The Azure Sky Sect’s arena was packed with disciples. Outer disciples filled the stands, shouting and betting. Inner disciples stood in groups, arms folded, watching with calm superiority.
At the center of the stage, ten stone puppets stood waiting. Their glowing eyes flickered with killing intent, each one radiating qi equal to a peak Body Tempering cultivator.
"This is the Inner Disciple trial!" an elder announced. His voice boomed like thunder. "Defeat the ten puppets, and you shall earn your place!"
Wu Jian leaned on the railing, sneering. "This is where you fall, Li Ming. You’ve had your lucky breaks, but no amount of buns will save you now."
Li Ming stretched his arms, yawning. "Ten puppets? That’s it? Hah, easy. I’ll be back before lunch."
"Does he even understand how hard this test is?"
Lan Yue, standing among the Inner Disciples, watched quietly. Her eyes flickered with curiosity. He saved me yesterday... now, let’s see how far he can really go.
The elder waved his sleeve. "Begin!"
The ten puppets surged forward, their stone fists smashing down like thunderbolts.
Li Ming ducked the first punch, rolled away from the second, and laughed. "Wow, you guys hit hard! But too slow!"
He darted between them, his movements clumsy-looking but somehow always just right. To the crowd, it was chaos. To him, it was survival.
A puppet’s fist grazed his shoulder, knocking him back. Dust exploded as he hit the ground.
"Knew it was luck until now!"
Wu Jian smirked. "Pathetic."
But Li Ming stood, wiping the dirt from his face. His eyes burned brighter than ever. "Pathetic? Nah. This is just the warm-up."
He popped a pill into his mouth. The Spirit Gathering Pill dissolved instantly, flooding his body with energy. His qi surged wildly, the Heavenly Breathing Method devouring the energy and refining it at ten times the normal speed.
The air around him rippled. His aura exploded, forcing the nearest puppets back.
"He’s breaking through? In the middle of the trial?!"
The disciples stared in disbelief.
Cracks echoed through the arena floor as Li Ming’s qi spiraled upward like a storm. The barrier between Body Tempering and Qi Refining shattered.
"Qi Refining Realm..." Elder Yue whispered, eyes wide. "This boy..."
Li Ming grinned, his voice echoing with newfound power. "Alright, round two!"
--- ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novelFɪre.net
He vanished in a blur, faster than before. His fist smashed into the first puppet’s chest, shattering its stone body into fragments.
Before the dust cleared, he spun, kicking another puppet’s head clean off.
"Impossible!" a disciple screamed.
"He was struggling seconds ago, and now he’s destroying them?!"
One puppet lunged at him from behind. Without looking, Li Ming grabbed its arm, twisted, and slammed it into the ground, breaking it apart like cheap pottery.
He stood in the center of the stage, qi swirling around him like a raging dragon. His black hair fluttered wildly, his eyes glowing with power.
"Ten puppets?" Li Ming smirked. "I only need ten seconds."
The remaining puppets charged all at once.
Li Ming roared, his aura bursting outward in a wave that shook the arena. He dashed forward, fists blazing with qi. Each strike shattered stone, each movement sharper, faster, stronger.
One by one, the puppets fell until only fragments littered the arena floor.
Then the crowd erupted in cheers, screams, and utter disbelief.
"He broke through mid-battle!"
Even the elders stood, unable to hide their shock.
Elder Feng’s eyes narrowed. He’s growing too fast... far too fast.
Elder Yue smiled faintly. Interesting. Very interesting.
And among the disciples, Lan Yue’s lips curved ever so slightly. So, you’re not just a fool with buns. You might actually be someone worth watching.
Li Ming dusted off his robes, raising his hand like a victorious hero. "And that’s how you do it! Inner Disciple Li Ming, reporting for duty. Someone bring me a bun to celebrate!"
The crowd groaned, half in laughter, half in disbelief.
But no one could deny it.
Li Ming had become an Inner Disciple.
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