Chapter 74: Chapter 71: One Move
"You damn bitch, acting all high and mighty. As long as you’re in the Xuanling Empire, I’ll have you moaning under
one day. Let’s see who you act so pure for then!" Xuan Yu spat viciously, his expression unspeakably savage. As he turned, seven yellow Martial Rings materialized at his feet. With a surge of Primordial Power, he flickered a few tis and vanished from sight.
anwhile, Mu Chen watched Mu Bingling’s lonely departure, but he couldn’t call out to her. Doing so would cause unnecessary trouble at the academy. His rational nature forced him to be sensible in this situation. ’Besides, Mu Bingling is right here in the academy. One day doesn’t make a difference.’
Realizing this, Mu Chen felt how impulsive he had just been. He gave the surrounding students an apologetic look and quietly retreated to a corner.
When the instructor arrived, he simply asked about the situation, gave Mu Chen a deep look, and then flew onto the stage. The second test was about to begin.
Di Cang waved a hand and announced loudly, "We will now begin the second test! In a mont, one hundred stages, each one hundred ters in diater, will appear in the central area. Your task is to attack the stages! Each student must defeat ten other students to pass. The victories do not need to be consecutive, but if you fail a challenge more than three tis, you will be eliminated. The Imperial Academy does not accept useless trash. The one thousand students we recruit each year is rely an upper limit. This ans if only ten people pass, we will only accept ten people. The other nine hundred and ninety spots will be canceled."
As soon as he finished speaking, a wave of wails rose from the crowd below. Many were clearly unhappy with this rule, but all they could do was grumble. With a great RUMBLE, one hundred circular stages suddenly erged from the middle of the square, each one a hundred ters in diater.
"The instructors have already randomly paired everyone. We will now announce the first wave of stage defenders."
After Di Cang spoke, another instructor imdiately took over. "Announcing the list of defenders. Stage One, Zheng Fen. Stage Two, Sun Jiang. Stage Three, Xiao Yu... Stage Ninety-Nine, Mu Chen. Stage One Hundred, Qing Lei. All right, that is the first wave of stage defenders. The rest of you may attack any stage you choose. If your attack is successful, you will beco the new defender."
Hearing his na, Mu Chen paused for a mont, surprised to be called up so soon. He was completely unfazed, however. With a light tap of his foot, he easily leaped onto Stage Ninety-Nine. Now that Mu Chen’s figure was fully visible to everyone, a flurry of discussion erupted.
"Look, what’s that thing on his back?"
"Tch, probably a weapon. Who knows what kind of junk needs a box that big."
"Tsk tsk, it looks like a coffin to . Don’t tell
he’s carrying a corpse in there. Does this guy have a thing for dead bodies?"
"Holy crap, no way. He looks so refined, but his tastes are that twisted?"
Of course, Mu Chen heard all this gossip, but he paid it no mind. He simply stood there, perfectly straight with his eyes closed. But just then, the stage beneath his feet suddenly sank, and fine cracks began to spiderweb out from where he stood.
"Hmph!" Mu Chen’s brow furrowed. He suddenly rembered that earlier, with nothing better to do, he had deliberately increased the weight of the black case on his back to twelve thousand jin. An object that heavy might not be a problem if laid flat on the ground, but it was a different story when the entire weight was concentrated under his feet. Still, it seed the stone stage could bear it.
"All right, will the first wave of attackers please enter the stages!"
As the voice faded, a hundred students in white uniforms walked in from one side. Each found a stage and stood off to the side. On their chests, they all wore a badge with the character for "Inspect," clearly identifying them as the Inspectors for the test.
Mu Chen glanced over before turning back. A young man with an arrogant expression now stood before him. The youth wore only a pair of pants, his upper body almost completely bare. Under the sun, his bulging muscles reflected a tallic sheen.
Mu Chen nodded to himself. ’Looks like I’ve run into a Body Forging master in the first round.’ The youth shot Mu Chen a haughty glance. Seeing that Mu Chen’s eyes were closed, he grew greatly displeased and shouted, "What do you an by closing your eyes! Are you looking down on ? Or are you blind?"
Mu Chen frowned but said nothing. The youth burst out laughing. "I get it now. You’re not just blind, you’re mute too! Haha! eting
is the greatest regret of your life, because you’re about to get kicked out of the Imperial Academy."
The Inspector’s expression was calm as he said slowly, "Less trash talk, please. Both students, state your nas."
The arrogant youth chuckled, pointed at Mu Chen, and barked, "Listen up. The na’s Balrog. Don’t die without even knowing who killed you."
"Balrog? It’s him!" a student in the crowd exclaid.
Soone next to him imdiately asked, "Who’s Balrog? Is he strong?"
The first student replied grimly, "Of course he is. I heard he’s only sixteen, but he’s already a Five-Ring Martial Artist."
"A Five-Ring Martial Artist? Holy crap, I’m only at the Third Ring. Doesn’t that an I have no hope at all?"
The discussion below made Balrog even more arrogant. He looked provocatively at Mu Chen and sneered, "What’s wrong? You heard my na and now you’re too scared to even say your own?"
"Mu Chen."
Just two words. After speaking, Mu Chen made no move to prepare, simply standing there ramrod straight. Seeing this, Balrog was overjoyed. Mu Chen’s stance was full of openings. ’I must be lucky,’ he thought, ’running into an idiot right at the start.’
The Inspector gave Mu Chen a curious look and shouted, "Stage battle, begin!"
At the command, the youth nad Balrog stomped his feet. Five red Martial Rings erged from beneath them, and his body shot toward Mu Chen like a cheetah. He threw a punch straight at Mu Chen’s face. To his surprise, Mu Chen just shook his head and said softly, "Too slow."
With a slight tilt of his head, he easily dodged the blow. At the sa ti, Mu Chen’s left hand shot out and clamped around Balrog’s neck. With a slight exertion of force, he lifted Balrog’s muscular body into the air. A casual flick of his arm sent Balrog flying backward over ten ters, landing squarely in the main square.
The surroundings fell silent. Even the students currently fighting on other stages stared, their mouths agape, at Stage Ninety-Nine.
Mu Chen glanced at the Inspector and said calmly, "I won, right?"
The Inspector snapped back to his senses, hastily straightened his uniform, and bellowed, "Balrog is out of the ring! The winner of Stage Ninety-Nine is Mu Chen!"
The announcent sent the students into an uproar. They all knew that the weakest students who could register here were at least Martial Artists. Unless personally selected by the academy, no one would sign up without so real skill. And yet, they had just witnessed the Martial Artist nad Balrog unleash five red Martial Rings, only for the young defender on Stage Ninety-Nine to send a Five-Ring Martial Artist flying in a single second.
"Holy crap, am I seeing things?" The student who had been talking about Balrog earlier rubbed his eyes hard, his face a mask of disbelief.
The student beside him was too shocked to speak. Others might have thought Mu Chen sent Balrog flying with a single strike, but only those close to Stage Ninety-Nine had seen what truly happened in that instant. The blue-haired youth nad Mu Chen had simply reached out, lifted Balrog up, and tossed him away like a piece of trash. From beginning to end, the one called Mu Chen hadn’t emitted the slightest fluctuation of Primordial Power. He hadn’t even moved his feet.
Up on the viewing platform, a sharp glint flashed in Di Cang’s eyes. He murmured, "Such concise movents, not a single one wasted. I never expected to find such a low-key individual among this year’s new students. It seems the Imperial Academy will be interesting this year."
"Winner of Stage One Hundred, Qing Lei!" While everyone was focused on Mu Chen, the other ninety-nine battles also ca to an end.
"Qing Lei," Mu Chen murmured. ’That na again. For so reason, the instant our eyes t, I felt a sense of resonance. In his eyes, I thought I saw my forr self.’
"Next!" the Inspector shouted. Mu Chen’s previous fight had been so intimidating that the Inspector had to call out several tis before anyone dared to step onto the stage.
"I’ll give it a try." A figure leaped up, landing steadily in front of Mu Chen.
Mu Chen looked toward the voice. Standing before him was a youth as thin as a bamboo pole. He looked even younger than Mu Chen, and his simple, honest expression imdiately gave Mu Chen a good impression.
"Hello, I’m called Little Tiger." After speaking, Little Tiger gave Mu Chen a polite bow with clasped hands.
Mu Chen wanted to return the fist-and-palm salute, but he glanced at his own right arm and settled for an apologetic nod. "Hello. Mu Chen."
The Inspector found their exchange strange. Against Balrog, the youth nad Mu Chen hadn’t even given him the ti of day, yet now he was being quite courteous to this simple-looking boy. ’Could they know each other?’ But curiosity was one thing; the test had to continue. The Inspector raised his right hand, swung it down sharply, and shouted, "Second round of the stage test. Begin!"
SWOOSH!
The boy nad Little Tiger’s expression suddenly turned serious, as if he had beco a different person. He bent his knees slightly and used the montum to shoot into the sky.
CRACK!
With a sharp crack, the spot where Little Tiger had been standing fractured the mont he leaped. Mu Chen was startled, exclaiming in surprise, "Such incredible power!"
No sooner had he spoken than a dark figure descended from the sky. A slender arm swung around and ca crashing down toward Mu Chen. It wasn’t fast, but the attack was exceptionally fierce. Mu Chen could faintly hear the sound of a fist tearing through the air. From his years of training, he could tell that this boy nad Little Tiger possessed absolutely extraordinary physical strength.
Frowning, Mu Chen suddenly swung out his left arm with a low shout. Their fists collided.
BOOM!
A massive bang erupted. There was no fluctuation of Primordial Power—it was a clash of pure physical strength. Yet the instant their fists t, a monstrous shockwave was generated, sweeping across the entire square.
CRACKLE... CRACK...
A dull, grinding sound ca from Stage Ninety-Nine. The ground where Mu Chen stood completely collapsed, turning nearly a third of the stage into a pile of rubble. But Mu Chen stood steadily atop the debris, his posture still locked in an upward punch.
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