Chengping Square, Sun’s Martial Arts Hall.

In the front courtyard, the sounds of laughter and chatter that could occasionally be heard on other days had vanished. All that remained were the WHOOSHING sounds of fists and feet cutting through the air and the THUDDING sounds of wooden stakes being struck. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Every disciple’s breathing was heavy and focused. Their faces were taut with tension, and their eyes held a fierce look.

The annual Arena Trial was less than half a month away.

Even though many Mingjin Disciples knew they couldn’t get their names on the Arena Trial’s ranking list, their goal wasn’t to pass the trial in the first place. That was a spot only the best of the Anjin masters could hope to compete for.

But once the Arena Trial began, it would inevitably draw the attention of all of Yuhe County. The Court, the great families, and the major businesses would all be watching. If they could perform well in the trial and distinguish themselves even slightly, they might just catch the eye of one of these powerful groups.

Precedents like this were set almost every year. Some were chosen as sons-in-law, some were selected for special training, and some were offered high-ranking positions by various factions. The benefits of an eye-catching performance were numerous.

As for the masters who managed to get on the Arena Trial’s ranking list, they would become the talk of the county. They would immediately become honored guests of the great families in the county seat, receiving a constant stream of benefits and resources, greatly increasing their chances of breaking through to the Huajin realm.

As for the ordinary disciples, they were all swept up in the fervor of the Anjin and Mingjin Disciples. Every one of them was pushing themselves to their limits. While most of them didn’t dare to dream of reaching the Anjin realm, they still wanted to make a push for Mingjin. Once they broke through to Mingjin, they would earn the right to participate in the Arena Trial.

Besides, there was a living example right there in the Martial Arts Hall.

Who didn’t know that Yang Jing had a mere Lower-Grade Root Bone—and a mediocre one at that? But hadn’t he now become an Anjin master all the same?

It was no exaggeration to say that in the hearts of many disciples with Lower-Grade Root Bones, Yang Jing was like a brilliantly shining beacon, guiding them forward.

People used to talk about how Root Bone was everything—that if your Root Bone was poor, your path on the Martial Dao would be short. This inevitably made people despair and lose their motivation.

But Yang Jing, a living example, stood right before them. As long as they were willing to work hard and train diligently, anything was possible!

The Martial Arts Hall was filled with a fiery, bustling training atmosphere.

The Mingjin Disciples in particular were training with exceptional vigor, every move executed with an all-or-nothing intensity. Sweat soaked through their clothes, plastering the fabric to their backs and outlining the taut lines of their muscles. Even so, few were willing to stop and catch their breath.

Several Anjin Disciples stood in the spacious center of the front courtyard. Some were sparring, while others polished their techniques on sandbags, their brows furrowed in concentration.

Lately, Qi Yun, Lin Yue, Xu Hong, Zhao Wenzheng, and the others had been forming a sparring team every few days to practice and exchange pointers with masters from other Martial Arts Halls.

Sun Ningxiang had come over to ask Yang Jing if he wanted to join the sparring team too. After all, Yang Jing was now an Anjin-level Core Disciple of Sun’s Martial Arts Hall.

She didn’t actually think Yang Jing could make it onto the Arena Trial’s ranking list, but he was still young and might have a chance in the future. If he prepared more now and performed a bit better at the trial, he might be noticed by some faction and have resources allocated for his training.

Although Yang Jing currently had the patronage of the Liu Family Medical Hall, in Sun Ningxiang’s opinion, the Liu Family Medical Hall barely qualified as a second-rate power in Yuhe County. Their strength wasn’t substantial. The Zhao Family behind Zhao Wenzheng and the Qi Family behind Qi Yun were both far wealthier and more powerful than the Liu Family Medical Hall.

Yang Jing’s Root Bone might be poor, but he had successively broken through to Mingjin and Anjin, both on his first attempt. This suggested he might have talent in other areas, and he could have a chance to break through to Huajin in the future. If he could receive the patronage of one of the county’s great families, his chances of reaching the Huajin realm would be even greater.

However, Yang Jing politely declined.

He didn’t lack real combat experience; what he lacked was time.

As long as he was given time, he was confident he could reach the highest point imaginable.

With the Arena Trial drawing ever closer, Yang Jing had to seize every moment to improve himself. Both the Mountain-Shattering Fist and the Surging Tide Legs were of great help to him.

When the other Anjin Disciples saw that Yang Jing was still unwilling to join the sparring team, they breathed a sigh of relief and secretly mocked him as a fool.

Yang Jing took a short break, drank some water, and then walked back to his usual training post. Just as he settled into the stance for the Mountain-Shattering Fist, he saw his master, Sun Yong, emerge from the inner courtyard.

Usually at this hour, his master would still be resting in the inner courtyard. But now, under the pressure of the Arena Trial, he had come out early. He stood beside the Moon Gate, his sharp gaze sweeping across the entire training ground.

"Li Jiang, the power in your Mountain-Shattering Fist is too scattered! How many times have I told you? Drop your shoulders, sink your elbows!"

Sun Yong’s voice echoed across the grounds. He walked a few steps to a Mingjin Disciple and pressed a hand on his shoulder. "Your Inner Strength must be concentrated in the heart of your fist, not generated by swinging your arm."

After instructing the Mingjin Disciple named Li Jiang, Sun Yong turned to another.

With the Arena Trial imminent, Sun Yong focused most of his energy on instructing the Anjin and Mingjin Disciples of the Martial Arts Hall. He paid particular attention to the Mingjin Disciples. There were many of them, and with the right guidance, they could improve significantly and perform well at the trial.

As for the Anjin Disciples, most had already reached a certain level and developed their own fighting habits. It was difficult for them to make great improvements in a short time through instruction alone. The best method for them now was real combat, which was why the sparring team had been formed.