Chapter 172: The Twelfth Challenger

Chapter 172: The Twelfth Challenger

On the arena stage, not a single person stepped forward to face He Jinyun.

After a long while, He Jinyun shook his head in disappointment.

The exam proctor also looked towards the direction of the spectator stands, where Hong Minghu was.

Seeing Hong Minghu nod slightly, and hearing his voice in his ear, the proctor understood.

Then, he turned his gaze to the crowd at the edge of the arena.

"If none of you dare to challenge He Jinyun, he will directly claim the position of a Deputy Commander!"

Even with this announcement, no one on the stage stepped forward.

The two Seventh Stage Martial Dao experts, a man and a woman, remained as steady as old dogs, unperturbed by the scene before them.

Since there were four Deputy Commander positions, and only these two among the crowd were of the Seventh Stage, they had no reason to worry.

With a gap as wide as a chasm between the Seventh and Eighth Stages, they had no need to rush.

After training their muscles, their explosive power was terrifying, and every move they made could gather the strength of their entire body.

This explosive power not only made their attacks fierce and unstoppable but also enhanced their speed, making them several times faster than Eighth Stage practitioners, especially in close combat. Their agility and quick reflexes made them seem several times faster than Eighth Stage practitioners. If they were at the peak of the Seventh Stage and had mastered their muscle training, the gap between them and the Eighth Stage practitioners would be even more pronounced, like a multiple difference.

This gap was the source of their confidence.

With four Deputy Commander positions, they could easily claim two of them.

By doing so, they could give the Young Marquis some face and avoid competing with him.

As for the others, they all knew that despite He Jinyun's pale and emaciated appearance, he was a naturally born Divine Strength practitioner.

Among the elite students of the Martial Academy, his innate talent made him invincible.

Knowing they were no match for him, they dared not challenge him.

After a moment, the proctor spoke, "Congratulations, Young Marquis!"

He then took out a golden token from his pocket and threw it towards He Jinyun.

"Is this pure gold?" He Jinyun caught the token and examined it closely.

"It's gold-plated," the proctor explained.

"So cheap!" He Jinyun curled his lips in disdain.

Hearing He Jinyun's words, the proctor was speechless for a moment.

A palm-sized token, pure gold? Who would use such an extravagant item?

He Jinyun walked towards the crowd and addressed them, "There are still three positions left. Fight for them! I'm leaving now; this scorching weather is too much to bear!"

As he spoke, he jumped off the stage.

The crowd parted, making way for He Jinyun as he departed.

"This Young Marquis is truly formidable! He effortlessly claimed the position of a Deputy Commander, an official of the Eighth Stage!"

As He Jinyun's departing figure left, someone exclaimed in awe.

Another person added, "It's not surprising! Don't forget his background; he's the Young Marquis, the offspring of a Fourth Stage Marquis. In their eyes, an Eighth Stage official position is nothing!"

Hearing this, someone immediately countered, "You're underestimating the Deputy Commander position. It's not just any official position; it's one with real authority, holding the power of life and death. They have the privilege of executing first and reporting later, and the authority to see officials one rank higher!"

Upon hearing this, someone nodded in agreement, "That makes sense! The power of the Inspection Office is indeed immense. It's likely that Luo Shui County will experience a storm of bloodshed in the future!"

"That's for sure!" someone agreed.

"But let's talk about us. Do any of us have a chance to compete for the remaining Deputy Commander positions?" The topic shifted.

"It's difficult! Too difficult!"

"Yes, it's too hard! This Young Marquis has already claimed one Deputy Commander position, and there are only three left. With two Seventh Stage experts, they will undoubtedly take two more positions, leaving only one remaining!"

"In that case, Jiang Ning, Liu Zhao Nan, and Ruan Hong Mei have no hope!"

"Not necessarily!" someone spoke up in disagreement, "Don't forget Jiang Ning's performance just now. He defeated an elite student of the Martial Academy with a single punch. With such a display, he might have a chance to compete!"

"It's not that simple!" someone nearby shook their head, then continued their analysis, "You should know that the Martial Academy students' martial arts cultivation far surpasses ours!"

"The competitors against Jiang Ning will be the elite among the elite students, each of them proficient in several lower-rank martial arts!"

"The Martial Academy student who ultimately claims the last Deputy Commander position will surely have mastered not only lower-rank martial arts but also middle-rank and even upper-rank martial arts!"

"With such a vast gap in martial arts cultivation, how can one compete with sheer brute force?"

As this analysis was presented, the crowd fell silent, for they understood that these words were undeniably true.

The outcome of a battle is not solely determined by strength, but also by combat experience, adaptability, weapon proficiency, and one's mastery of martial arts. Among these factors, the most influential is one's mastery of martial arts.

Possessing a powerful martial art brings an unparalleled advantage. Even a mid-tier martial art, when mastered, can easily overpower lower-tier martial arts. Higher-tier martial arts possess even more formidable effects.

The Tianjiao of Luoshui County, however, lacks in martial arts mastery.

On the arena, a man stepped into the center.

"Who dares to challenge me?" he asked, his eyes scanning the crowd with confidence.

As one of the two strongest seventh-rank warriors, he naturally felt assured facing a group of sixth-rank experts.

The crowd frowned at his challenge, realizing that if no one stepped up, they would witness a repeat of He Jinyun's situation, where the man would automatically secure the position of Deputy Leader.

With only four positions available, two would remain unfilled.

The thought of this man's strength made their hearts race.

A seventh-rank warrior.

This was far ahead of their current martial progress. Moreover, they knew that both seventh-rank warriors had come from the provincial capital.

From the capital of Guangning Prefecture, they were students from a prestigious academy, having excelled at the Martial Academy.

There was no doubt that in the academy, these individuals stood out like a crane among a flock.

Such a presence, even at the eighth rank, would not be inferior to anyone present.

Now, with the seventh rank, the crowd felt their enthusiasm wane.

As for the other seventh-rank female warrior, she watched the crowd with a smirk, anticipating the show.

After a moment, the examiner asked, "Is there no one willing to step forward?"

The crowd remained silent.

Jiang Ning also stayed quiet.

With only one chance to compete, a single defeat meant losing the opportunity to vie for the Deputy Leader position.

With the option of the eighth rank, he wouldn't choose to face a seventh-rank warrior.

The strength of Liu Qingsong, the seventh-rank elder of the Martial Academy, was still fresh in his memory.

His victory was due to his advantage in the water, where his combat power doubled.

Naturally, he wasn't afraid of a seventh-rank warrior, and he could win easily.

But in the open, especially under everyone's watchful eyes, his strength and options were limited. He wouldn't risk challenging a seventh-rank warrior.

After a while, the examiner spoke again, "If no one dares to challenge, Yuan Hua will automatically secure the position of Deputy Leader."

The crowd remained silent once more, showing no intention to challenge.

"Fine!" The examiner sighed.

He took out a golden identity token from his body.

"Congratulations!"

Yuan Hua bowed and accepted the golden token.

Then, he returned to the edge of the arena and whispered to the woman beside him, "Tang Miao Miao, it's your turn!"

The woman nodded, gripping her long sword as she stepped onto the arena.

"Who dares to challenge me?"

Her gaze swept over the crowd, carrying a hint of arrogance.

With Yuan Hua present, no one dared to step up.

Not even having the courage to challenge, she naturally looked down on them.

As Tang Miao Miao's gaze swept over them, several people scowled.

Especially Qin Xuan and his companions, they clenched their fists.

As students from the Martial Academy of Dongling City, they were used to being respected wherever they went. When had they ever been subjected to such disdain?

But considering this woman's background and seventh-rank strength, they could only silently endure her gaze.

"How boring!" Tang Miao Miao pouted, her words carrying a hint of impatience. "I think no one here dares to challenge me!"

The examiner, upon hearing this, didn't respond directly.

Instead, he looked at the crowd, "Is there anyone willing to challenge?"

Silence.

After a while, he sighed, "Fine!"

He took out another golden identity token.

"Congratulations!"

"Thank you!" Tang Miao Miao accepted the golden token, her face beaming.

She knew that she was just here to fill the gap, just like Yuan Hua before her.

Both seventh-rank warriors, they were here to make up the numbers.

Yuan Hua was at the front, and naturally, she was the same.

After putting away her token, she walked towards Yuan Hua.

On the other side.

Everyone clenched their fists and rubbed their palms, eager to give it a try.

There were already three Deputy Leaders.

And among those present, there were a total of twelve people.

In other words, the remaining Deputy Leader position would be decided among these twelve individuals.

Only the final victor would be able to claim the Deputy Leader position.

"I'll take it!" Qin Xuan stepped forward, unafraid.

The very next moment, someone else also stepped forward.

It was Ruan Hongmei from Luoshui County.

She held a long whip and wore a tight-fitting martial outfit as she arrived at the center of the arena.

"Indeed, my treatment is completely different! As soon as I stepped forward, someone challenged me!" Qin Xuan looked at Ruan Hongmei in front of him and chuckled self-mockingly.

"Less talk!" Ruan Hongmei spoke up, "There's only one Deputy Leader position left. It doesn't matter who goes first or last, in the end, we must defeat everyone to be qualified."

"You're right!" Qin Xuan nodded.

"Can we have a weapon duel?" Ruan Hongmei asked again.

Qin Xuan glanced at the long whip in Ruan Hongmei's hand and then nodded, "Then let's have a weapon duel!"

The next moment.

He asked the exam proctor for a long sword.

Then.

Qin Xuan held the long sword and immediately engaged in combat with Ruan Hongmei.

The moment the two clashed, they fought with full force, holding nothing back.

Ruan Hongmei's long whip moved like a swimming dragon, shifting left and right, making a cracking sound in the air.

After just a few breaths of combat, Ruan Hongmei was defeated.

At this moment, she had several bone-deep sword wounds on her body, and her clothes were stained with large patches of red.

If it were an ordinary person, facing any one of the sword wounds on Ruan Hongmei's body, they would have died on the spot, their bodies torn apart by the sword's edge.

The reason Ruan Hongmei could withstand these several sword wounds was related to the strong physical defense of martial artists.

At the Ninth Level of Perfection, her skin was as tough as copper.

After that, as strength increased, the growth of qi and blood would also increase the toughness of the skin membrane.

Precisely because of this, every martial artist had extremely strong survival abilities and it was difficult for them to suffer severe fatal injuries.

Especially after donning armor, it was like having double protection, making it even harder to suffer serious injuries.

After witnessing this true weapon duel between the two, Jiang Ning gained a more straightforward understanding of the physical strength of martial artists.

This was a path where defense was greater than offense.

Because, as far as he knew, at the Ninth Level of Perfection, when the skin membrane became as tough as copper, it wasn't the limit of skin tempering.

There were two more steps after that.

The Vajra Temple had subsequent methods, which was the Vajra Indestructible Body he was currently cultivating.

The Diamond Body was the true perfection of skin tempering.

"If the skin is as tough as copper, then it has such defensive power. If the Diamond Body is perfected, then it should truly be impervious to blades and guns, right?" Thinking of this, Jiang Ning couldn't help but think to himself.

At this time.

After Ruan Hongmei was defeated, her expression was one of determination and calm, as if she hadn't suffered any harm.

The wounds on her body also clearly stopped bleeding.

In front of her powerful physical control, the muscles squeezed, stopping the bleeding from the wounds.

Ruan Hongmei then walked towards Jiang Ning, suddenly stopping in her tracks and speaking softly to Jiang Ning.

"I did my best! This Qin Xuan is too strong, I'm not his match, but I also injured his right arm. I believe that when you face him later, you'll have an easier time!"

"I believe you can win this position and create a miracle! Luoshui County needs a Deputy Leader from our county!"

After quickly saying these words, Ruan Hongmei leaped off the arena and disappeared into the crowd without looking back.

Jiang Ning was stunned for a moment, then glanced at Ruan Hongmei's departing figure and couldn't help but smile slightly.

On the arena.

Qin Xuan had already arrived at the side.

After defeating Ruan Hongmei, he automatically advanced to the next round and naturally didn't need to fight.

Then, another person from the Martial Academy stepped into the arena.

"Let's spar with fists and feet, who dares to teach me?" He faced the remaining nine people and asked.

"I'll take it!" Jiang Ning stepped forward decisively.

Seeing Jiang Ning step forward, everyone couldn't help but become interested.

"Can Jiang Ning advance to the next round?" Someone asked.

"It shouldn't be difficult! From the arena battle just now, there's no unbeatable momentum!"

". "

As everyone discussed.

The two quickly clashed.

After just a few breaths.

The man from the Martial Academy fell off the arena.

"I admit defeat!" Jiang Ning clasped his hands together.

The man covered his chest, his face turning red.

After being hit by Jiang Ning's 'Blind Man Hits a Tree' technique, he was completely defenseless and was knocked off the arena, defeated.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end