The fifth round started as the fights became more and more intense to the delight of the spectators.

The battles occuring before were actually quite boring and beside a few highlights, there was either a huge gap between both contestants and the matches would end extremely fast or the weaker participants would trade blows for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before one would take the upper hand and defeat his adversary.

But now only the most skilled youths of the batch remained and being at the doors of the top 20, they fought like mad dogs ready to win at all costs.

It quickly was Ye Mo's turn again.

On the stage a short youth in black clothing and a sword at his waist came up and faced him. It was Li Cheng, Li clan second young master.

"Now that you're paired against me, you're done for. A prick like you that use nasty tricks to defeat his opponents isn't worthy of the Tiger Martial Institute." Stated Li Cheng.

"Says the trash who depended on his brother to pass the trial." Ye Mo scoffed at Li Cheng.

"You!" Li Cheng was infuriated, his face was red and his lips trembled. Yet he wasn't able to say a single word of rebuttal.

Because what Ye Mo said was the truth!

Although he didn't do it on purpose and was pretty sure he could pass the first phase by himself, he did enjoy the jade forest scenery as his big brother slaughtered everything in their way, handing tokens and blood cores to him and his cousin.

In his mind Ye Mo was still this beggar that came out of nowhere and tried to be their equal so he wouldn't dare talk to him this way.

After all the four clans has been ruling over Azure Water City for a long time. Their dominance was spread in every residents being since they were born. This mind barrier wouldn't break just because someone took part in the Tiger Martial Institute recruitment competition.

Moreover as a great clan young master, Li Cheng was very prideful and felt repulsed by Ye Mo's conduct.

In the end as he tried to take the psychological advantage, he was the one to be ridiculed instead.

"We will see if you can keep saying that after the fight." Nonetheless Li Cheng still held complete confidence in his abilities.

The bells rang as the match began.

Thump!

Li Cheng gripped his five fingers around the handle of his sword as he narrowed his eyes. In a single step, he forcefully charged at Ye Mo and directly attacked his chest with a diagonal slash.

Ye Mo took a step back and avoided the blade which streamed right past him.

Immediately a vertical slash followed threatening to slice Ye Mo in half.

Ye Mo sidestepped, evading the strike once again then countered with a straight right.

Li Cheng cocked his head on the side, easily avoiding the punch but when the fist was beside his face it shifted to a palm that changed direction in a cutting motion, aiming at his face.

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Stunned, Li Cheng hurriedly distanced himself but it was too late.

He retreated 3 meters before stopping. He looked at Ye Mo with wide eyes while breathing raggedly as a deep cut was clearly visible on his eyebrow. Blood ran down his face and droplets fell on the stage.

"huff, huff, huff....."

'This guy... He actually tried to take my eye... A fraction of second later and his fingers would have punctured my eyeball. He's crazy!' After his shock, fury soon erupted as Li Cheng's mind was overcome with the destructive disposition to harm his opponent.

"I will kill you!" Li Cheng raised his sword which began to shine brightly.

"Cleaving White Crescent!" Li Cheng shouted as he hacked down.

The light of his sword transformed into a white crescent shaped blade launched at great speed towards Ye Mo.

"He already mastered the Cleaving White Crescent at 12?" On the platform, the elder of the Yan clan exclaimed surprised.

"Li Yun, you old fox, you hide it from us." The Gao clan elder added in a chiding tone.

"It's just a small trick, nothing worth celebrating." The Li clan elder, Li Yun, said in a light tone but the joyful smile he harbored easily revealed how gratified he truly was.

"Brother Yun, how can you say that. Although it's only a mid-tier battle skill, it's very powerful and the foundation of your Li clan sword arts. It's not so easy to learn." The Shen clan elder spoke solemnly while dark intentions brewed in his and the other two clan elders mind.

Li Qiang was enough trouble already, they didn't need another talented young master to appear in the Li clan.

On the battle stage, the white crescent traveled the distance between Li Cheng and Ye Mo in an instant leaving a straight line on the stone platform but the latter who stood ready all this time was already rolling before it reached him.

The crescent blade brushed past him then left the stage and continued flying for eight meters before it dissipated halfway between the arena and the bleachers.

A deep trail was left on the stone tiles and pieces of rocks were sent flying in the midst of the attack.

"The power of this battle skill is impressive and the speed is great as well but it's not unavoidable." Ye Mo was impressed by the strenght of this sword art. He felt his life would be in danger if a hit landed even with the resilience of his body.

"It seems he needs to do this cutting motion with his sword to release this attack. If i try to evade when it's already launched i will be sliced before i can leave the range of the white crescent but if i move during the wave of his sword i can avoid the attack before it's released." Ye Mo was sharp and quickly found a way around it.

It seemed easy like that but the arms of a man moved faster than the whole body. Putting this plan into action needed great reflexes and nerves of steel. If Ye Mo didn't grasp the right timing he wouldn't have the time to shout before being lacerated by the crescent blade.

Li Cheng that saw Ye Mo dodging his Cleaving White Crescent battle skill quickly launched another one.

Ye Mo who never took his eyes off Li Cheng quickly darted on his left at the same time. The White Crescent streaked right past him before dissipating further once again.

Li Cheng attacked furiously, getting more worked up as it continued to miss.

Ye Mo kept moving and evading nonstop. His movements were erratic and unpredictable leaving Li Cheng, under anger and frustration, unable to land a hit.

Ye Mo between two dodging maneuver suddenly kicked a rock that was sent flying under Li Cheng onslaught.

Swoosh.

Li Cheng heard a light brushing sound as the rock was thrown out in his direction. He parried the rock with his sword, losing his stance in the process.

At the same time he saw Ye Mo drawing dangerously closer and knew he wouldn't have the time to release another white crescent anymore.

It was a sword art used for mid or long range battle and would render him defenceless at this distance. Moreover, his qi decreased a lot under the repetitive use of the skill.

"Sunlight Feather" Ye Mo arrived in front of Li Cheng and punched hard. His fist got right through his body and protruded from the back.

But suddenly, Li Cheng's figure became fuzzy. It waned rapidly, turning in a translucent, distorted mass before disappearing under Ye Mo's strike.

Ye Mo realized the trick and through his peripherical vision, saw a shadow moving threatheningly beside him.

"Soft Breeze Sword Art" Li Cheng, unwilling to waste this opportunity used the fastest sword battle skill he learned.

The Soft Breeze sword art was a low tier battle skill but if a clean hit landed, it was more than enough to cut a man to pieces.

Ye Mo swiftly turned around when the blade penetrated his flesh spurting blood on both contestants.

Li Cheng made an ugly expression. His sword pierced Ye Mo's left hand and stopped right before his neck.

Ye Mo rather than retreating pushed his palm along the blade and grabbed the hilt of the sword with his fingers then followed with a roundhouse kick towards Li Cheng waist.

Seeing the muscular leg coming his way Li Cheng decisively let go of his sword and used the Sunlight Feather movement battle skill to retreat.

"He's not as fast as Liu Huan, i can pursue him." Ye Mo noted calmly in his mind.

Li Cheng was slower than Liu Huan since he was a 5th layer cultivator, one less than the Liu clan heir. But more importantly it was because the low tier Sunlight Feather battle skill left afterimages of the user on it's way that could be used to confuse the opponent and escape or deal the killing blow, contrary to the Wind Flow battle skill that was solely focused on speed.

"Jumping like a rabbit, where is the ardor you showed before?" Ye Mo chased after Li Cheng as he taunted.

They had around the same speed and the afterimages made it harder to pinpoint Li Cheng position but without sword and his qi running out, the issue of the match was already decided.

"You shouldn't offend me, you don't know the strenght of my Li Clan. If you surrender right now i can let you go but if you push the matter i will definitely kill you, your family, your friends and everyone close to you!" Li Cheng threw all appearances to the bin as he viciously threatened Ye Mo.

He trembled just thinking of his father reaction if he learned that he wasn't able to get in the Tiger Martial institute this year, losing against a nobody at that.

The cultivators watching couldn't help but shake their heads. Everyone knew that upon entering an institute, you became untouchable. Even the four great clans wouldn't try anything just because their young master lost a fight.

As for killing his family and friends? Ye Mo could only laugh inside as he kept chasing after Li Cheng.

After some time, Li Cheng ran out of qi. Ye Mo caught up and punched his belly.

Li Cheng's face was almost deformed as saliva escaped his mouth. He tried to surrender but no sound left his mouth as he fell on his knees.

Ye Mo stood in front of him. Li Cheng raised his head and saw his opponent look at him from that high position.

Anger, hatred, humiliation, all kinds of novel feelings devoured his mind as he was sent tumbling out of the stage with a kick in the stomach.