Effortless

After several rounds of competition.

The remaining participants were Yin Shanshan, the senior brother surnamed Li, Chen Mo, and Luo Heng, who were paired off to fight.

Yin Shanshan stepped up first to challenge the senior brother surnamed Li, who yielded for several exchanges, leaving the two of them trading blows in a display of back-and-forth.

Chen Mo, watching from the sidelines, knew in his heart that if Senior Brother Li were to exert his full strength, Yin Shanshan would not last more than five or six moves.

Yin Tianqing, sitting upright nearby, had a calm expression without a ripple of emotion; he knew well that it was already no small feat for Yin Shanshan to have made it this far.

Since ancient times, female martial artists had always been in the minority, and it was even rarer for a woman to rank on the Martial Examination list.

"Senior brother, I concede."

Yin Shanshan suddenly stopped and cupped her hands in a salute.

Seeing this, the senior brother surnamed Li paused slightly, his eyes darting toward Yin Tianqing. After the latter gave a slight nod, he also withdrew his stance, said "I appreciate the concession," and stepped outside the boundary.

The fellow disciples were all astonished, but they quickly turned their gazes toward the final matchup.

Chen Mo walked slowly onto the field and looked at Luo Heng, who had already leaped into the arena. There was no excess emotion in his eyes; he only waited until Yin Tianqing said "Begin," then raised his hand to strike.

The Stone-Crushing Strike brewed in his hand as he delivered a punch.

The opposing Hanshan Fist also roared toward him.

"Bang! Bang!"

With just one punch!

Luo Heng's figure flew backward, his feet nearly sparking against the ground, and he only managed to stop half a step away from the boundary line.

Astonished gazes fell upon Chen Mo.

Even Yin Tianqing felt a slight tremor in his heart.

This child... could it be that I really misjudged him before? he pondered inwardly. Going from the middle stage of Ming Jin to the late stage in just over ten days is undeniably fast, far beyond what Luo Heng can compare to, but his natural talent is clearly...

At the edge of the field, a sense of horror rose in Luo Heng's heart. He knew that even if he had luckily taken one blow, he would not survive a second. He immediately reached into his sleeve and grabbed a small white bottle.

He quickly poured three red pills from the bottle.

"Strength-Boosting Pills?!"

Yue Lun recognized these pills; they were known for providing a short-term boost in power and were often taken during critical moments in battle, though they carried side effects.

A look of ferocity appeared on Luo Heng's face as he shoved all three pills into his mouth. Once they hit his stomach, the veins on his neck instantly bulged, and his face flushed like a tide.

"Usually, one is only allowed to take one or two Strength-Boosting Pills at a time. He swallowed three at once? He's truly courting death..."

Someone pointed out the impropriety of Luo Heng's actions.

Yin Tianqing wanted to speak but held back.

Tianqing Martial Hall did not forbid the use of medicine during combat; if one chose to take them, they had to be prepared for the consequences.

Seeing this scene, Chen Mo remained as calm as ever.

The next moment, the muscles on Luo Heng's body shuddered violently as he took several large strides forward, rapidly closing the distance to Chen Mo.

The force of his Hanshan Fist condensed in his hand and struck out in an instant.

The pressure bore down like a mountain!

Not far away, Yin Shanshan furrowed her brows, her eyelids trembling slightly.

She looked at that not-so-sturdy back and murmured in a voice as soft as a mosquito's: "Can he take it..."

At this moment, Chen Mo pivoted his feet and suddenly threw a punch.

The first form of Fuhu Fist, Stone-Crushing Strike!

"Bang!"

The two fists collided, and the force of the impact instantly surged outward, turning into a ripple of explosive sound that radiated away.

Yin Shanshan felt the shockwave of the fist force brush past her ears and felt a sense of alarm.

She raised her eyes to look again.

She saw that Chen Mo's figure stood as steady as a mountain, while it was Luo Heng who had retreated a step.

In the gap created by Luo Heng's retreat, Chen Mo seized the opportunity, spun his body to close in on his opponent, and the palm force of the Flowing Cloud Attack erupted instantly, pouring out like a torrent.

"Pfft!"

One palm landed on the opponent's chest, causing him to spray a mouthful of blood as his body flew out of the boundary like a broken kite.

Zhou Pi walked over to help him up. The latter's face was now slightly pale, and the effects of the Strength-Boosting Pills were rapidly fading due to his injury.

Yin Tianqing waved his hand in displeasure, ordering Zhou Pi to help Luo Heng leave the inner hall to rest.

From start to finish, only three punches were thrown.

Chen Mo walked calmly off the field, feeling the astonished gazes of his fellow disciples fixed upon him.

Yue Lun walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "The junior brother is truly eye-opening. In time, if you reach Dark Jin, my combat power in front of you will be just like Luo Heng's."

Chen Mo gave a bitter smile. "Senior Brother Yue thinks too highly of me. I fear that the chasm of Dark Jin is one I will struggle to cross."

From Ming Jin to Dark Jin, a single realm of difference is enough to elevate an ordinary martial artist into the ranks of the county's elite.

Countless Ming Jin martial artists can throw thousands upon thousands of punches and circle the wooden stakes ten thousand times, yet they still fail to catch even a glimpse of Dark Jin.

This shows just how difficult it is to advance in the martial path.

Not to mention that there are realms like Hua Jin waiting beyond Dark Jin.

At this moment, Yin Tianqing walked up to Chen Mo and nodded slightly, though he said nothing more before sweeping his gaze across the room.

The atmosphere tightened.

Everyone knew that while Master Yin did not forbid the use of medicinal pills, he certainly would not want to see such reckless consumption as Luo Heng had displayed.

Fortunately, the competition concluded smoothly.

"Since the competition has ended, Li Xuan and Chen Mo, who emerged victorious, shall join Yue Lun to participate in this year's Martial Examination."

"I hope the three of you can bring some glory to Tianqing Martial Hall and dispel the gloom that has hung over us lately." As he said this, Yin Tianqing managed to force a smile, but his expression darkened rapidly the moment he finished.

Everyone naturally knew the reason why.

Ji Chang whispered into Chen Mo's ear, "Zhang Chong hasn't been to the martial hall for nearly a month."

In this world, when it comes to one's sect, betrayal is the greatest taboo.

Zhang Chong had a prior agreement with Yin Shanshan, yet he married into the Zhao Family and now fights for them in the Martial Examination.

If he encounters disciples from Tianqing Martial Hall, he surely will not hold back.

Yin Tianqing's gaze swept over them once more, lingering for a moment on Yue Lun, Li Xuan, and Chen Mo respectively.

Among the three, although Yue Lun has already reached Dark Jin, the gap between him and Zhang Chong is significant; in their recent encounters, Yue Lun often could not last ten rounds.

As for Li Xuan and Chen Mo, in Yin Tianqing's view, they might not even be qualified to be Zhang Chong's opponents.

The look of desolation turned into a silent sigh, and Yin Tianqing walked out of the martial hall in silence.

Chen Mo immediately headed toward his usual training stake, preparing to begin his footwork and practice his punches.

At this moment, Yin Shanshan walked toward him. By the time he stopped his footwork, she had already reached him. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Chen."

Ji Chang, standing to the side, rubbed his eyes, thinking he had seen wrong.

When had Yin Shanshan ever congratulated anyone else?

Except for when Zhang Chong made progress in his training in the past.

Chen Mo returned the gesture and said, "Thank you, Senior Sister."

Yin Shanshan nodded slightly and turned to leave.

Is that it? What is going on with these two? Ji Chang muttered to himself.

Just then, Yin Shanshan suddenly turned back. "Oh, right, Junior Brother Chen. I have a few things; do you have time to come and take a look?"

Chen Mo pondered for a moment and nodded.

Yin Shanshan had no reason to harm him.

With that, Yin Shanshan led Chen Mo into an inner chamber, a private resting area that belonged solely to her, where she would recuperate and adjust her breathing when tired from training.

He watched as she rummaged through a sandalwood cabinet. A moment later, she took out two small bottles and a wooden brocade box, handing them to Chen Mo.

What is the meaning of this... Chen Mo thought to himself.