In the martial practice field, Su Mo ignored Su Yu and the others. Instead, he sat down to meditate.
After a while, Su Hong arrived on the martial practice field with the elders.
"Please be quiet, everyone. May I have your attention?"
Su Hong held his hand up to silence everyone.
"Our yearly family martial arts competition will be held in 10 days." When the crowd grew quiet, Su Hong continued, "However, unlike those in the past, the elimination match has been changed to a challenge match. The winner will be able to enter the Sunnywood City Martial Arts Competition.
The City Martial Arts Competition is a joint competition between our family, the Weis, and the City Governor's Mansion. Each family will send 10 superior disciples to attend this competition, and our three families will grant large rewards to those who perform well in the competition.
The 10 disciples from our family will be selected from the challenge match. Before the match begins, we'll select 10 seeded disciples. Other disciples can challenge them, and if they defeat the seeded disciples, they can replace them."
Su Hong explained the family competition and the Sunnywood City competition carefully.
"Who are the 10 seeded disciples?" someone asked.
"We'll discuss this soon," the First Elder said.
He looked around and continued, "Su Tianhao and Su Hai, you're both outstanding among our inferior disciples, so both of you are definitely seeded disciples. Yu'er, you should also work hard. You have the highest Martial Soul among the Sus, and you're the first genius of our family, so live up to your title. In this competition, you three are critical to our family's victory. You must win glory for our clan."
The others all nodded and did not doubt his words. They all believed that these three were the main talents of the Sus.
Su Yu and Su Hai looked extremely arrogant.
Su Tianhao maintained a stony expression. He was the most powerful among all the young disciples, so he did not care about this level of competition.
"Alright, you may now be dismissed. Be industrious in your cultivating," said Su Hong, waving his hands.
When the disciples left, Su Hong found Su Mo and said, "Mo'er, you'll be one of the seeded disciples."
"Haha, Father, I'm actually not that interested in the martial arts competition," Su Mo said with a chuckle.
"Mo'er, this martial arts competition will offer generous prizes, and the City Governor's Mansion is even gifting the winner an Energy-boosting Elixir. Other rankings will have big rewards as well," Su Hong said.
"Oh, Energy-boosting Elixir!" Su Mo's eyes instantly lit up.
The Energy-boosting Elixir was an Upper Lv 1 elixir. It was very precious for martial artists between Lv 7 and Lv 9 Qi Cultivation Realm, because it could save them three months' worth of cultivation.
Additionally, martial artists below Lv 7 Qi Cultivation Realm could use it to break through their realms.
"Both the Weis and the City Governor's Mansion have powerful disciples who have cultivated in Sects. I don't expect you to enter the top three. I'll be very satisfied if you enter the top 10."
Su Hong did not want to give him too much pressure. After all, he knew that Su Mo had only cultivated for a short time and was weaker than the disciples in Sects.
"Haha, father, don't worry. I'll try my best to rank high." Su Mo smiled, his eyes twinkling.
"Only top 10? My father has such low expectations for me!"
"Good." Su Hong patted him on the shoulder with relief.
After going back to his room, Su Mo sat down cross-legged and started to cultivate.
He had to cultivate harder if he wanted to win the martial arts competition.
That was right. He wanted to win!
Either he did not compete, or he would aim to be the champion.
He sat cross-legged with closed eyes. The three-meter-high Devouring Martial Soul suspended behind him and crazily sucked in aura from heaven and earth.
When his Devouring Martial Soul had just awakened, it was only one and a half meters high, but now, as its level progressed, it was three meters high.
The Devouring Martial Soul rotated and emitted an invisible suction to devour all the surrounding Spiritual Qi.
Su Mo used the Lv 2 cultivation skill of Elephant's Strength Skill. His giant mass of Spiritual Qi became elephant-shaped runes, which continuously entered his body.
His body felt a little numb, which meant it was being increasingly reinforced.
Lvs 1 to 3 of Elephant's Strength Skill mainly enhanced his strength and fortified his body.
His cultivation of Elephant's Strength Skill had reached the late stage of Lv 2, which gave his body the strength of six tigers.
With his cultivation speed, it would take at most a couple of days to complete Lv 2 and begin cultivating Lv 3.
Elephant's Strength Skill could refine Spiritual Qi at a formidable speed and could absorb any amount of it at an alarming speed.
His Martial Soul at Rank 6 Human Class still could not absorb Spiritual Qi as quickly as his body.
Time trickled by slowly.
Three days later, Su Mo felt that his body was saturated with Blood Qi and could not absorb the elephant-shaped runes anymore.
He opened his eyes and stopped cultivating.
He had completed Lv 2 of Elephant's Strength Skill.
Next, he needed to cultivate Lv 3 cultivation skill.
However, in order to speed up his cultivation, he decided to go on a trip.
Sunnywood City's martial arts competition would be held soon, so he decided to go back to Breezewind Mountain to increase his strength.
There, he could kill as many beasts as he wanted and devour their Beast Souls, essence, and blood.
Stepping out of his room, he saw Xi'er practicing her punches in the yard.
She was cultivating the Body Tempering Fist. She waved her fists, shouting with determination.
Her pretty face was glistening with beads of sweat.
"Xi'er, I'm going to Breezewind Mountain to hunt demonic beasts. I'll be back tomorrow," he said to her.
"Brother Su Mo, I want to go, too. Please take me!" Xi'er stopped cultivating and looked at him excitedly.
"Alright! Let's go!" After considering this for a while, Su Mo nodded.
Although the mountain was dangerous, he could protect her as long as they did not go too deep into the mountain.
They left Sunnywood City for Breezewind Mountain immediately.
...
In a quiet yard in the City Governor's Mansion sat a handsome young man who wore a silk robe.
He was holding a flirtatious maiden in blue in his arms, kneading her hip and sizeable breasts.
He was Lin Xiao, the son of the city governor.
Just then, a voice said from outside of the yard, "Young master, I have something to report."
Lin Xiao frowned but did not let go of the maiden. He shouted, "Come on in!"
Immediately, a tall middle-aged guard walked in and bowed to him.
"Young master, Su Mo left town!" he said.
"Hmm? With whom?" Lin Xiao asked excitedly, and his eyes lit up.
"It is just him and Lady Xi'er." The guard replied.
"Excellent! I'm in luck! Take several people with you to kill him and steal Lady Xi'er back." Lin Xiao was overjoyed and added hurriedly, "Remember, you can't hurt her. Send her to my room at night."
"Yes, sir!" The guard said before leaving.
Lin Xiao's face was full of excitement. Since he saw Xi'er last time, he had not been able to get her beautiful figure out of his mind.
He had been tirelessly thinking about how he could make her his woman.
Therefore, he had dispatched someone to keep an eye on Su Mo and her.
Now, to his joy, his dream was about to come true.
As soon as he imagined her dainty face and the charming figure lying under his body, Lin Xiao began to blush furiously.
Suddenly, he lost all interest in the beautiful maiden in his arms.