The spectators below instantly erupted.
"Su Fei against Chen Hu? Those two seem to have some bad blood between them. Now this will be a good show."
"Chen Hu is at the True Qi Realm first level. Su Fei may have lifted that thousand-pound stone lock, but what realm is he actually in? Is he truly in the True Qi Realm?"
"Hard to say. Su Fei lifting that stone lock just now was terrifying. Maybe he's been hiding his strength."
"Perhaps Su Fei is merely in the Body Tempering Realm and has cultivated some external hardening martial arts?"
Captain Chen curled his lips into a cold smile and spoke quietly to his confidant beside him.
"Remember to remind me later. Ah Hu said he wanted to teach this brat a lesson, so don't let him injure the boy too badly. After all, this is the Imperial Guard recruitment examination. Hurting someone would not look good."
Though he wore a smile, his tone was icy, devoid of the slightest warmth.
Commander Ling announced in a deep voice.
"Begin."
Arena Number Four.
Before his words had even faded, Chen Hu had already launched the first attack.
He pushed off with his feet, his body shooting toward Su Fei like an arrow.
Executing a set of boxing techniques, he sent his fist, wrapped in True Qi and carrying a shriek through the air, smashing toward Su Fei's face.
"Brat, die for me!"
Su Fei showed no fear. Nine Yang True Qi circulated within him as he pushed both palms forward.
Relying solely on his Nine Yang True Qi, he exchanged a move with Chen Hu.
Bang.
As their palms collided, Chen Hu felt a scorching, fierce force surge toward him. Pain stabbed through his palm, his arm went numb and sore, and he was blasted three steps back.
Shock and fury filled him.
"Impossible! How could you be this strong?"
Su Fei slowly stepped forward.
"It's not that I'm strong. It's that you're too weak."
Su Fei continued his assault. Empowered by Nine Yang True Qi, every punch and kick he threw carried immense force, forcing Chen Hu to defend with all his strength.
In just seven or eight exchanges, Chen Hu was already struggling to fend off blows from every direction. He had taken two punches, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"Impossible! I'm a genius! I can't lose!"
Chen Hu was gradually forced to the edge of the arena. Seeing that Su Fei was about to knock him off, hesitation appeared on his face.
His left hand quietly reached toward his waist.
Just as Su Fei's next punch was about to strike, Chen Hu's face flushed red and his left hand flicked upward.
Three cold glints shot toward Su Fei with lightning speed.
"Go die!"
The sudden hidden-weapon ambush caught everyone off guard, and the crowd below cried out in alarm.
Only Captain Chen had a trace of satisfaction flash through his eyes.
In his view, once his nephew used the contingency he had prepared, at such close range, Su Fei would be dead even if he was not seriously wounded.
It was only understandable that his nephew Chen Hu had used hidden weapons in a moment of desperation during an arena match.
Besides, with his status as a Captain and the Chen family behind him—
Who would dare make trouble for him over an orphan?
Up on the arena, Su Fei had long noticed the change in Chen Hu's expression with the God-tier Insight Technique.
Nine Yang True Qi exploded from within him. Both palms struck out together, unleashing a wall of qi.
Clink! Clink! Clink!
With three crisp sounds, the three poison-coated flying needles were knocked back by the powerful wall of True Qi.
They fell beneath the arena.
Chen Hu was somewhat dumbfounded.
A chill appeared on Su Fei's face.
Shock and fury surged within him.
"On the arena, in a fair match, you dared use hidden weapons?"
He had not intended to kill him. Who would have thought that Chen Hu had a Captain for an uncle?
But given the situation now, Chen Hu clearly intended to kill him.
Su Fei had never been known for his good temper.
Today's matter could not end peacefully.
Su Fei drove both feet against the ground and swiftly closed in on Chen Hu before he could react.
His anger erupted.
He struck Chen Hu in the chest and abdomen with one palm.
"Ah!"
Chen Hu let out a miserable scream. Agonizing pain surged through his chest and abdomen, the ribs throughout his body shattered, and all his strength ebbed away like the tide.
His entire body went limp as he collapsed onto the arena. His face was pale as paper, and his eyes brimmed with despair.
Seeing him in such a state, Su Fei felt incomparably satisfied.
Just as Su Fei hesitated over whether to deliver a second palm strike and kill Chen Hu—
A furious roar suddenly rang out from below the arena.
"Impudent! You dare injure my nephew like this!"
Captain Chen below the arena flew into a towering rage. He directly shoved through the crowd, his beard and hair bristling as he sent a powerful palm force toward Su Fei on the arena.
"Chen Zhenyu, stop right there!"
Captain Li, who had been watching Arena Number Four all along, sensed that something was wrong. He leaped onto the arena, positioned himself before Su Fei, and raised a palm to block the attack.
Boom!
As the two streams of Innate True Qi collided, an explosive blast rang out and a wave of air spread in all directions.
Those near the arena staggered back several steps.
Chen Zhenyu's palm strike had been blocked. When he saw that it was Li Chengfeng, his anger flared even more fiercely.
"Captain Li, you dare stop me?"
Li Chengfeng replied coldly.
"Captain Chen, in an arena match, life and death are determined by fate. Moreover, it was your nephew who first used hidden weapons for a sneak attack. What fault does Su Fei have for defending himself and striking back? He did not even kill your nephew; he merely broke a few of his bones."
"Who was right and who was wrong is clear for all to see under the eyes of this crowd."
"As the chief examiner, how could I allow you to act recklessly here?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhenyu pointed at Su Fei.
"I have no son. Chen Hu is my elder brother's son, and I have treated him like my own son. Now he has become a cripple."
"I'm avenging him. Tell me, what have I done wrong?"
Li Chengfeng's voice turned stern.
"Su Fei has already passed three rounds and is now one of our Imperial Guard. I will report today's matter to the Thousand-Household Commander for his decision. If you dare act again, remember that the Imperial Guard has always been a place that observes rules. Do not forget the Imperial Guard's rules."
When Chen Zhenyu heard the words "Thousand-Household Commander," the fury in his heart was instantly doused by half.
He glanced at the crowd that was murmuring around him, then at Li Chengfeng, who did not retreat even half a step before him.
He knew that Chen Hu had plotted against Su Fei first. Being crippled was no more than he deserved. He knew he had no grounds to stand on in this matter today.
With a cold snort, he had his trusted subordinates support the already dazed Chen Hu and hurried away.
The direction they left in was precisely where the medical hall stood.
The area below the arena was silent as a grave. Everyone was so stunned by this turn of events that they could not speak.
No one had expected a recruitment examination to escalate to such a point.
Not only had Su Fei won the match and crippled Chen Hu, forcing Captain Chen to lose his composure and attack, he had even received Captain Li's public protection.
Seeing Captain Chen leave, Captain Li's expression relaxed slightly.
"Su Fei, congratulations. You have passed the third round of the examination."
"You need not worry too much about Captain Chen over today's matter. His nephew was the one in the wrong."
"You will soon become an Imperial Guard Banner Officer. The Imperial Guard has always been a place that follows rules. He will not dare do anything to you."
Captain Li's face was full of appreciation.
"I see that you are only eighteen this year. Your talent far surpasses that Chen Hu's. If you are willing to serve under me, I can grant you the position of Banner Officer."
After pondering briefly, Su Fei immediately agreed.
He was somewhat delighted.
The position of Banner Officer was far better than that of a strongman. I'll take it.
Seeing how readily he agreed, Captain Li's impression of Su Fei improved by several degrees.
"By the way, Su Fei, what realm has your Martial cultivation actually reached? From what I can see, you are far more than newly entered into the True Qi Realm."
Su Fei did not hide anything from this future superior of his.
"True Qi Realm fifth level."
Upon hearing this, the smile on Captain Li's face froze, and shock flashed through his eyes.
He carefully studied Su Fei, trying to find even the slightest trace of a lie on his face.
But Su Fei's aura was steady, and his expression did not change.
That proved he was not lying.
Before you continue