Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

One foot, two feet, three feet...

One yard, two yards, three yards...

When the black light beam broke through the height of three yards, it began to fall back, finally stabilizing at a height of three yards.

”Pardon my humble display.”

After three breaths, Wan Fei withdrew his hand, turned back with a slight smile, clasped his fists towards the crowd, and then stepped to the side of the stele.

With Wan Fei leading and reaching a height of three yards, the other martial artists present did not hesitate. The second to step up was the Senior Brother from the Ze Kingdom Martial Arts Academy.

He also caused a black light beam to appear at the top of the Soul Testing Stele, but the height was only two and a half yards.

With the start of these two, next, the martial artists in the square stepped forward one by one to test. Most reached a height of one yard, but no one broke Wan Fei’s record.

”Fellow Junior Brothers, I’ll go first.”

On the Liang Kingdom side, Li Yuan also did not hesitate, stepping forward with his hand on the Soul Testing Stele, soon lighting up a light beam that also reached three yards.

Seeing this, the disciples of the Canglan Martial Arts Academy breathed a sigh of relief. Senior Brother Li Yuan and Wan Fei tied, which was currently the highest record.

During a tea time, forty people had been tested, all meeting the one-yard requirement.

However, the remaining Martial Arts Academy disciples who hadn’t been tested did not seem relieved. The Senior Brothers who met the one-yard requirement were confident in their Divine Soul strength. The weaker ones hadn’t stepped up yet.

After seventy people, one disciple from the Wu Kingdom stepped up, but this time, the black light beam on the stele only reached three feet.

This was the first martial artist who didn’t meet the requirement.

The first failed martial artist appeared, opening the floodgates of failure, as the next ten disciples all failed consecutively.

Lin Chen understood in his heart, it seemed that about eighty people would pass the test.

Those who could meet the requirements had already tested; those who hadn’t tested yet and could meet the requirements weren’t in a hurry, but they weren’t many.

Nine Kingdoms, sixty Martial Arts Academies, ten disciples per academy, totaling six hundred disciples, yet less than a hundred met the requirement, such a high elimination rate.

Fortunately, on the Liang side, out of the four Martial Arts Academies, a total of eight Senior Brothers met the requirement. If he added himself, that made nine, only one less than the Han Kingdom. However, the three from Han Kingdom on the Celestial List hadn’t acted yet.

”It seems there are no dark horses, in that case, let me go, two Senior Brothers.”

The three Celestial List martial artists from Han Kingdom stood alone in a row, and at this moment, the man on the far right smiled lightly, stepping toward the stele.

Seeing him head toward the stele, a Wu Kingdom disciple who was about to approach the stele quickly stopped.

”Lu Chuanning, Celestial List seventh.”

Li Yuan whispered, and with Lu Chuanning approaching the stele, the earlier noise vanished.

Celestial List martial artists would naturally pass the test, but they were curious about what height Lu Chuanning could reach.

”I wonder if there’s extra points awarded for surpassing a certain height?”

In front of the stele, Lu Chuanning didn’t hurry to place his hand on it but looked toward Murong Song and others.

This statement stirred an uproar on the scene.

”Extra points? Does he think he can reach five yards?”

”Five yards certainly won’t be enough; it must be at least six yards. The current highest record is already four and a half yards.”

So far, the highest record was from Senior Brother Zuo Fei of the Yan Kingdom Royal Martial Arts Academy, reaching four and a half yards.

”Anyone surpassing nine yards gets ten extra points for each additional yard!”

Murong Song spoke calmly, this was the scoring rule discussed by the nations yesterday.

”Good.”

Lu Chuanning nodded, and the next moment he placed his right hand on the stele, and the stele instantly emitted a black light beam, faster than all previous ones.

Everyone on site held their breath at this moment, curious about what extent the seventh-ranking Lu Chuanning could reach.

One yard, two yards, three yards...

The light beam rose extremely fast and only slowed down after reaching seven yards, finally stopping at just over nine yards.

Seeing his result, Lu Chuanning shook his head with an expression of regret as if he wasn’t quite satisfied, yet the upward curve of his lips betrayed his true thoughts.

”Senior Brother Lu actually broke through nine yards, just a little shy of breaking Yan Kingdom Royal Martial Arts Academy’s record.”

”Surpassing Zuo Fei’s best result by twofold, truly worthy of Senior Brother Lu.”

Han Kingdom’s martial artists had faces full of excitement, while despair was evident in the eyes of disciples from several other nations. One Lu Chuanning alone overwhelmed everyone, and Han Kingdom still had two others ranked ahead of Lu Chuanning on the Celestial List.

Once these two entered the scene, Han Kingdom’s four Martial Arts Academies’ points would far surpass others.

”Junior Brother Ling, will you go next, or shall I?”

”I’ll go first, Senior Brother.”

Ling Tianhao confidently headed toward the stele, Han Kingdom Martial Arts Academy disciples watching expectantly. Ling ranked fifth on the Celestial List, surpassing Lu by two ranks; perhaps he could break the ten-yard record.

Slap!

Ling Tianhao slapped the stele lightly, and the light beam on the stele surged, instantly reaching six yards, with its speed still fast.

Nine yards, ten yards, eleven yards, twelve yards...

Twelve and a half yards!

The height of the black light beam made many martial artists feel despair.

Li Yuan, Dang Baixuan, and others also looked serious. Though martial artists don’t solely rely on Divine Soul for strength, Divine Soul provides significant enhancements in controlling Martial Path Will. The stronger the Divine Soul, the more exquisite the application of Martial Path Will.

”Senior Brother Bian, please do go.”

Ling Tianhao’s gaze shifted to Bian Xinjie, and all eyes on site also turned to this third-ranking Han Kingdom martial artist on the Celestial List.

Of the top ten on the Celestial List, Han Kingdom occupied four, although the first-ranking one hadn’t come.

Before everyone’s gaze, Bian Xinjie stepped to the stele, also striking it with a palm.

Boom!

This time, the light beam the stele emitted surged directly to ten yards and, in the blink of an eye, reached fifteen yards.

”This speed, won’t it break twenty yards?”

Someone at the scene exclaimed, but fortunately, although the beam’s growth speed was fast, it directly halted after reaching fifteen yards.

Seeing the beam stop at fifteen yards, many martial artists on site breathed a sigh of relief, but Hou Zhantian standing in the front frowned.

The reason other disciples’ beams rose slowly was due to a lack of strong Divine Soul control; the Soul Testing Stele had to slowly sense the Divine Soul strength of these disciples. But Bian Xinjie reaching fifteen yards in an instant not only indicated the strength of his Divine Soul but also demonstrated his extremely proficient use of it.

”Fifteen yards, an extra sixty points. His points alone equal the total points of two Martial Arts Academies. How can we compete?”

The atmosphere on the Liang side instantly became silent, and at this moment Bian Xinjie’s gaze was precisely directed over here, a cold smile curling his lips.

”Bian Xinjie being the third on the Celestial List, with such strength it’s not surprising. Even if we lose the points race, it’s just a lower ranking. Ultimately, it comes down to duels, we must not lose heart.”

Though Li Yuan was also shocked by Bian Xinjie’s strength, as the Senior Brother of Canglan Martial Arts Academy, he couldn’t let his Junior Brothers lose morale, which might affect the points race and subsequent duels.

”In my opinion, there’s no need to enter the Thousand Illusion Secret Realm, just determine rankings by the Martial Arts Academies’ points. Who can surpass Senior Brother Bian and those three?”

Someone from Zheng Kingdom’s Martial Arts Academy spoke, full of flattery.

”Or some people who won’t give up can still try their luck?”

The speaker’s gaze turned to the Liang Kingdom side, as everyone knew there was a rivalry between Han and Liang Kingdoms. At this point, Han Kingdom’s points already thoroughly crushed Liang Kingdom’s.

Kong Qing heard this and was about to retort, but was held back by Dang Baixuan.

”No need for verbal spats, Junior Brother Lin you...”

”I’d like to give it a try too.”

As Dang Baixuan was speaking, Lin Chen had already started stepping forward, responding with a smile to Dang Baixuan’s words.

”What’s he trying to do?”

Seeing Lin Chen head toward the stele, puzzled expressions appeared on the faces of the martial artists on site.

After yesterday’s battle, martial artists from each nation on site recognized Lin Chen and acknowledged that his strength deserved their attention.

But even if you could leave a mark on the Soul Testing Stele, now is not the time to step up.

At least wait for some more people to complete the test before stepping up. Right now, even reaching one yard would seem ridiculous before Bian Xinjie’s fifteen yards.

Surely Lin Chen didn’t believe he could surpass Bian Xinjie, right?

PS: Continuing to write, another Chapter to be posted before 2 a.m.!