Chapter 70: The Chief Instructor Takes Action

After his victory, Chu Feng sheathed his sword and cupped his fists to his opponent in a gesture of respect before stepping down from the dueling platform. He stood quietly at the side, waiting for the next match to begin.

“I never expected someone so formidable to come out of the Twentieth Battalion!” In the crowd, beside Sun Xuan, Xie Xiaolan’s face was alight with excitement. “But compared to us, he’s still a bit weaker.”

“You’re mistaken. You have no idea how much you’ve underestimated him.” Sun Xuan shook her head, her expression turning somber and complicated, as she muttered, “At my current level, I’m no match for him.”

“What!” Xie Xiaolan was dumbfounded, thinking she must have misheard. This was beyond belief. For someone hailed as the top newcomer to admit defeat to this man—just how powerful was he?

“Are you certain?” Xie Xiaolan couldn’t help but ask.

“It’s the truth,” Sun Xuan replied with a slow nod, her gaze drifting to Chu Feng by the first platform. She said in a low voice, “I owe him my life.”

Xie Xiaolan drew a sharp breath, staring at the upright figure, utterly speechless.

The competition continued. By now, the twenty chief instructors had lost all interest in the duels and only glanced over occasionally.

“Which instructor is responsible for this young man? Bring him to me at once!” After receiving a message from the chief instructors, all the Twentieth Battalion instructors turned to look at Xiao Yue of the Ninth Squad, unable to hide their envy.

“This boy’s luck is truly extraordinary this year!” Old Yang thought to himself as he glanced at Xiao Yue. Among all the instructors, only Old Yang, besides Xiao Yue, truly understood how monstrously talented Chu Feng was—and he had paid a heavy price for that insight.

Xiao Yue stroked his chin, smiled faintly at the others, and left the Ninth Squad.

“Boss Pang, you wanted to see me?” Xiao Yue asked as he approached Pang Xian.

When Pang Xian saw Xiao Yue, his eyes lit up. He pointed to the sword-bearing youth beside the first platform and asked, “Is that young man yours?”

“He is,” Xiao Yue replied with a nod. In truth, Xiao Yue hadn’t expected the chief instructors to take such a personal interest. With this, Chu Feng’s chances of receiving a trial in the Sanctum grew even stronger.

Pang Xian asked no further questions. Beaming, he stood up and clapped Xiao Yue on the shoulder. “Ha ha! Xiao Yue, you’ve done well—exceedingly well. You must be properly rewarded when we return.”

Pang Xian lavished praise on Xiao Yue without a hint of shame, forgetting how he had been grumbling about someone’s lack of conscience earlier.

“By the way, what’s that young man’s name?” Pang Xian inquired.

“Chu Feng.”

“So, he’s Chu Feng!” Pang Xian exclaimed in sudden realization. As one of the standouts of the Twentieth Battalion, Chu Feng’s name had reached even Pang Xian, though he had never met the young man in person.

“Also, do you know why he doesn’t undergo spirit transformation during his fights? Is he deliberately hiding his strength? How powerful is he, truly?” Pang Xian pressed on, eager for someone under his command to qualify for the trial in the Sanctum.

“It’s not that he doesn’t want to—he simply can’t,” Xiao Yue explained.

Xiao Yue’s words drew a shocked look from all the chief instructors. Since ancient times, no one unable to undergo spirit transformation had ever crossed such a vast gulf.

Back when Pang Xian assigned the roster, he hadn’t bothered to check the trainees’ files. With five thousand names, he couldn’t possibly review them all.

“Are you certain?” Pang Xian asked urgently, his excitement barely contained. If such a prodigy emerged under his command, it would be nothing short of extraordinary.

“He’s a survivor of the disaster at Ancient Qilin City. The elders granted him special permission to join the Spirit Battle Pavilion,” Xiao Yue said.

Hearing this, everyone nodded in secret understanding—it made sense that someone unable to transform their spirit would be allowed in under such circumstances. Still, they were even more astonished.

Xiao Yue ignored their shock and casually continued, “He may not be extremely gifted, but he’s worked hard since joining the Pavilion. Though his progress hasn’t been rapid, he can now just about hold his own against an ordinary fourth-tier Earth Spirit Warrior.”

Xiao Yue’s words, spoken with deliberate nonchalance, struck the twenty chief instructors like a thunderclap, leaving their faces twisted in disbelief.

“To say he can barely contend with a fourth-tier Earth Spirit Warrior, or that his progress is slow—if such talent is considered mediocre, the rest of us might as well give up,” they thought.

Pang Xian and the others were stunned, waves of shock surging through their hearts. Their astonishment defied description.

They had no reason to doubt Xiao Yue, yet it was inconceivable—a youth unable to undergo spirit transformation, yet so powerful?

To be able to stand against a fourth-tier Earth Spirit Warrior as a newcomer—he was certainly one of the most formidable in this year’s cohort.

Xiao Yue remained composed, having anticipated such a reaction. He knew that once Chu Feng’s true power was revealed, it would cause an uproar throughout the entire newcomer camp—no surprise if it even shook the four major battalions.

After the shock subsided, Pang Xian was so excited he nearly trembled. Had they not been in public, he might have shouted for joy.

For the moment, the chief instructors refrained from further comment, choosing instead to observe more of Chu Feng’s performance.

“Xiao Yue, sit here, let’s keep watching.” Pang Xian’s grin stretched nearly to his ears as he pulled Xiao Yue to a seat beside him. None of the other chief instructors objected.

After a little over an hour, the first round ended. Following a brief pause, the second round began.

One hundred were eliminated in the first round; half of those remaining fell in the second, leaving only fifty.

In this round, Chu Feng again defeated his opponent with a single strike.

Although it was mealtime, none present were ordinary folk—a skipped meal meant nothing as the matches continued in full swing.

By afternoon, the third round concluded. Fifty became twenty-five, and, as before, Chu Feng dispatched his foe with a single blow—the opponent utterly unable to resist.

Chu Feng’s strength was overwhelming, drawing cheers from all sides. Both Xu Yan and Shi Fei counted themselves lucky not to be on the same platform as him.

At this stage, only five contestants remained on each platform.

Next came the round-robin matches among the five. The one with the most victories from each platform would enter the final grand championship.

The outcome seemed assured. Chu Feng defeated his four rivals, each in a single move, igniting the crowd’s passion and awe.

Ultimately, the finalists were Chu Feng, Xu Yan, Shi Fei, Chen Shang, and Zhang Bo. Xu Yan and Shi Fei had both awakened their spirit bodies; Xu Yan had even mastered some spirit arts.

The five would again compete in a round-robin, determining the top five. These would be the ultimate victors of the Twentieth Battalion’s tournament, with each earning corresponding merit points.

Yet at this point, the final ranking seemed all but settled.

Even when facing Xu Yan, who wielded spirit arts, Chu Feng defeated her with a single blow—her attacks unable to touch him in the slightest.

The result was expected, but the manner of it surpassed all predictions. Chu Feng’s dominance was absolute, leaving everyone stunned.

At last, the twenty chief instructors had seen Chu Feng’s power with their own eyes—a single strike to defeat a first-tier Earth Spirit Warrior with spirit arts, a feat requiring at least a third-tier Earth Spirit Warrior.

On the platform, a middle-aged man announced the results: Chu Feng took first place, Xu Yan second, Shi Fei third, Zhang Bo fourth, and Chen Shang fifth.

“His swordsmanship must have reached a level of near-perfection,” remarked the chief instructor of the Sixth Battalion. “I’d like to see for myself what he can really do.”

The tournament’s excitement didn’t diminish at its conclusion. Instead, enthusiasm soared, as the Sixth Battalion’s chief instructor would personally test Chu Feng’s strength.

Lu Haoran, the Sixth Battalion’s chief instructor, was a master swordsman. Though he had seen Chu Feng’s peerless technique, each fight ended in a single move, leaving him with only glimpses, not the full picture.

Lu Haoran’s curiosity burned—how could someone unable to undergo spirit transformation possess such formidable strength?

The other chief instructors raised no objection, eager to truly gauge Chu Feng’s power through this challenge.

On the first platform, Chu Feng stood, sword in hand, facing Lu Haoran.

The crowd buzzed with excitement. Who would have thought a chief instructor would step into the ring?

“Be careful, young man!” Lu Haoran called with a smile.

“Thank you for your guidance, instructor,” Chu Feng replied, bowing with proper decorum.

Lu Haoran nodded, and in a flash, underwent spirit transformation. Spiritual energy billowed from his earthen spirit body, radiating a force of immense gravity.

With a wave, Lu Haoran sent a dragon of earth surging toward Chu Feng.

In that instant, Chu Feng drew his sword, severing the earth dragon with a single swing. Spiritual energy surged, but even the fierce recoil failed to push Chu Feng back an inch.

“Impressive strength!” Lu Haoran nodded, a flicker of doubt in his heart. How could one unable to undergo spirit transformation possess such a powerful body?

That first exchange was merely a test of Chu Feng’s might. Lu Haoran sensed that Chu Feng’s strength was somewhat greater than a third-tier Earth Spirit Warrior, yet a bit less than a fourth-tier.

Though his power fell short of a fourth-tier, the fact that he could contend with one meant Chu Feng must possess even more astonishing abilities.

Lu Haoran adjusted his own strength accordingly and unleashed a barrage of spirit arts.

On the platform, earth dragons weaved through the air, dense spikes of stone crisscrossed, nearly enclosing Chu Feng completely.

Earth’s nature was defensive, formidable in both offense and, especially, defense—breaking through would be no easy feat. The crowd watched in suspense, hearts pounding at what seemed a certain defeat.

Yet Chu Feng showed no fear. He moved with impossible grace, sword flashing in a seamless defense, blocking every attack before it could come near.