Inside the wooden shed.
Zhao Hu grinned at Jiang Ning, his face full of provocation and pride.
Then he turned to Li Qing behind Jiang Ning, equally proud, baring his teeth in a wide smile.
It was as if he was saying:
"See?
I, Zhao Hu, have done it too!"
Then, Zhao Hu looked at Wang Jin.
"Master, I need to go over there!" As he spoke, Zhao Hu pointed in the direction of the Liu family.
"Why are you going there?" Wang Jin asked.
Zhao Hu replied, "I promised Liu Zhaonan from the Liu family that if he secures the squad leader position, I will join his team."
"I see," Wang Jin nodded slightly. "Go ahead."
Just then.
Boom
The sound of drums, like thunder, echoed across the training ground.
"Next, I will announce the process for competing for the squad leader position."
"Let's all go out," Wang Jin ordered upon hearing this.
"We'll go out too," Yu Yuan, standing nearby, also spoke up.
In the next moment.
Everyone stepped out of the wooden shed.
By now, the crowd around the training ground had thinned significantly.
It was noon, and not only was the sun blazing, but it was also mealtime.
As everyone stepped out of the shed, they saw the referee still standing in the arena.
Around the base of the arena, a large crowd had gathered.
The referee glanced at the crowd below and announced again.
"The rules for competing for the squad leader position are simple!"
"Those at the seventh rank of martial arts do not need to participate in any assessment and will directly receive the squad leader position."
"As for the rest of you?" The referee swept his gaze across the crowd. "Step into the arena as the challenger. If no one challenges you within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, you will secure the squad leader position."
Hearing this.
Wang Jin, who had just stepped out of the shed and approached the arena, frowned.
"Such an outrageous rule?"
"It is indeed a bit outrageous," Jiang Ning nodded.
Zhou Xing also furrowed his brows. "With this rule, unless you're invincible, luck and connections will play too big a role!"
"Then, do you two still plan to compete for the squad leader position?" Wang Jin asked.
"Master, I'd like to observe first," Zhou Xing replied.
"What about you?" Wang Jin looked at Jiang Ning.
"I'll watch for now," Jiang Ning said. "Based on the earlier assessment, there should be more than ten squad leader positions available."
Just then.
The referee in the arena added another sentence.
"Oh, I forgot to mention, there are only fifteen squad leader positions available!"
"I know some of you are also interested in competing for the deputy commander position later, but the prerequisite is... you must first secure a squad leader position."
As soon as he finished speaking.
"I'll go first!" A loud voice rang out from below the arena.
In the next moment.
A sallow-skinned man leaped from the crowd, soaring several meters through the air.
Boom
He landed heavily on the arena.
"It's him!" Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed.
This man was the one who had left the deepest impression on him today.
Referred to as "Little Earl" by the referee, his status was extraordinary.
Moreover, he possessed natural divine strength.
In Jiang Ning's eyes, this man was one of the more troublesome opponents on the training ground.
The reason he wasn't the most troublesome was that, above this Little Earl, two seventh-rank martial artists were participating.
From his fight with Liu Qingsong, Jiang Ning knew that seventh-rank martial artists were generally far stronger than eighth-rank ones.
The difference of one rank naturally brought more pressure than the Little Earl's natural divine strength.
From the direction of the three major families of Luoshui County.
"Cao Zijian, aren't you going up?"
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Cao Zijian glanced at Liu Zhaonan beside him and continued, "This Little Earl's status is untouchable, and his strength, as shown earlier, is exceptional. Why would I go up and compete with him for the squad leader position?"
"Besides, there are still over a dozen positions left. Letting him have one isn't a big deal."
Liu Zhaonan beside him smiled faintly.
"Brother Cao is right. Since you're not going up, I won't either."
At this moment, those on the training ground who were eligible to compete for the squad leader position shared similar thoughts.
Especially the Martial Academy students, none of them had any intention of stepping into the arena to compete with He Jinyun.
In their Martial Academy branch, He Jinyun had only recently reached the eighth rank a few months ago, but he was already among the top three in the branch.
Now, they had no idea how far He Jinyun had progressed in the Divine Strength Realm.
But they knew that He Jinyun was undoubtedly much stronger than he had been a few months ago.
As the Little Earl of the Earl's estate, He Jinyun lacked no resources in the early stages of martial arts, and rare treasures were nothing to him.
A few months was enough for He Jinyun to make significant progress in the eighth rank.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn.
"How boring!" He Jinyun took the silver identity token handed to him by the referee and muttered before jumping off the arena.
"Who's next?" the referee asked after handing over the token.
For a moment, the crowd below fell silent. Then, someone leaped from the crowd.
The man, dressed in an expensive black robe with gold trim, landed lightly on the arena.
"It's Qin Xuan!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.
"This guy is even stronger than Little Earl He Jinyun was a few months ago!"
As the Martial Academy students discussed, the other eighth-rank martial artists who had been considering stepping up suppressed their urges.
Meanwhile.
"These Martial Academy students are really strong!" Zhou Xing sighed.
Wang Jin said, "It's only natural that the Martial Academy students are strong! After all, the Martial Academy was founded by the Great Xia's Martial Sage!"
"With hundreds of years of history and heritage!"
Wang Jin then comforted him, "But you don't need to feel inferior. They have access to far better martial resources than you two, so it's natural that they're ahead of you now."
Jiang Ning also smiled. "Master is right!"
Another incense stick's worth of time passed.
Still, no one stepped up to challenge Qin Xuan.
After Qin Xuan received the silver token symbolizing the squad leader position and left the arena.
"Liu Sansheng, I'd like to learn from everyone!" Liu Sansheng eagerly stepped forward, clasping his hands toward the crowd below.
At the same time.
The people Liu Sansheng had arranged below began to loudly discuss.
"Liu Sansheng is stepping up this time?"
"He's in such a hurry. It seems he's very confident!"
"Of course! He reached the eighth rank long ago, and as the eldest son of the Liu family, he's likely to become the family head in the future. The martial resources he has access to must be exceptional!"
"In that case, Liu Sansheng's strength must be impressive!"
"Absolutely!!"
As these discussions spread.
Zhou Xing couldn't help but complain, "Another strong Divine Strength Realm martial artist. The Martial Academy is bullying us!"
Jiang Ning smiled. "Senior Brother Zhou, do you think those people loudly discussing might have been arranged by Liu Sansheng in the arena?"
Zhou Xing's eyes lit up.
"Junior Brother Jiang, are you saying he's bluffing?"
"Possibly," Jiang Ning nodded slightly.
"That makes sense!!" Zhou Xing suddenly understood, looking at Jiang Ning with admiration.
Meanwhile.
He Jinyun, watching Liu Sansheng in the arena, smirked at Qin Xuan beside him.
"Liu Sansheng is quite the opportunist, using our reputation to step up and even sending people to bluff!"
Qin Xuan shook his head. "Opportunistic indeed. Liu Sansheng lacks the confidence that you and I have. It seems his strength hasn't undergone any transformation."
"Probably," He Jinyun nodded, then sighed. "It's a pity I stepped up earlier. Otherwise, I would have made him understand what real strength is."
Suddenly.
"Damn it"
A bald man roared, landing heavily on the arena.
"You Martial Academy students love to boast. Let me see if you have the strength!"
Below the arena.
"Heh," He Jinyun chuckled. "This is going to be interesting! Once or twice is fine, but not a third time. It seems Liu Sansheng's appearance has made the eighth-rank experts in Luoshui County lose their patience."
Qin Xuan said, "Let's see if he can win. If he can't, he'll be utterly humiliated."
At this moment.
Zhou Xing's expression was grave as he looked at the arena.
"This man is Fu Shiquan, the top escort of the Changfeng Escort Agency."
"Not only does he have eighth-rank strength, but his combat experience is also extensive! Even I have no confidence in defeating him!"
"I wonder if he can defeat Liu Sansheng from the Martial Academy."
In the next moment.
The two stopped talking and began to fight.
Fu Shiquan wielded a refined iron staff, while Liu Sansheng used a long sword.
As soon as Fu Shiquan made his move, his staff emitted a tiger's roar, full of momentum.
"That's the Demon-Subduing Eighteen Staff Techniques!" Zhou Xing explained. "It's said to be a lower-tier martial art from the Buddhist tradition. It has eighteen strikes!"
"If mastered, each strike becomes stronger than the last. If he can execute all eighteen strikes,"
"The final strike can split mountains. In Fu Shiquan's hands, only a seventh-rank martial artist could withstand it!"
At this moment.
Fu Shiquan wielded his staff to its fullest potential, the shadows of the staff overlapping, covering an area over ten feet in front of him.
The staff's momentum was like a raging flood, giving Liu Sansheng no room to breathe.
From the very first move, Fu Shiquan gave it his all, holding nothing back.
Liu Sansheng's expression changed slightly, and he retreated repeatedly.
Facing the overwhelming force of the iron staff, he didn't dare to clash head-on, relying instead on his sword to deflect and redirect the force.
"It looks like Liu Sansheng has this in the bag," Qin Xuan said below the arena.
Just then.
Liu Sansheng, who had been retreating, suddenly surged forward, his sword moving like lightning, swift as a beam of light.
Whoosh
The air split around the blade.
"Let go" Liu Sansheng shouted softly.
Fu Shiquan's iron staff was knocked out of his hands.
Blood dripped from Fu Shiquan's palms.
"I concede," Liu Sansheng sheathed his sword and clasped his hands.
"I lost," Fu Shiquan said dejectedly.
With that, he turned and walked to the edge of the arena.
Then he leaped off, signaling his defeat.
Below the arena.
Zhou Xing's expression was grave. "Liu Sansheng's swordsmanship is too refined! Especially that lightning-fast strike I didn't even see it coming! If I were in that arena, I'd be no different from Fu Shiquan, maybe even worse!"
Jiang Ning nodded casually, his gaze fixed on the triumphant Liu Sansheng in the arena.
Should I step up now?
He pondered this question.
After watching the fight between Liu Sansheng and Fu Shiquan, he knew that Liu Sansheng was far weaker than him.
Against Liu Sansheng, he would only need one strike to defeat him.
After a long moment of thought.
"Forget it," Jiang Ning thought to himself, shaking his head.
Although what had happened earlier made him dislike Liu Sansheng, thinking of Little Doubao and Jiang Yiming, Jiang Ning decided to let Liu Sansheng have the squad leader position.
At this moment.
Liu Sansheng in the arena remained silent, quietly waiting for time to pass.
With Fu Shiquan's defeat as a precedent, no one dared to challenge Liu Sansheng.
Liu Sansheng's flawless victory over Fu Shiquan had proven his strength and his right to the squad leader position.
With plenty of squad leader positions still available, there was no need to risk fighting Liu Sansheng for this one.
After all, if they lost, they would lose their chance to compete for a squad leader position entirely.
So everyone felt it unnecessary to compete with Liu Sansheng.
As for the Martial Academy students, they wouldn't step up either.
Because patrol guards were the workhorses, while squad leaders were the ones in power!
So before coming, they had already agreed on a rule: unless necessary, they wouldn't fight each other.
In the blink of an eye.
Another incense stick's worth of time passed.
Liu Sansheng took the silver token symbolizing the squad leader position from the referee, his face filled with joy.
Then.
He turned to the crowd below and quickly spotted Jiang Ning.
Liu Sansheng leaped off the arena and walked straight to Jiang Ning.
"Ning, did you see that?" Liu Sansheng waved the silver token in his hand.
Then he continued, "Now that I'm a squad leader in the Inspection Office, and since your brother entrusted you to me, why don't you join my team? As the squad leader, I'll look out for you!"
Having seen Jiang Ning's strength earlier, Liu Sansheng was eager to recruit him.
Any squad leader could have nine patrol guards under them.
But patrol guards were usually ninth-rank martial artists. If assigned by higher-ups, some would be strong, others weak.
Recruiting on your own was different.
If he could recruit someone like Jiang Ning, young and already at the eighth rank, his team's strength would soar, and his status would rise accordingly.
So after seeing Jiang Ning's display of strength earlier, Liu Sansheng had already set his sights on him.
"No," Jiang Ning shook his head in response to Liu Sansheng's offer.
"Why not?" Liu Sansheng asked. "Ning, your sister-in-law is my sister. We're family! Joining my team would be a powerful alliance! I won't treat you poorly! I can even arrange for my cousin to marry you, strengthening our bond!"
Seeing Jiang Ning's refusal, Liu Sansheng offered what he considered generous terms.
Hearing this, Jiang Ning chuckled.
Then he said, "Because I... also plan to compete for the squad leader position!"
As soon as he finished speaking.
Jiang Ning stomped his right foot on the ground.
Boom
His body shot into the air, then seemed to defy inertia as it arced toward the arena!
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