The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

"The first round of melee is over. Congratulations on surviving."

On the high platform, Wang Changqing's voice rang out. He looked at the fifty survivors below, covered in blood and exuding a murderous aura, his face expressionless.

Although the spirit planters and spirit feeders before him were all members of the sect, they were not true disciples of the sect. Therefore, in his eyes, they were nothing more than mere ants and mortals, their lives as worthless as grass.

"Now, let's begin the second round: Capture the Flag."

As soon as he finished speaking, twenty cracks suddenly appeared in the ground in the center of the training ground.

Immediately afterwards, twenty thick black iron poles slowly rose from the ground. At the top of each pole was a palm-sized red command flag.

The command flags fluttered in the wind, like clusters of burning flames.

"The rules are simple," Wang Changqing's voice came again. "These twenty command flags are your credentials to enter the next round."

"Whoever can hold the command flag within one hour and ensure that it is not taken away will advance."

"Of course, you can also choose to seize the command flag from someone else."

"Now, let's begin!"

With Wang Changqing's command, the atmosphere in the entire training ground instantly became tense. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the twenty command flags that were so close at hand.

But no one dared to make a move, because they knew that whoever was the first to rush forward would become the target of everyone's anger.

"Hmph, a bunch of useless trash!"

Just then, a cold snort broke the silence on the field.

It was He Ping, nicknamed "Bloody Hand." He was shirtless, his bronze muscles stained with dried blood.

He glanced at the hesitant contestants around him, his eyes filled with disdain and contempt.

Then, he moved. Instead of trying to seize the closest command flags, he strode directly toward the tallest and most conspicuous command flag in the very center of the training ground.

His steps were steady and powerful, each step causing a slight tremor in the bluestone ground. Wherever he went, all the contestants instinctively stepped aside, not daring to block his way.

Soon, He Ping reached the command flag. He glanced at the people around him, then stretched out his right hand, which was larger than normal, and pulled the flag off the iron pole.

The whole process went smoothly; he encountered no obstacles. After receiving the command flag, He Ping did not leave immediately. He simply tucked the flag into his waistband, then crossed his arms and leaned against the iron pole, scanning the entire area with his cold eyes. His gaze was as if he were looking at a flock of lambs to the slaughter.

"Nineteen more sides." He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Whoever dares to move, dies."

Arrogant! Overbearing!

This is He Ping, nicknamed "Bloody Hand." He declared to all the contestants in the simplest and most direct way that he was the king of this selection competition.

Meanwhile, on the viewing platform, Du Tao saw this scene and a smug smile appeared on his face.

"See that? This domineering and arrogant attitude—that's the real Blood Madman, He Ping!"

He said to the person next to him in a boastful tone, "That kid's dead meat this time!"

The man quickly nodded and bowed in agreement, "Yes, yes, Senior Brother Du's decision to ask He Ping for help was extremely wise!"

On another viewing platform, Shen Qingqiu frowned slightly as she looked at the domineering figure in the center of the arena.

"This He Ping is quite capable."

She said softly.

Liu Qing didn't speak, but instead turned her gaze to another corner of the martial arts arena. There, Ye Sheng still stood quietly, his face expressionless, as if everything happening on the field had nothing to do with him.

"What...is he waiting for?"

A hint of doubt flashed through Liu Qing's mind.

At this moment, under He Ping's intimidation, the atmosphere in the training ground reached a stalemate. Everyone wanted to seize the remaining nineteen command flags, but they were all wary of He Ping's strength and ruthlessness, and dared not make a rash move.

Time ticked by, and finally, some of them couldn't hold back any longer. They were three tall spirit keepers. They exchanged a glance, and then simultaneously charged toward the command flag that was closest to them.

"court death!"

Just as they were about to succeed, a cold shout came from not far away. Immediately afterwards, a figure rushed over like a tiger descending a mountain.

It was a powerful figure from another formation. He wielded a mountain-splitting axe, each strike carrying immense force. The three spirit feeders were no match for him; after just a few rounds, they were cut down and fell to the ground, their blood splattering everywhere.

After snatching the command flag, the man immediately retreated to a relatively safe corner, looking around warily.

With the first person to try something new, the atmosphere on the field was instantly ignited.

"kill!"

The other contestants went berserk, launching a fierce charge towards the remaining eighteen command flags. Instantly, the entire training ground descended into chaos once more.

The shouts of battle, screams, and the clang of weapons were several times more intense than during the first round of melee. Everyone was fighting for their lives for those twenty spots in the next round.

Ye Sheng remained motionless, calmly observing the situation on the field, his gaze sweeping back and forth among the fighting crowd, as if searching for something.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. He saw that on the east side of the training ground, two groups of people were locked in a fierce battle over a command flag.

One group consisted of three spirit plant cultivators who formed a simple Three Talents Formation, capable of both offense and defense, and barely managed to withstand the attack from the other group.

The other group consisted of five burly spirit keepers, each wielding heavy weapons and launching a fierce attack, clearly intending to overwhelm the enemy with numbers and forcibly seize the command flag.

"Chance."

Two words flashed through Ye Sheng's mind. He moved, his figure silently creeping towards the battleground.

He did not directly participate in the fighting, but instead circled around to the side and rear of the battle, hiding behind a stone pillar and waiting quietly.

At this moment, the battle on the field had entered a fierce stage. Although the three spirit plant growers cooperated well, their strength was ultimately limited, and they were gradually unable to hold on under the siege of the five spirit feeders.

"Pfft!"

One of the plant growers was careless and was hit on the shoulder with a spiked club. He screamed and fell to the ground.

The Three Talents Formation was broken in an instant.

"Haha, the command flag is ours now!"

Upon seeing this, the five spirit feeders were overjoyed and immediately rushed towards the spirit planter holding the command flag.

Just then, a dark figure flashed out from behind the stone pillar like a ghost.

It was Ye Sheng. Before the five spirit feeders could react, the Black Ridge in his hand had already transformed into a black lightning bolt, slicing across the wrist of the spirit planter holding the command flag.

"what!"

The spirit plant grower screamed, and the command flag in his hand flew out and into the air.

Ye Sheng leaped high into the air, grabbing the command flag in his hand. Then, without looking back, he sped off in another direction.

The entire process was smooth and seamless. By the time the five spirit feeders reacted, Ye Sheng had already escaped their attack range.

"Damn! That kid snatched it from us!"

"Attack him together! Cripple him!"

The five spirit feeders roared in anger and immediately pounced on Ye Sheng.

On the viewing platform, Du Tao was taken aback at first, then a sinister smile appeared on his face.

"You little rascal, you actually have such skills!"

He immediately gestured to He Ping in the center of the arena. He Ping saw Du Tao's gesture, glanced at Ye Sheng in the distance, and a cruel look appeared on his face. Then, he strode towards Ye Sheng.

In the training ground, Ye Sheng held a command flag and ran wildly. But he could feel several auras locking onto him from behind.

Among them were the five spirit feeders he had intercepted, and an even stronger and more dangerous killing intent.

It is He Ping.

Ye Sheng frowned slightly. He hadn't expected He Ping to contact him so quickly.

"Looks like I'll just have to play around with him for now."

Ye Sheng's lips curled into a cold smile.

Instead of engaging in a direct confrontation, he used the terrain of the training ground and his own Blood Shadow Step technique to wage a guerrilla war against He Ping.

Ye Sheng knew that although He Ping was powerful, his agility was far inferior to his own. He was like a clumsy bear, possessing great strength but unable to catch a nimble monkey.

At this moment, the five spirit feeders stopped in their tracks when they saw Bloodhand He Ping chasing Ye Sheng, and went to compete for the other command flags. They dared not clash with He Ping.

"Hey kid! You better not play hide-and-seek!"

He Ping roared in anger, smashing the stone pillars along the way to pieces with his iron fists.

Ye Sheng ignored him and kept changing directions, using various obstacles to maintain a safe distance from He Ping.

Soon, an hour had passed, and all twenty command flags on the field had been assigned to someone. Those contestants who failed to grab a flag could only withdraw from the competition in disappointment.

Ye Sheng, meanwhile, continued to deal with He Ping.

"Time's up!" Wang Changqing's voice rang out from the high platform, "The second round of the capture-the-flag battle is over!"

Upon hearing this, He Ping abruptly stopped in his tracks. He looked at the boy not far away who was holding a command flag and giving him a provocative smile, his face turning pale and then red, and he trembled with anger.

I've been tricked.