matters related to him, he steeled himself and continued to investigate. He exercised a bit more caution, ready to withdraw his Divine Sense at the first sign of trouble. Once the two Outer Sect Disciples exited, he locked onto them with his Divine Sense and followed closely behind.
Not far into their walk, one of them said, “We’ve put pressure on that fat Zhang; I imagine he’ll cause some trouble for Lu Zaisheng next. However, during the second round of the Monthly Test, it’s unlikely we can stop Lu Zaisheng’s progress. We’ll need to employ some tactics in the third round.”
The other nodded in agreement. “Exactly. If we can’t stop him in the third round, he’ll likely break into the top two hundred. At that point, it won’t be easy to take action against him.”
“Not just difficult,” the first one replied solemnly. “If he really enters the top two hundred within a month of joining, a talent like that will be under everyone’s scrutiny. Not only us, but even Hall Master will be helpless.”
As they spoke, both fell silent, each lost in their thoughts as they continued walking forward until they exited Xunuo's Divine Sense coverage.
With no choice left, Xunuo retracted his Divine Sense.
From this investigation, he learned an important piece of information: the Outer Hall Master was unwilling to tolerate him and intended to expel him from the sect. Knowing who his opponents were was certainly better than walking blindly; it allowed him to be wary of potential threats and avoid unexpected attacks.
As for these two Outer Sect Disciples trying to hinder him in the third round, Xunuo didn’t take it too seriously. In this kind of Monthly Test, it was unlikely that Outer Sect Disciples would directly intervene; at most, they would arrange for a capable opponent for him. Against these unranked Outer Sect Disciples, Xunuo still felt somewhat confident.
After pondering for a while, Xunuo finally fell into a deep sleep.
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