Battle Against Xie Jinyou

With the official's chant, this round of the competition drew to a close, leaving fourteen victors in the Dark Jin realm.

Next, the final round of the competition would commence; the fourteen victors would be paired off to fight, producing seven winners, after which no further matches would be held.

Finally, the examiners would combine the scores from the Strength Trial and the Technique Trial to determine the top ten of the Martial Examination, who would then be granted the title of Martial Scholar.

After a short rest, the final round of the competition proceeded as scheduled.

Several individuals stepped steadily into the arena.

Chen Mo looked up and saw that Xie Jinyou, Liao Tian, Chang Hao, Liu Sha, Ye Zimou, and other long-renowned young talents were all present.

However, in the hearts of those present, Chen Mo had already joined their ranks.

"Please draw your match-up tokens."

The official bowed slightly as he spoke.

Compared to the previous two rounds, the official's tone was much gentler while chanting.

Within the same county, these officials occasionally dealt with the various great families, and they were bound to cross paths sooner or later.

The officials were merely employees serving in the government, while those young talents from the families were the legitimate successors who could stir up a storm with a single stomp of their feet in the future.

Therefore, it was good to earn some favor.

The burly Chang Hao was the first to grab a token; without hiding it, he slammed it onto the wooden table beside him. Everyone focused their eyes and saw the characters "Jia-1" written on the token.

Following him, Xie Jinyou stepped forward, casually plucked a token from the wooden box, and drew "Yi-2".

Afterward, several others drew their tokens, and there were unexpected matchups, such as the clash between the strong Liu Sha and Liao Tian.

When only three people remained, Chen Mo stepped forward and reached into the wooden box, only to see the characters "Yi-2" written on his token.

Chen Mo versus Xie Jinyou?!

Fiery gazes shot toward them.

The former was almost the most talked-about name over these past two days.

And the latter was the strongest person in this year's Martial Examination.

The battle between these two could be described as a clash between needle points and wheat awns.

When Chen Mo saw the characters on the token, he was slightly stunned.

His previous battle with Zhang Chong had consumed nearly seventy percent of his internal energy. Facing the even more formidable Xie Jinyou next, let alone a grueling fight, even causing the opponent a hint of trouble was a pipe dream.

But then, his heart filled with joy.

At this moment, his comprehension of Dragon-Capturing Jin and Fuhu Fist had reached the Minor Achievement stage, allowing him to grasp the essence of martial arts through actual combat.

And a strong opponent like Xie Jinyou was the perfect candidate.

Seeing Chen Mo's calm expression, the crowd on both sides of the training ground showed looks of anticipation.

"Look, that Chen Mo is so composed even when facing Xie Jinyou; it seems he has some confidence in his heart."

"I don't think so. Xie Jinyou's strength is at the peak of Dark Jin, and he has already stepped half a foot into Hua Jin. In the entire Anyang County, there are only a handful of Hua Jin experts."

Once the fourteen people had finished drawing their tokens, the battles began in order.

Chang Hao remained peerless in his bravery; even though his opponent was also an expert in the late stage of Dark Jin, he gradually forced him into retreat under his punch-to-flesh, sharp-edged fighting style.

In the end, in the twenty-first round, Chang Hao emerged victorious.

The second match was the one everyone had been waiting for.

The two stepped into the arena almost simultaneously. Xie Jinyou bowed respectfully and said, "I have heard of Brother Chen Mo's brilliance repeatedly over these past two days. It is an honor to exchange pointers with you. The others were not enough to make me use my full strength, but I feel you might be."

Chen Mo replied, "Regardless of whether Brother Xie uses his full strength or not, I will certainly give it my all."

"Good." Xie Jinyou smiled like a spring breeze. "If you can make me use my full strength, I will personally visit your home after the Martial Examination ends."

"It's a deal."

"It's a deal!"

With that said.

Chen Mo leaped out first, his feet executing Luo Smoke Steps, his figure moving so fast it left afterimages, and he delivered a punch without any frills.

The force of the punch compressed the air to the extreme, emitting a low, whistling sound.

Xie Jinyou frowned slightly and immediately set up his Xingyi Fist stance; instead of defending, he met punch with punch.

A move of Step-Following Crushing Fist collided with Chen Mo's Stone-Crushing Strike.

The astonishing force of the two fists colliding instantly transformed into a gust of wind that scattered outward, creating a piercing hum that made the eardrums of those standing nearby on the training ground ache.

In an instant.

Xie Jinyou quickly retracted his fist, followed up with a Sparrowhawk Pierces the Sky, sliding under Chen Mo's left arm, and then connected with a Coiled Snake Exits the Cave, striking directly at Chen Mo's lower ribs.

At the same time, Chen Mo channeled his Flowing Cloud Attack while pulling his abdomen inward; the opponent's fist force slid past his ribs, missing by a mere hair's breadth.

However, Xie Jinyou changed his move extremely quickly; he instantly retracted and released his rib-striking punch, transforming it into a Golden Rooster Shakes Feathers, and exerted force the moment his five fingers touched Chen Mo's ribs.

Bang!

Chen Mo felt an instant numbness in his ribs, his internal blood and qi churning uncontrollably.

Seeing this, the surrounding crowd gasped, everyone breaking into a cold sweat for Chen Mo while simultaneously hoping he could hold on for just a little longer.

They thought to themselves that Xie Jinyou was truly worthy of being a master with one foot already in the Hua Jin realm, forcing Chen Mo into a desperate situation in just three rounds.

Just as they thought Chen Mo was about to be defeated...

Chen Mo's right hand had somehow curled into a claw, silently pressing onto Xie Jinyou's shoulder; he pulled backward, using the leverage to vault forward and flip over his opponent's head.

The moment he landed, he threw a whip punch backward.

At the same time, Xie Jinyou twisted his feet hard against the blue brick floor, spinning rapidly to execute the Returning Eagle Catch from the Xingyi Fist.

In the blink of an eye, their fists collided once more.

Bang! Bang!

Chen Mo retreated four or five steps, while Xie Jinyou stopped steadily after only two.

"Brother Chen Mo, I used my full strength on that last move."

Xie Jinyou did not hide it, stating it plainly and deliberately raising his voice.

The nearby spectators heard these words clearly.

"Is that for real? Making Xie Jinyou use his full strength—is this the first time in this year's Martial Examination?"

"He said it himself, how could it be fake? He never used that move in any of his previous matches."

Chen Mo nodded slightly without speaking; it wasn't that he didn't want to, but the surging energy within his body made it impossible to speak normally.

The gap between me and Xie Jinyou is very obvious.

Chen Mo thought to himself, These few rounds have already given me some insights; this battle should be coming to an end soon.

Just as he thought this, Xie Jinyou's next wave of attacks arrived.

His opponent's Xingyi Fist had nearly reached the realm of perfection, and he unleashed the Tuoxing Hand and Eagle-Catching Hand in quick succession, his fist momentum terrifying.

Chen Mo used the Wave-Intercepting Style to defend, but after holding out for two breaths, his stance completely collapsed, and the remaining force of the punches landed on his chest.

He tasted sweetness in his throat as his body was knocked out of the arena.

Cheers erupted from the surroundings, not just for Xie Jinyou, but for Chen Mo as well.

Although he had lost, being able to push Xie Jinyou to this extent was rare among those in the Dark Jin realm, especially considering Chen Mo was only at the early stage of Dark Jin.

"This boy's future achievements... will be limitless."

Within the viewing area reserved for the Xie Family, a white-haired elder stroked his beard and spoke.

"Patriarch, are you referring to Chen Mo?" a middle-aged man beside him asked respectfully.

The white-haired elder nodded, "Indeed. From just a few glances, I can tell this boy has excellent comprehension and temperament; he is a true martial arts prodigy, though I wonder about his natural talent..."