Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

The expressions of Jiang Ping, Zhao Zhifei, and the others who had reached Qi Gathering Great Success all changed.

This meant they were being asked to fight.

Normally, they wouldn’t refuse, but the Martial Arts Ascension Dragon was imminent. If they got injured and it affected their performance, their entire future would be ruined.

"Those idiots from Gale Hall, aren’t they afraid of getting injured and messing up their chances at the Martial Arts Ascension Dragon? If they want a fight, I’ll oblige them anytime after the event. We could even have a deathmatch. Why are they causing trouble now?" Jiang Ping cursed.

His reluctance to fight was practically written on his face.

Sun Tao said, "Everyone, don’t worry. We’re afraid of injuries affecting the Martial Arts Ascension Dragon, and so are they. This sparring session will be just a light exchange of pointers. If anyone gets hurt, the Martial Arts Hall will provide compensation and ensure it doesn’t affect your participation in the Martial Arts Ascension Dragon."

Hearing this, everyone’s expressions brightened. With the Martial Arts Hall backing them up, there was no problem.

"There will be matches for both Qi Gathering Minor Achievement and Qi Gathering Great Success. We need five people for each level. Who is willing to fight?"

Jiang Ping smiled. "Count me in. Add Junior Brother Lu Ren to the list. Junior Brother Sun Tao, you should be fighting as well. You just need to pick two more, and that will be enough."

He was picking the stronger fighters. Lu Ren went without saying; his talent was already quite famous in Qingyuan. As Lin Cheng’s Direct Disciple, Sun Tao had no doubt received a great deal of special instruction, so his strength was naturally formidable. He, too, had a Great Achievement in Qi Gathering Cultivation.

Gu Fang laughed. "I’m just a woman. You’re not going to make me fight, are you?"

Zhao Zhifei sighed. "Count me in."

He knew he couldn’t avoid it. As one of the most senior disciples, if he shirked his duty now, he would not only be looked down upon but would also offend Lin Cheng.

"Count me in too!"

An older disciple named Yang Lin also spoke up, and with that, the roster for the Great Success Level was set.

"What about the junior brothers with Minor Achievement in Qi Gathering Cultivation? Who among you is willing to fight?" Sun Tao’s gaze swept over Xu Yang, Zhang Yong, and the others.

Qiu Wenjie started to speak, but Xu Yang pulled him back.

’Weiyuan Hall is full of talented people; it’s not Qiu Wenjie’s turn to step up.’

’This "light exchange of pointers" nonsense... if you actually believe that crap, you won’t even know what hit you.’

"I’ll fight!"

"I’m tired of sparring with our own disciples all day. I want to test Gale Hall’s methods and get ready for the Martial Arts Ascension Dragon."

"Count me in, too."

"They think they’re invincible just because they have Kong Yu. I’ve been wanting to fight them for a while."

...

This time, many were willing to fight, as there were far more people at the Qi Gathering Minor Achievement Cultivation level than at the Great Success level.

The Martial Arts Ascension Dragon was still over two months away, and many were just shy of a breakthrough. In an instant, more than five people had volunteered to fight.

Sun Tao looked at Xu Yang, who had not only refrained from volunteering but had also held Qiu Wenjie back. With a deadpan expression, he said, "Junior Brother Xu, for the Qi Gathering Minor Achievement level, Master has specifically appointed you to fight."

Xu Yang: ...

’There’s no escaping this. Lin Cheng must have anticipated that I wouldn’t volunteer and made special arrangements.’

Everyone looked at Xu Yang in surprise. For this sparring session with Gale Hall, Xu Yang was the only one whom Lin Cheng had personally ordered to fight.

Could it be that Xu Yang’s combat strength was so great that Lin Cheng held him in such high regard?

"My apologies, Senior Brother Sun. I’d like to fight for the Martial Arts Hall, but I reached Qi Gathering Great Success last night," Xu Yang said with an apologetic look.

Sun Tao: ...

The entire Inner Courtyard fell silent. Zhang Yong, Zhang Hong, and the others all stared at Xu Yang in astonishment. ’Wasn’t it said that it would be very difficult for Xu Yang to reach Qi Gathering Great Success?’

It had been just over half a month since Lu Ren’s breakthrough, and now Xu Yang had broken through as well.

Many people felt as though they could hear the sound of a slap. Those who had previously claimed Xu Yang couldn’t reach Qi Gathering Great Success felt their faces burn with shame.

Jiang Ping and Lu Ren, in particular, looked as if they had seen a ghost.

The atmosphere was eerily quiet. Sun Tao was stunned for a moment, then he recovered and cupped his fist. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Xu, on reaching Qi Gathering Great Success. Since that’s the case, we’ll have someone else fight."

"Congratulations, Brother Xu!" Qiu Wenjie exclaimed in delight, hastily offering his congratulations.

"The Huang Family was truly blind to have abandoned you back then."

Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong also stood up and came over.

Although they’d had minor disagreements with Xu Yang, they had never become outright enemies.

At the mention of the Huang Family, everyone wore a contemptuous expression, except for Lu Ren, who looked a bit unnatural.

"Don’t tell me you’re just making up lies because you’re too scared to fight," Lu Ren said sarcastically.

He was incredibly jealous. He had betrayed the Huang Family and endured infamy to achieve what he had today. ’On what grounds does Xu Yang deserve this?’

"I also don’t think it’s possib—"

Before Jiang Ping could finish his sentence, he saw Xu Yang’s body surge with powerful True Qi—the unmistakable sign of Qi Gathering Great Success. The rest of his words were caught in his throat.

"Alright, let no one say another word that might disrupt the unity between our martial brothers," Sun Tao said in a low voice.

Everyone in Weiyuan Hall knew about the grudge between Xu Yang and Lu Ren, which gave him a headache.

The more Xu Yang closed the gap, the more incompetent Lu Ren appeared.

Soon, all the fighters were chosen and began to rest and conserve their energy. Those not fighting, like Xu Yang, went to the Outer Courtyard to set up the sparring area, arranging chairs, tea, and other refreshments.

When the appointed time arrived, Lin Cheng also made an appearance.

Today, he was dressed in sharp martial attire, his hair meticulously combed. His Direct Disciples, Sun Tao and An Ye, stood solemnly behind him.

"Gale Hall has come to pay a visit!"

Suddenly, a loud shout came from outside Weiyuan Hall.

"Open the gates and welcome our guests!" Lin Cheng ordered.

Two Outer Courtyard Disciples stepped forward and opened the heavy gates. Outside Weiyuan Hall stood a dozen or so men, each exuding a powerful aura.

Two of them were particularly conspicuous. One was the middle-aged man at the very front. His aura was profound, and his face was stern; he was clearly the master of Gale Hall, Ji Yun.

The other was the youth beside Ji Yun. He carried himself with a heroic and martial air. If there were no surprises, this must be the Gale Hall genius, Kong Yu.

Xu Yang also noticed a third person—Yang Jun.

He was actually part of the Gale Hall group. His gaze found Xu Yang’s, and as their eyes met, a faint, almost imperceptible smile played on Yang Jun’s lips.

"Brother Lin, it’s been a while!"

Ji Yun walked in with a hearty laugh, and Lin Cheng, flanked by Sun Tao and An Ye, went to greet him.

Soon, the disciples from both sides were seated, with Lin Cheng and Ji Yun taking the seats of honor at the head of the room.

"I am Gale Hall disciple Ji Jincheng, with a Minor Achievement in Qi Gathering Cultivation. I wish to ask for a few pointers. Which senior brother from Weiyuan Hall would be willing to enlighten me?" a Gale Hall disciple, unable to wait, was the first to leap into the center of the field.

Sun Tao pondered for a moment, then said, "Junior Brother Zhang Yong, how about you go and exchange a few moves with Junior Brother Ji?"

’Zhang Yong’s Root Bone is Upper C-class. He has also reached the peak of Qi Gathering Minor Achievement and is starting to push for Qi Gathering Great Success. Having him fight first, we should be able to secure a win.’

"Alright!"

Zhang Yong nodded, leaped into the arena, and cupped his fist. "Weiyuan Hall disciple Zhang Yong. Please enlighten me."

Ji Jincheng also solemnly cupped his fist. "Please!"

With that, he bent his knees and shot forward, launching himself like a gust of wind as he engaged Zhang Yong in battle.

’Gale Hall’s Martial Arts is called the Shocking Wind Palm. Like the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist, it also follows a fierce and powerful path...’

Xu Yang watched intently, not missing a single detail.

During the Martial Arts Ascension Dragon, he might encounter disciples from Gale Hall. Observing them now would help him deal with them if they met during the event.

Zhang Yong and Ji Jincheng were evenly matched. They fought for dozens of moves before Zhang Yong managed to win by a narrow margin, taking the first match.

He didn’t use lethal force, merely stopping at the point of victory.

The next three matches at the Qi Gathering Minor Achievement level followed. Gale Hall won two, and Weiyuan Hall won one. However, including Zhang Yong’s victory, the score was tied.

Lin Cheng and Ji Yun chatted and laughed the whole time, seemingly unconcerned with the outcome. They didn’t appear to be at odds at all.

At this moment, from Gale Hall’s side, Yang Jun leaped into the arena.

On Weiyuan Hall’s side, the only one who hadn’t fought yet was Zhang Hong.

He was about to step forward when Yang Jun’s gaze suddenly snapped to Xu Yang. He called out in a loud voice, "Xu Yang! You bullied me back when I hadn’t yet achieved Qi Gathering. Now that I am at Qi Gathering Minor Achievement, do you dare to come up and fight me?"

The disciples of Weiyuan Hall were all stunned. This Yang Jun from Gale Hall was directly challenging Xu Yang. ’Do they have a grudge?’

Everyone had a strange expression. A Qi Gathering Minor Achievement disciple challenging someone at Qi Gathering Great Success?

As if by tacit agreement, no one spoke. Instead, all eyes turned to Xu Yang, including those of Ji Yun and Lin Cheng.

Xu Yang stood up. He first cupped his fist toward Ji Yun and Lin Cheng, then turned to Yang Jun. "If you are challenging me today as a disciple of Gale Hall sparring with a disciple of Weiyuan Hall, then it is not appropriate for me to enter the ring.

But if you are fighting me because of our past grudges, then I will gladly keep you company to the end."