Chapter 23

Indeed, the scene fell into a strange state of stillness for a moment.

There were many martial arts experts present, and which of these lords was not a martial arts expert? But just now, in that flash of lightning and fire, they all felt they had not seen clearly.

Clearly, Yan Yiming had the upper hand, just one step away from knocking Jiang Chen down. But Jiang Chen only moved twice.

One step forward, and one arm raised to point.

These two simple moves made Yan Yiming fall to the ground as if struck by lightning.

The situation was so absurd that, if not for the tense atmosphere earlier, they might have suspected that Yan Yiming was deliberately acting with Jiang Chen, playing the role of the clown to highlight Jiang Chen's prowess.

But that didn't seem to be the case.

Yan Yiming clearly wanted to embarrass Jiang Chen, but in the end, he ended up embarrassing himself.

For a moment, the numerous guests on the scene had various thoughts.

Those who were friendly with Lord Jianghan were naturally secretly pleased for him. They had genuinely been worried about their old friend's son just now, but this outcome was something they had never even dreamed of.

Those who were hostile to Lord Jianghan, or friendly with Lord Longteng, felt puzzled. Some began to suspect that this son of Lord Jianghan had been pretending to be a playboy all along, hiding his true strength.

The neutral majority, however, were mostly just there for the spectacle. Of course, they were also baffled by this bizarre scene.

These neutral parties were the least pressured. They could enjoy the show without worrying about the consequences.

The most surprised, however, was Princess Gouyu.

Seeing Yan Yiming's peak-level strike, Princess Gouyu almost wanted to call off the duel.

But before she could even call out, the situation took a 180-degree turn!

At this moment, Princess Gouyu didn't care if Yan Yiming was dead or not, and she had completely forgotten that Yan Yiming had cultivated the "Purple Cloud Palm" to its peak.

Her mind was focused on one image: Jiang Chen's finger, which was like a hanging antelope horn, leaving no trace.

The "Dongwang Finger," the origin of this move, was not unfamiliar to Princess Gouyu. It was also a complementary martial technique of the "Purple Qi from the East" technique.

However, Jiang Chen's move had a profundity that even Princess Gouyu couldn't fully grasp, as if this finger contained boundless mysteries, simplifying and condensing the essence of various martial arts into this single move.

What about the different pulses of true qi, or the different levels of cultivation?

None of that mattered now.

This move, in Princess Gouyu's eyes, seemed to encapsulate the true essence of martial arts.

It left her with a sense of incomprehension. What kind of miraculous move was this?

"Did this kid just get lucky?" Princess Gouyu really felt that she was starting to understand Jiang Chen less and less.

She didn't think that a lucky move could have such incredible power.

But if it wasn't luck, could a playboy who couldn't even pass the basic test have performed such a miraculous move?

Finally, someone broke the silence on the scene.

Bai Zhanyun stepped forward: "Jiang Chen, did you cheat just now? Yan Yiming has six pulses of true qi, and you only have three. How could you knock him down with one move?"

Jiang Chen replied innocently: "Such a stupid question, you should ask him. I don't know how to console him after being defeated by the three pulses of true qi he looked down upon."

"Hmph, you must have cheated. I, Bai Zhanyun, will play with you."

Bai Zhanyun, the successor of Lord Baihu, had eight pulses of true qi and was a high-stage true qi realm cultivator!

He was a genius far beyond Yan Yiming.

Jiang Chen didn't even raise his eyelids, about to speak, when Princess Gouyu stood up: "Hold on, you young lords participating in the Qianlong Examination, if any of you get injured here, it will be a loss for the Qianlong Examination. Since you want to compete, as the chief organizer of the Qianlong Examination, I have a suggestion. We can determine your talents and skills without anyone getting hurt."

"Oh? What is Princess Gouyu's brilliant idea?"

"Princess, as the chief organizer of the Qianlong Examination, your thoughtful consideration is admirable."

For a moment, flattery filled the air. No matter how powerful Lord Longteng was, he was just a lord. Princess Gouyu, however, represented the royal family.

In the current situation, there were far more people willing to flatter the royal family than Lord Longteng.

Princess Gouyu said calmly: "Our royal family holds the Qianlong Examination to promote martial arts. All the successors of the lords have cultivated the 'Purple Qi from the East' technique. I suggest that the successors present demonstrate the 'Purple Cloud Palm' and 'Dongwang Finger' techniques. As the chief organizer, I will act as the judge to see who has the strongest understanding and the highest cultivation level."

"Haha, worthy of a royal princess. This suggestion is excellent. It avoids bloodshed and still determines the winner."

"Yes, this suggestion is indeed good. I support it."

Since Princess Gouyu had spoken, these lords could not openly oppose her. Opposing Princess Gouyu would be opposing the royal family.

Would they still be able to participate in the Qianlong Examination in the future?

Jiang Chen shrugged and said to Bai Zhanyun: "Looks like you're luckier than Yan Yiming."

Bai Zhanyun's face turned cold: "What do you mean?"

"Are you really that stupid that I have to spell it out for you? Don't understand? Figure it out yourself."

After saying that, Jiang Chen ignored Bai Zhanyun and walked back to his seat.

Dongfang Zhiruo smiled sweetly: "Brother Jiang Chen, you were so cool just now."

"Really? I thought so too, haha." Jiang Chen was in a great mood and glanced at Princess Gouyu with a meaningful look.

Princess Gouyu huffed: "I just don't want anyone to get hurt before the Qianlong Examination. I'm not covering for you, so don't get the wrong idea."

"Looks like you're the one getting the wrong idea," Jiang Chen laughed. "Didn't you see that I'm annoyed with you? This Bai Zhanyun has provoked me several times, and I was just looking for an opportunity to beat him up. Is your suggestion specifically to protect him?"

Princess Gouyu was speechless. She found Jiang Chen to be shameless. Didn't he know that Bai Zhanyun, as a high-stage true qi realm cultivator, could turn a beginner true qi realm cultivator into a meat patty with one punch?

She cursed inwardly: "I was protecting you from being killed by Bai Zhanyun. You ungrateful brat!"

With Princess Gouyu's suggestion and the encouragement of some influential figures, the banquet was delayed even further.

On the martial arts field of Lord Longteng's residence, the successors of the lords were all eager to show off their skills and make a name for themselves.

Princess Gouyu's voice rang out, clear and crisp like jade: "Lords, today the successors of the lords have gathered here. As the chief organizer of the Qianlong Examination, I will take this opportunity to observe your progress in cultivating the 'Purple Qi from the East' technique. Do not hold back; show your talents, insights, and skills!"

In fact, there was no need for Princess Gouyu to motivate them. All the successors of the lords were eager to leave a good impression on the chief organizer of the Qianlong Examination.

Any cultivation technique has five levels: initial success, proficiency, mastery, perfection, and completion.

Under Princess Gouyu's personal attention, several successors of the lords quickly came forward to demonstrate their skills. Some chose the "Purple Cloud Palm," while others chose the "Dongwang Finger."

It must be said that among the 108 successors of the lords, there were almost no ordinary people.

Those who dared to come forward were generally talented and very confident in their cultivation levels.

Jiang Chen, however, was half-closed-eyed, looking indifferent, occasionally nibbling on some fruits, and occasionally teasing Dongfang Zhiruo.

He occasionally glanced at the stage, but the playful smile on his lips showed that he didn't take the demonstrations of the successors of the lords too seriously.

However, the next person to come forward caught Jiang Chen's attention.

This person had a tiger-like appearance and a solid gait. He was Hu Qiu Yue, the successor of Lord Huqiu, and one of Jiang Chen's few close friends in the capital.

Jiang Chen watched Hu Qiu Yue come forward and felt a bit helpless. Given Hu Qiu Yue's temperament and characteristics, neither the graceful "Purple Cloud Palm" nor the mysterious "Dongwang Finger" was suitable for him.

So, Hu Qiu Yue coming forward was somewhat unexpected.

However, what surprised the audience was that, despite Lord Huqiu not being prominent among the 108 lords, his successor had a very solid foundation. Seven pulses of true qi flowed through his meridians like dragons and snakes, clearly indicating a high-stage true qi realm cultivator!

This was indeed surprising to Jiang Chen.

After all, even Yan Yiming, the successor of Lord Yanmen, who could rank among the top ten lords, only had six pulses of true qi.

Lord Huqiu ranked in the lower middle among the 108 lords. Could his successor surprise everyone at this Qianlong Examination?

Seven pulses of true qi were indeed extraordinary, and when he performed, the qi was like a startled dragon, and the sound was like rolling thunder.

However, when he performed the "Purple Cloud Palm," it always lacked a certain essence and grace.

"Ha ha ha, Hu Qiu Yue, is this the 'Purple Cloud Palm'? You're just chopping wood, aren't you?"

"The 'Purple Cloud Palm' is graceful and ethereal, but when Hu Qiu Yue performs it, it's like a farmer plowing the field. It's unbearable to watch."

Some people immediately mocked him, and although their words were sharp, they were not without reason.

This also confirmed Jiang Chen's early judgment. The "Purple Cloud Palm" was indeed not very suitable for Hu Qiu Yue's style.

However, Hu Qiu Yue's "Purple Cloud Palm" was not entirely without merit. At least his foundation was solid, making it more practical than some flashy moves.

Princess Gouyu, considering his stability and solidity, gave him a "peak proficiency" evaluation.

The next successors of the lords to come forward were increasingly prominent in status.