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

Chapter 370: Chapter 143: Promotion to the Inner Sect

They muttered a few words to each other.

A moment later, one of them turned and quietly left Dragon Gate Plaza.

The other remained where he was, his gaze fixed on Yang Jing and Sun Ningxiang.

...

Yang Jing and Sun Ningxiang were speaking in low tones when they noticed two figures approaching. Looking up, they saw it was Jia Yuliang and Liu Rou, two outer sect disciples from Lingxi Peak.

The pair walked up to Yang Jing, stopped, and bowed with cupped fists, their expressions complex. "Congratulations, Senior Brother Yang, on successfully passing the Dragon Gate Martial Trial and earning your promotion to the Inner Sect."

Previously, they had always addressed Yang Jing as Junior Brother, but now that he had passed the Dragon Gate Martial Trial, he was about to become an Inner Sect Disciple.

According to the rules of the Xuanzhen Sect, all outer sect disciples must respectfully address Inner Sect Disciples as Senior Brother. Even though Yang Jing hadn’t officially completed the promotion procedures, the two had naturally changed their form of address, adopting a very humble posture.

Seeing this, Yang Jing smiled, gave a slight nod, and replied politely, "Thank you both."

Jia Yuliang straightened up and looked at the impressive man before him. "From today on, I’m afraid many people in the sect will be talking about you, Senior Brother Yang," he said with emotion. "Your performance in the Dragon Gate Martial Trial was just incredible."

Liu Rou nodded in agreement. "That’s right. In the past, most senior brothers who passed the Dragon Gate Martial Trial had difficult fights and ended up covered in wounds. But you just swept through everyone, winning all four of your matches cleanly and decisively. With strength like that, your chances of breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm in the future are extremely high. Once you do, you’ll be considered one of the elite even among the Inner Sect Disciples."

The small group chatted congenially.

「Meanwhile, below the high platform.」

Steward Zheng had been staring gravely at the high platform, waiting for Zhou Bohao’s first match to begin. Suddenly, he remembered something and instinctively turned his head to look toward the distant hillock.

But all he saw was an empty landscape.

Peak Master Lingxi and the Senior Sister of Lingxi Peak, Si Jiawen, who had been standing on the hillock, were nowhere to be seen. They had left at some unknown point.

Steward Zheng froze. He had been focused on the situation over here and hadn’t noticed their departure at all.

Suddenly, a thought struck him.

’Could it be that the Peak Master and Si Jiawen didn’t come specifically to watch the Dragon Gate Martial Trial today, but for Yang Jing?’

’Why else would they leave the moment Yang Jing’s trial was over?’

At this thought, Steward Zheng furrowed his brow, a flicker of unease in his heart as he pondered to himself.

’Has Yang Jing already caught the Peak Master’s eye? Is she secretly observing him?’

’If that’s true, then my plans to take Yang Jing as my own disciple might have to change.’

He mulled it over for a moment before suppressing the thought, deciding it was best to wait and see how things played out.

’If the Peak Master truly values Yang Jing and intends to cultivate him, then I’ll have to give up on the idea of taking him as my disciple.’

’But if she doesn’t seem to care that much about him, then it won’t be too late to find another chance to make my offer.’

The Dragon Gate Martial Trial continued without pause. Zhou Bohao took a deep breath and steadied himself on the high platform.

He passed his first match smoothly, but by the third, he found himself facing an agile exotic beast and was ultimately outmatched.

After a prolonged struggle, he was grievously wounded by the beast. The Main Peak Elder intervened just in time to save him, but it marked the end of his trial. He had failed, and could only step down in disgrace.

Shen Yue took the stage next, but her performance was even less impressive than Zhou Bohao’s. She only made it to the second match before she was unable to fend off an exotic beast’s attacks and was quickly defeated, also failing the trial.

Seeing this, Steward Zheng and the other two stewards from Lingxi Peak couldn’t help but shake their heads, though their expressions weren’t filled with disappointment or regret.

After all, so far only one disciple had managed to pass the Dragon Gate Martial Trial, and that disciple was one of their own from Lingxi Peak.

Yang Jing’s achievement had already far exceeded their expectations, so the three stewards weren’t too bothered by the failures of Zhou Bohao and Shen Yue.

The Dragon Gate Martial Trial continued in an orderly fashion.

Outer sect disciples from the various peaks took the stage one after another. Some fought with all their might only to be defeated, while others were quickly overwhelmed and left in shame.

The roars of exotic beasts and the pained cries of disciples periodically echoed from the high platform as the number of eliminated participants grew.

The trial only began to draw to a close after every disciple participating in this Dragon Gate Martial Trial had taken their turn.

A total of fifteen outer sect disciples from the various peaks participated in the trial, but in the end, only two managed to pass.

One was Yang Jing of Lingxi Peak, and the other was an outer sect disciple from Zhenyue Peak. Both had relied on their formidable strength to overcome four perilous battles and earn the right to be promoted to the Inner Sect.

As the Dragon Gate Martial Trial concluded, the crowd began to disperse.

Yang Jing turned to say goodbye to Sun Ningxiang, then followed Steward Zheng and the other two Lingxi Peak stewards toward Lingxi Peak.

Zhou Bohao and Shen Yue, who had also come for the trial, had failed to earn a promotion to the Inner Sect. Thus, they couldn’t accompany the stewards back to the Internal Affairs Hall to handle the necessary procedures. With dejected expressions, they started on the path back to Lingxi Peak together, their eyes filled with envy as they watched Yang Jing’s receding figure.

Yang Jing followed the three stewards all the way back to Lingxi Peak.

Along the way, many disciples they passed couldn’t help but stare at him.

News of his success in the Dragon Gate Martial Trial hadn’t yet reached Lingxi Peak. The reason for their surprise was his tattered and blood-stained green robe, which stood in stark contrast to the neat attire of the other disciples and inevitably drew their attention.