Chapter 37 – The Four Directions Forest Stirs, Revealing True Forms (Seven)

As the ancients said: Where there are people, there is the martial world; where there is the martial world, conflict is inevitable.

Though it remained unclear why Li Xiao chose to intervene, his domineering nature was evident from his actions alone.

Moreover, the fact that Li Xiao could single-handedly render Xiao Jiang and his five companions incapable of continuing the fight spoke volumes about his formidable strength!

At this thought, Ye Kuang unconsciously clenched his fists tighter at the prospect of facing such an unprecedented rival, feeling his blood surge as if boiling with fervor.

In other words, rather than merely striving for victory, what he truly needed now was to fight with all his might and relish the exhilaration of an all-out battle.

Whether to refine his martial path or temper the heart of a true warrior, he had to seize every opportunity to spar with powerful opponents!

This seemingly perilous path was, in reality, the fastest route to becoming a true master.

If he were to feel fear or timidity in the face of such challenges, how could he ever hope to become a genuine martial arts master, let alone uncover the true essence of martial arts?

This was precisely what set Ye Kuang apart—no matter the time, place, or opponent, he always managed to adjust his mindset and face every duel with unwavering readiness.

Truly embodying the principle: “Still as a mountain, swift as thunder.”

It must be mentioned here that the world has never lacked those skilled at finding joy in life’s details, and they flocked eagerly, scouring for every piece of news about Wind Cloud Mountain…

With their unique sharp senses and keen eyes, they actually detected a glimmer of business opportunity.

On the third day of the competitors’ rest period, Wind Cloud Mountain welcomed a conspicuously boisterous team whose commotion was so great that even the organizers were startled into personally receiving them.

Tie Feng found himself surrounded by a dense crowd of reporters, their pointed questions leaving even this influential figure—who could sway the martial arts world with a flip of his hand—struggling to keep up.

Naturally, this incident did not escape the notice of various Martial Arts Schools, each subsequently buzzing with excitement.

After all, this was a chance to make a name for themselves: either soar to new heights and be celebrated by the world, or…

Regardless of the differing stances held by various parties, it was surprisingly revealed that this year’s competition had been heavily publicized in advance by outsiders.

As the saying goes: If you wish to stay abreast of the ever-changing world, follow the media’s lead.

Thus, the martial arts upheaval indirectly transformed into an invisible storm, quietly sweeping across Jiangnan and reaching distant lands, prompting professionals from all corners to stir into action. The eventual scale of developments subtly surpassed all expectations.

This was the tide of the times, and likewise, the beginning of an irreversible upheaval!!!

Though Tie Feng had mixed feelings about it, his original intention was to elevate the competition to its Peak, if only to add a bold stroke to his career legacy!

Little did he expect that the media would unleash such a bombshell upon arrival, bringing him not so much pleasant surprises as outright shocks!

Yet, unexpectedly, both sides found themselves in tacit agreement.

Subsequently, under Tie Feng’s guidance, dozens of people hastily formed five grand teams and conducted live interviews room by room.

In Ye Kuang’s room, the atmosphere instantly became lively, with the young competitors eagerly urging each other to seize the moment and show their faces, as if this alone could bring them fame.

Knock, knock, knock…

Just then, the ill-timed knocking interrupted their thoughts, and one by one, they turned their gazes toward the door.

Entering was a professional woman with wavy, permed hair.She stood tall, with a height of one meter eighty, her long legs appearing exceptionally fair—this alone could ignite the most primal desires in a crowd of ‘wolfish’ men…

Following behind her were several crew members handling recording equipment, with Tie Feng notably among them.

The young men present couldn’t help but grow excited at the sight, each instinctively straightening their collars.

In that moment, the atmosphere gradually heated up, plunging everyone in the private room into a hushed silence.

Seeing this, Tie Feng took the initiative to state their purpose for coming.

Elder Yan listened with a calm expression, though inwardly, tumultuous waves surged.

Then, the woman, wearing a professional smile, gracefully introduced herself: “Life rarely spans a century, and fate brings unexpected encounters. My apologies for the interruption. I am a reporter from Flying TV Station—you may call me Xiao Xiang. I’ve come… to conduct a live interview with Yinghao Martial Hall. I hope you’ll forgive any inadequacies.”

Elder Yan snapped back to attention at her words, his demeanor growing even more amiable. “Xiao Xiang, please make yourself at home.”

Xiao Xiang gave a slight nod upon hearing this, then flashed a charming smile as she asked, “May I ask which of you is the Dark Horse Crouching Dragon, Mr. Ye Kuang?”

As soon as she spoke, the young men couldn’t hide their slight disappointment, their gazes shifting one after another toward the corner of the room.

Xiao Xiang followed their line of sight, and in an instant, her eyes widened in disbelief.

The fact that Ye Kuang had reached the finals at such a young age left her momentarily incredulous.

But as someone who had seen much of the world, she quickly masked her surprise with her sweet voice, smoothing over the brief pause.

“Mr. Ye, you are full of surprises. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call you a young prodigy,” Xiao Xiang remarked.

Ye Kuang was taken aback by her words; lost in his thoughts just moments before, he hadn’t noticed the sudden appearance of a beautiful woman behind him.

Seeing his dazed expression and lack of response, Xiao Xiang’s heart sank with unease…

In that moment, even Tie Feng grew anxious on the sidelines, discreetly signaling Ye Kuang with his eyes.

Noticing this, Ye Kuang glanced at the multiple recording devices and casually greeted, “Hello, what can I do for you?”

“Uh…” Xiao Xiang froze momentarily at his reply.

If the situation had been different, she might have blurted out in exasperation.

Ye Kuang’s response was entirely different from what she had anticipated.

Snapping back to reality, she pushed aside her frustration, focusing solely on completing her task—extracting valuable information and crafting the most impactful report.

Maintaining her poised demeanor, she smiled and explained once more: “It’s like this—your outstanding performance earlier left us all in awe. Everyone is deeply curious about your martial arts journey. We’d like to borrow a bit of your private time for a live interview.”

As soon as she finished speaking, envious glances filled the room.

Ye Kuang: “Sure.”

Xiao Xiang: “Well, martial arts is still quite unfamiliar to many. May I ask, Mr. Ye, how did you acquire such remarkable skills?”

Before Ye Kuang could respond, he was suddenly enveloped in a cascade of fluorescent lights.For a moment, he couldn’t help feeling displeased inwardly, yet he maintained that smile and answered evasively: “Though Martial Arts and martial skills differ by just one character, they are worlds apart. As for me, Ye, I’m merely a novice who has just entered the field. It’s rather shameful to admit that my understanding of the profound depths of Martial Arts remains superficial—neither fully comprehended nor thoroughly grasped. Thus, I can’t claim to have cultivated true martial skills; what I possess are merely clumsy techniques, hardly worthy of anyone’s attention.”

Xiao Xiang turned her gaze toward the young man with a look of surprise.

Why?

Those she had interviewed before were all eager to prove how formidable their martial skills were, each claiming to be unrivaled under heaven.

But now, after hearing his words, she was genuinely taken aback.

Xiao Xiang: “Mr. Ye, you’re being far too modest. Let’s set aside the discussion of Martial Arts and martial skills for now. Could you share your feelings about making it to the finals, or perhaps your thoughts on this year’s championship title?”

Upon hearing this, Ye Kuang couldn’t help but tense up inside, but in the blink of an eye, he revealed a faint smile: “Making it to the finals is simply due to my good fortune…”

Before he could finish, he continued to wear a smile, quietly awaiting the next question.

“Could you elaborate on that?” Xiao Xiang pressed on, unwilling to give up.

Ye Kuang: “I’m just genuinely happy—not falsely pleased, nor truly unhappy.”

Xiao Xiang: “Mr. Ye, you’re quite the humorous one. So, how do you view the championship title? Are you confident it’s within your grasp?”

As she asked this, she fixed her bright eyes on Ye Kuang, while inwardly beginning to sense something amiss.

Because, up to this point, she hadn’t managed to extract any valuable information from him.

Yet, it had to be said, her questioning was quite skillful. Regardless of whether Ye Kuang claimed the title was within his grasp or not, she had follow-up strategies ready.

Ye Kuang: “Whether it’s within my grasp or not, I dare not claim such. This arena is filled with gathering storms, and the number of outstanding talents here is beyond count. Just take the inheritors of the Jeet Kune Do Temple and the boxing champions of the Yuan-Ma Families—these Senior Brothers are not ones ordinary people can rival.”

At this point, he couldn’t help but scrutinize the curly-haired female reporter before him and continued: “It’s still a bit premature to discuss the championship at this moment.”

“This…” Hearing this, Xiao Xiang finally saw through it—this person’s responses were impeccably guarded, almost annoyingly so. Her once-confident strategies now seemed utterly useless.

After a moment of thought, she could only resort to nitpicking his words. With another smile, she asked: “Since Mr. Ye mentioned that ordinary people can’t handle them, does that imply that Mr. Ye is no ordinary person? Or perhaps Mr. Ye has sufficient confidence, isn’t that right?”

Ye Kuang: “My beautiful sister, you flatter me too much.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiang no longer cared about whether her words were sharp or not and directly asked: “We’ve studied your combat footage beforehand, and I believe that, with your abilities, Mr. Ye, you should be able to take on five opponents in a row.”

Ye Kuang’s eyes flickered with a subtle, almost theatrical change, and he responded with a half-smile: “I should be able to take on ten.”Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiang’s expression shifted as well, though the smile on her face remained unchanged as she pressed further: “Mr. Ye, surely you must be joking?”

Ye Kuang chuckled in response: “Joking… well, it was you who started it, sister…”

His words caused the atmosphere to plummet abruptly, leaving everyone present staring in stunned silence at the dramatic turn of events, none daring to make even the slightest sound.

The pin-drop silence made everyone’s gazes flicker uncertainly.

Seeing this, Xiao Xiang felt a flicker of irritation inwardly, but she also knew her earlier question had indeed been abrupt. She couldn’t help sticking out her petite tongue playfully, putting on an adorable act: “Hehe… Mr. Ye is truly enigmatic—not only witty and charming, but also quite the joker.”

Ye Kuang laughed heartily: “Witty and charming? I must say, I think so too…”

Though it was their first meeting, they exchanged pleasantries like old friends, yet the scene left everyone watching with creeping unease.

This was no ordinary interview—it was a mentally taxing process, a battle of wits where both sides tested each other’s responsiveness and debating skills. Calling it a verbal duel would hardly be an exaggeration!