Chapter 518 - 500: Martial Examination Round 1

Upon the vast Buddhist lands stood an ancient temple. It looked as if it were cast from pure gold, towering and primitive. Suspended before the temple was a massive golden bell with a missing corner, its imperfection only adding to its ancient and sacred aura.

Su Yu, incarnated as a White Ape draped in a blood-red cassock, sat cross-legged on the back of a Six-Tusked White Elephant. His eyes were downcast, his expression solemn and dignified.

Suddenly, dark clouds churned in the distance. The ground trembled as thousands of demons and monsters stampeded toward him.

They came in all shapes and sizes. Some had skeletal wings growing from their backs, some boasted three heads and six arms, some were wreathed in freezing black flames, and others emanated demonic energy that pierced the heavens.

Su Yu snapped his eyes open and let out a low shout, "Om!"

Instantly, a golden soundwave imbued with an astonishing Buddha’s Voice swept out. The hordes of monsters leading the charge suffered violent tremors to their Divine Souls, collapsing in droves.

The physical bodies of the weaker monsters were outright shattered by the sound, their demonic energy dissipating as they were reduced to ash.

Only a few powerful Great Demons managed to break through the Sanskrit chants and close the distance.

Su Yu glanced at the mottled golden bell beside him, a flash of enlightenment crossing his mind. He reached out, pinched a lingering thread of the true sound, and flicked his finger toward the massive bell.

DONG!

A majestic, deafening chime rang out, radiating an immense true sound.

Within the bodies of those Great Demons, their organs became bells, their Great Tendons acted as bowstrings, and their surging Qi and Blood transformed into the striking mallets!

The Great Demons roared, but their struggles only intensified the mighty true sound echoing within them. The ringing bell shattered their internal organs and forced their Qi and Blood to flow in reverse. One by one, their massive bodies crashed to the ground.

Heart Bell’s Long Ringing; the lingering echoes vanquished the demons!

In the next moment, Su Yu suddenly opened his eyes in the real world, a glint of golden Buddhist light flashing in his pupils.

He looked up at the interface before him.

[Traits: Heart Bell’s Long Ringing]

A sound enters the heart, its echoes unending. The organs serve as the bell, the Great Tendons as the string, and Qi and Blood as the mallet!

Anyone struck by the Divine Sense Heart Sound will have a strand of the Fearless True Sound infused into their Qi and Blood. The more violently the target circulates their Qi and Blood or snaps their Great Tendons, the more the true sound will borrow that force to resonate, causing a backlash against their organs and Divine Soul!

The Divine Ape rides the elephant to trample the heart’s gate; before one sound fades, a hundred more are born!

"I see. So this is the second Breaking Limit trait," Su Yu thought with a faint smile. "With this, even if an enemy dodges the initial Divine Sense Heart Sound, a hidden danger will remain in their body. At a crucial moment, I won’t even need to unleash the Divine Sense Heart Sound again; I can simply trigger the Heart Bell’s Long Ringing. It will be impossible to defend against.

"Based on my past Breaking Limit experiences, a second Breaking Limit trait is never weaker than the first. The Divine Soul concussive power of this Heart Bell’s Long Ringing might actually surpass the Divine Sense Heart Sound itself!"

With this trait, he was even more confident in defeating those opponents who possessed a True Dragon Tendon.

Over the next two days, the Martial Examination proceeded in full swing. The various betting pools grew increasingly heated as countless people began to raise their stakes.

Su Yu arranged for Yang Zhen and Yang Ai to place another massive bet on him.

During these two days, Lin Wanzhu and Yang Zhen also participated in the Martial Examination. Both possessed formidable strength. With only a fraction of their power, they easily defeated their opponents and advanced to the next round.

Thanks to her aloof, fairy-like temperament, stunning beauty, and the graceful bearing of a female Sword Immortal, Yang Zhen attracted an astonishing amount of attention throughout the city.

"Did you hear? That Yang Zhen who popped up these past two days is basically the reincarnation of a female Sword Immortal!"

"I saw her! She’s a peerlessly elegant female Sword Immortal. Even Fairy Wen’s presence has been overshadowed by her."

"It’s a pity that such an astonishingly talented female genius is actually Su Yu’s wife!"

"What? Su Yu’s wife?! Argh, I’m dying of jealousy! I’d be satisfied just getting one look at the fairy, but Su Yu actually married her?!"

"Fuck, Su Yu has done even more infuriating things! He willingly returned Ms. Chen Ling’s bell, and lately, he’s been entangled with Fairy Wen. He even said he was going to ruthlessly ravage her in the arena!"

"Argh! Just who the hell is this Su Yu? How did his reputation get so massive? Is he really from the Outer City?"

Because of Yang Zhen’s brilliance, Su Yu unwittingly drew another wave of hatred upon himself. Many Noble Families in the Inner City even felt that Su Yu was unworthy of her. They desperately hoped he would fail in the Martial Examination, proving that the fairy had entrusted herself to the wrong man.

Su Yu had anticipated Yang Zhen’s rise to fame, but he made no move to stop it. After all, with her current talent and grace, she could not be hidden anyway. Furthermore, the rewards for this Martial Examination were incredibly generous; it would be a true shame to miss out on them.

A new day arrived. The preliminary selection of the Martial Examination had finally concluded, giving way to the true arena battles.

The numerous geniuses that the crowds had been anticipating made their appearances one after another, pushing the atmosphere of the Martial Examination to a fever pitch.

"Has Su Yu fought yet? I want to see if this guy is all bark and no bite!"

"If his strength isn’t up to par, I’m showing up at his door to challenge him tomorrow! Dammit, for the peerlessly elegant Fairy Yang to already be taken by someone like him—it’s a crime against nature!"

"Bullshit! That brat has a Martial Arts Examination Nomination Order. He got a bye again!"

On this day, thanks to his Martial Arts Examination Nomination Order, Su Yu was granted another bye.

Many of those keeping an eye on him gnashed their teeth in frustration.

The following day, Su Yu drew lots. He bypassed the seeded competitors and was matched against an opponent in the Ape Tendon Realm.

A sea of people surrounded the arena.

"Look, it’s Fairy Yang! As expected, she came with Su Yu!"

"Fairy Wen is here too. No way, is she also here to watch Su Yu’s match?"

"Lu Xu is here as well. For him to place such importance on Su Yu, it seems this guy might actually have some strength."

"Li Jingfeng and Gu Changfeng are here too. I heard the three of them are good friends in the Zhenwu Mansion."

As one of this year’s seeded competitors in the Martial Examination, Su Yu naturally commanded significant attention. Many factions from the Inner City were watching him closely, eager to see exactly how high he would rank before deciding whether to recruit or ally with him.

"Number seven, Su Yu, versus number thirty-six, Du Chong! Both combatants, step onto the arena and prepare yourselves!"

Du Chong was an expert from the Inner City’s Du family. Known for his mastery of the Eight Desolates Fist, he enjoyed a modest reputation in the Inner City.

His face was stern, and his heart pounded with tension. He wasn’t like the ignorant commoners watching for fun. Su Yu had defeated Tiemu Xiaoyun and taken up the position of Great Commander of the Zhenwu Mansion—either of these feats alone was enough to prove his terrifying strength.

"Even if I lose today, I must fight at my absolute peak! I’ll make all these observing factions recognize the true strength of Du Chong!" he thought resolutely.

Opposite him, Su Yu wore a placid expression as he slowly ascended the arena stairs.

Today, he wore a white Martial Arts Robe with narrow black sleeves. Both the collar and cuffs were embroidered with dark gold cloud patterns. A black jade leather belt was fastened around his waist, and he wore a pair of gilded, cloud-patterned boots. His black hair was tied up in a Moyu Crown, further accentuating his sharp features, striking eyes, and handsome appearance.

His pitch-black eyes were entirely tranquil. As he walked, the hem of his robe fluttered in the wind. Mo Yuan was strapped to his back, its dark scabbard devoid of any radiant glow. Once he stood on the arena floor, his calm and confident aura caused the entire audience to unconsciously fall silent.

Down below, Yang Ai gazed at him with stars in her eyes. She had meticulously styled and dressed Su Yu this morning, and her heart was currently brimming with unparalleled sweetness.

"Are both sides ready?" The referee looked between the two. Seeing them both nod, he announced crisply, "Let the match begin!"

"Su Yu, I made my name with the Eight Desolates Fist! Let me show you what it can do today!"

Du Chong let out a booming shout. The Qi and Blood within his body roared as he channeled it entirely into his right arm. Simultaneously, his Jiao Dragon Great Tendons pulled taut like bowstrings, releasing a series of low, thunderous thrums.

The moment he threw the punch, a fierce, rolling gale swept through the arena!

Eight Desolates Stele Opening!

This technique was Du Chong’s signature killing move. He knew exactly where he stood, choosing to go all out from the very first second.

"Excellent!"

This opening strike immediately drew cheers of approval from the audience, their eyes burning with excitement. Du Chong was no ordinary man—he was a formidable expert in the Jiao Tendon Realm. Now that he had unleashed such a powerful technique, they were eager to see exactly how Su Yu would respond!