Chapter 93

Buzz!

It was unknown how long it had been, but Yang Ji's blood qi became increasingly thick, and a scorching mist began to rise from his pores.

Suddenly, a loud clang echoed through the air, and a massive bell-like sound resounded in the void. Within a ten-step radius, the air whistled sharply. Behind Yang Ji, a shadow of an ancient, grand cauldron appeared, adorned with intricate, dark golden patterns.

Upon closer inspection, a dense network of blood qi, resembling blood vessels, extended from Yang Ji's body, connecting to the ancient, grand cauldron in the air.

—The Cauldron of Strength!

According to the martial arts books given by Lu Ling, this was a symbol of the expansion of the latent strength in the human bloodstream, which condensed when it reached a thousand catties, closely related to the secrets of the human bloodstream.

Every person who condensed the "Cauldron of Strength" represented a "minor powerhouse" in martial arts.

Yang Ji's entire aura became much more robust and heavy, even causing the ground beneath his feet to slightly sink.

Buzz!

It was unknown how long it had been, but the medicinal properties of the "Blood Qi Pill" were finally fully digested. The blood qi in Yang Ji's body slowly circulated, flowing like lava.

With the help of the "Blood Qi Pill," Yang Ji successfully cultivated to the second level of martial arts, the Viscera Refinement stage. At this moment, his internal organs were incredibly dense, and countless meridians and fibers made them capable of withstanding greater impacts.

"Chirp!—"

A clear bird call came from above, and Yang Ji's heart stirred as he suddenly opened his eyes. In the blue sky, a morning bird shot towards the sky like an arrow, passing over his head.

"Roar!—"

Without warning, Yang Ji opened his mouth and let out a lion-like roar that shook the heavens and earth. Instantly, the ground trembled, and the boundless blood qi transformed into a shockwave that shot towards the sky like lightning.

Ripples spread through the void, and the bird that had just flown over Yang Ji's head stiffened its wings, rolled its eyes, and fell straight down from the sky.

Yang Ji caught the bird in his hand.

—The "Lion's Roar," an ultimate skill of the second level of martial arts, used the vibration of the internal organs to produce a sound as powerful as a giant bell, capable of stunning birds in the sky with its powerful sound waves.

"Indeed, it worked!"

Yang Ji looked at the bird in his hand, which was curled up and motionless, as if dead, and a smile appeared on his lips. The "Lion's Roar" required powerful internal organs to be executed.

Without the cultivation of the second level of martial arts, attempting this move would not only fail to harm others but would also shatter one's own internal organs.

This was the best way for a "warrior" of the second level of martial arts to test their cultivation.

"Little guy, let's go."

Yang Ji extended his index finger, which emitted a faint blood glow, and gently massaged the bird's chest. The bird chirped and immediately woke up, opening its black eyes to look at Yang Ji fearfully before flapping its wings and flying away.

Yang Ji was using the "Lion's Roar" for the first time, and the sound wave's diffusion limited its power, only capable of stunning small targets like birds. If the sound wave could be concentrated and not dispersed, it could directly kill such small targets.

"The martial examination is about to start; it's time to go."

Yang Ji packed his things and left the pond.

...

The Martial Hall was packed with people. The martial examination had already entered its fifth day, and out of the 24 candidates, only 13 remained. Six more needed to be eliminated to conclude the examination.

When Yang Ji arrived at the scene, the atmosphere in the Martial Hall was clearly more intense and tense than in the previous days. Those who had stood out from the 24 candidates were undoubtedly the strongest of the strong.

The competition had now entered the stage of the strongest contenders.

Yang Ji did not see Lu Ling in the Martial Hall, and with so many people, he could not find Han Bin either. He did not mind and quietly watched the competition.

"Roar!—"

On the stage, a thunderous roar echoed as a second-level martial artist used the "Lion's Roar," creating a fierce wind that swept through the hall. When the opponent was disoriented, he directly struck them off the stage with a palm.

"Contestant 3338, Duan Gang, wins!..."

The military instructor quickly announced the result:

"Next round, Duan Gang and Yang Ji on stage!..."

At this stage of the competition, the "Challenge Round" was inevitable. On the stage, Duan Gang, bare-chested, raised his arm and laughed loudly, boasting to the crowd.

The crowd immediately cheered. At this point in the competition, almost every candidate had a large number of supporters.

When Yang Ji climbed onto the stage, a large crowd gathered. The martial examination had been going on for over ten days, and Yang Ji had also gathered a large number of supporters.

"Yang Ji, go for it!—"

"Duan Gang, go for it!—"

The two groups of supporters faced each other, shouting wildly, their faces flushed with excitement. Most of these supporters were candidates from the first round of the martial examination, and some had been won over by the candidates.

"Ha ha ha, Yang Ji, I've watched all your matches; you're no match for me!"

Duan Gang, still excited from his victory, said, his eyes fixed on Yang Ji with a sinister gleam. If judged by popularity alone, Duan Gang was even more popular than Yang Ji.

Yang Ji had rested for a day and did not know that Duan Gang had been the most prominent figure the previous day, winning four consecutive matches against extremely powerful opponents, including Wang Xian, a formidable opponent.

"Duan Gang, defeat him, defeat him!..."

A wave of wild cheers came from below. For many candidates, this was no longer just a spectator event. Each person was betting on the seven spots for "Martial Child Scholars," a chance to demonstrate their judgment and ability.

Duan Gang had already defeated several well-known and powerful opponents the previous day, and his popularity among the candidates had skyrocketed. Duan Gang, a second-level martial artist, was even more powerful than Wang Xian. In the eyes of many, although Yang Ji was strong, he was undoubtedly no match for Duan Gang.

"Then try it!"

Yang Ji sneered.

"The match begins!—"

As soon as the words were spoken, Duan Gang's eyes narrowed, and he sneered. The thick blood qi in his body suddenly erupted, and with a loud boom, he charged forward like a cannonball, his heavy fist crashing towards Yang Ji.

"Roar!—"

Seeing Yang Ji's body sway as if he was about to attack, Duan Gang smiled smugly, took a deep breath, and let out a "Lion's Roar"!

In the center of the stage, it was as if a massive boulder had been dropped, and a tidal wave swept in all directions.

Duan Gang's combat skills were only of medium to high quality, but his powerful cultivation far surpassed most candidates, allowing him to defeat many skilled fighters.

Duan Gang's "Lion's Roar" was powerful, though it could not stun a "warrior" of the same level, it could intimidate the opponent's will and injure their internal organs and blood qi.

Using this unique move to disorient the opponent, Duan Gang had almost effortlessly defeated his opponents.

"Hmph!"

Yang Ji sneered, letting the sound wave pass over his body without moving. His body, strengthened by blood qi, was as tough as steel.

Duan Gang had watched his match from the day before. At that time, Yang Ji was still at a lower level, and defeating him with the "Lion's Roar" of a second-level martial artist was a mere dream.

In a flash, as Duan Gang stared in shock, Yang Ji's feet sank, and the "Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound" taught by Lu Ling merged with the "Lion's Roar" of the second level of martial arts, transforming into a thunderous roar.

"Boom!"

The earth shook as a sound like a giant bell erupted from Yang Ji's body, completely disproportionate to his size. The steel stage beneath his feet trembled, and in the moment Duan Gang's eyes widened and his mind was lost, Yang Ji struck his ribs with a palm at an incredible speed.

Bang!

Many people only heard a loud cry and saw a blurry black shadow fly off the stage before they could react...

Yang Ji won!

The crowd was stunned!

Yang Ji did not linger and walked off the stage as soon as the chief examiner announced the result.

"Incredible!"

In the crowd, Sun Fan, Zhao Qi, and others who had fought against Yang Ji stared with wide eyes, amazed. They had watched Yang Ji's matches firsthand.

Just a few days ago, Yang Ji was not this powerful. No one could become so strong in such a short time, and Yang Ji's performance left them in shock.

The shock was not limited to them. In the crowd, Wang Xian glanced at the direction Yang Ji had left, deep in thought. He sensed that Yang Ji's enhancement was not just in strength.

At the same time, in another direction, "Zuo Guangdou," dressed in black and wearing a hood, frowned slightly but said nothing.

Yang Ji stood in the crowd, eyes closed, his mind racing with thoughts. No one knew what he was thinking.

After defeating Duan Gang, Yang Ji's popularity among the candidates soared. In the next round, he easily defeated the strongest candidate from District 15.

At this point, Yang Ji's win streak had reached nine matches, while others had similar numbers. Four candidates had accumulated seven losses and were eliminated according to the rules.

Now, only nine candidates remained in the entire district, and just two more eliminations would conclude the second round of the examination.

Unconsciously, it was already noon.

"Contestant 0043, Zuo Guangdou, and Contestant 1201, Yang Ji, on stage!..."

When the chief examiner's voice rang out, the entire venue erupted. Everyone understood that the second round of the southern half of the district would finally determine the strongest contender.

"Go, Yang Ji!"

"Go, Zuo Guangdou!"

...

The area below the stage was in chaos.

In the southern half of the district, "Zuo Guangdou" was widely recognized as a strong contender. Those who fought against him either died or were injured, and many opponents even dared not compete, conceding directly.

Yang Ji was originally not in the same league as him, but after easily defeating Duan Gang, his popularity among the candidates soared. Even if he could not be compared to "Zuo Guangdou," he at least had the qualifications to challenge him.