Jia Nan Academy Instructor Yan Feng

Black Iron City's plaza was already teeming with people early in the morning.

Jiang Donghua squeezed along the edge of the crowd, standing on tiptoe to look toward the central platform.

The City Lord's Mansion guards held long spears as they struggled to maintain order amid the crowd.

"Make way! Make way!"

"Stop pushing! Line up properly!"

Amid the clamor, Jiang Donghua fixed his gaze on the figure standing atop the platform like an iron tower.

Instructor Yan Feng!

True to his name, the muscular brute stood there like a drawn sword.

His dark reddish face bore a pair of bright, tiger-like eyes. Every sweep of his gaze released a tangible pressure.

"So this is the presence of a Da Dou Shi..."

Jiang Donghua clicked his tongue inwardly.

Even from so far away, he could feel that suffocating oppression.

On the platform, Yan Feng suddenly let out a thunderous roar.

"Quiet, all of you!"

His voice crashed over the plaza like thunder, instantly silencing the crowd.

Several children standing too close were frightened into tears, only for their parents to hurriedly cover their mouths.

"Today's selection follows the usual rules!"

Empowered by Battle Qi, Yan Feng's voice carried across the entire square.

"Anyone under eighteen and at Battle Qi Stage Seven or above, come test before me!"

Jiang Donghua rubbed his nose.

His style really was simple and brutal.

The crowd began to split into orderly streams.

Parents pushed their children forward, and many youths were so nervous that their legs trembled.

Jiang Donghua straightened his collar and slowly moved forward with the line.

"Next!"

The testing proceeded quickly.

Yan Feng's method was simple and direct: a testing stone stele. If it lit up seven markings, one passed.

"Battle Qi Stage Six. Failed!"

"Stage Seven. Stand to the left!"

"Stage Five? Who let you come up here?!"

Yan Feng's judgments showed no mercy.

Jiang Donghua saw several youths run off the platform crying. Others who refused to accept the result were scared to the ground by a single glance from Yan Feng.

Finally, it was his turn.

"Name?"

Yan Feng asked without even raising his head.

"Jiang Donghua."

"Age?"

"Seventeen."

Only then did Yan Feng look up, his sharp gaze sweeping across Jiang Donghua.

In that instant, Jiang Donghua felt like prey being watched by a fierce beast, and cold sweat immediately seeped down his back.

"Put your hand on it."

Jiang Donghua took a deep breath and pressed his palm against the testing stone stele.

The Battle Qi within him slowly flowed in, and the markings on the stele lit up one after another...

One, two... until the seventh marking bloomed with a bright radiance.

Yan Feng raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Just broke through?"

Jiang Donghua nodded honestly.

"Yes. I only reached Stage Seven a few days ago."

Unexpectedly, Yan Feng showed a trace of satisfaction.

"Not bad. Your foundation is solid. Go stand on the left."

Jiang Donghua secretly let out a breath of relief and walked over to the group of qualified candidates. Only then did he realize that just eight people had passed the preliminary test, including the Son of the City Lord and the Young Lady of the Liu Family he had heard about earlier.

"Quiet!"

Yan Feng shouted again.

In the end, only nine people passed the preliminary test.

Yan Feng looked at the sparse group and snorted in dissatisfaction.

"Black Iron City is getting worse every year! There were still thirteen qualified candidates last year!"

Jiang Donghua understood at once.

It seemed that this remote little city truly lacked talent. No wonder Yan Feng had regarded him, a "poor youth" who had only just broken through, so highly.

The nine who had passed the preliminary test stood atop the platform. The eyes of the other eight all fell upon Jiang Donghua in unspoken agreement.

This unfamiliar face made them both curious and wary.

"Hey, which family are you from?"

"How come I've never seen you before?"

A girl in a goose-yellow dress was the first to speak.

She looked to be fifteen or sixteen, with almond-shaped eyes and cherry lips. As she spoke, she slightly raised her chin, carrying an innate air of pride.

Jiang Donghua recognized her as Liu Yuting, the Young Lady of the Liu Family.

While below the platform, he had heard people discussing this favored daughter of heaven.

"Yuting, mind your manners."

A young man in splendid robes beside her reminded her softly. He was none other than Liu Mingyu, the Son of the City Lord.

Though he said so, his probing gaze was also repeatedly sizing Jiang Donghua up.

Jiang Donghua calmly cupped his hands in greeting.

"I am Jiang Donghua. I moved here from Qingshan Town not long ago."

"Qingshan Town?"

Liu Yuting blinked her bright, watery eyes.

"Isn't that some tiny place without even a Dou Master?"

"A little town like that produced someone as talented as you?"

There was no malice in her tone, only pure curiosity, but that innocent bluntness was all the more hurtful.

"Yuting!"

Liu Mingyu frowned and rebuked her, then gave Jiang Donghua an apologetic smile.

"My younger sister is still young and speaks without thinking. Brother Jiang, please don't take offense."

Jiang Donghua shook his head to show that he did not mind.

He noticed that the other candidates had also pricked up their ears to listen to their conversation.

These people were clearly all children of prominent Black Iron City families. They knew one another well, and only toward him, an outsider, were they filled with wariness.

"For Brother Jiang to cultivate to the seventh stage in a place like Qingshan Town is truly admirable."

Liu Mingyu continued the conversation, a shrewd gleam flickering in his eyes.

"May I ask who your master is?"

It was a cleverly phrased question.

It probed Jiang Donghua's background without seeming overly abrupt.

Jiang Donghua had anticipated this question long ago and replied without panic.

"My master is merely a Rogue Cultivator from the mountains, not worth mentioning."

"He wandered off some days ago. Before leaving, he told me to come to Black Iron City and try my luck."

This answer was flawless.

It explained his origins while hinting that he might have a mysterious master behind him, making others wary of underestimating him.

Liu Mingyu nodded thoughtfully and asked no further questions. Yet Jiang Donghua noticed that a youth in dark green training clothes had been watching coldly from the start, his eyes filled with obvious suspicion.

"Hmph, who knows whether he used some secret medicine to forcibly raise his strength?"

The youth muttered softly, his voice just loud enough for everyone to hear.

The atmosphere immediately stiffened.

Liu Yuting covered her mouth in surprise.

"Brother Zhou Yan, how can you say that?"

Jiang Donghua's expression did not change, but inwardly, he grew wary.

This youth named Zhou Yan was probably the most troublesome one among them.

Jiang Donghua merely smiled faintly at Zhou Yan's provocation, not even bothering to raise his eyelids.

"Think whatever you want."

Those four offhand words were like a ladle of hot oil poured over Zhou Yan's rage.

His face instantly flushed crimson, and his fists clenched with loud cracks.

A wild brat from the countryside actually dared to treat him like this?

"You—!"

"Shut up, all of you!"

Yan Feng's furious roar cut off the conflict before it could erupt.

The tower-like instructor had somehow appeared between them. His dark reddish face was full of impatience.

Zhou Yan immediately became like a rooster with its throat clamped shut, every threat stuck in his throat.

He could only shoot Jiang Donghua a vicious glare, his eyes clearly saying, "This isn't over."

Jiang Donghua remained perfectly calm, even taking the time to straighten his cuffs.

To him, Zhou Yan was nothing more than a clown jumping about.

With the system by his side, as long as he had enough idle time, crushing this brat underfoot would only be a matter of course.