Chapter 8 – The Rockshell Turtle, Unlucky Gu Yang?

Right after, a young man in white robes slowly stepped forward.

At his waist hung a dark azure longsword, and his entire being exuded an extraordinary aura.

Compared to other outer sect disciples, he looked far more like someone from the inner sect.

He gave a slight bow to the outer sect elder and steward, then walked toward the dueling platform.

Instantly, the elders watching from above lit up with interest.

“Oh? This is intriguing.”

“Who would’ve thought there’d be such a genius among the outer sect?”

“So this boy is the number one genius of the outer sect? Looks like the title is well-earned!”

Several elders began murmuring among themselves.

Clearly, they could already sense something remarkable about Ding Xuan.

Of course, they would only be able to make a true judgment after watching him fight.

Soon enough, a tiger-like beast appeared in the dueling arena.

Compared to the one Nie Jin had fought earlier, this one looked even more ferocious and powerful.

Roar!

Upon seeing Ding Xuan, the beast immediately let out a furious howl and charged forward.

Faced with its aggressive assault, Ding Xuan’s face showed only disdain as the force of his blood and qi erupted from within him.

He waved a hand, casually dispersing the beast’s attack.

At that, the elders’ expressions turned to surprise.

“What intense blood and qi!”

“For an outer sect disciple to possess such dense blood energy—truly remarkable!”

“To fend off a beast’s assault so easily without even using true qi… seems like he’s got quite a few tricks up his sleeve!”

The elders nodded in visible satisfaction.

Onstage, man and beast clashed fiercely.

But anyone with eyes could tell—Ding Xuan wasn’t even using his full strength.

The beast couldn’t so much as touch the hem of his robe.

The glint of amusement in Ding Xuan’s eyes made it all too obvious.

He was enjoying the battle.

A stark contrast from Nie Jin’s earlier all-out effort.

This left countless disciples awestruck.

So this was the outer sect’s number one genius!

After just nine rounds of back-and-forth, Ding Xuan suddenly paused. He murmured to himself, “That should be enough.”

As the words fell, he delivered a single punch, exploding the beast’s skull.

Boom!

Thunderous applause erupted from the stands.

Several elders nodded again, clearly satisfied as they looked upon Ding Xuan.

The outer sect elder, seeing their reactions, quickly stepped forward.

“Congratulations, Ding Xuan. You’ve passed the selection trial! Outstanding performance!”

Hearing the announcement, Ding Xuan wasn’t surprised in the least.

He held his head high, face full of pride.

To him, passing the trial was only natural.

What he wanted… wasn’t just to pass.

He was aiming to become the strongest!

The top genius of the selection trial would receive ten low-grade spirit stones!

That was his true goal.

In his eyes, this outer sect was full of nobodies. Who among them could possibly compete with him?

At that thought, he let out a cold snort and walked to the nearby rest area.

No one took issue with Ding Xuan’s arrogance.

Geniuses always had some pride. That was normal.

Soon, the trial resumed.

But after Ding Xuan’s display, no one else succeeded.

After all, the number of true powerhouses in the outer sect was limited.

Only Zhao Wei, Nie Jin, and Ding Xuan truly deserved the title of genius.

As for the others? It would be a miracle if they even passed.

“Looks like the inner sect trial champion this time is going to be Ding Xuan.”

“Yeah. To defeat a beast of the same level within ten moves—that’s just insane!”

“Even among inner sect disciples, Ding Xuan would rank above average.”

“Ten low-grade spirit stones—Ding Xuan’s about to strike it rich!”

“Hold on, the trial’s not even over yet, and people are already calling him the champion?”

“Heh, you must be new here. You think anyone else can pull off what Ding Xuan just did?”

“Fun fact: to beat Ding Xuan, you’d have to kill a beast in fewer moves than he did. Why don’t you try?”

“What if we have a hidden genius in the outer sect?”

“Pfft! You might as well say we’ve got a secret Gathering Qi realm prodigy hidden too! If someone like that existed, why wouldn’t they just show off already? Don’t be ridiculous!”

“……”

Many outer sect disciples sighed with emotion.

They had already lost interest in the rest of the trial.

After Ding Xuan’s performance, the outcome seemed all but decided.

Still, not everyone was pleased. Some pointed out that the competition wasn’t over—so why start celebrating?

Naturally, those opinions were quickly drowned out by criticism.

Just as the heated discussions continued, the steward ignored the crowd and quietly announced:

“The final participant—Gu Yang.”

Resting quietly to the side, Gu Yang opened his eyes at the sound of his name and slowly stepped into the arena.

As he emerged, a few disciples who recognized him stared in disbelief.

What the heck?

Gu Yang’s taking part in the inner sect trial?

Wait a minute… wasn’t he only at Body Tempering Stage Four?

Could it be… he’s been hiding his strength?!

Of course, not many knew who Gu Yang was.

Most glanced at him briefly, then lost interest.

The outer sect elder also spared him just a quick glance.

Although the force of qi and blood flowing in Gu Yang’s body made the elder raise an eyebrow slightly…

…that was about it.

Gu Yang slowly stepped into the dueling arena.

Soon, a beast emerged from the massive stone gate.

It stood three meters tall, its presence heavy and imposing, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

“It’s the Rockshell Turtle!”

“Whoa—this thing’s defense is said to be insane! Even some Gathering Qi cultivators struggle to break through!”

“Pfft—Gu Yang’s luck is awful! He drew that monster?!”

Someone in the crowd recognized the beast and burst out laughing.

Among beasts, the Rockshell Turtle ranked high.

Stronger than what Nie Jin or Ding Xuan had faced earlier.

Especially in terms of defense. Even Ding Xuan would probably need quite some time to defeat it.

No way he could do it in under ten moves!

“Yeah, this one’s a bust.”

“The Rockshell Turtle’s biggest strength is resisting brute force.”

“Only a Gathering Qi cultivator can seriously damage it.”

On the platform, several elders shook their heads with regret.

They felt sorry for Gu Yang.

Against a beast with such impenetrable defense, sheer blood and qi wouldn’t be enough.

Only true qi could break through!

Even then, the qi had to be pure and dense.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t work.

So the moment the Rockshell Turtle appeared…

…the result was practically set in stone.

Gu Yang had no chance.

But standing in the arena, Gu Yang simply raised his head and calmly watched the massive beast lumber toward him.

In his eyes, the Rockshell Turtle… just looked a little big, that’s all.

At that thought, he struck.

In the next instant, Gu Yang had already appeared in front of the beast.

Without a trace of hesitation, he unleashed his Vajra Fist, slamming his full strength directly into the turtle’s skull.