Chapter 43

The Tianyu City Square had transformed overnight. The vast square was entirely cordoned off, with 105 temporary arenas and a luxurious viewing stand erected.

The Spirit Beast Mountain Academy did not have a fixed schedule for which countries or cities they would recruit from each year. In fact, it had been a full century since the academy last recruited in Tianyu City. Therefore, these few days were a grand event for Tianyu City, even more bustling than the annual Tianxing Festival.

Three mentors from the Spirit Beast Mountain Academy had arrived, but only one appeared today. A deputy general from the Western Garrison accompanied the Tianyu City Lord, Ji Tian, who delivered a speech that stirred the blood of all the young men and women present. According to incomplete statistics, by noon, 2,500 martial artists had already registered to participate in the competition.

Jiang Yi did not have the chance to witness such a grand scene. At this moment, he was in a testing room within the Martial Hall, testing a new martial technique he had learned.

"Explosive Yuan Palm!"

He stood with his eyes closed in front of a black wall, let out a low shout, and slowly circulated some yuan energy. The energy flowed through his meridians in a special trajectory, and after thirteen cycles, it had decreased by two-thirds. Then, he circulated the remaining yuan energy, making it spin rapidly in his palm. His eyes opened at this moment, and he struck the black wall forcefully.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" ...

Five dull sounds echoed, and Jiang Yi's eyes instantly brightened, but his brows soon furrowed. He looked at his palm, muttering suspiciously, "That's not right. I successfully released the Explosive Yuan Palm, but why did the power only increase a little? It's supposed to triple, right? Is there a problem with the secret manual, or did I misunderstand something?"

The black wall was a stone for testing strength, and the Jiang family had one as well. The strength-testing stone in the Martial Hall was definitely not faulty. The five sounds indicated that his palm strike had the power of five horses.

Although he did not use his maximum yuan energy to drive the Explosive Yuan Palm, he used a considerable amount. Even if he used his full strength, the increase in power would not be much.

He pondered for a long time and finally casually circulated some yuan energy, striking the black wall. The wall shook, and four dull sounds echoed. He was currently at the fourth level of the Cauldron Casting Realm, with the strength of four horses, confirming that the strength-testing stone was not faulty.

"Try combining the black yuan energy!"

After thinking for a while, Jiang Yi still couldn't figure it out. He gritted his teeth and gathered a portion of yuan energy from his dantian, blending it with a thread of black yuan energy and compressing it. Finally, he released it from his palm, striking the black wall forcefully.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! ..."

The black wall shook, and eight dull sounds echoed before the entire training room fell silent. Jiang Yi, confirming that the black wall had stopped making sounds, felt disappointed.

Eight horses' strength!

With the combined enhancement of the black yuan energy and the Explosive Yuan Palm, the power had only doubled, making him comparable to an eighth-level Cauldron Casting Realm martial artist. This was far from his original expectations. After all, he had only increased his strength. In terms of speed and defense, he was still far behind an eighth-level Cauldron Casting Realm martial artist. If not for the black yuan energy enhancing his vision and reaction speed, he wouldn't even need to participate in the competition.

He had fought against eighth-level and even ninth-level Cauldron Casting Realm martial artists like Jiang Henshui, but that was in the training room with their yuan energy sealed. Last time, Jiang Henshui only defended and didn't dodge, underestimating his reaction speed. If Jiang Henshui could use his yuan energy, the one who would be brutally beaten would definitely be him.

"What went wrong?"

Jiang Yi lowered his head and thought for a long time. He gathered a thread of black yuan energy and blended it with blue yuan energy for another test, but this time it only had the power of seven horses. He vaguely understood that the higher the realm, the weaker the effect of the black yuan energy. His original thoughts were too naive, thinking that mastering the Explosive Yuan Palm and combining it with black yuan energy would allow him to dominate the Cauldron Casting Realm...

"Stop thinking about it. The competition starts tomorrow. Whether I succeed or fail is up to fate!"

Jiang Yi returned to his room, resting and cultivating to replenish the yuan energy he had consumed. He also tried to further comprehend the Explosive Yuan Palm, hoping to make some discoveries. However, even after pondering until late at night, he still found nothing. He could only fall into a deep sleep.

The next day, Jiang Yi got up early, ate a simple breakfast, and left. The training room was quiet and empty. Jiang Yi scanned the area and walked out with some regret.

"Cheer up, Wolf Boy!"

As he walked down the corridor, an elderly voice called out from behind. Jiang Yi felt a warmth in his heart, nodded to the steward Yang, and walked out with large strides.

Exiting the Martial Hall, although the formal competition had not yet begun, the square was already packed with people. The Martial Hall was on the north side of the square, and from the entrance, the entire square was in view.

Wearing a fierce wolf mask, Jiang Yi couldn't help but attract attention, but he was already well-known. Many young martial artists waiting in the square nodded and greeted him. He had fought at least a hundred or two hundred people in the past, and most of them had improved their martial skills, developing some goodwill towards him.

Jiang Yi stood silently, maintaining his cold demeanor. As time passed, more and more people gathered, surrounding the 105 arenas in the center.

Jiang Yi stood silently, like a spectator, occasionally glancing around. He noticed many familiar faces, such as Yi Lingsnow and Yi Longyu from the Yi family, Ma Heiqi and Liu He, and Jiang Gushui. What puzzled him was that he didn't see Jiang Henshui, Ji Tingyu, or Leng Qianqian.

"Wow!"

A commotion from the east caught Jiang Yi's attention. He looked up and saw a group of people walking briskly. At the front was a middle-aged man in a gray robe, as tall as Jiang Rulong, with a more robust build. He had a domineering appearance and an extraordinary aura. He occasionally conversed with three men in white robes and several soldiers in black armor, occasionally letting out a hearty laugh, making it hard not to notice him.

"City Lord Ji Tian? The three men in white robes are the mentors from the Spirit Beast Mountain Academy? Hmm... that young mentor is so beautiful! Her aura might even surpass Ji Tingyu's?"

Jiang Yi's gaze, or rather the gazes of countless men in the crowd, were drawn to one of the three mentors from the Spirit Beast Mountain Academy. She was around twenty years old, at the age when she had shed her naivety and was maturing. She had a beautiful oval face, features that could rival Ji Tingyu's, and a figure that completely outshone her. She exuded a cold and distant aura that made countless men's hearts itch.

This was the first time Jiang Yi had seen a woman who seemed cold even when smiling. Although they were separated by half the square, Jiang Yi could still feel the coldness emanating from her. She seemed to be made of ice.

Ji Tian and his group quickly ascended to the luxurious viewing stand on the south side, entering the inner pavilion. The guards of Tianyu City surrounded the stand, and a team of them began to clear the area, separating the 105 arenas.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

From another direction, another group of people ascended the stand. Jiang Yi's eyes turned cold, recognizing the head of the Jiang family and the elders, as well as other prominent figures from the three major families.

"The Spirit Beast Mountain Academy recruitment competition officially begins!"

An elderly man in a gray robe walked to the center of the stand, raised his hands to quiet the crowd, and shouted, "Before the elimination rounds, as per tradition, is there anyone who wants to challenge the arena? If not, the elimination rounds will begin. I will call out the numbers, and those who do not come to the arena will be considered to have forfeited."

The competition officially began, and the crowd below was filled with excitement. This was a competition that could determine the fate of many present. On the stand were not only the mentors from the Spirit Beast Mountain Academy but also generals from the Western Garrison and members of numerous powerful families. Even if one couldn't secure a spot at the Spirit Beast Mountain Academy, a good performance could still attract attention and lead to a bright future.

At this moment, challenging the arena was the best opportunity to showcase oneself, with the attention of thousands. However, no one was that foolish or brave enough to do so. After all, one had to win a hundred consecutive matches, with at least ten matches per day. One failure meant elimination. Who would dare challenge when all the young strongmen of the city would try to stop them, reducing their chances of securing a spot?

Jiang Yi wasn't that foolish either. The elimination rounds were completely random, allowing for a steady progression. Only if one's luck was extremely bad would they face a strong opponent. Challenging the arena, however, would guarantee facing one strong opponent after another.

"I challenge the arena!"

Suddenly, a pleasant, feminine voice rang out. A yellow figure soared into the sky from the eastern part of the square, her lotus-like legs stepping on the shoulders of the crowd, and she landed gracefully on an arena like a light butterfly.

"Ji Tingyu!"

Jiang Yi's eyes brightened, and the eyes of countless young men in the square also lit up. She was the most beautiful flower in Tianyu City, the dream lover of many young men.

"Ha ha ha!"

A hearty laugh echoed from the stand. Ji Tian clearly doted on his young daughter and felt proud of her outstanding performance.

"Ha ha ha, I'll join in the fun and challenge the arena too!"

A white figure leaped from the crowd, paused in mid-air for a moment, and then floated straight to an arena, landing steadily. He smiled and bowed to the stand, exuding grace and charm.

Jiang Henshui appeared!

Jiang Yi felt a sense of foreboding. From another direction, a robust figure shot onto the arena, carrying a golden greatsword on his shoulder, his eyes fixed on Ji Tingyu with a challenging look. Who else could it be but the fierce and more masculine Miss Leng from the Leng family?

"Whoosh!"

Before the crowd could react, another blue figure shot up from the crowd, moving as lightly as a swallow, with movements as agile as Leng Qianqian's, and a presence that was no less imposing.

"Hmm..."

The entire square erupted in noise. This blue-robed youth was unfamiliar to everyone, and no one recognized him. However, his strength was at least at the eighth level of the Cauldron Casting Realm, possibly even the ninth level.

Five spots, and four people had already challenged the arena. If they could achieve a hundred consecutive victories, the remaining two thousand people would have to compete for the last spot.

"Damn it..."

Jiang Yi was anxious. With such powerful opponents, they were likely to achieve a hundred consecutive victories. The competition hadn't even started, and it looked like only one spot would be left. How could he compete?

"Whoosh!"

Jiang Yi's eyes twitched as he saw another figure shooting toward the arena. He panicked! If all five spots were taken, he would be stuck as a slave in the Martial Hall for the rest of his life.

"The fifth spot is mine!"

At that moment, Jiang Yi's mind went blank. He roared and dashed toward the arena like a bolt of lightning, reaching it before the other person.

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