In the Martial Arts Arena, a cold wind swept across the ground.

Su Yu and Wang Nianshen stood on opposite sides, their auras locked onto each other.

At the edge of the arena, Yang Chongren stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a sharp glint in his eyes. Yang Zhen’s expression was calm, while Yang Ai nervously wrung her hands.

Farther away, the guards craned their necks. The chance to witness a spar between Martial Artists was a rare one.

"Brother Su, blades have no eyes! Be careful!"

Wang Nianshen shouted, drawing the great saber from his back with a reverse grip in a slightly exaggerated flourish.

VMMMM!

The body of the saber was as wide as a door panel, clearly heavy and powerful. Its sharp edge reflected a dazzling white light under the winter sun.

"This great saber of mine is called Mountain-Breaker. It weighs one hundred and twenty pounds and is forged from refined iron. You’d best be careful, Brother Su!"

His display instantly drew gasps from the surrounding guards. With such a heavy weapon, a mere graze would wound, and a solid hit would be fatal!

Su Yu, on the other hand, felt a flicker of delight. ’I didn’t expect to run into someone else who uses a saber, just like me. And a heavy saber, at that. Its weight is the same as Mo Yuan’s.’

’Now that I’ve had a breakthrough with my Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber, I’m itching to test it out on someone!’

Without another word, Mo Yuan left its sheath. The saber’s jet-black body was as deep as an abyss, with silvery patterns flowing across its surface and a stardust-like glimmer on its edge.

"Please!"

Wang Nianshen’s eye twitched. ’An expert knows what to look for,’ he thought. ’That black saber... it’s no ordinary weapon.’

He took a stance and swung the great saber through the air a few times. Each swing produced a sharp whistle as it tore through the air, drawing even more admiration from the onlookers.

"Tributor Wang’s great saber is so heavy and sharp! To think a casual swing has such power! He’s truly a master from the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall!"

"That’s right! The Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall is one of the best in the city, on par with Hongshan and Chasing Wind. All the Martial Artists who train there are first-class experts!"

Seeing the crowd’s reaction, Wang Nianshen nodded in satisfaction. "I specialize in the ultimate skill of the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall, the Nine-Turn Iron Armor Skill! However, since this is just a friendly spar, I’ll use the Black Tiger Saber Technique to test you, Brother Su!"

Su Yu also settled into his stance, ready to fight. "I’m ready!"

"Take this! Black Tiger Pounces on Prey!"

Wang Nianshen pushed off from the ground, his presence as astonishingly imposing as a ferocious tiger descending a mountain. He raised his great saber high, bringing it down on Su Yu’s head with a piercing shriek that tore through the air.

The attack was incredibly fast!

Su Yu felt a chill. ’For someone at the first acupoint level, Wang Nianshen’s speed is top-notch. It’s almost as fast as I am now.’

’And my Seven Kills Thunder Collapse Step is an Upper-tier Martial Arts technique that I’ve almost grinded to the Skillful Realm!’

The great saber whined as it chopped down. To everyone watching, it looked like an unstoppable heavy blow.

Not daring to be careless, Su Yu immediately executed a Swaying Forest Step to pull back and create distance.

The Swaying Forest Step was a move from the White Ape Fist. Unlike the linear acceleration of the Thunder Collapse Step, it was designed for dodging and weaving within a small area. As his feet moved, Su Yu executed an Ape Arm Star-Picking, unleashing a wide, arcing slash!

CLANG!

A crisp sound of metal on metal rang out. The tip of Mo Yuan had precisely struck the spine of the great saber, knocking it back.

Although he successfully blocked the attack, Su Yu frowned and retreated another step.

’Something’s not right!’

Across from him, the veins on Wang Nianshen’s arm bulged. He felt a massive force travel up from his saber, almost tearing it from his grip. He hurriedly circulated his Qi and Blood to suppress the shock.

At the same time, he roared, "Excellent! Brother Su, you are truly formidable! To think you could block that strike!"

"Take another! Black Tiger Breaking Gate!"

His saber style changed, and a flurry of saber flashes rained down like snowflakes, looking both dazzling and majestic.

Su Yu retreated continuously, momentarily appearing to be on the defensive.

Watching from the side, Yang Chongren nodded with a smile. "Tributor Wang is truly a wily veteran. That saber technique is impenetrable; no ordinary Martial Artist could possibly block it!"

Yang Ai stomped her foot anxiously. "Brother Su, be careful!"

In the arena, Su Yu used the Swaying Forest Step to continuously evade several flashes of the saber.

However, another strange look flashed through his eyes.

’Black Tiger Breaking Gate Saber... I’ve seen Cao Bin use this technique before, and it was completely different from how Wang Nianshen is using it.’

’In fact, Cao Bin’s version seemed more like the real Black Tiger Saber Technique!’

’This Wang Nianshen’s movements are wide and exaggerated. They look intimidating, but they’re mostly just feints.’

’Boring.’

Seemingly having figured something out, Su Yu abruptly stopped his footwork and stood his ground.

The Qi and Blood in his body roared, and his spine rippled like a great dragon. His entire aura changed in an instant.

"Vine Demon Lock!"

Mo Yuan’s blade twisted, moving like a spiritual ape climbing a vine. It instantly cut through the flurry of light and precisely bound itself to Wang Nianshen’s great saber.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Wang Nianshen felt his weapon grow heavy, as if it had been caught in a massive grinder. A terrifying, bizarre force vibrated up the blade, sending excruciating pain through the web of his hand. He completely lost control as his great saber was forced aside.

"This is bad!"

Wang Nianshen’s face went pale, and his back was instantly drenched in cold sweat.

’How is this kid’s saber so heavy?!’

’Damn it, don’t tell me *his* saber is the one that actually weighs a hundred and twenty pounds!’

He tried to pull his saber back and retreat, but he couldn’t disengage it at all.

’Damn it, Su Yu’s saber skill is incredible! Did this bastard really come from some minor martial arts hall?’

’That treacherous dog Yang Chongren tricked me!’

’If I’d known he was this powerful, I wouldn’t have dared try to snatch that one-hundred-tael allowance for anything!’

Seeing Wang Nianshen’s reaction, Su Yu immediately lost interest.

’Wang Nianshen’s great saber is just for show. It looks massive and heavy, but it only weighs a few dozen pounds. It can’t possibly stand up to the force of Mo Yuan.’

’His saber skill is even more mediocre. Forget my current level; even my previous entry-level Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber would have been enough to defeat him.’

’Against an opponent of similar skill, he might be able to use this Blinding Technique to seize the initiative and win. But against me, he had no chance!’

"It’s over."

Su Yu changed his move. The Mo Yuan Saber slid up along his opponent’s blade, driving straight for his center.

"Spiritual Ape Emerges from the Cave!"

A cold light flashed!

Wang Nianshen’s vision blurred, and he felt a bone-deep chill on his neck.

The scene froze.

Su Yu held his saber in one hand. The abyssally sharp edge of Mo Yuan was perfectly still, less than half an inch from Wang Nianshen’s carotid artery.

You could even see the bulging veins on Wang Nianshen’s neck throbbing violently.

The entire arena fell deathly silent.

Wang Nianshen, who just moments before had been fighting with the ferocity of a tiger, now stood frozen. The great saber fell from his hand, clattering to the ground.

He had lost.

And it was a complete and utter defeat.

’From start to finish, I was like a performing monkey. Once Su Yu saw through my act, he defeated me with ease.’

A chill rose in his heart. ’Damn it, Su Yu is this strong... Did Yang Chongren deliberately set me up just to mess with me?’

Su Yu slowly sheathed his saber, his expression indifferent. "Tributor Wang, thank you for the match."

Wang Nianshen’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. He glanced at Su Yu, his eyes showing a mixture of embarrassment and relief.

’Thankfully, he’s a magnanimous person. He spared me so casually.’

Wang Nianshen picked up his great saber and immediately burst out laughing. "Brother Su, you are truly young and promising! A dragon among men! In this contest, I was just a step behind!"

"But next time we have a chance to spar, I will go all out and seek your instruction on my Nine-Turn Iron Armor Skill!"

A small smile played on Su Yu’s lips. He didn’t expose the bluff, choosing to play along. "Tributor Wang’s Hard Skills are formidable. If you had used them today, the outcome would have been uncertain."

You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. The martial world wasn’t just about fighting and killing; it was about navigating social complexities.

Wang Nianshen immediately shot him a grateful look.

’Losing doesn’t matter,’ he thought. ’As long as I don’t lose face, I can keep my position.’

Sure enough, the crowd in the Martial Arts Arena erupted in amazement. "So this is a battle between Martial Artists! It’s incredible!"

"Tributor Su is truly young and promising, and so skilled with a saber! From now on, the Yang Family can hold our heads a little higher when we’re out and about!"

"That’s right, that’s right! And Tributor Wang is incredibly strong, too. Look at that great saber—who would dare to block a strike like that head-on!"

"But Tributor Su is still stronger. With that saber technique of his, anyone who tries to block is just asking for death!"

"And don’t forget, Tributor Wang didn’t even use his ultimate technique, the Nine-Turn Iron Armor Skill! If he had, in a life-or-death battle, it’s hard to say who would have won!"

As Su Yu and Wang Nianshen walked to the edge of the arena, Wang Nianshen laughed heartily. "Patriarch Yang, you have a truly sharp eye, getting Brother Su for an allowance of one hundred taels of silver!"

At that moment, a thousand thoughts raced through Yang Chongren’s mind. ’Su Yu actually defeated Wang Nianshen?’

’Wasn’t he supposed to have a Lower-Grade Root Bone? Wasn’t his potential supposed to be exhausted after his breakthrough to the Martial Artist realm?’

But despite his inner shock, he maintained a perfectly appropriate smile. "Nephew Su is truly young and promising! My daughter has excellent judgment. It seems the Yang Family has snagged quite a bargain this time!"

"Come, come, you two. Let’s go inside and sign the contract."

With that, the group went back inside.

Yang Chongren took out the contract. Su Yu looked it over, saw no issues, and signed it.

After all, a Monthly Allowance of one hundred taels was basically free money, and it would be a great help to his future training.

As for whatever schemes Yang Chongren might be brewing, Su Yu didn’t care as long as the money was right.

’In any case, I’m just getting paid to do my job.’

With the matter of the tributary position settled, the Yang Family hosted a banquet for the two men at the Zhenxiu Building at noon. They toasted and drank, enjoying a sumptuous feast.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the party broke up.

Just as Su Yu was about to return to his martial arts hall, he heard Wang Nianshen’s voice from behind.

"Younger Brother Su! Hold on a moment!"

Wang Nianshen hurried to catch up, the false bravado gone from his face and replaced with sincere warmth. "Younger Brother, thank you for saving face for me back there. Are you free now? There’s a teahouse up ahead. Let’s talk about this whole tributary business."

"Then please, lead the way!"