"We have a deal. When I have time, I'll come find you for a spar."
Nie Yunshang turned back, her expression utterly serious, without the slightest hint of joking.
"Sure."
Chen Cheng nodded.
He had nothing to lose anyway. He could treat it as training to gain combat experience.
Strictly speaking, this was the sort of opportunity others could not obtain even if they begged.
At the very least, the way Xiang Poji looked at Chen Cheng beside him had already changed noticeably.
Even those in the distance who had just been whispering about keeping away from Chen Cheng now felt somewhat uncertain.
Just then.
Four middle-aged men in luxurious brocade robes suddenly approached from a distance.
Xiang Poji briefly introduced them to Chen Cheng.
The man leading them in the center was the hall master of the Outer Martial Hall, while the other three were its instruction elders.
Among them, Chen Cheng paid particular attention to the Third Elder, Tian Botao.
He looked to be in his fifties. He was not tall, but his plump face and large ears gave him an exceedingly prosperous appearance. When he grinned, Chen Cheng even saw something of Meng Meng in him.
"Everyone, assemble!"
A loud call rang out across the grounds. It was Ding Dekun, the senior disciple of the Outer Sect.
At his command, everyone immediately gathered.
The existing students formed four neat lines, one for each teacher. Meng Meng's line had only three people, and their teacher was indeed the Third Elder, Tian Botao.
The newcomers formed a separate line, arranged by their tournament rankings-primarily Nie Yunshang first, Xiang Poji second, and Chen Cheng third. The others stood in no particular order.
Next came the newcomers' induction ceremony.
There was nothing particularly special about it.
First, the hall master delivered