Martial Saint with Passives

Everyone understood. This was the first trial, the martial assessment trial!

Qin Xuange, the General's son and number one on the Hidden Dragon List, was away on a bandit suppression campaign and was not in Cangzhou Prefecture City.

Therefore, the second-ranked on the Hidden Dragon List, Qin Wuya, was the acknowledged strongest expert among the contestants.

Taking his rightful place, he was the first to enter the corridor.

The moment his figure vanished into the darkness, the crowd heard a series of dull, thunderous booms from deep within the corridor, as if two ancient behemoths were battling inside!

Violent shockwaves of Qi Force even surged out from the corridor's entrance, causing everyone's robes to flutter violently!

However, the astonishing commotion lasted for merely ten breaths before coming to an abrupt halt.

The glowing Restriction at the corridor's entrance lit up again, resetting to allow passage.

And back outside, no figure had been teleported out.

"He passed! Qin Wuya passed the first trial!" someone exclaimed in shock.

A chill went through the crowd.

'To end the battle in such a short time... Qin Wuya's strength is even more terrifying than we imagined!'

Gu Qingxuan glanced in the direction Qin Wuya had disappeared, her eyes showing not the slightest ripple of emotion.

Clutching her sword, she walked in second.

The corridor was much quieter this time, with only the clear, dragon-like cry of a sword and the HISS of shattering energy.

After twelve breaths, the Restriction opened once more.

"Gu Qingxuan passed too!"

Following her were Chen Jiayu, Xiao Qingge, Lin Qingyun...

The top-ranked prodigies of the Hidden Dragon List entered the corridor one by one, following the order of the rankings.

The commotion they caused and the time they took varied.

But without exception, all of them passed successfully, venturing deeper into the Grotto Heaven!

Soon, it was Jiang Che's turn.

However, just as he was about to step forward, a figure suddenly shot past him, stepping into the corridor first!

It was Fang Muye!

Jiang Che was taken aback. 'I can't believe this guy would even bicker over something as trivial as whose turn it is!'

Among the other disciples waiting outside, Qing Ling saw this and instantly flew into a rage, pointing at Fang Muye's retreating back and cursing:

"What the hell! Who is that kid? Does he have no manners? Cutting in line?!"

Wang Zhenhai of Panyue Courtyard chimed in with his deep, booming voice, "People from Liufeng Courtyard just have no class!"

Jiang Che watched the back vanish into the darkness, simply shaking his head before saying calmly to the two:

"It doesn't matter. Going in first doesn't mean he'll have the last laugh."

He had previously learned a secret from Chen Jiayu.

Apparently, even passing all three trials didn't guarantee one would receive the inheritance.

In the end, it all came down to one's affinity with "True Master Bai Yi."

Before long, Fang Muye also successfully passed through the corridor, and it was once again Jiang Che's turn.

Amid the crowd's gazes—some curious, some contemptuous—Jiang Che slowly walked into the pitch-black passage.

...

Inside the corridor, it was a world of its own.

It was an enclosed space, about a hundred feet long. The walls were covered in complex Array runes that emanated a faint glow.

The moment Jiang Che came to a stop, the Arrays ahead flared with light. An Energy Guard, identical to him in figure, appearance, and even aura, slowly coalesced into form.

Mid-stage of Refining Organ Realm!

Without the slightest delay, the instant it finished forming, the Energy Guard threw a punch at Jiang Che. Its move was from the exquisite Nine Heavens Azure Cloud Fist Technique!

However, facing this thunderous strike, Jiang Che simply took a single step forward and met it with a plain, unadorned straight punch of his own.

Fifteenfold Strike!

"BANG!"

The dull thud was exceptionally clear in the empty corridor.

That Energy Guard—a foe that would have been a headache for countless Martial Artists of the same realm in the outside world—shattered like ice under the sun beneath Jiang Che's fist. It didn't even last a single breath before exploding into a shower of light motes!

Just one breath!

An instant kill!

Jiang Che watched the dissipating Energy Guard with a calm expression and walked out of the Martial Arts Corridor.

...

When Jiang Che's figure appeared at the other end of the corridor, Qin Wuya, Gu Qingxuan, Xiao Qingge, and the others who had already passed were standing in a massive circular hall, some looking up, others looking down in thought. Now, however, they all turned in unison, their shocked gazes landing on the just-emerged Jiang Che!

"How... could he be so fast?!"

Fang Muye's expression instantly turned hideous!

He had just been feeling smug about being a fraction faster than Su Linfeng of the Profound Sound Sect, who was ranked eighth on the Hidden Dragon List and had gone in before him.

And then Jiang Che... took only a single breath!

For the first time, a grave look appeared in Qin Wuya's disdainful eyes.

A trace of astonishment also flickered across Gu Qingxuan's perpetually frosty face.

Chen Jiayu and Xiao Qingge immediately crowded around him.

"Junior Brother Jiang, you... how did you do that?" Xiao Qingge's eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Could it be..." Chen Jiayu mused thoughtfully.

Jiang Che didn't explain, just smiled.

'They've seen the Fifteenfold Strike before, but it's best not to bring it up if I can avoid it.'

'Besides, even without the Fifteenfold Strike, I was confident I could have passed easily.'

After all, this trial wasn't a test of one's Realm.

It was a test of a challenger's ability to dominate an opponent of the same Realm!

Jiang Che's true strength far surpassed his own Realm.

Facing an Energy Guard of the same Realm, an instant kill was only natural!

"He's just relying on the advantage of his low Realm!"

Suddenly, someone spoke up.

Jiang Che looked over and saw an unfamiliar face staring at him with disdain.

He thought for a moment and guessed this must be the sixth-ranked on the Hidden Dragon List, Shen Mingxuan of the Taiyuan Sect!

Jiang Che couldn't be bothered with such a person and immediately turned his attention to the circular hall.

This was the second trial: the test of Comprehension!

The walls of the hall were covered with hundreds, even thousands, of small mural figures in various poses.

Some were punching, some using palm strikes, some wielding swords, some brandishing spears...

It was incredibly complex, yet it seemed to contain some kind of hidden pattern.

In the center of the hall was a raised, circular stone platform.

"Junior Brother Jiang, see those murals?" Chen Jiayu explained to him. "The test for the second trial is to comprehend a complete and sufficiently advanced Martial Art from these chaotic murals. Then, you have to stand on the central platform and perform it. Only if the Array recognizes it will you be teleported to the next trial. If you comprehend it incorrectly, or if you fail to step onto the platform within two hours, you'll be teleported directly out of the Grotto Heaven!"

Jiang Che nodded and began to study them.

He hadn't been looking for long when a series of lights flashed behind him. A few more people had passed through the Martial Arts Corridor and arrived in the hall.

One of them was none other than Qing Ling of the Heaven-Sundering Sect!

As soon as he entered, he saw Jiang Che, Chen Jiayu, Xiao Qingge, and Lin Qingyun, and strode over to them.

"Good, good, I finally caught up to you guys!" He slammed the butt of his signature Silver Spear on the ground with a sharp CLANG. "That guy in the first trial was pretty tough, gave me a bit of trouble!"

After the previous Martial Arts exchange and fighting side-by-side in the Abyss of Ten Thousand Poisons, the five of them—Jiang Che, Chen Jiayu, Xiao Qingge, Lin Qingyun, and Qing Ling—had already vaguely formed a small clique!

Seeing him arrive, Xiao Qingge teased, "What took you so long? I thought that guy had torn you to pieces!"

"Get outta here!" Qing Ling shot her a glare before looking up at the murals on the wall, his brow immediately furrowing. "This is the second trial? What the hell is this stuff?"

While they were talking, a small commotion suddenly arose outside the Grotto Heaven!

A figure, enveloped in the white light of the Restriction, materialized out of thin air at the entrance to the sinkhole!

It was the Chief Disciple of the Thunder Shock Courtyard, Shi Poyue!

The moment he appeared, before he could even steady himself, he staggered a few steps. His face was pale and drawn, a clear sign that he had suffered greatly in the corridor!

"Poyue? What happened?" Up on the high platform, Situ Zhen, the head of the Thunder Shock Courtyard, shot to his feet and asked urgently.

The gazes of everyone in the vicinity focused on him.

Shi Poyue was the first person to be teleported out. Did this mean he was the first to clear the trials, or... that he had failed?

Facing the stares of the crowd, especially the questioning gaze of his master, Shi Poyue's lips trembled, and his face instantly turned the color of a beet.

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