My Martial Dao Has No Bottlenecks

Time passed in a flash.

It had been over a month since Wang Teng’s attempted breakthrough, but the atmosphere at the Martial Arts Academy remained somber.

Liang Cheng had taken on some short-term missions during that time. He pooled the earnings with all his silver coins and exchanged everything for resources. Spurred on by Wang Teng’s attempted breakthrough, he trained with even greater diligence.

[First Layer of the Broken Wave Technique: Minor Success (932/2500)]

[Stone Armor Skill (Iron Armor): Great Success (1261/3000)]

[Gale Saber Technique: Great Success (1981/2000)]

[Wandering Dragon Step: Minor Success (60/1200)]

At this moment, he stood in the courtyard, a saber held in his left hand.

Liang Cheng closed his eyes and focused, pouring all his concentration into the long saber. He slowly assumed his stance, the blade slicing through the night without a trace of earthly effort.

At first, he executed only basic chops, upward slashes, and cuts. His movements were slow and heavy, as if each strike weighed a thousand pounds. Gradually, his saber began to accelerate, and the sound of wind began to rise.

His Qi Blood surged, following the momentum of his saber. With every step he took, the intricate footwork of the Wandering Dragon Step fused with the path of his blade. His body was a wandering dragon, his saber a flash of light.

The gleam of his saber grew brighter, the whistling of the wind grew more urgent.

Suddenly, Liang Cheng felt a flash of insight.

As his blade passed, the airflow was no longer a hindrance but a driving force. The transitions in his Body Technique became fluid and effortless, all stiffness gone.

The saber was the body, the body was the step. The step followed the body, and the body followed the saber.

Wherever the saber’s edge pointed, the air in the courtyard suddenly condensed, then transformed into a pale green, arc-shaped Qi Force visible to the naked eye, shooting thirty feet through the air.

The whistling wind in the courtyard came to an abrupt halt. Then, the long saber shattered into pieces, unable to withstand the Vigorous Qi.

[Gale Saber Technique: Perfection]

A small smile touched Liang Cheng’s lips. ’My strength has taken another step forward.’

’Looks like forging a proper long saber is next on the list.’

Just then, a Servant Disciple reported that someone was here to see him.

When he went to the door, he saw it was Chen Bainian.

"Liang Keqing, the year-end Commerce Association meeting is tomorrow. If it’s too much trouble, you don’t have to go. I won’t have the slightest complaint."

"Don’t worry, Landlord Chen. I will definitely be there tomorrow."

When Lu Qingzhou heard the news, he could only shake his head.

’The Wang Family is powerful. Although Chen Bainian is a magnate in the Three Towns, he’s nothing in Lin Wu City. Junior Brother Liang is still acting on impulse.’

The Xu Family also received the news.

Xu Zhi found Xu Zhang and saw that Xu Feng was also there. He quickly paid his respects. The three of them then conferred for a long time, but no one knew what they discussed.

...

The next day, Chen Bainian arrived on time to pick up Liang Cheng for the Commerce Association meeting.

Chen Bainian’s green-canopied carriage was waiting at the Martial Arts Academy’s entrance. Dressed in black martial attire, with a standard-issue long saber from the Academy’s armory hanging at his waist, Liang Cheng stepped into the carriage.

"Liang Keqing," Chen Bainian began. He was wearing a special purplish-red brocade robe with floral patterns, and though he smiled, his eyes held a hint of gravity. "Today’s meeting is at Jiya Hall in the south of the city. I’ll have to trouble you."

Liang Cheng nodded. "It’s nothing. Landlord Chen, could you please go over the rules for passing the three trials one more time?"

Chen Bainian lowered his voice. "The so-called ’three trials’ are genuine combat trials. According to the Commerce Association’s rules, the challenger must fight three consecutive matches. Each opponent is a resident Honored Guest Elder from an existing A-Class Commerce Association."

He paused, then added, "Following the precedent of previous years, very few can even pass two trials. In the last five years, only two companies have succeeded in passing all three."

"So, Liang Keqing, please consider it carefully. You’re still young. I can afford to wait, and the Chen’s Trading Company can afford to wait."

"You don’t need to worry, Landlord Chen. I know what I’m doing. I also know my limits, and I won’t be blindly overconfident."

"That’s good to hear."

The carriage entered the southern part of the city and stopped before a large, five-courtyard estate. A black plaque with the gold characters "Jiya Hall" hung high above the entrance, flanked by stone lions. Several other luxurious carriages were already parked there.

As the two of them got out and stepped through the gate, they heard a hearty laugh:

"Landlord Chen, you’ve certainly kept us waiting!"

A portly, round-faced middle-aged man walked toward them, followed by two formidable guards. Chen Bainian cupped his fists in greeting. "Shopkeeper Liu."

"This must be Liang Keqing?" Shopkeeper Liu’s gaze swept over Liang Cheng, his smile unwavering. "A true young hero. Your reputation precedes you."

With a calm expression, Liang Cheng simply nodded in acknowledgment.

Chen Bainian chuckled. "This way, please, Shopkeeper Liu."

After passing through two courtyards, the view suddenly opened up. A spacious plaza paved with bluestone lay before them. Three raised platforms, each three feet high, had been erected in the center. Viewing seats were arranged around the plaza, already occupied by no fewer than a hundred people, all impeccably dressed and carrying themselves with an extraordinary air.

Liang Cheng’s gaze swept across the crowd, and he spotted a few familiar faces. Lu Qingzhou was seated in the Martial Arts Academy’s section. He gave Liang Cheng a slight nod, his expression complex.

In the Xu Family’s section, Xu Zhang, Xu Feng, and Xu Zhi were all present. Xu Zhi was leaning over to whisper to Xu Feng, and when his gaze met Liang Cheng’s, a flash of undisguised coldness flickered in his eyes.

The Wang Family’s seats were empty, but Wang Qini’an was standing by the side of a platform, talking with an old man in a black robe. As if sensing the gaze, he turned to look and gave Liang Cheng a small smile.

"The people from the Martial Arts Academy are here too," Chen Bainian pointed out in a low voice.

Liang Cheng looked toward the main guest seats. Three Martial Arts Academy Stewards were seated there; their faces were familiar, but he had never spoken to them. There were also people from the City Lord’s Mansion, whom Liang Cheng had never seen before.

At 7:30 AM, Shen Wenqing, the president of the Commerce Association, set down his teacup, rose, and walked to the front of the central platform.

"On this auspicious day at year’s end, thank you all for gracing us with your presence." His voice was clear and carried throughout the entire venue. "As per the old rules, any who wish to be promoted to A-Class in the Commerce Association must pass three trials. Today, we have three applicants: Liu’s Trading Company, Li’s Cloth Shop, and Chen’s Trading Company, in that order."

"Will the Honored Guest Elders representing these three companies please come forward and sign the life-and-death waivers."

Chen Bainian glanced at Liang Cheng, who gave a slight nod. He then stood up and signed the life-and-death waiver. In the arena, life and death are left to fate.

Next, they drew lots to determine their opponents. Liang Cheng was lucky; he was scheduled to fight third.

The Honored Guest Elders from the Liu and Li families were the first to take the stage.

Liu’s Trading Company had hired a burly man who used an Iron Whip. His first opponent was a sword expert. Both were at Transformation Force Perfection. They fought for nearly a hundred exchanges on the platform, the shadow of the whip and the glint of the sword weaving together. In the end, the burly man landed a heavy strike with his whip on his opponent’s shoulder, knocking him off the platform.

"Liu’s Trading Company passes the first trial!" the chief judge announced loudly.

In the second match, the Liu’s Honored Guest Elder faced a Swordsman. The Swordsman’s Body Technique was incredibly fast, and his attacks came from unorthodox angles. Although the burly man’s Iron Whip was powerful and heavy, he could never keep up with his opponent’s speed. After thirty exchanges, he took a blade to the calf and staggered to his defeat.

The people from Liu’s Trading Company shook their heads in resignation. Another year without being promoted to A-Class. ’But then again, what powerful Martial Artist wouldn’t choose a better patron?’

The Li Family had it even worse, failing to even pass the first trial and suffering a direct defeat. With both companies eliminated from the running for A-Class, the atmosphere grew even more silent.

At this moment, Liang Cheng rose and walked toward one of the platforms.

"Third challenger, Honored Guest Elder of the Chen’s Trading Company, Liang Cheng!" The chief judge glanced at him. "Your opponent is the Honored Guest Elder of Huitong Trading Company, Zhao Mang!"

A giant of a man, nearly nine feet tall, leaped onto the platform. His muscles were like cast iron, his skin had a bronze sheen, and he wore Fine Steel Gloves on both hands. With every step he took, the platform trembled slightly.

"Kid," Zhao Mang grinned, revealing a set of menacingly white teeth. "If you surrender now, you can still walk off this platform."

Liang Cheng said nothing, simply standing silently as they faced each other.

The Copper Gong sounded.

Zhao Mang let out a low roar and charged forward like a barbaric elephant. He threw both fists out at once, the wind from his punches howling with the faint sound of wind and thunder!

He followed a path of pure, overwhelming power. With his Transformation Force Perfection cultivation combined with his Innate Divine Strength, an ordinary Transformation Force martial artist wouldn’t dare to face his blows head-on.

But Liang Cheng didn’t retreat an inch, standing firm as a pine.

Iron Armor Mastery!

Fierce Bull Force—Mountain-Breaking Strike!

Broken Wave Technique—Triple Force!

BOOM!

Liang Cheng didn’t dodge or evade. The two met fist to fist. Zhao Mang’s expression changed, but before he could react, waves of Power, each stronger than the last, smashed through his defenses, reached his chest, and erupted.

BANG!

Zhao Mang was sent flying backward, landing outside the platform.

Defeated in a single blow. The entire venue fell silent.

Chen Bainian’s jaw dropped. He shot to his feet instinctively and shouted in excitement, "Yes!"

Only then did the rest of the crowd react, and an uproar ensued.

The chief judge took a deep breath and announced in a loud voice, "Chen’s Trading Company passes the first trial!"

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