Chapter 84: Xuan Rank Martial Artists

When Zhang Ruochen and Zi Xi returned to the Western Courtyard Martial Ground, three to four hundred young martial artists had already gathered there. Many of them bore injuries, their faces etched with disappointment.

Others, however, were in high spirits, chatting and laughing, clearly having completed the first round of the academy examination, brimming with confidence.

In the martial ground, the crowd buzzed with discussion, most recounting their thrilling experiences hunting savage beasts, describing them vividly.

"It's said that this year's academy examination saw two killing stars emerge, causing a bloodbath in Demon Ridge. Many young martial artists died at their hands."

"I've heard that too! Those two killing stars specifically hunted martial artists from the Four Directions Commandery, inflicting at least fifty casualties among them."

A martial artist from Cloud Wu Commandery sighed, "Luckily, those two killing stars scared off the Four Directions Commandery's martial artists, so they had no energy to target us from Cloud Wu Commandery. Otherwise, I doubt I'd have passed the first round of the examination."

Zhang Ruochen smiled faintly, walking past the young martial artists, handing twenty beast eyes to the student responsible for counting them.

Zi Xi also handed over eighty beast eyes.

Both had passed the first round of the Martial Market Academy's examination and returned to the martial ground, gathering with the other martial artists from Cloud Wu Commandery.

As for the extra beast eyes, both kept them.

Savage beast eyeballs all had medicinal value and could be used for alchemy, fetching a considerable price if sold.

It was now noon, and the time for the first round of the academy examination had ended.

On the high platform in the Western Courtyard Martial Ground, Elder Situ held a scroll of beast-hide register and began reading the list of those who had passed the first round.

"The first round of the academy examination had 1,537 participants, with 468 passing. Those who passed are: Jiang Ying, Liu Chengfeng, Xia Hao..."

After Elder Situ finished reading, the young martial artists who passed the first round stayed in the Western Courtyard Martial Ground, while the others were sent back to their respective commanderies.

Elder Situ continued, "All who passed the first round will rest here in the Western Courtyard Martial Ground tonight. Tomorrow morning, you will participate in the second round, the 'Martial Tower Challenge.' The 120 with the best performance in the Martial Tower will pass. The rest will be eliminated."

"Tonight, two of your senior sisters will maintain order here. Anyone who causes trouble before the 'Martial Tower Challenge' will face severe punishment."

With that, Elder Situ descended from the high platform and left the Western Courtyard Martial Ground.

After Elder Situ left, two striking women, one tall and one short, emerged from among the ancient buildings and entered the Western Courtyard Martial Ground.

When the outer academy students of the Martial Market Academy saw these two women, fear flickered across their faces, and they immediately bowed.

"Greetings, Senior Sister Huang, Senior Sister Duanmu!"

...

Even Wang Qi, the outer academy student who had earlier escorted Zhang Ruochen and Zi Xi back to the Martial Market Academy, respectfully bowed to the two women.

The woman surnamed Huang was very tall, with sapphire-blue hair reaching her waist, her skin as fair and delicate as pear blossoms.

The woman surnamed Duanmu appeared to be only thirteen or fourteen years old, with exquisitely delicate features, long eyelashes, and bright eyes. Though she seemed young, her figure was remarkably developed, her chest even more prominent than the Huang woman's.

Most notably, both women were extraordinarily beautiful, with faces that could topple kingdoms.

The two women ascended a seven-zhang-high stone platform, glanced at the 468 young martial artists in the martial ground, then sat cross-legged on the platform, closing their eyes as if beginning to cultivate.

In the Western Courtyard Martial Ground, everyone's gaze was drawn to the two women, unable to look away.

But those outer academy students who had been at the Martial Market Academy for a year or two dared not even glance at them, their faces showing signs of wariness.

Zhang Ruochen also looked at the two women, slightly surprised, and said, "They're wearing brocade robes!"

Generally, outer academy disciples of the Martial Market Academy could only wear white robes.

Only inner academy disciples could wear brocade robes.

Liu Chengfeng stared at the two women on the stone platform, lowering his voice, "As long as you become a Xuan Rank martial artist or accumulate enough merit points, even an outer academy disciple can wear brocade robes."

Normally, Liu Chengfeng's eyes would light up at the sight of beautiful women, eager to pounce on them.

But seeing the two women on the stone platform, he unusually showed no sign of a frivolous young master, instead revealing a hint of fear.

Zhang Ruochen was curious, "Are they Xuan Rank martial artists?"

Liu Chengfeng quickly nodded, "The Western Courtyard of the Martial Market Academy has always been dominated by women. Female students are especially formidable, and male students have little say here. Within the academy, they're called the 'Western Palace Ladies,' ruling everything in the Western Courtyard. If a male student offends them, they're doomed! Sigh!"

Zhang Ruochen's expression grew serious. If those two women were indeed Xuan Rank martial artists, their strength must be terrifying.

Entering the Xuan Rank was far harder than entering the Yellow Rank.

The Yellow Rank was merely a ranking of the top Yellow Extreme martial artists in a single commandery. First, Yellow Extreme martial artists were still at a low level; second, the Yellow Rank covered a very narrow region.

But the Xuan Rank was different. Only the top Xuan Extreme martial artists could make the list.

Moreover, the Xuan Rank's scope expanded to the thirty-six commanderies around Demon Ridge.

In other words, only the elite Xuan Extreme martial artists from those thirty-six commanderies could enter the Xuan Rank.

It could be said that every martial artist on the Xuan Rank could rival Earth Extreme martial artists. Those near the top of the Xuan Rank were even stronger than ordinary Earth Extreme martial artists.

If the two stunning women on the stone platform were indeed Xuan Rank martial artists, their strength could match top Earth Extreme experts.

No wonder all the outer academy students feared them.

Zhang Ruochen withdrew his gaze, no longer staring at the two women, and looked around. He noticed that this year, thirty-one young martial artists from Cloud Wu Commandery had passed the first round.

Such a result would have been unimaginable in previous years.

The Four Directions Commandery had 162 people pass the first round, still the most among the nine commanderies west of the ridge. But compared to previous years, it was far worse.

After all, ninety-eight martial artists had died at the hands of Zhang Ruochen and Zi Xi, many of them experts, which had indeed dealt a heavy blow to the Four Directions Commandery's martial artists.

Prince Huoxing sat among the Four Directions Commandery's martial artists, glaring coldly at Zhang Ruochen and Zi Xi, his eyes filled with intense killing intent.

Zhang Ruochen also looked at Prince Huoxing in the distance, noticing that his blood energy had significantly increased, and his gaze had become unusually sharp.

"Prince Huoxing has broken through to the Small Extreme of the Xuan Extreme realm!" Zhang Ruochen said.

"What?"

Liu Chengfeng exclaimed, his face changing with worry, "Prince Huoxing was already gifted, a talented beast tamer with strong spiritual power. Now that he's broken through to the Small Extreme of the Xuan Extreme realm, he might become the top scorer in this examination."

Zhang Ruochen asked, "What's the benefit of being the top scorer?"

Liu Chengfeng said, "Not just the top scorer—even the top ten receive generous rewards."

"Even the tenth-place newcomer gets 100 merit points. The ninth gets 200. And so on—the fourth gets 700."

"The third gets 1,000 merit points."

"The second gets 2,000."

"The first gets 3,000."

A nearby young martial artist scoffed, "Only 3,000 merit points for first place? That's not much."

Liu Chengfeng rolled his eyes, "Merit points at the Martial Market Academy can be exchanged for all kinds of cultivation resources, including pills, True Martial treasures, savage beast mounts, servants, halls... There's nothing you can think of that the academy can't provide."

"If you have enough merit points, you could even buy a commandery, and the academy would make it happen."

"One merit point at the academy is worth one spirit crystal. The first-place newcomer gets 3,000 merit points, equivalent to 3,000 spirit crystals, worth three million silver coins."

"Three... million... silver coins..." The young martial artists from Cloud Wu Commandery were all stunned.

Zhang Ruochen was also slightly surprised. He had only heard that the Martial Market Bank was the wealthiest under heaven, but now he truly understood its riches.

Even a powerful seventh-rank family like the Lin Clan would have to use all its resources and savings to scrape together three million silver coins.

Now, just by becoming the top newcomer, one could get 3,000 merit points, worth three million silver coins.

With such a vast fortune, one could exchange for a huge amount of cultivation resources, and rapid progress in cultivation would be assured.

"The key is tomorrow's 'Martial Tower Challenge.' The better you perform, the higher your score."

Liu Chengfeng added, "Although the 'Martial Tower Challenge' demands high cultivation, it tests talent and overall qualities even more, like spiritual power, the five senses, perseverance, judgment, and so on."

Zi Xi's eyes flashed with a sharp light, "In tomorrow's 'Martial Tower Challenge,' I will definitely enter the top three among newcomers."

Liu Chengfeng thoughtfully looked at Zhang Ruochen, "Your Highness, the Ninth Prince, what about you?"

Zhang Ruochen smiled, "I don't know much about the Martial Tower. I'll just do my best!"