Claiming a Ranking

The first stage was a test with twenty people at a time. Those who passed stood to the right and waited to officially enter the Wooden Man Alley; those who failed had to leave.

Last time, Ye Chen had only lasted three breaths before being beaten until he vomited blood and was injured.

The test began!

Wang Gang was unexpectedly among the first twenty to take the stage. With his cultivation at the peak of the Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer, he had some hope of defeating a Wooden Man Guard. At the very least, he would not be instantly defeated—that would truly be laughable.

Sensing someone approaching, the Wooden Man Guard activated its heavy body and fiercely drove a fist at Wang Gang. The powerful gust of wind sent his hair flying.

Wang Gang did not excel in speed. He hurriedly crossed his arms and forcibly blocked the Wooden Man Guard's punch, his body retreating three steps.

"Monument Splitting Stone!"

After taking those three steps back, Wang Gang leaped into the air, raised his right palm, and chopped diagonally at the Wooden Man Guard's head. The wind howled around the strike.

Bang!

The Wooden Man Guard's senses were truly sharp. It raised an arm to block Wang Gang's fatal blow, then immediately clenched its left hand into a fist and struck again, its punch so fast that it was difficult to react.

"Damn, the Wooden Man Guards are this fierce?" Some Outer Sect Disciples who had only recently joined the Flowing Cloud Sect could not help crying out in amazement. Even Ye Chen marveled at the Wooden Man Guard's wonders. It clearly possessed no fluctuations of life, yet its movements and techniques were steady, powerful, and impeccably proper.

In an instant, Wang Gang bent his left leg and used his knee to block the Wooden Man Guard's second attack, borrowing the force to fly backward and land steadily five steps away.

After widening the distance between himself and the Wooden Man Guard, Wang Gang understood that brute force alone could not defeat it. That left only one option: catch it off guard.

"Double Dragons Emerging from the Sea!"

Seeing the Wooden Man Guard pursue him, Wang Gang abandoned the Monument Breaking Palm and used the Flood Dragon Crouching Fist, which he had not yet mastered. Twisting both arms, he erupted like two savage flood dragons, churning up winds and waves.

Crack! Crack!

The Wooden Man Guard's fists were locked.

Wang Gang gave a cold shout, braced both arms against the opponent's fists, and launched a flying kick through the air.

"Meteor Leg!"

Boom!

The heavy, powerful kick sent the Wooden Man Guard crashing down. The tester beside them immediately announced loudly, "Passed!"

Unlike here, cries of "Failed" rang out repeatedly elsewhere.

Very soon, the first group of twenty finished testing. Only four passed, while everyone else was eliminated and left the square helplessly.

No one knew what kind of wood the Wooden Man Guards were made from, but they were basically undamaged. Fortunately, merely knocking them down counted as passing. Otherwise, they would have been exhausted to death.

Before long, the second group's test also ended. Surprisingly, only one person passed.

Third group: five passed.

Fourth group: three passed.

Fifth group: no one passed.

In the one hundred twentieth group, Wu Zongming and Zhang Haoran stepped forward at the same time. They exchanged a glance, then walked onto the field coldly.

Facing the Wooden Man Guards before them, the two struck almost simultaneously.

Wu Zongming's body flickered, and he appeared in the Wooden Man Guard's embrace like a ghost. His right palm pressed against it in an instant, then shook violently. The Wooden Man Guard flew through the air as if it were straw, a clear palm print left on its chest. This showed just how refined that palm strike was.

Zhang Haoran was even more terrifying. His body stretched out, directly ignoring the ten-meter distance. As he moved, his five fingers spread wide and seized the Wooden Man Guard by the head. He then stopped and swung his arm with force.

The Wooden Man Guard was flung more than ten meters away.

"Damn, they instantly defeated the Wooden Man Guards."

Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. Wu Zongming's performance had already been impressive enough—he had sent a Wooden Man Guard flying with a palm strike at close range. Yet Zhang Haoran seemed even better. Before him, the Wooden Man Guard was like a child who had not yet learned to walk.

In the one hundred twenty-third group, Ye Chen took the stage.

Without the speed of Wu Zongming and Zhang Haoran, Ye Chen only had the intricacy of his techniques. With three punches and two kicks, he settled the Wooden Man Guard and passed smoothly.

When the first-stage testing ended, Elder Lin stood and spoke. "A total of three hundred sixty-five people have passed. The second stage will now begin. Everyone, enter the Wooden Man Alley."

"Haoran, you said you'd help me get third place. No problem, right?" A tall youth of around fifteen stood beside Zhang Haoran. His breathing had quickened as he asked impatiently.

Zhang Haoran said indifferently, "Rest easy, Cousin. With your strength, passing through the Wooden Man Alley will not be difficult. The difficult part is obtaining a ranking, and I will stop the others at the right moment."

"Great." This youth was Zhang Haoran's cousin. He had joined the Flowing Cloud Sect before Zhang Haoran and had participated in the Wooden Man Alley Competition before. Unfortunately, he had ranked below thirtieth place, far from the top ten, let alone third place. If he could take third place this time, he would certainly receive a Human-grade High-tier cultivation manual, as well as a Human-grade High-tier Martial Skill manual and three Clear Wind Jade Dew Pills—enough for him to cultivate to the True Condensation Realm.

At this, Zhang Haoran changed his tone. "However, I cannot go too far. You know the Flowing Cloud Sect's rules."

"I know. Don't worry. Even without your help, I'm confident I can seize a place in the top ten."

"Good. Let's go in!"

The Wooden Man Alley was like a gourd. Its entrance was quite narrow, only allowing five people to enter side by side. But once inside, the space suddenly opened up, revealing ten alleys of varying sizes.

The three hundred sixty-five people divided into ten groups and filed into different alleys.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In the alley Ye Chen had chosen, the walls on both sides and the ground suddenly split open. A group of Wooden Man Guards and Wooden Man Swordsmen wielding wooden blades leaped out, cutting down five or six people like a whirlwind scattering clouds. Miserable cries immediately rang out one after another.

Dodging an attack from a Wooden Man Swordsman, Ye Chen's Fine Steel Sword instantly left its sheath and severed the opponent's wooden blade. Then he lowered his body and shot past it in an instant.

That was close. Fortunately, I wasn't squeezed into the crowd. Otherwise, there wouldn't even have been room to dodge.

As they continued forward, fewer and fewer people remained. Of the original thirty or forty, only a little over twenty were left. Ahead, another five small alleys appeared, with four or five people each choosing the same alley to continue onward.

Elsewhere, Zhang Haoran's feet flickered, his robes fluttering. None of the Wooden Man Guards or Wooden Man Swordsmen could lock onto his position. On occasion, three or four Wooden Men blocked his path in advance, only to be casually sent flying by a single palm strike, like withered wood before a storm.

The open space narrowed. Zhang Haoran stopped walking and thought, The area ahead has the most Wooden Men. Once everyone arrives, I can secretly trip them up and make them hold back at every turn. Then Cousin will have third place in the palm of his hand.

As for first place, Zhang Haoran believed it was already in the palm of his hand. Wu Zongming was not even qualified to compete with him for it, which was why he had the leisure to help his cousin. Besides, this was the only passage leading to the finish line. Even if someone could threaten him, he would still have the chance to take measures.

P.S.: Please recommend!