"Brother Tiger, this little kid, his thighs arenât even as thick as my arm, isnât he just looking for death?"
"Perhaps he was brought by some adult."
"Little kid, this isnât a place for you. Go find your mother quickly."
The group of burly men surrounding the bearded giant began to tease Xu Taiping.
This group of men, though not all tall, were all robust and muscular, clearly trained in martial arts and physical conditioning.
In comparison, although Xu Taiping wasnât short, his build was much slimmer, and his slightly delicate face made him look even more youthful.
Xu Taiping ignored their ridicule and simply gestured for them to move out of the way.
"Little kid, you really came to participate in the competition?"
The Brother Tiger, surrounded by the group, rubbed his bald head and looked curiously at the stick in Xu Taipingâs hand.
Xu Taiping nodded and then walked around him, quickly heading toward the notice board.
"Interesting, interesting, I want to see who youâll fight next, little kid."
Brother Tiger chuckled and followed Xu Taiping toward the notice board.
"Iâll come and see too, to see which lucky guy meets this little kid."
The others joined in, laughing and following.
"The opponent for number 27 is...â
Before Xu Taiping could search himself, the group started helping him.
"Itâs the Xuan stage, number 23!"
Someone finally found the sign number for Xu Taipingâs opponent on the notice board.
"Number 23? Isnât that Brother Tiger?"
The crowd was once again in an uproar.
Hearing this, Xu Taiping also looked curiously at the bald, bearded man.
"Damn, itâs really me!"
Brother Tiger looked at the sign in his hand, saw that it was indeed number 23, and immediately rubbed his bald head, laughing out loud.
Xu Taiping didnât react much.
He came to the notice board just to confirm the stage and the sign number of his opponent. As for who the opponent was, he wasnât very concerned, after all, he had prepared for this competition for three years.
"Little kid, are you scared?"
Seeing Xu Taiping remain silent, the group started teasing him again.
"Little kid, with your thin arms and legs, you probably canât even withstand one kick from me. I advise you to admit defeat now, it wonât be embarrassing."
Brother Tiger also laughed and looked at Xu Taiping.
It was clear that after discovering his first-round opponent was Xu Taiping, he felt much more relaxed.
Xu Taiping said seriously to Brother Tiger.
Brother Tiger was taken aback for a moment, then laughed again, pointing at Xu Taiping, who was already heading toward the stage: "Did you hear that? The little kid said see you on the stage!"
"Letâs go, weâre also heading to the Xuan stage, letâs go together."
"Brother Tiger, donât hold back, or we wonât have a good show."
The group burst into laughter.
Most of them were martial artists, though not bad-natured, they had long developed the habit of bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Finding someone to tease, they wouldnât let go so easily.
Thus, the group began to surround Brother Tiger and head toward the Xuan stage together.
"Xu Taiping from Green Bamboo Residence, Sun Hu from Red Rock Manor, you two wait here, the next match is yours."
The examiner from West Wind Pavilion took the sign from Xu Taiping and Sun Hu, marked it on the register, and then had them wait to the side.
Because there were many participants, and most were unknown cultivators, there werenât many spectators around the stages, mostly those who were about to participate in the matches.
"Little kid, once the match starts, thereâs no mercy. If you donât admit defeat now and get hurt, donât blame me."
Brother Tiger smiled at Xu Taiping again.
Xu Taiping ignored him and focused his gaze on the stage.
At this moment, a white-haired old man and a middle-aged man holding a long saber were fighting on the stage.
"Itâs actually Old Qin and Lord Zhao."
"These two both have a chance to qualify for the Dragon Gate, itâs a pity they met in the first round."
Sun Hu and his companions, who were originally trying to tease Xu Taiping, were now all drawn to the match on the stage.
At this moment, after some probing, Lord Zhao finally gripped the saber with both hands and swung it powerfully at Old Qin.
Facing this fierce attack, Old Qin calmly tapped the ground with his toe and then lightly retreated.
Lord Zhaoâs saber struck the granite ground, sparks flying.
After the failed attack, Lord Zhao didnât lose heart. He turned the blade and swung it diagonally at Old Qin again.
This attack was very fluid, and the speed was faster than before. It seemed impossible for Old Qin to avoid it so easily again.
But to everyoneâs surprise, just as Old Qin was about to be cut in half, his body suddenly floated like a feather, and his toe landed on Lord Zhaoâs saber.
The moment his toe touched the blade, his body seemed to suddenly weigh a thousand pounds, and he pressed the saber to the ground with a "bang."
With his saber pinned, Lord Zhao didnât give up. Instead, he abandoned the saber and punched, a roar like a tiger accompanying the fierce blow to the old manâs face.
To Xu Taipingâs surprise, instead of dodging, the old man moved forward, using his forearm to block Lord Zhaoâs wrist, then wrapped his hand around Lord Zhaoâs forearm, using the force of the punch to pull him back. When Lord Zhao lost his balance, the old man suddenly tensed, using his shoulder to push Lord Zhaoâs chest.
With a loud thud, Lord Zhao was sent flying off the stage like a cannonball.
Seeing this, Sun Hu and the others couldnât help but cheer.
"Looks like Old Qin will definitely make it to the Dragon Gate this time."
"Unless he meets someone from the Hidden Realm or skilled in spells, he might even make it to the Seven Peaks!"
"The last two times were all outer disciples, there werenât so many from the Hidden Realm or skilled in spells."
The crowd was buzzing with discussion.
"What a unique martial skill, it seems light, but when it strikes, itâs as heavy as a thousand pounds, sending someone flying so far."
Xu Taiping murmured in surprise.
"Little kid, this is called 'neutralizing force.' Old Qin has practiced it for at least fifty years, and itâs now at a masterful level. Whoever meets him is in trouble!"
"Itâs just a bit of the basics."
The voice of Lingyue Fairy, who had been sleeping in the gourd, suddenly spoke lazily.
"Sister Lingyue, you know about neutralizing force?"
Xu Taiping asked curiously, communicating with her mentally.
"Itâs a skill in martial arts, a technique of using a small force to counter a great one. But this old man has only mastered the basics; otherwise, dealing with a saber user wouldnât be so troublesome."
"If you meet him, just remember this: the only unbeatable martial skill is speed."
"Xu Taiping from Green Bamboo Residence, Sun Hu from Red Rock Manor, quickly come to the stage for the match!"
At this moment, the examiner beside the stage called out Xu Taiping and Sun Huâs names.