chapter 25. registering for the competition

As Xua Yan and his companions made their way towards the registration table, they heard a commotion outside. Curious, Xua Yan decided to release his spiritual sense to find out what was going on. He soon heard someone talking about Chang Liu, the martial arts genius of the Chang family. This piqued Xua Yan's interest, and he listened in to learn more about this talented young martial artist.

According to the whispers of the people around him, Chang Liu had achieved the energy-gathering level of martial arts at the incredibly young age of 12. This was a feat that was considered remarkable even for the most gifted martial artists, and it was no wonder that Chang Liu had already been invited to join many prestigious sects.

However, there was a catch. Most sects had a minimum age requirement of 14, and so Chang Liu was unable to join them at such a young age. This was a common practice among many sects, as they believed that younger disciples were not mature enough to handle the responsibilities that came with being a part of a sect.

Despite this setback, Chang Liu's reputation had already preceded him, and he was already a well-known figure in the martial arts world. His arrival at the camp had caused quite a stir, and people were excited to see what he would bring to the upcoming competition.

For Xua Yan, this news was both exciting and intimidating. While he had been cultivating and honing his martial arts skills in isolation, it was clear that there were many other talented martial artists out there. He knew that the competition would be fierce, and that he would have to give it his all if he wanted to stand a chance at winning.

At the same time, Xua Yan felt a sense of admiration and respect for Chang Liu. To achieve the energy-gathering level of martial arts at such a young age was truly a remarkable feat, and it was clear that Chang Liu was a natural-born martial artist. Xua Yan knew that he had a lot to learn from someone like him, and he was eager to see what he could pick up from Chang Liu during the competition.

Overall, the news of Chang Liu's arrival had injected an air of excitement and anticipation into the upcoming competition. For Xua Yan and his companions, it was a sign that they would have to bring their A-game if they wanted to come out on top.

Xua Yan realized that the competition was not going to be easy, and that he was going to face some tough opponents. He had heard about Chang Liu, who was a martial arts genius from the Chang family, and he knew that he was going to be a formidable opponent. He also realized that there were probably many other competitors who were just as skilled as Chang Liu, but that he had not yet heard of them.

Xua Yan knew that he would need to prepare well if he wanted to stand a chance in the competition. He was determined to work hard and to push himself to his limits in order to improve his skills and to become stronger. He knew that he would need to focus on his training and to stay disciplined, even when it was difficult.

Despite the challenges that lay ahead, Xua Yan was excited about the competition. He saw it as an opportunity to test his skills and to see how far he had come in his martial arts journey. He was also looking forward to meeting other skilled martial artists and to learning from them.

Xua Yan knew that he had a lot of work to do in the next few days before the competition began. He would need to train hard, focus on his techniques, and work on his physical and mental strength. He was up for the challenge, and he was determined to give it his all.

As Xua Yan listened to the murmurs of the crowd, he couldn't help but feel intrigued by the mention of yet another martial arts genius - Jie Li. The name "Jie" was known to him, but he couldn't quite place where he had heard it before. He strained his ears to catch more of the conversation.

"He's from the Jie family," a man said. "Their martial arts techniques are famous throughout the land."

"I heard that Jie Li is just as talented as Chang Liu," a woman replied.

"Really? But he's a month older than Chang Liu," another man said.

"That doesn't matter. He's still considered a genius in the Jie family. I heard that he reached the energy-gathering level of martial arts at the age of 13."

"Thirteen?! That's incredible!"

As Xua Yan listened to their conversation, he felt a mixture of excitement and apprehension. It was clear that the competition would be fierce. If Chang Liu and Jie Li were both participating, then there were bound to be other formidable opponents as well.

But Xua Yan refused to be intimidated. He had trained hard for years and had already achieved a great deal. He was determined to do his best in the competition and see how he measured up against the other competitors.

As he approached the registration table with Wei Ming and the others, Xua Yan couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. He knew that the coming days would be filled with challenges and tests of his abilities, but he was ready for them.

As Xua Yan reached the registration table, he saw a man in his thirties sitting on the chair. The man had sharp features and a well-groomed beard. He had a muscular build, indicating that he was a martial artist himself.

"Hello, young man, what's your name?" the man asked Xua Yan.

"I'm Xua Yan," he replied.

"Ah, Xua Yan. A new face. Tell me, what's your level of martial arts?" the man asked.

"I have reached the energy-gathering level of martial arts," Xua Yan replied.

"I see. And what's your age?"

"I'm 13 years old," Xua Yan replied.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad," the man said, nodding his head. "You seem to have some talent. What's your purpose for participating in this competition?"

"I want to test my skills and gain experience, and also looking forward to joining a sect or military" Xua Yan replied.

"I see. Well, this is a good opportunity for you. There will be many talented martial artists participating in this competition. You will have a chance to learn from them and improve your skills," the man said.

Xua Yan nodded, feeling excited at the prospect of improving his skills.

"The registration fee is 10 silver coins. Do you have it?" the man asked.

Xua Yan nodded and took out the coins from his bag.

"Alright, everything seems to be in order. Here's your registration badge. Make sure you keep it with you at all times," the man said, handing Xua Yan a small badge with his name and level of martial arts and also a serial number on it.

After receiving his registration badge, Xua Yan was directed towards another camp for testing his strength. As he made his way, he noticed a man standing near a stone wall. The man appeared to be in his 40s, with a muscular build and a stern expression on his face. He was wearing a plain white shirt and black pants, with a black headband tying his hair back.

The stone wall was about 2 meters high and 3 meters wide, with 15 indicator lights placed in a vertical line on the right side of the wall. The lights ranged from green to red, with green being the easiest and red being the hardest to turn on. The wall appeared to be made of a solid rock-like material, and there were marks and cracks all over it from previous contestants' attempts.

The man instructed Xua Yan to punch the wall with as much force as he could muster. Xua Yan took a deep breath, focused his energy, and punched the wall with his right fist. The impact created a loud cracking sound, and the wall shook for a moment before the lights began to light up from the bottom to the top. Xua Yan managed to turn on all the lights, indicating that his strength was on par with level 4 of the energy-gathering stage.

The man nodded in approval and handed Xua Yan a small card with his result on it. "Good job," he said. "You have the potential to go far in this competition. Keep training hard, and you might even surprise yourself."

Xua Yan thanked the man and made his way back to his camp, feeling both relieved and excited. He didn't know that his strength was enough or not to win the competition outright, but he was determined to give it his best shot.

Wei Ming and his team also took the strength test after Xua Yan. The test involved punching a wall with ten indicator lights to determine their strength level. They each stepped up and punched the wall as hard as they could, watching to see how many of the lights lit up.

Wei Ming was the first to go, and he managed to turn on seven of the lights. His teammates followed suit, and they each managed to turn on a varying number of lights. Li Hua managed to light up six lights, Jian Cheng and Mei Ling

managed to light up five lights, while the two Chao Fang and Jun Wang only managed to light up four lights.

After the test, they all gathered to discuss their results. Wei Ming was pleased with his performance, but he knew that they all needed to keep training if they wanted to have a chance at winning the competition. They all agreed and made a plan to continue training together in the days leading up to the competition.

They also discussed the other competitors they had heard about, including Chang Liu and Jie Li, and speculated on what their strength levels might be. They knew that the competition would be tough, but they were determined to give it their all and do their best.

As they continued to discuss their strategies, they also took note of the other competitors around them, sizing up their potential opponents and trying to get a sense of their strengths and weaknesses. They knew that the competition would require not just physical strength, but also mental fortitude and strategy.

As Xua Yan and his friends walked out of the registration area, they saw a large crowd gathering around. Curious, they moved closer to see what was happening. As they made their way to the center of the crowd, they saw two figures standing face to face with each other. It was Chang Liu and Jie Li.

Chang Liu was a tall, muscular young man with a chiseled jaw and piercing eyes that seemed to glow with an inner fire. His hair was jet black and tied back in a neat ponytail, and he wore a simple white martial arts uniform that emphasized his impressive physique. He exuded a powerful aura that commanded respect and admiration from all those around him.

Jie Li, on the other hand, was slightly shorter than Chang Liu, but no less imposing. He had a lean, athletic build, with short-cropped black hair and sharp, intelligent eyes that seemed to take in everything around him. He wore a sleek, form-fitting martial arts uniform that accentuated his lithe frame, and his movements were smooth and graceful, like a predator on the prowl.

As Xua Yan and his friends watched, the two martial arts prodigies began to circle each other warily, each searching for an opening. The tension was palpable, and the air was charged with the electricity of two powerful energies clashing.

As they stood there, Xua Yan could sense that there was a deep, intense rivalry between the two young men, and he wondered what could have caused such animosity between them. Perhaps it was simply a matter of pride, or maybe there was something more personal at play.

Whatever the reason, Xua Yan knew that he and his friends would have to be careful not to get caught up in the conflict between these two formidable opponents. He watched with a mixture of fascination and trepidation as Chang Liu and Jie Li continued to circle each other, their eyes locked in a fierce, unyielding gaze.

As the crowd around them grew more and more restless, Xua Yan and his friends finally decided to move on, eager to explore more of what the competition had to offer. But as they made their way through the throngs of people, they couldn't help but feel the weight of the intense energy that hung in the air between Chang Liu and Jie Li, like a storm waiting to break.