Chapter 68: Under Competition
The older Patrol Captain could only withstand ten moves from the young man before being defeated.
"Such agile footwork, the mastery of the Light Body Skill must have reached the Great Success Realm." Song Changming observed and secretly evaluated the young man’s level of strength.
During the match, his opponent couldn’t even touch him, which put him in an unbeatable position.
"One trained in brute strength, while the other mastered excellent footwork and body technique, showcasing two completely different martial arts styles, both displaying impressive potential; truly, they are rare talents."
Not far away, Xie Shihuan, the Director of the General Department, maintained a calm demeanor while internally giving these two young men high praise.
Then, the remaining four Patrol Captains’ duel turned out to be even more exciting, at least with a back-and-forth exchange, evenly matched, and quite a spectacle.
In the end, four were eliminated, and four continued to the second round.
Once again, Song Changming was the first to be called, and his opponent was one of the older qualifiers.
This time, the opponent began with an all-out offensive, trying to seize the initiative, not daring to be negligent for even a moment.
He was well aware of Song Changming’s extraordinary Qi Power and chose to avoid his sharpness and engage in a tangled fight.
Unfortunately, Song Changming had mastered a Perfection Realm Sword Skill and a Minor Success Realm High level Blade Skill, making it impossible for his opponent to simply avoid his sharpness.
With just three strikes, Song Changming effortlessly disarmed his opponent, ending the fight with ease.
"I lost..." the man sighed deeply.
Before coming here, he was very confident in his martial prowess, believing that the slot to join the General Department was undoubtedly his.
But the truth proved that there are always more skilled people; it was merely a one-sided idea of his.
He had to admit, the person before him was not only stronger but also younger, making him much more suitable to enter the General Department.
He hailed from a small county and now had to return to his humble roots...
"Thank you for letting me win." Song Changming cupped his fist in salute, stepped aside, giving up his position.
At this moment, a group of people from afar approached the place.
"Sir."
One of the Patrol Captains noticed first and immediately alerted the Director of the General Department, who had his back turned.
Xie Shihuan turned to see the newcomers and immediately stepped forward to greet them.
For the Director to act this way, the newcomers must not have been ordinary people.
Song Changming also noticed the group, recognizing among them three people he had seen before: Xiao Yanli, Xiao Shuyun, and Xiao Yueye.
There was also an attractive and tall woman walking at the forefront, her every move exceptionally captivating.
"Greetings, Second Lady, Third Young Master, Fourth Miss." Xie Shihuan saluted with cupped hands.
Although he was the head of the Public Security Bureau, he dared not slight the governor’s three children before him.
"Are we late?" Xiao Yueye said slowly.
"The first round is already finished." Xie Shihuan briefly updated on the progress.
"Heh, that’s fine, we’re just here to see the results." Xiao Yanli gently shook his folded fan, smiling leisurely.
This matter had nothing to do with him; he was just there to join the fun, to see how the talent dug up by his second sister compared to Song Changming, whom he had previously fancied.
Beside him, Xiao Shuyun was already slightly craning her head, peering into the School Martial Arts Arena.
Seeing that Song Changming was still in the running and hadn’t been eliminated, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.
It was not only a competition between Song Changming and other Patrol Captains for the position but also a contest between her and her second sister.
She didn’t want to face a complete loss.
"Oh, is it Guard Captain He now?" Xiao Yueye noticed the young man appearing in the arena, who was precisely her chosen candidate.
"Is this the genius from Fufeng County that Second Sister spoke of? Truly remarkable, with a Great Success Realm of Light Body Skill, and it seems he’s mastered more than one set; this young man is hiding his true abilities."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yanli took a closer look, unable to resist praising.
"Third Brother’s eye for talent is as sharp as ever. How about it? Can he hold the position as Chief Patrol Guard?" Xiao Yueye smiled and asked.
"At such a young age, he’s certainly worth cultivating. As for whether he gets the Chief Patrol Guard position, it depends on comparing with the candidate put forth by Fourth Sister." Xiao Yanli replied unhurriedly.
"Oh?" Xiao Yueye raised her eyebrows.
Even after seeing He Xuan’s remarkable skills, her third brother couldn’t decisively make a judgment; either giving face to Fourth Sister or indicating Fourth Sister’s candidate also had unusual strength.
In the midst of their conversation, the match in the arena had already been decided.
He Xuan, with his high-level Light Body Skill proficiency, easily defeated his opponent with a sharp sword after a dozen moves.
As a result, only two contestants remained in the final competition.
Song Changming and him.
He remained stoic, with little to say, merely standing quietly in the arena, his gaze fixed on Song Changming, seemingly already waiting for him.
"If you need a break, you can have the time of one incense stick." Lu Zheng, maintaining fairness and impartiality, said to He Xuan.
He Xuan shook his head. The consecutive matches hadn’t significantly depleted his stamina. Like Song Changming, the victories were swiftly and easily won.
Seeing this, Lu Zheng didn’t insist and looked toward Song Changming.
Song Changming understood and entered the arena with his sword once more.
This match would decide who claimed the position of Chief Patrol Guard in the General Department.
From afar, Xiao Yueye stood with arms crossed, her expression calm and composed.
The younger Xiao Shuyun appeared less at ease, her big dark eyes fixed intently on the match, clearly more nervous.
"If you’re ready, then let’s begin." Lu Zheng said without further ado.
He Xuan maintained his stoic, emotionless demeanor, his eyes even slightly shadowed, deterring strangers from approaching.
The sword in his hand never sheathed, emanating a fierce Sword Momentum aura.
Apart from his exceptional Light Body Skill, he also had noteworthy proficiency in Sword Dao, although the previous two matches were too effortlessly won to fully display it.
On the other end, Song Changming had long since drawn his longsword, knowing that, unlike the earlier rounds, this would likely be a fierce battle.
Especially given his opponent’s excellent Light Body Skill, making him feel somewhat apprehensive.
The two exchanged no words or glances.
Song Changming took a deep breath, and almost simultaneously, they both sprang into action.
The distance of over ten meters between them closed instantly, Song Changming’s long knife slashed out, while He Xuan, with a light tap of his toes, smoothly sidestepped and dodged.
The blade wind stirred, not harming him in the slightest.
The longsword was reversed in his grip, slicing past Song Changming’s chest and abdomen.
Song Changming’s initial strike was merely a probe, holding back some force to adapt, twirling the knife to intercept and parry the incoming sword strike, blocking the opponent’s fierce offensive.
As his arm’s strength was activated, his opponent gave no chance of a head-on clash, leveraging the force to elegantly retreat several meters.
This brief exchange saw neither gaining an advantage over the other.
Song Changming looked at the opponent not much older than himself, feeling increasingly invigorated.
In terms of Martial Arts Cultivation aptitude, He Xuan was genuinely an elite among his age, a genius figure.
Though Song Changming was also seen by others as having an extremely high martial arts talent.
Only he knew his Innate Talent Attributes weren’t high; it was merely thanks to the daily evaluation state bonuses that made his martial arts progress appear fast.
This was his first time competing against a true genius among his peers.
"Interesting!"
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