The arena trembled as five challengers stepped forward simultaneously.
Each one carried a different weapon—a whip, a hammer, dual blades, a spear, and bare fists wrapped in metal gauntlets.
They were not the strongest newcomers,but they were coordinated.Experienced.Hungry.
And above all—
they shared a single hatred:
Lian Hong's rise.
Whispers surged through the hall.
"Is Instructor Wei crazy!?""Five at once… this is basically an execution!""No one can handle that many angles!""Unless—unless he really is a monster…"
Zhou Shan hugged his head.
"Bro, if you survive this, I'll call you father—!!"
Lian Hong stepped forward.
His expression remained calm.
He inhaled softly—
and time seemed to slow.
The Surrounding Net
The five challengers moved in perfect formation.
Whip-user: snapping forward like a venomous serpent.Spearman: thrusting toward Lian Hong's throat.Hammer-wielder: leaping to smash his skull.Dual blades: slicing low from left and right.Gauntlet fighter: rushing from behind with a crushing punch.
Five killing angles.Five lethal rhythms.Five coordinated attacks converging in one heartbeat.
Anyone else—
would die.
But Lian Hong was not "anyone."
The First Strike – Soft and Hard
The whip lashed forward in a blur—aimed to coil around Lian Hong's arm and restrict movement.
Lian Hong shifted lightly to the side.
Not dodging.
Redirecting.
With a twist of his wrist, his fingers brushed the whip's leather—
SNAP—whoosh—!!
The whip's angle shifted violently.
It wrapped around the hammer-wielder's ankle instead.
"What—?!"
The hammer-user's jump broke mid-air,his body twisting awkwardly.
Lian Hong grabbed the whip tail—yanked—
CRASH!!
The hammer-user slammed into the spear-user beside him.
Two down—
but not defeated yet.
The Second Sequence – Shadowstep Awakens
Dual-blade fighter lunged at Lian Hong's ribs.
Fast.Precise.
A killing blow.
Lian Hong vanished.
A single afterimage remained on the sand.
〈Shadowstep Phantom Movement – Minor Awakening〉
A cold voice echoed behind the dual-blade user.
"You exposed your center."
A fist struck the attacker's sternum.
THUMP!!
The dual-blade fighter skidded across the arena, coughing blood.
Gasps erupted.
"He's getting faster—again!!""That movement technique… awakened? Just now!?""He's breaking through in real time!"
Instructor Wei Feng's brows twitched.
His Shadowstep evolved… mid-battle?Unbelievable…
The Third Exchange – Spear and Gauntlets
The spearman recovered quickly and thrust with fierce momentum.
"Take this!!"
The thrust was clean—a straight line of killing intent.
But Lian Hong stepped forward.
Directly into the strike.
Spectators screamed.
"Is he crazy!?""He's going to be stabbed—!"
But the spear never reached him.
Lian Hong's hand clamped around the shaft—
with inhuman precision.
The spearman's eyes went wide.
"No way—!!"
Lian Hong twisted the spear sharply, pulling the attacker off balance.
At the same instant—
THUD!!
A gauntlet-wearing fist smashed down from behind.
But Lian Hong had anticipated it.
Still gripping the spear, he pivoted—
swung the spearman's body sideways like a living shield—
BANG!!
The gauntlet strike slammed into the spearman's back, sending him flying.
"You—!!"
The gauntlet fighter roared and swung again.
Lian Hong released the spear—shifted an inch—and the metal fist cut through empty air.
Then—
his knee rose into the attacker's abdomen.
BOOM!!
The gauntlet fighter collapsed, gasping, unable to rise.
Four Down. One Left.
Only the whip-user remained conscious.
His eyes were wide with terror.
"What… what kind of monster are you…!?"
Lian Hong didn't answer.
He simply stepped toward the last challenger.
The disciple backed up rapidly.
"D-Don't come near me—!!"
He flicked his whip desperately—
but his panic destroyed all form.
Lian Hong caught the whip again.
And this time—
he pulled the disciple toward him,stepping in at the perfect angle.
He tapped the disciple's chest with two fingers.
A soft strike.
THUMP.
The disciple fainted instantly.
The arena fell into silence.
Deep.Absolute.Unbroken.
The Hall Reacts
Then—
the entire hall exploded into uproar.
"FIVE PEOPLE—beaten in seconds!?""He fought like he knew every move before they made it!""His instincts are terrifying!""No… they're not instincts. That was pure battle experience!"
"Is he even a newcomer??"
Instructor Wei Feng clenched his jaw.
He had expected strength.
But this—
This was beyond strength.
This is talent born from death…and reforged in battle.
Behind him, several senior instructors exchanged glances.
Even they looked shaken.
Far above, in the upper balcony hidden behind shadows—
a faint ripple of suppressed killing intent returned for a heartbeat.
Watching.
Studying.
Evaluating.
And withdrawing.
Lian Hong Stands Alone
Lian Hong stood calmly in the center of the arena.
His breathing steady.His posture firm.His eyes sharp.
He looked at Instructor Wei Feng and said:
"Next."
Gasps filled the hall again.
"Next!? He wants more!?""He's insane!""No—he's unstoppable."
Instructor Wei Feng finally raised a hand.
"Enough."
His voice echoed across the hall.
"You have proven more than necessary."
He stepped forward, eyes locked with Lian Hong's.
"And you have shown the qualifications…for something far beyond the outer sect."
Zhou Shan nearly collapsed.
"Bro… BRO… what did you just do…!? You're going to heaven at this rate—!!"
Lian Hong remained calm.
But inside—
the system whispered.
[Hidden Condition Complete][Combat Awakening Level 3 Activated][New Passive Unlocked: Battle Intuition]
A cold grin flickered across Lian Hong's lips.
Good.
He lifted his head.
His next step—
would shake the entire outer sect.