In chaotic times, one can become a martial immortal.

"Since we only need to make it into the top ten to get the extra reward, there's no need to show off too much!"

Lu Yuan looked up at the ten flags in front of him, pondering to himself.

He had originally thought that if necessary, he could reveal half of his skill and take down the martial arts champion. But now it seems that he only needs to reveal 30% at most to enter the top ten.

As for the specific rankings, the top three are too prominent and easily attract attention or even jealousy, so they are basically not worth considering.

Those who rank in the bottom three may also be bullied and easily get into trouble.

Only the middle few are the most secure; this is the middle way.

Having made his choice, Lu Yuan no longer hesitated and walked directly into the circle under the Five Character Banner.

Almost at the same time, he suddenly heard what sounded like a dragon's roar.

The next moment, the gun's edge flashed, tearing through the air.

Just like the gathering of heroes that day, the same moves.

A raging dragon pierces the heart!

However, compared to that shot, this shot carried much greater power, and the spearhead was also much sharper.

Its speed is lightning fast, arriving in the blink of an eye.

Cao Yang's shot was aimed straight at Lu Yuan's heart, clearly intended to kill him.

"Just as I expected!"

Seeing this, Huang Hui, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, clearly having already guessed this outcome.

The two brothers, Zhou Wen and Zhou Wu, standing to the side, couldn't help but change their expressions drastically.

How could they not see that Cao Yang clearly intended to kill Lu Yuan to avenge the stab he had inflicted that day?

They thought the two could make peace, but it turns out they were delusional; now, at most, only one of them can survive.

Regardless of who died, it was a tremendous loss for Guangchuntang and the Zhou family.

Not only were the large amount of resources previously funded completely wasted, but of the two martial arts scholars that were supposed to be there, only one remained.

"Despicable! He actually ambushed Brother Yuan!"

On the other side, Zheng Shuang and Zhang Yida couldn't help but curse loudly.

Lu Yuan, however, remained expressionless.

If it were anyone else, even a qualified candidate, it would be difficult for them to withstand this attack.

But he was different. Not only was he already a ninth-rank cultivator, but he had also mastered the Golden Skin technique, so he could easily neutralize attacks even without using his internal energy.

"clang!"

Just as the spear's edge was about to strike Lu Yuan, he instantly turned around and swung his sword, easily deflecting Cao Yang's spear.

The next moment, the blade flashed like lightning.

The second move of the Wind-Breaking Saber Technique: Intercepting the Wind.

Blood suddenly appeared.

Cao Yang's body suddenly froze, his face filled with disbelief.

A thin red line gradually appeared on his neck.

"you……"

Cao Yang clutched his neck, his eyes wide open, staring intently at Lu Yuan.

He clearly had the aid of a precious medicine, was a first-rate genius with exceptional talent, and had even reached the level of a preliminary cultivator, so why couldn't he withstand a single blow from his opponent? In fact, compared to the last blow, this time he seemed even more vulnerable and powerless to resist.

Although Cao Yang was filled with doubt and resentment, the outcome was already irreversible.

As copious amounts of blood gushed from between his fingers, he suddenly collapsed to the ground with a thud.

It twitched only twice before becoming completely still and silent.

"Hiss~"

Those who had been watching felt a chill run down their necks and instinctively gasped.

A young talent with the cultivation level of a beginner and who had almost obtained the title of martial arts scholar died just like that.

Even on the platform, the chief examiner in armor, along with the other examiners, couldn't help but show a hint of surprise in their eyes as they looked at Lu Yuan.

Although there is no rule prohibiting killing in the martial arts examination, generally speaking, as long as there is no life-or-death feud between the two parties, there will be room for maneuver.

Unexpectedly, this examinee named Lu Yuan was so decisive and ruthless, showing no intention of holding back, and slit the other's throat with a single stroke.

Of course, they weren't blind. It was the other party who intended to kill them first, but they were simply not strong enough and were killed by Lu Yuan instead.

That's why they had no intention of pursuing the matter, and even held Lu Yuan, the youngest martial arts scholar, in even higher regard.

"Why!"

Among the crowd below, the Zhou brothers, Wen and Wu, who had come to their senses, could only look at each other helplessly and sigh.

The top-notch geniuses they painstakingly cultivated perished completely before they could even show their talents or give back to the community, and they died at the hands of their own people.

Of course, they had no intention of blaming Lu Yuan; they only blamed Cao Yang for insisting on courting death.

Before they came, they had repeatedly warned Cao Yang not to fight or even kill Lu Yuan again.

Unexpectedly, although Cao Yang verbally agreed, he had not truly let go of the matter in his heart.

"You reap what you sow!"

Huang Hui also shook his head.

If Cao Yang hadn't harbored resentment towards that century-old blood ginseng, with his natural talent and the Zhou family's generous support, he would not only have easily obtained the title of Martial Scholar, but he would also have had a bright future at the County Martial Academy.

As a result, he kept courting death and eventually lost his life.

"Brother Yuan is awesome! Well done! A brilliant kill!"

Zheng Shuang and Zhang Yida, these two old rivals, were high-fiving each other in celebration.

As for Zhang Feng, Chen Zheng, Wang Chao, and the others, they remained silent with somewhat strange expressions.

On the field, the wind blows and the flags flutter.

Lu Yuan stood quietly in the circle below, his expression unchanged.

Compared to the other nine circles under his control, his place was eerily quiet.

Although everyone else was busy vying for the circles representing their respective rankings and hadn't paid attention to this place, they still caught a glimpse of Cao Yang's body as the officials carried it away.

It's simply not worth risking your life against such a ruthless killer just to compete for a fifth place.

Besides Lu Yuan's circle number five, there was another circle that seemed quite quiet, namely Jiang Ying's circle number ten.

Although Jiang Ying was the only Dark Force martial artist among the thirty-six people who entered the third round of assessment, she not only broke out of her group with the first place, but also firmly established herself in the tenth place circle on the representative list.

This is enough to show that although she is only at the Dark Force level, her true strength has already surpassed that of ordinary Transformation Force.

Now, those who couldn't beat her have been kicked out of the circle, and those who could beat her are all vying for other circles and don't care about this tenth place at all.

Especially the first and second circles, as well as the third circle, which represent the top three spots on the list.

Before long, Ji Baiying successfully secured a spot in the first circle with her superior iron plate.

Chu Jun, Xu Lin, and Qian Rou had no choice but to settle for second best and fiercely compete for the second and third circles.

Not only have they all reached the ninth rank, making them true ninth-rank martial artists, but their strength also seems to be evenly matched.

After a fierce competition, the martial arts examination is now nearing its end.

"Returning to Qinghe County to participate in the martial arts examination was indeed effortless; there wasn't a single person who could fight me."

Ji Baiying, who was in the No. 1 circle, had an arrogant look in her eyes.

The confidence that had been almost completely shattered in the county town has now returned.

……