Provincial Examination (Five)

Beside the command platform...

Sun Li lowered his head and confessed before everyone to the false accusation he had made. His voice was rough with difficulty as he said apologetically, "This student knows he was wrong..."

Chief Examiner Mei Ying's eyes were half-closed, as though he had heard nothing. He had not even cast a glance over.

Fang Jiang, standing nearby, remained expressionless. He merely glanced faintly from the corners of his eyes at Zheng Bao and gave him a signal.

Zheng Bao raised his voice without expression. "Someone, this boy has disrupted the examination grounds and shown contempt for the law. Strip him of his qualifications, drag him away, and give him fifty heavy military lashes."

Soon, two martial artists clad in silver-white armor walked out.

The two of them glanced at Zheng Bao, their eyes silently asking whether they should strike lightly or heavily.

Zheng Bao turned his head. Seeing Fang Jiang give an almost imperceptible nod, a cold glint flashed through his eyes. He ordered the martial artists in a low voice, "Beat him properly!"

The two silver-armored martial artists understood. "Yes, my lord!"

The second round soon ended.

After a simple tally, it was time for the third round—the "battle for the top three."

Three drumbeats rang out, their sound shaking the entire venue.

Inside the side room, Qi Yu opened his eyes at the sound. His gaze was calm and without a ripple.

Then he stood.

His mighty body cast a shadow across the room.

He gave his friends and family a faint smile to reassure them, then turned and stepped out of the room.

As he descended from the viewing platform, the sudden commotion and cries of alarm erupting behind him made him pause slightly.

Qi Yu turned his head a little. Through the gaps in the crowd, he vaguely glimpsed a mangled body sprawled on the ground, utterly motionless. It looked as though it had already stopped breathing.

He could not make out the face, and he had no intention of joining the spectacle. He therefore took a few more steps forward, only to see two guards from the Qi Family's second branch hurrying over from afar.

The guards immediately stopped when they saw him.

One of them reported, "Third Young Master, Sun Li acted on his own and damaged the family's harmony. He has gone to confess to the crime of making a false accusation... He has now received fifty military lashes and was beaten to death on the spot."

The guard had not lowered his voice, and everyone nearby heard him clearly.

"Sun Li?"

"Yes, Third Young Master. That man made reckless accusations against a Qi Family disciple. He deserved punishment."

From the corner of his eye, Qi Yu glanced again at Sun Li's dead body behind him. After a brief silence, he said, "He died for his elder cousin, didn't he?"

The guard said, "Third Young Master, what are you—"

Before he could finish, Qi Yu interrupted him. "Give your man a proper burial."

With that, he strode forward without sparing the rear another glance.

Halfway there, Qi Yu unexpectedly ran into Chu Xiao again.

Chu Xiao swept him a cold glance without saying anything and walked straight past him.

He already knew all the rumors concerning the first two rounds.

He had also witnessed the blood splashed across the ground and the man beaten to death alive before his eyes.

The disgust and contempt in his heart grew even heavier.

Compared with some supposed false accusation, he was more inclined to believe that this playboy had truly taken a forbidden drug, then used his power to force a martial artist under the family's command to admit to making a false accusation, all to clear his own name—and the price had been that innocent martial artist's life.

His fist clenched as he thought bitterly, "Qi Yu, I hope that you and I will meet on the arena... and meet soon!"

Not far away, Han Yan happened to be passing by as well. When he saw Qi Yu, a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes, and his rugged voice immediately rang out. "Brother Qi, it's the third round already. Not bad!"

Though he shouted with his mouth, a glimmer of disdain swept through his eyes.

Qi Yu glanced at the data above his head: 27~59.

Was this the strength gained by inferior aptitude after undergoing the Cipher Text Baptism?

Truly terrifying.

Thinking it over carefully, Han Yan's aptitude should have been roughly equal to Chu Xiao's.

The reason he had been able to beat Chu Xiao so brutally last time was probably that he had already undergone the Cipher Text Baptism then, gaining an additional layer of strength. Chu Xiao naturally had not been his match.

These two really were both geniuses.

Countless thoughts flashed through Qi Yu's mind. He raised his hand and waved as well, counting it as a response.

Neither of them tactfully moved closer.

The Spirit Serpent Martial Hall and the Black Bear Martial Hall were enemies.

If they walked too close to each other at a time like this, they would inevitably invite unnecessary trouble.

Around four hundred Eighth Rank martial artists had taken part in the martial examination, but only thirty-two had achieved a comprehensive result of "Grade A Middle" and qualified for the third round.

The order of the thirty-two contestants was not determined by random draw. Instead, the examiners had arranged it beforehand based on their performances in the first two rounds.

The examiners would separate the top sixteen seeded contestants as much as possible, then fill in the remaining sixteen, ensuring that the strongest contestants would not meet one another too early.

It was still the same old saying: the Provincial Examination was meant to select genuine talent, not allow people to advance through luck.

The examiners would continue evaluating the contestants' performances during the matches and adjust their assessments dynamically, striving to have the two strongest contestants meet in the final battle.

To demonstrate fairness, the empty grounds were divided into sixteen arenas, and all the matches began simultaneously.

Before long...

Qi Yu stepped onto the arena assigned to him and raised his eyes toward his opponent.

The man opposite him had a square head and an honest-looking face. When he saw Qi Yu looking over, he clasped his fists and bowed before introducing himself in a booming voice. "Shi Family, Shi Niu."

Shi Family?

Qi Yu understood at once.

Of the Five Directional Commanderies, the north was vacant, while the central Heaven's Soldiers were directly subordinate to the City Lord's Manor. The remaining three directions had long since been completely divided among three families.

The Qi Family controlled the eastern Poison Water, the Shi Family guarded the western Solid Rock, and the Zhen Family commanded the southern Gale.

The Shi Niu before him and Shi Yong, who had been in his group the previous day, undoubtedly both came from the Shi Family.

"Qi Family, Qi Yu."

Qi Yu returned the bow while sweeping his gaze over the "25~48" above his opponent's head and his own "38.8~63.5."

His gaze lingered on "48," then swept over his own "38.8" again. His expression grew solemn.

The data could serve as a reference, but a match could change because the two sides employed different styles.

However, his elder female cousin had long since gathered complete information on all the possible opponents.

Shi Niu's information flashed through his mind.

[Shi Niu]

[Apprenticed to: Iron Fist Martial Hall]

[Specialty: Great Strength Fist]

Great Strength Fist: Its fist framework was compact, with every force linked to the next and every move interlocking. Its forms mostly advanced and retreated in straight lines, possessing the characteristic of "punching a crouching ox." Once one was entangled in a head-on clash, escaping became difficult.

Killing Method 1: Lion Shakes Snow: Within five steps, it unleashed a continuous barrage of attacks, swift as a gale. It stirred the robes like a lion's mane whipping wildly in the wind.

Killing Method 2: General's Seal Slam: Its throwing force was terrifying. The fist contained not only the horizontal charge of a spear, but also the smashing force of a whip. Within three steps, its power was extraordinarily frightening and could not be met head-on.

Knowing his style and knowing his combat strength...

Qi Yu had a clear idea in his heart.

Clang!

The copper gong rang.

Shi Niu moved at once, but his speed was not fast. He even exposed an obvious opening.

Qi Yu understood at a glance.

His opponent was baiting him.

Trying to lure him in.

If he had not seen the characteristics of the Great Strength Fist, he would certainly have taken the bait and been entangled immediately.

Therefore, Qi Yu did not advance. Instead, he retreated, twisting his body and gliding toward the flank like a spirit serpent.

Shi Niu immediately changed direction and pursued him relentlessly, exposing an even greater opening at the same time.

When they drew near, the two exchanged a blow, but separated the instant they touched.

Shi Niu wanted to entangle his opponent, but Qi Yu's movements were agile. He borrowed the force and retreated, continuing to circle.

After several exchanges like this, Qi Yu suddenly stepped forward. White vapor churned around his right hand—it was the killing method Azure Serpent Entwining Kill.

When Shi Niu saw that his opponent had stopped running, delight surged through his heart. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he inwardly shouted, Good! Come on! Then he drew a deep breath. The muscles and bones throughout his body twisted like bowstrings, his force rising joint by joint from the soles of his feet, passing through his waist, running through his back, surging into his arm, and finally gathering at his fist.

The posture Shi Niu took made Qi Yu's pupils contract slightly.

There was no other reason—it was simply far too familiar.

This posture subtly matched one of the movements in the twenty-first stance of Hunyuan Contending Force...

He could even sense the path along which the force throughout his opponent's body circulated, and could predict the final trajectory of his opponent's fist.

Boom!!

General's Seal Slam.

Shi Niu's punch raised a fierce wind. Before the fist arrived, the wind had already struck Qi Yu in the face.

Yet just as the fist was about to land on Qi Yu's body, the youth's figure suddenly drifted like a ghost.

As if he had foreseen it, he precisely dodged the domineering blow at the instant before the fist reached him. At the same time, his right hand shot out, and his punch struck Shi Niu squarely in the chest.

Pfft!

Boom!

Amid the muffled impact of force, Shi Niu's body flew out of control. After staggering upon landing, he retreated several steps before finally dropping onto his backside.

He struggled to rise, only to feel his blood and qi churning in his chest. Though he had not suffered serious injury, the pain was unbearable.

Shi Niu abruptly raised his head and saw Qi Yu standing with his hands behind his back, his breathing steady.

He gave up struggling. Knowing that he was no match, he said in his booming voice, "I... I had long heard that the Spirit Serpent Skill was nimble and uncanny. Seeing it today... it truly lives up to its reputation."

Qi Yu shook his head slightly. "You were only a hair's breadth away. If your fist had struck me, I would have been the one to fall. The outcome of this battle was decided by a mere fraction of an inch. The difference between us wasn't that great."

Shi Niu was stunned by his words. Realizing that Qi Yu was giving him face, he laughed heartily. "Brother Qi, if you ever come to the western part of the city, I'll be sure to act as your host!"