CHAPTER 223: GRAND COMPETITION XXII

They dragged themselves to the next platform, some walking, some limping, some barely moving.

The final round area was different.

Instead of pillars or balance boards, there were several tall wooden dummies lined up in a row. Each dummy had rotating arms and spinning blocks attached to it. They looked like training puppets designed specifically to punch people in the face.

Han Yi stared at them with pure fear.

"...They’re going to hit us, aren’t they?"

Tian Lei nodded.

"Yes. This round tests defense and counterattack. You must block the puppet’s strikes and land three clean hits."

Mu Chen groaned.

"So... we block... and we hit it back..."

"Correct," Tian Lei said.

Yue cracked her neck.

"Well, at least this one doesn’t involve flying through the air."

One of the puppets spun its arm suddenly.

SWISH!

It sliced through the air right next to Yue’s cheek.

She froze.

"I take it back. I hate this."

Ling Qingxue stepped forward again without being asked.

Tian Lei gestured at the puppet.

"You may begin."

The dummy activated.

Its wooden arm swung fast—faster than the pillars from before.

Ling lifted her arm and blocked it with a soft thud.

Another arm came from above.

She stepped back and avoided it.

A spinning block shot toward her side.

She parried it with her palm.

Then she tapped the dummy three times—one to the shoulder,one to the chest,one to the head.

The puppet stopped.

Tian Lei nodded.

"Passed."

Ling walked back to the group, calm as always.

Yue pointed at her.

"See? She’s not human."

Han Yi whispered,

"She might actually be a wind spirit..."

Lei Feng sighed.

"We don’t question it anymore."

Han Yi was next.

He stared at the puppet like it was a wild beast.

"Can I... skip this round? Maybe pretend I fainted?"

Yue smacked him lightly on the back of the head.

"You’re awake. Go."

Han Yi stumbled forward.

Tian Lei lifted his hand.

"Begin."

The puppet moved.

Han Yi did not.

The wooden arm swung and hit him square in the stomach.

"OOF!"

Han Yi flew backward and landed on his back.

Tian Lei looked down at him.

"You may stand up."

Han Yi wheezed.

"I don’t want to..."

But he forced himself to stand again, shaking.

"Begin," Tian Lei said once more.

The puppet attacked.

This time Han Yi flailed his arms wildly and, by pure accident, blocked the first strike.

"What— I did it? I blocked—"

The next arm hit him in the leg and knocked him sideways.

He rolled on the ground twice, then somehow ended up standing again.

"I’m alive— I’m still—"

The puppet hit him on the head.

Han Yi collapsed.

Yue clapped.

"You lasted longer than I expected."

Mu Chen nodded.

"Same."

Han Yi groaned.

"I didn’t hit it even once..."

Tian Lei sighed.

"You fail this round."

Han Yi flopped on the ground like a dying fish.

Next was Yue Shanshan.

She marched up confidently.

"Alright, wooden demon. Let’s go."

Tian Lei gave the signal.

"Begin."

The puppet swung.

Yue blocked with her forearm, gritted her teeth, and countered with a punch.

"HA!"

The puppet spun and hit her in the shoulder.

"Ow!"

She hit back again.

"One!"

Another strike came—she ducked.

She punched the puppet again.

"Two!"

Then she mistimed her dodge.

The puppet hit her square on the forehead.

She fell backward with a dull thud.

"Three— WAIT, NO, THAT DOESN’T COUNT—!"

She landed on the floor, eyes spinning.

Tian Lei shook his head.

"You got two clean hits. Fail."

Yue sat up holding her head.

"I hate this round..."

The remaining disciples tried next.

Some blocked a few hits but failed to counter.Some countered but got knocked out before the third strike.One was hit so fast he didn’t even see the puppet move.

By the end, everyone except Ling was either holding a bruise, rubbing their head, or lying on the ground groaning.

Tian Lei finally announced:

"Round Five is complete. Only Ling Qingxue has passed all rounds."

Han Yi raised his hand weakly.

"Does that... mean she wins?"

"Yes," Tian Lei said.

Ling remained silent but respectful.

The others looked at her with a mix of admiration, envy, and exhaustion.

Han Yi whispered,

"She’s definitely not human..."

Yue nodded.

"She’s a training machine disguised as a girl."

Mu Chen groaned.

"I’m going to sleep for a week..."

Tian Lei clapped his hands once.

"Training is over. Everyone is dismissed."

Everyone except Ling collapsed again.

Ling simply stood there, calm and steady, like the entire test had been a warm-up.

The group slowly gathered themselves, limping and wobbling away from the training grounds.

Han Yi held his stomach.

"I can’t believe we survived that..."

Yue corrected him immediately.

"No. You barely survived. The rest of us suffered normally."

Mu Chen walked with one hand on his back.

"My spine... I think it’s shaped like a question mark now..."

Lei Feng nodded.

"Same. I think one of those puppets rearranged my ribs."

They all turned to Ling, who was walking calmly beside them.

Not a scratch on her.

Not a bead of sweat.

Not even slightly out of breath.

Han Yi pointed at her.

"Seriously... how are you okay? You didn’t even dodge weirdly. You just moved like... like you knew everything already."

Ling blinked, confused.

"I trained."

Yue groaned.

"We ALL trained."

Ling tilted her head.

"I trained more."

The others fell silent.

Han Yi rubbed his face.

"That’s not comforting..."

They eventually reached the courtyard.

A few outer disciples passing by saw the group and froze.

One whispered,

"Why do they look like they just escaped a battlefield?"

Another said,

"Except her..." while staring at Ling.

Han Yi collapsed onto a bench.

"I’m done. Finished. Over. Someone carry me home."

Yue sat next to him.

"No one is carrying you."

Mu Chen dropped onto the ground.

"I think I’ll live here now..."

Lei Feng lay spread out like a starfish.

"My whole body hurts..."

Ling looked at them, expression calm.

"You should rest."

Han Yi stared up at her.

"That’s the plan... for the rest of my life..."

Ling nodded once and walked away quietly.

Yue watched her go and sighed.

"She’s something else..."

Tian Lei’s voice suddenly echoed from behind them,

"You all did terribly today."

The group groaned in unison.

He continued,

"But you finished the entire set. And that counts for something."

Han Yi sat up a little.

"So... are we getting better?"

Tian Lei thought for a second.

"...Barely."

Everyone fell back down.

Yue waved her hand weakly.

"Good enough..."