Chapter 405 - 149: Ranking 5
’This kid actually has some skill?’
The surprise lasted only a moment, however. Yuwen Mingjue’s expression quickly turned cold, and a silent sneer touched his lips.
Yang Jing’s performance was admittedly decent. His Body Technique was nimble, his fists packed a punch, and he dispatched the exotic beast with clean efficiency.
But in Yuwen Mingjue’s eyes, it was merely "decent."
At best, he was mid-tier among the disciples in the Cyan Qilin Battle. Forget comparing him to a top expert like himself; he probably couldn’t even squeeze into the upper echelons.
’Kid, you’d better pray you get eliminated by someone else before you run into me,’ he sneered inwardly. ’Otherwise...’
Yuwen Mingjue’s gaze slowly drifted past the railing of the Cyan Qilin Platform, scanning the crowd of spectators.
When he saw Sun Ningxiang in the crowd, standing on her tiptoes with her gaze glued to Yang Jing, his face suddenly darkened, and a hint of malice flashed in his eyes.
Sun Ningxiang’s stunningly beautiful face was full of delight. It was as if her sparkling eyes had room for no one but the white-robed youth on the platform.
The sight was like a thorn stabbing deep into Yuwen Mingjue’s heart.
His fists clenched quietly, and a vicious glint flashed through his eyes.
’If that kid really falls into my hands, I’ll make sure he’s bedridden for half a year, even if I don’t kill him!’
...
Farther away, beneath an exquisite pavilion to the left of the Cyan Qilin Platform, two figures sat opposite each other: Peak Master Bai Bing of Lingxi Peak and Peak Master Huang Zhen of Celestial Derivation Peak.
Outside the pavilion, Si Jiawen, dressed in a plain white robe, stood with her hands lowered, her gaze also fixed in the direction of the Cyan Qilin Platform, her expression calm.
A warm breeze swept by, tousling a lock of hair at Bai Bing’s temple. She raised a hand to gently brush it aside. Her gaze fell on Yang Jing, who now stood on the platform having withdrawn his fist, and a faint trace of approval flickered in her eyes.
Beside her, Huang Zhen watched Yang Jing’s earlier display and raised an eyebrow, a clear look of surprise in his eyes.
He turned to the stunningly beautiful and serene Bai Bing beside him and said with a smile, "Peak Master Bai, it seems your Lingxi Peak has produced a fine prospect this time."
Bai Bing raised an eyebrow at his words. She turned to Huang Zhen and asked coolly, "Oh? And what is your take on this disciple, Peak Master Huang?"
Huang Zhen stroked the short beard on his chin and mused for a moment, his eyes filled with appreciation. "From what I saw, the disciple’s punches look casual, but he has perfect control over his Inner Strength, and his fist is incredibly powerful. He either possesses innate Divine Power or has a solid foundation in external cultivation. His Body Technique is also exceptionally nimble. I believe he was holding back quite a bit when he attacked just now. In terms of true strength, he’s likely stronger than the other two disciples from your peak."
"What?"
Standing nearby, Si Jiawen was visibly startled by his words, her eyes wide with disbelief.
’She couldn’t understand. How could Peak Master Huang tell?’
’In Si Jiawen’s opinion, while Yang Jing’s performance was decent, it was by no means stunning.’
’Earlier, Chen Xuexiang had faced a giant black wolf exotic beast whose aura was clearly more formidable than that of Yang Jing’s wild boar. Chen Xuexiang had also killed it within a few moves. Judging by performance alone, Chen Xuexiang was clearly the superior one.’
’And yet, Huang Zhen’s assessment was that Yang Jing was stronger than Zhang Hengyi and Chen Xuexiang?’
Si Jiawen was filled with doubt, but she dared not voice her questions. She could only push the uncertainty down and ponder it in silence.
’Was her own judgment so lacking that she couldn’t see Yang Jing’s true depth?’
’Was Peak Master Huang’s perception that much sharper and more far-reaching than hers?’
At that moment, Si Jiawen began to understand why her Master held Yang Jing in such high regard.
’Perhaps her Master’s high opinion of Yang Jing, and her decision to place him on the list of key disciples for the sect to cultivate, wasn’t solely because of her bet with Peak Master Zhenyue.’
’But what exactly made Yang Jing so exceptional?’
’No matter how she looked, she simply couldn’t see the potential that Peak Master Huang and her Master valued so highly in him.’
...
The strength assessment for the Cyan Qilin Battle continued in an orderly fashion.
On the Cyan Qilin Platform, light and shadow crisscrossed. The roars of exotic beasts and the sharp crack of fists and palms slicing through the air rose and fell without cease.
Yang Jing stepped down from the Cyan Qilin Platform and returned to the line of Lingxi Peak disciples.
He had barely settled into his spot when the Main Peak Steward loudly announced the next group to take the platform: Qingxu Peak.
Qingxu Peak had only two disciples competing this time. Both completed their assessments competently, if unremarkably. One used his Swordsmanship to slay a rock marten beast, while the other used his Palm Force to knock a Pangolin unconscious. Their performances weren’t stunning, but they were flawless.
After all the disciples from Qingxu Peak had completed their assessment, it was Yunxi Peak’s turn.
Yunxi Peak had four disciples competing this time. When the first two went on stage, Yang Jing only gave them a casual glance, but his gaze sharpened the moment Yuwen Mingjue made his entrance.
Yuwen Mingjue strode slowly onto the Cyan Qilin Platform, his brocade robe whipping in the wind, his expression brimming with confidence.
His opponent was a massive lion-tiger beast—lion’s head, tiger’s body, and claws like hooks. The moment it was released, it let out an earth-shattering roar, its ferocious power palpable.
Yet, faced with such a savage beast, Yuwen Mingjue didn’t even bat an eye.
He simply raised his right hand slowly, Inner Strength gathering in his palm before he unleashed a punch.
The wind from his fist howled, carrying an utterly devastating force. Though he struck second, his fist landed first, smashing straight into the lion-tiger beast’s skull.
"THUD!"
With a dull thud, the lion-tiger beast collapsed without even a chance to struggle. Its massive body fell stiffly to the ground, blood pouring from its seven orifices. It had been killed instantly by the sheer force of that single punch!
’What incredible power behind that punch!’