Outside the enclosure.

Near Arena Seven.

Zhao Yuman watched Yang Jing defeat his opponent in three moves, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"So he can hold his own," she muttered under her breath.

Yang Jing was a Dark Energy Martial Artist, after all.

The examiners had deliberately separated the Dark Energy Martial Artists, arranging for them to face mostly Bright Energy opponents in the early stages. There was nothing special about winning.

In Zhao Yuman’s eyes, when it came to true strength, this Yang Jing probably didn’t even rank among Dark Energy Martial Artists. Compared to Shen Lie, he was far, far behind.

But even so, watching Yang Jing steadily advance, Zhao Yuman felt an inexplicable irritation welling up inside her.

The stronger and better Yang Jing performed, the more it made her own past choice seem blind and foolish.

She even found herself harboring a complex hope, wishing for Yang Jing to stumble in the next round. It would be best if he lost to Qian Feng or Chen Wu, beaten soundly and forced to leave in disgrace.

Only by seeing Yang Jing dejected and miserable, his weakness exposed, could she more clearly prove how wise her decision to reject him had been.

"I hope he doesn’t run into Shen Lie," Zhao Yuman said, her tone complex.

She knew Shen Lie’s temperament. He appeared calm and steady, but was actually incredibly domineering.

If Yang Jing really did face Shen Lie, given Shen Lie’s feelings for her, he would likely be ruthless. By the end of it, even if Yang Jing wasn’t dead, he’d have lost a layer of skin.

It wasn’t that she felt sorry for Yang Jing; she just thought it was enough to teach him a lesson. It wasn’t necessary to take his life or sever his path on the Martial Dao.

Having Yang Jing get eliminated in disgrace would also let her brother Zhao Feng and the rest of her family know that her judgment was sharp and her choice was correct.

She had rejected Yang Jing, and Yang Jing had been eliminated in disgrace at the Academy Trials.

She had chosen Shen Lie, and Shen Lie had easily defeated Yang Jing in the arena, with a high chance of making it onto the Academy Trials rankings afterward.

It wasn’t necessary to take his life or sever his path on the Martial Dao.

Besides, if Yang Jing were too seriously injured, it would look bad. Rumors would inevitably spread that Shen Lie was a bully picking on the weak, which would in turn damage Shen Lie’s reputation.

...

Below the adjacent Arena Eight.

Xu Hong’s gaze passed over the crowd, landing on Yang Jing in Arena Seven.

When he saw Yang Jing cleanly defeat his opponent in three moves and then withdraw with steady breath, showing not the slightest hint of agitation, a look of approval appeared on his face, and he nodded slightly.

In the past two years, the Martial Arts Hall had seen two new disciples become Dark Energy Martial Artists: one was Lin Yue, the other was Yang Jing.

Junior Brother Lin Yue’s talent was indeed outstanding. His comprehension was high, he was quick-witted, and at a young age, he had already touched the threshold of the Peak of Dark Energy. But his personality was too erratic. Relying on his talent, he was arrogant and looked down on everyone but their master. During their spars, he always displayed an aggressive arrogance that left Xu Hong feeling rather uncomfortable.

As for Yang Jing, his prior impression was of a disciple who just silently trained hard. He wasn’t very talkative and didn’t have a strong presence.

It wasn’t until he spoke with Yang Jing today and watched a few of his matches up close that Xu Hong truly noticed how different this junior brother was.

His techniques might not have been as flashy or dazzling as Lin Yue’s, but every single move was steady and sure, revealing a solid foundation.

Facing his opponents’ counterattacks, he remained unhurried, always able to find the simplest and most effective way to break the deadlock. That composure didn’t seem like the lack of real combat experience that the other disciples from the Martial Arts Hall had spoken of.

He had invited Yang Jing to join the sparring team twice, but Yang Jing had refused both times.

Many people in the Martial Arts Hall said Yang Jing was foolish. Even if he had reached the right realm, if he lacked real combat experience and had weak combat power, he could only be considered bottom-tier among those of the same level.

Therefore, many disciples believed Yang Jing was at the bottom of the barrel among Dark Energy Martial Artists.

But seeing him today completely changed Xu Hong’s impression.

Just now, against Li Hu, his opponent’s Tiger Form Fist was fierce but lacked finesse. Yang Jing had skillfully deflected the force before precisely countering with Beng Fist. It looked effortless, but in reality, his timing and control over his power were already quite refined.

’He’s certainly composed,’ Xu Hong mused to himself.

Unlike Zhao Wenzheng and Qi Yun, he didn’t deliberately try to curry favor with Lin Yue; he just did his best to stay on good terms and avoid conflict.

But compared to Lin Yue’s ostentatious display of talent, Yang Jing’s low-key, down-to-earth manner was much more to his liking.

No wonder Junior Brother Liu Maolin always liked to train with Yang Jing and was full of praise whenever his name came up.

Before, Xu Hong had thought it was just because Liu Maolin was easygoing. Now, it seemed this Junior Brother Yang Jing had potential of his own.

As he thought this, his gaze toward Yang Jing held a new level of approval. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Perhaps he wouldn’t make it through this year’s Academy Trials, but one day in the future, this Junior Brother Yang Jing would pass.

’He can’t become like me—participating for ten years, failing every single time.’

Xu Hong let out a soft sigh.

He felt his own chances this year weren’t great either.

In previous Academy Trials, he had been the number one disciple in the Martial Arts Hall, yet he had still failed and been eliminated every time.

But this year, although Junior Brother Lin Yue had not yet reached the Peak of Dark Energy, his strength already surpassed his own.

Faced with the blow of competing against a top-tier prodigy, his confidence had waned.

...

Yang Jing stepped down from the arena, found a corner, and sat down cross-legged, slowly regulating his breathing.

Although he hadn’t used the full power of his Mountain-Shattering Fist, after two consecutive matches, his Inner Strength still needed to be settled.

He closed his eyes to concentrate, but the image of Shen Lie throwing a punch involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

The domineering and condensed power within that fist was like a thorn pricking his heart.

The surrounding matches were still going on. The sounds of fists and feet striking, and the voices of Officials calling out names, rose and fell in waves. But Yang Jing gradually sank into his own rhythm, only slowly opening his eyes when the gong to end the matches sounded.

The second round of matches had ended. Only eight people remained in Arena Seven, and he was one of them.