Chapter 14: Enemies Meet

When the green-faced wolf Lu Hao announced that the outer disciples who passed the first test would have to compete against the inner disciples, the faces of the outer disciples, who had been full of anticipation, immediately turned grim.

The inner disciples, at the very least, were all at the third level of the Blood Fusion Realm. Moreover, after joining the inner circle, each inner disciple had the right to choose stronger cultivation techniques and martial arts. Therefore, even if they were at the same third level of the Blood Fusion Realm, the inner disciples were generally much stronger than the outer disciples.

In previous years, the outer disciples participating in the inner circle entrance examination would only compete among themselves, selecting the dozen or so strongest to enter the inner circle. But now, they were to compete against the inner disciples—how could they possibly win?

However, the rules set by the green-faced wolf were not easily changed, even by the patriarch of the Flowing Cloud Sect. Moreover, these rules were likely jointly established by the five inner circle elders and the patriarch.

Therefore, the nearly a hundred outer disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect who had barely passed the first round had no choice but to unwillingly walk to the center of the square, hand over the first-level spirit beast skulls, and wait for the second test to begin.

Shen Chen and Wang Yue also walked to the center of the square, handed over the first-level spirit beast skulls they held, and then left.

For Shen Chen and Wang Yue, who had already killed a third-level peak spirit beast, the purple-eyed golden-crowned boa, a first-level spirit beast was nothing. Moreover, after the life-and-death struggle with the purple-eyed golden-crowned boa, both Shen Chen and Wang Yue's mental fortitude and courage had significantly improved. After consuming several body-refining pills and eating the meat of the purple-eyed golden-crowned boa, Shen Chen had almost reached the peak of the second level of the Blood Fusion Realm, while Wang Yue had broken through from the peak of the second level to the third level of the Blood Fusion Realm.

Other outer disciples who passed the first test might be uncertain about competing against the inner disciples, but neither Shen Chen nor Wang Yue were overly worried; instead, they were full of anticipation.

Shen Chen, without mentioning, had already defeated the third-level inner disciple Liu Yong when he was at the peak of the first level of the Blood Fusion Realm. Now, at the peak of the second level, he was almost certain to sweep through any third-level martial artists.

Wang Yue, now at the third level of the Blood Fusion Realm, possessed innate divine strength and practiced the renowned brute-force technique, the Great Vajra Fist. His pure physical strength was enough to match that of an ordinary fourth-level Blood Fusion Realm martial artist.

However, neither Shen Chen nor Wang Yue had many opportunities to truly spar with the inner disciples. Now, with the inner circle entrance examination, they finally had this chance. How could they not be excited and full of anticipation?

The next day, at the square outside the Purple Mist Hall.

Nearly a hundred outer disciples who passed the first test gathered together in the center of the square, while the hundreds of other disciples who failed the first test stood on both sides, quietly waiting for the arrival of the inner circle elder, the green-faced wolf Lu Hao.

At the third hour of the morning, the green-faced wolf Lu Hao finally arrived, followed by a row of inner disciples wearing silver robes.

Compared to the usual arrogance and superiority of the inner disciples, these twenty inner disciples now had serious expressions, were solemn, and some even looked indignant.

Clearly, these twenty inner disciples were the ones with the lowest rankings among the inner circle, as mentioned by the green-faced wolf Lu Hao.

According to the instructions of the inner circle elder, the green-faced wolf Lu Hao, these low-ranking inner disciples would be expelled from the inner circle and reassigned to the outer circle if they were defeated by the outer disciples. Therefore, those who were usually the lowest in the inner circle were extremely unwilling and angry, cursing the green-faced wolf Lu Hao in their hearts.

However, due to the green-faced wolf Lu Hao's authority, these inner disciples dared to be angry but not to speak, and could only obediently follow the instructions.

For the inner circle elder, the green-faced wolf, and other inner circle elders, the Flowing Cloud Sect held two inner circle entrance examinations each year, causing the number of inner disciples to increase daily. This put a heavy burden on the Flowing Cloud Sect's allocation of resources to the inner disciples.

Apart from the inner disciples whose strength reached the seventh level of the Blood Fusion Realm and were sent out for training, the current number of inner disciples in the Flowing Cloud Sect was approaching two hundred!

This meant that, according to the allocation of ten body-refining pills per month for each inner disciple, nearly two hundred inner disciples would consume two thousand body-refining pills per month. In contrast, the hundreds of outer disciples consumed less than three thousand body-refining pills per month.

This massive demand for body-refining pills had already put the Flowing Cloud Sect's alchemy hall in a difficult position, unable to cope. If twenty more inner disciples were added, the alchemy hall would need to produce an additional two hundred body-refining pills, which it could not handle!

Therefore, under the strong recommendation of the inner circle alchemy hall elder, the new rules for the inner circle entrance examination were established.

Moreover, the inner disciples had become too comfortable, with no competition or sense of crisis, leading to many of them making no progress for years while still occupying three times the cultivation resources of the outer disciples.

Therefore, the five elders and the patriarch of the Flowing Cloud Sect unanimously decided to revise the rules for the inner circle entrance examination.

A total of eighty-seven outer disciples passed the first test, and each had to choose an inner disciple as their opponent. If they defeated their opponent, they would pass the examination and enter the inner circle, while the defeated inner disciple would be expelled from the inner circle and reassigned to the outer circle. The remaining outer disciples would have to choose from the other nineteen inner disciples.

If an outer disciple failed in the competition against an inner disciple, they would be eliminated.

"The first match: Outer disciple Yang Lin versus inner disciple Tang Zheng!" an outer circle executive announced loudly.

As soon as the executive finished speaking, a tall and muscular outer disciple, looking uneasy and appearing to be about twenty years old, stepped forward. From the inner circle, a pale-faced inner disciple with a gloomy expression stepped forward.

Tang Zheng, one of the twenty weakest inner disciples, had been at the third level of the Blood Fusion Realm for three years. Yang Lin, an outer disciple, had been in the outer circle for five years. Although he lacked talent, he had always been extremely diligent and finally broke through to the third level of the Blood Fusion Realm just before the inner circle entrance examination.

Both were evenly matched, each activating their blood qi and using their strongest techniques, resulting in a closely contested battle.

However, Tang Zheng, fearing expulsion from the inner circle, was under immense pressure and could not fully unleash his strength. Eventually, Yang Lin seized the opportunity and defeated Tang Zheng.

"Ah..." Yang Lin, the victor, was overjoyed and shouted loudly.

Tang Zheng, on the other hand, looked dejected, his face pale, like an old man on the verge of death, with no spirit left.

The other outer disciples waiting for their matches suddenly saw hope, and their previously dejected faces lit up with anticipation. It turned out that inner disciples could be defeated!

"The second match: Outer disciple Li Chen versus inner disciple Zheng Zhen!" the outer circle executive announced loudly.

...

One by one, the names of the outer disciples were called, and they were matched against one of the twenty inner disciples.

"The next match: Outer disciple Wang Yue versus inner disciple Liu Yong!" the outer circle executive announced loudly.

Page break for AD

Page break for AD end