Chapter 7 – The Three Geniuses

As the words fell, a young man stepped out from the crowd, immediately drawing most of the attention.

“That’s Zhao Wei!”

“It’s finally his turn?!”

“I’ve been waiting for this, will he manage to defeat the beast?”

“Hard to say. Judging by how the others fared… that beast seems vicious!”

A number of outer sect disciples murmured in awe.

The outer sect elder also spotted Zhao Wei and revealed a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

He was, of course, well aware of Zhao Wei’s past feats.

Back when Zhao Wei was only at the eighth level of Body Refinement, he had been ambushed by three disciples from Baiyang Sect, each also at the eighth level. Yet he fought back with nothing but his iron fists and managed to kill all three!

It was that battle that made his name.

Now that he had broken through to the tenth level, his strength had undoubtedly grown even more.

Zhao Wei quickly approached the dueling arena and entered the area designated for tenth-level Body Refinement.

A massive saber-toothed tiger was released into the arena.

Body Refinement Level Ten!

Among the beasts at this level, saber-toothed tigers were considered top-tier.

Their strength was outrageous.

Most tenth-level cultivators were no match for them.

Zhao Wei stared at the tiger with burning eyes, his face brimming with battle intent.

The next moment, he raised his fist and charged forward.

The tiger let out a furious roar in response.

BOOM!

BANG!

Man and beast clashed in a savage collision.

A series of deafening booms echoed across the field.

The surrounding disciples all winced.

“Brutal!”

“Zhao Wei got bitten, how’s he not even flinching?!”

“Tsk… That’s insane!”

The battle was just too intense.

If one didn’t look closely… Zhao Wei actually seemed more beastly than the beast itself!

He fought like a madman, utterly relentless.

With every punch, the tiger snarled and bared its fangs.

And even when it sank its teeth into Zhao Wei, he showed no fear, his fists only struck harder.

Eventually…

The saber-toothed tiger could no longer withstand his ferocious onslaught.

With one final punch, Zhao Wei killed it on the spot.

The battle had been wild and thrilling.

But to the elders observing from the stands, it barely registered.

Some even yawned as if bored.

The outer sect elder glanced at the other elders’ evaluations and smiled.

“Not bad. He passes.”

Hearing this, Zhao Wei finally let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness I made it!

Still, even though he had passed the selection round, he was seriously injured.

He needed to get treated immediately.

Lingering wounds could lead to lasting damage, that would be too great a price to pay.

He hurried off to bandage himself.

Even so, many outer sect disciples still wore stunned expressions.

It was just… too much.

That life-or-death fighting style went way overboard.

A single misstep and he could’ve lost his life.

Zhao Wei’s successful qualification sparked hope in other tenth-level disciples.

If he can do it, maybe I can too!

But once called, they rushed to the stage… only to be swiftly and brutally defeated.

Zhao Wei’s approach didn’t work for everyone.

After several such failures, the remaining disciples hesitated to step forward.

They chickened out.

The tenth-level beasts were simply too powerful!

To them, stepping up was asking for a beating.

Better to forfeit altogether.

The officiating steward wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

This happened every year, he was used to it.

He moved on with the roll call.

“Next, Nie Jin.”

As his voice fell, a youth stepped calmly out from the crowd.

He held a long sword, his face tranquil as still water, exuding a quiet, elegant air.

With the grace of a man strolling through a garden, he walked to the dueling stage.

The moment he stepped forward, the crowd erupted again.

“Nie Jin!”

“He’s finally up?!”

“I wonder how far his swordsmanship has come. He should clear this round easily, right?”

“Not necessarily. These beasts are thick-skinned. Even Zhao Wei had a rough time, Nie Jin may not have it any easier.”

The outer sect disciples buzzed with excitement.

Off to the side, a bandaged Zhao Wei also turned to watch, eyes shining.

Nie Jin was his direct rival. He too was curious, Can Nie Jin pass?

As Nie Jin entered the arena, a giant beast was released to face him.

Feeling the aura it radiated, Nie Jin’s expression turned serious.

The battle began.

One had to admit, Nie Jin was truly among the top three talents in the outer sect.

He didn’t rely on many tricks, but his swordsmanship was unfathomably deep and ghostly elusive.

Every time the beast neared him, his sword would flash from an unexpected angle, striking it with surgical precision.

The beast recoiled in pain, never able to land a hit.

Nie Jin used his edge and mobility to frustrate the beast, dancing just out of reach, until it was utterly at a loss.

The entire crowd watched in stunned silence.

“Wow… he’s toying with the beast!”

“No wonder he’s our second-best, his strength is the real deal!”

And it wasn’t just the outer sect disciples.

Even the elders began nodding in approval.

“Excellent. This Nie Jin’s sword techniques are profound, he’s worth nurturing.”

“Heh. After all this time, we finally have a true talent worth our attention.”

“It hasn’t been easy.”

The elders sighed in admiration.

The fight dragged on for fifteen minutes. The beast was tenacious and troublesome.

But Nie Jin wasn’t soft either.

Clenching his jaw, he gripped his sword tightly and released a fearsome surge of power.

BANG!

The beast tried to block it.

But that devastating force shattered its defenses and pierced through its skull, killing it instantly.

“Congratulations, Nie Jin. You passed, with excellence,” the outer sect elder said, quite satisfied.

“Thank you, Elder,” Nie Jin replied with a slight bow before stepping off the stage.

After witnessing Nie Jin’s performance, the crowd grew even more excited.

Everyone eagerly awaited the final contestant, Ding Xuan, the outer sect’s undisputed number one.

Almost as if the steward had read their minds, he glanced down at the list and slowly called out:

“Next, Ding Xuan!”

BOOM!!!

The moment his name was spoken, the entire arena exploded with noise.

Everyone in the outer sect knew Ding Xuan’s name.

His title as the top disciple was uncontested.

Naturally, his appearance stirred countless outer sect disciples into a frenzy.

Zhao Wei and Nie Jin both looked up, eyes filled with helplessness.

Their talents were already considered excellent.

But compared to Ding Xuan…

They were still far behind.

“Ding Xuan will definitely crush that beast,” Nie Jin remarked with a sigh.

Across the stage, the outer sect elders also looked on with great expectation.