Chapter 72

The rankings on the stone monument kept changing, with the disciples vying for position, clearly indicating that they were fiercely battling in the Sword Forest.

Zheng Gang, living up to his Sixth Level Body Tempering strength, led the pack by a wide margin, firmly holding the top spot without any sign of wavering. Xing Feng was hot on his heels, securing the second place, but the gap between them was steadily widening.

Of course, this did not mean that Xing Feng was second only to Zheng Gang, as not all the geniuses from the various sub-sects had participated in this test.

Knowing that Zheng Gang's strength far exceeded that of the others, the various sub-sects were naturally unwilling to send their geniuses to be his stepping stones. It would be better to secure a first place in the subsequent rounds, even if they couldn't win the top spot among the new disciples, it wouldn't be as embarrassing. Therefore, the sub-sects adopted a strategy of sending their lesser talents to face the best.

As time passed, the rankings on the stone monument gradually stabilized. At this moment, a light flashed at the front of the Sword Forest, and the first disciple to shatter his jade token and be teleported out appeared.

Everyone's attention immediately focused on him, eager to see which sect's disciple had been eliminated first.

Upon recognizing the disciple's face, Elder Cheng's expression darkened; it was clearly a member of the Sword Sect.

The disciple, realizing he was the first to be eliminated, couldn't help but show a look of shame. This was a major embarrassment, not only for himself but also for the Sword Sect.

"Elder Cheng, this disciple seems to be from your Sword Sect, right? Tsk tsk, he's the first one in the sect entrance test, ha ha..." An elder from the Blade Sect mocked, referring to the first one to be eliminated, not the first in performance.

Elder Lu Xuan had met this elder before. He was in charge of the Blade Sect when they received the disciples in Jie Lin City. If he remembered correctly, Elder Xu had called him Elder Zheng, who was likely Zheng Gang's father.

"Our Sword Sect is known for its swift killing, able to take a life with a single strike. Whether one comes out early or late doesn't necessarily correlate with performance," Elder Cheng defended, determined to protect the disciple, as it was his duty as an elder of the Sword Sect to safeguard the dignity of his disciples.

As they spoke, several more lights flashed, and more disciples were teleported out after shattering their jade tokens. Disciples from the various sub-sects appeared one after another. The strength of the disciples entering the Inner Sect was not vastly different, so their performances were also similar. The previous disciple was just unlucky to be the first to shatter his jade token. If he had held on a bit longer, he wouldn't have been the first.

Next came a surge, with white light flashing one after another. Most of the disciples had reached their limits, and if they continued, they would be injured.

Minor injuries were manageable, but if they suffered severe, irreparable injuries, it would greatly impact their future cultivation. It was not worth taking such risks for a mere test.

As the remaining disciples dwindled, the attention of the crowd increased, with the focus clearly on Zheng Gang and Xing Feng. The other sub-sects, to avoid Zheng Gang, did not send their geniuses into the battle.

At this point, the rate at which their scores were increasing had reached a peak. The further they progressed, the stronger the martial artists they faced, and the more points they earned for each kill.

Finally, when the third disciple was teleported out, only two remained in the entire Sword Forest. The last ninety ranks on the stone monument had stabilized, but the scores for the first and second places continued to rise. However, it seemed that Xing Feng had little hope of catching up to Zheng Gang.

At this moment, Xing Feng's score suddenly jumped by five hundred points, rising from over seven hundred to over twelve hundred, tying with Zheng Gang!

Clearly, he had just successfully killed a Sixth Level Body Tempering martial artist, earning five hundred points.

Seeing Xing Feng perform so well, Elder Cheng couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in approval.

However, before the Sword Sect could celebrate, Zheng Gang's score increased again by five hundred points, once again pulling ahead of Xing Feng. Following this, Zheng Gang's score continued to rise, now leading Xing Feng by a thousand points, while Xing Feng's score remained unchanged.

After nearly ten breaths, Xing Feng's score finally moved, jumping from over twelve hundred to over seventeen hundred. However, at this moment, a light flashed at the front of the Sword Forest, and Xing Feng's figure appeared.

Unlike the other martial artists who emerged unscathed, Xing Feng had a wound on his left arm, still bleeding, clearly a recent injury.

In the first moment after emerging, Xing Feng did not focus on his injury but looked up at the large stone monument. His and Zheng Gang's names were ranked first and second, but Zheng Gang's score was much higher.

In the end, he had still lost. Xing Feng sighed, knowing that with his Fifth Level Body Tempering, he might not be a match for Zheng Gang's Sixth Level, but he still felt a bit resentful.

Dragging his injured left arm, Xing Feng walked to Elder Cheng and said, "I have failed my mission and let you down, Elder..."

Elder Cheng waved to cut off Xing Feng's words and said, "It's fine. You've done very well. First, tend to your injuries. Someone, quickly help Xing Feng bandage his wound."

To achieve a good result, Xing Feng had risked injury, and Elder Cheng would not blame him. Moreover, securing second place in this round was already a commendable achievement, as even the other major sub-sects might not have anyone who could surpass Zheng Gang.

Xing Feng's injury was not severe, just a superficial wound. He did not go to rest but simply bandaged his left arm and walked to Lu Xuan.

"Are you curious why I only killed two Sixth Level Body Tempering martial artists?" Xing Feng looked into Lu Xuan's eyes and asked.

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