Lin Ningshan and the Ninth Princess both broke through to the intermediate stage of the Yellow Realm in the past three months, making their strengths comparable.
The Ninth Princess stepped into the training ground first, holding a blue True Martial treasure-grade sword. With her elegant posture, she stood gracefully at the center of the arena, as beautiful as a painting.
Shortly after, Lin Ningshan entered the arena as well.
The Ninth Princess's lips curved into a smile. "Ningshan, I've heard you've achieved the 'Sword Follows the Heart' state. This princess would like to see just how strong that really is."
"Clang!"
With a flick of her arm, her scabbard flew out.
"Blue Waves Surge!"
The Ninth Princess knew Lin Ningshan was a formidable opponent, so she immediately unleashed a mid-grade human-level sword technique as her opening move.
With her sword technique, seven sword shadows formed instantly, and those seven shadows then multiplied into forty-nine.
The forty-nine shadows linked together, forming a blue curtain of water-like sound, pressing down on Lin Ningshan.
Lin Ningshan stood still, firmly in place, her gaze fixed on the Ninth Princess's sword hand.
Just as the curtain of sword shadows reached her, she struck out, piercing the center of the water curtain. The Ninth Princess's entire attack shattered instantly.
"Swoosh!"
The Ninth Princess quickly adjusted her technique, her sword becoming increasingly aggressive.
Lin Ningshan remained stationary, not moving her feet. With each thrust of her sword, she dispelled the Ninth Princess's attacks entirely.
Standing outside the training ground, Zhang Ruochen shook his head slightly, thinking, "Lin Ningshan's comprehension of sword intent has reached the 'Sword Follows the Heart' state, but the Ninth Princess is still at the level of 'Responding to Moves as They Come.' Even though their martial arts realms are the same, the Ninth Princess is no match for Lin Ningshan in a real fight. She'll lose within ten moves."
At that moment, the situation on the training ground shifted dramatically.
Lin Ningshan took the initiative and stepped forward, her arm sweeping in a broad motion, creating a large sword flourish in the air.
The Ninth Princess retreated, but Lin Ningshan pressed forward relentlessly.
"Swoosh!"
When Lin Ningshan's sword stopped, its sharp tip was aimed right at the Ninth Princess's chest.
"Princess, you've lost!" Lin Ningshan declared.
The Ninth Princess sheathed her sword and walked off the training ground, visibly upset. Standing next to Zhang Ruochen, she asked, "Ninth Brother, my cultivation isn't weaker than hers. So why did I lose so quickly?"
"Sword intent! Her mastery of sword intent is far beyond yours. Once you reach the 'Sword Follows the Heart' state, you'll understand." Zhang Ruochen explained.
Next, the second match began!
In the arena stood Gu Li from the Gu family and Situ Linhai, the top young warrior from the Situ family.
The difference in their strength was clear, and Situ Linhai only needed three moves to punch Gu Li out of the arena.
"Fifth match: Ninth Prince Zhang Ruochen versus Bai Wanli of the Bai family."
Zhang Ruochen and Bai Wanli both stepped into the training ground.
In the first two rounds of the assessment, Zhang Ruochen had caused quite a stir, leaving the crowd in awe. Now, the spectators were eager to see just how powerful he really was.
Outside the arena, Lin Ningshan, the Ninth Princess, the Fifth Prince, and the Sixth Prince all fixed their eyes on Zhang Ruochen. They were curious to see how a warrior at the small extremity level could defeat one at the intermediate level.
Bai Wanli had ranked eighth in the Wangshan Hunt, his cultivation reaching the intermediate stage of the Yellow Realm. He could even take down a Savage Bull with his bare hands—clearly, he was no weakling.
"Ninth Prince, I heard you said you're most skilled with the sword, but I'm not. To make things fair, how about we compete using just our fists?" Bai Wanli proposed.
"Fists it is, then," Zhang Ruochen replied indifferently.
Outside the arena, many people frowned, knowing the Bai family specialized in fist techniques.
The Ninth Prince's cultivation was already a level below Bai Wanli's. Now that he was giving up his specialty, he was surely at a disadvantage.
"Attack!"
Bai Wanli channeled his internal energy, letting out a roar as he unleashed his mid-grade human-level technique, Killing Power Fist.
"Boom!"
He stomped the ground, shattering a stone slab, and charged forward, throwing a punch at Zhang Ruochen's chest.
Using the power of the mid-grade technique, Bai Wanli unleashed nine oxen's worth of strength, his fist glowing with a faint aura.
Zhang Ruochen stood his ground, sinking slightly, as the muscles in his legs, back, and arms tensed, harnessing the power throughout his body.
"Boom!"
He thrust his palm forward, meeting Bai Wanli's Killing Power Fist head-on.
"Crack!"
The sound of bones breaking rang out!
"You've lost!" Zhang Ruochen straightened his posture, speaking calmly.
Bai Wanli clutched his arm, feeling the strength drain from it. He staggered back several steps, staring at Zhang Ruochen in shock. "How… how is your strength so powerful?"
Even Bai Wanli couldn't comprehend it, nor could the young warriors watching from outside the arena.
Everyone knew that Bai Wanli's punch had nine oxen's worth of strength. Yet, the Ninth Prince had broken Bai Wanli's arm with a single palm strike, without even using a martial technique.
For a warrior at the small extremity stage, this seemed impossible!
Only the older martial experts with advanced cultivation could see through Zhang Ruochen's technique.
"Master Bai's arm wasn't shattered by impact but was twisted," said the silver-armored general.
"Twisted? How could that be? I clearly saw the Ninth Prince strike with his palm. How could he twist Master Bai's arm?" a young warrior questioned.
The silver-armored general explained, "The Ninth Prince has extraordinary control over his strength, using every inch of muscle and bone in his body to unleash power. Moreover, when he struck, the force contained a twisting motion."
"It happened in an instant, so it's hard to notice. Not just for you; even with my cultivation level, I couldn't control my power so precisely."
This explanation came from Ge Qian, the Yunwu Commandery Prince's personal guard commander, so no one doubted his words.
"Ninth Prince is this incredible? He's only trained for three months! Even the Seventh Prince wasn't this talented."
"After this year's assessment, the Ninth Prince's name will definitely spread throughout the royal city, becoming the rising star of the younger generation."
Amidst the crowd's exclamations, Zhang Ruochen stepped out of the training ground.
Three more matches followed, finally determining the top eight.
The top eight were: the Fifth Prince, Situ Linjiang, Xue Kai, Zhang Ruochen, Lin Ningshan, Luo Cheng, Lin Tianwu, and the Sixth Prince.
Next was the battle to determine the top four.
Winning the next match guaranteed a spot in the top five and the opportunity to train in the Savage God Pool.
"First match: Ninth Prince Zhang Ruochen versus Lin Ningshan of the Lin family."
Hearing his opponent's name, Zhang Ruochen lifted his head slightly and muttered, "What a coincidence."
He glanced in Lin Ningshan's direction.
At that moment, Lin Ningshan's gaze met his, fixed on him.
The Ninth Princess, standing beside Zhang Ruochen, smiled teasingly. "Ninth Brother, I know you like Ningshan, but she doesn't like you. Don't hold back. You must give your all—I'm still waiting for you to avenge me!"
Zhang Ruochen remained calm as he walked into the arena.
"Cousin, I didn't expect that even at sixteen, after missing the prime age for martial cultivation, you could advance so quickly. It's truly astonishing!" Lin Ningshan said softly, with a gentle smile on her delicate face.
Her lips curved slightly as she stood gracefully across from Zhang Ruochen, exuding an ethereal beauty.
Having seen Zhang Ruochen's match against Bai Wanli, Lin Ningshan no longer dared underestimate him. She knew the young man standing before her was no longer the weakling he once was but a martial prodigy.
She had no confidence in defeating Zhang Ruochen and even felt that he was more fearsome than the Fifth Prince, Situ Linjiang, or Xue Kai—he made her uneasy.
However, she didn't believe Zhang Ruochen would truly attack her, knowing he had always harbored deep feelings for her.
For her, Zhang Ruochen had once waited outside the Lin Mansion for an entire night in the bitter winter, without a word of complaint.
When she went to wake him the next morning, his body had been frozen stiff. Since then, his already frail health worsened, confining him to bed for years.
In the past, she had looked down on Zhang Ruochen. Even when he waited in the cold for her, she merely thought he was foolish, not seeing his devotion.
But things were different now. Zhang Ruochen had become a martial prodigy, and knowing that someone of his talent loved her made her feel a sense of vanity.
"Cousin, do we really need to fight? You should know how important making it to the top four is for me," Lin Ningshan said softly.
Her eyes, bright and beautiful, held a hint of enticing affection as she gazed at Zhang Ruochen, looking pitiable.