The Martial Saint rose to power starting as a substitute bridegroom.

Chapter 43 First Battle (Please Subscribe!)

Time passed second by second.

Unbeknownst to them, the competition had gone on round after round.

Lin Chong sat at the front of the seating area of ​​the Qingniu Martial Arts Society, tapping the armrest of his chair with two fingers as if by accident, looking quite composed.

Actually, my palms were sweaty.

Following his gaze, one could see that on the tenth arena, Lu Qing was dueling with a rather tall and imposing expert in external martial arts.

Several disciples returned to their seats at the Green Ox Martial Arts Society, looking dejected and silent with their heads down.

Lin Chong merely glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and said nothing more.

The martial arts examination was filled with experts, so the elimination of these disciples was to be expected and not surprising.

It would be surprising if they could stand out and win.

Lin Chong's gaze was somewhat anxious as he stared intently at every move on the tenth arena.

Lu Qing shifted his feet, dodging the opponent's fierce punch. He then turned and unleashed a burst of internal energy, landing a punch on the opponent's chest with a loud thud.

This secured the victory.

"Excellent!" Lin Chong clenched his fist, making the armrest of his chair crack, and his smile almost overflowed. He said to one of his disciples beside him, "Just now, your Junior Brother Lu's 'Dragon Horn Hanging Moon' move perfectly captured the essence of my technique. I didn't expect his skill to improve so much in such a short time. You should all learn more from Lu Qing!"

The disciple stood there awkwardly.

Junior Brother Lu is exceptionally gifted; how are we supposed to learn from him?

Old Lin got so excited that he didn't care about other people's feelings when he spoke.

Lin Chong knew perfectly well that Lu Qing was a child with first-rate talent and comprehension. As long as he didn't encounter Xiao Yichen beforehand, passing the imperial examination was a sure thing.

At that time, the Qingniu Martial Arts Society's status in Linjiang City will likely rise several places.

The Qingniu Martial Arts Society was once a renowned name in Linjiang City, but in recent years, no disciple has stood out in the martial arts examination, which has led to its current decline.

The other old guys also had a lot to say about Lin Chong.

They believe that he is now too old and weak to train any more promising young talents.

If Lu Qing makes the list, these claims will fall apart, and the Qingniu Martial Arts Society will be able to "come back to life" and even take another step forward.

The Ninth Arena.

The competition has ended.

Li Yuan encountered a Ming Jin peak disciple who practiced the Shattering Star Fist, which sounded quite intimidating, and unsurprisingly, he won.

All I could see were the other contestants in my group constantly clicking their teeth.

This kid's luck is unbelievable.

Teng Wenjie's eyes grew even colder, and he snorted heavily, "Don't be too happy yet! I hope your damn luck lasts until the end of the arena competition!"

In the stands, Xie Wanyi's attention remained on that figure's back, a slight smile unconsciously playing on her lips as she murmured, "..."

"...We won."

"Who is it?" Xie Yu asked with a smile.

"N-nothing...nothing," Xie Wanyi replied hastily, her answer evasive.

Damn.

Curiosity killed the cat; my uncle will definitely overthink things.

Xie Yu was no ordinary person; how could he not see through his niece's thoughts? He had already followed Xie Wanyi's gaze and spotted Li Yuan.

"That kid Li Yuan is quite lucky. However, his opponent is only a Ming Jin (a type of martial arts expert). There won't be any Ming Jin competitors in the later matches."

On the other side, Dong Guan, who had just finished a match and returned to the Xie family's viewing area to report to the family head, had a gloomy expression.

Hearing the name "Li Yuan" several times made him take notice of the kid.

Even the gaze directed at that figure grew increasingly cold.

"Don't worry, Uncle, this kid won't be an obstacle for me in the end. I will definitely win first place in the ninth arena!"

Xie Yu's eyes were filled with satisfaction. "Good, good! Young people should have this kind of ambition!"

The higher the ranking of the Xie family's retainers in the martial arts examination, the more advantageous it will be for the Xie family's situation and status.

"Next match, Teng Wenjie versus Li Yuan!" The announcement rang out from the arena.

A smile appeared on Dong Guan's face. "Teng Wenjie is more than enough to give him a hard time!"

Xie Wanyi frowned slightly, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists.

Teng Wenjie's furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, and he patted his knees as he stood up from the rest area.

A smile curved his lips as he strode onto the stage, clearly having waited a long time for this moment.

"Qingfeng Martial Arts School, Qingfeng Fist, Teng Wenjie!"

"Green Ox Martial Arts Society, Dragon Form Fist, Li Yuan!"

Teng Wenjie launched the first attack. He pushed off with his feet and shot out like a cannonball, striking straight at Chen Yongquan's ribs with a "wind knocking on the door" technique.

Enraged by Li Yuan's provocation, he was eager to achieve victory in one fell swoop.

The instant the fist touched his clothes, Li Yuan twisted his waist, and his left arm, seemingly slow but actually swift, grabbed his wrist and pulled him away.

Teng Wenjie's force suddenly missed its mark, and he was pulled forward half a step.

He felt a chill run down his spine, and his left palm slashed towards Li Yuan's neck.

Li Yuan only shifted half a foot to the side, and the palm wind grazed his neck.

In the gap when Teng Wenjie had exhausted his moves, his right fist rose from below, carrying a dull tremor, and solidly rammed into Teng Wenjie's chest and abdomen.

"Thump!"

Teng Wenjie groaned and stepped back, his internal organs churning.

wrong!

How come this kid seems to have anticipated my moves?

"Again!" he roared as he charged forward, his punches and kicks raining down like a storm, deliberately taking unorthodox approaches.

Snapped!

Li Yuan deflected the side kick with his forearm, using the force to make the man's shinbone go numb.

laugh!

The tearing attempt failed; the fingertips merely grazed the fabric.

Boom!

Another heavy blow struck the elbow, and half of the arm instantly went limp.

The more they fought, the more frightened they became.

Every move was intercepted beforehand, and every exertion of force felt like being trapped in cotton wool.

Teng Wenjie's breathing became heavier, and fine sweat beaded on his forehead—this was hardly a battle.

It's clearly like you're fighting against thin air!

Anxiety gnaws at reason like an ant colony; the faster the moves, the more flaws appear.

Just as he spun around and unleashed his "Whirlwind Leaf" kick, his center of gravity shifting slightly, Li Yuan made his move.

Step forward, lower your waist, and extend your shoulders.

The movements were as swift as a bowstring taut, a punch breaking through the air, accompanied by a short, low whistle.

"Azure Dragon Detective".

Teng Wenjie's pupils contracted sharply, and he hurriedly crossed his arms.

"boom--!"

It exploded with tremendous force.

Teng Wenjie felt excruciating pain in his arm, as if it were about to break. He was sent flying backwards, crashing heavily to the ground and rolling twice before coming to a stop.

A metallic taste rose in his throat. He clenched his teeth, blood still seeping from between them. "Impossible... how could this be...?"

But the truth is, he struggled twice but couldn't get up.

Li Yuan slowly came to a stop, his chest rising and falling slightly, the spot on his shoulder and back burning with pain from the blow. He looked at Teng Wenjie lying on the ground, his voice still calm: "The Qingfeng Fist's strength lies in its surprise. But the same move won't work the second time!"

The audience was completely silent.

Having just finished a match, Rosanne, who was watching from the sidelines, suddenly widened her eyes in disbelief at what she was seeing.

At the Qingniu Martial Arts Society, Junior Brother Li, who had always kept a low profile, suddenly seemed like a completely different person.

The opponent is Teng Wenjie, a highly favored player to enter the top ten, the face of Qingfeng Martial Arts School, and a master of internal strength!

How foolish I was! I always thought that Junior Brother Li was in the same boat as me, an undervalued disciple with "mediocre talent". I never imagined that my mediocrity was just that, mediocrity, while Junior Brother Li's "mediocrity" was actually a way of biding his time.

In an instant, all her emotions were replaced by a heartfelt joy, and she jumped up excitedly.

"Junior Brother Li, that's fantastic!"

Li Hao's seat was already empty; he had long since disappeared without a trace.