Chapter 026: Admitted to the Academy

"Not good!"

Just as Martial Master Song Heng exclaimed inwardly, Xu Xuan slowly extended one arm, his palm flushing red and trembling, exuding an astonishingly oppressive aura. The way he unleashed this palm was entirely different from before; this time, it was clearly a strike he had gathered strength for.

Xu Yuan, who had just seized a brief advantage, also sensed something amiss, but he could not restrain his offensive. He threw a ferocious punch, imbued with inner force, hurling himself forward without hesitation.

Crack! Bang!

Fist and palm collided with brutal force.

In an instant, a gust of wind rippled out in all directions like a wave, with the two at the center. Dust at their feet was whipped up to half a meter high.

Around the arena, everyone fell utterly silent, holding their breath, their eyes locked on the two youths whose fist and palm remained locked together.

Inner force!

Both had unleashed inner force!

The villagers' eyes gleamed with excitement.

Xu Xuan's father, who had been deeply worried, now broke into an expression of unprecedented joy.

"Inner force? How is this possible!" Xu Dahu's face changed, his features dark and uncertain.

"Xu Xuan only just advanced to the fourth level of body refinement—how could he have grasped inner force so soon?"

Old Dong and the others wore looks of disbelief.

Inner force was not innate; it was something one comprehended only after reaching the fourth level of body refinement. Normally, an ordinary practitioner who had just advanced to the fourth level could not possibly possess inner force immediately. But the technique Xu Xuan cultivated, "Nine Transformations of the Dragon and Serpent," allowed him to grasp it almost instinctively upon reaching the fourth transformation, as if it were a natural reflex.

Amidst the shock and skepticism of the crowd, the two on the stage who had exchanged blows suddenly separated.

Step, step, step...

Xu Yuan managed to hold out for half a breath, then grunted, unable to withstand the strange force invading his body. He staggered backward repeatedly, his face deathly pale.

Xu Xuan, on the other hand, only swayed slightly before regaining his balance, a strange light flickering in his eyes.

Victory and defeat were instantly decided.

The crowd erupted in astonishment; the result was completely unexpected.

Not only had Xu Xuan mastered inner force, he had also wounded Xu Yuan in a single blow. Previously, though the two had exchanged many attacks, neither had truly injured the other.

Yet Xu Yuan's injury was even more severe than anyone had anticipated.

Spurt!

As he steadied himself, Xu Yuan coughed up a mouthful of blood and nearly fell.

"Yuan'er!"

The elders of the Great Xu family cried out in shock.

Whoosh!

A blur flashed.

Xu Xuan saw a heroic man appear before him, inserting himself between the two combatants and halting any further attack.

So fast! Xu Xuan drew a sharp breath; the man's speed had nearly outstripped his own reaction.

Looking closer, Xu Xuan recognized the man—Song Heng, the Great Xu family's Martial Master.

"Silly child, why force yourself to take the blow?"

Song Heng shook his head with a helpless smile. His presence was, of course, to protect the Xu family scion. If Xu Xuan had pressed his advantage mercilessly, Xu Yuan's life might have been forfeit.

Xu Xuan, however, was more struck by Song Heng's strength. Reflecting on his words, he quickly understood. In truth, Xu Xuan's strike with inner force had already overwhelmed Xu Yuan. The latter could have yielded to mitigate the damage, but, unwilling to lose face, he had taken the blow head-on and suffered a more severe internal injury as a result.

"What martial practitioner dares interfere in the arena’s combat?" came a cold, clear reprimand.

At the center of the viewing platform, the beautiful female examiner raised her delicate hand, conjuring a stream of moon-blue light that summoned a biting, icy wind—like the chill of winter waters gleaming sharply in the hearts of all present.

Suddenly, everyone felt a coldness pierce straight to their bones.

Xu Xuan, more sensitive than most, felt a spiritual pressure of frost encircle the area, making even his blood tremble faintly.

Before this otherworldly force, which bridged the mortal and the divine, neither Xu Xuan nor Xu Yuan—nor even the likes of Xu Dahu and the villagers—could muster any thought of resistance. All they could do was look up in awe.

"Respected Immortal, I am no martial practitioner, nor did I intend to interfere. The victor was already decided. I acted only to prevent further harm," Song Heng quickly explained, bowing deeply to the female examiner.

Immortal!

This beautiful young woman was, in fact, a lofty immortal.

The crowd looked on in shock and reverence, their eyes filled with boundless awe and fear.

"Are you truly not a martial practitioner? Did I misjudge you?" The examiner's expression softened, and the moon-blue stream of light in her palm dissipated.

"Martial practitioners—those who attain the Dao through martial arts—are equals to those who cultivate the immortal path. That is the realm I have always dreamed of," Song Heng said with a wistful sigh, then added with a wry smile: "You flatter me, honored Immortal."

Xu Xuan listened to their exchange with mild surprise. His memories from his previous life told him that martial practitioners followed a unique path, seeking enlightenment through martial arts—a path that demanded great perception. A true martial practitioner could rival those immortals who followed the path of spells.

The examiner withdrew her skeptical gaze and calmly declared, "The victor, Xu Xuan, receives a score of 95 for outstanding performance and is admitted directly to the town academy. The defeated, Xu Yuan, scores 90—his strong showing also grants him direct admission."

This time, both winner and loser, thanks to their high scores, were admitted straight to the town academy.

The announcement sent the crowd into an uproar.

Xu Xuan saw his sister and friends cheering, and his father holding back tears of joy.

He also noticed the dark, hateful glares from Xu Dahu and his son.

"I won… I’ve won. Soon, I’ll enter the town academy, the dream of every youth in the village," Xu Xuan took a deep breath. Amid his happiness, it all felt strangely dreamlike.

Everything had changed so quickly.

Only half a month ago, he had been a mediocre youth at the first level of body refinement, lashed by Xu Dahu in the mines… Now, he was among the village's most outstanding youths and on the verge of entering the academy—the first step toward a future of success and standing out from the masses.

Meanwhile, the defeated Xu Yuan, eyes burning with resentment and unwillingness, was escorted away by his family's retainers.

For the young master of the Great Xu family, admission to the academy was guaranteed, but losing in the examination was a bitter humiliation.

Yet Xu Xuan felt no regret for injuring Xu Yuan. If he did not teach the boy a lesson, Xu Yuan might again set his sights on his sister.

The strength he had now displayed would be enough to deter Xu Yuan from harassing Huilan.

"Brother, you’re amazing! Even Young Master Xu was injured by you."

After leaving the arena, Xu Huilan beamed with pride.

Many village friends crowded around, congratulating him, their eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

"From now on, we'll go out under Brother Xuan's name—let’s see if Xu Xiaohu dares act arrogant again…"

"Hehe, we should just stick with Brother Xuan from now on."

A group of youths surrounded Xu Xuan, laughing merrily, simple and carefree.

Their father, meanwhile, could hardly get a word in edgewise and simply watched in silence, his eyes brimming with undisguised pride.

When they finally returned home, there was no time to celebrate. A stream of neighbors and relatives arrived to offer congratulations.

"Xu Zheng, you’ve truly raised a fine son! Now that he’s entering the town academy, his future knows no bounds."

"I heard your nephew was admitted, so I brought a bottle of good wine to celebrate."

"I don’t have much, but here are some eggs—let’s celebrate…"

From afternoon till night, the visitors and gift-bearers came in a steady stream.

The family was run off their feet, and the gifts alone filled half a room.

At first, Xu Xuan found it all a bit odd. If he remembered correctly, some of these people had never been on good terms with his family; there had even been grudges.

But now, with Xu Xuan’s success, these same people became magnanimous and benevolent, forgetting past grievances.

Having merged the memories of two lives, Xu Xuan quickly adapted to these social realities.

It was late before the guests finally departed.

"Heaven has not been unkind to me, Xu Zheng," his father murmured, limping as he gazed up at the night sky, his back to his children, eyes moist.

The family, content and moved, soon fell asleep.

Xu Xuan lay in bed and fell into a deep, instant sleep.

He was exhausted—truly exhausted.

Since falling from the cliff, he had not slept for two days and nights, and today he had fought a fierce battle.

In his dreams, he once again entered the sea of memories.

But this time, the dreamscape changed.

Within the sea of memories, the star he had previously kindled expanded, its light now reaching four or five miles across, encompassing more star-sand. At the edge, another star was beginning to shine.

"Advancing to the fourth level of body refinement has clearly strengthened my spirit," Xu Xuan thought, delighted as he gazed at the new, luminous star.

With a thought, he merged into the second bright star…

(End of the first update… Thank you all for your support! The book has held steady on the front page of the new releases for a week!)