Butterfly Dance Training Ground.
The Training Ground used by the veteran students of Still Water Martial Arts Academy.
The ten of them silently followed behind Kong Yinglei and arrived there.
There were roughly twenty female students on the Training Ground.
When they saw the ten newcomers behind Kong Yinglei, schadenfreude gleamed in the female students' eyes.
"They're here. Deputy Hall Master Kong has brought the newcomers."
"It's the old tradition every year. I just wonder how badly this batch of newcomers will get thrashed."
"If you're interested, you can take them on later. Chances to thrash these junior sisters don't come often. Miss this one, and you might not get another."
"Compared to thrashing the junior sisters, I'd rather thrash that junior brother."
The senior sisters on the Training Ground willingly cleared the center, many of them looking eager to give it a try.
It was an old tradition of Still Water Martial Arts Academy. Every year, whenever a group of new students with awakened apertures joined, the instructors would bring them to the veteran students and have the newcomers fight them.
The purpose was simple: to temper the newcomers' arrogance.
A martial artist could have a sharp edge and an unyielding spirit, but absolutely not arrogance.
Kong Yinglei looked at the eager veteran students, seeing the situation as clearly as a mirror. Most of the veteran students present had entered the academy the previous year without awakening their apertures. They were not among the top tier.
After a year of cultivation, even the weakest of those at the top had awakened nine apertures. They were unsuitable for tempering the newcomers' arrogance.
Only battles between people of the same realm could produce the desired effect. Otherwise, the newcomers would refuse to accept it.
The veteran students before her came from fairly well-off families within the academy, but they were naturally far inferior to those top students. They had been suppressed by those few for an entire year and had a fire smoldering in their chests.
They could no longer vent that fire on those few from their own cohort, so they could only take it out on the junior sisters of the next cohort.
"On the path of martial arts, realm is important, but in actual combat, realm alone cannot determine victory or defeat. Otherwise, the disciples of the various martial arts academies wouldn't need to spar at all. Each academy could simply report its students' realms and rank them according to their level."
Kong Yinglei looked at Lin Chen and the others and slowly said, "I brought you here to tell you that even martial artists of the same realm can vary in strength. With sufficient mastery of a martial art, it's even possible to defeat someone with more awakened apertures while having fewer!"
"These are all your senior sisters. You may announce your current realms, and a senior sister of the same realm will fight you."
When they heard Kong Yinglei's words, everyone except Jiang Qing remained expressionless. Fu Jingya and the others' eyes lit up one after another, and they too looked eager to try. They believed they still had a chance of winning even against the veteran students.
"Who will go first?"
"Hall Master Kong, I'll go first!"
Fu Jingya was the first to step forward. Looking at the senior sisters, she said, "I'm Fu Jingya. I've awakened four apertures. I ask all of you senior sisters for your guidance."
"You heard her. The junior sister took the initiative. Who's going?"
"Then let me."
A senior sister stepped out and looked at Fu Jingya with a smile. "Since junior sister wants guidance, let your senior sister give it a try."
"Fang Mei!"
"Senior Sister Fang, please teach me!"
Fu Jingya bowed, and Fang Mei returned the salute.
Once the formalities were over, Fu Jingya attacked first. Although she was confident, she would not simply wait for Senior Sister Fang to make the first move. After all, the other party had practiced Water Cloud Palm for an extra year.
Fu Jingya struck with her palm. She had practiced Water Cloud Palm for three months and was about to enter the proficient stage. When she attacked, her posture was light, her steps nimble, and her techniques changed with astonishing speed.
By contrast, Fang Mei's palm strikes were not fast, but every palm she sent out broke through Fu Jingya's attacks with perfect timing, forcing Fu Jingya to withdraw and defend.
"Her mastery of the martial art is still far too great. Senior Sister Fu is going to lose."
Though only a few exchanges had passed, Lin Chen had already reached a judgment. Fu Jingya's movements looked agile and nimble, but every one of them was within Senior Sister Fang's calculations.
To put it plainly, Senior Sister Fu was already being led around by the nose. How soon she lost depended only on when Senior Sister Fang wanted to end the battle.
Ten moves!
On the tenth move, Fang Mei changed her techniques. Several successive palms flowed without pause like rippling water. Fu Jingya's expression instantly turned ugly, and she could only defend frantically. Yet after three more moves, she still lost!
"Junior Sister Fu, you let me win."
Fang Mei withdrew the palm pressed against Fu Jingya's chest and spoke with a smile.
"Thank you for showing mercy, Senior Sister."
Fu Jingya knew very well that Senior Sister Fang had still held back. Otherwise, she would never have lasted until now.
During the first ten moves, Senior Sister Fang had not attacked at all. Relying solely on defense, she had left Fu Jingya helpless, unable to find the slightest opening. Once she truly attacked, Fu Jingya had been utterly powerless to defend.
Both had awakened four apertures, and Fu Jingya now understood what Hall Master Kong had meant by the gap in martial arts mastery.
Gu Qingqing and the others at the scene had also lost the easy smiles they had worn moments ago. Their expressions grew solemn one after another. Fu Jingya was among the top three in their group, yet she had lost so quickly.
"Second challenger!"
Kong Yinglei remained expressionless as she continued.
This time, silence fell over the newcomers' side.
"I'll ask the senior sisters for guidance."
A crisp voice rang out. No one had expected Jiang Qing to step forward at this moment.
"Jiang Qing. Five awakened apertures!"
When Jiang Qing announced her realm, the senior sisters looked at one another. Entering the academy with five awakened apertures—this was the heavenly-talent junior sister the entire academy had been discussing yesterday.
Her realm on the very first day she entered the academy was already higher than theirs.
A student from such a family clearly had a martial expert guiding her. Without confidence, it was better not to step forward.
The Training Ground fell silent for a brief moment. Only after a while did a senior sister step out.
"Five awakened apertures. Yuan Yao."
"Senior Sister Yuan, please teach me!"
There was no arrogance on Jiang Qing's face, only a sweet smile.
"Junior Sister Jiang, please!"
Facing the junior sister who had broken Still Water Martial Arts Academy's twenty-year record, Yuan Yao did not dare underestimate her in the slightest. She focused completely on her opponent.
"Senior Sister, forgive me!"
The moment Jiang Qing finished speaking, her feet shifted and her figure flashed before Yuan Yao like lightning. She struck out with one palm, accompanied by the faint sound of a wave.
Yuan Yao's expression turned solemn, and she struck out with a palm as well.
Smack!
Their palms collided, but Yuan Yao's delicate body staggered back half a step.
This sight stunned everyone present, especially the veteran students, who could hardly believe their eyes.
Yuan Yao had already cultivated Water Cloud Palm to the proficient stage three months ago. Yet she was actually at a disadvantage. How could Junior Sister Jiang's mastery of Water Cloud Palm be so high?
"Junior Sister Jiang has already awakened five apertures, so she must have started cultivating Water Cloud Palm at least four months ago. It's not strange for heavenly talents to cultivate Water Cloud Palm to this level. Didn't several senior sisters in our cohort manage it as well?"
Another female senior sister comforted those around her. The others thought it over and felt slightly better.
That was true. Every cohort had people capable of mastering Water Cloud Palm in four months. Hadn't the leading senior sisters of their cohort done the same?
Kong Yinglei took in every student's expression. She had no intention of telling the veteran students the truth, because the truth was too cruel.
Jiang Qing had only come into contact with Water Cloud Palm at the end of the year. It had not even been a month since then, and Senior Sister Disciple had personally taught it to her when she went to the prefectural city.
In less than a month, Jiang Qing had cultivated Water Cloud Palm to the proficient stage. This talent...
Kong Yinglei understood why Jiang Qing had come to Still Water Martial Arts Academy. She had come specifically for Water Cloud Palm. Jiang Qing's compatibility with Water Cloud Palm was likely extraordinarily high.
The battle on the field had yet to end, but just as with Fu Jingya, everyone already knew the result.
Yuan Yao could not gain the slightest advantage in her use of Water Cloud Palm, while relying on realm alone, Jiang Qing was even more firmly in the upper hand.
Even five awakened apertures could differ from five awakened apertures.
Under Jiang Qing's successive attacks with Water Cloud Palm, Yuan Yao retreated step by step. Her defeat was already decided!
"Senior Sister Yuan, you let me win!"
Jiang Qing struck Yuan Yao's arm with a palm and immediately withdrew her hand. A hint of unwillingness flashed across Yuan Yao's face, but in the next moment, she let it go.
In a student spar, naturally no one would strike to kill. Being hit by Junior Sister Jiang meant she had already lost.
"Junior Sister Jiang possesses heaven-defying talent. Having a student like her is our academy's good fortune." After praising her, Yuan Yao returned to the group of veteran students.
With Jiang Qing's victory, the remaining Gu Qingqing, Li Xue, and the others regained their confidence once more.
But the reality that followed dealt them a cruel blow.
They all lost—and lost miserably.
Perhaps because Jiang Qing had defeated Yuan Yao, the senior sisters from the previous cohort felt they had lost face. In the battles that followed, they no longer held back, and every newcomer was defeated within ten moves.
The most miserable managed only three moves.
Lin Chen watched as Senior Sister Xiao, who had also awakened only two apertures, was defeated in three moves. Her pretty face was deathly pale, and she looked as though her soul had been knocked from her body.
Flowers raised in a greenhouse were simply too fragile.
Lin Chen gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Senior Sister Xiao had probably condensed Essence Energy earlier than he had, but from the battle just now, it was clear that she was still somewhat unfamiliar with Water Cloud Palm and had not even fully entered the threshold of mastery.
Clearly, after condensing Essence Energy, she had become somewhat complacent. During the period before and after the new year, she had not put her mind to martial arts training.
Kong Yinglei saw that she had achieved the effect she wanted and was preparing to deliver the speech she had composed. But when the corner of her eye caught Lin Chen's tiny movement, her thoughts shifted, and she said, "Your junior brother Lin Chen has only just awakened two apertures. Which of you senior sisters is willing to guide him?"
Originally, Kong Yinglei had not planned to have Lin Chen participate in the bouts. After all, Lin Chen was a student of Clearwind Martial Arts Hall, and he did not practice Water Cloud Palm. But now, she had changed her mind.
Lin Chen was stunned. He had not expected Deputy Hall Master Kong to single him out either. He had been watching the bouts with the mindset of an onlooker.
Although he did not practice Water Cloud Palm, palm techniques shared certain principles. Watching the senior sisters' bouts had still helped his own cultivation of Clear Wind Palm.
But since Hall Master Kong had called him out, Lin Chen did not refuse. He stepped out of the crowd and cupped his fists toward the senior sisters present. "I'm Junior Brother Lin Chen. I ask all of you senior sisters for your guidance."
Whoosh!
The female senior sisters at the scene grew excited when they heard this. Defeating the junior sisters certainly brought a sense of accomplishment, but how could it compare to fighting a junior brother? They could even get a few hands-on strikes in.
However, two awakened apertures was a little too low. Most of those who had come this time had three or four apertures. Those who were still at two apertures after a year in the academy had essentially given up on the martial path, and many no longer came to the academy.
After a long while, a senior sister finally stepped out from among the previous cohort's students.
"Junior Brother, my name is Zhai Xiaolu. I've been at the second aperture for two months. Don't say I'm bullying you." Qu Xiaolu smiled sweetly, revealing two dimples.
"Senior Sister Qu is willing to guide me. I couldn't be more grateful."
"Then please, Junior Brother Lin."
Lin Chen and the other party exchanged bows. Without wasting words, he attacked first.
The instant he struck with his first palm, Kong Yinglei's pupils narrowed, and surprise appeared in her eyes.
P.S.: Thank you all for your help. We've made it through the first round of the PK. Qidian is like raising venomous insects in a jar these days. After midnight, we'll enter the second round of life-and-death PK, and this round is extraordinarily important. The standard remains the same: only follow-through readership counts, meaning the number of people who read the latest chapter within twenty-four hours each day. The heaviest weighting goes to paid follow-through readership—users who have spent money on Qidian within the past three months. For those who haven't spent anything, if you can, why not charge one yuan and send a two-mao tip or something? I'd be immensely grateful!
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