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墨書 Inktalez
Early the next morning, Xunuo woke up early. After washing up, she noticed Guo Shujiang still sound asleep, drooling slightly, and went over to wake him.
Guo Shujiang opened his eyes to see the sun already risen and jumped up, exclaiming, "What time is it? We can't delay the competition!"
Xunuo smiled and replied, "Don't worry, Senior Brother. It's still early. We'll have breakfast first; there's no rush."
Only then did Guo Shujiang relax. He joined Xunuo for breakfast before they headed to the Training Ground for the competition. Xunuo was scheduled for the second match at Arena Five.
The first match featured two disciples: one in their second year and the other in their third year. Both were skilled in Flowing Cloud Fist. Their movements were swift and lively, creating a lively atmosphere in the arena. In the end, it was the third-year disciple who won, thanks to his mastery of Fist Technique.
After announcing the results of the first match, the Outer Sect Disciple overseeing the competition quickly turned to the next page and called out, "The second match: Lu Zaisheng versus Wang Tielin."
Xunuo had been prepared and stepped into the arena upon hearing her name. The third-year disciple also leaped in. The Outer Sect Disciple gestured for them to begin without further ado.
Xunuo cupped her hands and said to Wang Tielin, "Please, Senior Brother."
Wang Tielin returned the gesture and replied, "Please," before assuming a ready stance.
Seeing that Wang Tielin was adopting the stance of Tongbi Fist, Xunuo decided to counter with her own strengths. Without hesitation, she also took on the stance of Tongbi Fist.
Wang Tielin felt a surge of excitement upon seeing Xunuo mirror his stance. Confident that he had made a good bet, he decided to go all out. He charged forward with a powerful punch from a bow stance. Xunuo responded with an outward palm strike followed by a sweeping punch. The two engaged in a fierce exchange.
Wang Tielin aimed for a steady approach, relying on strength to win. He threw every punch with full force but soon realized that Xunuo's punches were equally powerful and her footwork even more agile than his. He began to feel pressured. Just as he was about to change tactics, he saw Xunuo execute a Cross Heart Palm strike and quickly raised his hand to block it. Unexpectedly, Xunuo transformed her palm strike into an elbow attack with an Eight Extremes Fist technique.
This move showcased Xunuo's ability to blend Eight Extremes Fist with Tongbi Fist in response to her opponent's actions. Wang Tielin was caught off guard by this sudden change and could do nothing but take the elbow strike head-on. He staggered back several steps, struggling to catch his breath as his face turned crimson. Then suddenly, he collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
Several familiar faces rushed over from outside the arena and began patting and rubbing him until he regained consciousness.
When Wang Tielin realized that not only had he failed to land a hit on his opponent but had instead been struck down himself, he got up without waiting for the Host's announcement of the results and walked away with a face full of embarrassment.
After the disciple in charge of the competition announced the results, Xunuo stepped off the stage. Guo Shujiang stood nearby, eagerly boasting to the fellow disciples at the sidelines.
Although Xunuo knew that his Eight Extremes Fist had some foundation, he didn’t expect that with just one elbow strike, he would knock his opponent unconscious. He felt a twinge of guilt; after all, it was just a Monthly Test among fellow disciples, and injuring someone was not ideal.
By noon, the second round of matches finally came to an end.
After drawing lots, Guo Shujiang held up the list of Xunuo's opponents for the third round, his expression darkening. "Lu Shidi, your luck seems rather unfortunate; your opponent in this third round will likely be tough to handle."
Xunuo had long anticipated that he would be targeted in the third round. He expected to face a strong opponent and had no illusions about it. Thus, he replied, "Why should you care about that, Brother Guo? My aim is to challenge those in the top forty rankings. If I fear even those outside the rankings, how can I have the courage to strive for a spot on the list?"
Guo Shujiang sighed and said, "You don’t know what you’re up against. This next opponent is not any weaker than those on the list."
Xunuo was taken aback. "What do you mean by that? If he truly has such skill, why isn’t he on the list?"
Guo Shujiang explained, "This person is named Nangong Changjian. He was originally on the list but violated sect rules six months ago and was put under house arrest for half a year. He was also removed from the rankings but has now returned to compete after serving his time."
Xunuo quickly asked, "Then where did he rank before?"
Guo Shujiang frowned and replied, "Twenty-eighth." After a moment's thought, he added, "Don’t underestimate the significance of these rankings. I had planned for you to challenge a senior ranked thirty-sixth. In fact, with your strength, you could confidently take on someone ranked thirty-fourth or thirty-fifth as well. There isn’t much difference between challenging those ranked thirty-sixth or thirty-seventh; their strengths are quite similar. However, there is a clear divide in strength and realm between those ranked forty and thirty-nine or between thirty and twenty-nine. Those who can advance further are truly exceptional talents who fight fiercely for substantial rewards. You can imagine that Nangong Changjian being ranked twenty-eighth means he is significantly stronger than those ranked thirty-sixth. Moreover, disciples who break into the top thirty have lighter duties and can focus more on martial arts training. Nangong Changjian has been in the top thirty for over a year now; his martial arts have improved tremendously. Even during his house arrest, this martial fanatic must have practiced diligently. So be careful when facing such a formidable opponent."
Xunuo asked, "What style does this person excel in?"
Guo Shujiang replied, "He practices Three Talents Fist just like me but has mastered it to such an extent that his variations are unpredictable and difficult to counter."
Hearing this, Xunuo felt a sense of relief in his heart. His specialty, the Eight Extremes Fist, was most suited for close combat. If his opponent used the Flowing Cloud Fist and kept their distance, it would indeed be difficult to deal with. However, in a short-range fight, he still had a fair chance.
In the third round, Xunuo was assigned to the eighth competition arena, scheduled to compete third. When he arrived at the arena, he was startled. The competition had not yet begun, but the area around the eighth arena was already packed with people.
It turned out that after hearing about Nangong Changjian's match against Xunuo, some people had skipped lunch just to secure a spot and watch the spectacle.
Nangong Changjian was an experienced fighter known for his prowess among the Outer Sect Disciples. In contrast, Xunuo had been the cleanest and most efficient winner in the previous two matches of this Monthly Test. As a newcomer who had been in training for less than a month, he had knocked down two senior disciples with just three punches and two kicks. The other disciples were eager to see what kind of sparks would fly when these two faced off.
Xunuo and Guo Shujiang circled around the outside of the arena but could not find a way in. The outermost layer of spectators had formed a human pyramid, making it impossible to see the match.
Just as Xunuo was anxiously scratching the wall, he heard the announcer call out from inside the arena: "In the third match, Nangong Changjian versus Lu Zaisheng."
With no other choice, Xunuo took a deep breath and shouted, "Lu Zaisheng is here!"
The crowd finally parted to create a gap, and Xunuo quickly squeezed his way inside.
Guo Shujiang followed closely behind Xunuo but found himself stuck among the throngs of people after only a few steps. Being shorter in stature, he could only see chins and backs in front of him. Frustrated, he shouted, "I'm Lu Zaisheng's brother! Let me through! Make way!"
Unfortunately, his voice was swallowed by the roaring crowd and quickly faded away.
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