Chapter 100

At the third quarter of the Wei hour, Xu Jin arrived at the Martial Arts Hall in advance.

After arriving, he discovered that there were many people in the martial arts arena; not only had the disciples of the current Star-Pointing Season all come, but the senior brothers from previous years had also all come, totaling more than three hundred people.

A portion of the senior brothers from previous years were staring at the disciples of the spring Star-Pointing Season, eyeing them covetously.

Including when Xu Jin arrived, several people were staring at Xu Jin, looking him up and down and discussing him, which made Xu Jin very surprised.

While surprised, Xu Jin asked around among the familiar Lu Xianbing, Zhang Han, Qian Xiaohu, and others, and only then did he understand.

The monthly exam was not the monthly exam for their spring Star-Pointing Season disciples.

It was the monthly exam for all disciples of the academy.

Those who excelled in the monthly exam would maintain or be promoted to the Inner Courtyard; those who were inferior would be demoted to the Middle Courtyard, or even demoted to the External Courtyard.

And this competition was aimed at all disciples.

In other words, the novice protection period for the spring Star-Pointing Season disciples this year had ended.

Starting from today's monthly exam, all Meal of Mist Realm disciples of the academy would compete together for Inner Courtyard and Middle Courtyard spots.

As for those in the External Courtyard, no one would snatch their spots, but it didn't mean they could slack off.

If they were evaluated as inferior by the instructors three times within a year, they would be expelled from the academy.

There were ten Inner Courtyard spots in the entire academy, and forty-five Middle Courtyard spots in the entire academy; apart from that, everyone else was in the External Courtyard.

All disciples could challenge and compete.

In other words, if there were senior brothers from last year's spring Star-Pointing Season, they could also directly initiate challenges to the junior brothers from this year's spring Star-Pointing Season.

If they lost, they would lose their corresponding position.

This rule looked a bit unfair.

The senior brothers from last year's spring Star-Pointing Season had at least reached the Meal of Mist, Seventh Layer, just by waiting; wouldn't snatching the positions of this year's spring junior brothers be easy?

Although it seemed that way, in reality, it wasn't.

There weren't actually many senior brothers left from last year's spring Star-Pointing Season.

Those who weren't selected into the National Academy or entered the Provincial Academy, even if they hadn't entered either, those who could Forge Star had already forged their stars and were arranged for practical work.

Those who remained and hadn't forged their stars were mostly senior brothers with relatively poor talent who had been in the External Courtyard, and their combat power was also limited.

Because what determined strength wasn't just cultivation, but also Star Arts.

Of course, it was entirely possible to threaten the positions of some Middle Courtyard disciples.

But this was the academy's rule.

Once a month, the strong rise, the weak fall.

Losing once didn't matter; know shame and then be brave, win it back next month.

Very quickly, several instructors arrived first, and then the Chief Ning Jiaotou Ning Yuchan also arrived.

However, after Ning Yuchan arrived, she didn't start the monthly exam immediately; she was still waiting for someone.

Within a few breaths, the Academy Supervisor Cao Chun and the Vice Academy Dean Feng Shu arrived simultaneously.

"Temporarily announcing one thing, the National Academy has just notified the final time for this year's Autumn Exam: the Autumn Exam begins on August 4th."

That is, half a month later.

Therefore, the academy has temporarily decided to combine this monthly exam and the selection of combat disciples for the Autumn Exam into one.

Below, please have Chief Ning Jiaotou Ning announce the rules," Vice Academy Dean Feng Shu said.

Suddenly, the disciples below the stage were in an uproar, discussing spiritedly.

Academy Supervisor Cao Chun didn't speak, just glanced over, and four black-clothed inspection orders stood forward, and it immediately became quiet.

Ning Yuchan stepped forward, "Compared to previous monthly exams, there aren't many changes to the rules.

It is still practical combat, but the number of free challenges has increased from three to five.

All disciples cannot refuse a battle.

Cannot challenge disciples who are seriously injured and unable to respond to the battle."

After listening for a while, Xu Jin understood roughly.

The rules of this monthly exam could be called simple and crude.

In comparison, the one a month ago when the Star-Pointing Season ended, where they practiced fist techniques to see their level, was simply too childish.

In short, if you think you can defeat someone, you go and challenge them.

But you cannot challenge across courtyards.

If you are in the External Courtyard, you can first challenge Middle Courtyard disciples; if you win, you can obtain a Middle Courtyard spot, and only then can you challenge Inner Courtyard disciples.

If an External Courtyard disciple challenges a Middle Courtyard disciple, winning gains the Middle Courtyard position of the challenged, and the defeated Middle Courtyard position is pushed back one place.

Finally, ten Inner Courtyard disciples and the top twenty-five Middle Courtyard disciples will be eligible to participate in the Autumn Exam.

Being eligible to participate in the Autumn Exam means that in the future, there is a possibility of being selected into the Provincial Academy or even the National Academy.

The assessment is divided into three small battlefields, guarded by Ning Yuchan, Feng Shu, and Cao Chun respectively, to prevent loss of life.

Cannot use your own Star Weapons, cannot use emblems, cannot take pills during the battle, only allowed to use the armor provided by the academy.

It is worth mentioning that the academy provided six sets of first-tier Star Weapons, especially that thirty-jin double-layered soft chain armor, which can prevent disciples from suffering some fatal serious injuries that are difficult to recover from.

The academy still attaches relatively great importance to the safety of the disciples.

Following the announcement that the assessment had begun, Xu Jin also began to consider, who should he challenge?

He must take the spot for the Autumn Exam, but the top twenty of the Middle Courtyard was not Xu Jin's goal.

Xu Jin must occupy one of the top ten Inner Courtyard spots.

Although the Inner Courtyard's treatment of eighty taels a month was nothing to Xu Jin, who was a ten-thousand-tael household, mosquito meat was still meat.

Moreover, the Inner Courtyard still had many conveniences, such as fewer miscellaneous affairs, which could allow you to cultivate more attentively.

It is said that Inner Courtyard disciples also had some undisclosed benefits, which you only know after being admitted to the Inner Courtyard.

Therefore, he must enter the Inner Courtyard.

So, who to challenge?

Lu Xianbing? Ren Xiaoxiang or Yue Daqi?

After thinking about it, Xu Jin felt it was better not to bully them and leave some opportunities for his classmates.

Yes, Xu Jin had a very clear understanding of this.

With his current strength, these three former Inner Courtyard disciples would lose to whoever he challenged.

"Five matches, then I'll fight three matches and directly challenge the top three senior brothers of the academy."

In an instant, Xu Jin had already made a decision; he would challenge the academy's eldest senior brother Wang Weisheng, second senior brother Zhang Han, and third senior brother Yu Xianghua respectively.

Subsequently, Xu Jin walked directly toward the small battlefield where Ning Yuchan was, and just as he was about to report his challenge target, suddenly, the shout of an inspection order sounded.

"Xu Jin, External Courtyard disciple He Wei challenges, come quickly to respond to the battle."

Xu Jin was stunned.

An External Courtyard disciple directly challenges him?

Is this looking at his identity as a Middle Courtyard disciple?

Is this treating him as a soft persimmon to be squeezed?

Xu Jin pinched his own cheeks; did he look that much like a soft persimmon?

Suddenly, Xu Jin realized that his ranking in the Middle Courtyard seemed to be second to last.

This second to last was still obtained after Zhou Du died in battle.

"It seems I haven't exploded with real strength... then let's show it, so as not to let people always treat me as a soft persimmon to be squeezed."

Xu Jin walked quickly toward the No. 1 small battlefield, which happened to be guarded by Ning Yuchan.

Suddenly, Ning Yuchan's voice transmission sounded in Xu Jin's ears, "Try not to strike at vital points, otherwise I'll have to take action."

Xu Jin glanced at Ning Yuchan and stepped into the small battlefield quickly.

The so-called small battlefield was just a ten-meter by ten-meter area marked out with lime; spectators could only watch from outside the line, and combatants could not voluntarily leave the small battlefield.

"He Wei, please junior brother, give me some pointers." There was a rather sturdy senior brother on the small battlefield, Meal of Mist, Seventh Layer, with a smile on his face, bowing to Xu Jin.

Although he was snatching Xu Jin's Middle Courtyard position.

But Xu Jin had accidentally performed meritorious service and was promoted to Star Patrol Guard Team Leader, and was also a Middle Courtyard disciple; his future prospects were definitely better than his, who had been mixing in the External Courtyard for a year. Based on the attitude of not offending people, this senior brother He Wei took the initiative to greet him first.

"Xu Jin, please senior brother, give me some pointers."

As soon as the words fell, the inspection order's voice sounded, "Xu Jin, you must wear the academy's standard armor before participating in the battle."

"I don't need it," Xu Jin said.

Once these words were spoken, He Wei was stunned, and the watching senior brothers were also stunned one after another.

Standard armor, not to mention weapons, but that double-layered soft chain armor had strong defensive power, and it could be used to save one's life at critical moments.

But Xu Jin directly didn't use it.

Either he was too arrogant, or he was very confident.

As for the Crocodile Dragon Soft Armor and Chase Wind Boots that Xu Jin usually wore, Xu Jin had already changed them before coming to the assessment today.

Xu Jin still understood the basic rules of the monthly exam. "Junior Brother Xu, you'd better wear the armor; swords have no eyes," He Wei, who was holding a knife, advised.

"Really don't need to. Senior Brother He, offended." Xu Jin bowed.

The next moment, the inspection order's shout sounded, "Begin."

Whoosh!

Bang!

Almost the moment the battle began, everyone saw a blur before their eyes, a sound of breaking through the air sounded, and then Senior Brother He Wei flew up, flying directly out of the small battlefield range.

Everyone was stunned.

What kind of opening is this?

Ended in the blink of an eye?

However, some senior brothers also had very ugly expressions, especially those Inner Courtyard senior brothers who were watching the battle.

Strong!

Simply ridiculously strong.

The Flying Star Step that they had practiced hard for a year and still hadn't reached Great Perfection, they actually saw on a little junior brother.

And that exploding Star Ray, he didn't see it clearly, but it was either Great Perfection or Great Success.

In fact, not only were these watching senior brothers surprised, but even Ning Yuchan, who was the examiner, was also a bit surprised.

The strength Xu Jin showed this time was somewhat beyond her expectations.

That day during the Great Battle of Qianye Island, Ning Yuchan discovered that Xu Jin's practical combat ability was extremely strong, but she was also in the great battle and had no time to look closely.

But just this first battle, Ning Yuchan knew that the senior brothers of the academy were probably going to wail.

Just now, Xu Jin's Flying Star Step had already exploded with afterimages.

This was not something that the Flying Star Step at Great Perfection could do.

Usually, only the vigorous Star Power of the Refine Star Realm combined with the Flying Star Step at Great Perfection could possibly do it.

In the crowd, He Wei, who had blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, climbed up with difficulty while clutching his chest in pain, and then looked at Xu Jin in a daze.

He didn't even understand how he lost.

A figure flashed, and he hadn't even supported his Star Shield, and he was already here.

Suddenly, He Wei understood that he had chosen the wrong target.

He chose a soft persimmon and hit a steel knife.

"Senior Brother Xu is powerful, I admit defeat." With a bitter smile, He Wei stumbled away.

He chose the wrong target, and even the subsequent battles would be affected; it seemed difficult for him to pick up a bargain and be promoted to the Middle Courtyard in this monthly exam.

Xu Jin sighed.

He actually didn't use his full strength.

He only exploded with seventy or eighty percent of his speed.

One Flying Star Step, then a flash of Star Ray exploded and hit the chest protected by the armor, and then, he won.

"You cancel?

Why are you canceling too?

What were you doing when you reported it just now?

Remember, in today's monthly exam, you can cancel a challenge at most three times!" Not far away, the inspection order's angry rebuke came.

It was several senior brothers from previous years who also treated Xu Jin as a soft persimmon; they had previously registered with the inspection order to challenge Xu Jin, but at this time, seeing Xu Jin defeat a Meal of Mist, Seventh Layer senior brother in one move, they realized they had chosen the wrong target and hurriedly canceled the challenge.

The inspection order scolded, but still canceled it.

After all, it was just an internal monthly exam; although it involved the spots for the Autumn Exam, the rules weren't that strict.

After only one match, no one came to challenge Xu Jin again.

Suddenly, Xu Jin understood what it felt like to throw one punch to avoid a hundred punches.

Although it wasn't very appropriate, the principle was the principle.

Fear the strong and bully the weak.

This is a common problem.

"Inspector, I want to challenge third senior brother Yu Xianghua." Xu Jin directly reported his target.

Hearing this, the inspector looked up at Xu Jin, slightly surprised.

The top four senior brothers of the academy had fixed seats for more than half a year; finally, someone had come to challenge them.

"Okay, arranged for the next match."

Xu Jin didn't find the martial arts matches of other senior brothers interesting.

Compared to the level of opponents encountered in the First-Tier Practice Arena Secret Realm, they were too far behind.

It is worth mentioning that Luo Geng, whose cultivation had already broken through to the Meal of Mist, Fifth Layer, performed very fiercely, having already won two matches, all challenging Middle Courtyard disciples.

There should be no problem being promoted to the Middle Courtyard this time.

"Yu Xianghua, academy disciple Xu Jin challenges, come quickly to the No. 1 battlefield to respond to the battle." The inspection order's voice sounded.

A few dozen breaths later, Xu Jin and Yu Xianghua stood still on the No. 1 small battlefield; Xu Jin was still in the academy's attire, while Yu Xianghua had long since put on the protective double-layered soft chain armor.

"Junior Brother Xu, are you sure you don't want to wear protective armor?" Yu Xianghua asked.

"No need, I feel it's a bit cumbersome," Xu Jin laughed.

Yu Xianghua frowned and couldn't help but look at Ning Yuchan, intending to ask for instructions.

It was roughly because he was afraid of hurting Xu Jin and the academy blaming him.

"It doesn't matter, he doesn't wear armor himself, he bears the consequences," Ning Yuchan said.

That put him at ease; Yu Xianghua nodded, "Junior Brother Xu, be careful."

"Please!"

"Begin!"

The next moment, Yu Xianghua rushed out instantly, his long knife spraying Star Ray, slashing continuously at Xu Jin.

Flying Star Step at Great Success, Meal of Mist, Seventh Layer peak, the Star Shield should be at Great Perfection.

Xu Jin immediately discovered something; Yu Xianghua was still extremely careful, because before he rushed over to attack, he first supported himself with a Star Shield.

Xu Jin didn't move.

Watching the Star Ray on the long knife approach his body.

Just at the moment when all the disciples thought Xu Jin was about to be seriously injured by this slash, and just before the knife light approached his body, Xu Jin instantly fell to the left, and while falling sideways, star light exploded from his waist, and then he flashed extremely eerily behind Yu Xianghua, and then slapped Yu Xianghua's back with one palm.

When the palm fell, Star Ray exploded.

Bang!

Yu Xianghua, who had solidly taken a Star Ray on his back, was like being struck by lightning; while spitting out a wisp of blood, he was directly slapped to the ground.

Xu Jin stood with his hands behind his back, quietly waiting for Yu Xianghua to climb up.

After one breath, Yu Xianghua climbed up, spat out a mouthful of blood-stained saliva, looked at Xu Jin who was quietly waiting for him, and finally, smiled bitterly, "Senior Brother Xu is powerful, I lost."

Yu Xianghua exited the arena.

The watching senior brothers were already dumbfounded.

One move!

Another move.

If they could understand winning in one move when dealing with He Wei.

But at this very moment, challenging third senior brother Yu Xianghua and winning in one move again made them incomparably shocked.

Is he that strong?

He is from this year's spring Star-Pointing Season, and it is said he pointed his star in eighty-three days.

Is this too monstrous?

From this moment on, that is, from the moment Yu Xianghua called him senior brother, it represented that Xu Jin had officially killed his way into the Inner Courtyard and officially ranked as the third senior brother of Jin Shan Academy.

But this was not the end.

It was the beginning.

Just when he was registering with the inspection order before, Xu Jin had already registered everything in one go, challenging the third senior brother, second senior brother, and eldest senior brother in sequence, which was why it caused the inspection order's surprise.

"Zhang Han, academy disciple Xu Jin challenges."

When the inspection order's voice sounded, the academy's second senior brother Zhang Han had already appeared beside Xu Jin.

"You kid, this combat power improvement is too fierce."

Zhang Han patted Xu Jin's shoulder and laughed, "Then I, this second senior brother, will give it to you."

"Inspection order, I have sparred with Xu Jin, I am not as good as him, I admit defeat!"

In an instant, the disciples of the academy were in an uproar!

Admitted defeat!

The second senior brother who had dominated the academy's ranking for more than half a year actually admitted defeat directly!

Eldest senior brother Wang Weisheng, who had been watching the battle from the side, was also surprised.

The next moment, the inspection order's voice sounded.

"Wang Weisheng, academy disciple Xu Jin challenges!"

(End of chapter)