Everyone looked up to see a figure shooting straight into the sky. It was the skinny man, his face now a mask of terror. Trapped in mid-air, he had no way to leverage his body.

Then, a blinding bolt of lightning roared down.

"BOOM!"

The bolt was no bigger than a thumb, but it was blindingly bright as it struck the man with a deafening crash.

"AHH!"

With a piercing scream, the man was instantly turned to ash by the thunderbolt.

An uproar erupted from the crowd. Countless people shot to their feet, their expressions a mixture of shock and terror.

Was that a thunderbolt? How could a human possibly summon a thunderbolt? Is that something a person can even do?

It was simply too frightening, too terrifying.

The crowd's horror didn't stem from the power of the thunderbolt itself. Those present were seasoned individuals who had seen their fair share of major events and witnessed plenty of violent thunderstorms. But that was the power of nature, not something controlled by a person. No matter how terrifying nature was, it couldn't be as shocking as this moment.

That Zhang Yan can actually summon thunderbolts? Is he even human?

"Dragon Tiger Mountain and the Celestial Master Mansion… truly terrifying!"

Numerous faces turned pale. As long as Zhang Yan was in the competition, how could anyone else possibly continue? This River City Martial Arts Tournament seemed to have been prepared solely for the Zhang Family.

Zhang Yan withdrew his hand, his gaze sweeping arrogantly across the crowd with domineering contempt.

"Who else?"

His voice struck the ears of the crowd with more force than the preceding thunderbolt. It was widely said that only the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master could command thunder, but few knew that his own master also understood the art of commanding thunder, and his strength was not much inferior to that of Master Zhang. Of this, Zhang Yan was absolutely certain.

Guan Jiaojiao and Bing'er were scared pale, and Ye Tong wasn't faring much better. If she hadn't been clinging tightly to Song Wenrou, she might have fallen over. It was too terrifying. How could such a person exist in this world?

Her gaze involuntarily fell upon Lin Mu.

Lin Mu is so strong, but can he be a match for Zhang Yan? He probably can't defeat him. After all, Zhang Yan can summon thunderbolts; that's practically a divine technique.

No one dared to answer Zhang Yan's challenge. After all, most of those present were not particularly strong.

"Boring." Zhang Yan curled his lip, his eyes turning towards Lin Mu.

The crowd followed his line of sight, a flicker of anticipation in their eyes. Lin Mu had shown impressive strength before. If he were to fight Zhang Yan, it would surely be a spectacular match.

But Zhang Yan said nothing. He just shook his head slightly, seemingly disappointed, and walked off the stage.

Although the crowd felt a tinge of disappointment, they also understood. No matter how strong Lin Mu was, he probably wouldn't be a match for Zhang Yan. That art of commanding thunder was not something an ordinary person could possibly deal with.

For a moment, the venue quieted down again. Some people, however, seemed to sense something was about to happen and remained silent. Sure enough, it wasn't long before more people began to arrive one after another, each of them a major figure in their own right.

Elder Guan had also arrived. After finding Lin Mu, he led him to a place to sit down.

"Lin Mu, are you alright?" Elder Guan asked with concern as soon as he sat.

He already knew everything that had just happened; Lin Mu defeating Tian Boguang and driving him away had certainly exceeded his expectations. But he was also worried that Lin Mu had brought trouble upon himself. After all, his greatest enemy in the River City Martial Arts Tournament, Liu Xianhe, had yet to appear. Lin Mu revealing his strength so early was not to their advantage.

"It's nothing," Lin Mu replied calmly, not elaborating further.

At this moment, a rather old man walked onto the stage. He was also a Martial Artist, though not a very strong one, but he appeared to hold a position of some status. Once on stage, he gave a brief introduction. It was mostly about the purpose and rules of this River City Martial Arts Tournament.

The purpose was simple: for the various major powers to test one another's skills and, based on the outcomes, negotiate the distribution of resources.

The rules were even simpler. Each power would send one representative to compete. Victory and defeat would be decided on the tournament stage, with no holds barred—life and death would not be a factor. The winner would naturally gain enormous benefits, while the loser… would have no right to speak.

Finally, the elder looked around and announced, "Alright, enough with the pleasantries. Let the tournament begin!"

As his voice fell, a figure eagerly rushed onto the stage and clasped his hands in a salute to the crowd.

"I am Liang Sheng, representing the Liang Family in battle!"

The man was in his thirties, with a Cultivation Level at the Mid-Stage of External Strength—not remarkably high, but not low either. The Liang Family was considered a significant household in River City, and producing a Martial Artist at the Mid-Stage of External Strength undoubtedly required a heavy investment of resources.

Just as Liang Sheng finished speaking, another figure stood up and walked slowly toward the stage. His pace was unhurried, but after just three steps, he suddenly accelerated. His feet became a blur of afterimages as he appeared on the stage in an instant.

"Tan Feng. I await your instruction!"

Tan Feng was the representative of another family clan.

"It's actually Tan Feng!" the crowd murmured in surprise. Clearly, Tan Feng had a considerable reputation.

"Tan Feng is from an ancient martial family. He practices the Seventy-Two Stances of Tan's Leg Techniques! That style is hailed as the most representative of the 'Northern Legs' in the famous 'Southern Fists, Northern Legs' tradition. I can't believe the Yan Family managed to invite him."

"Doesn't that mean Liang Sheng is bound to lose?"

"It's inevitable. Although Liang Sheng isn't weak, there's still a significant gap when compared to a disciple from an ancient martial family."

"Lin Mu, do you think Liang Sheng has no chance at all?" Elder Guan asked.

Though not the strongest, the Liang Family had always maintained good relations with all parties in River City and had contributed a great deal to the city. When the Guan Family had first arrived, the Liang Family Head had personally paid them a visit to welcome them, even promising that his family would not hesitate to help if the need arose. For that reason, he didn't want to see Liang Sheng lose.

Lin Mu said, "Rest assured, Elder Guan. It won't be easy for Tan Feng to win."

Hearing Lin Mu's words, Guan Chengye felt relieved. If Master Lin said so, there must be a reason for it.

However…

"Hmph. A mere youngster like you shouldn't be so quick to comment on the world's masters," someone immediately retorted. "That Liang Sheng is only at the Mid-Stage of External Strength. Tan Feng is at the Late-Stage of External Strength, and with his Seventy-Two Stances of Tan's Leg Techniques, he's practically unrivaled. Liang Sheng is no match for him."

The speaker was the Family Head of the Yan Family. He looked at Lin Mu with a lecturing tone. "Moreover, you aren't even a Martial Artist. Aren't you afraid of causing public outrage by making such remarks?"

Clearly, he was unaware of Lin Mu's earlier victory over Tian Boguang.

"Elder Yan is right. Some people just love to criticize others when they themselves are incapable. It's a bad habit," someone else added in agreement.

In response, Lin Mu merely smiled and offered no explanation.

Up on the stage, the battle had already reached its most intense phase, with Liang Sheng currently on the defensive.

Seeing this, the smile on Elder Yan's face deepened.

What a brash young man, he thought, his gaze toward Lin Mu and Guan Chengye growing even more disdainful. He couldn't understand what Guan Chengye was thinking, bringing someone like this to such a place. Did he not realize that a single misstep could easily court disaster for them?

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