Rise in the Martial Chaos: Starting From a Martial Arts School

Chapter 356: Chapter 141: One Punch 2

...

「At the same time.」

Below the high platform in Dragon Gate Plaza.

Steward Zheng stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His posture was ramrod straight, his expression severe, and he radiated a dignified yet faintly oppressive aura.

Of the three stewards leading the group from Lingxi Peak, he was the most senior and by far the strongest, making him their undisputed leader.

With his current cultivation, he was just one breakthrough away from being qualified to serve as one of the peak’s Elders. Such strength and seniority gave him an extraordinary bearing that made him stand out in the crowd.

His steady, sharp eyes slowly swept over the fourteen or fifteen candidates around the platform. His gaze was piercing, carrying the unique pressure of a powerful cultivator. He would occasionally glance into the distance, and wherever his gaze landed, both participating disciples and distant spectators instinctively averted their eyes. No one dared to meet his stare. The might of a master was plain to see.

The next moment, as his gaze swept northwest, he caught sight of two figures out of the corner of his eye. They seemed to be standing on a small, nearby hill, looking toward the plaza.

A flicker of doubt crossed Steward Zheng’s mind. The two figures looked somewhat familiar. He instinctively paused, narrowing his eyes to get a better look.

In the span of a single breath, he froze. His body went rigid, astonishment flashed in his eyes, and he subconsciously held his breath.

His back, once straight as a pine, unconsciously bent ever so slightly. The stern, imposing aura on his face vanished completely, replaced by a look of cautious deference.

A storm raged in Steward Zheng’s heart, for he now saw clearly. The two figures on the small hill to the northwest were none other than the Peak Master of Lingxi Peak, Bai Bing, and the peak’s Senior Sister, Si Jiawen!

He couldn’t for the life of him understand what was going on. Why would these two great figures, who rarely paid any attention to the outer sect examinations, make a special trip to watch an ordinary Dragon Gate Martial Trial?

He subconsciously started to raise his hand to bow in their direction, but just as his arm lifted, he saw Bai Bing, on the hill, give a slight shake of her head. Her eyes signaled that there was no need for formalities; she clearly didn’t wish to reveal her presence.

Steward Zheng was normally a steady thinker, rarely so quick on the uptake, but now his mind raced. In an instant, he grasped Bai Bing’s intention—the Peak Master wanted to observe the assessment in secret and not alert anyone else.

He immediately lowered his arm, quickly turned his head, and let his gaze drift away. His expression returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. But unnoticed by anyone, fine beads of sweat had broken out on his temples. He was clearly rattled by this unexpected development.

...

「Not long after.」

All the disciples from the Xuanzhen Sect’s Main Peak and the Seven Veins who were participating in this Dragon Gate Martial Trial had arrived. The green-robed figures gathered below the high platform, each keeping a slight distance from the others, and the tense atmosphere grew ever thicker.

The stewards who had led the groups from the various veins gathered to one side of the platform, conversing in low voices. They casually discussed the order in which their disciples would ascend the stage, not dwelling on it for too long.

For the disciples taking the assessment, the order didn’t matter. If one was strong enough, it made no difference whether they went first or last.

Yang Jing stood alone in the corner designated for the Lingxi Peak disciples. His expression was calm, and he made no effort to speak with the disciples from the other veins. He had a reserved personality and no connection to these strangers, so he simply closed his eyes to compose himself, silently adjusting his state of mind.

Zhou Bohao and Shen Yue, his fellow disciples from Lingxi Peak, clearly knew each other already. They stood to one side, talking in hushed tones, their words filled with apprehension about the assessment.

Their gazes swept over the rows of large, square black cloths on either side of the platform. Their expressions were grave, betraying their deep nervousness and anxiety.

Yang Jing turned his head to look as well, his eyes falling upon the rows of large black cloths nearby.

The cloths were about a person’s height, draped over square shapes on the ground. There were dozens of them, arranged in dense rows.

Faintly, he could hear low, guttural roars coming from beneath the cloths. The sounds were muffled but incredibly menacing, suffused with a primal ferocity that made one’s hair stand on end and sent a chill through their heart.

He had watched a Dragon Gate Martial Trial once before, so he already had some understanding of the assessment’s format.

The Xuanzhen Sect’s Dragon Gate Martial Trial placed the highest importance on a disciple’s practical combat ability. Disciples with poor talent naturally had weak combat skills, but even if a talented disciple failed once, they could always accumulate enough strength and experience to eventually pass.

The core of the martial trial was a direct confrontation with fierce and exotic beasts. Only by distinguishing oneself in a life-or-death battle could a disciple be considered qualified for promotion to the Inner Sect.

Beneath those large black cloths were not miscellaneous items, but large iron cages forged from heavy, refined steel. The cages were extremely sturdy, and inside them were the various fierce and exotic beasts to be used in the trial, lying in wait for the assessment to begin.

Over long years of evolution, the rules of the Dragon Gate Martial Trial had actually become extremely simple.

There were no complicated procedures. The core requirement was to win four consecutive battles on the central platform. As long as one won them all, they would pass the Dragon Gate Martial Trial and successfully be promoted to an Inner Sect Disciple.

However, the difficulty of these four battles increased progressively. Each fight was more perilous than the last, and there was absolutely no holding back.

The opponent in the first battle was an ordinary fierce beast—typically a savage wolf, tiger, leopard, bear, or wild boar from the mountains.