68 Breaking Through the Boundary (Part Six)
"Really?" "No!"
Even before the echoes of the bells had faded, the atmosphere in the square was already tense and ready to fight.
On the high platform, Lou Guan solemnly announced the rules of the grand examination. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every disciple.
"The preliminary test of the grand examination is a chaotic battle to capture the flag. Those who remain on the training platform and capture the flag within one incense stick's time will advance."
As soon as she finished speaking, a barrier suddenly rose at the edge of the huge training ground, separating all the participating disciples from the spectator area.
At the same time, the training ground began to divide itself into several relatively independent small areas. In the center of each area, a small flag with the swallow emblem of the Discipline Hall slowly rose, moving automatically without wind.
The melee means a mix of cooperation, betrayal, cunning, and brute force; while protecting oneself, one must also seize the flag for advancement.
Ran Qinghe took a deep breath, quickly scanned the area around her, and locked onto several potential opponents.
"The big test begins."
As soon as the command was given, spiritual energy surged in every location, and shouts and the sounds of clashing spells filled the air.
Ran Qinghe did not rush towards the central flag immediately, but instead moved nimbly along the edge of the battle.
She has an extremely keen sense of the flow of spiritual energy, and can always avoid the impact of spiritual energy in the midst of a chaotic battle. When she does make a move, it is to accurately dismantle a sneak attack from the shadows or the offensive of someone who has already shown signs of defeat. Her movements are decisive and swift.
She would occasionally glance at the area where Lou Tinglan was. He did not summon the Tranquility Sword, but simply used his movement skills to easily neutralize the attacks of others.
During the grand exam, all the disciples had their cultivation levels suppressed. He was clearly aware of this as well. He knew that he couldn't win by relying solely on his spiritual power level. Instead, he needed to use his experience to judge the direction of his opponent's attacks and then evade and counterattack.
Soon, the melee in Lou Tinglan's area was nearing its end. Lou Tinglan's slender fingers had already grasped the array flag, and her gaze was casually drifting towards Ran Qinghe.
Ran Qinghe's heart tightened, and without further hesitation, she seized the opportunity and went straight for the central flag.
During the journey, two disciples tried to stop her. She drew a long whip from her waist and wrapped it around one of their ankles. At the same time, she dodged the other's water binding technique and used the force to strike his shoulder blade, knocking him out of the arena.
Her movements were fluid and effortless. The moment her delicate hand grasped the flag, she breathed slightly, looked up, and met Lou Tinglan's gaze.
His eyes were deep and thoughtful, filled with scrutiny and a hint of...worry?
Ran Qinghe was the first to look away. Was he worried about not being able to advance, or about facing Fu Ji, or something else?
After the preliminary rounds, more than half of the disciples were eliminated. The remaining disciples took a short break before the more brutal elimination rounds began.
This major exam continued the tradition of Yunya Academy, with opponents determined by drawing lots. The two teams would compete against each other, with the winner advancing and the loser retreating.
Ran Qinghe's luck wasn't too bad. Her opponents in the first two matches were a Bai Xu medical cultivator who wasn't good at fighting and a Xuan Shui weapon cultivator, so they didn't cause her too much trouble.
However, after each victory, she could feel that cold, ever-present gaze.
Lou Tinglan, after several matches, relied solely on her understanding of the essence of magic and her terrifyingly precise control to rout her opponents, drawing waves of exclamations from the spectators.
Ran Qinghe really didn't understand why Lou Tinglan, who had already entered the Discipline Hall, would suddenly participate in the Grand Examination. Could it be that he was also after the leader's reward?
As the exam progressed, fewer and fewer disciples remained on the field, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Lou Guan's voice rang out again: "Next match, in Zone A, Ran Qinghe will face Zhang Baiyi; in Zone B, Shao Feng will face Wen Jing; in Zone C, Fu Ji will face... Shui Rong'er."
Three matches began simultaneously.
Ran Qinghe's eyes narrowed, and she leaped onto the designated area. On the other side, her opponent also silently walked up.
Zhang Baiyi was a burly swordsman with a fierce sword style and abundant spiritual power. After bowing with his fists clasped, he immediately assumed a fighting stance.
However, Ran Qinghe could not fully concentrate, and her peripheral vision kept glancing towards the area marked "丙".
She was taken aback. First, she was surprised that Shui Rong'er had passed the preliminary test so smoothly. Second, she was surprised that Shui Rong'er had so coincidentally met Fu Ji.
"The competition begins."
As Lou Guan's voice faded, within the Jia-character area, Zhang Baiyi let out a low shout, drew his heavy sword, and slashed straight at Ran Qinghe's face. He followed a fierce and powerful approach, his swordplay steady and his strength astonishing.
However, Ran Qinghe's mind was mostly on the "Bing" area. She dodged Zhang Baiyi's repeated slashes with her keen senses and used her whip to strike the gaps in his moves, trying to break through his strength with skill.
At the same time, her gaze kept drifting to one side.
Within the area marked "Bing", Shui Rong'er wielded two short swords, launching swift attacks with spiritual energy flowing from the swords, striking Fu Ji from the left and right.
Fu Ji, however, neutralized all of Shui Rong'er's attacks with just a single talisman, either by pointing or flicking it, without changing his expression at all, clearly not using his full strength.
"Junior Sister Ran, you dare to be distracted while fighting me?" Zhang Baiyi clearly noticed Ran Qinghe's absent-mindedness, a hint of displeasure flashed across his face, and his swordplay became even more fierce.
Inside the spectator area, discussions were incessant.
"This Hundred-Sword Style is sharp and powerful, with a fierce and deep sword force. Although Ran Qinghe is known for her speed, she will surely lose if she holds out for too long."
"Why is she keeping looking at the Bingzi Terrace? Could it be that she has some past connection with Fu Ji?"
"Ran Qinghe seems to be a freshman who just entered the academy this year, while Senior Brother Zhang has been in the academy for a full twenty years!"
Lou Tinglan stood quietly below the stage, her gaze fixed on the Jia-character area, noticing the hesitation and distraction in Ran Qinghe's movements.
Just as Ran Qinghe turned to the side again and glanced at Fu Ji, she saw that Fu Ji only slapped the talisman towards Shui Rong'er's ear and did not attack.
It was this momentary lapse in concentration that gave Zhang Baiyi the opportunity. He feinted with his heavy sword, silently gathering spiritual energy in his left palm before slamming it down on Ran Qinghe's unguarded right shoulder. If this palm strike landed, it would be enough to damage her bones and muscles, instantly rendering her powerless.
"Watch out!" someone in the spectator area exclaimed.
Ran Qinghe sensed the approaching gust of wind, but was already a beat too late. In her haste, she could only gather her spiritual energy in her shoulder to withstand it.
"Bang--"
As the palm struck her, Ran Qinghe let out a muffled groan and staggered back several steps, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
Seeing that Ran Qinghe was injured but had not been defeated, Zhang Baiyi's eyes flashed with impatience and ruthlessness. He was determined to win this major test.
Seeing Ran Qinghe's aura become disordered, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. He formed a hand seal, and his spiritual power began to fluctuate violently, showing a faint tendency to break through his current suppressed realm.
He actually tried to forcibly restore his suppressed cultivation level briefly in order to win with one blow!
"presumptuous!"
Lou Guan sneered, but before he could move, a white figure appeared instantly within the Jia-character area. Lou Tinglan summoned Tranquility, and a sword aura, though delayed, struck precisely at the core of Zhang Baiyi's completed magic seal.
"Pfft!" Zhang Baiyi's hand seal was forcibly interrupted, and he fell to the ground due to the backlash, his face full of horror.
"Violating the rules of the Grand Examination, attempting to use forbidden techniques, you are disqualified from this Grand Examination. Take him away and await further punishment." Lou Guan's voice rang out at the right time, and two disciples from the Discipline Hall immediately stepped forward and took the ashen-faced Zhang Baiyi away from the martial arts stage.
Lou Tinglan stepped forward and helped Ran Qinghe, who was leaning on the ground with her whip and barely able to stand, but Ran Qinghe brushed her arm away without saying a word.
"Thank you," she whispered, then pulled away from him.
Lou Tinglan's hand remained suspended in mid-air for a long while before finally lowering itself.
Meanwhile, the competition in area C was also nearing its end.
Shui Rong'er, unable to break through Fu Ji's defenses, realized that Fu Ji was not using his full strength at all. It was as if he was teasing a cat with its claws outstretched. Every block and dodge was perfectly timed, as if he did not want to hurt her in the slightest.
"Who asked you to give way!" Shui Rong'er's eyes reddened with anger. She abruptly stopped her attack, glared fiercely at Fu Ji, then noticed Ran Qinghe's injury in the Jia area. She bit her lip, stomped her foot, and leaped off the martial arts stage. "I'm not fighting anymore!"
Lou Guan then announced: "In the Bing region, Shui Rong'er forfeits, and Fu Ji wins."
With the dust settled and after a brief rest and evaluation, all eyes were once again focused on the high platform, where Lou Guan's voice rang out:
"Next match, in the Jia section, Fu Ji faces... Lou Tinglan."
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent, only to erupt into an even louder murmur of discussion.
"The outcome of this match is already decided. Fu Ji is a new disciple this year. No one can tell that Fu Ji can't win."
"Sigh, who would have thought that Senior Brother Lou would suddenly appear this year? He's probably aiming for the championship."
However, before the uproar had subsided, a sharp female voice suddenly rang out.
"Second Elder! Second Elder! A disciple has fallen!"
In the spectator area, a female cultivator frantically helped Shui Rong'er, who had suddenly collapsed into her arms.
Shui Rong'er's face was ashen, her breathing rapid, and fine beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on her forehead. She curled up as if she were enduring immense pain.
"It's so...so painful..." Shui Rong'er gasped, her voice trembling, and looked at Fu Ji, who was about to go on stage, her eyes filled with suppressed pain.
This sudden turn of events diverted everyone's attention. Even Lou Guan, who was in the center of the training ground, appeared beside Shui Rong'er in an instant, probing her sea of consciousness with two fingers together.
Shui Rong'er's pulse was indeed disordered, and her blood and qi were churning, as if her spiritual energy had malfunctioned.
Fu Ji stood silently, his gaze fixed on Shui Rong'er's pale yet sly face, before finally taking a slow step. But he didn't walk towards the martial arts arena; instead, he headed towards the direction where Shui Rong'er was.
He knelt down in front of Shui Rong'er, looking her in the eye, his voice sounding somewhat helpless: "Really?"
The question, though only two words long, allowed Shui Rong'er to vent her emotions. She retorted defiantly:
"Fake!"
Fu Ji wasn't oblivious to her little tricks, but he was more afraid that she was genuinely uncomfortable. Or perhaps he would rather go along with her and make her feel better.
His spiritual energy began to probe in quickly and gently, but when it touched her meridians, the color drained from her face instantly, her eyelashes, which were wet with tears, trembled violently, and she let out a muffled groan of pain that was much more real than before.
Fu Ji's expression changed drastically. He stepped forward, picked Shui Rong'er up in his arms, and carried her towards Lou Guan and Lou Tinglan.
"I'm sorry, I'm forfeiting this match."
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