On the Training Ground.
Jiang Ning soared through the air like a white crane gliding, then landed lightly on the arena.
"What a mistake!!" Wang Jin, standing below the arena, stomped his foot in frustration.
Zhou Xing also sighed. "Junior Brother Jiang is too impulsive! He stepped onto the arena too early!"
Liu Sansheng, watching Jiang Ning in the arena, shook his head. "He's asking for humiliation!"
Then he walked toward the group of Martial Academy students.
Below the arena, Li Qing, watching Jiang Ning, frowned deeply, her expression filled with worry.
"Why did Junior Brother Jiang do this? Stepping onto the arena so early will attract the attention of the strong Martial Academy students."
Beside her, Cheng Ran also furrowed his brows, muttering to himself.
"No wonder Brother Jiang Ning said he had a way to get me into the Inspection Office. It turns out he plans to compete for the squad leader position."
"If he becomes a squad leader, he might have a way to bring me into the Inspection Office!"
"But competing for the squad leader position is too difficult. Even Fu Shiquan was easily defeated!"
Meanwhile.
At the positions of the Cao, Liu, and Xie families.
Cao Zijian looked at Jiang Ning in the arena. "This kid stepped onto the arena?"
"What, do you want to go up and teach him a lesson?" Liu Zhaonan asked beside him.
"If it were a bit later, I might have gone up," Cao Zijian said, then continued, "But stepping up now is too early. The top eighth-rank experts from the Martial Academy haven't gone up yet. I don't want to clash with them head-on."
"Brother Zijian, where's your usual sharp and aggressive spirit?" Liu Zhaonan said with a half-smile.
Hearing this, Cao Zijian glanced at Liu Zhaonan. "If you're so brave, why don't you go up now?"
Liu Zhaonan immediately shook his head.
"No way! I have strict orders. As the Liu family's most promising candidate for the squad leader position, I can't act impulsively."
Cao Zijian said, "Same here."
Then, Cao Zijian looked at Xie Xiaojiu, who was wearing a black tight-fitting training outfit and holding a silver-white sword.
"I wonder what this Xie family's little lady is thinking?"
"She received investment from Lin Qingyi, the owner of Wanhua Tower. Her strength is even above ours!"
Liu Zhaonan, hearing this, glanced at Xie Xiaojiu, who stood not far away, her expression calm, her long hair tied in a ponytail, revealing her slender swan-like neck.
Xie Xiaojiu's black outfit not only accentuated her delicate figure but also made her skin appear as smooth as white jade.
Liu Zhaonan's eyes flashed with a hint of infatuation.
After a moment of distraction, Liu Zhaonan looked away.
"I think she should be braver than the two of us!"
Meanwhile.
On the Arena.
Jiang Ning landed in the arena empty-handed.
As for his spirit weapon, he hadn't brought it with him.
There were too many strong individuals here.
While ordinary people might not recognize the value of a spirit weapon, someone like Hong Minghu, who had seen the world, might.
Keeping wealth hidden was the key to safety.
"Everyone, is there anyone willing to step up and teach me a lesson?" Jiang Ning clasped his hands toward the crowd below.
"Heh! Jiang Ning stepped into the arena first. This is going to be interesting!" someone below said, their tone full of amusement.
"Jiang Ning is the pride of Luoshui County! I hope he doesn't embarrass us!" someone else said, their voice tinged with worry.
"What's there to be embarrassed about? Even if Jiang Ning loses, he's still better than those so-called geniuses who don't even dare to step into the arena!" someone immediately defended Jiang Ning.
"True! At least Jiang Ning dares to step up. Aside from Fu Shiquan, Jiang Ning is the second person from Luoshui County to step into the arena! Even if he loses, he has more guts than those cowards!" someone else agreed.
"Exactly! Well said! I support Jiang Ning!!"
As the pride of Luoshui County, everyone tacitly avoided stepping into the arena.
First, as fellow county members, defeating Jiang Ning wouldn't bring them any glory.
Second, they weren't confident they could withstand the challenges of the Martial Academy students after defeating Jiang Ning.
Since they weren't confident, stepping up to challenge Jiang Ning was pointless.
Meanwhile.
Among the Martial Academy students.
"Finally, something interesting!" The sallow-skinned He Jinyun's face lit up with amusement.
He continued, "This guy is the first local from Luoshui County to step onto the arena, right?"
"Mm," Qin Xuan nodded. "I've had my eye on him for a while. He's quite the prodigy. If he loses later, I might recruit him into my team."
"Oh?" He Jinyun looked at Qin Xuan in surprise. "Don't you want to compete for the deputy commander position?"
Qin Xuan chuckled. "I almost forgot. There's still the deputy commander competition later."
With that, Qin Xuan shook his head and smiled.
At the same time.
"A genius from Luoshui County? Let me test you!"
A young man leaped onto the arena as he spoke.
"Martial Academy student, Lu Yuan, ninth rank peak. Please enlighten me!" The young man clasped his hands.
As soon as he spoke, the crowd below erupted.
"Ninth rank peak? Is he crazy? A ninth rank dares to challenge an eighth rank?"
"Brother, his ninth rank isn't like ours! He's a Martial Academy student!"
"If Jiang Ning loses to a ninth rank, it'll be a huge embarrassment!"
On the Arena.
"Ninth rank?"
Jiang Ning smiled, and then his figure suddenly blurred, turning into an afterimage.
The Five Animals Fist, at its peak, combined the tiger's explosiveness, the bear's strength, and the ape's agility.
After breaking through the limits of the Five Animals Fist, Jiang Ning realized his speed had increased significantly.
It no longer felt like the ape form but more like the ape techniques he had seen in movies in his past life.
Breaking through the limits didn't just add new traits.
It transformed the Five Animals Fist entirely, shedding its outward form and integrating into his every movement.
The tiger's explosiveness became stronger, each movement like a tiger roaring through the mountains, unstoppable.
The bear's strength also increased, as if the power of the earth itself bolstered him.
And the ape's speed underwent a similar transformation.
Speed unmatched speed was the essence.
Now, as Jiang Ning's figure turned into an afterimage, it showed his speed was as swift as a fleeting shadow.
When Jiang Ning decided to act, he held nothing back.
He didn't want to waste too much time on the squad leader competition.
Moreover, hiding his basic strength was meaningless.
Because there was still the deputy commander competition later.
No matter how much he hid now, he would have to reveal it eventually.
"So fast??" Lu Yuan's expression turned to shock as he saw the afterimage.
In the next moment.
"Pfft"
Before he could even see Jiang Ning's move, he felt an overwhelming force slam into him, sending him flying like a leaf. Blood sprayed from his mouth, dispersing in the air.
Boom
As the Martial Academy student named Lu Yuan landed below the arena, the surroundings fell silent.
Those who saw this scene were stunned, their faces filled with shock.
They never expected that Lu Yuan, a Martial Academy student, would be completely outmatched by Jiang Ning in a single move!
Although there was a gap between the eighth and ninth ranks, it wasn't usually a crushing difference.
The eighth rank was stronger, but it only had a bit more strength and slightly better physical condition.
This gap was like the difference between a thin person and a strong one.
While the stronger person would win, it wasn't an insurmountable difference.
Moreover, this ninth-rank challenger was from the Martial Academy in Dongling City.
Martial Academy students, even at the same level of physical refinement, were far stronger than martial artists from small countries.
Because martial strength wasn't just about physical refinement.
It also depended on the quality of martial techniques and their mastery.
Even though Martial Academy students primarily practiced lower-tier martial arts, their techniques were among the best in that category.
Not only were their techniques more refined and powerful, but they also received guidance from masters far beyond what small-county martial artists could access.
With the same talent, a Martial Academy student's martial skill could reach heights several floors above a small-county martial artist.
For small-county martial artists, mastering a lower-tier martial art to perfection was a one-in-ten chance.
But for Martial Academy students, it was the reverse only one in ten couldn't achieve perfection.
This was the difference between them.
So anyone who understood this knew that while Lu Yuan was only at the ninth rank peak, and his strength might not match Jiang Ning's eighth-rank Divine Strength Realm, he wasn't completely outmatched.
The advantage of martial skills could bridge some of the physical gaps.
But the result shocked everyone.
With just one move, Lu Yuan, a ninth-rank peak Martial Academy student, was sent flying off the arena, spitting blood.
Below the Arena.
"So strong?" Zhou Xing's mouth hung open, his face full of disbelief.
"That speed..." Wang Jin's pupils contracted as he watched the scene in the arena.
Then Wang Jin muttered to himself, "His movements resemble the ape form, but there's no trace of the ape fist techniques. The ape form has been integrated into his bones! But this speed is simply unbelievable!!"
"How did this kid achieve this?" Wang Jin was filled with confusion.
"What a formidable kid. I underestimated him," He Jinyun said.
Beside him, Qin Xuan, dressed in a black robe with gold trim, nodded slightly. "Indeed, his speed is astonishing! Even though I've mastered the perfected Flying Bird Crossing the Sky movement technique, I might not match his speed."
He Jinyun also nodded. "His speed is impressive. I wonder how his strength holds up. Can he withstand a single strike from me?"
Qin Xuan shook his head with a smile. "No need to wonder. Of course not! You're born with divine strength. After these months of training, you must be close to the peak of the eighth rank, right?"
"Good eye!" He Jinyun smirked.
Meanwhile.
At the positions of the Cao, Liu, and Xie families.
"Incredible speed!" Liu Zhaonan's eyes narrowed. "I underestimated him earlier! With such movement skills and speed, no wonder this kid dared to step onto the arena now."
Cao Zijian's expression also changed slightly.
"This kid's progress is too exaggerated! No wonder Brother Cao Bin decided to reconcile with him. If you can't crush a genius like this in one go, it's best not to offend him too deeply."
"True," Liu Zhaonan nodded, then added, "From today's events, Cao Bin made the right choice. After today, Jiang Ning's wings will gradually grow. Offending him wouldn't be wise."
Not far from them.
Xie Xiaojiu, dressed in black, watched the scene in the arena, her eyes sharp.
"No wonder! Sister Qingyi keeps mentioning you. You have some skills!" Xie Xiaojiu murmured as she looked at Jiang Ning in the arena.
Then she glanced at Lin Qingyi, who was seated on the viewing platform.
"Sister Qingyi, I admit Shen Congyun has a good eye, but I'll prove to you that your judgment is just as good."
With that thought.
Xie Xiaojiu's gaze became resolute.
In the next moment.
She tapped her toes lightly, and her figure shot into the air, instantly rising above the crowd.
"Someone's stepping onto the arena!"
"It's the Xie family's Ninth Miss, Xie Xiaojiu!!!"
"It's her? She was once a legend in Luoshui County! I heard she was favored by Lin Qingyi, the owner of Wanhua Tower, and received significant support!"
"Xie Xiaojiu is stepping into the arena to challenge Jiang Ning. Does this mean it's a showdown between the two patrons of Wanhua Tower?"
The crowd grew excited as they watched Xie Xiaojiu soar into the air.
Xie Xiaojiu, the Ninth Miss of the Xie family, became famous in Luoshui County after being favored by Lin Qingyi of Wanhua Tower.
Later, Xie Xiaojiu's martial progress proved Lin Qingyi's exceptional judgment.
At seventeen, Xie Xiaojiu was recognized by Lin Qingyi while at the ninth rank initial stage.
By eighteen, in less than a year, Xie Xiaojiu had broken through to the eighth rank.
Reaching the eighth rank at eighteen undoubtedly proved Lin Qingyi's keen eye.
Now, a year later, everyone knew Xie Xiaojiu must have progressed far in the eighth-rank Divine Strength Realm, her strength undoubtedly formidable.
In the blink of an eye.
Xie Xiaojiu, dressed in black, landed in the arena.
She held a silver-white sword in her hand, her black hair tied simply at the back, revealing her long, swan-like neck.
"Xie family, Xie Xiaojiu," Xie Xiaojiu said calmly, looking at Jiang Ning.
Meanwhile.
In a corner of the viewing platform.
Lin Qingyi frowned as she watched the scene in the arena.
"This silly girl stepping onto the arena now is going to cause trouble for Jiang Ning!"
"With the Golden Body Pill, he's only at the initial stage of the eighth rank."
"This silly girl reached the eighth rank a year ago. With her martial talent and resources, she's probably at the peak of the eighth rank now, with nearly three thousand jin of strength!"
"Moreover, this silly girl has a natural talent for the sword, with at least three martial arts perfected and one mid-tier martial art mastered!"
Thinking this, Lin Qingyi shook her head slightly.
It looks like Jiang Ning is going to be taken down by Xiaojiu!
I'll have to compensate him properly after the fight!
I hope he doesn't hold a grudge against this silly girl!
His potential is even greater than hers!
If he resents her, she'll have a hard time in the future!
In the next moment.
Lin Qingyi thought to herself, "Forget it, I'll give him a heads-up first."
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