Chapter 163: The Curtain Rises, Witnessing History

In just a few short days.

The news of the World Martial Arts Tournament being convened and the Jinjin Grandmaster Lu Yuan preparing to fight the three major powers and even the world's strongest experts alone fermented and spread, sweeping through the southeast, northeast, the Central Plains, and even the major provinces, causing a massive sensation.

Even in remote provinces, the name of Lu Yuan was like thunder to the ears; thus, once the common people learned of this news, they were all excited and stirred, running to tell one another.

After all, for many years the entire Great Jin had feared the foreigners like tigers, suffering the loss of sovereignty and national humiliation, while Lu Yuan's feat of inviting the great powers and the world's experts to battle was magnificent and unprecedented, stirring people's hearts.

However, some knowledgeable people were filled with worry upon hearing it; the three major powers were full of hidden talents, and while fighting the world's heroes alone sounded infinitely majestic, it was actually extremely dangerous, and even if Lu Yuan had the record of defeating experts from the great powers twice, he might not necessarily have the last laugh.

This included the three master and disciples, Li Junxian, who were far away in Fengyang Prefecture; upon hearing the news, they were shocked on the spot, immediately dropping everything at hand and rushing to Jinjin together.

When they arrived in Jinjin, travel-worn and weary, they first contacted Lin Xingchao and the others, and after understanding the specific situation, they came to Guangwu Hall.

Lu Yuan naturally received them personally right away, but looking at this almost completely unfamiliar disciple, Li Junxian and his disciples, who had originally been anxious and impatient, suddenly did not know what to say.

After all, this disciple and junior brother, who had once been selected into Boxiyuan as a disaster victim, was shrouded in mystery and was now a world-renowned figure revered by the masses, having even assassinated Xici and escaped unscathed, forcing the entire Jin Dynasty to be helpless and even compelled to hold this World Martial Arts Tournament for him, as if he were a person from another world.

"Master, Senior Brother."

In the guest hall, looking at the hesitant and silent trio, Lu Yuan laughed and said:

"Did you come all this way specifically to cheer me on?"

A simple sentence immediately bridged the distance between them; Li Junxian took a deep breath and said, full of worry:

"A Yuan, when exactly will this Martial Arts Tournament be held, and are you certain of victory?"

Lu Yuan said:

"The expected time is the first day of the eighth month, two and a half months from now. As for certainty..."

He couldn't help but smile:

"To say ten percent would be too arrogant, so let's call it ninety percent."

Ninety percent?

Whether it was Li Junxian and his disciples or Lin Xingchao and his disciples, they all looked at each other in dismay, not knowing where Lu Yuan's such powerful confidence came from.

It was Li Junxian who first broke the deadlock, saying helplessly:

"I believe you, kid, you never do things you aren't sure of, but the Martial Arts Tournament is being held in Tianjing, and Xici will surely make secret arrangements; even if you can win the tournament, you must guard against that villain's treachery."

Lu Yuan smiled and said: "Master, please rest assured, I understand."

Li Junxian did not try to persuade him further, only looking back with nostalgia:

"It has only been two years, yet now you have stirred up the winds and rains of the world; back in Boxiyuan, who could have imagined you would achieve such success? Thinking about it carefully, it all feels like a dream. Your senior brothers and I cannot help you much, but we will definitely be present at this Martial Arts Tournament to cheer you on."

"Indeed!"

Lin Xingchao, who had lost an arm, along with Xu Dahu and Xu Erhu, also showed anticipation in their eyes and said firmly:

"We have also notified the experts of the Fu Sheng Sect; if that old witch really dares to plot something, the experts from all sides will be your support at that time, and we will never let that old witch succeed!"

"With so many of us present, we must not let her harm you!"

Regardless, this was a kind gesture, and Lu Yuan laughed:

"Many thanks to you, Uncle-Master, and both Senior Brothers."

Lin Xingchao said with shame:

"What is there to thank? Our strength is meager; it would be a great fortune if we could be of even a little help to you then. As for you, you have to face the top experts of various countries in turn; although there are no Eighth Realm existences like Xici among them, human strength has its limits, so you must be extremely careful."

Li Junxian also knew Xici's true strength and couldn't help but ponder:

"I have heard in the past few days that in the Sunlight Country, and even in the Shenluo and Sha'e lands, there seem to be existences who have broken through the limits of the Seventh Realm; they shouldn't be coming to participate in this Martial Arts Tournament, right?"

Lu Yuan nodded and smiled:

"Such existences are, like Xici, the soul figures of their respective countries, so naturally they won't lower their status to go onto the ring to fight to the death. Of course, even if they did come, it wouldn't affect the final result."

If it weren't to stir up the winds and clouds of the world and obtain massive amounts of Qi Luck, he, a dignified cultivator, would not go to fight in a ring with others.

As the absolute focus of the grand event that was the World Martial Arts Tournament, he had also obtained much secret intelligence through various channels during this time, including the fact that there were indeed top Eighth Realm experts among the great powers.

It was just a pity that these people would basically not come out to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament; otherwise, Lu Yuan would really like to see what the demeanor of these strongest experts from various countries was like.

At this moment, seeing Lu Yuan so confident, Li Junxian and the others seemed to be infected by it, and they looked at each other, saying solemnly:

"Good, since that is the case, we wish you in advance to overwhelm the heroes and return in triumph."

"Two and a half months from now, we will go to Tianjing with you to wave flags and shout for you!"

Just after Li Junxian and his disciples visited in a hurry and left in a hurry.

At the same time, the imperial court and the three major powers—Shenluo, Sha'e, and Sunlight—had finalized the specific date for the World Martial Arts Tournament, setting it for the first day of the eighth month.

After the date was set, the Jin Dynasty originally intended to send its own envoys to notify other countries as soon as possible, but the three major powers of Shenluo proposed using their own telecommunications channels to send invitations to other major countries around the world.

Although Shenluo and Sha'e were now the world's leading hegemons and their colonial forces were spread across the globe, there were also many major countries with long histories and flourishing paths of cultivation in other continents.

For example, Nanyang, West Asia, and Indu—these had all seen powerful regimes and empires in history; although they were now in decline or even colonized by the great powers, top experts still existed in individual cultivation and among the common people.

To show off their muscles to the world, they naturally needed enough of an audience, otherwise it would become self-amusement; thus, to save time, the three major powers took the initiative to help the Jin Dynasty send invitation letters to their respective colonies and other countries and regions where consulates had been established.

Therefore.

With the transmission of the telegrams, almost overnight, the news of the World Martial Arts Tournament spread like a tsunami to all major countries and regions of the world, then spread and expanded; I fear that hundreds of millions of people learned the name Lu Yuan and felt curious, contemptuous, and indignant.

"Lu Yuan? A person from the Jin Dynasty actually has such a big tone, wanting to set up a ring to challenge the world's top experts? Ridiculous!"

"The two great powers of Shenluo and Sha'e actually agreed; what are they thinking?"

"When it comes to the history of the development of the path of cultivation, Indu is the most ancient existence; the title of 'World Number One' can only be obtained by the children of the Brahma God!"

"The Shenluo people have been acting like tyrants on the land of Indu for so many years; it is time to give them some color and let them feel the power of the Indu people!"

"World Number One? Very interesting."

"Hehe... the weak Jin Dynasty people have actually given us in West Asia a very good opportunity."

"The land of West Asia has been silent for too long; go tell the Imam that the True Lord has passed down the divine will in a dream, and I, Abdullah, will go to the Jin Dynasty to seize the title of World Number One!"

All over the world, some top experts in the path of cultivation received the news and became restless, most of them not hesitating to demand that those in power respond, and they agreed as well.

An unprecedented storm was constantly accumulating on a global scale, becoming increasingly surging and magnificent.

At this very moment, Lu Yuan, who was in deep meditation within the Guangwu Hall, could naturally sense these changes clearly.

Because ever since the news had completely spread, his Luck Power, which had previously seen its growth stagnate, suddenly surged, reaching an intake of nearly three to four hundred units every day!

This caused his Luck Power, which had been mostly depleted, to begin recovering at a rapid pace.

Such efficiency in acquisition also made him look forward even more to the upcoming International Martial Arts Tournament.

Just like that, time passed day by day. Two and a half months is neither long nor short; after Li Junxian and his disciple left, Lu Yuan had completely entered a state of closed-door meditation, and unless the heavens collapsed or the earth cracked, he did not allow anyone to disturb him.

As the time drew closer, the hundreds of millions of commoners across the thirty-six provinces of Great Jin waited with bated breath, especially the people of Jinjin, whose daily discussions never ceased.

Amidst such a fervent atmosphere, two months passed in the blink of an eye.

This day.

In the quiet room, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged like a statue, his aura ethereal and boundless; though he was clearly sitting there, it was as if he were separated by a layer of mist, making him difficult to see clearly.

It is unknown how much time passed.

Suddenly, his body gave a slight tremor, and then an aura like a sweeping wind and rolling clouds surged outward.

Lu Yuan's eyelids flickered, and he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze blooming with intense joy.

Under his current perception, his body had undergone an earth-shattering change; his muscles, bones, and internal organs felt as if they had been completely replaced, becoming incomparably solid and transparent.

The strands of Dharma Power within his body had grown astonishingly, traveling through his meridians; when they gathered in his dantian, it was as if a lake had expanded into an ocean, extremely vast and heavy, a difference as great as heaven and earth compared to the past.

Lu Yuan subconsciously raised his palm, and amidst an invisible ripple, a layer of clear Dharma Power radiance emerged on his skin, like a spring breeze in the dead of winter, making the entire quiet room become vibrant and full of vitality.

"Mid-stage of Refining Essence into Qi."

"Indeed, stepping into the mid-stage is not just about the quantity of Dharma Power; the quality of the Dharma Power itself has also undergone significant changes."

Lu Yuan felt infinite emotion.

After two months of closed-door meditation, he had actually condensed three hundred strands of Dharma Power a few days ago, officially stepping into the mid-stage.

After entering this stage, the Dharma Power within his body had begun to undergo mysterious changes under the operation of the 【Guidance】, and he had spent a few more days focusing on nourishing it; only now could it be considered completely stabilized at this realm.

"I wonder, if this realm of Refining Essence into Qi were converted into systems like Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, or Golden Core, which level would it count as?"

"It should at least be at the late Qi Refining or even Foundation Establishment level, right?"

"With Qi Refining ancestors and Foundation Establishment great cultivators, if there really were a cultivation world, my mid-stage Refining Essence into Qi would count as a figure of some standing."

Feeling the truly solid Dharma Power within his body, Lu Yuan could not help but think with interest.

The 【Guidance】 was an Inner Pill cultivation system, not the same system as the Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core that Lu Yuan had in mind; in such a low-martial world where gods and immortals had vanished, he had no reference point and could only compare them out of thin air.

However, he did not dwell on it for too long.

He immediately rose and left the quiet room, then pulled the copper bell hanging in the courtyard.

A moment after the bell rang, a burst of noisy clamor came from outside the courtyard, and when Lu Yuan walked out, he saw Chen Zhantang, Peng Yidao, Lin Sheng, Zhao Shuhua, and others, along with dozens of Guangwu Hall disciples, rushing over in a flurry.

Seeing Lu Yuan, who had not appeared for many days, everyone's faces were filled with surprise, excitement, and reverence, and they bowed in perfect unison before Lu Yuan, shouting:

"We respectfully welcome the Hall Master out of seclusion!"

Lu Yuan nodded and smiled:

"No need for formalities. What day is it today?"

Chen Zhantang and the others immediately replied:

"Hall Master, today is the twenty-sixth of the seventh month; in five more days, it will be the day the International Martial Arts Tournament commences."

"The imperial court, as well as Wu Taidou of the Martial Arts Association and various other parties, have all come to ask when the Hall Master plans to set off. Because we were worried about disturbing your meditation, we did not report it."

Lu Yuan nodded:

"That's good. It seems I came out of seclusion just in time. Has the specific location for the Martial Arts Tournament been decided?"

A few disciples said respectfully:

"The imperial court has already sent people to notify us; the location is arranged at Xiantai Mountain, not far outside Tianjing City."

"This place was originally a site for the previous dynasty to offer sacrifices to Heaven and had long been abandoned. Now, the Jin Dynasty has activated and renovated it to serve as the venue for the International Martial Arts Tournament."

"According to reports, the experts from various nations like the Holy Roman Empire, Russia, and Japan have all set off and will arrive shortly; besides them, officials and experts from Nanyang, West Asia, and India have already arrived. As for the entire thirty-six provinces of Great Jin, countless people have moved at the news and gone to Tianjing to watch the grand event. Tianjing is likely already overcrowded!"

"Hall Master, when do you say we should set off?"

Facing the eager and expectant gazes, Lu Yuan smiled and nodded:

"Then go and tell Wu Taidou and the various parties of the imperial court that we will set off from Jinjin in three days!"

Vaguely feeling that they were about to witness history, Chen Zhantang and the other disciples were filled with surging emotions:

"Yes!"

At the same time.

In Tianjing, within the Forbidden City.

In the vast hall of the Cining Palace, the atmosphere was stern, as if frozen into ice.

On the phoenix throne, Xici wore a phoenix crown and sat motionless, her expression cold and calm, as she spoke slowly:

"My dear officials, is everything prepared?"

Standing sternly below the hall were the three remaining Great Shamans of the Shaman God Sect: Ennahaidu, Cang Jige, and Bu Tiansuo.

And behind them stood three Jin Clan elders wearing python robes, their auras as heavy as mountains.

These three were the Banner Lords of the Upper Three Banners, the highest-ranking members of the Jin Clan: Aliha, Baidu, and Boheli.

These three Banner Lords had long since retired behind the scenes and were all in their sixties or seventies, but each was a veteran Grandmaster-level expert who had stepped into the True Martial Realm for many years, no weaker than the deceased Mankeduo.

At this moment, Banner Lord Aliha and the others said respectfully:

"Replying to the Empress Dowager, Old Buddha, all arrangements on Xiantai Mountain have been completed. We have secretly deployed five hundred riflemen, four Maxim Machine Guns purchased from the Holy Roman Empire, and twenty pieces of Light Artillery. We can launch them with just a single word from you."

"According to your requirements, these people are all our Jin Clan descendants, not a single Han person among them, so there is no need to worry about the news leaking."

These measures posed a certain threat even to an eighth-realm expert in good condition, so Xici nodded and said:

"This tournament is, after all, a gathering of all nations; experts and high-ranking officials from the great powers will all be present. These measures are just in case; it is better not to use them if possible. How are the preparations for the body double going?"

Ennahaidu stepped forward and said slowly:

"The body double has undergone rigorous training, and under our inspection, there are basically no flaws; you may use him with peace of mind."

Xici asked again: "As of today, does that Lu Yuan have any unusual movements?"

Cang Jige immediately replied:

"None for now. According to the report from Nayancheng, this person has been in seclusion since two months ago and has not appeared or shown his face since; he is surely just clutching at straws at the last minute, intending to increase his chances of winning?"

"Chances of winning?"

Xici revealed a cold, sinister smile:

"On the day the grand assembly is held, Xiantai Mountain shall be his burial ground; not even a Great Luo Immortal could save him!"