I have a martial arts panel.

Chapter 129 He Mingye, the First True Disciple

The roars of the monstrous beasts were filled with ferocity.

Some disciples who had just started learning or lacked practical experience began to show signs of distress.

Even inside the cage, the monsters still exerted immense pressure.

"So many monsters..."

Xu Ning watched from the stands as countless iron cages were continuously brought up.

Some of the huge coverings were not fully concealed, and it was even possible to see that in some cages, there was more than one monster trapped inside.

Moreover, the aura emanating from the cages that were gradually being brought up was becoming increasingly powerful.

Xu Ning had already sensed the presence of the Void Realm demon beast.

"That's quite a generous gesture."

Xu Ning also sighed, "But all this manpower and resources, bringing in so many demonic beasts to hold a demon-slaying tournament, is it just to test the strength of the sect's disciples...?"

Hearing Xu Ning's question, Le Caiwei explained, "That's part of the reason, but not entirely."

"Three hundred years ago, a terrifying beast tide, the likes of which were rare in a thousand years, struck our Jifeng Prefecture. That tide turned the entire Jifeng Prefecture into a sea of ​​monsters. In fact, the monsters from Jifeng Prefecture even flowed into Feiyun Prefecture, directly causing the collapse of the Feiyun Prefecture Dynasty and plunging it into a turbulent period of war between various factions. It was not until the Yuansheng Sect of Feiyun Prefecture swept across the eight wastelands and six directions that order was restored."

Le Caiwei continued, "If Feiyun Prefecture, which was only indirectly affected, is in such a dangerous situation, then Jifeng Prefecture, which is at the center of the beast tide, must be even more desperate."

"At that time in Jifeng Prefecture, all forces put aside their prejudices and united against the enemy. Major sects and families formed alliances and helped each other, which gradually stabilized the situation."

"Even so, Jifeng Prefecture was still ravaged by war and the people were suffering. Just then, in despair, the hero of the chaotic world, Shi Fengxu, emerged out of nowhere. Together with the top experts from various sects and families, he completely suppressed and sealed the demon king 'Void Beast,' thus reversing the decline, defeating the demon beast again, and allowing the human race to once again become the masters of Jifeng Prefecture."

"After that, Shi Fengxu briefly established a dynasty in Jifeng Prefecture, but after he disappeared, the dynasty collapsed after thirty years, and Jifeng Prefecture once again became a situation of division among sects and aristocratic families, which continues to this day."

"Nowadays, ordinary people or martial artists have forgotten the beast tide of three hundred years ago. However, the major sects and families have maintained the tradition of holding demon-slaying tournaments, precisely to serve as a lasting warning."

Xu Ning listened from the side and nodded silently.

It turns out that Jifeng Prefecture has such a dark past.

In this way, Xu Ning understood the significance of holding this demon-slaying conference.

"Look, it's Senior Brother He Mingye!"

At this moment, Le Caiwei suddenly pointed to the platform in the square, her voice somewhat excited.

Xu Ning looked over and saw a young man dressed in a dark blue robe walk onto the platform.

With his long, flowing hair and a long sword on his back, he stood there like a divine weapon unsheathed, making one clearly feel his sharp edge.

"He Mingye..."

Xu Ning had already heard rumors about this person before.

He is the foremost disciple of the Yue Lan Sect in this era, and a disciple of the sect leader, Mi Xingye.

Rumors have circulated that this person's strength is at least at the seventh level of the Void Realm, the Transcendent Realm, and at only thirty years old, he is already comparable to an elder in the sect.

He Mingye's appearance drew the attention of thousands of people.

When He Mingye made his appearance, a huge special cage was also pushed up.

The huge cloth was torn off, revealing a ferocious beast before everyone's eyes.

The giant beast was over ten meters tall, covered in dark green scales, with scarlet, ferocious eyes. It had short, thick limbs and a tail covered in sharp spikes.

Its body is covered with interwoven light and dark yellow stripes, and it exhales a dark yellow aura with each breath.

The cage door was opened.

The moment the giant beast emerged, a violent and oppressive aura swept out in all directions.

Even Xu Ning felt a little palpitated.

"This demonic beast's strength is probably beyond the mid-stage of the Void Realm..."

Although they were far apart, Xu Ning sensed a deep threat emanating from the giant beast: "This should be a high-level Void Realm demon beast. At the very least, its strength must be comparable to a top-tier martial artist at the seventh level of the Void Realm!"

Wow!

The moment the giant beast emerged from its cage, beams of light shot upwards from the four corners of the plaza platform, intersecting at the nodes to form a transparent light curtain.

"Is this a technique from the seventh level of the Void Realm, the Transcendent Seal Realm...?"

Xu Ning looked at the transparent light screen and thought to himself.

This transparent light curtain should be similar to a "barrier" to isolate the effects of battle within the arena.

The fourth to sixth levels of the virtual realm refer to the application and understanding of properties.

Once a Void Realm Martial Master reaches the seventh level or above, they can unleash techniques that transcend ordinary martial arts.

In Xu Ning's view, those methods were quite miraculous and transcended the mundane.

Inside the light screen, the giant beast roared and stared intently at He Mingye on the other side.

The yellow stripes on its body became increasingly bright.

Splash!

The giant beast stomped on the ground, and several long strips of earth and stone suddenly emerged from beneath the plaza platform, as if they were alive, and fiercely pursued He Mingye.

He Mingye remained completely calm. With a flick of his longsword, pale blue sword energy burst forth, instantly pulverizing the object into clods of earth.

Upon seeing this, a layer of yellowish-brown appeared on the giant beast's scales.

It swung its giant claws and slapped at He Mingye.

He Mingye lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped into the air, looking directly at the giant beast.

Swish swish!

He Mingye's long sword danced in his hand.

The pale blue sword shadows intertwined tightly, instantly enveloping the giant beast.

The beast's yellowish-brown scales were constantly being torn apart, and blood flowed freely from its body.

It began to roar in pain, completely enraged.

The giant beast swung its limbs and tail, trying to swat and whip He Mingye to death, but it was all in vain.

As the giant beast was already covered in wounds, He Mingye's longsword suddenly emitted a clear, ringing sound.

Then, the blue light intertwined on the giant beast's body, and it was instantly cut and shattered, turning into a rain of blood.

A high-level Void Realm demon beast was easily killed by He Mingye.

Immediately, a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted in the square.

He Mingye's opening remarks greatly shocked the thousands of disciples.

Xu Ning also truly witnessed the power of a high-level Void Realm martial artist.

"That's really impressive..."

Xu Ning felt that he was no match for He Mingye.

However, Xu Ning was not discouraged or frustrated. He believed that as long as he had enough time, he could definitely grow to that level as well.

Amid cheers from the crowd, the light screen disappeared, and He Mingye stepped off the platform.

"Sect Master, has Mingye already advanced to the eighth level of the Mortal Realm? And has he also cultivated the Yue Shui Sword to the ninth level?"

Beside Mi Xingye, a white-haired elder asked.

Mihoshino stroked his beard and nodded silently with a smile.

Mi Xingye was extremely satisfied with his disciple.

"Master."

He Mingye got down and sat down next to Mi Xingye.

"good."

Mi Xingye offered a brief compliment.

He Mingye set a perfect tone for today's demon-slaying tournament.

After He Mingye left the stage, the disciples waiting nearby cleaned the table.

Then, the elder presiding over the Demon-Slaying Assembly stepped onto the stage. Facing thousands of people, his chest and lungs bulged with true energy, and his voice resounded throughout the entire venue.

"True disciple He Mingye has already killed a high-level Void Realm demon beast at the start. Now, it's up to you to show your skills."

The presiding elder said, "I hope that all disciples facing demonic beasts in the future, whether they are outer disciples, inner disciples, or true disciples, will muster their courage and fully display their strength! Your performance will be observed by all the elders and deacons. If you perform exceptionally well and gain the recognition of the elders and deacons, you will be able to advance from the outer disciples to the inner disciples, and from the inner disciples to become nominal true disciples!"

The elder's words immediately stirred the hearts of thousands of disciples.

The leap in a disciple's status changes not only their position but also the supply of resources.

The higher a disciple's status, the better the resources they enjoy, and the better their future prospects.

"Next, we will conduct fifteen rounds of demon-slaying exercises for outer sect disciples!"

The presiding elder said, "Each round, one hundred outer disciples will be allowed to step onto the stage and fight the demonic beasts. During this time, you may be seriously injured by the beasts, but there is no need to worry about your life or death. If you are in mortal danger while fighting the beasts, an elder will rescue you!"

"One hundred spots available. Fight for them! The first round of demon-slaying for outer sect disciples begins now!"

As soon as the presiding elder finished speaking, outer disciples began to rush towards the platform.

"Are they all this enthusiastic...?"

Looking at the figures of the outer disciples, Xu Ning could clearly feel their excitement.

"Of the first hundred people to come up, nearly half are Void Realm Martial Masters..."

Based on his senses from the outer disciples who had just darted past him, Xu Ning estimated the proportion of Void Realm Martial Masters among the hundred people.

There are nearly three thousand outer disciples of the Yuelan Sect.

These three thousand people all come from ordinary backgrounds, unlike inner disciples like Xu Ning, who were recommended by families under the Yue Lan Sect.

Most of the outer disciples are ordinary martial artists who have just started their training.

If they want to advance from the outer sect to the inner sect, they have no choice but to excel in this Demon-Slaying Tournament.

The first hundred people who volunteered to go on stage were all outstanding outer disciples, and they were very eager to show their skills.

"Among the outer disciples, there are nearly a hundred Void Realm Martial Masters, which is about the same as the inner disciples..."

Xu Ning whispered something.

"Indeed, outer disciples should not be underestimated."

Le Caiwei sighed with some emotion: "As for me, an inner disciple, I haven't even broken through to the Void Realm yet, which is truly shameful."

"Senior Sister Yue, there's no need to belittle yourself," Xu Ning comforted her. "There are three thousand outer disciples, and the ratio of Void Realm Martial Masters is less than one in thirty. It's quite normal for the older ones to achieve the Void Realm."

Upon hearing this, Le Caiwei nodded.

She was certainly aware of the role of these outer disciples.

Even if some of them advance to the Void Realm, they will only have mastered a low-grade Void Realm manual, and their future potential will be extremely limited.

Even if a Void Realm martial artist from the outer sect enters the inner sect, they will only be a minor figure and will be demoted by the sect in the future. They will not be able to become a steward or the core of the sect.

"The first round of combat between the outer disciples and the demonic beasts has begun..."

Above the platform, the light screen re-woven, and one monster after another was sent inside.

These demonic beasts, including those in the Void Realm and the Mortal Realm, immediately engaged in battle with the outer disciples after being released.

In an instant, the sounds of battle and roars filled the air.

"These outer disciples are really risking their lives..."

Xu Ning observed that many outer disciples were desperately trying to impress the inner disciples in order to gain their approval.

Xu Ning could also sense the bitterness of some of the outer disciples.

Soon, one round was over.

Compared to He Mingye's previous nonchalant demeanor, the outer disciples all appeared somewhat disheveled after the fight.

After the first wave of monsters were all killed, only six or seven Void Realm Martial Masters remained on the platform.

Four of them performed exceptionally well and were selected by the inner sect deacons to become inner sect disciples.

Then, the second round began.

In the second round, the number of Void Realm Martial Masters was even smaller.

After all, the truly formidable ones had already taken the stage in the first round.

"Everyone is still very anxious..."

Of the three thousand outer disciples, only half actually have the chance to compete for a spot on stage.

With the sect elders backing them up, there was no need to worry about their lives, so everyone wanted to go up and give it a try.

"At this rate, it will probably take at least three hours to finish fifteen rounds..."

Xu Ning estimated that it would take a long time for the inner disciples to go on stage.

As Xu Ning had estimated, the fifteen rounds of outer disciples had ended, and two and a half hours had passed.

"It's almost time for the inner disciples to go on stage..."

After the outer disciples' turn was over, Xu Ning knew that it would soon be their turn.

Xu Ning was eager to try, as his current strength was enough to even contend with mid-level Void Realm demonic beasts.

"Next, we will proceed with the inner disciples' turn!"

The presiding elder stood on the platform once more.

"The battle between inner disciples and demonic beasts is divided into five rounds, with twenty people in each round!"

"Only twenty people per round..."

Xu Ning frowned: "So little..."

"Xu Ning, are you ready?"

At this moment, Ning Xun leaned over and asked, "Which round are you planning to go on?"

"Those who make it in the first round will definitely be the elites of the inner sect. The leaders of the various inner sect forces will certainly be the first to appear and compete with those people, which will put a lot of pressure on them."

Before Xu Ning could answer, Ning Xun said, "I suggest you go in the second round. I'll go with you and assist you when fighting the monsters, helping you to better demonstrate your strength and impress the elders."

Upon hearing this, Xu Ning pondered for a moment and said, "Senior Brother Ning, I'd like to go in the first round."

"Going to the first round?"

Ning Xun countered, "But what about the opponent in the first round...?"

"It's alright."

Xu Ning said, "The stronger the opponent, the better the performance, and the more likely I am to be noticed by the elders, the greater the probability that I will be nominated as a nominal disciple."

Xu Ning knew the benefits of being promoted to a disciple; having an elder as a backer would be helpful for both his own future and the future of the Seven Fists Clan.

"But what about the strength of those leaders..."

Ning Xun wanted to persuade her further, but Xu Ning had already made up her mind.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Ning."

Xu Ning smiled, stood up, and walked towards the central platform of the square.

The moment Xu Ning stood up, Gu Yishang, the leader of the Blade Moon Clan, also stood up at the same time.

Both of them noticed each other's movements.

Their eyes met, and they both sensed the hostility in each other's gazes.

"Xu Ning?"

Gu Yishang revealed a meaningful smile.

Thank you to Xiaolouyunyan, Huayao, Mr. Wang, Xie8, Beibeiaixuexi, Annr, and book friend 20171107195614672 for the generous donations!

(End of this chapter)