Chapter 23

The intense fighting spirit permeated the arena. Shui Wubo's gaze swept over Ye Feng, and he noticed that the seemingly simple Ye Feng seemed to harbor a prehistoric beast within him. Not daring to be careless, he clasped his hands and said, "Shui Wubo!"

"Ye Feng!"

After the brief formalities, a faint ripple appeared on the arena, like flowing water. This was the perfected Soft Water Fist, borrowing the power of water, continuous and unending.

With the wind at his feet, Ye Feng's body was like a cannonball. His fist was covered with a thick layer of true qi, resembling a layer of armor, and he struck directly at the ripple.

"Pop!"

A dull wave of sound splashed up, creating ripples that echoed over the arena. The water pattern disappeared, and Shui Wubo's body, like a flower butterfly, gently drifted to the edge of the arena, his eyes filled with great surprise!

"Your strength is incredible; I am not your match!"

Shui Wubo's unexpected admission of defeat left many people stunned, almost driving them mad. The third-ranked inner disciple was actually pushed back by Ye Feng's single punch and admitted defeat.

Ye Feng politely stepped down from the arena, preparing for the eighth match. As the matches progressed, the battles became increasingly intense. Only Ye Feng, this freak, had not been forced to use his second move or even his weapon.

The eighth match arrived as scheduled, and Ye Feng's opponent also admitted defeat. This continued for several matches until the eleventh match, when the most exciting moment arrived.

Ye Feng faced the top-ranked inner disciple, Ximen Xuri. This disciple, dressed in white, with a long sword at his waist, was a genius of the Ximen family, his strength reaching the peak of the Eighth Level of the Later Heaven realm. It was rumored that a Ninth Level of the Later Heaven realm practitioner had recently been defeated by him.

If Ye Feng won this match, he would claim the championship. Ximen Xuri would not easily give up the top spot. Last year, he had voluntarily given up the competition for elite disciples and did not issue a challenge, waiting for this year to challenge the top fifty elite disciples.

The two stood facing each other, the surroundings falling into complete silence, even the high platform. Ye Feng had transformed from a dark horse into a wild horse, galloping ahead, defeating opponents one after another, and advancing to the finals.

"You are very strong. When you emerged, I investigated your background. It seems that a month ago, you were still a useless person who couldn't cultivate. What made you advance so rapidly in just a month?"

Ximen Xuri had actually investigated Ye Feng's background, contrary to the rumors outside that Ye Feng had taken some spiritual medicine. Ximen Xuri did not believe this.

Taking spiritual medicine could indeed rapidly boost one's strength in a short time, but it lacked endurance. Over time, the drawbacks would become apparent.

However, Ye Feng showed no signs of the drawbacks associated with taking spiritual medicine. His true qi was rich and his physical body was powerful, which could not be achieved through spiritual medicine alone. His perfected martial techniques were even more so, requiring constant practice and combat to experience their essence. All this indicated that the previous Ye Feng was just a facade, misleading everyone.

"Nothing to report!" Ye Feng only said four words. He did not want anyone to know about his mutated constitution, not even his biological parents.

"You're right, everyone has their own secrets. I won't ask further, but out of curiosity, do you plan to use your weapon against me?"

Looking at the axe on Ye Feng's waist, Ximen Xuri asked.

Most people chose long swords, curved knives, or spears as weapons. Using an axe as a weapon was very rare. Although the axe was powerful, it lacked the flexibility and versatility of other weapons, making it less popular. Ye Feng was an exception.

Slowly drawing out the axe, Ye Feng's steps faltered, and his entire body's aura surged, emitting the power of ninety oxen. The arena rumbled.

"Ninety oxen of power, how is this possible!"

When Ye Feng displayed his strength, the surroundings erupted. Only those at the Ninth Level of the Later Heaven realm could achieve ninety oxen of power, but Ye Feng was only at the Seventh Level, which defied logic.

However, they did not know that Ye Feng had only used the power of four dantians. If all nine dantians' true qi were released, he could break through the limit, reaching the power of a flying dragon.

After ninety-nine oxen of power, it would be the power of a flying dragon, roughly ten thousand pounds, which only those at the Innate realm could achieve. The highest level of the Later Heaven realm could only reach ninety-nine oxen of power.

A look of shock flashed across Ximen Xuri's face. He had underestimated Ye Feng's strength. His long sword rang out, drawing a sword light, and he slashed down, the sword qi wildly swirling. Those nearby felt the sword qi cutting their skin, and some even had blood streaks appear under their skin, cut by the sword qi.

"Rising Sun!" Facing the power of ninety oxen, Ximen Xuri made the first move. He could not wait any longer, or he would be completely suppressed by Ye Feng's aura. The long sword emitted a resonant sound, forming a series of sword flowers.

Facing the storm of sword qi, Ye Feng's body was like an old tree, unmoving. Holding the giant axe, he slashed down from the air, the heavy axe imprint tearing through the sword qi and shattering the sword curtain. The beautiful sword flowers exploded in the air with a "pop."

In the face of absolute power, everything was illusory, unable to shake the axe's path. It landed with a thunderous crash, creating a deep groove on the arena. Ximen Xuri was thrown back, feeling a闷 in his chest, and a mouthful of blood spewed out, his white clothes now covered in blood like blooming plum blossoms.

"Thud, thud, thud!" Clear footprints appeared on the ground as Ximen Xuri retreated several steps to barely steady himself. His chest heaved, his face pale, as if he were not fighting a person but a wild beast, a fierce beast. Without any martial technique, just one axe was enough to break all his martial techniques, an incredible feat.

The shock of the disciples watching the match could not be described. They sighed, another genius rising, countless halos beginning to shine on Ye Feng. The inner disciple competition temporarily concluded, with Ye Feng winning first place. The next step was to award the prizes.

Every year, the top five inner disciples receive some rewards, but it was unknown what the rewards would be this year.

A mentor landed on the arena, looking at Ye Feng with appreciation. Several other mentors followed, their gazes on Ye Feng varying, some envious, some jealous, and even some with a hateful look.

"Good job, kid. It seems I didn't misjudge you!"

Mentor Li patted Ye Feng's shoulder, his tone filled with satisfaction. He had never believed that Ye Feng would remain mediocre. With his previous resilience, he would one day soar to the sky.

"All this is thanks to the mentor's guidance!"

Ye Feng was very grateful. During his times of confusion, he would go to the library to read books. Each time, Mentor Li would guide him, helping Ye Feng through the difficult three years without losing his passion for cultivation or his desire for martial arts.

"All this is due to your own efforts. Keep it up!"

Mentor Li stepped aside, and another mentor took over to award the prizes.

The fifth place received one hundred spirit stones and twenty Qi Gathering Pills, a decent reward.

The fourth place received two hundred spirit stones and thirty Qi Gathering Pills, slightly more than the fifth place.

The second place, Ximen Xuri, received a more generous reward: five hundred spirit stones, one hundred Qi Gathering Pills, and a Purple Dragon Pill. This was a very rare pill that could purify the body and even enhance one's realm, extremely valuable and hard to obtain even with spirit stones.

It was Ye Feng's turn. The mentor's gaze fell on Ye Feng's face, noticing that no matter what happened, Ye Feng's expression never changed, showing his calm and steady nature. The mentor nodded in satisfaction.

"Congratulations on winning first place!" The mentor congratulated him first.

"Thank you, mentor!" Ye Feng bowed.

"Here is your reward: one thousand spirit stones, two hundred Qi Gathering Pills, one Purple Dragon Pill, and one Bone Washing Pill." The mentor took out a box, which likely contained the pills, while the spirit stones could be collected from the Merit Hall later.

"What, the champion this year even gets a Bone Washing Pill? There was no such reward last year. This kid is really lucky." Murmurs of amazement spread around.

The Purple Dragon Pill could enhance the purity of true qi, condensing it, and also strengthen the physical body, removing impurities, making it a rare and valuable pill.

The Bone Washing Pill was even rarer. It not only purified the physical body but more importantly, it purified the bones. The human body not only has impurities in the physical body but also in the bones. If not removed, it would significantly slow down one's progress when reaching a certain level.

This was why everyone was shocked. The Bone Washing Pill was made from a large amount of spiritual herbs, each pill being extremely precious. Some people looked at Ye Feng with a burning gaze, and some even had evil thoughts, wanting to take the Bone Washing Pill for themselves.

Putting the box in his chest, Ye Feng's gaze was calm, having already noticed the gazes around him. A smile curved at the corner of his mouth. If anyone really dared to act, he would not hesitate to deal with them.

"Next is the time to challenge the elite disciples. Are the five of you willing to challenge?"

After the rewards were distributed, the mentor asked the five. Last year, Ximen Xuri had given up the challenge, but it seemed he would not do so this year.

The critical moment had arrived. The elite disciples at the lower ranks began to fidget, none wanting to slip down and hoping not to be chosen.

The fifth-ranked elite disciple, Zhang Kun, quickly chose an opponent, the lowest-ranked elite disciple. He sighed and accepted the challenge, setting the date for three days later.

It was Ximen Xuri's turn, and he chose the elite disciple ranked fiftieth, Lu Feng. It was rumored that the two had a past, making this challenge normal.

Next was Ye Feng. Everyone was eager to see who Ye Feng would choose as his opponent. With his current strength, choosing a disciple ranked around sixtieth would not be a problem.

Ye Feng's gaze swept over the elite disciples, finally settling on a slender figure.

"I choose Yun Cai Shi!" Ye Feng's voice echoed across the vast square.

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