"Yang Family, Yang Tao."
"Tianqing Martial Hall, Chen Mo."
The two men announced their names.
After exchanging formalities, Yang Tao sank into his stance and raised his hands, settling into a fighting posture.
Chen Mo needed only one glance to recognize the technique as Meihua Stake Fist. It emphasized leading the fists with the steps, drawing power up from the feet.
Chen Mo remained still, waiting for his opponent to strike.
Yang Tao paid him no mind. He stepped forward with Meihua Steps, closing in one step at a time.
When they were only five feet apart, Yang Tao suddenly drove power through both legs. His foot twisted sharply against the blue-brick ground, and his right fist left a blur as it shot toward Chen Mo's face.
The young women watching Chen Mo hurriedly covered their eyes.
Could a Ming Jin fighter withstand a full-force punch from a Dark Jin martial artist?
The swift punch rapidly grew larger in Chen Mo's eyes.
At that moment,
his figure suddenly drifted two feet to the side, slipping past his opponent.
The force of the punch howled past him, its wind stirring two locks of hair on his forehead.
After Chen Mo dodged the punch, Yang Tao whipped around, disbelief filling his eyes. This man was still only Ming Jin yesterday...
At that instant, Chen Mo's body snapped back into position. He raised his right fist, and the power of Stone-Crushing Strike instantly gathered.
A crisp crack of bone rang out between his five fingers.
Yang Tao's expression shifted. He brought both fists up in front of him to block.
Boom!
The punch struck like a thunderbolt.
Bang! Bang!
A powerful force erupted in front of Yang Tao, sending him flying ten feet away.
Thud! Thud!
His feet stamped twice against the blue-brick ground before he finally steadied himself.
The sudden reversal in the schoolyard stirred an uproar.
The young women opened their eyes in confusion. Chen Mo stood unmoved, while Yang Tao looked rather battered.
Seeing this, Ji Chang leaped seven feet into the air in excitement.
Nearby, Yin Shanshan smiled in relief.
Then,
Chen Mo spread his legs and strode forward twice. He sprang like a leopard, his five fingers curled like claws, and a beast's growl seemed to surge through the air.
Rrgh—
Yang Tao didn't just stand there either. He stepped into Meihua Steps, clenched his sandbag-like fists, and let his fists follow his feet.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Mo's claw force clashed with his opponent's fist force.
Bang! Bang!
The claw force tore two gashes through Yang Tao's fists. Blood flowed freely, and his face twisted in pain.
"What kind of fist technique is that?" someone exclaimed.
In the distance, Yin Tianqing frowned as well. "Neither Dragon-Subduing Stake Technique nor Fuhu Fist has that kind of claw power. This kid's hard to figure out..."
The next moment, Chen Mo attacked without the slightest hesitation. Snake Coiling Hand shot out, slipping around his opponent's guard to strike directly at his throat.
Yang Tao wasn't some pushover. He immediately bent backward into Arching Body Gazing at the Moon, narrowly dodging Snake Coiling Hand.
Chen Mo's strike missed, but he wasn't angered. Snake Coiling Hand swiftly transformed into Swallow Return Strike as he swung his arm back in a fierce whip-like punch.
Bang!
The punch struck Yang Tao's shoulder blade.
"Ugh—ah!"
Pain shot through Yang Tao's shoulder, drawing a scream from him.
Chen Mo moved again.
The most basic principle of real combat was to strike at the weak, evade the strong, attack when the enemy was down, and finish him off!
He spun around, then launched Flowing Cloud Attack. In the span of a breath, he was in front of Yang Tao, his right hand darting out like a giant dragon's claw.
His opponent quickly raised his guard, but under Chen Mo's force, it was like rotten wood.
In an instant, it crumbled like dry weeds before a gale.
Chen Mo's claw struck Yang Tao square in the chest. The clothing over his chest tore apart, and then his entire body flew out of the arena like a kite with its string snapped.
The entire crowd fell silent.
Could that Ming Jin martial student who had been dismissed as "all brute strength" really tear apart a Dark Jin martial student with his bare hands today?
A few sharp-eyed spectators noticed what was going on.
"Judging by his aura now, it seems he's broken through to Dark Jin!"
"To break through to Dark Jin overnight, before the Technique Trial—what kind of monstrous luck is that!"
Chen Mo calmly walked back to Xie Jinnian, who studied him for a long while as if seeing him for the first time.
"You're the most incredible person I've ever met!"
The words burst from him. "Brother Chen, I'm set on being your friend! You were Ming Jin yesterday, and today you just up and broke through! Even my cousin Xie Jinyou would be stunned if he heard about this!"
Hearing that, Chen Mo modestly replied, "I was lucky. I happened to come across an opportunity to break through."
Xie Jinnian clicked his tongue twice. "I don't believe a single word you say now!"
Chen Mo shook his head helplessly and turned his gaze back to the schoolyard.
Among the martial students who entered the arena afterward, Xie Jinyou faced a mid-stage Dark Jin fighter. When the latter realized who Xie Jinyou was, he shook his head and sighed repeatedly. In the end, Xie Jinyou won with just five moves.
After that, Zhang Chong, the one Chen Mo had been watching most closely, finally entered the arena.
In the distance, Zhao Huayuan walked over to Yin Tianqing and gazed toward the arena. "Master Yin, your former beloved disciple is about to fight for the Zhao Family. I forgot to thank you."
Yin Tianqing smiled instead of getting angry. "You didn't come over just to taunt me, did you?"
Zhao Huayuan smiled too. "Zhang Chong has the strength to place in the top three of this year's Martial Examination. Even if he falls short, he's certain to make the top five. As for that little disciple of yours named Chen Mo, even if he was lucky enough to win his first match, he won't get far after that."
"Just say what you came to say." Yin Tianqing impatiently swept his sleeve.
Zhao Huayuan took his time, speaking unhurriedly. "What I mean is, among all your disciples, there's no one capable of carrying on your legacy. You might as well work with the Zhao Family. I could send you a disciple who can hold his own in public."
Hearing this, Yin Tianqing understood why he had come and gave a cold laugh. "That won't be necessary. Chen Mo may have only just entered Dark Jin, but I believe he can make the rankings. And I believe in his character even more!"
Zhao Huayuan immediately burst into laughter. "Hahaha! He's just a green little boy, and your school's disciples have dwindled to this, Yin Tianqing? What a pity! What a shame!"
With that, he strode away.
At the same time, Zhang Chong had beaten his opponent until he could no longer fight back. He delivered a heavy punch, sending the other man flying out of the arena to hit the ground and lie still.
After Zhao Huayuan had gone far, Yin Tianqing clenched both fists in silence.
Nearby, Ji Chang, Yin Shanshan, and the others gritted their teeth as well.
Before long, all the first-round matches had ended.
Twenty-eight victors had been decided. They now had to draw wooden plaques again, then face off one by one.
Xie Jinnian and Chen Mo went to the wooden box one after the other and drew their plaques in turn.
Xie Jinnian drew "B-3." With so few people left, it was easy for everyone to find their opponents.
He looked left and right, then spotted Liao Tian, the Qi Family head's chief disciple, holding "A-3." He couldn't help but rub his forehead in frustration.
Liao Tian was all but guaranteed a place in this year's top ten, while Xie Jinnian was near the bottom among these twenty-eight fighters.
When it was Chen Mo's turn to draw, he glanced at the "A-6" on his plaque. His eyes happened to fall on Zhang Chong's wooden plaque in the distance, which read "B-6."
Their eyes met, their gazes crossing.
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