Generally, if a participant was a disciple of a Martial Arts Hall or a member of a family, the official would simply announce his background outright.
There was no requirement to do so; it was merely a matter of personal habit. Presumably, the roster had been transcribed that way, and the middle-aged official simply read what was written.
Yang Jing noticed one detail, however: the middle-aged official announced only the names of martial artists from Rogue Cultivator backgrounds, without any affiliation.
Both the information Yang Jing had gathered beforehand and what he had witnessed since the Parade Ground Trial began pointed to one thing.
Generally speaking, among the martial artists participating in the Parade Ground Trial, disciples of Martial Arts Halls and prominent lineages were comparatively troublesome opponents. Rogue Cultivator martial artists, lacking resources and instruction, tended to be a notch weaker.
But Yang Jing knew this was not absolute.
After all, some Rogue Cultivator martial artists might have encountered extraordinary opportunities, or endured hardships that gave them a wealth of life-and-death experience. Naturally, they could be formidable in actual combat.
Putting his tangled thoughts aside, Yang Jing stepped onto the platform.
His opponent, Li Yumang, was already waiting there.
Li Yumang was not tall, but his muscles were solid and his hands covered in calluses. Standing there, he resembled a stubborn slab of rock, his eyes carrying a ferocity that knew no fear of death.
Yang Jing quietly assessed him. His breathing was steady, and his knuckles protruded prominently. Clearly, he had spent years tempering himself through a Hardening Art. If Yang Jing was not mistaken, this man was also a Bright Strength martial artist.
The two stood facing each other and exchanged cupped-fist salutes. The atmosphere instantly grew taut.
At that moment, in a corner below the platform,