Rise in the Martial Chaos: Starting From a Martial Arts School-Chapter 44 - 33: Opportunity (Part 2)
The main reason was that Yang Jing was now a Mingjin expert, and quite close to the Peak of Mingjin at that. With this high-level foundation, practicing the Raging Wave Leg was naturally much easier than when he first cultivated the Mountain-Shattering Fist.
Looking at his panel data, the distracting thoughts that had just surfaced in Yang Jing’s mind were quickly suppressed.
He was very satisfied with his current martial arts progress. At this rate, he had a good chance of breaking through to the Hidden Strength realm within half a month.
At this thought, Yang Jing immediately threw himself back into his training, growing more focused and immersed with each movement, full of motivation!
....
In the inner courtyard, inside the main house.
Sun Yong, the Hall Master of Sun’s Martial Arts Hall, sat upright in the Grandmaster’s Chair at the head of the room. On a side table, a tea set rested, a faint mist rising from the cup, filling the air with the aroma of tea.
First Senior Brother Xu Hong, Second Senior Sister Qi Yun, and Third Senior Brother Zhao Wenzheng had already arrived. Standing in the room, they all turned to look at the commotion behind them as Liu Maolin entered.
Sun Ningxiang stood by her father Sun Yong’s side, her expression calm.
"Everyone is here." Sun Yong lifted his teacup for a sip, his gaze sweeping over his four disciples. "The Drill Ground Trial is in one month. All of you need to focus and prepare well."
The Great Qi Dynasty divided the martial examinations into four stages.
The first stage was the Drill Ground Trial, the second was the Prefecture Examination, followed by the Provincial Examination and the Palace Examination. Whoever made it to the end would become the world-renowned Martial Champion Scholar.
For them, however, becoming the Martial Champion Scholar was a distant dream. Their goal was simply to pass the Drill Ground Trial.
Passing the Drill Ground Trial granted an exemption from the government Court’s corvée labor and a fifty percent reduction in taxes.
If they didn’t own land, they could allow rural farmers to register under their name, which was another considerable source of income.
The four of them replied in unison, "Yes, Master."
The martial examinations were the golden path for Jianghu Martial Artists to enter officialdom and obtain a government position. Achieving a good ranking would not only bring great personal benefits but was also an excellent opportunity to enhance the Martial Arts Hall’s reputation, so they naturally didn’t dare to be complacent.
Sun Yong set down his teacup and continued, "To give you all a feel for actual combat, I’ve arranged a few sparring matches with the Hall Masters of the Weiyuan Martial Arts Hall in the west of the city and the Iron Fist Hall in the north. They will take place within the next half-month."
With that, he looked at the four before him. "Our Martial Arts Hall will also form a team to compete against the teams from the other two halls. As for the members, it will include the four of you, plus Lin Yue. You can decide on the rest yourselves."
The four hurriedly nodded. "Yes, Master."
Sun Yong grunted in acknowledgment, added a few more simple instructions, and then waved his hand. "As for the specific members, go and discuss it among yourselves. Just report your decision to me once it’s made."
"Yes, Master." The four rose, bowed, and left the main house in single file.
Sun Ningxiang followed them out to see them off.
Only Sun Yong remained in the main house. He gazed out the door, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop.
’These sparring matches are a warm-up for the Drill Ground Trial, and also a chance to see how my disciples have progressed. Especially Lin Yue.’ Of all his disciples, he valued the genius Lin Yue the most. If Lin Yue could shine in the matches, it would be a great boon to the Martial Arts Hall’s reputation.
Meanwhile, as Xu Hong, Qi Yun, Zhao Wenzheng, and Liu Maolin were leaving the inner courtyard, they saw Lin Yue returning from outside. His moon-white brocade robes were stained with a bit of oil, and they guessed he had spent his afternoon accepting an invitation from the scion of some family.
Lin Yue saw the four of them coming from the inner courtyard. His gaze fell on Sun Ningxiang, who was the last to emerge, and his eyes lit up for a moment before he looked away. He then turned to the four in front and asked, "Did Master send for you?"
Although Lin Yue was young and had joined the hall late, he possessed the arrogance of a genius. Even though he came from a common background, he carried a faint air of superiority when facing these senior brothers who hailed from prominent families.
Xu Hong quickly explained the matter of the Drill Ground Trial and the sparring matches with the other Martial Arts Halls.
After hearing this, a confident smile played on Lin Yue’s lips. "Sparring matches, huh? Good. A chance to stretch my legs and get used to real combat ahead of time."
’With his talent, he was naturally an indispensable member of the team.’
The six of them chatted as they walked over to the shade of a tree at the edge of the front courtyard to discuss the matter.
"The Drill Ground Trial is a mixed bag, with fighters from every martial hall and all kinds of styles. There’s no point in analyzing them beforehand," Xu Hong said in a low voice. "These sparring matches are mainly to give everyone more combat experience. Don’t worry about what your opponent is good at. Just fight."
"Then let’s form a team of six or seven," Zhao Wenzheng added. "The four of us, plus Junior Brother Lin, and then two more. That will also give some of the other junior brothers and sisters a chance."
Qi Yun and Lin Yue both nodded in agreement. Sun Ningxiang just listened quietly from the side without interjecting.
Next, they began to consider who else to add to the team.
This was a great opportunity to gain combat experience and improve one’s strength. If used well, one might even perform exceptionally at the Drill Ground Trial and secure a ranking.
For many Martial Artists from common backgrounds, achieving a ranking in the Drill Ground Trial was a major event that would bring honor to their ancestors.
Even for disciples from prominent families, making a name for themselves in the Drill Ground Trial was a huge plus, earning them greater esteem within their family.
And now, such an important opportunity was in their hands.
Their gazes slowly swept over the many disciples training in the front courtyard. They savored this feeling of superiority, as if they were gods deciding the fates of the other disciples.
Zhao Wenzheng said, "I think Junior Brother Luo Feng would be a good choice. He’s naturally strong, and he’s cultivated his Mountain-Shattering Fist to the Peak of Mingjin. His strength is quite formidable among Mingjin practitioners."
Qi Yun added, "Junior Brother Han Feiyu isn’t bad either. He’s only just entered the Mingjin realm, but his Root Bone is mid-to-high grade. He has a great chance of breaking through to the Hidden Strength realm in the future. If he gets more combat experience and gains more insights now, it’ll be easier for him to break through the bottleneck when the time comes."
Zhao Wenzheng and Qi Yun had nominated two disciples who usually performed well.
Liu Maolin pondered for a moment before saying, "I think Junior Brother Yang Jing is also a good fit. He’s close to the Peak of Mingjin, and he’s the most hardworking trainee among us. He just lacks real combat experience. If we let him participate in more fights, it might help him break through to the Hidden Strength realm."
Hearing Liu Maolin’s nomination, Lin Yue immediately frowned. "Him? Forget it."
Among the many disciples in the Martial Arts Hall, Lin Yue had an impression of Yang Jing, but it wasn’t a good one.
The guy was like an attention-seeker, always the first to arrive and the last to leave. Many disciples praised his so-called diligence and hard work, and even the Master had commented on it a couple of times.
’But what’s the use of any of that?’
’Root Bone is the foundation of martial arts. With a Lower-Grade Root Bone like his, his future achievements are limited. He might never have a hope of reaching the Hidden Strength realm in his entire life. To know this path is a dead end and still stubbornly forge ahead—that isn’t diligence, it’s stupidity.’
’Looking at such a fool, Lin Yue felt nothing but irritation. A single day of his own casual training was worth ten days of that guy’s painstaking effort.’
"His Root Bone is what it is. Reaching the Peak of Mingjin is already his limit. If he represents our Martial Arts Hall in the sparring matches, won’t he just become a laughingstock? He’d be disgracing the hall."
Qi Yun nodded in agreement. "Junior Brother Lin has a point. Yang Jing’s aptitude is indeed average. There’s no value in cultivating him. For an opportunity like this, I think it’s safer to choose a disciple with better potential."
Hearing what Lin Yue and Qi Yun said, Zhao Wenzheng also nodded in agreement. The First Senior Brother, Xu Hong, remained silent.
As they were arguing, Sun Ningxiang walked over and said softly, "I think we should give Yang Jing a chance."
She looked at the group and said slowly, "I often see him arrive at the Martial Arts Hall before dawn and leave only after dark. Of all the training posts in the front courtyard, his has the most fist marks. That kind of dedication shouldn’t be overlooked."
Sun Ningxiang’s sudden interjection took everyone present by surprise.
In the past, although Sun Ningxiang was the Hall Master’s daughter, she rarely involved herself in the Martial Arts Hall’s affairs. But this time...
...
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