Chapter 97

The entire mountain forest was silent, and everyone held their breath.

"Sixth Chief" stood up from the back of the tiger-like beast, his smooth, reddish-brown fur running from his waist to his forehead, and slowly walked down, landing on the ground with a thud.

"Hum!"

The moment that foot touched the mountain, all the Black Wind Bandits felt the ground beneath them sink heavily, and they were secretly alarmed.

"Are all the preparations ready?"

Sixth Chief stood in front of everyone without moving his head.

"Chief, all the preliminary work has been prepared as per your instructions. Our people have infiltrated the city in large numbers without arousing any suspicion from the imperial court. Everything is ready, we only need Sixth Chief to be present."

The leading Black Wind Bandit leader replied.

"Very good!"

"Sixth Chief" nodded, finally lowering his head to look at him, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes:

"You have done well with this matter, the Ancestor is very pleased. If this succeeds, there will be no shortage of rewards for you in the future."

"We dare not claim credit, everything is due to Sixth Chief's power. To serve the Ancestor, we will brave any danger and face death a hundred times without hesitation."

Hearing the name "Ancestor," everyone was greatly excited.

In the entire eastern border, there was only one person whom all the bandits called "Ancestor," and that was the renowned "Red Eyebrow Ancestor"!

In the entire border region, countless bandits could grow and thrive, even defy the imperial court, all thanks to the prestige of the "Red Eyebrow Ancestor."

"However, Sixth Chief..."

The leading Black Wind Bandit leader hesitated for a moment, then raised his head and said:

"Our numbers are still too few. According to the agreement, the Yin Sect should have acted together with us, but we have been unable to contact their people—"

Before he could finish, a loud laugh suddenly came from all directions.

"Ha ha ha, Sixth Chief, our people are already in place. You just need to act!"

Before the sound could fade, a loud cawing came from all directions, and countless crows, densely packed, rose from the forest, circling around the group.

"This is—"

Everyone looked at the black mass of crows, uncertain and suspicious. Only "Sixth Chief" stood with his hands behind his back, eyes slightly narrowed, calm and composed.

"Since you are here, let's talk properly."

Sixth Chief looked up at the sky and said calmly.

"Caw!—"

A crow let out a strange cry and suddenly swooped down, landing on the ground in front of Sixth Chief, turning into a cloud of black smoke. Then came the second, third, fourth... In the horrified gaze of everyone, the dense mass of crows surged forward, layer upon layer, landing on the ground.

"Scary!"

People and horses reared. In the shocked gaze of everyone, a figure slowly rose from the mass of crows, with an evil look and a chilling smile, and thin lips. Even the Black Wind Bandits, who were used to killing and plundering, were frightened and retreated step by step.

"What should I call you?"

Sixth Chief said calmly, his face showing no emotion, as if he was not surprised by this strange transformation.

The "Yin Sect" and the "Heaven Beyond Heaven World" had deep connections, and some of them had inherited strange and evil techniques.

Although this situation was strange, it was not unusual given the mysterious nature of the Yin Sect.

"Ha ha ha, Sixth Chief, I am the Deputy Leader of the Yin Sect. This is our first meeting, you don't recognize me. But, you should recognize this token, right?"

A ball of fire exploded from the chest of the black-robed man, and a thick, lava-like blood aura rose, faintly forming a delicate "Golden Red Token." The golden token appeared and disappeared quickly, but Sixth Chief's furrowed brows relaxed.

"Red Sand Token," this was the token of trust given by the "Red Eyebrow Ancestor" to the "Yin Sect." Seeing the token was like seeing the Ancestor himself, and no one in the bandit world would dare to doubt it.

However, the Yin Sect actually sent a Deputy Leader for this operation, which surprised Sixth Chief. Although he did not oppose the cooperation between the bandit world and the Yin Sect, he still felt some unease.

In this transaction, his side was getting too much of an advantage, which did not align with the principle of fair trade.

"Alright. The Yin Sect sending a Deputy Leader to liaise shows your sincerity. Rest assured, we will get what you want."

Sixth Chief said calmly, looking down from above.

"Ha ha ha, naturally. The name of the Red Eyebrow Ancestor is trusted by our sect. Rest assured, our people have already infiltrated the city defenses. As long as you act according to the plan, our people will create chaos and support you. However, Sixth Chief, your informant—"

The Deputy Leader of the Yin Sect hesitated for a moment, looking at Sixth Chief with a questioning expression.

"Zhang Cheng!"

Sixth Chief's gaze shifted to the nearby Black Wind Bandit leader.

"Sixth Chief, our informant has successfully infiltrated the target!"

Before Zhang Cheng could finish speaking, a loud laugh echoed.

"Ha ha ha..."

In the midst of the laughter, the Deputy Leader of the Yin Sect's body exploded into pieces, and endless black smoke rose into the air, quickly transforming into countless crows that circled the forest and then flew in all directions:

"Everything is ready, only the wind is missing. Sixth Chief, I now believe in your strength. As long as you accomplish this, our sect will deliver what we promised— I await your good news!"

The sound faded, and the crows disappeared without a trace.

"Let's move!"

Sixth Chief looked at the sky where the crows had disappeared, waved his arm, and led everyone away.

...

The streets of Pingchuan City were bustling with people. The martial examination was in its final stages, about to determine the final seven martial students.

This was a 2-to-1 process. Out of every two people, one would be eliminated. On average, someone would be eliminated every day.

Yang Ji walked alone through the crowd, heading towards the "Martial Hall," deep in thought about his own condition.

With a thought, the blood in his body flowed like boiling hot lava, slowly moving through the surrounding blood vessels. Compared to a few days ago, Yang Ji's cultivation had clearly increased, and the blood in his body was even darker and thicker.

Martial Arts Level 2, "Blood Like Lava."

At this level, the blood and qi in a "Martial Artist's" body flow like lava in the earth's crust. With each breath, a large amount of energy can be easily released.

If viewed at a microscopic level, the number of cells in the blood of a Level 2 Martial Artist is dozens of times more than that of an ordinary person. Therefore, although a "Martial Artist" may not look much larger, they are much heavier than people of the same size.

According to the martial arts book by Lu Ling, blood is the foundation of life, and the essence of the Martial Arts Realm is "refining blood."

"Martial Arts is about realm, experience, and reaction. My current strength is not inferior to anyone. What name I will achieve in the martial examination depends on this final effort."

Yang Ji thought to himself as he stepped into the "Martial Hall."

"Rumble!"

The boiling human voices swept over him. Just one step made it feel like entering a room from the wilderness. The Martial Hall was packed with people, and the steel partitions that were present during the preliminary exams had been completely removed, revealing a vast space of several hundred acres.

Looking around, the crowd was endless. All the "candidates" of the martial examination, except those who had already left, were gathered here, densely packed, numbering in the thousands.

In the center of the Martial Hall, a circular "Golden Arena" stood tall, attracting everyone's attention. The arena was several dozen feet high. On the arena, the "High Rank Commandant" whom Yang Ji had seen once, and who was the true examiner and supervisor of this martial examination, sat majestically in the center, clad in heavy armor.

Flames raged around him, like a giant furnace. The surging blood qi and the overwhelming power distorted the surrounding space.

No matter from which angle you looked, you would feel a deep sense of awe, as if the one sitting there was not a person but a powerful deity, fused with the entire hall.

"The martial examination is truly coming to an end!"

A flash of lightning crossed Yang Ji's mind.

On the way, Yang Ji had been busy preparing for the exam, but when he saw the profound and mysterious "Commandant" at the start of the martial examination, he realized that the martial examination had truly entered its final stages. After this final sprint, the martial examination would be over.

Success or failure depends on this one move, and the next opportunity would be in three years.

In a daze, Yang Ji remembered a story he had read in a book of poetry: In the Western Mountains, there is a bird that remains dormant for eight years, and when it finally speaks, it startles everyone!

"Whatever it takes, I must succeed!"

In the crowd, Yang Ji clenched his fists tightly.

"All candidates, come to the stage!"

The sound of a bell rang, and all the candidates immediately fell silent. Yang Ji came to his senses and immediately headed towards the arena. At the same time, the other thirteen candidates also walked towards the arena from various directions.

On the arena, the heavily armored Commandant's aura was overwhelmingly powerful. Yang Ji and the others lined up in formation, not daring to make a sound.

The strongest seven candidates from the North and South regions were all gathered here.

Yang Ji stood at the back of the crowd, suddenly feeling a gaze pass over him. His heart stirred, and he turned to look, only to see a familiar figure.

"Fang Buxiang!"

Yang Ji's pupils contracted. To his right, a figure in a green robe stood tall, none other than his former "roommate" Fang Buxiang.

Fang Buxiang seemed to have noticed Yang Ji's gaze, his eyes flickering, and he quickly withdrew, standing still.

Although they had once been roommates, Fang Buxiang's ability to make it to the final round was still beyond Yang Ji's expectations.

"He doesn't seem to be looking at me."

Yang Ji's heart stirred, and he followed Fang Buxiang's gaze, only to see a vague, unfamiliar figure, dressed in white, with silver-white hair. However, he was facing away from Yang Ji, so he couldn't see his face.

"This is—"

Yang Ji's brows furrowed, but before he could think further, the heavily armored Commandant in front of him opened his eyes.