Sun and Moon Hanging in the Sky

"First round of the martial examination: Heart-Questioning Stake, first place—Lu Li."

The deep, resonant voice swept through the entire venue. Its final note crashed down like thunder, shaking the whole martial arena. At the sound, the ceremonial soldiers lined up around the arena were already poised to move. Next, they would ride through Blackwater City's streets, shouting the news all along the way.

This was the glory of taking first place in the first round of the martial examination.

At that moment, an uproar broke out across the viewing stands.

Over the past three days, every major aristocratic family had obtained all the information on Lu Li. They sighed one after another. A lowborn orphan from some desolate village had actually soared into the heavens right beneath their noses, taking first place in the martial examination's opening round.

It completely overturned everything they had known. Never before had a mud-legged commoner stood at such a height, trampling the descendants of great families—those youths they had piled resources upon—beneath his feet.

"Only Fifth-Level Skin Tempering."

Without even blinking, Pang Shilang said blandly,

"Notify the heads of every family. Give all the youths representing them hundredfold-forged steel weapons. The third-round arena matches are the main event. Whoever encounters Lu Li then is to go all out. He must die. There cannot be any accidents. I do not want to see any accidents."

Qian Rong, the foremost of the four chief stewards, nodded heavily.

"Those aristocratic youths have undergone Skin Tempering seven or eight times. They enjoy the finest resources, learn superior secret arts, and will be equipped with superior weapons. Killing a mud-leg who has only reached Fifth-Level Skin Tempering should not lead to any accidents."

Pang Shilang gave a "heh heh" laugh and repeated in a low voice,

"He must die."

As his words fell, Pang Shilang's eyes shifted slightly, and from the corner of his gaze, he caught sight of Gao Jiangong seated high in the north.

On the arena stage, life and death were decided in an instant. This was an open scheme. If Lu Li died, then he died; Gao Jiangong would have nothing to say.

At worst, one life would pay for another.

On the eastern side of the fifth-floor viewing stand.

The smile in Yu Canglang's eyes had never faded.

"Little Fu, come here. Sit beside me."

Shen Gangfu's brows stirred slightly. He slowly shook his head and said,

"Master, how could this disciple dare sit shoulder to shoulder with my honored master?"

"Ah... if I tell you to sit, then sit. Refusing would still be defying your master's command. Come, sit."

Without waiting for Shen Gangfu's response, Yu Canglang grabbed him and pulled him to his side. His expression shifted again and again before he finally sighed.

"Little Fu, you have taken in a good disciple!"

Shen Gangfu looked utterly alarmed. This was someone he had looked up to for many years in his childhood, someone who had seemed both teacher and father in his memories. He had entertained countless fantasies, yet this stern master had never shown him any extra expression. Now, because of Lu Li, Yu Canglang was treating him with such warmth. Shen Gangfu could not help but feel deeply moved...

The smile remained on Yu Canglang's face as he continued,

"Little Fu, I have a rather immature idea."

Yu Canglang paused, then continued,

"I intend to personally take Lu Li as my direct disciple!"

Shen Gangfu was stunned. A thought instinctively surfaced in his heart: If you take Hua Yuan as your direct disciple, wouldn't Hua Yuan become my junior brother?

The words reached Shen Gangfu's lips, but he did not dare voice them.

Under Shen Gangfu's astonished gaze, Yu Canglang smiled and shook his head. He raised his right hand from his side and pointed at Lu Li in the arena.

"Look at A-Li. A young talent like uncut jade—proper in appearance and straight-backed in bearing. With his talent, entering the Martial Lecture Hall is as certain as a nail driven into a board. Think about it: after he enters the Martial Lecture Hall, with the title of a direct disciple of an Eight Forms Sect elder, no one there would dare bully him, would they? What do you think of your master's idea?"

Shen Gangfu nodded lightly without thinking. His master's words made sense. What was Shen Gangfu's disciple worth? No one would care. But a direct disciple of an Eight Forms Sect elder was different. His own vision had been too shallow; he had nearly ruined a great matter over this so-called difference in seniority.

Seeing that Shen Gangfu understood his painstaking intentions, Yu Canglang felt greatly gratified. It was settled so pleasantly.

Just then, a disciple who had returned to the Eight Forms Sect to report the good news hurried over and whispered a few words into Yu Canglang's ear.

Yu Canglang's expression changed instantly.

Then, Yu Canglang slowly placed his right hand on Shen Gangfu's shoulder. The smile on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by a look of resolve.

"Little Fu, the disciple just reported that my master—your grandmaster—is extremely satisfied with A-Li. He instructed me to bring Lu Li back to the mountain after the martial examination and hold the Eight Forms Sect's true disciple ceremony."

Shock appeared on Shen Gangfu's face again, his lips parting slightly. Was Lu Li going to be directly accepted as a true disciple of the Eight Forms Sect?

Yu Canglang feigned anger and complained,

"Little Fu, you do not know your grandmaster well enough. If news of Lu Li taking first place today reaches the mountain, I fear your grandmaster may accept a disciple on behalf of his master. Then Lu Li would become my master's junior brother—my junior martial uncle, and your grand-uncle."

Shen Gangfu's parted lips had not yet closed before he was struck by another profound shock.

"This..."

Before Shen Gangfu could finish, Yu Canglang raised his voice.

"So I have decided to act before my master does and accept a disciple on behalf of my master, making Lu Li my junior brother. What do you think? For now, I can only ask you to suffer this small grievance."

In the blink of an eye, Hua Yuan has become my junior martial uncle? Shen Gangfu thought.

Yu Canglang lightly patted Shen Gangfu's shoulder and said slowly,

"Little Fu, it is nothing. In private, the two of you can address each other however you wish. You are still his mentor in the arts. But in public, you must pay attention. From now on, he will be a true disciple of our Eight Forms Sect. With such an arrangement, once Lu Li enters the Martial Lecture Hall, surely no one will dare look down on him. What do you say?"

Shen Gangfu blinked, then finally nodded.

"The second round of the martial examination—Essence-Sinking Platform—begins!"

As Gao Jiangong's deep voice fell, seventy-two towering black-stone platforms abruptly rose in the center of the martial arena.

In an instant, streams of pale cyan Magnetic Essence, visible to the naked eye, began to rise.

The Magnetic Essence was soundless, yet mysteries lay hidden within it.

Lu Li's eyes shifted slightly. Several dozen hair-thin streams of pale cyan magnetic force floated in the air above the Essence-Sinking Platform before him. Like smoke and silk, they flickered out of thin air over the platform like lightning.

"Get on the platforms!"

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The bells rang.

Seventy-two people leaped onto the Essence-Sinking Platforms one after another. Before long, shouts and screams began rising and falling across the arena, spreading through the entire martial grounds.

Pain!

Such pain!

The instant Lu Li's feet touched the Essence-Sinking Platform, streams of Magnetic Essence invaded his Dantian like lightning. The Primordial Unity Force that had originally circulated peacefully within him was suddenly stirred by the Magnetic Essence, turning restless as force-energy ran wild through his body.

Pain spread through his entire body. Lu Li steadied himself, calmed his mind, and endured the heart-piercing agony. He spread out his spiritual intent and hid his consciousness in the void. Only then did the suffocating pain fail to force a cry from his lips.

The others in the arena were not so fortunate. Their shrieks continued without end, rending hearts and tearing lungs.

Lu Li steadied his mind. Amid the agony, his thoughts raced. The first trial had targeted one's will and consciousness; this second trial targeted Primordial Unity Force.

Since the ultimate purpose of this martial examination was the opportunity of a divine miracle, then perhaps the second trial, like the first, was meant to help the examinees improve their Primordial Unity Force.

With that thought,

Lu Li hesitated no longer. He spread his stance and began practicing the perfected Form-Intent Secret Stance, accumulating and tempering his Primordial Unity Force.

Half an incense stick later, sixty people still remained on the platforms, struggling bitterly to endure. Compared to the first trial, they had improved by a great deal. Perhaps they had also guessed Principal Gao's intentions. Everyone present was desperately persevering, tempering their Primordial Unity Force.

Just then, heaven and earth suddenly fell still.

Everyone sensed it at once. The sound of wind at their ears abruptly ceased, growing hot before vanishing. Without any warning, everything suddenly came to a complete standstill!

Their gazes swept around them. The fluttering banners suddenly drooped, the fine leaves at the treetops did not stir, and the drifting grains of sand and dust on the ground came to a sudden halt.

Beyond their sight, throughout the vast Blackwater City, the winds in ten thousand alleys stopped!

Then everyone raised their heads toward the heavens. In the next instant, the strange phenomenon erupted once more!

To the east, the sky remained clear and bright. The blazing sun hung high, its golden rays sweeping over the earth as they always had.

But in the western heavens, a chill radiance slowly tore through the daylight. A cool, bright full moon silently emerged.

The light of heaven changed in an instant.

Heaven and earth broke their usual order; yin and yang appeared together!

Lu Li calmly raised his eyes and looked.

The sun had not set, yet the moon had already risen. Sun and moon hung in the sky, both illuminating the vault of heaven!