Advancement and Recruitment

Below the arena, countless spectators erupted in uproar, buzzing with discussion.

Feng Yuancheng, the biggest favorite of this exchange meet, had actually lost just like that!

He had lost to a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old disciple from the Flying Tiger Sect!

A glint of satisfaction flashed through Yan Lincu's eyes. Then he tilted his head toward where the White Cloud Martial Academy disciples were gathered and gave them a thumbs-down!

He had an arrogant, overbearing personality and was exceptionally brazen.

"Senior Brother Feng lost! How is that possible?!"

"No, that can't be!"

The White Cloud Martial Academy disciples gathered around the arena were all utterly dejected, looking completely unable to accept it!

It would have been one thing if he had lost to some dark horse at the second or third level of martial arts.

But the one who had defeated Senior Brother Feng was merely an unknown fourteen- or fifteen-year-old boy!

What left them even more speechless was that Yan Lincu had defeated Feng Yuancheng head-on.

Everyone could even clearly tell that Yan Lincu's combat experience was limited.

Instructor Zhu sighed and looked at Feng Yuancheng, who had stepped down from the arena with an ashen face. "Since it's a competition, there will be wins and losses. No one is invincible. Feng Yuancheng, don't lose heart. Go get some proper rest. Later, you'll still have a chance... to compete for the final slot on Arena Five!"

Fortunately, he had encountered Yan Lincu in this round. Had it been a round earlier or later, Feng Yuancheng would have been eliminated directly!

Feng Yuancheng's face flushed red. He did not dare look at the boy on the arena again. Gritting his teeth, he cupped his fists and turned away, his face full of unwillingness!

He had always been proud and confident, regarding himself as extraordinary. Yet now, he had become a stepping stone for a junior disciple to make a name for himself!

It was not that he could not accept losing to someone else. He simply could not accept losing to someone he had never taken seriously!

News of Feng Yuancheng's defeat spread throughout the entire tournament grounds in almost no time!

The seeded contestants on the various arenas also learned that the Flying Tiger Sect had been hiding such a monstrous talent!

Feng Yuancheng's extraordinary talent had long made him famous throughout Flying Spirit County, yet this time he had thoroughly become Yan Lincu's stepping stone!

The second match on Arena Five began, and it was Chen Fan's match.

"Huh, Chen Fan, you're not even fourteen yet, are you? And you're already about to break into the county's top thirty?"

Instructor Zhu knew Chen Fan's age and was curious about his current strength, so he stayed to watch another match.

Chen Fan calmed the excitement and anticipation in his heart, then leaped onto the arena.

His opponent was a disciple from a small boxing school, around seventeen or eighteen years old. After exchanging fewer than a few rounds, Chen Fan had already gauged his strength. He was roughly a martial artist who had cultivated inner breath through a second-rate strength-training manual.

He was no stronger than Zhang Feihong.

Chen Fan fought steadily. After probing and confirming that his opponent was weaker than him, he did not take the initiative to attack. Instead, he used his opponent to hone his Wind-Thunder Palm, which was still progressing automatically, seeking another chance for sudden enlightenment!

Although his opponent possessed inner breath, his combat experience was far inferior to Zhang Feihong's, whom Chen Fan had faced yesterday. His moves were not vicious enough, and his strength could not compare to Chen Fan's. Naturally, he was no match for Chen Fan.

Within a few exchanges, he was thoroughly forced onto the defensive.

Compared to the previous match between Yan Lincu and Feng Yuancheng, this battle was likewise between strength-training martial artists, but it was far less intense!

Some spectators from other arenas even gradually began to leave.

No one still took Chen Fan's strength seriously.

In truth, although Chen Fan's previous opponent had already begun cultivating a true technique, his foundation had been too poor. He might not have been stronger than this opponent.

Of course, Chen Fan's luck had indeed been fairly good. Compared with Feng Yuancheng, the opponents Chen Fan had encountered were truly not particularly formidable...

Feng Yuancheng had faced a second-level martial artist before, then encountered an even stronger Yan Lincu afterward. Either one was far stronger than Chen Fan's opponents!

Chen Fan himself also wanted to encounter stronger opponents. Only under pressure could he gain insight into his martial arts.

This man was about as strong as Zhang Feihong had been yesterday, but he was nowhere near as extreme as Zhang Feihong. Furthermore, Chen Fan had already accumulated experience from several battles, and his strength had grown even greater.

He could not feel any pressure from this man at all!

Unable to enter that special combat state again, Chen Fan went all out. In fewer than a hundred exchanges, he easily knocked his opponent off the arena and claimed victory!

This victory also meant that he had directly emerged from Arena Five and officially entered the top thirty!

Chen Fan's battle had not been as shocking or jaw-dropping as Feng Yuancheng's earlier defeat, but it had been steadier. He was clearly far more at ease than he had been in yesterday's match.

He had displayed considerable strength!

"Not bad, not bad."

The instructors who saw it all nodded one after another.

To perform like this at his age was already exceptionally impressive!

If Yan Lincu had not set such a dazzling example beforehand and fought so fiercely in the previous match, Chen Fan's performance would have drawn even greater praise.

After watching the previous match, the audience below found this one utterly dull.

"They're completely on different levels. If those two from before had gone up, they could have ended this within ten moves, right?"

At the White Cloud Martial Academy's seating area.

"Who would've thought it? Senior Brother Feng, a seeded contestant, suffered an unprecedented defeat, while Junior Brother Chen easily made it into the top thirty!"

A White Cloud Martial Academy disciple sighed.

Su Qingyang felt sour inside and pretended not to care as he said, "Chen Fan was simply luckier and benefited from the competition format!"

Under this format, advancing did not necessarily mean someone was stronger than those who had been eliminated.

Some people had good luck. Even if they were not very strong, they could keep winning as long as they kept encountering weak opponents.

Yet regardless of the process, the result was the result.

Chen Fan became the first person to emerge from Arena Five!

Then, in the final match, it was finally Meng Qi's turn. Although Meng Qi's opponent had already cultivated a true technique, he was merely a martial artist who had practiced an ordinary second-rate strength-training manual.

Though Meng Qi had clearly been a little weaker, as the fight went on, his Wind-Thunder Palm, which had been on the verge of a breakthrough, advanced again. He actually cultivated inner breath, and his strength surged abruptly. Catching his opponent off guard, he turned defeat into victory!

He became the fifth person to advance.

But a win was a win, and luck was also part of strength!

After Meng Qi stepped down from the arena, two unusual flushes appeared on his pale face. He went over to Chen Fan and laughed. "Haha, we martial brothers both have pretty good luck!"

He had nearly lost, but he had ultimately broken through the bottleneck. Once he returned to the martial academy, he could directly take the entrance disciple examination and begin cultivating a true technique!

Naturally, he was delighted!

After the first five were decided, the remaining five among the top ten competed again to select one more person, making six in total.

As expected, Feng Yuancheng ultimately won and secured the final slot, advancing into the top thirty!

Yet although he had narrowly escaped elimination, he did not look particularly happy. His gaze remained fixed on Yan Lincu in the distance.

Yan Lincu did not turn around to look at him even once.

That day's matches came to an end.

Meng Qi immediately dragged Chen Fan outside.

To celebrate Chen Fan and Meng Qi both entering the top thirty, Bao Tianyou had gathered a group of fair-weather friends and specially arranged a feast for the two of them at Jiangshan Tower.

Chen Fan had been improving at a rapid pace these past two days. He had gained insights into his martial arts several times, while his qi and blood continued to swell, unable to keep pace with the growth of his martial arts. Naturally, he did not stand on ceremony.

The young man who had previously said Chen Fan ate as though he had been reincarnated from a starving ghost watched Chen Fan continuously stuff food into his mouth and smiled. "Junior Brother Chen was born with divine strength. Even his appetite is extraordinary. He really is remarkable!"

Chen Fan did not think breaking into the top thirty had been particularly difficult, but in truth, considering his age, reaching this level was already incredibly impressive.

Of course, these people could never imagine that Chen Fan, not yet fourteen years old, had already mastered more than ten strength-training manuals. They only assumed that Chen Fan was truly extraordinarily gifted and had reached this point with a bit of luck!

Chen Fan felt a little embarrassed hearing this and smiled bashfully.

He slowed down slightly, but did not stop eating.

A meal at Jiangshan Tower was not merely delicious; it was also packed with nourishment. All kinds of meat, some of which Chen Fan could name and some of which he could not, filled the entire table.

This meal was far more lavish than the first meal Chen Fan had eaten at Jiangshan Tower.

Chen Fan's qi and blood were surging. The food he ate could quickly be converted into nutrients and absorbed by his body. This meal was simply more beneficial to his body than eating five or six ordinary meals!

Of course, it was still far too early for his qi and blood to undergo a complete transformation.

Bao Tianyou looked at Chen Fan and found him more pleasing to the eye the longer he looked. He did not mind Chen Fan's large appetite in the slightest, then took the initiative to ask, "By the way, I remember you asked me before where there were cranes. Do you like that kind of animal?"

Chen Fan's eyes lit up. "Could it be that Senior Brother knows where there are cranes nearby?"

Bao Tianyou shook his head. "There aren't any nearby. But recently, my family acquired a batch of calligraphy and paintings. I saw a White Crane Painting among them. It seems to have been painted by a famous artist and possesses a certain spiritual charm. If you like it, Junior Brother, I'll bring it to you as a gift!"

Chen Fan was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this.

At the White Cloud Martial Academy in Flying Spirit County, there were crane paintings hanging in the martial academy's corridors. However, those paintings were common works by ordinary artists, mass-produced and unremarkable. Chen Fan had already tried studying them, but no matter how he looked, he could not gain any insight.

Still, Chen Fan did not immediately refuse, because Bao Tianyou's mention of spiritual charm moved him.

Chen Fan pondered, The martial academy's paintings are merely the work of mediocre hands. They should be incomparable to the Bao Clan's collection. If it has a special spiritual charm, I may be able to gain some insight from it...

He smiled and said, "I'm practicing the White Cloud Pine-Crane Palm, so I've wanted to see such an animal, but unfortunately I haven't had the chance. It would be wonderful if I could obtain a crane painting to study. But I can't take something from Senior Brother for nothing. I'm willing to buy it..."

Bao Tianyou laughed and shook his head. "Why say such things between brothers? If you insist on paying, then I really won't give it to you!"

Chen Fan was speechless and simply shook his head without saying anything.

For a clan disciple like Bao Tianyou, a few dozen taels of silver meant nothing at all.

To him, doing Chen Fan a favor was clearly much more worthwhile.

Chen Fan understood what he was thinking and did not persist any further.

Since there were still matches tomorrow, the group did not linger long. After eating, they went their separate ways and returned home.

But Bao Tianyou stopped Chen Fan...

He looked unusually serious as he gazed at Chen Fan. "Junior Brother Chen Fan, would you be willing to become a retainer of my Bao Clan?"