Chapter 21: The Martial Critics Block the Way

The middle-aged man spoke in an offhand manner, but the students on the square grew anxious. Though they had all prepared themselves for the worst upon coming here, to be eliminated before even entering the hall would be an unbearable humiliation. Driven by urgency, everyone quickened their pace and charged forward.

In an instant, the vast square resounded with thunderous footsteps, a surging tide of people rushing toward the hall, wave after wave pressing onward. Those unfortunate enough to fall were instantly transformed into pillars of light and transported away. As beams of light soared into the sky, more people surged forward, creating a scene of utter chaos upon the square.

Inside the hall, two long tables stood laden with thick stacks of registration forms. Four people sat behind the tables, watching with interest the slowly closing doors and the crowd swarming outside.

Of the four, two were male and two female, two old and two young.

At the outer ends sat a bespectacled youth and a girl in red whose face was as radiant as a peach blossom, though a certain fierceness clung to her presence. The youth wore a blue silk shirt, his features refined and delicate, exuding a calm and reserved air—the very image of a student.

The girl appeared a bit older than him, but her temper was the opposite of his: her brows were lofty, her bearing proud and unyielding.

As the sounds of hurried footsteps outside grew ever louder and heavier, the youth and the girl rose to their feet and walked to the doorway. Standing on either side, they blocked the already narrow entrance, leaving less than three meters between them.

“Lin Yuan,”

The old woman in plain clothes, who had been sitting at her leisure, suddenly called out to the girl.

The girl in red, Lin Yuan, turned her head.

The old woman smiled and said, “You’re ranked second on the Martial Evaluation List. Go easy on these novices.”

“Don’t worry, Granny, I know what I’m doing,” Lin Yuan replied.

She turned back, placing one hand behind her and spreading the other in front. A surge of energy stirred a strong wind about her, and she looked with utter disdain at the pressing crowd before her.

With this simple posture, her presence surged forth like a crimson crane—majestic and untouchable.

The bespectacled youth was much more earnest. He stepped forward on one foot, extended both arms, and spread his fingers in a textbook “Departing Dragon Eight Trigrams” opening stance. Energy roiled within him—not as wild as the girl’s, but a blend of hardness and softness, strength and suppleness.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”

Three figures who had just entered the door were instantly flung back.

One was repelled outright by the youth’s force, another struck aside by his palm, and the third kicked out by Lin Yuan. Clearly, Lin Yuan’s strikes were heavier.

Those behind, Ye Ran among them, were momentarily stunned. It was bad enough to suddenly face an extra trial, but now two gatekeepers as well?

The middle-aged man smiled gently again. “Please, don’t be reckless. These two are the top-ranked students on our Martial Evaluation List—Wang Li and Lin Yuan. You need only withstand two moves from them to enter and take the written exam.”

“Whatever the case, I wish you all the best.” With those words, his body vanished from sight.

The top two on the Martial Evaluation List? Could this be real?

Who in Torrent City didn’t know the names on Redleaf Academy’s Martial Evaluation List? Anyone who made it onto that ranking was already a top-tier expert, even by Martial Hero Hall standards.

And as for Wang Li and Lin Yuan, their names had long since become legends. One was seen as the prodigy most likely to surpass the latent dragons of the previous generation; the other, a heroine who had once refused an invitation from the Sixth Divine Envoy herself. Facing them was no different from seeking humiliation.

The already beleaguered crowd could only curse under their breath and muster every ounce of strength as they dashed forward.

Cries of alarm erupted continuously at the hall’s entrance as one figure after another was blasted out by Wang Li and Lin Yuan’s energy and blows. Fewer than one in ten managed to withstand two moves and earn entry.

Ye Ran, however, had no time for complaints. He slipped nimbly through the gaps between bodies, making his way toward the hall. Perhaps due to his long years of body training, the carpet’s suction barely affected him.

Ahead, Yamo glanced back and immediately spotted Ye Ran darting forward with incredible speed, seemingly unhindered by the gravity that held everyone else down.

He chuckled. “Ansen, go see what that backpacker is made of.”

The old man in black behind him nodded, turned, and headed straight for Ye Ran. His clothes billowed as his energy surged forth, and he deftly threaded his way through the crowd.

As one of the Art family’s five great experts, his physical prowess was naturally impressive. The increased gravity here might hinder these novices, but to someone of his caliber, it was negligible.

Yet the backpacker he had always looked down on seemed equally unaffected, cutting through the crowd like a blade.

The two, moving in opposite directions, swiftly closed the gap—soon no more than three meters apart. Ansen saw Ye Ran’s cold, impassive face clearly.

Whether from delayed reaction or some other reason, he found himself unresponsive. With a cold sneer, Ansen curled his fingers behind his back, gathering his energy. But just then, Ye Ran suddenly bent his knees and vaulted high into the air.

The smile froze on Ansen’s face; all his momentum ground to a halt.

Ordinarily, such a leap was nothing remarkable. But on this carpet, with its amplified gravity, it was astonishing—without using energy, even a man of Ansen’s skill would only manage a normal jump. Yet this youth—

He soared a full three meters high.

It was as if a wolf had leapt from the midst of a flock of sheep—utterly conspicuous. Even Wang Li and Lin Yuan, guarding the gate, couldn’t help but glance over in surprise.

“What astounding physical strength. Back then, you and I weren’t much better,” Wang Li remarked, sweeping his palm to send two more groaning contestants flying.

Lin Yuan chuckled softly. “His body is well-trained, but his energy is weak.”

The two faced the oncoming crowd with effortless ease. Occasionally, one would withstand two moves and be allowed inside, but so far, fewer than thirty had made it through.

“He’s coming,” Wang Li said with a smile.

Ye Ran’s acrobatics—three somersaults over Ansen in midair—startled many. Upon landing, he wasted not an instant, weaving left and right through the crowd, resisting the gravity like a gale cutting through chaos.

With a flicker, he closed in on the hall’s doors, then pushed off both knees and charged straight at Wang Li.

He’s attacking? Wang Li looked at him with admiration, swept his hand, and unleashed a surge of force. His palm, seemingly gentle, pressed down on Ye Ran’s incoming fist, ready to seize his wrist and toss him out as he had done with the others. But Ye Ran abruptly dropped to the ground, retracted his fist to evade the certain grip, then drew a breath, gathered his energy, and with a sudden turn, swung his right palm hard at Lin Yuan.

Those who had been following stopped in their tracks, stunned to the core.

Was this kid insane? Was he really challenging both the top two on the Martial Evaluation List at once?