Chapter 92: Epiphany?
Chapter 92: Chapter 92: Epiphany?
In the ensuing matches, there were no more shocking scenes of a candidate defeating an examiner outright like Fang Chen had.
Cai Long performed quite well. The Cold Ice True Qi he majored in was characterized by its insidious and tricky nature. A few bizarre changes in his moves almost resulted in successful sneak attacks, allowing him to trade blows back and forth with the examiner. However, as the examiner gradually increased the pressure, he soon caught a tiny flaw in the circulation of Cai Long’s True Qi. A fierce straight punch broke through Cai Long’s defenses, forcing him back several steps. Following a flurry of continuous punches, Cai Long was defeated.
Still, such a performance was already considered outstanding among the nearby zones, drawing quite a bit of attention.
Fang Chen had been watching as well. "Cai Long shouldn’t have much of a problem passing the assessment," he thought. "He has honed his skills at the Geta Club for a long time. His practical combat experience and ability to adapt to Martial Artists of different styles are much stronger than many of his peers who just train behind closed doors."
Meanwhile, those ordinary Martial Artist students who knew they lacked raw power began resorting to spiritual consumables and potions. The first one to go up was a bit sneaky, swallowing an elixir during a gap in the fight, but the chief examiner loudly declared, "No need to hide it! Use whatever means you have! This is also a part of your strength and preparation!"
With those words, the subsequent candidates let loose, and the scene immediately became a mixed bag of tricks. Someone slapped a Thunder Talisman onto their training longsword, bringing forth blinding arcs of electricity with every swing, looking incredibly intimidating. Another swallowed an elixir, their skin instantly turning red as their aura skyrocketed, briefly elevating their speed and strength to a whole new level. Yet another used a single-use protective jade talisman to forcefully tank a strike from the examiner... Various consumables rarely seen on ordinary days emerged in an endless stream.
Fang Chen quietly released his spiritual power perception to sense the emotions of the two graders. He discovered that in the face of these external aids, the two graders were not displeased at all. Instead, when scoring, their emotions revealed a sense of satisfaction. After all, on the path of the Martial Dao—wealth, companions, methods, and land—resources were inherently an indispensable link.
Almost two hours passed, and the first round of challenges for the one hundred candidates in Zone 8 came to an end. The time was approaching 11:00 a.m. The assessment organizers announced a half-hour halftime break. Staff members brought over baskets of dry rations and clear water, distributing them to all the candidates for a collective meal.
After the brief rest, the second round of challenges began.
However, the candidates’ performances in the second round were generally worlds apart from their first. Having endured the fierce confrontations and injuries of the first round, even those who took potions inevitably suffered a decline in their condition. The transitions between their moves were no longer smooth, their reaction speeds dropped, and the circulation of their True Qi appeared sluggish. As for the candidates who couldn’t bear to spend money on potions and spiritual consumables, their conditions plummeted even further. Some even found it strenuous just to stand steady, barely lasting a few moves before being easily dispatched.
Fang Chen could clearly perceive that when facing these candidates in poor condition, the examiners’ emotions carried obvious disappointment. Evidently, most of these candidates would be eliminated.
As the competition progressed, almost everyone, including candidates from other zones, was waiting. They were waiting for that figure in Zone 8—Fang Chen. He had somewhat opportunistically beaten the examiner in the first round. In this second round, with the examiner on guard and his own stamina depleted from the first match, how far could he go?
Finally, it was Fang Chen’s turn to take the stage for the second time.
"Group 8, Fang Chen, second round challenge!"
The moment the voice fell, a massive number of candidates and gazes from nearby zones that were temporarily without matches swarmed over with a WHOOSH, forming a thick human wall.
"Hurry! That guy is up again!"
"Let’s go, let’s go! Let’s see how well he can fight this time when the examiner isn’t underestimating him!"
"Can he create another miracle?"
Under the focus of countless gazes, Fang Chen calmly stepped onto the stage. For his second round, he chose the burly male examiner who specialized in Fist Techniques. Fang Chen noticed that the opponent had still suppressed his cultivation to the Peak of True Martial Realm. However, his eyes were sharp and his aura was condensed. He had clearly learned from Fan Yutong’s lesson, devoting his full attention and standing ready from the very beginning.
Sure enough, Fang Chen didn’t gain any advantage at the start of the battle. The two traded punches and kicks, sending fierce winds overflowing in all directions. The fight was incredibly intense, and the scene was deadlocked for a time.
As the battle progressed, the examiner began to gradually increase the intensity. He even employed some exquisite martial skill moves that obviously exceeded the scope of the True Martial Realm. Although the power was deliberately controlled, their level of subtlety and power generation techniques brought immense pressure upon Fang Chen.
Fang Chen pushed his learned Fist Techniques, Leg Techniques, and Body Techniques to the absolute limit. His Transcendence Level comprehension of martial skills, coupled with physical attributes piled high by resources, allowed him to barely hold on.
The battle lasted for more than a hundred exchanges. The scene could be called the most intense and brilliant fight since the exams began!
Ultimately, the examiner delivered a fierce side kick infused with High Martial Realm power generation techniques. He seized a tiny opening in Fang Chen’s stance, broke through his defenses, and viciously kicked him in the waist!
BAM!
Fang Chen’s entire body was kicked off the ground, flying backward through the air!
"Whoa—!"
A chorus of various sounds instantly erupted from the crowd. There were sighs of regret that he failed to create another miracle, as well as the jeers of those who were just enjoying the spectacle.
However, when everyone saw Fang Chen nimbly adjust his posture in mid-air and ultimately land firmly on his feet, the uproar instantly died down. Though his face was slightly pale and his breathing was hurried, the light of the spiritual crystal stone on his combat suit remained stable, clearly indicating he hadn’t suffered any significant trauma.
Even though it was a loss, Fang Chen’s loss was on a completely different level from theirs! He only narrowly lost after engaging in over a hundred exchanges and forcing out the examiner’s trump cards!
On the sidelines, the two graders conversed in low voices.
The elderly man from the association stroked his beard and said, "Although he lost this round, my evaluation of him is actually higher than in the first round."
The grader from the academy smiled and nodded. "Haha, agreed. The first round involved somewhat opportunistic tactics and the opponent’s carelessness. In this second round, if I’m not mistaken, the examiner used the High Martial Realm martial skill ’Three-Section Break’ at the end, right?"
"Yes, Three-Section Break," the elder replied. "Even though his realm was suppressed, it’s still not something a True Martial Realm martial skill can compare to."
"Moreover, looking at the spiritual crystal stone on Fang Chen’s combat suit, the energy fluctuations are exceptionally abundant. It seems to be... Tier 2?" The academy grader’s eyes were sharp.
"Mm, it seems his family background is quite good as well," the elder mused. "Being able to get his hands on a Tier 2 crystal stone means he won’t be held back too much in terms of resources, at the very least."
"Haha. Anyway, our Cyan Yang Martial Arts Academy is definitely claiming this student!" The academy grader’s tone was resolute as he once again jotted down an extremely high score on the evaluation sheet.
As for the third round, Fang Chen didn’t show too much decline. He continued to wield his longsword and engaged in a fierce battle of over a hundred moves with the final examiner, though he ultimately still suffered defeat. However, Fang Chen felt he had gained a lot. In Jinchuan City, whether at school or the Geta Club, he had never engaged in such a hearty and exhilarating sparring session.
He felt that after fighting these High Martial Realm examiners, he had actually developed a new understanding of several stagnant True Martial Level combat skills.
Was this...
An epiphany?