Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

He could physically withstand the attacks of an expert at Qi Gathering Minor Achievement. He was confident that ordinary blades could not breach his defenses.

Even an expert at Qi Gathering Great Success would find it difficult to injure him, unless they had mastered a technique like Wind and Thunder Strength, which specifically targeted the internal organs.

’Only five more days!’

The Martial Arts Ascension Dragon was in just five days, but he was still a long way from Marrow Cleansing. However, with his cultivation, securing a good ranking wouldn’t be difficult, and he had no intention of vying for first place.

His Root Bone had changed too drastically; it would be troublesome if the wrong people noticed. Simply getting a chance at the Dragon Ascension was enough for him.

At noon, Xu Yang arrived at Weiyuan Hall. The atmosphere here was no longer so tense. With the Martial Arts Ascension Dragon drawing near, everyone was starting to relax and conserve their energy.

"Brother Xu!"

"Hello, Brother Xu!"

...

After more than a year, he had become one of the senior disciples of the Weiyuan Hall’s Inner Courtyard. With his cultivation at Qi Gathering Great Success, any disciple who saw him would clasp their hands and bow in respect.

Walking over to where Qiu Wenjie and Tian Li were, he assumed his stance and began practicing the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture.

"Senior Brother Zhang Hong is here!"

"Look how triumphant he is. He must have finally reached Qi Gathering Great Success at the last minute."

Hearing the disciples’ hushed discussions, Xu Yang looked up to see Zhang Hong, who hadn’t been to Weiyuan Hall in days, stepping into the Inner Courtyard.

He was flushed with success, his spirits soaring.

"Senior Brother Zhang Hong, have you reached Qi Gathering Great Success?" a disciple asked.

Zhang Hong’s gaze swept over the disciples in the Inner Courtyard as he smiled. "I was lucky enough to succeed."

The moment he said this, many people rose to their feet and went to congratulate him.

Qi Gathering Great Success was merely the threshold for the Martial Arts Ascension Dragon, but for most people, it was a height they could never hope to reach in their entire lives.

Xu Yang also went over to offer his congratulations. Although they were no longer in the same circle, the friendship they once shared still remained. A simple "congratulations" wouldn’t cost him anything.

In fact, after Qian Jiaxing, his best relationships had been with Qiu Wenjie and Zhang Hong. He wasn’t so stingy as to withhold a simple word of congratulations.

Zhang Hong was surrounded by people, so Xu Yang returned to his spot and continued his stance training.

"Brother Xu!"

After holding his stance for a while, he saw Zhang Hong approaching—a rare sight.

Xu Yang relaxed his Pile Skill and said, "Is there something I can help you with, Brother Zhang?"

He was quite calm, but Zhang Hong’s expression was somewhat unnatural. "Jiang Ping, Zhao Zhifei, and Senior Sister Gu Fang are organizing a banquet tonight. They asked me to invite you."

Xu Yang’s brow furrowed slightly. People like Jiang Ping and Zhao Zhifei had always looked down on him, and he wanted nothing to do with them.

Just as he was about to refuse, Zhang Hong, as if reading his mind, added, "This is a gathering for all the Weiyuan Hall disciples participating in the Martial Arts Examination. Senior Brother Sun Tao is also one of the organizers; it’s not just an event planned by Jiang Ping and his group."

"Senior Brother Sun Tao insists that you must come. At the banquet, he will share some information about experts from other Martial Arts Halls and also discuss some rules and strategies for the examination."

Xu Yang nodded. "I’ll be there on time."

He could ignore the others, but he had to show respect to Sun Tao. Although he and Sun Tao weren’t particularly close, Sun Tao was always fair in his dealings. Even during Xu Yang’s conflict with Lu Ren, Sun Tao had never shown any favoritism.

For that reason alone, Sun Tao deserved to be called "Senior Brother" in earnest.

Besides, in a sense, he was also indebted to Sun Tao for his instruction.

After giving him the time and place, Zhang Hong turned and left, shaking his head inwardly.

By now, many people understood that Xu Yang’s talent was no less than Lu Ren’s. It was just that Xu Yang lacked the ambition of a true powerhouse and was a bit too proud for his own good.

For the sake of resources, Lu Ren had been willing to agree to a marriage alliance with a woman from the Huang Family. To obtain stronger Martial Arts and even more resources, he had willingly shouldered the reputation of a treacherous backstabber and switched his allegiance to the Gu Family.

Zhang Yong had also married into a minor family for resources.

He himself had risked his life for resources.

Only Xu Yang was unwilling to marry into a family for status and was too afraid to risk his life for resources. His actions were utterly laughable, which was why so many people looked down on him.

...

「Fulin Building!」

All the Weiyuan Hall disciples participating in the Martial Arts Examination were gathered—fifteen people in total. Or, strictly speaking, only fourteen.

One disciple who had signed up had yet to reach Qi Gathering Great Success, and he did not show up today.

The reason there were still fifteen people was because Lin Wei had come.

As Lin Cheng’s daughter, she was considered a disciple of Weiyuan Hall, even though she studied Martial Arts at Sunv Hall.

Today, she wore a floral-print dress, which added a touch of delicate charm to her martial aura, making her the center of attention. Many of the disciples kept stealing glances in her direction.

Once all the dishes were served, Gu Fang was the first to stand. "A toast to all my senior and junior brothers. Thank you for gracing me with your presence."

She was footing the bill tonight, which made her the host. It had also been her idea to organize the banquet.

Xu Yang only learned this after he arrived and overheard the others chatting.

Gu Fang’s older brother, Gu Haoming, the eldest son of the Gu Family, was expected to place in the top three. That was why the Gu Family was sparing no expense to build relationships and find allies.

"To Senior Sister Gu!"

"You’re too kind, Senior Sister Gu!"

...

Everyone politely raised their cups in response.

"Senior Brother Sun, do you know who is most likely to take first place this year?"

After a few rounds of drinks, when everyone had more or less finished eating, someone couldn’t resist asking.

Qingyuan County wasn’t large, but it wasn’t small either. Anyone without the right connections would have no idea who the top experts were.

Hearing the question, Sun Tao put down his chopsticks. "There are three people most likely to take the top spot this year. The first is Han Xing from the Tongbi Fist Hall. It’s said he is already capable of Marrow Cleansing, but because the Martial Arts Examination is imminent and he has no time to consolidate his cultivation, he has forcibly suppressed his breakthrough. It’s also rumored that he has already comprehended Tongbi Fist’s Heaven-Reaching Strength."

"If you run into him, it would be best to concede immediately."

Heaven-Reaching Strength was essentially the same as Wind and Thunder Strength; the name was just different because the Martial Arts style was different.

Hearing about an expert of this caliber, everyone subconsciously nodded. Heaven-Reaching Strength was a Killing Move designed for those at Qi Gathering Great Success, as it specialized in attacking the internal organs. If one encountered it, conceding quickly was indeed the wisest choice.