Chapter 934

Chapter 934: Chen Zhu

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

It was completely beyond Zhu Jian’s imagination that he would be able to defeat the other party.

He had seen the other party’s prowess clearly from below earlier, superior sword mastery paired with sharp and deadly moves. Even three of him combined wouldn’t be a match for the other party! That was also the reason he had hesitated until the final moment before going up onto the dueling platform, and it was only upon recalling Principal Zhang’s teaching that he counterattacked.

Principal Zhang’s lecture had covered how one could deal with a person whose strength, swordsmanship, and reflexes were nigh perfect. Back then, he had thought that he would never have an opportunity to encounter such a fearsome opponent, so he hadn’t thought much of it. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that doing exactly as Principal Zhang had instructed would produce such miraculous effects!

To incapacitate the opponent with a single finger… Was this for real? Wasn’t this too easy?

Was that fellow really the same formidable expert whom even Zhao Zhongchuan couldn’t withstand three moves from?

“H-h-h-how can this be? W-w-w-what happened?”

“I have no idea too, but it seems like Combat Master Xu Tai has been defeated…”

“So many experts who have gone before couldn’t even withstand three moves from him, and yet, that fellow was able to defeat him?”

“Aren’t the candidates from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy the weakest of us here? But this… What is this situation here?”

While Zhu Jian had blanked out on the dueling platform, the crowd below went completely mad.

Each of them had their eyes bulging and lower jaws touching the ground, as if they had seen a ghost.

It was just a moment ago that the Four Great Master Teacher Academies had conducted a power display of their candidates, so everyone had a rough gauge of the strength of one another.

The person who was standing on the dueling platform at this very moment, Zhu Jian, couldn’t even be ranked amid the top fifty of the eighty of them. Yet, he had actually managed to subdue Xu Tai with a single jab? How could such a huge change in his fighting prowess suddenly come about?

…

“You cheated!”

After coughing several mouthfuls of blood, Xu Tai finally managed to catch his breath and recover. Standing up, he glared coldly at the young man before him with savagery reminiscent of a ferocious beast.

To think that he, an esteemed combat master, would be defeated by a person who was inferior to him on all aspects, be it zhenqi, strength, or reflexes… Not to mention, he had even been defeated by a simple finger jab. It was not difficult to imagine the indignation and rage he felt at that very moment.

“I…” Zhu Jian was stunned. He had truly no idea how he could explain himself.

Even he could not understand how he had managed to defeat the other party, so even he himself felt that he had cheated.

But yet, it had indeed been a fair duel. Furthermore, he had gone empty-handed against an armed opponent, so in such a sense, his victory was indisputable.

“Do you dare to have another match with me?” Xu Tai spat through gritted teeth.

Zhu Jian hesitated for a brief moment before eventually nodding. “Fine.”

In truth, Xu Tai wasn’t the only one who had such a thought in mind. Many of the candidates below also shared the same view as him. As such, even if Zhu Jian were to insist that he was the victor and win, his victory would be thought of as dishonorable.

“This time, I won’t go easy on you anymore…”

Hearing Zhu Jian agreeing to the duel, Xu Tai roared furiously as his sword warped into a massive dragon, charging at Zhu Jian with astounding momentum.

This battle technique was even more fearsome than the sword art he had executed in the previous duel. Even before the sword approached Zhu Jian, the dueling platform had already been torn apart by the sword qi emanating from it.

In face of the other party’s immeasurably powerful stab, Zhu Jian swiftly recalled the teachings from their principal. The situation is identical to before, and Principal Zhang has also explained the countermeasures to take when faced with such a move…

As such, he nimbly twisted his body to the side before wielding his finger like a sword and stabbing toward a specific direction.

Puchi!

The finger, imbued with zhenqi, sunk deeply into flesh like a dagger.

In the next moment, the majestic Xu Tai collapsed to the ground once more. His face paled, and large quantities of blood spilled from his mouth.

In fact, his state seemed to be even worse than before, as blood spewed from his mouth profusely like a human fountain.

In that moment, a wave of silence swept across the crowd, and not a person could speak a word.

“He… was defeated again?”

“He used his full might this time around, but he was still defeated in a single move. Could it be that Zhu Jian has been concealing his cultivation all along?”

“I really can’t tell. His move was simply too profound.”

The three champions of the Grade-1 internal selections of the other three academies glanced at one another as cold sweat trickled down their cheeks.

Previously, they hadn’t even thought of Hongyuan’s students as opponents. They had thought that, considering the caliber of Hongyuan’s candidates, they wouldn’t even claim a single slot of the twenty. Yet, never had they thought that even a seemingly inconspicuous candidate from Hongyuan would be able to defeat a combat master so easily.

“You… You…” Struggling to his feet with difficulty, Xu Tai pointed a shaking finger at Zhu Jian furiously.

He really couldn’t accept his defeat! Even until this point, he still had no idea how the other party had managed to outmaneuver him.

To think that a combat master like him, an unrivalled existence among cultivators, would be defeated by an opponent of the same cultivation without knowing the reason behind it! This inconceivable situation left him extremely frenzied.

Seeing that Xu Tai was unwilling to back down, Zhuo Qingfeng harrumphed coldly. “Xu Tai, that is enough! Don’t you think that you have embarrassed yourself enough for today?”

“Leader, I…” Xu Tai turned to Zhuo Qingfeng anxiously, unwilling to let this matter slide just like that.

“That young man over there might not be able to measure up to you in terms of zhenqi and strength, but his comprehension of battle techniques and grasp over timing in combat are far beyond yours. That finger jab he executed might seem humble and unimpressive, but it is a move that can only be made with a deep understanding of your swordsmanship and zhenqi circulation!” With the sharp eyes that Zhuo Qingfeng possessed, he could easily see through the crux of the battle.

“Using his finger as a sword, he was able to bait an opening out of you before exploiting it with impeccable timing. With just the eye of discernment he possesses, he is qualified to become a combat master!”

“Yes.” Seeing that even his leader had spoken up for the other party, Xu Tai dared not argue any further. As such, he could only nod meekly and back down.

“I… cleared the selection?”

Zhu Jian had gone up to the dueling platform without harboring any hope of victory at all, so when he heard that he had cleared the selection, he could hardly believe his ears.

“The criterion of our selection is for the candidate to withstand three moves from one of our combat masters. Given that you have defeated our combat master, who else should we clear if not you?” Zhuo Qingfeng replied with a kind smile.

“Yes!” Excited, Zhu Jian nodded his head hurriedly before leaping off the stage.

“Alright. Xu Tai, you should rest for a moment first. Chen Zhu, you will take his place.”

Combat masters were powerful, but they weren’t unmatched in the truest sense. At the very least, when Zhuo Qingfeng was at Consonant Spirit realm, Xu Tai was no match for him at all.

From time to time, there would be a formidable genius emerging from the Four Great Master Teacher Academies who would be able to defeat their combat master. It might have been a rare sight, but it wasn’t something too surprising. As such, Zhuo Qingfeng didn’t think too much about it and instructed for the test to continue.

“Yes!” Chen Zhu nodded before leaping up to the dueling platform. Gazing down on the crowd beneath, he said, “Is there anyone who dares battle with me? The same rules apply. As long as you are able to withstand three moves from me, you will be qualified to become a combat master!”

The weapon that Chen Zhu wielded was a sharp saber. Paired with his powerful aura and torrential zhenqi, the crowd couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of the might he would be able to produce.

In comparison to Tai Xu, this Chen Zhu seemed to be even stronger and scarier!

“If I knew that he was so powerful, I would have gone up earlier…”

“That won’t make any difference. Even Zhao Zhongchuan was unable to withstand three moves from Combat Master Xu Tai, do you think that you would have been able to do better than him?”

“I wonder who will be able to withstand three moves from him.”

…

Feeling the frightening strength that Chen Zhu emanated, apprehension swiftly swept across the faces of the crowd.

Xu Tai was already a difficult opponent to deal with, and the substitution with the stronger Chen Zhu spelled nothing but disaster for the subsequent challengers.

“Allow me!”

A young man leaped onto the dueling platform.

“It’s the champion of Luoqing’s internal selection, Zhang Qingshan!”

“Given his formidable might, he might just be able to withstand three moves…”

Upon seeing the face of the first challenger, the crowd beneath immediately directed their gazes intently toward the dueling platform.

Zhang Qingshan was the strongest expert of the Grade-1 students of the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy. Even the Zhao Zhongchuan from before was no match for him at all.

With him making a move, victory was almost assured.

Hu hu hu!

Amidst the discussion, the battle began. Zhang Qingshan split open his fingers and thrust his palm forward. A surge of zhenqi burst forth with the momentum of the relentless tide of a river.

Had it been anyone else, they would have surely been torn apart in an instant by the rampaging surge of zhenqi. However, Chen Zhu was like a small boat amid the furious waves of the ocean; regardless of how violent the storm became, he was able to match its movement perfectly, thus avoiding the brunt of the force.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Zhu had already used up two moves, and both parties were still equally matched.

“How can it be that easy for you to withstand three moves from me?”

Seeing that he had already used up two moves, Chen Zhu narrowed his eyes and harrumphed coldly. All of a sudden, the saber flew out of his hand and tore through space with speed reminiscent of a bolt of lightning.

Huala!

The saber was simply too fast. Before Zhang Qingshan could even react, he could already feel a fiery gale assaulting him from the front, threatening to split his body in half.

“Crap…”

Sensing the immense danger from the saber, Zhang Qingshan narrowed his eyes and retreated furiously. At the same time, he whipped out a sword from his storage ring in order to protect himself.

Peng!

The saber collided with the sword, and the overwhelming force resulting from the clash caused the ground beneath to be devastated. Under the massive might, Zhang Qingshan’s face reddened, and a mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth as he flew out of the dueling platform and crashed heavily onto the ground beneath.

“I lost? How could I have lost?”

Lying on the ground, Zhang Qingshan’s face was as pale as a sheet of paper, unable to believe what had just happened.

He was the number one expert of the Grade-1 students of the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy, and yet, despite his incredible fighting prowess, he had actually failed to withstand three moves from the other party. Having failed the Combat Master Selection, the overwhelming sense of defeat that weighed down on his heart left him incredibly stifled and frustrated.

“Chen Zhu, what the hell are you doing! What did I tell you before coming here? Didn’t I tell you that secret art is forbidden?”

Just as Zhang Qingshan was wallowing in despair from his defeat, Zhuo Qingfeng’s wrathful voice suddenly resounded deafeningly across the training ground.

If it had been a normal clash, Zhang Qingshan would surely have been able to withstand the three moves easily. However, who could have known that his subordinate would break the rules and use a forbidden move in the crucial moment?

“I…” Chen Zhu’s face reddened.

Watching Xu Tai’s defeat with his own eyes had left his heart shaken. When he realized that he was unable to defeat his opponent within three moves, he had suddenly felt a surge of panic, which compelled him to use his secret art.

After lecturing Chen Zhu, Zhuo Qingfeng turned to Shen Pingchao and said, “My apologies, Principal Shen. My subordinate has made a huge mistake. Even though Zhang Qingshan of your Luoqing Master Teacher Academy has lost the duel, he does indeed possess the qualifications to become a combat master!”

“Thank you, Combat Master Zhuo.” Hearing that his student was still able to qualify as a combat master, Shen Pingchao heaved a sigh of relief and clasped his fist in gratitude.

Zhu Qingfeng’s actions were prompt and courteous, clearly having spared a thought for his honor. As such, he had to reciprocate with at least a word of thanks.

After dealing with Zhang Qingshan’s matter, Zhuo Qingfeng raised his hand and said, “Let’s continue the test!”

Chen Zhu surveyed the surroundings haughtily and said, “Who else wants to try next?”

Even though Zhang Qingshan had eventually been deemed to have cleared the test, the last saber that had sent Zhang Qingshan flying was simply so powerful that it had instilled apprehension into the hearts of the remaining candidates subconsciously. All those who had intended to go up a moment ago couldn’t help but cower fearfully.

Their strength and reflexes were nowhere near Zhang Qingshan’s level. If the other party were to use that powerful technique against them too, it would be hard to tell whether or not they would be able to counterattack in time. Most likely, they would suffer severe injuries, or even… be split in two!

Chen Zhu turned his gaze toward the candidates from Hongyuan as he uttered coldly, “What? No one dares to challenge me? If I am not mistaken, so far, there has only been one candidate from Hongyuan, right? Is there anyone there who dares face me?”

His good friend, Xu Tai, had been severely wounded by a student from Hongyuan, so he intended to exact vengeance for him, as well as to return honor to the combat masters. He wanted to make them know that even with just three moves, they, combat masters, were a force that the likes of them couldn’t hope to match up to!

“This…”

Hearing Chen Zhu issuing them a challenge publicly, the candidates from Hongyuan glanced at one another hesitantly.

A moment later, a young man clenched his jaws and stepped forward.

“I will face him!”

Saying those words, he leaped onto the dueling platform.

Someone amid the crowd shouted, “Zhu Xi, you finished last place in the internal selections! Aren’t you seeking death by going up at a tense moment like this?”

Chapter 935: Crippling With a Kick

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

There was a total of twenty Grade-1 candidates from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and Zhu Xi was ranked twentieth among them. In other words, he was Hongyuan’s weakest candidate.

To make things even clearer, if the eighty Grade-1 candidates of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies were arranged in terms of strength, he would be ranked eightieth.

Even Luoqing’s champion of the Grade-1 internal selection had been sent flying with a saber, wasn’t it practically suicide for a person as weak as Zhu Xi to challenge Chen Zhu?

Everyone couldn’t help but stare at him as if he was a fool. There were even a few who couldn’t help but cover their eyes, unwilling to see the cringeworthy sight that would unfold very soon.

“Forget it, I will have to go up sooner or later. It is just a question whether I lose now or later.” Chuckling softly with an edge of despair in his tone, Zhu Xi leaped onto the dueling platform without any hesitation.

In truth, from the power display itself, he already knew that it was impossible for him to become a combat master with his strength.

But even if he were to lose, he couldn’t allow anyone to think of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy as a den of cowards!

“Interesting. To think it would be weaker one who has more guts than the others. Very well! Just try to withstand one move from me, won’t you?” Chen Zhu smirked coldly as he licked his lips. Driving his zhenqi, he flicked his saber, and the air whimpered loudly under the sheer pressure of his saber.

“I also hope that I can withstand one move,” Zhu Xi muttered before taking a deep breath.

Flicking his wrist, he whipped out a spear as he tried to recall the knowledge that Principal Zhang had imparted to him earlier on.

He had paid careful notice to the duel between Xu Tai and Zhu Jian earlier, and it seemed that the latter had used the techniques that Principal Zhang had taught them. Since the worst possible situation was just failure, he wanted to take a leap of faith and give it a try.

“Begin!”

As soon as the duel started, Zhu Xi immediately opened his eyes wide as he thrust his spear forward abruptly with great momentum.

Principal Zhang has said that the greatest advantage of a spear lies in its reach. When against a shorter weapon, one should make full use of its advantage. An inch shorter, an inch riskier. 1 While the other party’s saber does wield incredible strength, it is lacking in reach. I can make use of this to draw in the opponent and make him lower his guard. As the words of their principal resounded in his mind, Zhu Xi pushed his spear forward furiously, creating afterimages after him.

“Humph!” On the other hand, seeing Zhu Xi’s offense, Chen Zhu sneered coldly.

With a slash of his saber, a furious burst of saber qi sliced the air before him in two to meet the spear ahead of him.

Now is the time! Seeing that the other party’s countermeasure was identical to how Principal Zhang had analyzed, Zhu Xi’s eyes lit up as he continued pushing his spear forward. At the same moment, he lifted his leg to kick the other party’s groin.

True strikes should always be fixed amid feints in combat. The furious charge of the spear made it seem as if Zhu Xi was intending to capitalize fully on the advantage resulting from the length of his weapon, but the true threat was actually concealed beneath that—his leg.

Principal Zhang had once explained to them the various common flaws a cultivator would tend to expose when executing certain moves. Considering the furious might that the saber in Chen Zhu’s hand wielded, it was apparent that the other party had focused all of his might on his upper body. Naturally, this meant that his lower body was open!

Peng!

The crisp sound of a foot sinking deeply into flesh was heard by all, and Chen Zhu instantaneously narrowed his eyes.

“AHHHH!”

He gasped in indescribable pain as his body instinctively leaped up as if shocked by lightning.

After which… his entire body collapsed to the ground, curled up like a shrimp.

As this was the first time Zhu Xi had utilized Zhang Xuan’s teachings in battle, not to mention the overwhelming strength of the opponent he was facing, he had inadvertently used his full strength in the kick. Furthermore, the crotch was a huge weakness for any man. With that kick, Zhu Xi had nearly crippled Chen Zhu for life.

“This…” Completely stunned, Zhu Xi scratched his head blankly.

He had only intended to give it a try, thinking that the worst that could possibly come was defeat. He didn’t really think that his kick would really be able to strike his opponent’s vitals and incapacitate the other party.

Wasn’t that fellow extremely powerful?

How did he fall so easily to a kick from him then?

Zhu Xi wasn’t the only one who was surprised by this turn of events. The crowd below also stared at one another with eyes widened.

Wasn’t that Zhu Xi fellow the weakest of them all?

Yet, the weakest one actually incapacitated Chen Zhu in just two moves?

“T-this…” Even Zhuo Qingfeng himself had stiffened from shock.

Others might not have been able to see through the profoundness behind the maneuver, but as a Hundred Men Commander among the combat masters, he was able to see through it clearly.

Zhu Xi had exerted his full might in his spear, not holding back in the slightest. Facing such an attack, Chen Zhu had also instinctively focused his attention and strength on his upper body to fend off Zhu Xi’s spear. It was with such a set-up that Zhu Xi had been able to successfully take Chen Zhu by surprise and land his kick on the latter’s groin accurately. But as easy as it sounded, it was not that easy to execute. Without a masterful grasp over one’s combat timing, Chen Zhu would have surely noticed the kick in advance and dodged it easily.

Even for a person with Zhuo Qingfeng’s mastery of combat, he wouldn’t have been able to exploit such a flaw against Chen Zhu either if he were to fight against the latter with his cultivation suppressed.

For the last ranking candidate of Hongyuan to easily achieve a feat that even he was incapable of… what was going on?

“You…”

It took a very long time for Chen Zhu to recover. Getting back to his feet, he glared at Zhu Xi with raging flames burning in his eyes.

He had intended to exact vengeance for his friend, but who would have thought that an even more tragic plight awaited him?

Zhu Xi scratched his head sheepishly. “I don’t have any idea how I won either… Do you want to go another round?”

It was just a few moments ago that he had received Principal Zhang’s teachings, and there hadn’t been sufficient time for him to fully make sense of them. In the battle, he had only executed the moves as Principal Zhang had taught him earlier, so even he himself was unsure of how he had managed to subdue his opponent.

However, this feeling of victory was truly addicting. If the other party wanted to go another round, he was more than willing to accompany him. In any case, this would be a good opportunity to practice and internalize Principal Zhang’s teachings.

“You are seeking death!” Seeing how the other party even had the audacity to challenge him after what he had done, Chen Zhu’s veins popped out from anger. With a deafening roar, he threw his saber out with astounding momentum.

This was the very same secret move that he had used to defeat Zhang Qingshan earlier!

With his strength augmented by the immense rage coursing through his veins, the flying saber seemed to harness far greater force than before. Slicing through the air furiously, it seemed as if it would have been able to tear apart even a mountain of metal in two easily.

“Formidable…”

Seeing the same move that had left him defeated being executed once more, Zhang Qingshan’s face paled in fright, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

He couldn’t help but imagine his plight had Chen Zhu executed the secret art against him with such force earlier. There was no way he could have gotten off that easily against that! Perhaps, he might have really been split in two by now!

It seemed like the other party had gone easy on him in the duel.

As expected, it is this move…

Upon seeing the flying saber, Zhu Xi didn’t panic. Instead, his eyes lit up.

When he had witnessed Chen Zhu executing this move against Zhang Qingshan from below earlier, he had immediately analyzed it carefully with Principal Zhang’s teachings out of curiosity, wondering if he could find a flaw in the technique.

To execute this secret art, Chen Zhu had poured his full strength into his saber to launch a decisive blow against him. However, it was in the moment of a powerful offense that one’s defense would be the weakest.

As long as he was able to exploit this flaw against Chen Zhu, it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to curb the other party’s move.

Thus, Zhu Xi raised his spear and jabbed it forward consecutively toward the empty air like serpents leaping at their prey.

Ding ding ding ding!

A series of crisp metallic reverberations rang out as the spear strikes accurately struck the openings of the saber’s strike.

The saber did possess overwhelming momentum, but under the several hundred jabs from Zhu Xi’s spear, it was eventually worn out.

Fending off strength with speed!

This was also something that Principal Zhang had talked about in his lecture. Under the circumstances in which one was faced with overwhelming strength far beyond one’s means, one could gradually wear their opponent’s might thin with continuous light jabs, thus making up for quality with quantity. Even a droplet of water could form a torrent if a sufficient number of them gathered!

Zhu Xi was only intending on giving it a try, but who could have thought that he would actually succeed!

After neutralizing the might of the other party’s spear, Zhu Xi charged forward and sent a kick right toward Chen Zhu, just like before!

After executing such a powerful attack, Chen Zhu was in an extremely brief state of frailty, requiring a moment longer before he could regain his momentum.

As the famed saying goes, ‘while he’s ill, go for the kill!’

Every opportunity in a duel only had a brief window to it, and naturally, Zhu Xi couldn’t allow this chance to slip past his fingers.

On the other hand, Chen Zhu had intended to decapitate Zhu Xi with his saber in his moment of wrath, but to his astonishment, the other party had actually managed to neutralize his attack easily and even sent yet another kick toward him. Horrified, Chen Zhu immediately conducted an evasive maneuver to the side, but he suddenly saw a palm enlarge before his eyes.

The kick was a feint, and the true strike lay in the other party’s palm!

Pah!

Too preoccupied with dodging the kick, Chen Zhu had left his face completely open. Under the massive force of the palm, his face immediately swelled up as his body tumbled backward uncontrollably.

Zhu Xi had utilized his full strength in the palm strike. While his strength and zhenqi purity were beneath Chen Zhu’s, ultimately, he was still at the same cultivation realm as the latter, Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, and as a candidate qualified for the Combat Master Selection, he also wielded strength superior to ordinary Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle cultivators.

The strike knocked out more than a dozen teeth from Chen Zhu’s mouth, and he crashed headfirst into the ground beneath the dueling platform, his body convulsing uncontrollably.

“I won…” Seeing that he had managed to defeat Chen Zhu once more, Zhu Xi’s eyes shone in excitement.

Even though he had memorized every single word that Principal Zhang had said, he had never utilized his teachings in battle before, so he had been unsure of the might harnessed within them. It was only after using them against Chen Zhu that he realized… hell, those moves were truly convenient and exhilarating!

The feeling he felt at this very moment was as if he had gone to an examination knowing the answers and the detailed explanation behind them in advance.

To think that even the lofty combat masters would be nothing compared to Principal Zhang’s teachings!

“This…”

“What is going on?”

The many students, elders, and principals from Yunxu, Luoqing, and Qingzhu stared at one another, dumbstruck.

If they could still reason Zhu Xi’s victory in the first battle as sheer luck, in the second battle, Chen Zhu had used his strongest technique but had been utterly defeated. It was apparent that there was something very bizarre going on.

“Isn’t that fellow the weakest candidate from Hongyuan?”

“If even the weakest candidate from Hongyuan is able to defeat Combat Master Chen Zhu so easily, how strong must their strongest candidate be?”

“I really can’t begin to imagine that…”

In the power display earlier, they had clearly seen that not only did the students of Hongyuan possess cultivation inferior to them, their comprehension of combat and battle techniques was also unimpressive. But why would they suddenly become so powerful as soon as the test started? It was as if someone else had taken their places!

This was simply too peculiar!

“Be it Zhu Xi or Zhu Jian, their zhenqi and cultivation are far beneath Xu Tai and Chen Zhu, but they were still able to achieve victory easily. This only goes to show that their comprehension of battle techniques and combat sense have already reached an inconceivable level,” Wo Tianqiong said with his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.

He had also thought that Hongyuan’s results would be unsatisfactory after watching the power display, but their results had truly exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Even the few top candidates from his academy had been unable to withstand three blows from the combat masters, but the candidates from Hongyuan were actually able to defeat the combat masters easily.

“Indeed.” Shen Pingchao nodded with a deep frown on his head, unable to comprehend what was going on.

Under normal circumstances, a cultivator’s combat sense would usually be attributed to talent, especially considering how abstract a subject it was; there was no such thing as a ‘solution’ to combat. It was one thing for a candidate with such incredible combat sense to emerge from Hongyuan, but for two to appear simultaneously… The odds of it happening were too unlikely to just play it off as a coincidence.

It took a while for Zhuo Qingfeng to finally recover, and with twitching lips, he announced loudly, “Zhu Xi… is the victor! I hereby announce that he has cleared he selection.”

“I succeeded…” Zhu Xi’s eyes were gleaming in delight.

He had already given up hope on the matter, but who would have thought that he would successfully become a combat master just by following Principal Zhang’s teachings?

“Un. The timing of your movements was extremely precise, allowing you to outmaneuver even Chen Zhu. Naturally, our Combat Master Hall welcomes someone as talented as you.” Zhuo QIngfeng nodded.

It was hard to believe, but facts were facts.

From the very first time that Chen Zhu was kicked in his groin, he had already lost. The second round was no more than a farce.

“Thank you, Combat Master Zhuo!” Zhu Xi hurriedly clasped his fist and thanked Zhu Qingfeng. However, he suddenly realized something at that moment and asked, “If the two Consonant Spirit realm combat masters in charge of invigilating the test of the Grade-1 candidates are injured, how… will the test proceed?”

All in all, including Zhuo Qingfeng, there were thirteen men from the Combat Master Hall.

Putting aside the Half-Saint Wu Xu and Lu Cheng, from Consonant Spirit realm to Chrysalis realm, there were two combat masters to invigilate each of the five grades.

But of the two Consonant Spirit realm combat masters in the party, one of them was still spurting blood after being struck by Zhu Jian, and the other one still had his face planted in the ground. There was no one else to assess the Grade-1 candidates!

“This…”

Seeing that it was unlikely for his subordinates to recover within a short period of time, Zhuo Qingfeng frowned as well.

Chapter 936: How Can We Continue the Test?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

He had previously thought that two combat masters for each grade would be more than sufficient to assess all of the candidates.

Who would have thought that the candidates from Hongyuan would wield the power to incapacitate his subordinates? In any case, it didn’t seem like the test could continue on like that.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhuo Qingfeng raised his hand and said, “Since that is the case… Xu Hong and Ye Jun, suppress your cultivation to Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle. You two will be assessing the Grade-1 candidates!”

“Yes!” Two young man clasped their fists and stepped forward.

The both of them were at Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, and in their eyes, one could vaguely see a bridge connected with the world. With just a look, it was apparent that they had immersed themselves within this cultivation realm for a very long time, and they wielded strength far superior to ordinary cultivators.

Zhuo Qingfeng raised his hand, and the zhenqi from his body gushed out and shrouded the duo.

Pilipala!

In just a few short moments, the cultivation of the duo plummeted to Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle.

Wo Tianqiong frowned. “Combat Master Zhuo, won’t having a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator fight against Consonant Spirit realm cultivators be equivalent to raising the difficulty of the test?”

Even though the cultivation of the two Cosmos Bridge combat masters had been sealed, their reflexes and comprehension of battle techniques were still not something that Consonant Spirit realm cultivators could match. That was a considerable hike in the difficulty of the test.

“Don’t worry, I will have them control their strength. As long as they keep their strength in check, the difficulty shouldn’t be too different from before,” assured Zhuo Qingfeng with a nod.

Through limiting the fighting prowess of the two new invigilators, it was possible to maintain the difficulty of the examination.

Wo Tianqiong was still slightly hesitant after hearing those words of reassurance, but eventually, he still nodded. “Un.”

Considering the current state of the two Consonant Spirit realm cultivators, there was no way that the test would be able to continue any other way. Whether he liked it or not, he had to accept it.

Leaping to the stage, Xu Hong declared loudly as he scanned his surroundings, “I am Xu Hong, and I am now in charge of invigilating the Grade-1 tests. As long as you can withstand three moves from me, you will have cleared the selection.”

“Allow me!”

A young man amid the crowd stepped forward and leaped onto the dueling platform.

Zhang Xuan recognized the young man.

It was the champion of Yunxu’s internal selection, and the prowess he had shown in the display earlier was amazing as well.

He didn’t disappoint in the duel as well. Against Xu Hong, even though he was being suppressed right the start, he still managed to withstand three moves and clear the selection.

Upon seeing someone succeed, others also went up the dueling platform enthusiastically.

However, they didn’t fare as well as him. Five challengers from Yunxu, Luoqing, and Qingzhu lost consecutively, and the situation fell into a standstill once more.

“I’ll go.”

Seeing that no one was going up, a young man from Hongyuan stood up and stepped forward.

“That’s Zhao Chuan, who is second last!”

“I remember that fellow from the power display. He is roughly equal to Zhu Xi in terms of strength!”

“Un. I would say that he doesn’t stand a chance with cultivation like his, but… there is just something a little bizarre about the students from Hongyuan!”

“It isn’t ‘a little bizarre’ but ‘very bizarre’!”

Upon seeing that another candidate from Hongyuan had gone onto the dueling platform, a commotion broke out amid the crowd.

Hongyuan’s performance in the power display earlier had been unimpressive, so no one had thought well of them at all. Yet, who would have thought that they would be the dark horse of the selection round? So far, they had two candidates who had gone up and both of them had incapacitated a combat master each. At this point, there was no one who dared make any guesses about the outcome of the battle anymore.

Hu!

Zhao Chuan leaped onto the dueling platform.

“Let’s begin,” Xu Hong said before charging forward with his fist.

On the other hand, seeing that Xu Hong wasn’t using a weapon, Zhao Chuan also decided not to wield one either. Clenching his fist, he rushed forward to face Xu Hong’s punch with a kick.

Peng!

As the punch and the kick collided, Zhao Chuan instantaneously felt immense might overwhelming him, knocking him down onto the floor. Under the impact, his face paled, and a stifling sensation assaulted his chest.

Without even withstanding a single move, he had been defeated.

Hu!

Seeing Zhao Chuan’s defeat, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief.

It seemed like the situations before were indeed just exceptional circumstances. Not everyone in Hongyuan wielded such monstrous strength.

Beneath the stage, Zhu Jian yelled anxiously upon seeing such a sight, “Zhao Chuan, what the hell are you doing? Have you forgotten Principal Zhang’s teachings?”

“Think about the combat techniques Principal Zhang has imparted to us and get it together!” Zhu Xi shouted as well.

How could Zhao Chuan even think of going head-to-head with his opponent? In the very first place, their greatest disadvantage against the combat masters lay in their inferior zhenqi and strength. Moreover, the other party was a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator who had his cultivation suppressed; the other party’s control over his strength was surely to be far superior to theirs. If they wished to achieve victory, the only way was to make full use of the combat techniques that Principal Zhang had imparted to them.

“The combat techniques that Principal Zhang has imparted us?” Zhao Chuan muttered feebly as he struggled to his feet. He contemplated over the content of Principal Zhang’s lecture for a brief moment to allow the wisdom contained within it to wash over him before exhaling deeply and turning his gaze to Xu Hong once more. “There are still two more moves, right? Let’s continue!”

Seeing how that fellow, who couldn’t even withstand a punch from him, wanted to continue the battle, Xu Hong couldn’t help but sneer derisively at the other party’s foolishness. “You are courting death!”

With a swift step off from his current position, Xu Hong’s figure disappeared from the spot, and several afterimages appeared on the dueling platform. Each of them had a concrete presence, which made it impossible for one to discern the real from the fake.

Principal Zhang says that when facing a maneuver utilizing feints, one must not allow oneself to be blinded by the false grandeur put up by the opponent. There is a thin but clear line between truth and falsehood. No matter how powerful a battle technique may be, as long as one can find the point where truth and falsehood overlap with one another and focus one’s attack on it, one will surely be able to neutralize the opponent’s attack. Hearing the shouting beneath the dueling platform, Zhao Chuan suddenly recalled these words from Principal Zhang’s lecture.

Even though Principal Zhang had only had an hour to lecture them, he had managed to cover a diverse range of common combat techniques. The opponent he was facing, Xu Hong, was able to produce numerous afterimages through capitalizing on his powerful movement technique, and with Zhao Chuan’s current limits, the only way he would be able to overcome such a profound movement technique was to find the point where truth and falsehood overlapped and exploit it.

Focusing his gaze, Zhao Chuan stared at the other party’s movements intently, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

I found it! Zhao Chuan exclaimed internally in delight. Clenching his fists tightly, he charged right toward an afterimage opposite him and struck it decisively.

Peng!

It was a sound reminiscent of a fist sinking into a sandbag. Xu Hong had been moving at a speed so quick that one could hardly see him, but in that moment, his figure suddenly converged into a rapidly retreating figure, which crashed forcefully into the ground before he could even release a howl of agony, blacking out.

Zhao Chuan’s fist was directed at a point through which Xu Hong was unable to drive his zhenqi, thus inducing an energy backlash within the latter. Not even a Cosmos Bridge realm expert would be able to withstand that.

“I won?” Seeing Xu Hong fainting over, Zhao Chuan’s lips began trembling in agitation.

Having faced the other party’s punch head-on earlier, he had gotten a glimpse of the huge power difference between the two of them. Yet, just by following Principal Zhang’s teachings, he had been successfully knocked out the other party with just a single move. Wasn’t this a little too good to be true?

On the other hand, upon seeing this sight, Zhuo Qingfeng’s body began trembling in disbelief.

It is one thing for your guys to knock out my Consonant Spirit realm combat masters, but to do the same to my Cosmos Bridge realm cultivators with their cultivation suppressed? Are you all actually experts disguised as Consonant Spirit realm master teachers?

More importantly… you were beaten up helplessly like a dog on the first move, unable to put up a fight at all. Yet, on the second move, you were suddenly able to turn the tables and defeat my combat master so easily… Don’t you think that you are changing too quickly?

All of a sudden, Zhuo Qingfeng couldn’t help but remember the shouting beneath the dueling platform right after the first move. “Just a moment ago, they mentioned combat techniques that their principal imparted to them earlier. What is going on?”

At the same time, the same thought struck Wo Tianqiong and Shen Pingchao, and they couldn’t help but widen their eyes in astonishment. “Could the hour-long lecture that Principal Zhang conducted for them… have something to do with this?”

They had been thinking that a last-ditch effort to enhance the students’ fighting prowess right ahead of the selection would have been completely futile, but who would have thought that Principal Zhang’s last-ditch effort would not only be useful but extremely effective as well?

If that wasn’t the case, why would Zhao Chuan suddenly experience a burst in power that allowed him to knock out even the Cosmos Bridge realm Xu Hong after a reminder to follow the combat techniques imparted by their principal?

“An hour-long lecture?” Hearing Wo Tianqiong and Shen Pingchao’s words, Zhuo Qingfeng frowned.

While it was indeed possible for formidable master teachers to impart the essence of combat to their students, what could one possibly teach within the span of an hour?

Perplexed, Zhuo Qingfeng hesitated for a moment before turning to the young man in front of him and instructing, “Ye Jun, you will head up to challenge the candidates from Hongyuan.”

“Yes!” Responding with a nod, Ye Jun leaped onto the dueling platform.

This time, instead of issuing a challenge to all of the candidates of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies, he turned to the candidates of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and challenged just them.

“I will go!” One of the Grade-1 candidates from Hongyuan stood up.

“Try to remember Principal Zhang’s teachings. As long as you adhere to what he taught us, you won’t lose,” Zhu Jian quickly advised.

“Un.” After watching so many battles, that candidate had also realized that Principal Zhang’s teaching was beyond ordinary. With a nod of his head, he walked up the dueling platform.

With this realization in heart, his fight was significantly easier.

Within two moves, he had already found Ye Jun’s flaw and crushed him with a palm, leaving the latter convulsing uncontrollably on the ground.

“The knowledge that Principal Zhang imparted to us is really formidable.”

Seeing that yet another one of their own had cleared the selection to become a combat master, even knocking out the invigilator while doing so, the other candidates of Hongyuan felt a huge boost of confidence.

If they had still harbored any doubts regarding their principal’s teaching previously, after witnessing this, the apprehension they had felt vanished, leaving nothing but awe and admiration for their principal.

Zhu Jian, Zhu Xi, and Zhao Chuan… As fellow Grade-1 students from Hongyuan, they were well aware of the strength that those three wielded. Under normal circumstances, putting aside defeating the combat masters, they wouldn’t even have been able to match the top fifteen candidates from the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy.

Yet, all three of them had managed to emerge victorious through utilizing the teachings their principal had imparted to them an hour earlier. It was inconceivable, but their principal had managed to make the impossible happen!

“The heck… are they on drugs?” Looking at the two additional combat masters lying on the ground, Zhuo Qingfeng felt as if the limit of his sanity was being challenged.

A single person defeating a stronger opponent could be rationalized as extraordinary combat talent and luck. Two people was pushing it, but it might just have been overwhelming coincidence. But four people consecutively?

It was apparent to all that all four candidates from Hongyuan were significantly weaker than their opponents, be it in terms of zhenqi, strength, agility, or reflexes. Yet, all of them had still been able to floor the combat master they were facing with ease as soon as they made a move. Were they hacking?

Or could it be just as they had said, the hour of lecture really had such mystical effects?

But if that was really the case, wasn’t that lecture a little too fearsome?

Unable to hold himself back, Zhuo Qingfeng turned his sight over and spoke with a questioning tone. “Principal Zhang, your students…”

Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran also turned their gazes over.

They were also bewildered by the situation before them, and they direly wanted to know what was going on.

“Oh. I lectured them on combat techniques for an hour just before the battle, so perhaps they might have been able to comprehend some of it.” Understanding the intention behind their gazes, Zhang Xuan nodded. Following which, helplessness and frustration surfaced on his face. “It really pains my heart to see them see that these fellows weren’t able to comprehend the true essence of the combat techniques I imparted to them, using them crudely and sloppily.”

He felt that it was truly a pity that he only had only been able to lecture them for an hour.

If only he’d had another hour, he would have been able to reinforce their knowledge further. Perhaps then, their movements wouldn’t have looked so cringeworthy to him.

“Comprehend some of it? Pains your heart?” Zhuo Qingfeng couldn’t help but shudder upon hearing those words.

This is the freaking result of only comprehending some of it?

If they really comprehend all of it, won’t our entire Combat Master Hall be destroyed by your students?

Furthermore, we have only tested four of your students so far and four of our invigilators have already been floored. How do you expect us to continue the test?

Screw that!

In any case, our combat masters will lose anyway!

And more importantly… pains your heart? Pain your ass!

Your students were able to subdue my combat masters without even sustaining the slightest injury, and you say that your heart is in pain?

The one who should be in pain is me, alright…

Chapter 937: Stone of True Breath

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Principal Zhang’s lecture was actually that incredible?”

Not only were Zhuo Qingfeng, Wo Tianqiong, and the others frenzied, even School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and the others were shocked silly.

Having trained the candidates personally over the past few days, they knew each of their abilities very well. When they heard that the candidates would have to withstand three moves from the combat masters, they had already prepared themselves for the complete defeat of the Grade-1 candidates. Yet, all four of the challengers they’d sent up had actually successfully gotten rid of a combat master each.

More importantly, the challengers were the weaker of the bunch. So… didn’t that mean that every single one of their Grade-1 candidates would be able to clear the selection?

If that was the case, the candidates from the other Master Teacher Academies could probably retire for the Combat Master Selection this time around now.

Their Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was going to take up all hundred slots for themselves!

Even though they had long known that Principal Zhang was extraordinary, they had really never thought that it would be to such an extent!

To allow their students to possess a fighting prowess comparable to combat masters within an hour… Not even the word ‘overpowered’ was worthy of being used to describe such a feat!

“When the examination ends, I will have them copy down the content of Principal Zhang’s lecture word for word…” Xu Changqing and the other school heads clenched their jaws in agitation.

A lecture that could turn even their weaker candidates into nigh unparalleled experts in their power class, just how profound and incredible could the content be?

Just the thought of it could send excited goosebumps up their arms.

While the copied words wouldn’t be infused with the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, making the effects less pronounced as compared to being lectured by Principal Zhang, they had no doubt that it would become a great source of inspiration to help further their fighting ability.

…

After taking some time to soothe the stifled sensation that he felt, Zhuo Qingfeng took a deep breath, clenched his jaws, and instructed, “Bai Quan and Huang Tao, the both of you shall suppress your cultivation and continue the examination!”

Since his Cosmos Bridge realm combat masters wouldn’t work, surely his Perfect Harmonization combat masters should be able to do the job!

“Yes!” the two combat masters replied in unison before stepping forward.

After suppressing his cultivation, the combat master on the right, Bai Quan, leaped onto the dueling platform. This time, before he could even say anything, a commotion broke out among the candidates at Hongyuan’s side.

“I’ll go!”

“You are stronger than me, and there will be plenty of chances for you later on. You should let me give it a try first instead!”

“Try your head, I will go first! You can try all you want after I am defeated!”

“Do you take me for a fool? By the time you are done, that fellow will already be knocked out on the ground…”

“Hey, you are older than me, right? Haven’t you learned anything about giving in to your juniors before? Where in the world has your decorum as a master teacher gone? Look at me, I am far younger than you, and my cultivation is beneath yours, don’t you think that you should give way to me?”

…

The crowd from Hongyuan argued with faces reddened in excitement.

The candidates from the other academies lay low, not wanting to face a Perfect Harmonization realm invigilator who had his cultivation suppressed in fear of the latter’s strength. On the other hand, the candidates from Hongyuan looked like they had seen some kind of precious treasure, squabbling with one another vehemently as if afraid that the other party would steal it from their hands.

Do you need to be so exaggerated and savage?

On the dueling platform, Bai Quan’s face twitched upon seeing this sight, and he was so furious and frustrated that tears were already on the verge of spilling down his eyes.

I am a combat master, a figure whom none in the Master Teacher Continent dare look down on!

Yet, in a duel against me, not only do none of you show any fear, you are even squabbling with one another to fight against me as if ladies in a wet market… This is intolerable!

Bai Quan clenched his jaws so tightly that creaking sounds could be heard from his teeth. Arrogant, aren’t you all? I swear that I will beat deference deep into each of your bones!

Hu!

Just as he made such a vow in his heart, a young man leaped onto the dueling platform.

The young man had a rather slim frame, and he was one of the weaker candidates from Hongyuan.

Upon seeing the young man leaping up to the dueling platform, the crowd behind him revealed regretful looks.

If they had known earlier this would happen, they would have just dashed up to the dueling platform instead of squabbling with one another. They were being too courteous with one another, which allowed that fellow to get ahead of them.

“Damn it!”

Seeing the disappointed looks on the faces of Hongyuan’s candidates, Bai Quan felt something in his mind snap. Frenzied, he roared furiously, “Come, show me your strongest move!”

Huala!

As he shouted, he drove his zhenqi furiously, drawing every ounce of strength he could draw from his current Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle cultivation into his palm before thrusting it forward furiously. The resulting attack was extremely powerful, at least ten percent stronger than Chen Zhu when he was using his secret art.

Bai Quan’s strength was far greater than the other combat masters that had come before him; his moves were majestic and complex, and his reflexes were swift as well. However, it was as if the opponent he was facing could peer right through his offense. After trading two moves, his opponent found a flaw in his offense and sent a kick right toward it.

After which… nothing.

Bai Quan collapsed under the kick, defeated!

Before he lost consciousness, a stream of tears flowed down his cheeks.

I really am a combat master. I really was sent here to test these guys.

Yet, to think that I would actually lose so tragically to one of them. Why does it feel as if I am the one being tested instead?

You are the one who is supposed to survive three moves from me, but the one to collapse within three moves ended up being me instead.

Seeing that even Bai Quan had been defeated, Zhuo Qingfeng was just about to dispatch Huang Tao when Lu Cheng suddenly sent a zhenqi telepathy to him. “Leader, if this continues, I fear that we will all be floored before we can even finish assessing the Grade-1 candidates! Furthermore, that is just the least of our worries. If the reputation of our Combat Master Hall takes a blow because of this…”

While others might be unaware of the uncanny things that happened around Principal Zhang, he was one of the few who had experienced it personally.

To be able to defeat the Half-Saint pinnacle him with a cultivation of Chrysalis realm primary stage, how could the students taught by such an incredible figure possibly be ordinary?

Hearing Lu Cheng’s words, Zhuo Qingfeng rubbed his temples.

The other party was right. Should they continue the selection as it was, it was indeed very likely for such a situation to occur.

If the combat masters responsible for testing the candidates were all knocked out, how could they proceed with the examination?

There was a strict deadline for the selection to be completed, and Zhuo Qingfeng couldn’t begin to imagine how he was going to explain this matter to the Combat Master Hall if he failed to finish the selection in time!

For the ones testing to be knocked out by the ones who were being tested… How embarrassing was that?

“Why don’t we first assess the candidates from the other three academies first and leave Hongyuan to the very last?” Lu Cheng suggested.

Zhuo Qingfeng hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yes, that seems to be the only thing we can do now…”

If they were to continue assessing the candidates from Hongyuan, there was no doubt that more of their combat masters would be incapacitated. Since that was the case, they needed to first finish assessing the other three academies before deciding on a measure to deal with Hongyuan.

Having made up his mind, Zhuo Qingfeng immediately began making a series of arrangements.

Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran were displeased to hear that the candidates of their academies would be assessed first, but eventually, they still agreed to the arrangement.

There was no way around it. Given the peculiar circumstances surrounding Hongyuan’s candidates, they would never be able to complete the selection in time should they continue as it was.

…

It took eight hours to assess the all of the candidates, from Grade-1 to Grade-5, of the other Master Teacher Academies.

Owing to the strong foundations of the other three academies, their candidates were indeed powerful. However, the combat masters were simply far too strong. Only twelve candidates had cleared the selection from the strongest academy, Yunxu, resulting in the lowest record in its entire history.

The other academies fared even worse. Luoqing only had ten, and Qingzhu, eight.

The other three academies had marched into the Combat Master Selection confidently, but their results were far from satisfactory. They hadn’t thought that such a situation would occur, especially given the increased number of slots.

“Only Hongyuan is left now…”

After assessing the candidates of the other three academies, Zhuo Qingfeng finally turned his gaze back to the candidates of Hongyuan.

Xu Tai, Chen Zhu, and the others had also recovered by this point, and they participated in the test as well.

It didn’t take long before they blacked out once again under the insane fighting prowess of the Grade-1 candidates from Hongyuan.

It seemed like the previous experience had made them more proficient at blacking out. With just one move, the combat masters were already defeated.

“This…” Seeing as his subordinates fall one after another, Zhuo Qingfeng’s face swiftly grew more and more livid as frustration and helplessness built up within him.

They weren’t even done assessing the Grade-1 candidates from Hongyuan yet, and there were still another eighty from the other four grades waiting for their turn… At this rate, when could they finish their job?

It was not as if they had come here in seek of a beating.

For one of them to be knocked out in each duel, it sure was humiliating…

Hesitating for a brief moment, Zhuo Qingfeng stood forward and proposed, “Principal Zhang, at this rate, we won’t be able to finish the selection in time. Thus, I have a suggestion. As long as your candidates clear a certain test, I will take them in regardless of the limit of a hundred slots. Otherwise, I will just have to ask your candidates to conduct an elimination tournament among themselves to sieve out the required numbers to fill up the remaining slots.”

So far, a total of thirty candidates from the other three academies had cleared the examination, leaving behind seventy slots to fill.

If the candidates from Hongyuan were able to clear that test, Zhuo Qingfeng would be able to make an exception and accept all one hundred candidates from Hongyuan if needed. Otherwise, Hongyuan would only be issued the seventy remaining slots, and the candidates would have to fight it out among themselves to determine who among them would be selected.

Ultimately, the hundred slots could be considered as a guideline from the Combat Master Hall. If the hundred candidates from Hongyuan turned out to be true geniuses, it would be a blessing for the Combat Master Hall too if they could bring in all of them.

Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Zhuo Qingfeng and said, “Please speak, Combat Master Zhuo!”

“Combat masters require not only combat skills but zhenqi and strength superior to normal cultivators as well. This is a necessary requirement for them to be able to complement the other combat masters in group battle and not become the baggage of the others,” said Zhuo Qingfeng.

Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran also nodded in agreement.

Combat masters could be considered as the military of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and the main purpose of their existence was to deal with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and any other existences that threatened mankind. Typically speaking, the battles they faced would be group battles instead of individual battles, thus requiring them to collaborate with one another. No matter how high one’s comprehension of battle techniques was, if one’s zhenqi and strength couldn’t match up with one’s companions, it was very likely that one would just end up dragging down the team eventually, especially in a prolonged battle.

“I have borrowed a Stone of True Breath from the Combat Master Hall specially for this selection exercise. As long as one places one’s palm on it, it will clearly reflect the level of zhenqi and strength one possesses!” Zhuo Qingfeng said.

“The students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy have indeed achieved a frightening level of comprehension in their combat skills, but their zhenqi and physical strength are still lacking. Under normal circumstances, one has to achieve a score of four on the Stone of True Breath in order to qualify as a combat master. However, considering the unique circumstances surrounding Hongyuan, your candidates only have to achieve a score of two in order to clear the test!”

There was a high threshold that one had to meet in terms of their zhenqi purity and physical strength in order to qualify as a combat master, but there was something peculiar about the candidates from Hongyuan that necessitated special consideration. Their zhenqi purity and physical strength were clearly far beneath that of their opponents, but they had still been able to knock out their opponents easily. For geniuses of such caliber, even the Combat Master Hall headquarters would make special exceptions for them.

There was indeed such a precedence as well.

“A score of two?” Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion.

This was his first time hearing of the Stone of True Breath, so he had nothing to gauge what a score of two or a score of four meant.

Hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan asked, “Can you allow me to take a look at your Stone of True Breath?”

“Sure!” Zhuo Qingfeng nodded before flicking his wrist, and a huge stone tablet around his height appeared before him.

The stone tablet was grayish in color, but it emanated a beautiful light-blue hue around it.

“It’s indeed the Stone of True Breath… Incredible!” Wo Tianqiong’s eyes lit up.

“Principal Wo has seen the Stone of True Breath before?” Shen Pingchao asked in intrigue.

“I have never seen it myself, but I have read of it in a book before. It is said that it harnesses the amazing ability to assess one’s zhenqi purity and physical strength quantitatively. Just by placing one’s hand on it and exerting one’s zhenqi to the maximum, a number will surface. A number beyond two means that one possesses some talent, and a number beyond four means that the talent one harnesses far exceeds that of ordinary geniuses!” Principal Wo replied.

“If that’s the case… Will the level of one’s cultivation affect the result?” Shen Pingchao asked.

If one’s cultivation affected the results of the Stone of True Breath, would it really be fair to assess one’s talent using the same standards?

“It is fine! The Stone of True Breath only assesses the purity of one’s zhenqi and physical body strength. The assessment criteria it uses are, to a great extent, separate of one’s cultivation,” Principal Wo replied.

While the two were speaking, Zhang Xuan walked up to the Stone of True Breath, and after examining it closely for a moment, he turned to Zhuo Qingfeng and asked excitedly, “Combat Master Zhuo, can I… give it a try?”

Chapter 938: The Invincible Zheng Yang (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

He didn’t have an understanding of the Stone of True Breath at all, and the only way for him to get a clear gauge of the exact significance of a score of two and four was to try it for himself.

“Principal Zhang, you want to give it a try yourself?”

Beneath the dueling platform, the faces of School Head Mo and the others immediately paled.

“NO!”

They knew about the destructive tendencies of their principal—anything that came into his hand would be destroyed in one way or another. Unless Combat Master Zhuo didn’t want his Stone of True Breath, it was best not to let that God of Destruction come into contact with it, or else it would be too late for regrets after the fact.

Seemingly hearing the voices in the school heads’ hearts, Zhuo Qingfeng smiled courteously and said, “There is no need to trouble Principal Zhang with this. Chen Zhu, come over!”

“Yes!” Chen Zhu nodded before swiftly heading toward the Stone of True Breath. He placed his palm on it, and a brilliant burst of light flashed in the area. Following which, a number surfaced on the stone tablet—5!

“This means that Chen Zhu’s zhenqi purity and physical strength has exceeded the required standard of four,” Zhuo Qingfeng explained.

“Allow me to give it a try too!” Luoqing’s Zhang Qingshan, who had been defeated by Chen Zhu’s saber previously, walked over and placed his palm on the stone tablet as well. With a radiant flash of light, a number surfaced… 4.5!

Even though it hadn’t reached Chen Zhu’s level, it did meet the prerequisite to becoming a combat master.

“Let me try it as well!” Zhu Jian stepped forward and placed his palm on the stone tablet. A glow of light followed, 2.1.

“I am only 2.1?” Zhu Jian’s face twitched in horror.

He was ranked fifth among the twenty Grade-1 candidates from Hongyuan, but he had only managed to attain a result of 2.1. Didn’t that mean that the other fifteen candidates behind him would struggle to even reach 2?

It seemed like it would have indeed been impossible for him to become a combat master were it not for Principal Zhang’s impartation.

“With this, I believe Principal Zhang should have gained some understanding of the Stone of True Breath!” Zhuo Qingfeng said with a smile.

Through the results of the three people, it wasn’t too difficult to roughly estimate the gauge for the Stone of True Breath.

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded with a frown.

Zhu Jian’s strength could be considered to be at the forefront of most of the candidates, but he had only been able to achieve a score of 2.1 on the Stone of True Breath. If the other candidates were to take this test as well, it was highly likely that more than half would not be able to reach 2.

In other words, a minimum of forty candidates would be eliminated!

Zhang Xuan contemplated for a brief moment before eventually speaking up. “Combat Master Zhuo, is it possible for you to give me four hours? I wish to lecture my students for a moment first before allowing them to take the test!”

“Four hours?” Hearing Zhang Xuan’s request, Zhuo Qingfeng was taken aback.

Even if it was really possible to raise one’s combat techniques in a short period of time, surely zhenqi and strength would require accumulation over time!

A four-hour lecture… What could it possibly do?

Zhuo Qingfeng pondered for a moment before replying. “There is no need for that. It is already getting late, so why don’t we conduct the test in the morning instead? This way, you will get the entire night.”

Just assessing the candidates of the other three academies had taken eight hours, so by this moment, the sun had already set, allowing darkness to envelope the sky.

In any case, he had been given three days to complete the Combat Master Selection, so there was no need for him to finish it on the first day.

“That will be truly helpful, Combat Master Zhuo. You have my gratitude!” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

Be it the physical strength or the zhenqi purity of Hongyuan’s candidates, they were unimpressive. However, if Zhang Xuan had a night to lecture them, he was confident that he would be able to induce a metamorphosis in them.

“This isn’t anything much. It will also be a blessing to the Combat Master Hall if we can bring talented fresh blood in,” Zhuo Qingfeng replied with a smile.

“That’s good to hear. Pardon me, but I will be taking my leave in advance. School Head Zhao and School Head Mo, I will be troubling you to make suitable arrangements for the three principals and their students and Combat Master Zhuo and his subordinates. I have to make full use of the limited time to conduct a supplementary lesson for these fellows!” Zhang Xuan instructed with a smile before leading the candidates toward the Elder Hall.

The Elder Hall had a formation to isolate auras and a formidable Spirit Gathering Formation. On top of that, it was also spacious enough to house a hundred people comfortably.

After Zhang Xuan left, School Head Mo and the others quickly took Principal Wo and the others to a night banquet to welcome them before eventually settling them into their accommodation.

…

After arriving at the Elder Hall, Zhang Xuan adjust the Spirit Gathering Formation set up in the room to maximize its effects before scattering five hundred high-tier spirit stones around the room.

Hu!

In the blink of an eye, the entire hall was already permeated with spiritual energy so concentrated that it caused the air to become viscous. Seeing that it had reached a satisfactory level, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

While raising one’s physical strength and zhenqi purity might have been an arduous task for any other master teacher, that was not the case for Zhang Xuan.

After collecting countless physical body cultivation technique manuals from the Cultivation Compendium, he had already perfected the first four levels of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body into Heaven’s Path tier, allowing one to cultivate them without the need for catalysts.

As for zhenqi purity, even if it was impossible for the students to cultivate Heaven’s Path zhenqi like him, he could still impart a very, very simplified version of the Heaven’s Path Divine Art to them. It would be easy and fast for them to cultivate, and it would help to refine their zhenqi to make it purer and more condensed.

“You all only have a night’s time. How much you manage to improve will depend on your capability and diligence!”

After settling everyone down, Zhang Xuan scanned the faces of the students for a brief moment before starting. “I will now impart a physical cultivation technique to all of you known as the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body…”

Zhang Xuan’s voice was infused with the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, inducing the students to drive the zhenqi in their bodies as per his words.

Wu Yangzi’s Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body was extremely complicated, and even with the talents that these students wield, being the top twenty fighters in their respective grades, it would still require several dozen years of effort before they would be able to master it.

As such, Zhang Xuan had simplified it through the Library of Heaven’s Path, making it significantly easier to comprehend and cultivate.

Immersed in their cultivation, the students’ physical strength began growing at an incredible pace.

…

In the manor that King Huai had given Zhang Xuan, Zheng Yang stretched his back lazily as he walked out of his room.

After a day of cultivation, he had finally managed to digest everything that his teacher had taught him, thus inducing a significant rise in his fighting prowess.

Exhaling deeply, Zheng Yang suddenly recalled something and his eyes lit up. If I recall correctly, it seems like today is the day that the Combat Master Selection is held. It will be good to take a look!

He had heard many things about the legendary combat masters, and rumor had it that they were capable of easily matching opponents with cultivation far higher than them. As such, he was curious to see how powerful they were.

Zheng Yang took a look at Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Wei Ruyan’s room, and noting that they were still cultivating, he decided to head to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy alone.

It didn’t take him too long to arrive at his destination.

By this moment, the sun had already set, and the night banquet was already over as well. However, there were still many students from Hongyuan walking around the academy with excited looks on their faces.

Hongyuan had always been outdone by the other three academies in the Combat Master Selection. However, under the leadership of the new principal, they had finally managed to turn things around.

In this Combat Master Selection, their candidates managed to defeat even the combat masters themselves, and this made them feel extremely exhilarated.

From the discussions of the students around, Zheng Yang was able to gain a rough idea of what had happened in the day, and he chuckled softly in response.

Having followed his teacher from Tianxuan Kingdom, he knew that his teacher possessed astounding capability despite his young age.

Putting aside defeating the relatively weaker invigilators of the Combat Master Hall, he wouldn’t be surprised in the least if his teacher were to train a group of experts that could overthrow the entire Combat Master Hall.

“Zhenqi purity and physical strength, these can only be accumulated through cultivating over a long period of time. Yet, that Principal Zhang actually thinks that he can raise the strength of his students through just a night of lecturing. He sure is delusional!”

“Indeed. In order to raise our zhenqi purity and strength, we had to go through so much suffering and pain! For one, we had to endure the insufferable heat from the Inferno Phoenix Saint Beast on the journey here, but even so, we were only able to raise our zhenqi purity and strength by just a bit!”

“Just because he achieved some success in his lecture on combat techniques, he thinks that he is the chosen one or something. Just wait and see how he makes a fool out of himself tomorrow!”

Walking along the street, Zheng Yang suddenly heard some irked voices.

Turning his gaze over, he saw a few young men dressed in peculiar master teacher robes walking along the road with disdainful sneers on their faces.

The students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had humiliated their Combat Master Hall through and through. There was no way they wouldn’t feel indignant about that!

It was one thing to learn that Principal Zhang had raised the prowess of Hongyuan’s candidate through nothing but a lecture at the very last moment, but for the other party to actually hope of raising the zhenqi purity and physical strength of the candidates in a single night… Wasn’t that nothing but a daydream?

Those were the foundations of a cultivator, accumulated only through diligence over time. If they could be raised that easily, they wouldn’t have to be put through suffering after suffering in the Combat Master Hall.

“These brothers over here, please hold it for a moment!”

Hearing that those men were mocking his teacher, Zheng Yang frowned in displeasure. He immediately walked over and stopped them with his hand.

“What is the matter?” The young men frowned.

“It’s nothing much. I just heard that the members of the Combat Master Hall possess superior strength, and I happen to be rather bored at the moment, so I wish to try your strength for myself to see if you are really as fearsome as the legends make you out to be!” Zheng Yang said calmly.

“You dare stop us despite knowing that we are from the Combat Master Hall? You must be tired of living!”

“To dare mock even us… Brat, you sure are arrogant, aren’t you?”

These young men were already in a bad mood from the start, so upon seeing that even a youth around sixteen or seventeen dared to stop them to challenge them to a battle, they couldn’t help but feel provoked and fly into a rage.

They were the powerful combat masters, existences who were respected regardless of where they went!

Yet, putting aside how their members had easily been floored by the candidates of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, now, even a young child dared to behave so arrogantly before them. How could they possibly accept that?

“Whether I am tired of living or not, you will know once you give it a try…” Zheng Yang smirked as he whipped out a spear and flicked it with astounding prowess.

“Since you are the one who provoked us in the first place, don’t blame us for getting nasty…”

Seeing the other party whipping out his weapon, the faces of the combat masters turned livid as well. One of them stepped forward and flexed his arms.

This combat master was at Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle, and he was in charge of assessing the Grade-4 candidates. With the frightening strength that he wielded, he had managed to subdue countless geniuses one after another in the selection earlier, instilling fear deep into their minds.

The combat master could tell that the young man before him possessed a cultivation of Chrysalis realm primary stage, so he decided to step forth to face him.

As a combat master, he was capable of challenging opponents with cultivation far higher than him. Given that the other party was only a cultivation stage stronger than him, it should be a walk in a park for him to defeat the other party.

Whipping out a sword too, the combat master said nonchalantly, while emanating a clear aura of confidence, “Make your move! I don’t have any interest in bullying those weaker than me, so I will give you a three-move advantage!”

“You want to give me a three-move advantage? There is no need for that! I will suppress my cultivation to that of your level!” Seeing that the other party was still oblivious to the plight he was in, Zheng Yang shook his head and suppressed his cultivation down to Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle.

On the other hand, seeing how the young man who had come out of nowhere was so arrogant as to suppress his cultivation to face him, the combat master sneered coldly. “Hah, since you are that intent on meeting your maker, so be it!”

Flinging his sword abruptly, an incredibly powerful shockwave swept through the entire area before him.

Even though his cultivation was only at Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle, the might of this attack could easily leave Chrysalis realm pinnacle experts trembling in fear.

“Humph!” Facing such an attack, Zheng Yang simply sneered coldly. Not bothering to evade at all, he raised his spear and steered it forward with ferocious might.

Peng!

As soon as the spear came into contact with the sword, the combat master was sent flying while coughing huge mouthfuls of blood.

Chapter 939: The Invincible Zheng Yang (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“What?”

“Zhi Chen was defeated?”

“Against a cultivator of the same cultivation realm, he was defeated in a single blow?”

“Furthermore, the other party didn’t use any battle technique at all. It was just sheer physical and zhenqi might.”

Upon seeing their own companion being defeated in a single blow, the combat masters, who had underestimated the young man before them a moment ago, couldn’t help but clench their fists tightly with grim expressions on their faces.

Even though the other party had reached an incredible height in his cultivation despite his young age, they had thought that he might just have been the offspring of a wealthy clan who had raised his cultivation through consuming pills. Typically speaking, the fighting prowess of such individuals tended to be subpar.

As such, they hadn’t thought of the other party as much of a threat. However, watching as their companion—who was unrivaled in his power class—being defeated with a single jab of a spear and now lying severely wounded on the ground, they couldn’t help but freeze in shock.

Weren’t they, combat masters, unrivaled existences regardless of where they went?

It was one thing for them to be outmatched by the candidates specially chosen by the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, but for even a random young man they met on the street to defeat them easily as well…

More importantly, unlike the candidates whom they had faced in the day, the other party hadn’t utilized any exceptional battle technique or extraordinary combat sense to exploit their flaws. Instead, he had defeated their companion with just sheer zhenqi and physical strength!

In other words, they, who had gone through hellish training in order to enhance their strength, zhenqi, and reflexes, were being outmatched by the other party!

“Damn it!”

The severely wounded Zhi Chen pushed himself against the ground and got to his feet. He glared at the young man before him hostilely with gritted teeth.

It was one thing for him, as a combat master, to be humiliated during the selection exercise in the day, but to be humiliated by a young fellow who hadn’t even reached his twenties yet in the evening as well… This was intolerable, unbearable, and insufferable!

Roaring furiously, Zhi Chen ignored the protests of his companions and dashed forward with his sword. Driving his zhenqi to its limit, he exerted a rampaging storm of sharp sword qi.

Hong long long!

In an instant, the air was cut into shreds.

Even though Zhi Chen was only at Ethereal Treading realm, he was capable of drawing forth a might that nearly no Chrysalis realm cultivator could withstand.

“Humph!” Seeing his enemy fly into a rage, Zheng Yang simply smiled wryly.

With this posture upright like a spear, Zheng Yang stood firmly, and with a cold harrumph, his spear shot forth once again.

The brilliant glint of the tip of the spear streaked forward furiously as if a charging flood dragon. In just the blink of an eye, it had already appeared right before the opponent, giving him no time to react at all.

“This… Impossible!”

Zhi Chen’s body stiffened from fright upon seeing the spear materialize right before his eyes. By that point, it was already too late for him to dodge. A sharp pain pervaded his chest as he was struck by the tip of the spear. The next moment, he was sent flying through the air.

Pu!

Fresh blood spurted wildly from his mouth as his figure moved in a parabola through the sky.

The previous move had already left him severely wounded, and this strike had further aggravated his injuries, rendering him incapable of fighting.

“You aren’t a match for me! Isn’t there anyone stronger?” Ignoring the wounded Zhi Chen, Zheng Yang turned his gaze to the remaining combat masters.

Seeing how the young man had managed to subdue their companion with a single move, the others dared not underestimate him anymore. With grim looks, they traded glances, and eventually, a young man amid them stepped forward.

“I will be your opponent!”

This young man possessed a cultivation of Chrysalis realm pinnacle, and he had been in charge of assessing the Grade-5 candidates. The weapon he specialized in happened to be the spear as well. With his prowess with the spear, he had struck fear into hearts of the other three Master Teacher Academies’ candidates so deep that none dared step onto the dueling platform to face him during the selection.

Stepping forward, the young man harrumphed coldly. “I will suppress my cultivation to battle you…”

“Suppress your cultivation? There is no need for that! Show me what you’ve got instead!” Zheng Yang waved his hand nonchalantly.

After which, he raised his spear and drove it forward with astounding might.

“Arrogant brat…”

The other party’s abrupt move had left him no time to suppress his cultivation at all. The young man’s face darkened as he raised his spear to counterattack.

Having devoted many years to the spear, the young man had long achieved the realm of Spear-Man Union. Jabbing his spear forward, innumerable afterimages of the spear swiftly appeared before him, forming a seemingly impenetrable wall that sealed the other party within it.

“Excellent spearmanship! It seems like Chi Xiao has decided to go all out!”

“Even our leader is full of praise for his spearmanship. That fellow is bound to lose…”

“Hah, a mere Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator actually dared provoke us? He really should learn his place!”

…

Seeing the young man execute his spear art, the other combat masters simultaneously heaved a sigh of relief.

They knew full well how formidable their companion’s prowess was with the spear; even a Half-Saint would have to back down before his might! On the other end, the fellow their companion was facing was only at Chrysalis realm primary stage. As powerful as that fellow was, they couldn’t see him taking this attack unharmed.

The combat masters watched intently to see how the other party would be utterly defeated before their companion’s spearmanship, but all of a sudden, the Chrysalis realm pinnacle Chi Xiao suddenly let out a stifled gasp before being sent flying into the distance. Just like the previous contender, Zhi Chen, he crashed to the ground and began spurting blood wildly.

“This… How is this possible?”

“Chi Xiao was defeated? And in one move at that?”

Narrowing their eyes, everyone’s face warped in shock.

They could still rationalize Zhi Chen’s defeat as the other party’s advantage as a Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator albeit suppressing his cultivation. But this time, the other party was weaker than Chi Xiao, but the other party had still managed to defeat him so easily.

How was that possible?

“Chi Xiao…”

The other combat masters hurriedly rushed over to help their companion up. In that moment, they couldn’t help but notice the horror and disbelief in their companion’s eyes.

“Are you fine?” Worried, they asked anxiously.

Struggling to a sitting position, Chi Xiao urged through jaws clenched in pain, “Call… our leader here! I… am not a match for him.”

Taking a glance at Zheng Yang, the other combat masters knew that it would be impossible for them to defeat him, given that even the strongest Chi Xiao wasn’t a match for him. Thus, clenching their fists in frustration and anger, they turned around and left.

…

The residences that School Head Mo and the others had prepared for the parties from the other Master Teacher Academies and the Combat Master Hall were clean and spacious. Special attention had to been given to their accommodations so as to ensure that they would have a comfortable stay in Hongyuan.

Seated in the vast main hall at this very moment was Zhuo Qingfeng, and Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran were sat at the opposite end to him.

After the banquet came to an end, there was nothing else for the three principals to do. As such, they decided to pay Zhuo Qingfeng a visit, hoping to trade their insights on cultivation, and it was fortunate that they did so. The conversation they had with the other party enlightened them greatly.

As expected of a Hundred Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall. His understanding of cultivation and mastery of battle techniques were far above even principals like them.

Just from the knowledge he shared in itself, they could already imagine the fearsome strength he wielded.

There was no doubt that he was capable of challenging opponents possessing a cultivation significantly greater than his, and it would be unwise to gauge him just by his cultivation realm alone.

“The crux of cultivation lies in one’s heart. As long as one’s heart remains earnest, one will only continue to grow strong.” Zhuo Qingfeng chuckled. “The main difference between us, combat masters, and you, master teachers, is that our hearts are solely devoted to furthering our fighting capability. On the other hand, you have to divide your attention between learning supporting occupations and imparting your knowledge to the others as well. So, it’s only natural that we have an advantage in terms of fighting prowess.”

“Indeed.” Wo Tianqiong and the others nodded in agreement.

The main reason the fighting prowess of a combat master was greater than most master teachers was because they had devoted all of their effort to enhancing their fighting prowess. On the other hand, due to the primary responsibility that a master teacher shouldered, they had to divert some of their attention into studying supporting occupations and such so as to further their teaching capability.

Naturally, with their attention divided between several matters simultaneously, it was impossible for a normal master teacher to match up to the specialized combat master in terms of fighting prowess.

As the principals of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies, they possessed exceptional standing and had access to strong cultivation techniques as well. In terms of fighting prowess, they were superior to that of most master teachers. However, compared to Zhuo Qingfeng, they were still plenty lacking.

As the saying goes, ‘each field has its own experts’. Not even master teachers could possibly be skilled at everything.

…

At this moment, Wo Tianqiong suddenly thought of something and asked, “Combat Master Zhuo, do you think that Principal Zhang’s lecture tonight will be able to induce significant improvement among his student?”

Previously, Principal Zhang had said that he intended to conduct a lecture in order to raise his students’ zhenqi purity and physical strength. In Wo Tianqiong’s view, it was something nigh impossible to achieve. Nevertheless, the peculiarity that had happened with Hongyuan earlier in the day left a bizarre feeling within him, prompting him to ask Zhuo Qingfeng about this matter.

“Under normal circumstances, I would say that such a thing is completely impossible. Just that… there is just something a little uncanny about Principal Zhang,” Zhuo Qingfeng said with a frown.

Had it been anyone else, he would have been certain that the other party’s attempt to raise his students’ zhenqi purity and physical strength significantly over the course of a single night would have been nothing but daydreaming.

However, given that it was Principal Zhang they were talking about, he dared not just to a conclusion so hastily.

The other party was a person who could make his students’ combat prowess surpass even that of combat masters within just an hour’s lecture; it would have been a mistake to gauge the other party by normal standards.

“Un… I feel the same way as well,” Wo Tianqiong said as he shook his head.

As compared to Zhuo shi, the feeling was even more vivid for him because he had personally seen the difference in the strength of Hongyuan’s candidates before and after the lecture. It was as if that fellow was someone who common sense no longer applied to.

“Actually, there is no need to for us to think too much about this. We will know the answer tomorrow morning,” Zhuo Qingfeng replied with a light smile. Halfway through his words, however, a young man suddenly rushed into the room.

It was the Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle combat master, Ye Jun.

As soon as he entered the room, Ye Jun began shouting. “Leader, bad news!”

“What’s wrong?” Zhuo Qingfeng frowned.

“Our men were walking around the academy just now when we suddenly encountered a young man who seems to be either sixteen or seventeen. The other party stopped us and challenged us to a duel… However, who could have known that none of us would be a match for him, resulting in the complete defeat of the team!” Ye Jun swiftly went through the events that had just happened.

“A young man, only sixteen or seventeen, challenged you to a duel, and none of you are a match for him?” Zhuo Qingfeng had a look of incredulity on his face, as if he had heard a ludicrous joke.

Who were they?

Combat masters!

An existence that was invincible in their power class. Yet, they had actually suffered a complete defeat at the hands of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old young man?

Was this for real?

“That’s right. The other party is only at Chrysalis realm primary stage… Chi Xiao faced the other party with his full strength, but even he was sent flying with a single jab and suffered severe wounds,” Ye Jun said.

“A Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator actually defeated the Chrysalis realm pinnacle Chi Xiao? How can this be possible?” Zhuo Qingfeng widened his eyes in shock.

If a combat master were to lose to an opponent of the same cultivation realm, it could only mean that the combat master was still insufficiently skilled. However, to lose to an opponent of a lower cultivation realm… This was something that would really be worth looking into!

“Leader, it is true!” Ye Jun replied affirmatively.

“Who is that cultivator? Is he a master teacher from Hongyuan?” Zhuo Qingfeng questioned.

“I am not too sure either. We were just walking along the streets when he suddenly stopped us, saying that he had heard of the strength that combat masters wield and wished to challenge us. He first suppressed his cultivation to fight with Zhi Chen, but Zhi Chen was defeated in an instant. After which, Chi Xiao stepped forward to accept his challenge, but he wasn’t a match either!” Ye Jun explained.

“To be able to move freely around the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the other party must be from Hongyuan. Let’s go over and take a look…”

Hearing about how two of his subordinates had been defeated so easily, Zhuo Qingfeng’s face darkened as he got to his feet.

Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran also traded glances among themselves before getting to their feet and following behind him.

Before they had even made their way to the entrance of the courtyard, they heard several yells of agony. Rushing toward the voices, they soon saw the majestic combat masters who had easily subdued the candidates from the three Master Teacher Academies earlier in the day lying on the ground, spurting blood as if a fountain. A sixteen or seventeen-year-old young man was standing proudly in front of them with a spear in his hand, reminiscent of an indomitable God of War.

“Even though I suppressed my cultivation, none of you were able to take an attack from me. Is this the strength of the legendary combat masters?”

Glancing at Zhuo Qingfeng, a wry smile emerged on the young man’s face. “Seems like your reputation precedes you!”

Chapter 940: The Invincible Zheng Yang (3)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“What did you say?” Hearing those words, the combat masters behind Zhuo Qingfeng flew into a rage.

Even Wo Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and Wu Ran were stunned by the sight before them.

For the powerful combat masters to be easily defeated by an individual and even mocked that their reputation preceded them. Everything was happening right before their eyes; however, they couldn’t help but wonder if they were in a dream.

With a hand on his spear and the other behind his back, Zheng Yang remarked impassively, “I’ve always wanted to know how powerful combat masters are. It seems like this is all there is after all!”

Honestly speaking, after all he had heard about the combat masters, he was indeed a little disappointed with what he was seeing.

“What arrogant words!”

Seeing a fellow who had come out of nowhere criticizing them arrogantly, Wu Xu bellowed furiously and stepped forward. “Do you dare fight me in a battle?”

Wu Xu had already reached Half-Saint. Even though he was only at primary stage, his cultivation felt irrepressible like a relentless river. An ordinary Half-Saint pinnacle would be no match for him at all.

“Is there any reason I wouldn’t fight you in a battle?” Gazing at the other party provocatively, Zheng Yang raised his spear skillfully.

“Good. I will suppress my cultivation and fight you then!” Wu Xu said as he flicked his wrist and took out a sword.

Over the past three months, not only had he achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, his comprehension of swordsmanship had also deepened significantly. The current him was significantly stronger than back when he met Zhang Xuan at the valley.

“There’s no need for that. A Half-Saint primary stage cultivator, it will just take me a single spear!” Chuckling softly, Zheng Yang leaped forward powerfully, bringing him before Wu XU in a single step. The spear in his hands burst forth with might reminiscent of a powerful dragon.

“You are courting death!” Seeing that the other party actually dared launch such a simple attack that was devoid of complexity and technique against him and intended to go head-to-head against him, Wu Xu’s face turned livid.

No matter what, he was a Half-Saint combat master, an invincible existence among his peers. It would be difficult for a cultivator whose cultivation was lower than him to defeat him even when exploiting despicable tricks, and yet, the other party actually intended to face him head-on? That was no different from courting death!

Harrumphing coldly, Wu Xu’s sword flew forth to strike the other party’s spear, his movements also devoid of complexity and technique.

At the same time, he also pumped his zhenqi through his body at an incredible speed reminiscent of river water gushing out of a hole in a dam, augmenting the strength of his stab.

Since the other party intended to face him head on, he would use his superior strength as a combat master to make the other party understand how laughable his action was.

Peng!

The sword came into contact with the spear.

Wu Xu was thinking that the other party would surely be unable to withstand his overwhelming zhenqi and fall in defeat instantaneously, but in the moment that both weapons collided, he felt a might superior to even his own rushing at him like an overwhelming torrent.

It was as if the other party’s offense was a tsunami, devouring the river of zhenqi in his body in an instant.

Deng deng deng deng!

Overpowered, Wu Xu was forced to retreat eight steps consecutively. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, and his eyes revealed his disbelief toward the situation he was facing.

That fellow’s strength is actually stronger than that of Wu Xu, who is a cultivation realm higher than him? How in the world did that fellow cultivate?

Seeing such a sight, Zhuo Qingfeng and the others who were spectating the duel by the side were shocked.

Combat masters were representative of the strongest fighting force in terms of physical strength and zhenqi in their respective cultivation realm… Yet, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old young man had actually managed to knock back Wu Xu when his cultivation was beneath the latter; this was too frightening!

“Continue!” After knocking Wu Xu back, Zheng Yang roared grandly as he charged forward once more.

At the same time, his spear shot forth and sealed everywhere Wu Xu could possibly evade to precisely.

What swift and profound spearmanship that is… Zhuo Qingfeng narrowed his eyes in astonishment.

Possessing great strength granted one an advantage, but if one was unable to utilize it skillfully, one would still be unable to pose a threat to one’s enemy. This was similar to the duels between the candidates from Hongyuan and the combat masters earlier in the day; none of the candidates from Hongyuan possessed strength greater than their opponent, but they had still been able to subdue the combat masters they were facing with ease.

Even if one’s strength was inferior to one’s opponent, one could still make up for it with skill, searching for the opponent’s weaknesses and exploiting them to achieve victory.

As such, while Zhuo Qingfeng was astounded by the brute strength displayed by the young man before him, he had still thought that Wu Xu would still stand a good chance. However, he had never expected for the young man to possess exceptional combat sense and precise control over his movements as well.

That spear that burst forth was clearly a maneuver exploiting the flaws in Wu Xu’s moves. It was aiming to seal the space around Wu Xu completely so that the latter would be swept into a momentum that would prevent him from executing any powerful battle techniques.

Incredible strength and a profound comprehension of combat… Just where did this fellow come from?

Wasn’t he way too terrifying?

Peng peng peng peng!

While Zhuo Qingfeng was still deep in thought, Wu Xu was already pushed into a corner. After retreating several steps, he finally reached his limits. His sword flew from his hand, flying several rounds in the air before stabbing into the ground a dozen meter away.

On the other hand, he faltered to the ground with the opponent’s spear pressed against his neck. It was a chilling sensation, which penetrated down to his bone, and he felt as if a hole would be made through his neck at any moment.

“I have lost…” Wu Xu’s body stiffened.

He had never thought that after achieving a breakthrough to Half-Saint, he would still be defeated by a Chrysalis realm primary stage young man so easily.

“You are formidable. Why don’t I become your next opponent?” Seeing that his friend had been defeated so utterly, Lu Cheng couldn’t help but step forward and challenge the young man.

“Lu Cheng, you aren’t a match for him.” Zhuo Qingfeng placed a hand before Lu Cheng and shook his head

With his eye of discernment, he was able to sense vividly how fearsome the young man before him was.

Zhenqi, strength, speed, battle technique, combat sense… It was as if the young man before him was infallible; there was no apparent flaw that one could exploit against him!

Lu Cheng had achieved a breakthrough to Half-Saint rather early on, and he was also the strongest combat master in the group he led. However, it was still clear as the day to him that Lu Cheng was no match for the other party.

“Leader…” Lu Cheng turned to look at Zhuo Qingfeng anxiously.

The other party had infringed on the dignity of the combat masters right to their face. If they didn’t teach him a lesson, how could they possibly walk outside with their heads held high in the future?

“I will fight him.”

Shaking his head, Zhuo Qingfeng stepped forward and looked at Zheng Yang.

“I won’t take advantage of you. I will suppress my cultivation down to your level.”

Hu la!

Right after saying those words, Zhuo Qingfeng’s aura weakened from the initial Saint 2-dan to Chrysalis realm primary stage.

Even though he had suppressed his cultivation, his battle techniques, combat sense, and reflexes still remained the same. Even with a cultivation of Chrysalis realm primary stage, his fighting prowess was still more fearsome than the Half-Saint Lu Cheng.

“Let’s begin.” Zheng Yang nodded as he raised his spear. In an instant, his presence suddenly felt like a towering spear, as if he was a spear himself.

The highest realm of Spear-Man Union—Spear-Man Convergence!

On the other hand, with a grim expression on his face, Zhuo Qingfeng whipped out a sword and pointed it over as well.

Hu!

Knowing the fearsome strength that the young man before him wielded, Zhuo Qingfeng didn’t hesitate to make the first move and dashed forward.

His footsteps were incredible profound, and they carried a peculiar rhythm to them. Even when it seemed like he was right before Zheng Yang, if Zheng Yang were to attempt to attack him, he would realize that Zhuo Qingfeng was beyond his reach.

“It is a formation… Combat Master Zhuo has fused his movement technique with a formation! The movements he is making are aligned with the steps required to form a certain formation!” Wo Tianqiong’s eyes narrowed in alarm.

Even though it was not necessary for combat masters to study supporting occupations, some would still choose to learn a handful of combat-oriented ones so as to augment their fighting prowess.

This was exactly what Zhuo Qingfeng was doing.

Through harmonizing his footsteps with a formation, he was able to confuse his opponent with his movements, rendering them unable to determine the perfect time and position to strike.

“This is indeed a fearsome move; even I wouldn’t be able to come up with a countermeasure for it. Let’s see how that young man deals with this,” Shen Pingchao remarked.

The movements that Combat Master Zhuo utilized was extremely unorthodox. It was difficult for him to see through it even with his current cultivation, so it seemed even less likely that the young man would be able to do so. If that young man failed to deal with this maneuver well, it wouldn’t be long before he fell in defeat.

“Humph!” Noticing the peculiarity of Zhuo Qingfeng’s move as well, Zheng Yang harrumphed coldly. Instead of dodging, he abruptly pushed his spear toward the ground.

Huala!

With the sharp glint of a spear charging forth, a huge crack of around ten meters in length emerged on the ground.

Following which, the spear was levered up, and countless fragmented rocks and a cloud of dust rose into the sky.

Upon seeing this sight, Wo Tianqiong’s eyes lit up in awe. “He is… making use of the fragmented rocks to determine the other party’s position? Smart move!”

He had been wondering how the young man would attempt to cope with such a profound movement technique, and he was honestly impressed by the young man’s wits for having come up with such a simple solution to the matter.

Zhuo Qingfeng had set up a formation with his leg movements so as to make his current location indeterminable to his opponent, and in a sense, it was even more fearsome than having to deal with afterimages. Yet, the young man had wisely chosen to strike the ground instead of attacking Zhuo Qingfeng directly, creating a cloud of dust in the surroundings.

Regardless of how complicated Zhuo Qingfeng’s movement art was or which formation he had set up, one thing was for sure—the dust would only fall on tangible objects. In other words, whatever the dust didn’t cloak was all fake!

With this simple maneuver, he had successfully managed to overcome Zhuo Qingfeng’s movement art.

Huala!

It took a brief instant for the young man to find Combat Master Zhuo’s position amid the cloud of dust, and his spear pierced through the air to strike the other party.

“Humph!” Seeing that the young man had managed to overcome his movement art so quickly, Zhuo Qingfeng’s complexion darkened. He swiftly raised his sword to counterattack.

Ding ding ding!

The sword came into contact with the tip of the spear.

In that instant, Zhuo Qingfeng felt a dull pain in his chest, and he was forced several steps back. Astonishment couldn’t help but fill his mind.

To his horror, his zhenqi strength was far beneath that of the other party when they were both at the same cultivation realm.

On top of that, he also realized that their zhenqi purities were at completely different levels as well.

For a sixteen or seventeen-year-old young man to be so powerful… just who was his teacher?

Hua hua hua!

Zhuo Qingfeng had to swing his sword several times consecutively before he was able to neutralize the force from the other party’s attack. Following which, he swiftly dashed forward to counterattack. However, to his shock, the other party’s spear charged forth at a speed even faster than his sword, callously directed at his weakness.

Left with no choice, he could only swiftly pull back his attack to fend off the other party’s spear before attempting another one from another angle. However, the same thing only happened again and again.

After trading eight blows in such a manner, Zhuo Qingfeng’s face paled, and his breathing became irregular.

The other party’s might was simply too great, and with each attack directed precisely at his weakness, he found himself gradually being overwhelmed.

If not for his superior reflexes and nimble movements enabled by his Saint 2-dan cultivation, he had no doubt that he would have already been severely injured by now.

“Stop! There is no need to continue the fight any longer. I am not a match for you.” Leaping backward, Zhuo Qingfeng stepped out of the battle and sighed deeply.

He hated to admit it, but the truth was the truth. Under the condition of equal cultivation realms, he was no match for the young man before him.

The other party’s comprehension of battle techniques, combat sense, and even sheer strength were far beyond his.

If an expert of the other party’s caliber were to enter the Combat Master Hall, he had no doubt that that they would be able to obtain the seat of a Thousand Men Commander, or perhaps even a Vice Captain!

Who would have thought that Hongyuan were concealing such an incredible genius among themselves?

Unable to hold himself back any longer, Zhuo Qingfeng asked, “Are you student of Hongyuan as well? May I know who your teacher is, and whether you have any interest in joining our Combat Master Hall?”

“I am not a student of Hongyuan…”

Keeping his spear, Zheng Yang placed his hands behind his back and said nonchalantly, “… but my teacher is Zhang Xuan!”

Chapter 941: The Lecture Ends

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Zhang Xuan? You are student of Principal Zhang?” Overwhelmed by agitation, Wo Tianqiong’s voice sounded a little shrill.

Wu Ran and Shen Pingchao had also stiffened in shock by the turn of events.

Wasn’t Principal Zhang only a Half-Saint cultivator himself? Yet, his student was already at Chrysalis realm and… was even capable of rivaling opponents stronger than himself, such that even a Hundred Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall wasn’t a match for him?

It was laughable how they had thought that Principal Zhang was only skilled at imparting combat techniques but was unskilled in nurturing a student’s zhenqi and physical strength. It was only at this moment that they realized how ridiculous the notion was.

How could a man capable of nurturing such a talented student possibly be simple?

“It’s no wonder he was able to solve the problem left behind by Kong shi. It seems like Principal Zhang is not only capable in his supporting occupations but combat as well,” Wu Ran remarked.

Based on what he had seen previously, he also wouldn’t be a match for Zheng Yang had the both of them been at the same cultivation realm.

Since even the student was so formidable, wouldn’t the teacher be even more powerful?

Zhuo Qingfeng also had the same thoughts in mind, and he couldn’t help but ask, “If that’s the case, does that mean that Principal Zhang is even stronger than you?”

“Compared to my teacher, I am like the light of a firefly against the blazing sun, a raindrop before the vast ocean… Truly not worth a mention at all!”

Speaking of his teacher, Zheng Yang’s expression immediately turned respectful. “My only dream in my life is to attain a ten thousandth of the greatness of my teacher, and I will be satisfied.”

“T-this…” Zhuo Qingfeng’s body stiffened.

If even a person of the young man’s caliber hadn’t even reached a ten thousandth of Principal Zhang’s capability… just how powerful was Principal Zhang?

“Are you willing to join our Combat Master Hall to become a combat master?” Zhuo Qingfeng asked.

Hearing those words, Zheng Yang shook his head. “I am not a master teacher, how can I become a combat master?”

Combat masters were the talented fighters sieved out from the master teachers. Given that he wasn’t even a master teacher, how could he be qualified to join the Combat Master Hall?

“It is true that the Combat Master Hall belongs to the Master Teacher Pavilion, but the examination for it differs from that of a master teacher. It doesn’t matter whether one is a master teacher or not; the only prerequisite required to join is for one to possess sufficient strength!” Zhuo Qingfeng explained hurriedly.

“Considering the nigh invincible strength you wield within your cultivation realm, such that even I am not an opponent for you, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to clear the examination.”

“You mean to say that… I can become a combat master?” Zheng Yang was stunned.

“Of course!” Zhuo Qingfeng nodded. “Considering your talent, you will surely receive the best resources if you join the Combat Master Hall. With your abilities, becoming a Thousand Men Commander, Vice-Captain, or even a Captain isn’t beyond reach!”

There was a hierarchy within the Combat Master Hall as well, ranging from an ordinary member to a Captain.

Zhuo Qingfeng himself was a Hundred Men Commander.

“Furthermore, the resources available at the Combat Master Hall are even greater than what Qingyuan Conferred Empire can provide. If you join its ranks, you won’t have to worry about procuring resources anymore,” Zhuo Qingfeng persuaded anxiously.

Since even he was no match for the young man before him, it meant that the other party had already achieved strength equal to a Hundred Men Commander, and this was still given that the other party hadn’t gone through the systematic training of the Combat Master Hall. If the other party were to become a combat master, he had no doubt that it would just be a matter of time before the other party became the Combat Master Hall’s ace.

He couldn’t let a genius like that go.

Noting the respect the young man had for his teacher, Zhuo Qingfeng continued his persuasion. “Besides. Principal Zhang is a master teacher. The only way for you to follow his footsteps is to become a combat master. Otherwise, it will reflect badly on Principal Zhang if his direct disciple is only an ordinary cultivator…”

“This…” Zheng Yang fell silent.

Indeed.

His teacher was moving too fast. His teacher wasn’t just a master teacher but the principal of an entire Master Teacher Academy now, and he would only climb higher as time passed. If he were to remain stationary, it would only be a matter of time before the distance between them grew so big that his teacher was beyond reach.

Furthermore, Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, and Lu Chong had already gone out to seek their own opportunities, and they would only be stronger than ever when they returned.

As a disciple of Zhang laoshi as well, he couldn’t and wouldn’t allow himself to lag behind.

Without hesitating for too long, Zheng Yang nodded. “Alright, I am willing to join the Combat Master Hall. Where can I take the examination?”

“I am not qualified to assess a person of your prowess, and given that you aren’t a master teacher, the procedures will be slightly more troublesome as well. Why don’t I send a message to the Combat Master Hall to have them send a Vice Captain over to assess you personally? It won’t take too long, around three days at most,” Zhuo Qingfeng said.

While fighting prowess was the only prerequisite to joining the Combat Master Hall, the Combat Master Hall was still a branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it would be more troublesome for an individual who wasn’t a master teacher to join it. Given Zhuo Qingfeng’s current standing, he was still unqualified to make the call.

Thus, he could only report it upward so that they could send someone qualified over.

“Alright, I will be waiting for the assessment in three days. However, I might not be the only one participating in the assessment!” Zheng Yang said.

“You might not be the only one?” Zhuo Qingfeng frowned doubtfully, not comprehending Zheng Yang’s words.

“I still have a senior and two juniors who are on par or even stronger than me. I hope that they can take the combat master assessment as well.” Zheng Yang nodded.

He had come here alone, but if Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Wei Ruyan were to learn that they had the opportunity to become combat masters as well, they would surely be interested in taking the assessment. In any case, it would be best for him to alert the other party of this matter.

“Even stronger than you?” Zhuo Qingfeng’s lips twitched in shock.

He had thought that the reason the young man before him was so powerful was attributed mainly to his overwhelming aptitude for combat, and it was already very fortunate for a master teacher to accept a genius as talented as that in his entire lifetime.

Yet, judging from the young man’s words, it seemed like Principal Zhang not only accepted him but many others as well…

This was too ferocious!

“Alright, I will agree to it!”

It would benefit any organization to gather as many talents of such caliber as possible, so how could Zhuo Qingfeng possibly turn him down? Thus, he hurriedly nodded in agreement.

“Un.” Hearing that he had the other party’s permission, Zheng Yang heaved a sigh of relief before bidding farewell and heading out.

His purpose for coming to the academy had just been to see the prowess of the combat masters, and now that he had seen it, honestly speaking… he was really disappointed.

Knowing that the young man was Principal Zhang’s student and couldn’t possibly disappear out of the blue, Zhuo Qingfeng wasn’t anxious at all. After the other party left, he clasped his fist toward Wo Tianqiong and said, “Principals, pardon me, but I won’t be able to accompany you anymore. Farewell!”

“Farewell!” Knowing that Zhuo Qingfeng was showing them the door, the three principals clasped their fists in response and left.

After they left, Zhuo Qingfeng took out his Communication Jade Token without any hesitation and reported everything that had happened back to the Combat Master Hall.

…

Hu!

Oblivious to the fact that his student had caused a ruckus at the accommodation of the combat masters and defeated everyone there, at that moment, Zhang Xuan had finally finished lecturing the method of condensing one’s zhenqi and the simplified version of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body.

Looking at the crowd busily cultivating before him, he heaved a sigh of relief.

His lecture paired with his Impartation of Heaven’s Will had benefited the students greatly, and the several hundred high-tier spirit stones he had tossed into the Spirit Gathering Formation had also allowed them to make huge progress in their cultivation.

It was just a single night, but the average fighting prowess of the candidates was raised by more than twofold.

If only I had three days, I could reinforce their cultivation further, and they would be much stronger than this… Zhang Xuan sighed in lamentation.

While the content he lectured seemed to be simple on the surface, it was aligned with the essence of the world, so it was not that easy to grasp. It was only because of the exceptional talent of these hundred students that they were able to learn so quickly and make such massive improvements within a limited period of time.

If they had been just an average student of the academy, they wouldn’t have been able to make such considerable advancements in their cultivation even if Zhang Xuan had lectured them for three days straight.

While talent didn’t necessarily determine one’s end point, the talented were still bound to learn faster than the untalented given the same lecture.

Considering that these students were able to emerge as the top twenty of their respective grades in the Master Teacher Academy, which was overflowing with geniuses, it went without saying that each of them possessed amazing talent.

But even so, a night of teaching had only given them a glimpse into what Zhang Xuan had tried to teach them.

After the lecture came to an end, the students gradually awakened from their trance. Even though they weren’t too sure how strong they had become after the lecture, they could still vividly feel the devastating strength coursing through their bodies.

And the one who had given them such power was the young man before their eyes!

“Teacher!”

The hundred students kneeled to the ground as they gazed at Zhang Xuan in admiration and respect.

Regardless of whether the other party was willing to acknowledge them as his students or not, they would never forget the grace he had shown them.

“Good. From today onward, you shall be my students.”

After all Zhang Xuan had imparted to them, even if the students still couldn’t be considered his direct disciple, they could surely be considered his own students. As such, he didn’t turn them down.

“Yes, Teacher!” the crowd replied.

Fearing that the students would be unable to exert their full strength due to their nervousness, Zhang Xuan offered some words of reassurance. “Alright. The day is up, and the Combat Master Hall’s assessment should be beginning very soon. Later on, as long as you exert your full strength, you should be able to clear the assessment with ease.”

In response, the students nodded in agreement.

Leaving the room, they immediately noticed that the world outside had already brightened up. The warm sunlight that shone on their bodies felt very comfortable.

It was already nearing the middle of the year, and summer was nearing its end. The morning sun wasn’t particularly warm, but it was devoid of the slight frigidity typical of autumn.

Arriving at the training grounds, they found that it was completely packed with huge crowds just like the day before.

A night was more than sufficient for the entirety of Hongyuan City to learn about the affairs that had occurred the previous day. As such, even Emperor Yu Shenqing had come personally this time around to witness history being made in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy.

Before Hongyuan’s party reached their allocated area within the training grounds, a young man suddenly walked up to Zhu Jian and asked with a smile, “How do you feel after a night of training?”

It was the champion of Luoqing’s internal selection, Zhang Qingshan!

He was one of the few who had cleared the selection yesterday and become a member of the Combat Master Hall.

His question raised a ripple among the crowd as curious gazes swiftly turned over, desiring to hear Zhu Jian’s response.

If an hour lecture from Principal Zhang could grant them astounding strength capable of subduing even the combat masters, how powerful would they become after a night of cultivation?

Zhu Jian shook his head. “I am not too sure either.”

He was not being humble by saying these words. This was indeed how he felt at the moment.

He had felt his zhenqi becoming purer and more condensed after a night of training, and his physical body had strengthened significantly as well, but he would be entirely sure to what extent his improvement was until he tested it himself.

“I see… Why don’t I trade a simple punch with you using just our physical and zhenqi strength? We won’t use any battle techniques. This way, we should be able to roughly gauge the extent of your improvement!” Zhang Qingshan said.

From the assessment of the Stone of True Breath the previous day, it was shown that he had a score of 4.5 whereas Zhu Jian only had a score of 2.1, a significant difference between them. In other words, in a clash of brute strength, he would be able to overwhelm Zhu Jian easily. Through trading fists, they should be able to estimate where Zhu Jian roughly stood after a night of cultivation.

“Alright!” Thinking that the idea was great as well, Zhu Jian nodded in agreement. Chuckling softly, he clenched his fist tightly and flung it toward Zhang Qingshan.

“Hehe, be careful. My strength is no joke!” Seeing how candid Zhu Jian was, Zhang Qingshan chuckled in response and retaliated with a punch of his own.

Peng!

As the two fists collided, the smile on Zhang Qingshan’s face immediately stiffened as a jolt ran through his body.

“Argh!”

A piercing scream of agony escaped from his mouth as he flew rapidly into the distance, disappearing from everyone’s eyes. This strike had probably sent him several hundred meters away.

“Hey, don’t be in such a rush to fly away… I haven’t used my full strength yet.” Zhu Jian scratched his head in embarrassment.

“…” The dumbfounded crowd.