Ji Chang Is Injured

At Tianqing Martial Hall, sparring in pairs was not an innovation by Luo Heng, but rather a practice with established precedents.

Because real combat is not always a solo endeavor, it sometimes demands tacit coordination and exquisite tactics; sparring in pairs serves to cultivate such proficiency.

However, how could Ji Chang not know what was on Luo Heng's mind!

If he could defeat Ji Chang and Chen Mo before the Martial Examination, shattering their state of mind through defeat, then Luo Heng would have eliminated two rivals without drawing blood.

Yet, even knowing this, Ji Chang still wanted to try; Luo Heng was only a hair's breadth away from the late stage of Ming Jin, and was he, Ji Chang, not the same?

If he could gain some insight during this battle, entering the late stage of Ming Jin was not entirely impossible.

Furthermore, he trusted Chen Mo.

"Since you two juniors are so agreeable, let this be the boundary." Zhou Pi used his finger to trace four lines on the ground. "Whoever falls outside the boundary is considered defeated. If both members of one side are defeated, the team loses."

Chen Mo understood and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ji Chang.

Sometimes, blind forbearance only invites greater malice; only when the sharp blade is unsheathed can the root of evil be completely severed.

Now, it was time for Chen Mo to unsheathe his blade.

The fellow disciples gathered around to watch the sparring all kept their eyes peeled.

Limited by the quotas for this year's Martial Examination, it was beneficial to have a deeper understanding of their fellow competitors.

The martial arts Luo Heng excelled in were the same as Luo Wei's—the Hanshan Fist—along with a leg technique called the Ghost-Walking Leg.

Zhou Pi's martial art was a palm technique with considerable power, and his combat style was very similar to Luo Heng's: both focused on attacking weaknesses and seeking a swift victory.

The sparring began with a back-whip kick from Luo Heng, the force within the leg sweeping toward Ji Chang's face, which the latter cautiously dodged.

Immediately afterward, the attacks from Luo Heng and Zhou Pi arrived like raindrops.

Chen Mo felt firsthand that these two were indeed sharp attackers; the Ghost-Walking Leg and palm force arrived simultaneously. If not for Chen Mo's proper application of the Flowing Cloud Attack and his greatly improved footwork, he would have been forced into a corner by now.

The surrounding disciples were secretly shocked, each pondering: how could Chen Mo, who had only recently entered Ming Jin, withstand the combined offensive of Luo Heng and Zhou Pi?

In an inner room of the hall, Yin Tianqing's gaze quietly passed through all the disciples, landing on the sparring circle like an electric bolt, taking in every detail.

At this moment, the internal energy within the arena surged more violently.

Luo Heng struck Ji Chang with a punch, sending him flying thirty feet away, his expression arrogant. "Senior Brother Ji, if your defense is only this much, then I will no longer hold back!"

Ji Chang wiped the trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. His internal energy was in turmoil, and every exchange left his muscles and bones feeling numb.

Taking advantage of a gap between rounds, he glanced at Chen Mo beside him, who was clearly faring better than he was.

Ji Chang felt a moment of desolation.

Then, a fighting spirit ignited within him. He lunged toward Zhou Pi, his palm force erupting instantly.

"What is Ji Chang trying to do?"

The surrounding disciples looked at each other, all suspicious.

At this, Yue Lun saw the clue. "He wants to trade himself for Zhou Pi."

Chen Mo also guessed Ji Chang's intention and immediately shouted, "Senior Brother!" before quickly executing the Flowing Cloud Attack, striving to catch up to Ji Chang.

Ji Chang's idea was simple: trade with Zhou Pi and leave Chen Mo alone on the field with Luo Heng, as he vaguely believed that Chen Mo could defeat Luo Heng.

But while the idea was simple, making such a decision was not easy!

If he ended up severely injured, he could forget about participating in the upcoming Martial Examination.

Ji Chang quickly approached Zhou Pi, whose expression turned grave. He immediately began to brew his palm technique, spreading his calloused fingers into palms before striking out fiercely.

"Bang!"

The two palm forces collided, and the internal energy exploded instantly, the humming sound echoing endlessly through the hall.

Taking Ji Chang's full-force strike, Zhou Pi's expression changed drastically. He stepped back heavily, his feet now nearing the boundary.

But the two were evenly matched in strength; Zhou Pi twisted his feet and quickly stabilized his stance.

"Look at Luo Heng!" someone on the sidelines suddenly pointed at Luo Heng.

Because he was closer to Zhou Pi, Luo Heng executed the Ghost-Walking Step a step ahead of Chen Mo, his toe aiming directly for Ji Chang's abdomen.

Everyone on the sidelines shuddered, as if that kick were aimed at them.

Even a martial artist at the late stage of Ming Jin would end up injured under such a blow.

The Ghost-Walking Step arrived abruptly, but Ji Chang had no time to care. In an instant, the internal energy at the soles of Luo Heng's feet exploded, and Ji Chang's body flew into mid-air like a fallen leaf before rapidly plummeting.

Chen Mo, who had been heading toward Luo Heng, saw this and immediately used the Flowing Cloud Attack, changing direction to arrive beneath Ji Chang and catch his falling body.

"Pfft!"

Ji Chang spat out a mouthful of blood, staining half of his martial uniform.

In the hall's sparring matches, as long as it was not life-threatening or a permanent injury, the Hall Master generally did not intervene.

Everyone knew that Ji Chang's injury did not reach his bones and should not leave any lasting damage, but this match was likely over. Once he lost his combat capability, Chen Mo would surely be defeated quickly on his own.

"Cough, cough..." Ji Chang struggled to stand up, faced the sidelines, and cupped his hands. "Fellow brothers, I am no longer able to fight. Who is willing to take my place and spar alongside Junior Brother Chen Mo?"

Zhou Pi's expression darkened upon hearing this. "During a competition, how could there be any reason to swap people?"

Ji Chang knew full well that this request defied convention, but if they were a person short, even with Chen Mo's excellent comprehension, he would be unable to withstand the tidal wave of attacks from the two opponents.

He looked toward the opposite side and said in a pleading tone, "If you agree, I will owe you a favor."

To owe a favor to one's rivals was, in truth, no light matter.

At this moment, Luo Heng gave a sinister laugh. "If Senior Brother Ji is willing to give up his spot in the Martial Examination, I will agree to your request."

Zhou Pi also let out a hearty laugh.

"Senior Brother, you must not agree." Chen Mo gently pressed down on Ji Chang's hand. "I can handle this alone; you should go to the side and rest."

These words drew surprised gazes from everyone present.

Yue Lun revealed a hint of appreciation. "This little junior brother certainly has some guts."

However, he immediately frowned slightly. "But for him to win, it is almost impossible."

Ji Chang's heart was caught in a struggle. Who would be willing to give up the Martial Examination? Even if there were only a sliver of a chance, one would fight tooth and nail for it. His clenched hand gradually loosened, and just as he was about to respond to Chen Mo...

A clear, sharp voice rang out from the corner, suddenly piercing through the entire inner hall.

"I'll do it."

Everyone's eyes turned in unison.

They saw Yin Shanshan, who had been sitting silently in a daze, slowly stand up and walk toward them.

Chen Mo could clearly see that there were still traces of tears at the corners of her eyes, but the expression on her face was much more spirited than before.

Yin Shanshan walked into the arena, her gaze icy. "Striving for a spot in the Martial Examination is the right of every disciple. No one can make others give up, and no one can voluntarily give up! As the daughter of the hall master, just like all of you, I must rely on myself to fight for the limited spots."

Zhou Pi opened his mouth, but swallowed his words back down.

Yin Shanshan raised her eyes to look at Chen Mo. "Since Senior Brother Ji was accidentally injured today, I will step in to finish the competition for him."

Luo Heng's expression darkened significantly, but he snuck a glance at Yin Tianqing, who was sitting upright in the inner chamber, and did not dare to utter a single word of rebuttal.

Ji Chang cast a look of gratitude toward Yin Shanshan before walking off the field.

Yin Shanshan stepped into the arena and stood beside Chen Mo.

As for why she was standing there, the two of them understood each other without a word.