Disciple Grand Competition

The martial arts school holds an annual assessment for its disciples. If a disciple's strength is too poor and they are deemed unteachable, they will be expelled from the school.

The school does not support idlers or useless people.

This primarily targets ordinary disciples in the Body Tempering Realm. After ordinary disciples with too little potential are eliminated, the school will recruit a new batch of disciples.

Through this process of intake and output, the school refines its members and becomes stronger.

The plan for ordinary disciples in the Body Tempering Realm is survival of the fittest. However, it's different for elite disciples in the Inner Force Realm. Reaching the Inner Force Realm already proves one's strength and potential. Furthermore, those in the Inner Force Realm are valuable combatants capable of killing Evil Creatures, so the school would not expel such individuals.

While elites do not face elimination, they still need to participate in competitions to establish a ranking.

The strongest elite disciple becomes the martial arts school's Senior Disciple!

The Senior Disciple represents not only the strongest disciple but also the school's reputation. They will receive significant cultivation support from the school. Beyond financial benefits, the preferential allocation of martial arts resources is the key aspect!

For instance, high-grade martial arts that can only be cultivated by those in the True Qi Realm!

Although the Zhengyang Martial Arts School doesn't possess as many martial arts techniques as the Special Capture Division, it does have two high-grade martial arts. One is the [Cloud Stream Sword Record], which the sect leader cultivates, and the other is the [Five Elements Fist] by the late Vice Sect Leader Feng Xiang. However, since that Vice Sect Leader has passed away, no one can teach this high-grade martial art anymore.

Being able to learn the [Cloud Stream Sword Record] from Sect Leader Qi Zhengyang would be a good thing. If one were to exchange for it at the Special Capture Division, the required contribution points would be too high. The cheapest high-grade martial arts start at a thousand contribution points, and one would have to work like a beast of burden for the Special Capture Division for a very long time to earn that much. It's not worth it.

If there's a way, it's better to prioritize obtaining high-grade martial arts from the school.

Moreover, he had the fortune to witness the Sect Leader display the Cloud Stream Sword Record. The power of this martial art is truly not weak; even among all high-grade martial arts, it's considered one of the better ones.

Therefore, he must strive to win this Senior Disciple position.

The martial arts school's disciple assessment is a major event. All disciples were successively recalled, and soon everyone stood on the school's training grounds.

Qi Zhengyang looked at the more than two hundred disciples before him with a solemn expression. "We who practice martial arts should be brave and diligent, unafraid to fight even when facing Evil Creatures. Today is the day to test the results of your year of martial arts practice."

"The school currently has a total of two hundred and thirty-four disciples in the Body Tempering Realm. You will pair up for sparring matches, and your matches will be directly overseen by seven Senior Disciples in the Inner Force Realm."

As Qi Zhengyang spoke, the disciples before him were very nervous. The results of today's matches would determine their fate. If they performed poorly, they might have to pack their bags and leave.

After a brief address, the disciples began to act accordingly.

The more than two hundred ordinary disciples were divided equally. Li Yuan led thirty-two disciples to an open space on the training grounds. The other Inner Force Realm disciples also led their respective disciples to designated areas on the grounds to prepare for the disciples' sparring matches.

Li Yuan circled the Body Tempering Realm disciples. He scanned the faces before him, which showed a variety of expressions: nervousness, anticipation, and calmness. His heart was slightly moved.

Just a month ago, he was also in the Body Tempering Realm, no different from these ordinary disciples before him.

Now, he had broken through to the Inner Force Realm and become a Senior Disciple responsible for their assessment, able to significantly influence their future. Li Yuan even saw a few disciples offering him fawning smiles.

Li Yuan's expression turned solemn. He looked at these disciples and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, your assessment is my responsibility. I won't say anything more; you all know the rules of the school."

"When competing with fellow disciples, stop when called. If anyone dares to intentionally cause injury, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

"Do you understand?"

The disciples quickly replied, "We understand."

Li Yuan nodded slowly. "Very well, you will be randomly paired for matches. You may begin now."

The disciples immediately spread out, clearing a space in the center for the matches. Soon, a burly man walked to the center of the arena.

"I'll go first."

This person was Mao Ming, burly and over twenty years old. He had been admitted to the school for six years and was already in the late Body Tempering Realm. With more time, he had a high chance of breaking through to the Inner Force Realm. He held considerable prestige among the Body Tempering Realm disciples.

Mao Ming standing on the stage put a lot of pressure on the other disciples. However, this kind of assessment match wasn't decided by winning or losing. As long as you displayed sufficient strength and potential, you could stay in the school even if you lost the match.

Conversely, if one's strength was mediocre, their potential was low, and they were timid and lacked ferocity during the match, such a person would be kicked out of the school even if they won.

After Mao Ming took the stage, another person followed. This person was Zhu Pengyi. He had been admitted to the school for five years, and his strength was slightly inferior to Mao Ming's.

With both men on stage, Li Yuan announced the start. Mao Ming and Zhu Pengyi quickly engaged in their match.

Mao Ming used a style of Mountain Splitting Palm, with powerful and unyielding palm strikes.

Zhu Pengyi used a style of Black Tiger Fist, with fierce and sharp movements like a black tiger pouncing.

The two fought back and forth on the stage. When the fight reached exciting moments, the surrounding disciples cheered.

Li Yuan stood to the side, quietly observing their battle. From the perspective of an Inner Force Realm martial artist, the sparring between Body Tempering Realm disciples was hardly captivating. There was a vast gulf in strength between the Inner Force Realm and the Body Tempering Realm.

It was precisely for this reason that Qi Zhengyang had arranged for Inner Force Realm disciples to oversee their matches. If any emergencies occurred during the sparring, Li Yuan and the others had sufficient strength to intervene and prevent casualties.

Mao Ming and Zhu Pengyi exchanged over twenty moves. During the exchange of techniques, both sustained injuries, but they were minor and non-critical.

After blocking a move of Zhu Pengyi's Black Tiger Fist, Mao Ming seized an opening. The moment Zhu Pengyi's move was exhausted and he struggled to maintain his stance, Mao Ming forcefully broke through his guard with a palm strike, leaving his center wide open and causing him to stagger backward.

Zhu Pengyi's expression changed drastically. He tried desperately to defend, but it was too late. Mao Ming had already closed the distance and unleashed several palm strikes, hitting Zhu Pengyi's chest.

Although struck by the palm techniques, these blows were light and carried little force when they landed on Zhu Pengyi.

Mao Ming had held back; otherwise, Zhu Pengyi would have been severely injured and spitting blood.

"The match is decided."

Li Yuan made the call on the spot. He looked at Zhu Pengyi. "You lost. Do you have any objections?"

Zhu Pengyi gave a wry smile. "I dare not. My skill is inferior to yours, and I accept my defeat wholeheartedly."

Then he looked at Mao Ming, his face filled with gratitude. "Brother Mao, thank you for holding back."

With the dust settled, the disciples all looked at Li Yuan. It was now up to him to make his decision.

Although Li Yuan hadn't even reached twenty years old, and many of the disciples present were older than him, none dared to flaunt their seniority in front of Li Yuan, who was in the Inner Force Realm. Among martial artists, strength spoke louder than anything else.

Li Yuan looked at Mao Ming and Zhu Pengyi and smiled faintly, "You two have both passed the assessment."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mao Ming and Zhu Pengyi were overjoyed. They quickly thanked Li Yuan and then retreated, yielding the stage to the other disciples.

Soon, two more disciples took the stage. One held a sword, and the other a saber. This was one of the unwritten rules of the martial arts school's competitions: fists against fists, weapons against weapons.

In matches between lower-level disciples, the difference in strength between those with weapons and those fighting unarmed was significant. To maintain relative fairness and avoid accidental injuries, disciples with weapons would not compete against those fighting unarmed.

Since it was only a competition among fellow disciples, both had changed into wooden sabers and wooden swords. After taking the stage, they quickly began their match.

Li Yuan stood to the side, stopping both parties when the results were clear and announcing the assessment outcome.

These matches were quick, finishing a round in the time it took to drink a few cups of tea. There were seven such small stages in the training ground.

It didn't take long before more than half of the martial arts school's disciples had completed their assessments.

Soon, a disciple who required special attention stepped onto the stage, causing Li Yuan to become a bit more alert.

Tian Huarong had been admitted to the martial arts school eight years ago, but his strength was still only at the Mid Body Tempering Realm. There was a high probability that such individuals would not continue to remain in the school.

After the two disciples took the stage, the competition began again.