Provincial Examination (6)

The Provincial Examination's stage battles were continuous.

All martial artists entered the arena simultaneously and fought consecutive matches, ensuring undeniable fairness.

This in itself was also a test of a martial artist's endurance.

Such a system naturally favored those with long-lasting stamina, while being particularly harsh on those with strong bursts of power but lacking staying power.

However, wasn't endurance itself a form of strength?

As Qi Yu stepped off the stage, other arenas also began to declare winners.

According to regulations, he was not allowed to move freely and could only stand in place, awaiting further arrangements from the examiners.

However, during this interlude, his gaze still calmly swept across the distant stages.

Just then, a rough roar cut through the air:

"The one who defeated you is from Black Bear Martial Hall, Han Yan!!"

Before the sound faded...

Not far away, the clear announcement of a minor official rang out again:

"Black Bear Martial Hall, Chen Feng, wins!"

Immediately after...

Even further away, two more "Black Bear Martial Hall, wins" announcements faintly echoed.

This meant that in the first round of the thirty-two into sixteen competition, four individuals from Black Bear Martial Hall had advanced simultaneously!

With numerous participating forces in Mount Wei City, having four spots in the top sixteen of the Provincial Examination's third round immediately caused a stir in the stands.

People from all walks of life turned their heads, whispering to each other to inquire about the background of this "Black Bear Martial Hall."

Some were eager to recruit them, some intended to befriend them, and quite a few were planning to send their own children to study there. The name of Black Bear Martial Hall in the east of the city entered everyone's view for the first time so directly.

Qi Yu's expression shifted slightly.

The fact that all four martial artists from Black Bear Martial Hall had entered the top sixteen could only mean one thing: Black Bear Martial Hall was likely controlled by the Umbrella Sect and had obtained some kind of secret power from the sect.

Since it was located in the east of the city, he had some understanding of this martial hall before...

The four martial halls of the east city.

Spirit Serpent Martial Hall: Upright and conventional, with many Eighth Rank disciples who primarily used spears.

Clear Wind Sword Hall: Primarily taught women and had good relationships with many factions in the inner city. It was also the only martial hall in the east of the city that had an establishment in the inner city.

Old Mountain Martial Hall: A typical blend of martial arts and gangs. Its members were mostly woodcutters, hunters, and herb gatherers. They occupied the area at the foot of Wei Mountain, bordering the north and east of the city. They believed in "living off the mountain" and had little interest in fame or fortune. They hadn't even sent anyone to participate in this Provincial Examination. Their weapons were diverse, including bows, sickles, axes, and more.

Black Bear Martial Hall: The wildest path, serving as a breeding ground for many small gangs in the east of the city. Gangs here changed like a revolving door, with one succeeding another, but upon closer inspection, most had intricate connections to Black Bear Martial Hall. The previously deceased leader of the Black Tiger Gang, and that Wolf Bro, both originated from here. Their disciples mostly used saber techniques and were fierce and combative.

If the Umbrella Sect controlled Black Bear Martial Hall...

Coupled with the performance of their own side, and even Yuanzi.

Then the Umbrella Sect had already begun to secretly encroach upon the entire east of the city without anyone noticing.

Their grand display in this Provincial Examination was likely intended to build the reputation of Black Bear Martial Hall, paving the way for further expansion in the future?

If one were to also include Golden Wind Jade Dew Pavilion in the south of the city, and Zhen Ke'ai in the west...

At this thought, Qi Yu felt a chill creep up his spine. What he saw now was likely just the tip of the iceberg... The Umbrella Sect's plan was far larger and more profound than imagined.

Qi Yu was deep in thought when...

Suddenly, crying could be heard from a distance.

A man's crying.

This crying sounded particularly abrupt in the bright daylight of the training grounds, even carrying a hint of eeriness.

Following it was the voice of a minor official: "Do you yield? Why persist like this!"

The onlookers watched the arena, discussing amongst themselves.

"Isn't that Cao Jin from the south of the city? He's been beaten this badly, why hasn't he surrendered?"

"Yes, he falls down again and again, and gets up again and again. His head is already bleeding..."

"What kind of grudge does he have with that young master from the Zhen family's fourth branch? The outcome is already decided, yet he's being treated like a sandbag, taking blows on the stage."

"Cao Jin, surrender! It's not worth it!"

On the stage, fists and kicks have no eyes. If there were a rule against injuring the opponent, it would only make the combatants hesitant and restrained, losing the sharp spirit of martial artists competing.

Therefore, the third round of the Provincial Examination had no strict rule against "causing casualties," only the saying of "avoiding casualties and stopping at the right moment."

The standard for "stopping at the right moment" was that as soon as one party fell and could not get up or verbally surrendered, the opponent absolutely could not attack further. This was the red line of the Provincial Examination, and disregarding this rule would result in severe punishment depending on the severity of the offense, which was generally extremely serious.

However, if one did not verbally surrender... theoretically, the fight could continue indefinitely.

Now, even the minor official maintaining order had spoken to persuade him to yield, indicating that Cao Jin's situation was precarious.

But why was he still holding on?

Soon...

With another "Boom!" sound.

The sidelines immediately erupted in an uproar.

"His leg! His leg bone is broken!"

"Cao Jin is finished..."

"The fourth young master of the Zhen family, how could he be so ruthless?"

Seeing this, the minor official immediately rushed forward and announced loudly, "Zhen Family, Zhen Tianshuang, wins!"

Because Cao Jin held on until the very end, Zhen Tianshuang became the last winner to advance to the top sixteen.

Not long after his victory, the new match list for the round of sixteen to eight was drawn up.

On the high platform...

Spirit Serpent Martial Hall's side room.

Song Qinghong was somewhat surprised, and somewhat relieved.

Chu Xiao making it into the top sixteen was an expected outcome, but Qi Yu's advancement was truly beyond his expectations...

He stroked his beard and pondered, the more he thought, the more puzzled he became.

Qi Yu's prodigal son's return, he personally taught him without charge, this was out of consideration, and he hadn't placed any hope on it.

After all, although this child worked hard afterwards and practiced diligently, the limitations of his innate talent were there.

Changing one's root bone was a matter for those in the middle three ranks...

But without superior root bone, it was difficult to even break through to the Seventh Rank, let alone what came after.

Entering the Ninth Rank in a month, his root bone was evident, and his future was truly limited.

He looked at his proud disciple Ghost Hand Seven beside him and asked, "A-Qi, have you seen how your junior sister Song Xue has been teaching Young Master Qi these days?"

Ghost Hand Seven replied, "They practiced with the doors closed, I didn't see clearly."

Song Qinghong chuckled.

A daughter who grows up can't be kept...

As he laughed, his eyes narrowed.

Could it be that some secret medicine was used?

He knew about the secret spiritual fields, the core foundation of the Qi Family, who knew what strange things could grow in those fields.

He also knew about the infighting among the three branches of the Qi Family.

Could it be that to help Qi Yu achieve a good ranking, these three branches resorted to forcing growth, at the cost of destroying Qi Yu's future martial arts foundation, and forcibly fed him potent medicine?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but slowly shake his head, sighing inwardly.

It's fate, it's destiny...

However, that young nephew truly did his best, regardless of the outcome... at least he was a responsible man.

Dong...

Dong...

Dong...

The bronze gong on the sidelines rang.

The match between the top sixteen and eight was about to begin.

Song Qinghong collected his thoughts and turned his gaze back to the arena where Chu Xiao was.

The arena was an open space, with two people entering from the left and right.

On the left was Chu Xiao, and on the right was a disciple from the Black Bear Martial Hall named Liu Zhen.

Song Qinghong unconsciously clenched his fists, his expression calm, his eyes sharp, fixed tightly on his proud disciple.

Chu Xiao stood with his arms crossed, coldly watching the disciple in black slowly ascend the stage from the opposite side.

The bear emblem on his sleeve swayed with his steps, and a pair of tiger eyes revealed fierce light, locking onto him.

"Isn't it Han Yan?"

Chu Xiao's brow twitched, his tone revealing unconcealed disappointment.

Liu Zhen laughed heartily, "What, still reminiscing about Senior Brother Han's soles?"

A cold glint flashed in Chu Xiao's eyes. He slowly raised his right hand, his four fingers together, beckoning inward.

"No matter, I'll use you to make a statement first."

Another arena...

"Qi Family, Qi Yu."

"City Lord's Estate, Zhou Qing."

Zhou Qing's gaze lingered on Qi Yu's face for a moment. "You're Zhou Wen's brother, aren't you?"

Zhou Wen was the legitimate son of the third branch of the City Lord's Estate. He had sat next to Qi Yu at a gathering before the New Year, and the two had indeed gotten along well, almost as much as Qi Yu and Wang Yuan.

Qi Yu looked across at him. "25~48."

"Yes."

A smirk tugged at Zhou Qing's lips. He cracked his knuckles, making a popping sound, and warned, "Brothers are brothers, but don't meddle in things you shouldn't. Understand?"

Qi Yu didn't answer, merely raising his hand in a gesture of invitation.

Zhou Qing saw his indifference, let out a scoff, a flicker of disdain flashing in his eyes. He then burst into laughter. After laughing, he suddenly spread his feet apart, assuming a peculiar stance.

His knees turned inward, his back slightly hunched, and wisps of blood energy emanated from his ankles, as if he were treading on clouds.

As his body began to twist strangely, Qi Yu stood still, his gaze slightly narrowed.

Although this was their first encounter, the opponent's movements felt inexplicably familiar.

With a moment's thought, he matched the twisting trajectory with parts of the nineteenth stance of the Hunyuan Contending Force...

Immediately, without him needing to think further, the opponent's energy flow path and optimal striking angle became as clear as a painting in his eyes, and his mind began to deduce it on its own...

His feet pressed into the ground without a sound. It wasn't a step, but a press, channeling all his internal energy downward in a spiral. Through the counter-force from pressing the ground, he unleashed astonishing forward momentum.

In this way, his strength was not wasted at all, all of it converted into forward motion.

His figure streaked through the air, as if riding the wind.

The blood energy beneath his feet seemed to carry him through the mist.

Riding the wind and mist... this must be the path of the "Heavenly Soldiers" secret technique.

And for such speed, the best way to exert force was undoubtedly: legs like long spears, piercing through the air!

A spear thrust directly forward, followed by a series of explosive kicks, making it difficult to defend.

However...

Since he had seen through it, coupled with the difference in strength, it was enough to crush him.

In the flash of Qi Yu's thoughts, he had seen through the opponent's foundation.

Whoosh!

Zhou Qing moved.

Just as Qi Yu had predicted, his speed was fast, and a vicious thrust kick aimed straight for his face.

Almost simultaneously, Qi Yu sidestepped, his right hand like a viper's tongue darting out. Instead of blocking or parrying, he hooked onto the opponent's ankle and, with a subtle yet perfect maneuver, gently pulled, then cut into the circle.

White Serpent Throat Seal!

A slight downward pull, not enough to be fatal.

Bang!!

A muffled sound...

One move, victory and defeat decided!

"Qi Family... Qi Yu, wins!"