"Sorry."
Lu Ming shook his head, thinking, Who didn't need Demon Meat? Did Liu Yiyi expect one sentence to make him give it up?
How could that be possible!
They were neither kin nor friends. Their only connection was that her father, Liu Feilong, had given him thirty Qi-Enhancing Pills—and that had mainly been a favor from the Li Family. Naturally, Lu Ming would not give up Demon Meat over that.
Without hesitation, he continued forward, directly passing Liu Yiyi and reaching the twenty-fifth stake.
At this point, only Chen Feng and Feng Qingzhu stood ahead of him. Both had reached Major Completion in Flesh Refining.
Chen Feng had reached the twenty-sixth stake. After striking it until it rang, he took another step forward and temporarily stopped where he was.
Feng Qingzhu struck the twenty-fifth stake until it rang, then glanced back. Seeming to believe the top three spots were secure, she immediately stopped, adjusted her breathing, and held her ground.
Watching Lu Ming pass Liu Yiyi step by step, her eyes flickered slightly. She had not expected Lu Ming, despite being so unfocused, to reach this level.
That was somewhat beyond her expectations.
Lu Ming arrived at the twenty-fifth stake and struck it lightly. The iron stake did not move, nor did it make a sound.
This time, he had not used the Mountain-Pushing Divine Ability, nor had he exerted much strength. What he wanted was for it not to ring. That way, he would fall just short of Feng Qingzhu and take third place!
At this moment, only the four of them remained in the Iron Stake Area.
Lu Ming and Feng Qingzhu did not move. Only Chen Feng and Liu Yiyi were still trying.
Ahead, Chen Feng took another step forward. His qi and blood suddenly became slightly disordered, his face flushed red, and his body swayed unsteadily. His gaze sharpened as he staggered, planted himself in place, and began regulating his breathing without moving.
After a long while, he finally steadied himself. With a silent sigh, he knew that this was as far as he could go.
"The trial is over. The top three—Chen Feng, Feng Qingzhu, and Lu Ming—will each receive one Red Token. Does anyone have any objections?"
Wei Jinlin's voice came from the high platform.
Behind them, Liu Yiyi was still inching forward. The twenty-fifth stake was only one step away, yet no matter what she did, she could not cross that final step.
Unwillingness filled Liu Yiyi's eyes as she widened them slightly and looked at Lu Ming. This fellow had eaten thirty Qi-Enhancing Pills from the Flying Dragon Martial Hall, yet he did not give her even a shred of face.
The one-tenth share of Demon Meat that had been within easy reach had been snatched away by him. How hateful!
Liu Yiyi was indignant, but reality was this cruel. Seeing that she could advance no farther, she could only console herself that only three Red Tokens had been taken today.
Lu Ming came from a common background and lacked staying power. She would still have chances in the future to seize the remaining seven.
She simply withdrew from the Iron Stake Area, bit her lip lightly, and said,
"No objections."
She knew that Wei Jinlin's words had mainly been meant for her.
Wei Jinlin nodded slightly, then suddenly leaped from the high platform. He tapped the ground several times within the Iron Stake Area, crossed over Lu Ming and the other two as though walking on level ground, and landed before the corpse of the Iron-Scaled Python Demon.
He pulled the three Red Tokens from the very end of the demon corpse's tail. With a sudden flick of his wrist, the three Red Tokens shot toward the three of them.
Lu Ming raised a hand and caught his Red Token. It felt light and powerless, yet his heart tightened instead. This showed that Wei Jinlin's control over his strength was extraordinarily precise.
"Master Wei reached the demon corpse so effortlessly. This disciple is deeply impressed!" Chen Feng said admiringly as he caught his Red Token.
"Everyone, leave. Keep your Red Tokens safe. Once all the Red Tokens on the demon corpse have been taken, you may collect the Demon Meat together. The token is recognized, not the person," Wei Jinlin said blandly.
Chen Feng answered affirmatively, turned, and swiftly left the Iron Stake Area, feeling a wave of relief.
As he passed Lu Ming, he glanced at him from the corner of his eye, and a trace of surprise rose in his heart. He had not expected this man to surpass Liu Yiyi at the end and obtain the third Red Token.
However, he soon regained his calm. There was only one month left until the Grand Examination. At most, Lu Ming would break through to Major Completion in Flesh Refining before then.
With Demon Meat, however, Chen Feng had a chance to break through to Tendon Refining!
If he could achieve that, it would be a whole different world.
Tendon Refining martial artists were considered mid-to-upper-tier fighters even within the county city. In the past, nearly every Military Service Bureau disciple who reached this realm became a disciple of a Third-Rate Sect.
As for Lu Ming, even if he broke through to Major Completion in Flesh Refining, he still carried Shen Changfeng's hatred on his back. He would not get far.
"This boy has actually used the Nine Palaces Palm and the Cloud-Stepping Technique with such flawless precision, as though they had fused into one."
Before the corpse of the Iron-Scaled Python Demon, Wei Jinlin watched Lu Ming's departing back. His eyes flashed as thoughts raced through his mind.
If not for that, Lu Ming could not have made the iron stake ring with just a light touch.
To achieve it so effortlessly meant that he had borrowed the power of the Smooth Ascent to the Clouds movement technique, adding the force of his leg techniques to his palm art and wielding it with perfect ease.
"It seems Lu Ming truly has the potential to cultivate the Formless Divine Art," Wei Jinlin thought.
However, from the looks of it, each martial art Lu Ming cultivated had only reached the entry level.
If he only remained at the entry level and could not master them, then he would find it difficult to become anything great.
In the blink of an eye, Wei Jinlin had made his decision.
Elsewhere, Chen Feng, Feng Qingzhu, and Lu Ming had barely left the Iron Stake Area before they were surrounded by many people.
Even Lu Ming was no exception. Many stared feverishly at the Red Token in his hand, itching to reach out and snatch it away.
"Senior Brother Lu has made a name for himself with one stunning feat! He even surpassed Senior Sister Liu from the Flying Dragon Martial Hall and seized the third Red Token. That means one-tenth of the Demon Meat!"
"Senior Brother Lu, I wish to buy the Red Token in your hand. Would you sell it for five hundred taels of silver?"
"Five hundred taels? I'll offer one thousand!"
Amid the crowd, Zhao Zhiqiu, the refined and elegant genius of the Zhao Family, also approached Lu Ming and said,
"Junior Brother Lu, I am willing to try to mediate the conflict between you and Brother Shen in exchange for the Red Token in your hand. What do you think?"
Mediate the conflict? And only "try"?
Lu Ming shook his head. He did not believe Zhao Zhiqiu could succeed, so he decisively refused.
"Sorry, this Red Token is not for sale."
After saying that, he turned and quickly left.
Zhao Zhiqiu was not surprised. He merely sighed and did not persist.
If it were him, he would not sell the Red Token either. He had only asked casually.
Seeing even Zhao Zhiqiu meet a rebuff, the crowd immediately dispersed as well.
"Lu Ming wants Demon Meat more than he wants his life. Even if he eats it, what use will it be? Once the Grand Examination is over, won't Shen Changfeng still hunt him down?"
"With his talent, Major Completion in Flesh Refining is his limit. At that level, he simply cannot contend with the Shen Family."
"If it were you, could you give up Demon Meat? All one can say is that Lu Ming made an ordinary person's choice."
Not far away, Chen Feng exchanged a few pleasantries with the others. When he saw Liu Yiyi standing alone beyond the crowd, his heart stirred. He parted the crowd, walked over, and said,
"Yiyi, sorry. I had thought you were certain to take third place. I never expected a Lu Ming to suddenly emerge."
Liu Yiyi withdrew her gaze from Lu Ming and looked at Chen Feng with some flattered surprise. She had not expected that, while Chen Feng was basking in his success, he would still consider her feelings.
She hurriedly said, "How can Senior Brother Chen be blamed? Yiyi herself simply has not trained enough."
Chen Feng said, "Although Lu Ming comes from a poor background, he does have talent. If he can maintain this momentum, he may be able to go even further."
Liu Yiyi shook her head. "Lu Ming was merely lucky. He happened to break through before the trial, which was why he luckily took third.
"Senior Brother is the one who climbed steadily, step by solid step, to first place. Even if Lu Ming gets the Demon Meat, without Senior Brother's foundation, he can never surpass Senior Brother.
"Besides, he still faces Shen Changfeng's threat. He will not get far."
Chen Feng smiled. "Junior Sister speaks wisely. In that case, I presume Junior Sister will be able to overtake him when the Red Tokens are contested next time."
Only then did Liu Yiyi realize that Chen Feng had been comforting and encouraging her in a roundabout way. A faint blush spread across her cheeks, and joy rose in her heart.
Seeing this, Chen Feng smiled slightly and thought, Liu Feilong has only this one daughter. If I start with Liu Yiyi, drawing the Flying Dragon Martial Hall to my side will be as easy as turning over my hand.
If he could accomplish that, his position within the Lineage would rise another step!
Within the Grand Martial Arts Arena, everyone had their own thoughts.
Lu Ming, meanwhile, received Wei Jinlin's hint. He quietly left the place and returned to his own courtyard.
Wei Jinlin stood in the courtyard, already waiting for him.
Before you continue