"Some district trials aren't ones you can pass simply by possessing strength."
Martial Heaven's tone carried a hint of melancholy. "Once you discover the true nature of the trial, failing it strips you of eligibility for retesting."
"Therefore," Martial Heaven continued solemnly, "if you succeed in certain district trials, you must never reveal the rules. To do so would disqualify others from their chance to test."
With a chuckle, Martial Heaven added, "Don't panic. These restrictions apply only to District Six—where no one has ever passed—and District Seven, which I alone have conquered."
The students' hearts raced with anticipation. This was the ultimate challenge!
"Guard your tokens carefully. The rest depends on you." With that, Martial Heaven vanished in a flash.
No further instructions followed!
The students exchanged bewildered glances. What now?
All eyes focused on the Celestial Ten Directions Tokens clutched in their hands.
"Where's the welcome ceremony?" Jin Wanshan scanned the empty grounds. "Why does it feel like we're the only ones here?" Even the token-distributing teacher had disappeared!
Qin Yang's mind stirred. A sly smile crept across his face. "Patience. They're coming."
The students froze. Who could he mean?
Next, spherical magical artifacts came flying from every building toward them.
"Signal flares?" one student asked.
But these weren't ordinary signal flares. Instead of ascending and exploding in the sky, these detonated right where they landed.
Instantly, colorful mists filled the air, leaving everyone in pitch darkness.
"Freshmen, are you ready for the party?"
A shout echoed, followed by the sensation of many bodies charging toward them.
"What? Is this the welcome ceremony?" A new student stood at the mist's edge, squinting into the haze. Suddenly, a fist emerged from the fog and swung directly at him.
His heart tightened. He jerked backward while lashing out with his leg.
Even as he shouted, "What's going on here?!" two more attackers closed in, clearly intent on beating him up.
Gradually, all the students realized something was wrong. They weren't about to be slaughtered like lambs. Especially after learning so much from Qin Yang and sparring daily with each other, these attackers weren't even stronger than them. A full-blown brawl erupted.
Qin Yang sighed. What a masterful intimidation tactic!
Jin Wanshan and Lou Mengyu also caught wind of this bizarre welcome ceremony. They cracked their knuckles and eagerly sought opponents.
Only Qin Yang remained standing in place. He was grateful for the martial arts ban; otherwise, with a few swift movements, these "upperclassmen" would all have been knocked flat.
His divine sense swept over them, and he found their strength utterly laughable. Most were in the Qi Sea Realm, with the majority being mid or late-stage practitioners.
"Hmm? Interesting. I thought they were just upperclassmen who arrived a year earlier, but there are actually some who came even before them." Qin Yang raised an eyebrow, surprised to discover two students in the Zongshi Realm.
The mist that obscured their eyes couldn't block Qin Yang's divine sense, nor could it hinder the two Zongshi Realm students' perception.
Yet they failed to detect Qin Yang. Even Stellar Realm cultivators couldn't sense him, let alone these mere mortals.
"Besides Wu Xiaoya and the others who came earlier, these... the numbers don't add up. We're missing one," said a sword-browed youth with star-like eyes.
"Impossible. Martial Heaven couldn't have missed anyone. No one left just now," a spirited girl shook her head. However, the blood-red halberd in her hand made Qin Yang frown.
"Qin Yang isn't here!" the girl suddenly exclaimed.
"Shit, these freshmen aren't ordinary at all! Senior Shangguan Jianshan, Senior Wei Linglong, come help us—Ouch! That hurts! Stop hitting me..."
Qin Yang burst out laughing, drawing the attention of Jin Wanshan who pinned the speaker down and proceeded to beat him up.
This laughter proved fatal. The two assailants immediately charged at Qin Yang. Shangguan Jianshan drew a longsword that shimmered like a sea of stars, while Wei Linglong brandished her halberd with the ferocity of a living legend.
Stellar Art copied. Technique 3/10.
Clear Moon Sword copied. Proficiency: Peak Mastery. Technique 3/10.
Qin Yang's eyebrow twitched. So Wei Linglong was indeed from the Wei Family! He had only copied Shangguan Jianshan's techniques.
With a casual wave of his hand, Qin Yang conjured an Ice Wall.
CRACK! The wall nearly split under the force of the strike.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG! A barrage of impacts followed as Shangguan Jianshan's sword blurred into countless afterimages, each strike piercing deep into the ice.
"Hmm? A skilled opponent?" Shangguan Jianshan's sword movements shifted. The stars converged, forming a luminous disk that rose like a full moon.
The Ice Wall exploded in a shower of crystals.
"Who are you?" Shangguan Jianshan demanded.
"Qin Yang," he replied softly.
"You're Qin Yang?" Wei Linglong's eyes narrowed, her killing intent flaring. The Ba Wang Unrivaled Halberd descended with deadly force.
Qin Yang danced through the strikes, evading every blow with practiced ease.
"You killed my brother!" Wei Linglong's eyes glistened with tears as her attacks grew increasingly ferocious. "Return his life to me!"
"He wasn't killed by me," Qin Yang replied calmly.
Wei Linglong had appeared wielding a battle spear, clearly having planned to seize this opportunity to kill him.
"Die!" The spear's blade erupted with a bloody glow as it arced toward Qin Yang's head.
Qin Yang frowned repeatedly, then thrust two fingers forward like a sword, striking out.
Shangguan Jianshan observed quietly, his mind reeling: How could Qin Yang be this strong?
Clang!
A sharp metallic sound echoed as shockwaves scattered the mist, leaving the battlefield suddenly still. All combatants withdrew simultaneously, their eyes fixed on Wei Linglong locked in combat with Qin Yang.
The freshmen remained unfazed, but the senior students' eyes widened in disbelief.
"He's blocking Senior Wei Linglong's spear with his bare hands...!"
"Senior Wei Linglong's combat prowess rivals even Senior Shangguan Jianshan's. But this Qin Yang..."
Jin Wanshan looked at the senior he'd beaten black and blue, then touched his own bruised eye socket with a pained groan. "He only entered Celestial Academy a year earlier than us! If he's so tough, let him bring in someone from even earlier years!"
At that moment, everyone suddenly realized that despite being a year older, the seniors were overwhelmingly losing. Every single senior had been thoroughly pummeled by the freshmen!
On the other side, Wei Linglong glared at Qin Yang and demanded, "Why? Why did you kill my brother?"
"I didn't," Qin Yang replied, taking a deep breath as he flicked his finger.
The crimson war spear was sent flying, forcing Wei Linglong to stumble backward.
"Is that Wei Yu's sister, Wei Linglong?"
"Her strength is decent, but compared to Qin Yang, it's utterly insignificant."
The freshmen whispered among themselves, having already enshrined Qin Yang in their hearts as an invincible war god.
"My brother died from the Shocking Feather Arrow Technique. Nangong Ling couldn't have killed him! And in that secret realm, you're the only other one who knows that technique. Who else could it be but you?"
Wei Linglong charged again, her crimson war spear blazing.
Qin Yang frowned, remembering the blood-armored middle-aged man's plea from the Heavenly Star Path. He chose not to counterattack, instead retreating with practiced ease.
No matter how ferocious Wei Linglong's assault, her movements couldn't match Qin Yang's lightning speed.