The fight on the arena stage continued. The very first match was so spectacular that the crowd below found it absolutely thrilling, with cheers ringing out from time to time.
Watching the two fight left a deep impression on Ye Tian. He was especially in awe of the young man who could wield his sword like a hidden weapon and wondered how he did it. If he got the chance, he would love to discuss it with him.
Just then, the young man wielding the Flame Sword Qi let out a great shout. This time, his longsword slashed out, releasing a ferocious stream of Flame Sword Qi. The Sword Qi actually coalesced into a flaming tiger that pounced at his opponent. Strangest of all, this flaming tiger actually let out a roar.
The surrounding space trembled violently as the temperature surged. A heatwave washed over the area, making everyone feel incredibly uncomfortable. Ye Tian estimated that this single strike possessed the Attack Power of at least the One Vein Eighth Layer.
'In other words, this young man can also fight opponents above his level. He's completely hiding his true strength. If his power reached the Eighth or Ninth Layer, he might be a match for me. Without using my War Dragon Heavenly Arm, we might even end up in a draw.'
Everyone watched the two on the stage nervously, wondering if the other young man could withstand the Flame Sword Qi. He might have been lucky to block it last time, but it was unclear if he could manage it again.
Just then, the young man began to dance with his longsword, creating an impenetrable flurry. Rings of Sword Qi appeared, forming layer upon layer of sword nets that completely shielded his body from view.
It was the first time Ye Tian had ever seen such a defense. 'Neither of these two is simple. If I could become their friend, it would be a great help to me.' The thought of befriending them took root in his mind.
The flaming tiger pounced on the sword nets, tearing through them one by one. However, its momentum weakened with each layer it broke. By the time it tore through the final net, its fiery body had completely dissipated. The attack had been perfectly blocked.
However, Ye Tian noticed that the young man's face was deathly pale. 'Unleashing all those sword nets must have consumed a huge amount of his Spiritual Power,' he mused. 'It's probably his ultimate, life-saving technique.'
The middle-aged man on the stage also looked extremely surprised. He hadn't expected to find two such formidable young men in these preliminary selection trials. They were prime candidates for Linyuan Academy to cultivate in the future.
The exchange was a draw; neither could gain the upper hand. However, the young man who had used the Flame Sword Qi was now just as pale, likely also due to the massive consumption of Spiritual Power. The two of them stood on the stage, staring at each other, but neither showed any sign of making a move.
The middle-aged man on the stage understood their situation perfectly. Even if they kept fighting, it would likely end in a draw. He didn't want either one to be eliminated. While those who were eliminated could still be admitted into the academy, the loss could cast a psychological shadow over them, or become a source of ridicule from others.
"The two of you may stop," the middle-aged man announced. "To possess such power at the One Vein Sixth Layer is truly astonishing. I declare that you both have directly advanced and will become outer students of Linyuan Academy. You may leave the stage now. Group two, begin your match."
As soon as he finished speaking, both young men were ecstatic. They hadn't expected to enter Linyuan Academy this way. Deep down, both of them knew that defeating their opponent would have been far too difficult.
One had unleashed his strongest Attack Power, while the other had displayed his strongest Defense Power. Both techniques were incredibly draining on their Spiritual Power, and neither had expected that they would both pass the trial together.
The match for the second group was straightforward. A young man at the One Vein Eighth Layer was pitted against one at the One Vein Seventh Layer. After just two exchanges, the One Vein Seventh Layer practitioner was defeated and mercilessly eliminated.
Ye Feifei and Ye Tian watched the fights on the stage intently. As the saying goes, the spectator sees more of the game than the player. By observing others perform their Martial Skills, one could compare them to their own, or imagine themselves as one of the combatants on the stage.
One could then ask, when an opponent unleashed a powerful Martial Skill, was it better to dodge quickly, or to break through their attack with an even more ferocious one? This line of thinking was an excellent way to improve one's own power.
Time slowly ticked by. The fights on the stage were thrilling, but even after all this time, the match between the two young men from the first group remained the most spectacular. Their unique Martial Skills had left a deep impression on everyone.
Just then, Qin Xiaowan opened her eyes, a satisfied smile gracing her lips. She glanced back at Ye Tian and Ye Feifei and sneered inwardly, 'Enjoy yourselves for now, Ye Tian and Ye Feifei. One day, you will know the pain of losing the ones you love.'
About half an hour later, it was Qin Xiaowan's turn. Her appearance on the stage drew everyone's gaze; they were all eager to see if this beautiful young woman could successfully advance and become a student of Linyuan Academy.
Qin Xiaowan's opponent was a young man at the One Vein Eighth Layer. Seeing that she was a woman, his face filled with confidence, certain that he would be the one to advance.
Qin Xiaowan glanced at her opponent and slowly drew her sword. Her expression was utterly cold, like winter ice, but the corners of her lips curled into a smile that looked deeply unnatural.
Qin Xiaowan decided to strike first, giving her opponent no openings. Her longsword flashed out in an instant, and she lunged forward at maximum speed. Moving like a phantom, she left an afterimage in her wake as she struck at the young man.
The young man, however, didn't seem to take Qin Xiaowan's strike seriously. In his eyes, she was only at the One Vein Eighth Layer; his own Attack Power would be more than enough to defeat her.
However, Qin Xiaowan's true strength was at the One Vein Ninth Layer. She, too, had hidden her Power Level, albeit using a different method than Ye Tian's. It was a concealment that most people could not see through.
The young man's figure flashed as he, too, unleashed a swift slash. A powerful wave of Sword Qi shot from his blade, hurtling toward Qin Xiaowan. He was certain this single strike would be enough to defeat her; he could already picture the scene of her admitting defeat.
He imagined himself saying proudly, "I've already shown you mercy on account of you being a woman. Otherwise, you could have been seriously injured, or even killed."
But beautiful fantasies rarely match reality. In the next moment, their attacks collided. Qin Xiaowan found that while the young man's Sword Qi was ferocious, she could clearly see numerous flaws in his technique. Even if she didn't counterattack, she could have easily dodged it.
This was the fruit of her earlier meditation. The ability to so easily perceive the flaws in an opponent's attack was incredibly rare. For her to have grasped such a skill in so short a time was nothing short of a miracle. If Ye Tian knew her talent was this incredible, who knew what he would think…