Chapter 53
Meanwhile, before the final test, in a smaller arena within the sprawling Central Courtyard, an Outer Disciple at the 4th realm observed his Senior with eager eyes.
The courtyard was abuzz with the murmurs and hushed whispers of other disciples gathered around the perimeter.
"That's Senior Brother Hao!" An excited young disciple exclaimed, pointing towards the arena.
"It's really Senior Brother Hao...I can't believe he advanced to the 4th realm..." Some nearby Outer Disciples murmured in disbelief, their voices tinged with awe and envy.
Hao Hanying, a striking young man of twenty, stood tall in white flowing martial robes adorned with aqua stripes that rippled like water around his frame.
A genius among the Outer Disciples, he exuded an air of quiet confidence. His piercing eyes, gleaming with determination, glanced coolly at the whispering disciples, unfazed by their murmurs.
Even if he failed this test, he still had a few more years to gather the necessary contribution points. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, betraying his self-assurance.
"Please have mercy, Senior Brother," Hao Hanying respectfully bowed his head, cupping his hands before the figure of the Official Disciple.
"You are quite polite, Junior. I shall make this test easier for you," the Official Disciple chuckled, the deep rumble of his voice carrying across the hushed arena as he returned the courteous greeting.
As they concluded their ceremonial exchange, Hao Hanying discreetly raised his head, his gaze instantly landing on the radiant form of Senior Sister Lian Rougang. Her raven tresses cascaded like silk over her shoulders, framing a face of ethereal beauty.
Every male disciple present openly stared, utterly transfixed by her delicate features and lithe figure. Despite her cool indifference towards those who openly courted her affections, she was known to offer kind guidance to any in need of assistance.
This selfless nature was why every male disciple admired her from afar, harboring secret infatuations like tiny flames in their hearts.
Whispers of her legendary power rippled through the crowd - she had purportedly reached the 6th realm, yet inexplicably refused ascension to become an Inner Disciple.
But there was another faint rumor among the Official Disciples returning with her from the mission—during most of their assignments, they observed that she only demonstrated capabilities typical of a 4th realm martial artist. They had never seen her using Sword Aura, the exclusive power reserved for martial artists at the 5th realm or above.
No one knew which was true: either she was truly unable to become an Inner Disciple and the rumors were just exaggerated, or she was hiding her abilities on purpose.
But…
Hao Hanying was certain of one thing as he drank in her beauty. A warm smile spread across his chiseled features, crinkling the corners of his eyes.
'She must be waiting for me,' he thought confidently, his chest swelling with youthful bravado.
Though their encounters had been fleeting, he was utterly convinced deep in his heart that this peerless beauty was waiting for him to earn the rank of Official Disciple.
Why else would she have taken the time to personally teach and guide him in the intricate ways of martial arts?
His smile faltered, however, as he noticed the anxious crease in her brow, the worried purse of her soft lips. Following her line of sight, his own gaze landed on the infamous "flower boy" smiling back brazenly at his Senior Sister from across the arena.
A muscle twitched in his jaw as he gritted his teeth, clenching his fists tightly until the veins bulged on his forehead in fury.
He couldn't understand what was so great about that insufferable flower boy besides his annoyingly handsome looks. Sure, Hao Hanying knew the guy had a veneer of kindness and a honeyed tongue, but what good was that if he was fundamentally weak?
What made the situation even more maddening was that all the female disciples, including the few Hao Hanying had secretly admired aside from the peerless Lian Rougang, seemed to be overwhelmingly, disgustingly attracted to that smarmy flower boy's charms.
'As if they really want to have that useless flower boy for themselves,' Hao Hanying sneered inwardly, his lip curling in derision.
Unbeknownst to the irate young disciple, he had lost track of time while burning holes into the flower boy with his smoldering glare.
The Elder's booming voice announcing the start of the final test finally pierced through the red haze of his jealousy.
"Junior Brother, focus!" Then the gruff from the Official Disciple made Hao Hanying start, snapping him back to his senses.
"I apologize, Senior Brother. Please forgive my lack of attentiveness," he replied, wearing a wry, abashed smile as his cheeks flushed hotly.
"It's good that you're focused now, but drop the excessive politeness. We are still fellow Martial Siblings," the Official Disciple chuckled, shaking his head at his Junior Brother's overly formal behavior.
"You can make your move first, Junior," he said, taking an open stance and gripping his sleek jian with one calloused hand as he observed Hao Hanying, who still seemed slightly distracted.
"Thank you, Senior," Hao Hanying murmured, taking a deep, steadying breath to center himself. He sank low into a solid horse stance, coiling his hips and back tightly to anchor his balance.
The clean scent of crushed pine needles wafted up as his feet ground into the packed earth.
"Lower Drill, huh? That's good," the Official Disciple commented with an approving nod as he attentively watched for his junior's opening move, muscles tensed.
The Cloudsoaring Saber Style was an ancient Kunlun martial art, one of the primary disciplines that disciples trained in from a young age.
It had three progressive stages: Meridian March, Dantian Drilling, and Aura Ascension.
Meridian March focused on building the foundational stances and forms for those who hadn't yet opened their Dantian, the body's core energy nexus.
Dantian Drilling was for those like Hao Hanying who had already undergone that pivotal awakening, training to circulate and control their Qi and dantians.
As for the rarified final stage of Aura Ascension, it was mostly utilized by elite disciples who had reached at least the 5th martial realm.
What the young genius was using now was the second stage, Dantian Drilling, specifically opening with the grounding Lower Drill stance.
…
Meanwhile, Hao Hanying smoothly pivoted his rear foot, shifting his weight with a low grunt as he sank even further into the hard-packed earth, muscles coiled tightly.
His front knee thrust violently upward, power surging through his grounded limbs as his entire lithe body followed in a seamless kinetic flow, emanating concentrated force from his stable foundation.
He held the stance for a split second, perfectly in sync with his alignment and structure. Then, he shouted "Haste!" A rush of warmth flooded his meridians as the world around him seemed to slow to a crawl.
Without wasting a moment, Hao Hanying burst into accelerated motion, a wide, feral grin spreading across his chiseled features as the air crackled and whipped around his blurring form.
BOOM-!
As he soared through the air with explosive force, time itself seemed to slow to an agonizing crawl around the young disciple. Seizing this fleeting moment, Hao Hanying executed the move he had meticulously prepared...
Dantian Drilling - Lower Drill!
Like a cyclone given razor-edged flesh, his jian became an extension of his body, the wicked blade enhanced to blinding, cyclonic speeds by the hastening power of his burst technique.
It attacked his Senior Brother with the full, focused fury of Hao Hanying's prodigious might.
'How?! How is this skill? Cool, right?!' he excitedly screamed in the depths of his mind, giddy with the intoxicating rush of adrenaline and Qi coursing through his veins like liquid lightning.
His pivoting foot smashed downward with earth-shattering force, launching him at blurring speed toward the awaiting Official Disciple, his sleek jian raised high overhead as the ground cratered beneath him in a shockwave of upturned earth.
The target was none other than the Official Disciple below, as the jian, like a downward drill given vicious new life, aimed to slash and drill through the head of the Official Disciple in one devastating vertical line.
Hao Hanying's eyes shone with unbridled glee as he anticipated the look of shock on his opponent's face when his ultimate move struck true. He could already taste the sweet victory as the whistling blade closed the distance in the blink of an eye.
Surely this perfect fusion of blistering speed and focused power would prove his martial prowess once and for all!
In that eternal instant, hovering between one reality and the next, the young genius reveled in the culmination of his hard work and talents finally, gloriously paying off.
"What a refreshing view!" But to Hao Hanying's surprise, the Official Disciple only seemed momentarily stunned as he squinted his eyes to track the young disciple's movement, not flinching an inch.
As Hao Hanying's blade swung down in a glittering arc, the Official Disciple inhaled deeply, his broad chest expanding. His own jian swept in a graceful half-moon overhead, filling his Upper Dantian with surging Qi drawn through the meridians.
Like a spiritual eye suddenly blinking open, an insight dawned upon him - he saw past Hao Hanying's showy tricks to the true attacking nature beneath.
His overhead cut sliced through arrogance and misplaced attachment with the blade-like precision of hard-won wisdom.
SWOOSH!
The next moment, Hao Hanying's wide grin turned to widened eyes of shock as his strike met only empty air, his jian cleaving uselessly through the space where his opponent had stood.
"Those childish tricks won't work against a true martial artist," the Official Disciple's gravelly voice seemed to reverberate from all around him.
Hao Hanying, still in mid-descent with his jian gripped tightly, could only gape as the words rang in both of his ears with finality.
And in the next instant, what he saw was a jian directly aimed at his forehead, the razor edge glinting with lethal promise.
TAP!
But instead of the intense, blinding pain of a blade cutting through his skull, a simple flick from the Official Disciple's wrist flung him backward with the overwhelming force of a raging bull.
He sailed several zhang away before smashing into the ground with a bone-jarring thud, clouds of dust billowing up around his crumpled form.
...
Meanwhile, Ji Wuye observed the one-sided bout from afar with a practiced eye, his expression inscrutable.
'Upper Drill, the movement that infuses Qi into the Upper Dantians to open a Third Eye,' he murmured inwardly, as several translucent screens flickered to life before him, analyzing the Official Disciple's effortless counter.
[>>[QUICK ADAPTATION(E)]<<]
The proficiency of your passive skill has been increased by 0.01%!
[>>[QUICK ADAPTATION(E)]<<]
The proficiency of your passive skill has been increased by 0.01%!
[>>[QUICK ADAPTATION(E)]<<]
The proficiency ...
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