Martial Arts Overlord

Seeing Qian Feng beaten into a pulp, the color drained from everyone’s faces, except for Luo Feng and Lin Yu.

Qian Feng might be arrogant, but given that he had passed the first round of the assessments, his cultivation was certainly not weak. He was a late-stage fifth-tier Martial Artist in the Iron Bone Realm.

In the outer court, a Martial Artist of the late fifth-tier Iron Bone Realm was already considered an above-average expert. His helpless defeat and subsequent collapse on the ground revealed how terrifying the hundred-meter-long Wooden Puppet Alley was.

Luo Feng looked up at the Wooden Puppet Alley.

When Qian Feng had entered earlier, he had noted that the speed and power of the weapons’ attacks within the Wooden Puppet Alley were equivalent to those of a sixth-tier peak Martial Artist.

The cultivation level of the students participating in the promotion assessment averaged the peak of the Fifth Stage Iron Bone Realm. Therefore, it was impossible to pass through the alley with brute force alone.

The only way was to use Light Martial Arts skills to dodge the attacks of the wooden weapons and traverse the Wooden Puppet Alley.

"Next, Lin Yu."

"Yes."

With a flicker, a vibration like a taut bowstring resonated from Lin Yu’s body. Like an arrow released, he instantly appeared beside the Wooden Puppet Alley.

After slightly gathering his Qi, Lin Yu stepped into the Wooden Puppet Alley.

SWOOSH, SWOOSH, SWOOSH...

The moment his foot landed in the Wooden Puppet Alley, the surrounding wooden sabers and swords transformed into whirlwinds, sweeping towards him.

A grave expression appeared on Lin Yu’s somewhat boyish face for the first time. His academy uniform fluttered despite the still air, and the sound of a vibrating bowstring echoed continuously within his body. With each thrum, he transformed into a gust of wind, dodging the incoming weapons.

Ten meters!

Fifteen meters!

Forty meters!

Sixty meters!

Lin Yu was getting closer to the end.

Seeing himself nearing the end of the Wooden Puppet Alley, a crimson flush emerged on Lin Yu’s face. He had overexerted himself, and his speed slowed abruptly. He was almost knocked down several times and was on the verge of failure.

"Seven-Star Linked Steps!"

In a moment of danger, Lin Yu let out a low shout. Stepping in the pattern of the Seven Stars, he moved forward in a serpentine, zigzag manner. His speed was now even faster than before, and in the blink of an eye, he had broken through the Wooden Puppet Alley.

Upon successfully crossing the Wooden Puppet Alley, Lin Yu immediately collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. It was evident that he had reached his limit.

"It’s Seven-Star Linked Steps! That’s a movement technique one can only perform after cultivating the Mid-rank Yellow Grade Light Martial Arts skill, Shadow of Bow Step, to the fifth stage!" exclaimed a student from the Gold Sun Class, his eyes wide with surprise as he looked at Lin Yu on the other side of the alley.

Next up was a female student from the Gold Sun Class.

This female student practiced the Mid-rank Yellow Grade Light Martial Arts skill, Drifting Step. When she executed it, she seemed like a leaf falling in the woods or duckweed floating on water—graceful and agile.

However, her Drifting Step had only reached Small Success, so her proficiency was limited. By the time she had ventured halfway into the alley, she was already dripping with sweat and ultimately failed due to exhaustion.

The instructor nearby, however, obviously didn’t want to make it difficult for her. After she acknowledged her defeat, he allowed her to exit the Wooden Puppet Alley.

"I forfeit!"

The young man standing behind the girl had the lowest cultivation realm among them. Seeing that even the girl had failed to make it through the Wooden Puppet Alley, he immediately gave up on the assessment in disappointment.

The assessment elder nodded without saying much and indifferently stated, "Next."

The young man standing in front of Luo Feng stepped forward, glanced at the Wooden Puppet Alley beside him, licked his lips, and asked the assessment elder, "Elder, may I destroy these wooden weapons?"

"Destroy them?"

The assessment elder was taken aback. The instructors manipulating those wooden weapons were, at the very least, at the sixth-tier of the God Bravery Realm. Wanting to destroy the wooden weapons was equivalent to confronting these instructors head-on, a difficulty far greater than using Qinggong to swiftly pass through the Wooden Puppet Alley.

"Of course, you can," the assessment elder replied with a nod, "but I must remind you, the instructors manipulating these weapons are stronger than you. You should consider this carefully."

Upon hearing this, the dark-complexioned student’s face lit up, and he stepped towards the entrance of the Wooden Puppet Alley.

BANG, BANG, BANG...

Taking a deep breath, he seemed to grow several inches taller in an instant. A ferocious aura emanated from him, and his muscles bulged. His already dark skin now looked as if it were forged from steel.

So that’s how it is.

Luo Feng observed the young man’s figure and nodded slightly.

This student was obviously practicing Horizontal Practice Martial Arts.

Those who cultivated Horizontal Practice Martial Arts usually had somewhat inferior Light Martial Arts skills. Compared to using Light Martial Arts to dash through, it was actually better for them to use their Horizontal Practice Martial Arts and charge directly.

Standing at the entrance of the Wooden Puppet Alley, the dark-faced student took a deep breath, a glint of ruthlessness in his eyes, and charged straight into the alley!

SWOOSH, SWOOSH, SWOOSH...

Countless wooden sabers and swords in the Wooden Puppet Alley immediately whistled towards him. The dark-faced boy, not evading at all, clenched his teeth, lowered his head, and charged fiercely towards the other side.

BANG, BANG, BANG...

A series of dull thuds echoed, like a hammer striking a bronze bell, making one’s scalp tingle. The female student, who was a bit more timid, couldn’t help but cover her eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.

The dark-faced boy charged through fifty or sixty meters in one go. Ignoring the pain wracking his body, he suddenly let out a long howl.

"Mad Bull Strength!"

CRACK, CRACK, CRACK...

The dark-faced boy clenched his fists, his arms whirling around him like windmills, crazily shredding all approaching wooden weapons. In one breath, he burst through the Wooden Puppet Alley.

SPLATTER!

The moment he rushed out of the Wooden Puppet Alley, the dark-faced youth spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his arms terribly swollen. Yet, he paid it no mind, wiped the corner of his mouth, and laughed heartily, "Hahaha... I passed!"

THUD!

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly pitched forward and collapsed, unconscious.

For a moment, everyone stared at each other, too shocked by this dramatic turn of events to speak.

What a ruthless person.

Luo Feng watched the unconscious dark-faced youth on the ground and shook his head with a hint of pity.

Even though the youth had successfully passed through the Wooden Puppet Alley, this was only the second of three rounds in the inner courtyard promotion assessment. Given his current state, he was clearly unable to continue. Strictly speaking, he had also failed.

The assessment elder, who had presided over the inner courtyard promotion assessments for many years, had never seen such a situation. He couldn’t help but shake his head with a bitter smile. "He passed. Next, Luo Feng."

Luo Feng withdrew his gaze, took a step, and covered the twenty-meter distance in a single leap, landing lightly and gracefully beside the entrance to the Wooden Puppet Alley.

These students knew Luo Feng cultivated Teng Dragon’s Step and that his proficiency in Light Martial Arts was certainly not low. But seeing Luo Feng’s almost ghostly speed still startled them, leaving them all dumbfounded.

"Begin."

The assessment elder nodded with a smile, his eyes showing approval.

Luo Feng’s Qinggong cultivation far exceeded his expectations. Such speed, within the entire Purple Sun School, only a few could match!

Considering Luo Feng was a student from the Silver Moon class yet possessed such extraordinary strength, the assessment elder found himself admiring him even more.

Looking at the Wooden Puppet Alley before him, teeming with blades and swords, Luo Feng felt no pressure at all.

If he could use Steps in the Air, he was confident he could pass through the Wooden Puppet Alley in a single breath.

Even without using Steps in the Air, he didn’t feel this Wooden Puppet Alley could threaten him.

Back in Panlong City, he had single-handedly charged into hundreds of Li Family Martial Artists, a whirlwind of flashing blades and sword shadows, unstoppable.

Although this Wooden Puppet Alley was formidable, compared to that situation, it was simply not worth mentioning.

Exhaling softly, Luo Feng stepped into the Wooden Puppet Alley, his black hair stirring, his eyes beneath like deep, tranquil pools, radiating confidence.

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH...

Sabers, spears, swords, and halberds whistled from both sides of the stone walls, but Luo Feng’s steps remained perfectly steady as he continued forward in an orderly manner.

He dodged the fiercely attacking wooden sabers and swords by a hair’s breadth. Viewed from the side, Luo Feng seemed to be strolling, his clothes fluttering, agile and swift.

The hundred-meter distance was covered in the blink of an eye. After three breaths, Luo Feng’s feet landed on the other side of the Wooden Puppet Alley.

"Good! Passed!"

The assessment elder nodded in satisfaction.

Lin Yu, snapping out of his shock, gave Luo Feng a thumbs-up, his face full of admiration. "Excellent movement technique! I’m impressed!"

Although he had also passed through the Wooden Puppet Alley, his uniform had been slashed in more than a dozen places. In contrast, the wooden sabers and swords hadn’t even touched the hem of Luo Feng’s clothes. The difference in their skill was obvious!

The second round of the assessment ended, and the third round immediately followed.

The group followed the assessment elder back to the assessment hall.

A side door of the great hall opened, and ten young men and women walked out, all dressed in the uniform of inner courtyard students.

The assessment elder said, looking at Luo Feng and Lin Yu, "The third round of the assessment is a practical combat spar! These ten inner courtyard students were all recently promoted. Each of you will choose one as an opponent. If you can withstand their attacks for ten moves, you will pass and officially become an inner courtyard student!"

At that moment, the ten inner courtyard students nearby were also sizing up Luo Feng and Lin Yu.

Yesterday, not a single person made it to the third round of assessment, but today there are two. Not bad! Today won’t be boring...

A sword-wielding young man with bright eyes, his arms pillowed behind his head, licked his lips as he observed Luo Feng and Lin Yu.

"Li Qing, are your hands itching again?" Laughter erupted from the side.

The young man called Li Qing didn’t deny it, chuckling, "Heh, when I took the inner courtyard promotion assessment, I reached the third round three times and failed three times. Now the tables have turned, and it’s my turn to put them through their paces."

The other inner courtyard students beside them smiled without speaking. They too had reached this point step by step and had experienced the inner courtyard assessment, so they empathized with Li Qing’s words.

"However, I advise you all to be a bit more careful today," a young woman with a graceful figure suddenly said with a smile.

"Why is that?"

The young woman pointed a slender finger at Luo Feng and said with a twinkle in her eye, "Look, he is this year’s Challenge King. Even Li Heshan was defeated by him. You all should be clear about Li Heshan’s strength, right?"

He defeated Li Heshan?

The gazes of all the inner courtyard students present sharpened.

Li Heshan had only recently become an inner courtyard student but was already in the limelight, having quickly ranked among the top two hundred inner courtyard students! He was far above them.

Hearing that Luo Feng had defeated Li Heshan, the way these inner courtyard students looked at him immediately changed.

Li Qing, however, just curled his lip dismissively.

It’s not as exaggerated as all that. I also went to watch the Challenge King Tournament. Although Luo Feng’s strength is decent, it’s nothing special. His Light Martial Arts are just slightly better than Li Heshan’s. If it were a one-on-one fight, I could defeat him in less than ten moves!