Astonishment

"Is it... over already?"

"Too fast! I didn't even see it!"

"That big guy looked intimidating, but how could he be so useless? Tripped over his own feet and fell?"

"Nonsense! Look closely! It's that kid called Chen Yue—his movement was too fast, his timing to cut in was perfect, and the force behind that palm was strange too. It didn't seem heavy, but it just flattened the man!"

"Tsk... now that you mention it, you're right! This kid's no simpleton!"

"Far from simple! If he'd turned that palm into a claw, or used a poke or a strike, that big guy would probably be dead by now!"

Many of the examinees and onlookers who had previously paid Chen Yue no mind now put away their contempt, their gazes toward him tinged with a hint of gravity.

Winning quickly wasn't remarkable, but winning with such effortless ease—that demonstrated absolute strength and control.

Beneath the arena, Zhou Qi's face had darkened to the point where it seemed ready to drip water.

The strength Chen Yue had just displayed was completely beyond his expectations.

That ghostly footwork and that effortlessly powerful strike were absolutely not something a mud-legged who'd just started martial arts could pull off!

If, after the County Examination ended, Chen Yue sensed something was wrong and fled far away... with the movement speed and timing he'd just shown, slipping away in the chaos wasn't impossible. Once he escaped into the mountains or fled to another land, catching him would be as hard as reaching the heavens.

"Can't wait any longer... I have to let the gang know immediately, act now!" Zhou Qi made a decisive resolution in his heart.

He had to report the situation before Chen Yue might run, mobilize enough men, and at the very first moment the County Examination ended, seize control of Chen Yue—and his parents in Pearl Village!

On the other side of the training ground, Yu Kan and Ma Jun both sucked in a sharp breath at almost the same time. They exchanged glances, each seeing disbelief in the other's eyes.

The step Chen Yue had used to close in just now—it was unmistakably the Loach Drilling Through Cracks from Roaming Mountains and Rivers!

And that seemingly light palm strike, which actually carried a supple inner force—its method of exertion and angle bore the clear mark of the pressing and penetrating force from Iron Mountain Fist.

"This... he really learned it? And trained it to this level?" Ma Jun couldn't help recalling the scene from over twenty days ago.

In front of them, Zhou Jingfeng, the master of Iron Mountain Hall, now raised his brows slightly, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

He looked at Yu Kan and Ma Jun, his tone laced with doubt: "The movement and force techniques that boy just used bear a strong resemblance to my Iron Mountain Hall's heritage. Is he a disciple of our hall? When did he join? I have no memory of him."

Zhou Jingfeng had a general grasp of his disciples' progress and didn't recall any young man who wielded the basic techniques so proficiently, even seeming to surpass the original.

Yu Kan's face flashed with embarrassment, but he dared not hide anything from his master. He steeled himself and, in a low voice, briefly recounted the day Chen Yue had come to them and how they'd taught him the techniques.

"Only taught once?"

The surprise in Zhou Jingfeng's eyes deepened. "In such a short time, he can already use Roaming Mountains and Rivers with such agility and control the force of Iron Mountain Fist with such precision? Even if it's just the basics, this level of comprehension and hard work is extraordinary! Which family is he from?"

Zhou Jingfeng instinctively assumed that such progress must come from a strong family background or ample resources.

"Master, he... is a Pearl Diver from Pearl Village," Ma Jun added, his voice even lower.

"A Pearl Diver? A pearl fisher from Pearl Village?" The expression on Zhou Jingfeng's face froze instantly. He paused, as if doubting what he'd heard.

He turned his head again, his gaze sharp as lightning, and fixed it once more on Chen Yue atop the arena. This time, the meaning in his eyes was completely different from the simple appreciation of a moment ago—it held disbelief and deep contemplation.

A Pearl Diver, at the very bottom of society, struggling daily for survival, tightly controlled by the Sea Shark Gang, barely able to eat and dress warmly, let alone have the money and time to practice martial arts...

With such a background, to reach this level in Iron Mountain Hall's basic martial arts with no guidance and only a month's time? This could no longer be explained by mere talent!

"Wu Division, Number Five, Chen Yue, wins!" the Official of Records announced loudly.

Chen Yue cupped his hands toward the referee and Zhao Kui, who had barely managed to get up, then calmly walked down from the arena. When he returned to his previous spot, he found that Zhou Qi, who had been shadowing him all along, was no longer there.

He quickly scanned the area and spotted Zhou Qi at the edge of the crowd not far away.

Zhou Qi was also looking at him, but the moment their eyes met, Zhou Qi immediately averted his gaze, no longer meeting Chen Yue's eyes.

What made Chen Yue's heart tighten was that the almost overflowing, mad hatred and murderous intent on Zhou Qi's face had now receded, replaced by a colder, more sinister gloom.

It felt like a venomous snake had stopped its hissing, quietly slipping into the grass, ready to strike a fatal blow.

"Is he going to use the Sea Shark Gang's power?" Chen Yue's brows furrowed slightly, his vigilance raised to the highest level.

Time passed, and an hour later, the Official of Records once again held the roster and called out loudly: "Weapons match, Wu Division, Number Five, Chen Yue, versus Xin Division, Number Three, Liu Tong! Step up!"

The named opponent immediately leaped onto the arena with his blade, scanning for Chen Yue.

But Chen Yue did not ascend. Under everyone's gaze, he stepped forward a few paces, cupped his hands toward the Official of Records by the arena, and said clearly: "Student Chen Yue concedes this weapons match."

At these words, a low murmur rippled through the crowd.

Some thought he was afraid, while others deemed it wise. After all, the rules of the Martial County Examination were clear: winning either the unarmed or weapons match was enough to pass.

Chen Yue had already won cleanly in the unarmed match, securing his qualification as a martial arts novice. There was indeed no need to risk the weapons match. Weapons had no eyes, and the variables were greater. If he got injured or made a mistake, it might affect the subsequent Prefectural Examination—a loss far outweighing the gain.

The Official of Records glanced at him, then at the win record for Chen Yue's unarmed match on the roster. He nodded, marked a "concede" in the weapons column, and announced: "Wu Division, Number Five, Chen Yue concedes. Xin Division, Number Three, Liu Tong wins!"

Chen Yue let out a slight breath. He had forfeited not only out of caution but also because he didn't want to expose his blade techniques too much in front of so many eyes.

Another hour or so passed. When the final weapons match's outcome was decided, the entire County Examination finally came to an end.

The once-smooth blue-brick training ground was now a mess. Dust mixed with scattered, dark red bloodstains, glaring harshly under the sunlight.

In the air, besides the smell of sweat, there was a faint scent of blood.

During the unarmed matches, though some were injured, spat blood, or suffered fractures, deaths were rare. Most could still be helped off the field.

But when it came to the weapons matches, the brutality escalated sharply. Amid the flash of blades and gleam of swords, victory or defeat was often decided in the blink of an eye. A single moment of hesitation in pulling back meant severed limbs or blood spilled five paces away.