I Grind to Martial Saint

Cangshui County Observatory.

Huang Mengshi took out a list and began to read the names on it.

”Bai Hao!”

The moment the name was called, a burly, powerful figure suddenly flew out from one of the carriages.

He was a young man, one-point-nine meters tall, with a rugged face and powerful muscles, carrying a long-handled Golden Melon Hammer in one hand.

BOOM!

When he landed, the ground seemed to tremble.

”Bai Hao... present,” the burly young man said flatly.

”Go inside,” Huang Mengshi said coolly.

But Bai Hao turned his head, looked at Han Yuan and the others, and grinned. ”Anyone who ends up as my opponent later and doesn’t surrender beforehand, I’ll smash you all into meat paste!”

Only after saying this did he enter the Observatory.

”So arrogant!”

”Well, he’s earned the right to be arrogant.”

”Look at that Golden Melon Hammer of his. It’s said to weigh over three hundred pounds.”

”Combined with his brutish Qi Power, if you get hit by that, it’s certain death.”

”Besides, I heard this Bai Hao has a strange quirk—he loves to smash people’s heads in.”

The crowd of examinees chattered amongst themselves.

Clearly, Bai Hao’s words had already instilled a sense of fear in them.

Huang Mengshi ignored the idle chatter and continued reading the names.

”Huang Xian’Er.”

At that moment, a woman in a yellow dress, carrying a longsword on her back, stepped out of a carriage.

The woman was tall and slender with thin lips, giving her a sharp and unkind appearance.

”Cousin,” Huang Xian’Er called out.

”Go on in,” Huang Mengshi replied, a smile breaking out on his face as well.

Seeing this, Han Yuan recalled what Duan Xu had told him before and fell into thought.

”Li Fire Bow.”

”Lu Changguang.”

”Cui Zhi.”

After that, Huang Mengshi called three more names.

Huang, Bai, Li, Lu, Cui.

These were the surnames of the Five Great Noble Families of Cangshui County.

After they were called, it was the turn of some disciples from ordinary noble families and Martial World Wanderers.

Soon, Han Yuan heard his name called.

He couldn’t just get in on his name alone like the others, so he presented his documents.

Huang Mengshi glanced at them and let him in.

Once Han Yuan stepped into the Observatory, he saw a massive plaza that had been divided into many sections.

In the distance stood a pavilion.

Over a dozen people were standing there now.

These were some of the bigwigs from the Observatory.

”Vice Supervisor Bai, it looks like Bai Hao will certainly have the last laugh this time,” a portly old man said with a laugh.

His name was Huang Ren, and he was the Vice Supervisor of the Feiying Tribe.

Furthermore, he was also a member of the Huang Family.

”You jest, Vice Supervisor Huang. Your family’s Huang Xian’Er is not to be underestimated either.”

”I just wonder, aside from our Five Great Noble Families, which other three will be able to join our Observatory this time,” a man with narrow eyes and a large black mole beneath the corner of his mouth chuckled softly.

His name was Bai Qi, Vice Supervisor of the Demon Extermination Tribe.

”I think that Sea-Splitting Staff Meng Yong might have a shot.”

”I hear the top disciple from the Eagle Claw Martial Arts Hall has also mastered his Eagle Claw Skill to the Great Success level. His strength is considerable as well.”

”We shall just have to wait and see.”

The members of the Five Great Noble Families looked relaxed, chatting casually.

They had just come today to go through the motions.

After all, the spots for the Five Great Noble Families were already arranged, and they wouldn’t face each other in the competition.

A gray-robed old man had been silent the whole time, gazing at the plaza in the distance.

He was the Supervisor of the Demon Extermination Tribe, Du Qiuxu.

He had actually been listening to the conversation between Huang Ren, Bai Qi, and the others, but paid it no mind.

His gaze seemed to be searching for a particular figure.

Soon, his gaze, sharp as a hawk’s, quickly landed on a tall young man with a long saber on his back.

’Who’s looking at me?’

Han Yuan seemed to sense something, looking toward the gray-walled, red-tiled pavilion in the distance.

But there were too many people in the pavilion for him to distinguish who was looking at him, so he could only withdraw his gaze.

And that strange feeling never appeared again.

Soon, all sixty-four people participating in the assessment had entered the Observatory.

Cangshui County governed hundreds of counties, and nearly all of the youngest and most powerful Body Tempering Martial Artists were gathered here.

The competition brackets had already been decided.

Han Yuan was quickly led to a square area.

The area was five meters long and five meters wide. In the center stood a Demon Exterminator in a Piyao Robe, acting as the referee.

His opponent was also brought over shortly.

He was a two-meter-tall, bald, burly man, holding a Profound Iron Rod and looking utterly menacing.

”Han Yuan...”

”Zhang Zhenlu.”

”The Observatory’s assessment has never been concerned with life or death.”

”If either of you wants to withdraw, speak now,” the Demon Exterminator said flatly.

However, both Han Yuan and the bald, burly man remained unmoved.

”Then let’s begin.”

The Demon Exterminator wasted no more words.

”Kid!”

”You’ve got some nerve!”

Zhang Zhenlu sneered and was the first to attack.

He held the rod with both hands and charged toward Han Yuan like a meteor.

The Profound Iron Rod in his hands whipped up a howling wind as he ferociously swung it at Han Yuan’s head.

Han Yuan didn’t even bother to draw his saber, simply throwing a punch.

’What an arrogant kid, trying to block with his bare flesh!’

The observing Demon Exterminator’s eyes twitched.

Although after entering the Body Tempering Realm, one’s body was much tougher and stronger than an ordinary person’s, without the protection of Inner Breath, it still couldn’t compare to the hardness of metal.

There was a loud CLANG.

Zhang Zhenlu only felt as if a mountain-shattering giant hammer had slammed into his long rod. A terrifyingly immense force assaulted him, making it impossible to keep his grip.

The instant the Profound Iron Rod was sent flying, Han Yuan clenched his left hand into a fist and viciously smashed it into Zhang Zhenlu’s chest.

BANG!

Zhang Zhenlu violently spat out a mouthful of blood as his body flew more than ten meters away.

”Such profound Qi Power.”

”Not bad.”

The Demon Exterminator gave Han Yuan an appreciative glance and had someone carry Zhang Zhenlu away.

As Han Yuan was waiting for his next opponent, he suddenly heard a heavy crash.

The entire plaza seemed to tremble.

Han Yuan turned to look.

He saw Bai Hao holding his Golden Melon Giant Hammer, a headless corpse lying beside him.

As for the head... it had long since been reduced to a meaty pulp, splattered everywhere.

”This is what happens when you fight me, Bai Hao,” Bai Hao sneered.

The gazes of the others clearly became more fearful.

This big bear from the Bai Family was truly ferocious.

Han Yuan silently withdrew his gaze.

The Observatory’s assessment was extremely harsh, giving no time for rest.

If you wanted to rest, you had to finish off your opponent as quickly as possible.

And so, very soon, Han Yuan’s next opponent walked into the arena.

It was a stocky, well-built man with a scar on his face.

”I am Lü Yangping, the top disciple of the Eagle Claw Martial Arts Hall.”

The man smiled and clasped his fist.

”Qingshui County... Han Yuan.”

Han Yuan returned the fist clasp.

The Demon Exterminator immediately announced the start of the match.

Lü Yangping struck first. His speed was incredible; like a hawk swooping down on its prey, he thrust the index and middle fingers of his right hand toward Han Yuan’s eyes.

The move was exceptionally vicious.

Even for a Body Tempering Martial Artist, the eyes were still extremely fragile and considered a vital point.

Han Yuan grinned, dodged the claw strike by tilting his head to the right, and then viciously whipped it back, slamming it into Lü Yangping’s temple.