“Rise to a position far beyond the others?”
“One of the few powerhouses?”
The crowd couldn’t help but frown upon hearing those words.
The Combat Master Hall was indeed powerful despite being a branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion, but for a single trial to shake the entire Master Teacher Continent, wasn’t this too much of an exaggeration?
Seeing the looks of disbelief on the faces of others, Liao Song explained, “I am not exaggerating when I say those words. Clearing the Dragon Gate Formation is no easy feat at all. The Combat Master Hall has innumerable outstanding young combat masters, but in the past three hundred years, not a single person has succeeded in clearing the trial. I believe this is more than enough to show how difficult it is. If any individual succeeds in clearing the Dragon Gate Formation, the main headquarters of the Combat Master Hall will take them away and devote its resources to groom them. It will only be a matter of time before he becomes one of the strongest figures on the continent!”
“Not a single person has cleared the trial in the past three hundred years?”
Everyone was astonished.
The Combat Master Hall was an organization that gathered the greatest combat talents throughout the Master Teacher Continent, and its strength was irrefutable. Yet, for all the talents it had, none of them had actually succeeded in clearing the Dragon Gate Formation? This was unbelievable!
School Head Mo couldn’t help but ask, “How does the Dragon Gate Formation work?”
The others also turned their gazes over.
Considering how exaggerated it sounded, the Dragon Gate Formation trial was bound to be something extremely difficult. Otherwise, it couldn’t have stopped so many combat masters in their footsteps.
“Simple. The Dragon Gate Formation is divided into three main sections, the Dragon’s Tail, the Dragon’s Back, and the Dragon’s Head. In each section, the challenger will have to face three combat masters! Of the three combat masters the challenger will be facing in the Dragon’s Tail, one will possess cultivation equal to the challenger, one a cultivation stage stronger than the challenger, and one two cultivation stages stronger than the challenger,” Liao Song said.
“Three combat masters? And their cultivations are getting progressively higher?” The crowd couldn’t help but frown.
Combat masters wielded the strength to challenge opponents stronger than them, making them nigh invincible figures within their own cultivation realms. To face three of such opponents at once, and two of them even being stronger than challenger by a cultivation stage and two cultivation stages… This was truly a frightening trial!
“The same applies for the Dragon’s Back, just that the three combat masters are three cultivation stages stronger than the combat masters on the Dragon’s Tail. In other words, the three opponents which the challenger will be facing are three, four, and five cultivation stages stronger than him!” Liao Song explained.
“Take Zheng Yang for example, given that his cultivation is currently at, Chrysalis realm primary stage, the combat masters he will be facing on the Dragon’s Back will be at Chrysalis realm pinnacle, Half-Saint primary stage, and Half-Saint intermediate stage!”
“This…”
Everyone’s face twitched in astonishment, and even Zheng Yang and the others couldn’t help but clench their fists tightly.
“Last but not least, on the Dragon’s Head, the challenger will face three combat masters that are six, seven, and eight cultivation stages stronger than them. Using Zheng Yang as an example once more, he will face opponents at Half-Saint advanced stage, Half-Saint pinnacle, and… Nascent Saint primary stage!
“To clear the Dragon Gate Formation, one will have to defeat all nine combat masters. These combat masters will be a Hundred Men Commander at the very least, and what makes the trial even more difficult is that these combat masters are skilled in collaborating with one another. The combined fighting prowess they display will be far beyond what they can do individually. With my strength, I wouldn’t be able to clear even the easiest Dragon’s Tail…” Liao Song said grimly.
After hearing the rules, everyone fell silent.
Honestly speaking, the trial was truly difficult.
Each Hundred Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall wielded strength far beyond their cultivation realm, and to face three of them simultaneously, especially when their cultivation realms were equal or greater than one… That was impossible to succeed!
It was no wonder no one had cleared this trial in the past three hundred years! This trial was simply too difficult!
Not even the powerful Captains of the Combat Master Hall would be able to clear it!
“How is it? Do you want to give it a try?” After explaining the Dragon Gate Formation, Liao Song turned his gaze to Zheng Yang and the others and asked.
Instead of responding immediately, Zheng Yang and the others lowered their heads contemplatively.
Zhuo Qingfeng was a Hundred Men Commander himself, and having crossed hands with him, Zheng Yang knew how powerful the other party was. To have to defeat nine of such opponents consecutively, each one stronger than the other, and not to mention, having to deal with their collaboration on top of that… The trial was indeed terrifyingly difficult!
“To tell you the truth, the Dragon Gate Formation I am speaking about is only the simplified version. The Dragon Gate Formation at the headquarters requires the challenger to face the Dragon’s Pearl as well. At the Dragon’s Pearl, an incredibly powerful expert awaits,” Liao Song said.
The simplified version of the Dragon Gate Formation was usually used to assess one’s qualification to face the complete Dragon Gate Formation. But even so, the number of people who had successfully cleared the simplified version over the past three hundred years could be counted with one’s fingers.
In other words, of countless geniuses that had risen in the Combat Master Hall in the past three hundred years, less than ten had managed to clear the simplified version of the Dragon Gate Formation. This went to show how difficult it was.
Soon, Zheng Yang raised his head and looked at Liao Song with a determined glint in his gaze. “I wish to give it a try.”
He felt that he had to give it a try.
To be honest, he knew that he could easily grow to become one of the strongest experts on the continent following his teacher, but if he were to do so, he would only remain as excess baggage to his teacher.
Throughout this journey, he had seen what his teacher had done for them.
Advancing his cultivation from Fighter 1-dan to Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, he had used up many resources and innumerable spirit stones, and the amount of resources he would require would only increase exponentially after he reached Saint realm. As a student, it would be extremely unfilial of him to have his teacher continue bearing this burden for him!
But if he were to try to obtain the resources required for his cultivation by himself, he didn’t have the means to do so, and his teacher wouldn’t allow it either.
Thus, after much consideration, he felt that the best way was for him to enter the Combat Master Hall.
As an organization that nurtured experts boasting the greatest fighting prowess on the continent, it possessed the best resources across the entire Master Teacher Continent. If he could become one of their members, he wouldn’t be a burden to his teacher anymore. In fact, he might even be able to shoulder some of the heavy responsibilities that his teacher shouldered.
Thus, despite the immense difficulty and danger of the trial, he felt that he had to do it!
Just like how his teacher was willing to do anything for him, he was willing to do anything for his teacher as well!
“You wish to give it a try? Very well!” Seeing that he had Zheng Yang’s approval, Liao Song nodded with a smile. After which, he turned his gaze to Wang Ying and the others. “What about the rest of you?”
Wang Ying and the others also raised their faces and replied, with resolute gazes, “We wish to give it a try as well!”
They shared Zheng Yang’s thoughts as well. Their teacher had simply done too much for them over the past few months. As students, they really couldn’t bear to see him working so hard for them anymore. As such, they wished to become independent.
As combat masters, they would be able to make a name for themselves in the world. Perhaps, their teacher would be heartened to see this as well.
There was no teacher in the world that didn’t wish for their students to spread their wings and soar into the boundless skies.
Seeing that Zheng Yang and the others had agreed to the matter, School Head Mo stepped forward and said, “Let’s head to the sparring grounds then.”
“Alright!” Knowing that this wasn’t the place to fight, the others nodded, and the huge crowd began making their way to the sparring grounds.
The sparring ground was packed to the brim. Hearing that this assessment would be far more difficult than the previous one, innumerable students had arrived earlier in the morning in order to claim better positions to view the battle.
The news had also spread far and wide over the past three days, and many experts from Hongyuan Empire and the neighboring empires had arrived to spectate this grand moment.
They wished to see what kind of harsh assessment one who was not a master teacher would have to undergo in order to join the Combat Master Hall.
As soon as Zheng Yang and the others arrived on the scene, a huge wave of cheers rippled through the crowd.
“They are Principal Zhang’s direct disciples? They look rather young.”
“Principal Zhang isn’t very old either!”
“Is it true that Principal Zhang’s direct disciples are guest elders of the Master Teacher Academy?”
“Indeed. Their comprehension of battle techniques has reached an unbelievably profound level.”
…
Many discussions could be heard beneath the stage.
When the visiting experts learned that Zheng Yang and the others were actually guest elders in the Master Teacher Academy, they were stunned.
There was no one in a Tier-1 Empire who was unaware of the significance of being a guest elder in the Master Teacher Academy. For young cultivators who weren’t twenty yet and weren’t even master teachers to become guest elders, just how powerful were they to have been awarded such prestige?
“Principal Zhang and his students are truly legends…”
“We really should keep our eyes wide open today. We could very well be witnessing the birth of a new legend today!”
After listening about the affairs regarding Principal Zhang and his direct disciples, everyone fell silent.
It was one thing for the teacher to be so formidable, but for his students to be so outstanding as well, this was truly amazing!
“Alright, let’s begin the Dragon Gate Formation!”
After completing all of the arrangements, Liao Song whistled, and the nine combat masters by his side leaped onto the stage in a winding formation, reminiscent of a massive dragon crouching on the ground, preparing to rise into the boundless sky at any moment.
Pilipala!
With several crisp echoes, the nine combat masters swiftly suppressed their cultivation to the respective levels, ranging from Chrysalis realm primary stage all the way to Nascent Saint primary stage.
“I am Liao Song, a Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall. I request for the permission to set up the Dragon Gate Formation to assess candidates for Progeny of Combat!”
After all was ready, Liao Song took out a token and flicked it into the air, following which the token floated above the grounds, and he began to speak grandly.
Boom!
Following which, spiritual energy began to gather in the surroundings as an immense power from very distant lands suddenly permeated the surroundings.
“This aura… the Combat Master Hall headquarters? Just what is this Dragon Gate Formation for it to actually require the permission of the headquarters?”
“I have no idea, but for it to require the headquarters’ permission, just like the Master Teacher Confrontation… It seems this is no ordinary assessment!”
“Indeed. If the supervision of the headquarters is required to conduct this assessment, it can only mean that Combat Master Liao doesn’t have the authority to conduct or judge this assessment!”
The crowd beneath had no idea what the Dragon Gate Formation represented, but upon seeing Liao Song communicating with the headquarters to request permission, their expressions swiftly changed to ones of astonishment.
For an examination to actually require permission from the headquarters, just how difficult could it be?
Hualala!
While everyone was still in shock, the spiritual energy from the heavens was suddenly reflected onto the ground, seemingly setting up some kind of peculiar formation. Under the effects of the formation, the nine combat masters were divided into three hidden portions, and the only part that was revealed at this moment resembled the powerful tail of a gigantic dragon. It felt as if a single lash of the tail could stir up a powerful storm, and its presence felt incredibly pressurizing to those standing before it.
“This is… the prowess of the combat masters has been enhanced by the formation?”
The faces of Wo Tianqiong and the others twitched.
The three combat masters in the Dragon’s Tail were already plenty formidable themselves. For them to be augmented by a formation on top of that, how was anyone supposed to defeat that?
Putting aside a Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator, even a Half-Saint would fall in an instant!
“Zheng Yang… be careful!” Wang Ying said with a frown.
“Don’t worry!” Zheng Yang nodded. He took a deep breath before leaping up onto the stage. With a faint smile on his lips, he declared loudly, “I am the direct disciple of Zhang Xuan, Zheng Yang! I will be challenging the Dragon Gate Formation!”
Hong long!
As soon as the declaration was made, a ray of light shot down from the heavens, shrouding Zheng Yang’s body, seemingly confirming his identity and strength.
Soon, the verification was complete, and the light faded. A huge word appeared in the sky. “Permitted!”
Similar to the Master Teacher Confrontation, this battle would be supervised by the Combat Master Hall headquarters.
Seeing that the headquarters had agreed to it, Liao Song heaved a sigh of relief and said, “Alright, you can begin now…”
“Un!” Zheng Yang nodded as he flicked his wrist to take out a long spear.
With a spear in his hand, his aura immediately changed. It became ferocious and powerful, reminiscent of a mighty tiger. A powerful surge of zhenqi emanated from his body, causing his hair to float in the air. In that moment, he bore some resemblance to an indomitable god of war.
“How powerful!”
Feeling that incredible aura, the faces of the nonchalant combat masters turned grim.
Even though the cultivation of the young man before them was only at Chrysalis realm primary stage, the sheer might of his aura exceeded even that of a Half-Saint cultivator.
“Come!”
After sharpening his aura to its limit, Zheng Yang released a furious war cry as he dashed forward toward the three combat masters in the Dragon’s Tail. In an instant, his spear seemed to converge into a single spot of light as it burst ferociously toward his opponent.
Boom!
Amidst the incredible might of the spear, a huge shockwave rippled into the surroundings, and a deafening blast reminiscent of the roar of thunder silenced the surroundings.
