Two days later.
Chen Yu, under the guidance of Ding Jiuhui, arrived in front of a small courtyard in the northern corner of the Outer Sect.
At the courtyard gate, two Outer Disciples squatted, joking and chatting, somewhat resembling gatekeepers.
"Senior Brother Ding, you're here..."
The two Outer Disciples quickly stood up and greeted Ding Jiuhui.
"Who is this?"
One of the Outer Disciples looked at Chen Yu.
In the circle of seasoned disciples, Chen Yu was still a new face, attending the exchange meeting for the first time.
"Huh! Are you that mooching Chen... Chen Yu?"
Another Outer Disciple recognized Chen Yu and blurted out.
"No way! He's Chen Yu? The pretty boy who got Mu Xueqing? I don't think he's much better looking than me."
The previous Outer Disciple reacted strongly, eyes fixed wide at Chen Yu.
The two looked at Chen Yu as if observing some rare creature, scrutinizing him.
Mooching? Pretty boy?
Chen Yu's face twitched slightly.
Since that time he walked hand in hand with Mu Xueqing, the label of mooching had stuck to him, even though he had advanced to the Meridian Passage Stage and become a formal disciple.
"Hmph! Stop talking nonsense, you two! Junior Brother Chen's strength is not inferior to mine. I'm here to bring him to the exchange meeting."
Ding Jiuhui glared at the two of them.
"Hey! Senior Brother Ding, go on in."
The two smiled cheekily and gestured for Ding Jiuhui and Chen Yu to enter the courtyard.
As for Ding Jiuhui's assessment of Chen Yu's strength, they naturally didn't believe it, thinking that Chen Yu had pulled some strings with Ding Jiuhui to enter this circle.
Entering the courtyard,
Chen Yu first saw a spacious martial arts arena.
Ha! Ha!
On the martial arts arena, two disciples of the Meridian Passage Stage were sparring with punches and kicks.
Judging by their cultivation, they were at the Mid-stage Meridian Passage, but their real strength could rival the typical Late-stage Meridian Passage outside.
After all, the sect had a considerable advantage in martial arts foundation and grades.
Around the martial arts arena, a scattered number of Outer Disciples stood watching, occasionally whispering to each other.
"Tsk, tsk, with the standards of these two, trying to get into the top twenty of the tournament is unlikely!"
A chubby round-faced youth, munching an apple, stood on the steps and disdainfully looked down at the two fighting on the martial arts arena.
The round-faced youth's voice was quite sharp, audible to everyone present.
Several people nearby, hearing his words, glanced nervously at the round-faced youth.
Yet, that round-faced youth held an impressive status in the Outer Sect, with companions adulating him.
"Brother Huang is right!"
"With such strength, do they even dare to show their faces in disgrace?"
On the martial arts arena, the two sparring instantly showed furious expressions.
The sparring stopped.
"Huang Yuan! Don't think just because you took seventh place in last year's tournament, you can look down on us."
The two young men on the martial arts arena couldn't hold back their anger.
It turned out,
this chubby round-faced youth was named Huang Yuan, a top elite among the Outer Disciples, who had ranked in the top ten in last year's tournament.
Seventh place?
Chen Yu showed a look of surprise and gained an interest in this Huang Yuan.
"Brother Chen, be wary of this Huang Yuan. He's unpredictable and likes to pick on the soft targets."
Ding Jiuhui whispered.
Chen Yu nodded; he noticed that the nearby disciples, including Ding Jiuhui, were somewhat apprehensive of the chubby youth "Huang Yuan."
At this moment, the conflict on the martial arts arena intensified.
"Just you two?"
The round-faced youth sneered, "Within three moves, I can take you both down. Believe it or not?"
Take on two at once?
Take them down in three moves?
The nearby Outer Disciples showed looks of surprise and doubt.
"Don't believe it!"
The two young men on the martial arts arena were furious.
Defeating one of them within three moves already represented a form of overpowering insult, let alone taking down both.
"Where does Huang Yuan get such confidence?"
Ding Jiuhui was a bit shocked.
In terms of cultivation, the two young men on the arena were at the same Mid-stage Meridian Passage as Ding Jiuhui, with similar strength.
Huang Yuan's cultivation was just one small level higher at the Late-stage Meridian Passage.
The key point was taking on two and defeating them within three moves. Was that possible?
With a flicker!
Just as everyone speculated, Huang Yuan had already darted into the martial arts arena.
"Be careful!"
The two Mid-stage Meridian Passage youths showed vigilance. If Huang Yuan succeeded, what face would they have?
Huang Yuan smiled, strolling leisurely on the martial arts arena.
Go!
The two exchanged a glance, then attacked Huang Yuan from both sides simultaneously.
"Flying Eagle Leg!"
One youth leaped into the air, delivering a kick with awe-inspiring momentum.
"Iron Cloud Claw!"
The other demonstrated the same Iron Cloud Claw as Wang Lingyun, a claw strike with a biting cold wind aimed right at Huang Yuan's face.
"Hahaha..."
Huang Yuan laughed, his plump figure becoming a blur, easily dodging the latter youth's Iron Cloud Claw attack.
The spectators' faces all changed.
Huang Yuan's seemingly plump body was surprisingly fast, especially the explosive speed from stillness to movement!
Chen Yu noticed that Huang Yuan only dodged the Iron Cloud Claw but not the other attack.
It wasn't that he couldn't dodge both attacks simultaneously.
"Stay down!"
Huang Yuan's eyes flashed fiercely, his palm, as broad as a fan, descended with tremendous force on the airborne youth's leg.
Ah!
The kicking youth groaned, intense pain surging through his leg, nearly breaking it.
With a thud,
the youth who executed the leg technique fell to the ground, clutching his leg in pain.
Another young man, his face aghast, dared not fight Huang Yuan head-on, planning to engage in a mobile fight.
However,
Huang Yuan's movement technique was alarmingly swift, and he rapidly approached.
"Ow!"
At the moment of collision between fist and claw, the youth using Iron Cloud Claw felt his arm go numb, his strong internal energy causing him to become unsteady.
Stay down again!
Before he could react, Huang Yuan hit him with a thunderous palm, sending him flying several yards away and crashing to the ground, unable to get up for half a day.
Gasp!
Some of the disciples watching couldn't help but gasp.
From start to finish, within less than ten breaths and a total of three moves, Huang Yuan knocked down the two Mid-stage Meridian Passage disciples.
"This Huang Yuan has cultivated a family-inherited Cross Training Method. Not only is his cultivation and martial arts profound, but his physique and defense also far surpass the average disciple of the same stage."
Ding Jiuhui explained in a low voice.
I see.
Chen Yu had already noticed that Huang Yuan, like himself, possessed strength and physique far exceeding the typical Meridian Passage disciple.
By his assessment, Huang Yuan's strength was at least at the level of Great Evil Chu Lifeng. Although his mastery of cultivation techniques slightly lagged behind the Great Evil, his strength and physique definitely surpassed him.
"Is this the strength of the top ten in the Outer Sect?"
Chen Yu felt a bit of pressure.
At Great Evil's level, even with Chen Yu's current strength, he didn't have complete confidence in victory.
It's hard to imagine the strength of the top three and even the first place in the Outer Sect.
According to past experiences, besides the first in the Outer Sect, who can steadily enter the Inner Sect, only the top three have a greater hope.
In other words,
Chen Yu needed to aim for the top three or even the first to enter the Inner Sect!
"With disciples like you, attending the Outer Sect competition would only bring disgrace."
Huang Yuan dusted his hands off and disdainfully walked out of the martial arts arena.
In the courtyard,
many disciples were full of apprehension and fear towards the chubby round youth's silhouette, keeping a respectful distance.
"Heh heh, Fatty Huang, with your limited skill, you only manage to bully the weak."
A roguish laughter shattered the silence on the scene.
Chen Yu was shocked; who dared to use a teasing tone with "Fatty Huang" to refer to Huang Yuan?
Everyone's eyes fixed upon the source.
From the middle of the courtyard's pavilion walked out a graceful youth holding a folding fan.
This youth was quite fair-skinned, with handsome and elegant features. If it weren't for his nonchalant demeanor, he might have seemed scholarly.
"It's him! The first genius of the Outer Sect!"
"Nangong Li! Ranked second in Outer Sect strength..."
The faces of the disciples in the courtyard changed once again.
If Huang Yuan brought apprehension and fear to the crowd, then the youth with the folding fan inspired an invisible respect and admiration.
Nangong Li?
So this was Nangong Li!
Chen Yu assessed the youth, having heard of Nangong Li's exploits.
The title of the first genius of the Outer Sect was truly renowned.
"Nangong Li has reached the Peak of Meridian Passage. It's said with his talent, he already qualifies to be an Inner Sect Disciple. Advancing to the Organ Refining Stage wouldn't be difficult for him."
Ding Jiuhui formally introduced.
What?
This time, Chen Yu was genuinely astonished.
This Nangong Li could already become an Inner Sect Disciple and advance to the Organ Refining Stage with ease. Why was he still in the Outer Sect?
Was he trying to make life difficult for himself?
Many disciples like Chen Yu were still fighting hard to become Inner Sect Disciples.
"Once he advances to the Organ Refining Stage, he'd automatically upgrade to an Inner Sect Disciple, and a high-ranking sect member is willing to take him as a disciple. But it's said that Nangong Li wants to claim an 'Outer Sect first' for some honor and benefits, and apparently, this year's rewards for the 'first in the competition' and 'top three' from the sect are quite generous."
Ding Jiuhui explained the reason.
Chen Yu couldn't help but wonder about this year's rewards for the first in the competition, making Nangong Li linger in the Outer Sect.
In the past,
the top ten in competitions received certain rewards to encourage competition among disciples.
"I wondered who it was! Nangong Li, you're just wasting time here in the Outer Sect, snatching the spot from us poor disciples."
Huang Yuan's plump face filled with smiles, and he openly teased.
He could act arrogant in front of others, but when facing "Nangong Li," he had to put on a friendly face.
"Not interested! It seems only that 'Duan Xiaolong' from the Outer Sect can truly challenge me."
Nangong Li shook his head.
He looked down on opponents of Huang Yuan's caliber in both strength and character for bullying the weak.
Just then,
several Outer Disciples entered the courtyard one after another.
"Brother Yang! Senior Brother Wang..."
The two disciples guarding the gate sounded slightly flattering.
Particularly, the short-haired youth wielding a silver spear in front carried a fierce gaze that was hard to meet directly.
Beside him, a familiar figure to Chen Yu was a friendly young man in green.
"Wang Lingyun."
Chen Yu's expression darkened as he recalled the ambush from that day.
Thinking of this, he immediately strode towards Wang Lingyun.
"Not good... it's Chen Yu!"
Wang Lingyun shuddered, face changing drastically. Judging by Chen Yu's stance, he was definitely here to settle scores!