On the arena stage, Cui Wanhe’s black hair fluttered. He still looked calm, as if nothing in the world could faze him.

Opposite him, Sun Yan’s eyes were filled with rage, like a volcano about to erupt.

"The match begins!"

The referee’s voice had barely faded when Sun Yan’s figure vanished, reappearing beside Cui Wanhe in an instant.

An iron fist, infused with ferocious power, smashed directly at Cui Wanhe’s head.

"CLANG!"

Cui Wanhe immediately brought his saber up horizontally. The Nine-Ring Saber vibrated violently as it forcibly blocked the ferocious strike.

But Sun Yan gave him no chance to breathe. With a flex of his arms, his muscles bulged like they were cast from black iron. He pushed his Nine-Turn Iron Armor Skill to its absolute limit, transforming into a furious, rampaging bear and hammering away at Cui Wanhe.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

A violent gale swept across the arena, making their clothes flap wildly.

Below the stage, Su Yu’s pupils shrank as he watched.

The same Gold-Breaking Iron Fist, when used by Sun Yan, was several times more powerful than when Sun Shi used it!

The sheer density of his Qi and Blood and his indestructible toughness made Su Yu’s expression turn grave.

’Is this the power of the Third Acupoint?’

Su Yu tightened his grip on Mo Yuan. The sliver of pride he felt from killing Sun Shi and entering the top five vanished in an instant.

’If I were the one on that stage right now, even if I went all out, I probably couldn’t break through Sun Yan’s defense. I might not even be able to take three of his moves.’

’No wonder that one move earlier made me feel like I was facing death.’

’In Martial Arts, realm is everything!’

’After the Martial Examination ends, I have to cultivate as quickly as possible. I must break through to the second acupoint, or even the third. Otherwise, facing someone like Sun Yan is a death sentence!’

...

On stage, the fight quickly became white-hot. The intense battle made the crowd hold their breath, their eyes glued to the combatants.

After another few dozen exchanges, a cold glint suddenly solidified in Cui Wanhe’s eyes. His aura shifted from tranquil to dynamic, like a dormant volcano erupting in an instant.

"Sun Yan, you take pride in that Iron Armor body of yours. Today, I’ll shatter that turtle shell!"

With a long cry, the heavy Nine-Ring Saber in Cui Wanhe’s hand began to tremble violently. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"CLANGOR—!"

The nine iron rings slammed furiously against the spine of the blade, emitting a shrill, ear-piercing metallic shriek!

"Take these three slashes!"

"Hongshan’s Three Absolutes, the first slash!"

Cui Wanhe slashed down. The nine iron rings on the saber’s spine slid violently toward the tip with the momentum, instantly amplifying the force of the slash several times over!

"CLANG!"

This slash was as heavy as a mountain, smashing through Sun Yan’s block and sending a shudder through his arms that made his bones creak. His guard was wide open.

"The second slash!"

The momentum of the slash hadn’t faded as more Power was layered on top! Amidst the crisp sound of the rings slamming back, this slash was unbelievably fast—only a streak of brilliant light could be seen cutting through the air.

"SHLIIICK!"

The blue-black membrane of skin that Sun Yan was so proud of, which was supposedly impervious to blades and spears, was torn apart like thin paper by this slash empowered with terrifying Power. A jet of blood instantly shot out from his chest!

"The third slash!"

Cui Wanhe leaped into the air, gripping his saber with both hands, and poured all of his Qi and Blood into the blade without reservation. The nine rings chimed in unison, their sound like a dragon’s roar, as he brought the saber down with an overwhelming force that seemed capable of crushing everything.

"BOOM!"

Sun Yan let out a wretched scream as the terrifying slash sent him flying off the arena stage. A horrifying, bone-deep gash was left on his chest, blood gushing out as he crashed heavily to the ground.

The entire venue fell deathly silent. Everyone was so stunned by those three brilliant slashes that their scalps tingled.

This was the true number one prodigy of Black Stone City!

Su Yu was quite surprised as he looked at the chiming Nine-Ring Saber. Before he had forged Mo Yuan, he had also used a Nine-Ring Saber, but he had always treated it like a regular saber.

’I never thought a Nine-Ring Saber could be used like this. The weight of those nine rings must be extraordinary!’

’It must be a custom-made Treasure Saber!’

’And that Hongshan Saber Technique... it has a certain masterful quality to it. It’s definitely an Upper Grade saber technique!’

"Sun Yan! Sun Yan!"

Over at the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall’s area, Xiong Wu’s face was livid. Seeing Sun Yan collapsed on the ground, he quickly called for a physician.

"How is he?"

"Lord Xiong, thankfully the slash missed his heart meridian. His life isn’t in danger, but he’ll probably need half a year to recover."

Xiong Wu let out a sigh of relief. He glanced at Cui Wanhe on the stage, his heart still reeling from shock.

’Sun Yan is such a genius, yet he was severely injured by Cui Wanhe in just three slashes. Dammit, what kind of monster is this guy?’

As for taking revenge on Cui Wanhe, he didn’t entertain the thought. After all, the Hongshan Martial Arts Hall was on par with the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall, perhaps even slightly more prestigious. They weren’t someone the White Ape Martial Arts Hall could compare to.

"Ah, what a pity!" Over at the White Ape Martial Arts Hall’s section, Jiang Liuchuan couldn’t help but sigh in regret after overhearing the physician’s words.

"If that Sun Yan had died, the pressure on Junior Su would be a lot less."

The other members of the White Ape Martial Arts Hall didn’t show it, but they too sighed inwardly with regret.

It was a shame. If Cui Wanhe hadn’t held back and had killed Sun Yan with that last slash, it would have made for a great show.

Su Yu himself, however, looked indifferent. It didn’t matter to him whether Sun Yan lived or died. In fact, he’d rather Sun Yan survive.

’Now that I’ve entered the top five of the Martial Examination, the rewards and resources I’ll receive will be substantial.’

’With enough resources, my realm is bound to improve in half a year. If I can advance to the Third Acupoint, as long as Sun Yan doesn’t break through, what reason would I have to fear him?’

With the final sound of a gong, the Martial Arts Arena, which had been bustling for days, finally fell quiet as the dust settled.

The setting sun cast its rays on the battered arena stage, gilding the edges of this grand event filled with blood and glory.

High on the platform, Pang Xuan rose to his feet. He held a gilt-edged register in his hand, his gaze like a torch as it swept across the entire venue.

The once-noisy crowd fell instantly silent, everyone awaiting the final results.

Pang Xuan’s voice, like a great bell, resounded in all directions:

"The top ten for this Martial Examination have been decided!"

"First place: Cui Wanhe of the Hongshan Martial Arts Hall!"

"Second place: Sun Yan of the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall!"

"Third place: Dai Xing of the Chasing Wind Martial Arts Hall!"

"Tied for fourth place: Su Yu of the White Ape Martial Arts Hall and Liu Li of the Liu Family!"

"..."

As the names were read out one by one, some in the crowd cheered with joy while others looked downcast and dejected.

Next came the most exciting part: the awarding of prizes.

"The top twenty will be registered in the Black Stone City Law Enforcement Team, awarded a Black Iron Waist Token, and will enjoy the treatment of an official!"

"The top ten will be granted the position of Law Enforcement Squad Leader! They will be gifted a fine residence in the Outer City and permitted to establish a clan and recruit followers!"

"The top five..."

Pang Xuan paused, raising his voice a few notches. "Will be bestowed a Xuan-tier Ultimate Skill: the first three layers of the Black Stone Body Forging Skill!"

"The top three will receive a reward of at least three thousand taels of silver! If they can break through to the Muscle Forging Realm within five years, they will be granted special permission to move their entire clan into the Inner City and enjoy the protection of a great family!"

This series of heavy rewards left the Martial Artists in the audience breathless and green with envy.

However, that was not yet the climax.

Pang Xuan’s gaze fell upon Cui Wanhe. At that moment, an attendant brought up a tray covered with red silk.

"For the Martial Examination Champion Scholar, a special reward!"

"A Mystic-grade Elixir, one Bone Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging Pill!"

The entire venue exploded into an uproar.

No one had expected a Bone Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging Pill to be awarded this year!

Below the stage, Su Yu was a little confused. "Senior Brother Jiang, what kind of elixir is this Bone Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging Pill?"

Jiang Liuchuan sighed wistfully after hearing the question and patted Su Yu’s shoulder. "Junior Su, the Bone Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging Pill can improve one’s innate constitution!"

"What?! Improve one’s innate constitution!"

Su Yu’s eyes flew wide. He had always wondered if there were Treasures of Heaven and Earth in this world that could improve one’s innate constitution, and he hadn’t expected them to actually exist!

And it could be obtained right here in Black Stone City!

He had made it this far by relying on his unparalleled talent for grinding and by piling up massive amounts of resources, suffering all the while because of his poor innate constitution.

’If I could improve my innate constitution, my speed at grinding Skill Levels, absorbing resources, and Breaking Limits would all increase dramatically... My path in Martial Arts would become completely smooth sailing!’