Wang Yue slowly moved his feet beneath the high platform. Just as he was about to find a corner to wait in, Wang Hezheng's voice suddenly came from above, gentle yet carrying an authority that brooked no refusal. "Kid, come here."
His heart tightened. He hurriedly stopped and looked up at the platform. Wang Hezheng sat upright in his chair, his gaze resting on him. The earlier sharpness was gone, yet Wang Yue still did not dare relax.
"I heard from Wang Hu that you killed Zhang Li in Lianmang Mountain?" Wang Hezheng's tone was calm, but everyone on the platform subconsciously pricked up their ears.
Wang Yue raised his head slightly, swiftly glanced at Wang Hezheng's face, then quickly lowered it again. His tone was respectful and candid. "Replying to the Clan Chief, it was not this junior's achievement alone.
"Jiang Peiling and Xu Li were with me that day. The three of us joined forces to hold Zhang Li back and kept him from getting his weapon. Only then did we luckily manage to kill him."
Wang Hezheng smiled lightly, his voice carrying a hint of approval. "Luckily? In the world of martial artists, there are not that many lucky chances."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the training ground below the platform, then continued, "With six strands of Blood Qi, you faced Zhang Li's nine strands of Blood Qi head-on without falling behind. At first, I did not believe it. But after seeing your Harmonious Flow Fist at the minor accomplishment stage today, I believe three parts of it now."
"That rat was crafty as could be. I personally went to catch him several times, yet he always got away beforehand. Who would have thought he would ultimately stumble into the hands of you juniors?"
Wang Hezheng waved a hand. "Go wait to the side. We will speak again after the assessment ends."
Wang Yue bowed slightly in salute, quietly letting out a breath of relief.
He turned and walked toward a corner of the training ground. The people on the high platform wore varied expressions. After all, Zhang Li at Blood Condensation Perfection could be captured and killed by most of them, but for juniors to accomplish it was rather eye-catching.
Wang Shanhai sat in his chair, his brows twitching slightly as he found Wang Yue somewhat more pleasing to the eye. Being able to kill Zhang Li, even with others helping, was enough to prove the boy's strength. Though he was at odds with the Clan Chief's branch, he was not so narrow-minded toward the clan's juniors.
At this moment, it was already Xu Li's turn in the center of the training ground.
Xu Li took a deep breath, assumed the opening stance of Harmonious Flow Fist, and bowed to Wang Shuo. "Senior, this junior is Xu Li. Please enlighten me."
Wang Shuo nodded without wasting words, directly throwing a punch as he stepped forward. It was still the entry-level Harmonious Flow Fist, but it was several degrees faster than when he had faced Wang Yue.
Xu Li gritted his teeth and blocked with all his strength. He managed to block five consecutive moves, but on the sixth, Wang Shuo's fist struck the hollow of his shoulder. He staggered back two steps and failed to keep his footing.
"Not bad. Better than those flowery displays." Wang Shuo rarely gave praise. He then sped up the assessment. For the remaining disciples, he used only three moves each from the "entry-level" and "proficient" stages, scoring them by the number of moves they blocked.
Xu Li stood to one side, recalling Wang Shuo's lightning-fast punches, his face full of disbelief. He could not even withstand six moves. How had Wang Yue fought that senior for so long back then?
Still, his performance had far surpassed those disciples from outside surnames dressed in brocade and fine clothes. He had even performed better than several descendants of Wang Clan higher-ups, drawing envious looks from many rear courtyard disciples.
The last to take the field was Wang Qishan.
Wang Yue stood in the corner, staring intently at the arena. Aside from himself, Wang Qishan was the only one who had reached the Proficient Realm in Harmonious Flow Fist. Wang Yue wanted to see just how strong this elder's son truly was.
When Wang Shuo exchanged blows with Wang Qishan, he initially used only the proficient-level Harmonious Flow Fist. Wang Qishan could barely cope, but after ten moves, Wang Shuo suddenly unleashed the minor accomplishment-level Harmonious Flow Fist. Fist shadows surged at once, and Wang Qishan instantly fell into a disadvantage, able only to grit his teeth and hold on.
"Hmph. What are you forcing yourself to endure for? Putting on airs."
Wang Shuo snorted coldly and stopped holding back. One punch crashed into Wang Qishan's chest, knocking his feet off the ground and sending him tumbling to the floor. The assessment ended there.
Wang Qishan clutched his chest and struggled to climb up, his face flushed red, yet he did not dare utter a single complaint.
What surprised Wang Yue was that the several Martial Academy disciples who had been standing at the edge of the training ground never took the field for assessment from beginning to end. They merely stood aside and watched.
Could it be that the clan has other arrangements for them? Wang Yue secretly guessed, but did not think further about it.
As he turned to leave, Wang Yue's gaze inadvertently swept over the training ground entrance. He seemed to spot a familiar figure. Jiang Peiling wore Martial Academy attire and stood with several female disciples, her gaze fixed on the center of the training ground.
But when he rubbed his eyes and looked carefully again, all he saw was Jiang Peiling's retreating back as she turned and left.
Not long after, Wang Shuo finished assessing every disciple. He walked beneath the high platform and cupped his hands toward Wang Hezheng. "Clan Chief, the assessment has concluded. The selected list has been prepared. Please review it."
Wang Hezheng took the list and scanned it quickly. His gaze lingered briefly over the names "Wang Yue, first place" and "Xu Li, fifth place," before he passed it to Wang Bin beside him. "Announce it according to the list. Have the selected disciples report to the Martial Academy as soon as possible."
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"Yes, Clan Chief!" Wang Bin accepted the list.
The rear courtyard training ground had returned to its usual tranquility. Wang Yue found a secluded corner, sat cross-legged, and slowly circulated the Harmonious Flow Fist Breathing Method.
The Blood Qi he had expended cultivating the Blood Dragon Secret Method yesterday had not yet fully recovered. He needed to use the Breathing Method to make up the deficit. More importantly, the Martial Soul extraction cooldown happened to end today.
"Hoo..." Wang Yue slowly exhaled and sank his consciousness into the panel. Looking at the listed extractable options, he found himself in a dilemma.
Black Cloud Fist: Minor Accomplishment Harmonious Flow Fist Breathing Method (can overwrite current proficient level) Blood Cloud Bead: Second-tier talent, Pure Blood Body Refining (incomplete, not fully restored) First-tier spirit item · Scarlet Blood Ginseng: Strengthen Blood spiritual gift (one-time use; can increase Blood Qi capacity) First-tier mid-grade · Good Victory Saber: Tiger Might Saber Martial Soul (great accomplishment; includes great accomplishment Tiger Might Saber Art, great accomplishment Tiger Might Breathing Method, great accomplishment Tiger Might Footwork)
Each of the four options had its own advantages. Wang Yue rubbed his brow and began analyzing them carefully.
Strengthen Blood was a one-time spiritual gift. Though it could directly increase his Blood Qi, his current Blood Qi was still steadily growing, and he might not encounter a bottleneck anytime soon. It would be more worthwhile to save it for when he needed a breakthrough, giving it greater value.
The Tiger Might Saber included a great accomplishment saber art and Breathing Method, and the improvement to his strength would be visible to the naked eye. Yet its problem was also the most obvious. He had always cultivated Harmonious Flow Fist within the Wang Clan. If he suddenly produced a Tiger Might Saber he had never touched before, then once the clan noticed, he would have no way to explain its origin. Even with ten mouths, he could not clear himself.
He did need the minor accomplishment Breathing Method from Black Cloud Fist, but Pure Blood Body Refining looked even more tempting.
"I'll choose Pure Blood Body Refining!" Wang Yue no longer hesitated. He took out the Crimson Blood Bead and silently issued the extraction command in his heart.
The instant the words fell, an immense invisible force suddenly pierced into his body like countless fine needles, stabbing into all six strands of Blood Qi in an instant.
The next second, Wang Yue felt as though the Blood Qi in his body was being repeatedly sifted through an invisible sieve. Every sifting brought bone-piercing agony, as if countless small blades were scraping away at his Blood Qi, or as if his meridians were being scorched by blazing fire. The pain made his entire body convulse, his teeth grinding with audible clicks.
Yet that invisible force showed no sign of stopping. It continuously purified his Blood Qi until it had compressed and refined it to the utmost limit Wang Yue's body could bear, only then slowly dissipating.
Wang Yue was drenched in sweat, the clothes on his back completely soaked. Sweat streamed down his cheeks and dripped onto the bluestone slabs, drawing Xu Li's attention as he practiced his punches nearby.
"Brother Wang, are you all right?" Xu Li hurried over.
Fortunately, the purification process had not lasted long. Wang Yue circulated his force and violently shook his body. Sweat sprayed onto the ground as he barely forced out a smile. "I'm fine. I merely suffered a deviation in my cultivation just now. I'll be all right after resting a while."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Yue suddenly felt light all over, as if he had cast off a thousand-pound burden. Even his steps became much lighter, and he even had the illusion that he could leave the ground with a gentle leap.
He tried circulating his Blood Qi. His previously somewhat sluggish meridians had become smooth and seamless, and his Blood Qi circulated nearly twice as fast as before. The force in his fists had also become more solid.
But his joy was quickly replaced by worry. Looking inward, he saw that his six strands of Blood Qi had withered by a third compared with before, like compressed cotton, their volume visibly reduced.
"Looks like I need to find a large amount of resources to replenish Blood Qi again." Wang Yue sighed helplessly. Yet he soon noticed that the power of Pure Blood Body Refining had not completely vanished. Instead, it had fused into his meridians and Blood Qi. Like an ox-like physique, it would accompany him over the long term, continuously and slowly purifying his Blood Qi.
He took the porcelain bottle of Blood Replenishing Pills from his robes, poured out a dark-red pill, and put it into his mouth. The pill melted upon entering, and a warm current slid down his throat into his dantian, slowly nourishing his weakened Blood Qi.
Just then, Wang Yue suddenly realized that although his total Blood Qi had decreased, his strength had not weakened in the slightest. Instead, because the purity of his Blood Qi had risen, the explosive force in his fists had become even stronger.
"If my Blood Qi recovers to its original volume, my strength might rise by another level!"
Delighted, Wang Yue checked the Martial Soul panel again. The extraction cooldown displayed, "Resets in one month." He silently put the panel away and stopped dwelling on it.
"Brother Wang, we should go!" Xu Li suddenly spoke from the side, carrying a bundle he had long since packed. "Today is our first day entering the Martial Academy. We must not be late."
Wang Yue came back to himself, rose to his feet, and dusted off his clothes. His gaze swept over the familiar rear courtyard. Here were the traces of his fist training, the shadows of bitter cultivation deep into the night, and the days he and Xu Li had cultivated side by side.
"Yes, it's time to go." Wang Yue nodded, suddenly feeling a trace of emotion in his heart. "This rear courtyard is probably the last place we'll ever come to."
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