unsheath

"Does Chu Xisheng even qualify? It's not your turn, Shao Lingshan, to criticize," Ye Zhqiu didn't want to argue with Shao Lingshan. Instead, he turned to the head of the hall, Lei Yuan, and arched his hand, "Master, I am willing to guarantee with my reputation."

Shao Lingshan sneered, his expression disdainful, "Master, this young man behind me is named Long Sheng, the legitimate son of the Long family in the inner city. He has been practicing martial arts since childhood, with a solid foundation. At the age of only thirteen, his martial arts cultivation has reached the lower ninth rank. If he can be admitted without examination this time, he will surely bring glory to our martial arts hall."

"Admitted without examination? So he's not even an outer disciple," Ye Zhqiu sneered, "His martial arts cultivation has reached the lower ninth rank, so does that qualify him as a skilled practitioner? Let me ask you again, the 'Yuan Nurturing Technique,' the 'Wind-chasing Blade,' the 'Nine Palace Sword,' the 'Light Cloud Leap,' these are the ten arts passed down by our Unseen Sect. Which one has he learned?"

"You can always learn," Shao Lingshan replied with unabated smile, then turned to Lei Yuan, who was seated in the main seat, and clasped his fist, "Master! The head of the Long family has promised that if our martial arts hall is willing to accept this child, he is willing to donate a 'Gathering Yuan Formation' to our martial arts hall."

Ye Zhqiu's spiritual sense was sharp. She noticed that Lei Yuan's expression had visibly changed, and she couldn't help but feel anxious, "Master, this matter may not be in accordance with the rules!"

Shao Lingshan shook his head and scoffed, "Why wouldn't it be? The internal martial arts examination of our martial arts hall is meant to select talents for the country. If your East Hall cannot recommend decent candidates, then the internal quota should be given to truly talented individuals. Here's the deal, Instructor Ye, if you really think that Chu Xisheng is exceptionally talented and that the Wind-chasing Blade has reached its prime, then let them have a match. If this person can withstand three rounds under Long Sheng's blade, then not only will I retract my previous statement, but I will also personally donate a 'Gathering Yuan Formation' to the martial arts hall. Consider it my personal donation."

Ye Zhqiu's face turned grim, her hand resting on the goose feather sword at her waist, her gaze cold as ice.

Chu Xisheng's proficiency in swordsmanship is only slightly better than that of an ordinary outer disciple. The crucial point is his poor physical condition and weak energy, how could he possibly be a match for Long Sheng?

It's not worth comparing, as it would only expose his shortcomings.

However, Master Lei Yuan had already made a slight gesture, his tiger-like eyes fixed on Chu Xisheng. "Chu Xisheng, are you willing to accept the challenge?"

In that instant, the attention of the thousands present in the hall focused on Chu Xisheng.

Chu Xisheng remained calm, casting a glance at Shao Lingshan and the youth behind him, then towards Master Lei Yuan and Ye Zhqiu. Finally, his gaze fell on the illusory screen in front of him.

His eyes fixed on the status column, where the words 'Six Yin Resurrection Curse' were displayed.

This internal quota was a matter of life and death for him.

He and his sister had been working tirelessly day and night for this day, scrimping and saving every penny for three whole months, not even daring to eat meat. They had managed to save up eighty taels! He even had to spend extra money on medicine to sustain his life.

So, was he offering money? No, that was his life!Chu Xisheng erupted in anger, taking a deep breath, his expression resolute as he clasped his fists. "This disciple is willing to accept the challenge."Ye Zhqiu's hand trembled slightly, her face bitter with anguish.After a short while, Chu Xisheng stood in a corner of the stone platform, looking pensive as he gazed at the holographic screen in front of him.Chu Xisheng was focused on the "Martial Arts" section of the screen. Suddenly, an unexpected prompt appeared in his mind:

"Please confirm: Are you prepared to use 3 martial arts points to upgrade the level of the Wind Chasing Blade's residual style?"Chu Xisheng was certainly unwilling. Although he hadn't thoroughly studied the mechanics of martial arts points, it was apparent that upgrading the Wind Chasing Blade's technique was not cost-effective. If he could improve it through practice, why waste martial arts points?

He then shifted his gaze to the "Elemental Skill" section. Similarly, another message appeared in his mind:"You have not mastered the second level of Elemental Skill practice method, therefore unable to use martial arts points for upgrades."

Chu Xisheng had no intention of using these martial arts points for Elemental Skill either.Subsequently, Chu Xisheng used his mental focus to open the "Martial Arts Treasury" and directly exchanged it for the initial special talent - "Phase One of Lightning-Fast Hand".

After a brief moment, the icon with seal-like characters on the holographic screen suddenly burst into countless spiritual lights, streaming into his hands and arms.Strangely, the surrounding crowd remained oblivious to this fantastical scene. Chu Xisheng, on the other hand, was momentarily stunned, feeling a warm flow of energy circulating within his hands and arms."I never expected such a turn of events," he muttered.

Ye Zhichun stood beside Chu Xisheng, her expression extremely grim. "This time, I've implicated you all. That scum, Shao Lingshan, is targeting me. He's deliberately trying to humiliate me! If you feel something is wrong later, don't force yourself. Just concede. I'll refund your money, and within three months at most, I guarantee you'll be able to enter the martial arts academy."A layer of determination flickered on her face. "This grudge must be avenged, or I'll never forgive myself!"

Chu Xisheng couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. A smile played on his lips. "Disciple understands."At that moment, Chu Xisheng's gaze shifted to the "Talent" section on the holographic screen. The words "Fast Hands" had been replaced by "Wind Chasing Lightning Hand (Phase One)." At the same time, another line of text appeared in his mind:

Wind Chasing Lightning Hand (Phase One) - Enables one to chase the wind with their hands and pursue lightning with their fingers, possessing hand speed and dexterity twice that of an ordinary person.What caught Chu Xisheng's attention was the word "twice" in this passage.

Three months ago, when he started practicing with the blade, he knew he was terminally ill, lacking in strength and unable to endure prolonged battles. So he chose to specialize in the fastest techniques of the Wind Chasing Blade. In the future, his swordsmanship would focus solely on offense, specializing in speed, aiming to defeat the enemy with a single strike, a decisive blow!The problem was, Chu Xisheng had only been practicing with the blade for three months, and no matter how fast his sword speed was, it couldn't surpass Long Sheng.

The system in front of Chu Xisheng offered him a glimmer of hope.What if he could double his blade speed on top of his existing skills?At this moment, someone on the platform shouted, "Outer disciple Chu Xisheng and Long Sheng, please step forward."Chu Xisheng immediately moved forward and stood on the stone platform, facing Long Sheng, with a distance of five zhang (about fifteen meters) between them.

At this moment, the entire field was drawn to them.Below, the crowd was massive, countless curious eyes cast upon them.Long Sheng, perhaps for the first time, was being stared at by so many people. The thirteen-year-old boy with a high nose and deep eyes blushed slightly, showing signs of excitement.

He glared at Chu Xisheng with a wolf-like gaze, fierce and menacing."I heard you haven't fully mastered the Wind Chasing Blade technique? Someone like you isn't even worthy of being my opponent. You should just admit defeat honestly. Since you're foolish enough to step onto the stage, I won't show mercy."

Chu Xisheng couldn't be bothered to respond. He focused his spirit, observing his opponent's every move, while tightly gripping the blade at his waist with his right hand.

The referee, a middle-aged martial artist whom Chu Xisheng didn't recognize, took out a copper coin. "Pay attention, only when the coin falls can you make a move."The middle-aged martial artist tossed the coin into the air, allowing it to soar until it reached a height of three zhang before rapidly descending.At this moment, both on and off the platform, silence reigned. All eyes were drawn to the copper coin.

It wasn't until the coin hit the ground with a 'ding' that their attention shifted back to Chu Xisheng and Long Sheng.But at that moment, all they heard was a sharp 'clang' in their ears, and all they saw was a flash of white light on the platform like lightning. Then Long Sheng let out a painful scream. The knife in his hand had already fallen to the ground, and his left hand was pressing down on his right wrist in agony.

Originally full of joy and laughter, Shao Lingshan's expression suddenly turned into one of fury and bewilderment. He hurriedly flew to Long Sheng's side.While Shao Lingshan tended to Long Sheng's wounds, he roared at Chu Xisheng, "How could you be so vicious? It was just a friendly match, was it necessary to use such force?""Enough!" The hall master, Lei Yuan, also stepped forward. "He didn't mean to harm, he couldn't control his blade. He had already restrained his strength when the blade struck."As Lei Yuan spoke, he cast a glance filled with implied blame towards the martial artist responsible for refereeing.

This referee blushed deeply, overwhelmed with shame. If he had been fully focused, he could have intervened. But who could have anticipated that Chu Xisheng's blade would be so fast?It was simply astonishing!The audience buzzed with discussion."What just happened? Did you all see it clearly?""So fast! Wasn't that the 'Empty Wind' draw of the Wind Chaser Blade? Long Sheng's blade had barely been drawn halfway.""Just one strike! The level of swordsmanship, it's probably more than just Ninth Rank Lower.""Even Ninth Rank Lower might not be able to withstand it. He truly lives up to being someone Master Ye values, truly gifted!"

Chu Xisheng, meanwhile, stared fixedly at his own hands, lost in thought. He recalled the information about talent - "hands can chase the wind, fingers can follow lightning!" Could his hands truly move at such a speed?In that moment, the illusory screen in Chu Xisheng's eyes burst into another fireworks display. He focused intently and noticed that the reputation column had changed again. The previous 'Ninth Rank Lower (illusory)' had transformed into 'Ninth Rank Lower (real)'. And the remaining '1' martial arts point had become '7'.Confusion flickered in Chu Xisheng's eyes. From 'Ninth Rank Lower (illusory)' to 'Ninth Rank Lower (real)'? What could be the reason for this?