Chapter 38: Severing the Xuanyuan Court with a Sword

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The stone stele... exploded?

It was not only Mu Feng who stood frozen. Even the people below remained stunned for a long while, unable to recover.

This was the first time anything like it had happened during the Taichu Martial Academy’s examination.

Everyone’s expressions had turned rigid.

They had assumed that, given the magnitude of the disturbance, Mu Feng’s cultivation would far surpass that of the two from the Profound Origin Court.

Who could have imagined that the stone stele itself would explode?

The disdain in Xuan Yuanting’s eyes was impossible to conceal.

“As expected, trash will always be trash. He even managed to blow up the stone stele.”

“Does this count as passing the examination?”

Mu Feng looked somewhat awkwardly toward Elder Xiong, whose expression was rather strange.

The testing stele had been crafted from an exceptionally rare stone, its material incomparably hard.

There were only two possible explanations for its explosion.

The first was that Mu Feng’s cultivation was truly extremely high.

But no matter how high it was, could someone his age possibly have reached the Heaven and Earth Realm?

The second possibility was that the stele had been unable to withstand spiritual power infused with an elemental attribute.

Mu Feng had awakened an elemental spiritual attribute at such a young age, and that was what had caused the stele to burst apart.

Either explanation was enough to prove that Mu Feng’s talent far exceeded that of ordinary people. Even Xuan Yuanting and Ji Tu could not be compared with him.

“You pass,” Elder Xiong announced.

The moment his words fell, countless voices of protest erupted.

“Unfair! His cultivation level was not even displayed. How can you let him pass?”

“Exactly! I never thought even the Taichu Martial Academy would have hidden dealings. Someone like this can actually pass the first round!”

As the discussion grew more heated, Elder Xiong’s expression darkened.

“Impertinent!”

“Does the Taichu Martial Academy need your instruction on how to conduct its affairs?”

His deep voice carried terrifying pressure that shook in every direction.

Sensing his fury, everyone obediently fell silent.

Elder Xiong was one of the guardian elders of the Taichu Martial Academy, an existence far beyond what disciples like them could afford to offend.

Even so, most of them still glared angrily at Mu Feng.

Mu Feng paid them little attention.

He merely clasped his fists toward Elder Xiong.

“Thank you, Elder Xiong.”

“Mm. Go on down.”

Elder Xiong nodded lightly, a trace of appreciation appearing in his eyes.

At last, today’s examination had produced a young man worth watching.

Before long, the first round of the examination came to an end.

Of the nearly ten thousand candidates, ninety percent were eliminated in the first round alone.

Looking at the fewer than one thousand remaining candidates, Elder Xiong said expressionlessly, “Congratulations to all of you who passed the first round. You have now obtained the qualifications to join the Taichu Martial Academy.”

“You may choose whether or not to participate in the second and third rounds.”

“The second round will be a ranking tournament. In the end, three people will be selected to participate in the final third round.”

According to the rules, the higher one’s ranking in the second round, the better the treatment one would receive upon joining the Taichu Martial Academy.

Moreover, those who successfully entered the third-round finals would have a chance to obtain a direct-entry position in the Sword Sect.

As soon as Elder Xiong finished speaking, many disciples chose to withdraw from the remaining examinations.

For them, merely joining the Taichu Martial Academy was already a momentous occasion.

Only a little over a hundred people remained.

They soon took their places on the martial platforms that had already been prepared.

Looking at Mu Feng in the distance, a cold smile appeared at the corner of Xuan Yuanting’s mouth.

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“He passed the first round by luck, yet he still does not know his own limits.”

“I only hope you can hold out a little longer and let me teach you a lesson myself. What a pity...”

Following Xuan Yuanting’s gaze, everyone saw a burly man standing opposite Mu Feng.

Every muscle on his body gleamed beneath the sunlight.

His bronze-colored skin shone brilliantly. Merely looking at him gave one a tremendous sense of oppression.

Upon seeing him, the crowd below began whispering among themselves.

“That is Jinye of Golden State City. He is a ninth-stage Spirit Ascension expert, and his body-tempering techniques are terrifying. I heard that even blades and swords cannot cut through him.”

“Hmph! Good. He can teach that lucky brat a proper lesson. I went through untold hardship to pass the first test. What right does he have to pass through luck alone?”

“Exactly! Jinye, teach him a good lesson!”

“Teach him a lesson!”

The discussion below grew increasingly heated, and Jinye also looked at Mu Feng with undisguised dislike.

He was a straightforward man who detested people who relied on their background or luck.

The fact that Mu Feng had passed the first round without even displaying a result had irritated him from the very beginning.

“Brat, I’ll give you a chance to surrender. Get off the platform obediently. Otherwise, once I make my move, you may not be able to leave upright.”

Jinye rolled his neck, and the bones throughout his body crackled.

“You talk too much.”

Mu Feng moved in an instant. The Spirit Shadow Wandering Step activated at once, leaving behind only an afterimage.

In the next moment, an iron fist slammed into Jinye’s stomach.

The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned.

Mu Feng was so fast that even Xiong Hui failed to react in time.

Boom!

As the Body Tempering Scripture circulated, surging power erupted.

Before Jinye could recover, his entire body was sent crashing toward the ground like a kite with a severed string.

One move had defeated Jinye?

How was that possible?

“Did I see that correctly? Jinye actually lost?”

“Could this brat really possess some ability after all?”

“It was a sneak attack! It must have been a sneak attack. He struck while Jinye was undefended. How despicable!”

Though they said this, anyone with a discerning eye could see the truth.

Mu Feng surpassed Jinye in both speed and strength.

Had that punch landed on an ordinary martial artist, it would have burst his body apart on the spot.

Jinye had survived only because his physical body was exceptionally tough. Otherwise, he would already have been dead.

“Interesting.”

A sinister glint appeared in Xuan Yuanting’s eyes.

Ji Tu, on the other hand, looked at Mu Feng with a trace of apology in her gaze.

As the second round officially began, Mu Feng remained on the platform and never once stepped down.

Every opponent he faced was defeated in a single move.

Soon, the final stage of advancement arrived.

Six figures stood upon the platform.

With one more victory, they would advance to the third round and obtain a chance at a direct-entry position in the Sword Sect.

Looking at Mu Feng before him, Xuan Yuanting was somewhat surprised.

“I truly did not expect you to make it this far. You have given me quite a pleasant surprise.”

“Very well. Only someone with a little ability can let me savor the feeling of victory. If you were too weak, I am afraid I would not even be interested in making a move.”

“You talk even more than he did.”

Mu Feng spoke with an indifferent expression.

Below the platform, however, the crowd was already engaged in heated discussion.

“Who do you think will win?”

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“Without a doubt, Xuan Yuanting. Setting everything else aside, his cultivation at the peak of the Spirit Ascension Realm already makes him unrivaled among the younger generation.”

“Mu Feng’s strength may not be bad, but his strongest opponent so far has only been at the ninth stage of the Spirit Ascension Realm. Xuan Yuanting, on the other hand, has genuinely defeated experts at the peak of the Spirit Ascension Realm.”

Suddenly, a fierce sword aura burst from the platform.

Cold radiance flashed and thundered outward.

A figure was sent tumbling awkwardly from the platform, rolling heavily across the ground three or four times.

“You lost.”

Mu Feng stood at the edge of the platform, a long sword in his hand, and spoke without the slightest expression.

He had thought his opponent was a genuine expert.

Who could have imagined that he was merely a hollow shell?

This peak Spirit Ascension cultivation had probably been forced upon him through pills and resources.

The surrounding crowd fell completely silent.

Compared with the thrilling battles taking place on the other two platforms, Mu Feng’s victory had come far too quickly.

It had happened so fast that they had not even seen how he had won.

“Xuan Yuanting lost? Am I dreaming?”

“That sword aura is terrifying. Is this truly the strength one should possess at the Spirit Ascension Realm?”

Xuan Yuanting climbed to his feet in a disheveled state and shouted indignantly, “You attacked before I had finished speaking! You are despicable!”

But as soon as his voice fell, scattered jeers rose from the surrounding crowd.

“Despicable? You were defeated in a single move and you still have the nerve to complain.”

“I thought the general’s son would be impressive. He could not even withstand one move from Mu Feng.”

As the voices grew louder, Xuan Yuanting’s face shifted from green to purple. When had he ever been scorned so thoroughly?

He hurriedly covered his face and fled in humiliation.

At the same time, the other two platforms also determined their winners.

As expected, Ji Tu naturally obtained the qualification to advance to the third round.

“I truly did not expect you to defeat Xuan Yuanting. Congratulations.”

Facing Ji Tu’s congratulations, Mu Feng’s expression remained indifferent, his eyes filled with icy coldness.

“Miss Ji, if you use me as a weapon again, you will have to pay the price.”

“I’m sorry... I had no choice.”

“That has nothing to do with me.”

With that, Mu Feng turned and walked away.

Ji Tu was left standing where she was, her eyes filled with sorrow.

A trace of blood flowed down her arm into her palm, where she quietly wiped it away.

“Congratulations to the three of you for passing the second round.”

“For the third round, disciples of the Sword Sect will serve as the chief examiners.”

Whoosh!

In an instant, four powerful auras surged into existence.

In the distance, four figures arrived aboard a vast flying vessel, drawing the gazes of countless people.

“So this is the Sword Sect? They truly are wealthy. They even possess flying spiritual artifacts like that.”

“That woman is said to be the latest genius recruited by the Sword Sect. I heard she is also from Origin City.”

Boom!

The flying vessel came to a sudden halt.

Mu Feng looked up.

Two pairs of eyes met.

The moment he saw who had arrived, a surging killing intent erupted from within Mu Feng.

Xiao Ruoxin!