Chapter 492: The Melee Begins

At the judges’ stand of the martial arts arena, several powerful experts had already taken their seats.

The one hundred students who had passed the written exam were also lined up in front of the martial arts arena.

"Following our deliberation, the groupings for the first round of the martial selection for the inner court assessment have been decided."

From the judges’ stand, Lu Jun stood up. With a grand wave of his hand, an invisible stream of Profound Power swiftly swept over the one hundred students present.

HUMMMMM...

At that moment, every student’s academy Token began to glow—some with red light, and others with green.

"Now, will the fifty contestants whose academy Tokens are glowing red please enter the martial arts arena."

As Lu Jun’s voice faded,

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH!

Figure after figure, emitting glows of Profound Power in various colors, shot onto the fighting stage.

"Senior Brother Lin Yuan! Look, it’s Senior Brother Lin Yuan!"

"And Dongfang Zisi."

"Hou Fei, ranked second among the new students, is there too."

The crowd immediately broke into discussion about the first group of fifty.

"Hm?"

In the crowd below, Feng Guang’s gaze suddenly landed on Ye Xuan, and a vicious smile spread across his lips.

’I can’t believe this kid is in my group. Heaven must be giving me an opportunity.’

With the first fifty people on the stage, the second group of fifty was naturally determined.

"Now, I will announce the rules for the first round of the martial selection. All fifty of you will fight on the stage. The rule is to eliminate the others from the bounds of the martial arts arena. If you fall from the stage, you are defeated. Similarly, if you lose the ability to fight, you are also defeated."

"The round ends when only fifteen people are left on the stage. The remaining fifteen will successfully advance to the next round of the assessment."

"But there is one point I hope you all remember: killing is strictly forbidden during the fights. Any student found deliberately attempting to kill another will be punished according to the consequences—the lightest sentence being disqualification, the most severe being on-the-spot execution."

"Now, prepare yourselves."

SWISH!

The moment he finished speaking, nearly all fifty students scattered, warily watching their surroundings.

「Inside the martial arts arena.」

Hou Fei clutched a battle blade, his gaze cautiously sweeping his surroundings. The martial arts arena was several hundred meters long and wide, so fifty people didn’t make it feel crowded at all.

But Hou Fei knew full well how astonishing the destructive power of a Tier Six Martial Venerable could be. Once a melee erupted, this stage, several hundred meters across, would be nowhere near large enough.

In terms of cultivation, Hou Fei, at only the Tier Five Third Layer, was among the weakest contestants in the assessment. Therefore, his mind immediately began formulating a strategy.

He wasn’t the only one; not far away, Dongfang Zisi’s mind was also racing.

’Among these fifty, the strongest is likely Lin Yuan. Besides him, there are five others who are also very strong. That group is a clear cut above the other students.’

As a senior student who had been at Gale Light Academy for a year, Dongfang Zisi was naturally familiar with the top experts. She knew who the tough opponents were and who the easy pickings were.

’First, I’ll dive into the fray and fight the weaker ones to stay alive for now.’

’Once a few people have been eliminated, then I’ll go all out.’

As Dongfang Zisi was thinking this, Hou Fei decided on the exact same strategy.

For Martial Artists like them, at only the Tier Five Third Layer, trying to escape at the start would just make them easy targets. The only viable method was to engage someone in combat immediately.

"Now, let the assessment begin!"

The loud, deep voice instantly reached the ears of everyone in the martial arts arena.

"BOOM!"

"Kill!"

Violent torrents of Profound Power swept out as the fifty talented experts within the arena instantly began to charge and clash.

"Get out!"

One of the burly youths let out a roar, shooting forward dozens of meters and throwing a punch at a scrawny student.

The scrawny student’s eyes blazed like twin flames. Snarling, he swayed and then countered with a palm strike.

BOOM!

As the palm and fist collided, the scrawny student was sent flying nearly ten meters. A short-haired student happened to be standing in that exact spot. Seeing the opportunity, he suddenly lashed out with a kick, its powerful afterimage transforming into a tidal wave that engulfed the scrawny student.

With a sickening thud, the scrawny student coughed up blood and was sent flying aside.

"Haha, take another one of my fists!"

The burly youth was already closing in. With a roar, his iron fist shot out like lightning, crashing down like a meteor.

The scrawny youth, already injured, never expected his opponent’s attack to be so ferocious. In his shock and anger, he tried to dodge while simultaneously throwing a punch of his own.

"BANG!"

Fist met fist with unstoppable force.

Like he’d been hit by a speeding truck, the scrawny youth was sent flying right off the edge of the stage, losing his qualification for the assessment.

"Hahaha, come on! Come on!"

The burly youth laughed as his gaze locked onto the short-haired student who had just attacked. He strode forward, his steps like rolling thunder.

"Xiong Tian, you think I’m afraid of you?"

Profound Power coiled around the short-haired student’s legs, brilliant light flowing around them. At the same time, a Martial Soul quietly manifested above his head.

"A Martial Soul?" The burly youth, Xiong Tian, grinned. A roaring giant bear, waving its paws, appeared above his own head.

The next moment, the two collided violently, like crashing comets.

At this moment, it wasn’t just the two of them. Almost every student had instantly released their Martial Soul and begun fighting with all their might.

"Let’s eliminate this new student first."

In the chaotic melee, Hou Fei was naturally one of the first to be targeted.

A Tier Five Third Layer Martial Sect who was also a first-year new student—he naturally drew the attention of countless seniors.

The instant the match began, three senior students rushed him, wanting to make him an example.

"This is no place for a new student like you. Get off the stage!"

One of the senior students laughed viciously, the first to reach Hou Fei. His longsword trembled, and sharp Sword Qi formed an inescapable net that enveloped Hou Fei.

The Sword Qi was exceptionally sharp and carried a distinct Flame Attribute. Wherever the longsword passed, the surrounding air temperature rose dramatically.

Hou Fei gave a bitter smile. His original plan had instantly fallen apart.

But just as the senior student’s Sword Qi was about to engulf him, the bitter look in Hou Fei’s eyes suddenly turned sharp.

’If that’s how it is, then let’s fight!’

SWOOSH!

An earth-shattering radiance burst from the battle blade in Hou Fei’s hand. The terrifying aura it exuded made everyone’s skin crawl with goosebumps.

Above his head, a black battle blade manifested. Its sharp aura of blade intent soared toward the heavens like a long rainbow.

"Blade intent... such a terrifying blade intent."

"This guy is only Tier Five Third Layer. How can he possess such a powerful blade intent?"

"Unbelievable."

The crowd gasped in shock. Blade intent was a state of mastery nearly every bladesman possessed. Different blade styles and different Cultivation Technique attributes resulted in different forms of blade intent.

That much was normal. But Hou Fei’s blade intent was simply too terrifying.

When he slashed, it was as if the world itself went dark, as if nothing between heaven and earth could stop him.

Not even some senior students at the Tier Six Martial Venerable level possessed such a powerful blade intent.

RUMBLE!

Under the crowd’s shocked gazes, the blade and sword collided in mid-air. The resulting energy fluctuation made the very air around the two combatants tremble.

WHOOSH!

The senior student who had thrust his sword at Hou Fei was sent flying back several meters by the tyrannical force, while Hou Fei, in contrast, didn’t move an inch.

The crowd’s gazes froze.

Every student at Gale Light Academy was considered a heaven-defying genius in the outside world. Although that senior student was only at the Tier Six First Layer, outside the academy, he could likely even slay a Tier Six Second Layer Martial Venerable.

Yet Hou Fei, a mere Tier Five Third Layer Martial Sect, had not only blocked the attack but had even gained the upper hand. This alone spoke volumes.

At the very least, it proved that this new student, despite being only at the Tier Five Third Layer, truly had the qualifications to advance to the inner court.

But the senior student who had been repelled by Hou Fei was instantly enraged.

"Get the hell out of here!"

He roared and charged again.

It wasn’t just him; several other senior students who were watching the exchange also pounced.

"Hmph, a new student thinks he can join the inner court? He’s hopelessly arrogant."

"No matter how strong you are, you’re getting eliminated today."

"Swarm him!"

"Everyone, let’s eliminate him first!"

These senior students participating in the inner court assessment had all spent two or three years at the academy to earn the right to compete for a place in the inner court.

Hou Fei, a new student, had obtained this qualification right after enrolling. This naturally made many senior students jealous, and they now wanted to eliminate him first.

In an instant, a dense barrage of attacks swept toward Hou Fei like a tidal wave.

’Not good.’

Hou Fei’s expression changed drastically.

No matter how much of a genius he was, he couldn’t possibly fight several senior students at once.

But with so many seniors ganging up on him on such a narrow stage, there was simply nowhere to run.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, his gaze fell upon the center of the stage.

At this moment, the entire stage was a chaotic free-for-all, but one place remained perfectly calm: the very center.

A figure was standing there quietly, having not joined the battle. Yet, no one dared to approach and provoke him.

It was Lin Yuan.

’Over there.’

Having made up his mind, Hou Fei shot toward Lin Yuan’s position.

"Don’t let him get away!"

"Go!"

Several senior students roared and gave chase, unleashing a downpour of attacks.

By the time they saw Lin Yuan, it was already too late to stop.

"Hm?"

Lin Yuan, who had been standing quietly in the center of the stage, suddenly had a sharp light erupt from his eyes.

’Using me as a human shield?’

SHING!

The longsword at Lin Yuan’s waist, which had remained in its scabbard the entire time, was suddenly unsheathed.

With a sharp whistle that split the air, a brilliant flash of light lit up the space.