"Ah!"
"He did that on purpose! I’m dying!"
Liu Quan flew out of the riding grounds and lay on the ground, wailing in agony.
"Hmph. If your spear hadn’t nearly struck him, Chu Lingguang wouldn’t have reflexively defended himself and injured you. Now, I ask you: was that thrust of yours a deliberate attempt to injure him, or did you just miss your mark? If you dare utter a single lie, I will not spare you!"
An examiner with the surna Feng stood up and rebuked him angrily.
He was the chief examiner of this Martial Arts Examination, nad Feng Junyi. If a few prodigies erged from this year’s examination, it would be a political achievent for him and bring him great honor.
Chu Lingguang had been outstanding throughout the competition, from the Qiao Pass to the saber and Spear Technique trials, always ranking near the top. He had just been a hair’s breadth away from being ruined by Liu Quan, and Feng Junyi’s heart had pounded in his chest as he watched.
Now, seeing Liu Quan dare to bla the victim, he rushed over to question him before Chu Lingguang even had to defend himself.
"I... Reporting to you, sir, it wasn’t on purpose. I was aiming for the red dot and missed."
Liu Quan lowered his head, feigning grievance.
"Hmph. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt this once. Get out of here and tend to your wounds properly. Don’t affect the performance of the other contestants. Later, I will personally inspect your injury. If you cannot continue with the examination, I will keep your na on file so you can participate again in two years."
Feng Junyi snorted coldly.
His gaze was as sharp as a torch; how could he not see that Liu Quan had intended to cause harm? But it had all happened in an instant, making it difficult to draw a firm conclusion. Besides, Liu Quan was bleeding from his chest. The wound was not light. Even if it were stitched up in ti for him to continue the Martial Arts Examination, he likely wouldn’t perform well in the remaining events. He was almost certain to fail this year’s Daoist Examination.
"Yes, sir."
Liu Quan didn’t dare to talk back.
He could only clutch his chest and leave in a sorry state to find Tie Zhennan for treatnt.
Ever since seeing Liu Quan fail for two consecutive days, Tie Zhennan had been utterly disappointed in him. Just now, when he saw Liu Quan launch a sneak attack on Chu Lingguang, he wanted to curse him out. Although he was at loggerheads with Guo Wei, any Martial Artist would find it shaful to deliberately injure and ambush an opponent during the Martial Arts Examination.
Tie Zhennan was no exception.
What’s more, Liu Quan’s sneak attack had failed; he’d been sent flying from the riding grounds by Chu Lingguang and was now injured. As Liu Quan’s master, Tie Zhennan felt as though his own face had been trampled into the dirt by his disciple. Watching Liu Quan run back covered in blood, Tie Zhennan truly wanted to sever all ties with him. But under the public gaze, he could only swallow his sha and apply dicine to stitch up Liu Quan’s wound.
"Contestants, exit the riding grounds. Examiners, follow in to calculate the scores."
Feng Junyi announced to the contestants and examiners.
Chu Lingguang dismounted and gave Feng Junyi a cupped-fist salute. The examiner had handled the matter fairly, saving him from future trouble with just a few words. While sending Liu Quan flying had been satisfying, Chu Lingguang had cald down afterward and worried he might be penalized and disqualified from the examination.
Thankfully, Feng Junyi was just and impartial, and had upheld justice for him.
Feng Junyi gave Chu Lingguang a faint smile. Chu Lingguang had remained composed. In that perilous situation, he had smoothly turned his spear to defend himself, blocking Liu Quan’s spearhead with his own without even turning his head. Both his reflexes and his level of Spear Technique were far beyond that of an ordinary contestant.
Moreover, Chu Lingguang was a Lower-class Youth.
It was truly not easy for him to have co this far. As soone who had also co from a Humble Family, he held a great deal of appreciation for Chu Lingguang.
The two of them took note of each other.
Chu Lingguang led his horse back to Guo Wei’s side.
"Junior Brother, Master and I were scared to death just now."
Hei Hu said, his heart still pounding with fear.
"It’s all thanks to Master teaching not to just focus on the falling leaves in front of , but to always be aware of every movent behind . If I hadn’t practiced the Retreating Spear in the woods, I would have surely fallen into Liu Quan’s trap just now."
Chu Lingguang said sincerely.
Just now, it wasn’t just the cold glint of steel that had alerted him; the sound of the wind behind him had also set off his senses. At the critical mont, he had executed the Strange Python’s Head Turn, barely managing to block the thrust in the nick of ti.
"Rember this lesson. You can never be too careful of others," Guo Wei instructed.
He too had broken out in a cold sweat for Chu Lingguang. His gaze now shifted to Tie Zhennan. As a master, he had already decided to settle this score—not for his own reputation, but to get justice for Chu Lingguang.
Although Feng Junyi was just and impartial, and his handling of the situation was faultless from an examiner’s perspective,
as a master, how could he let his disciple face such danger for nothing? If Liu Quan had succeeded, Chu Lingguang would have been crippled.
The lack of any further punishnt for Liu Quan did little to quell the master’s anger.
’I must get justice for Chu Lingguang and make Liu Quan pay the price he deserves!’
"Yes, Master."
Chu Lingguang was still unaware of Guo Wei’s thoughts.
After handing the Little Red Horse over to a groom from Master Yan’s household, he began to reflect on that perilous thrust. Although he had blocked it with the Strange Python’s Head Turn, Chu Lingguang felt that his ability to stop Liu Quan’s sneak attack while completely unprepared, and then send him flying, went far beyond the defensive capabilities he had developed from practicing the Retreating Spear in the woods.
’It was as if I had instinctively grasped so key point.’
’If I can just figure it out and firmly grasp that crucial principle, perhaps it will allow to master the Flying Leaf Lotus Spear with half the effort in the future.’
Unfortunately, he considered his aptitude too dull. He thought for a long ti but couldn’t figure out the secret behind that thrust.
At the sa ti, his attention was quickly diverted by the scores being announced by the examiners.
Liu Quan: 27 thrusts delivered, 21 hit the wooden stake, 19 hit the red dot, and 9 pierced the stake. Lance score: Grade B Upper Grade.
Chu Lingguang: 39 thrusts delivered, 39 hit the wooden stake, 39 hit the red dot on the stake, and 29 pierced the stake. Lance score: Grade A Upper Grade.
...
When the results were announced, many people gasped in astonishnt.
Yan Chengdu felt a wave of defeat.
’Chu Lingguang’s Basic Spear Skill is at the Perfection level, and he dominated the first round of the Spear Technique competition. Now, with the Lance, he has once again left everyone in the dust. Thirty-nine hits on the red dot, twenty-nine piercing through the stake... If he were practicing the Royal Family Breathing Technique, he might have been able to pierce through every single one.’
Lin Longde gripped his Long Spear tightly.
’I got second place in the Basic Spear Skill, one rank higher than Yan Chengdu. I thought I could take first in the Lance competition, but I ended up in second place again.’
The final round of the Spear Technique competition would be a showdown between him and Chu Lingguang.
To asure the level of one’s Spear Technique, one had to look not only at their Basic Spear Skill and Lance proficiency, but also at their Spear Fighting. Only in combat could a person’s true mastery of the spear be demonstrated.
Although Lin Longde had lost to Chu Lingguang in the first two rounds,
even Feng Junyi couldn’t declare that Chu Lingguang’s Spear Technique was definitively superior to Lin Longde’s. After all, the ultimate purpose of the spear was to kill enemies on the battlefield.
Only by having the two of them fight could a true winner be decided and the top rank in Spear Technique be determined.
Of course, due to the rules, the third-ranked Yan Chengdu had lost the opportunity to compete further against Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde. His third-place finish was now set in stone.
Things proceeded smoothly. After all the contestants had completed the Lance trial, Chu Lingguang undisputedly took first place and advanced to the final round to face Lin Longde.
They would contend for the top spot in the Spear Technique rankings.
"Contestants Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde, begin the test!"
An hour later, the two n had fully recovered their strength. The examiner’s voice then echoed across the venue, and everyone’s gaze shifted back to the riding grounds.
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