"Has your head been kicked by a donkey?"
Ye Heng wore a bizarre smile and mocked him.
Jin Feiyan also stared at him with a look reserved for idiots.
Xiao Yi's top disciple?
Since when was it Mao Bufan's turn?
Mao Bufan's face, full of pride, suddenly stiffened and gradually turned ugly.
In his view, with his talent, which had almost allowed him to pass the Nantian Holy Institute examination, he should undoubtedly be the top presence in Xiaoshanhe Institute. Everyone in Xiaoshanhe Institute should treat him as a treasure, and Xiao Yi along with all the strong warriors of Xiaoshanhe Institute would surely vie for his favor.
That's why he immediately considered himself the top disciple under Xiao Yi.
But to his utter shock…
The two people in front of him actually sneered at him?
And unabashedly mocked him?
Mao Bufan's breathing became rapid, and he felt the gaze of the strong warriors behind him turning weird, as if they were mocking him, treating him as a jumping clown.
This rendered him, conceited and prideful, indescribably humiliated upon thinking he would receive the highest treatment at Xiaoshanhe Institute.
Mao Bufan roared in anger. His eyebrows furrowed and his eyes emitted a cold light, he arrogantly pointed at Ye Heng and Jin Feiyan, gritting his teeth, "Do you know who you're speaking to? I, Mao Bufan, am an exceptional genius who nearly got admitted to Nantian Holy Institute, missing it by only ten places. My coming down to Xiaoshanhe Institute is an honor for you. How dare you humiliate me ? Aren't you afraid of being punished by Principal Xiao Yi?"
Ye Heng, with a playful look, smiled, "Missed by ten places and could've entered Nantian Holy Institute? That is indeed a terrifying talent!"
Jin Feiyan nodded, echoing with a smile, "Brother Ye, I wonder, compared to your Battle War Holy Body, whose talent is stronger?"
He stared at Ye Heng in disbelief.
Mao Bufan gulped hard, sweat beads rolling down his forehead, "Ba-Battle War Holy Body? You, you mean the Battle War Holy Body among the ten great Holy Bodies?"
Ye Heng shrugged nonchalantly, "Genuine article!"
Mao Bufan shook his head vigorously, his eyes bloodshot as he clenched his teeth, "It's impossible. Even Nantian Holy Institute doesn't have the Battle War Holy Body. How could such a small place like Xiaoshanhe Institute have someone with such a powerful physique? I don't believe it, you must be lying..."
"I don't need to lie…"
Ye Heng's words were cut off by a gust of wind that slammed into him.
The fierce wind brought along Mao Bufan's fierce punch.
The thunderous sound was deafening.
Amidst the deafening roar, Mao Bufan's forceful black punch, already in front of Ye Heng, hadn't yet made contact, but its power had already distorted Ye Heng's facial features.
This punch could seriously injure a Martial Artist in the Dharma Manifestation Realm.
A gasp rose from the crowd, "What a swift punch, so fast there's no time to dodge, you can only take it head-on!"
"Unless he truly has the Battle War Holy Body, there's no way he can withstand this punch!"
Watching Ye Heng, whose features were completely distorted, Mao Bufan was filled with brutality and triumph.
The triumph and smile on Mao Bufan's face abruptly ceased.
Because he realized that in response to this sudden punch, Jin Feiyan looked completely calm and even had a slight smirk at the corner of his mouth, filled with mockery and scorn.
If it had been the earlier Ye Heng, he naturally couldn't have resisted and would have been seriously injured by this punch. However, now, having undergone over two months of intensive training by Xiao Yi in the Illusion Array, fighting countless life-and-death battles day and night, Ye Heng had already unleashed the potential of his Battle War Holy Body.
Almost in the instant the punch was thrown, Ye Heng reflexively reacted.
The overwhelming black iron fist trembled violently, as suddenly, an unknown pale hand appeared before him, firmly grasping the fist in its palm.
Mao Bufan's face drastically changed.
The owner of that hand was none other than Ye Heng!
He single-handedly caught Mao Bufan's fist and, under Mao Bufan's incredulous gaze, effortlessly neutralized his ferocious attack.
With ease, he twisted his fist to the side.
Ye Heng raised a finger and gently swayed it in front of him, calmly speaking, "Your strength isn't bad, but unfortunately, it's too slow. Mao Bufan, right? Maybe you're just ten places away from entering the Nantian Holy Institute, but that doesn't mean you qualify to enter Xiaoshanhe Institute."
No sooner had his words fallen,
Mao Bufan felt a shiver run through his body, followed by his eyes rolling back as he lost consciousness.
His body, like a kite with its string cut, bizarrely rose and flew backward.
Mao Bufan crashed to the ground a hundred meters away, sinking into unconsciousness.
The surrounding strong individuals all gasped in shock.
The young martial artists who had just been flattering Mao Bufan, thus looking down on and mocking Xiaoshanhe Institute, were now silent as cicadas in winter, fearing to incur Ye Heng's displeasure.
they had looked down on Xiaoshanhe Institute with an air of superiority.
They had lost all bravado!
A mere first barrier guardian was able to easily defeat a strong individual like Mao Bufan; how could they underestimate Xiaoshanhe Institute any longer?
Ye Heng gently clapped his hands, his face showing not a trace of pride, as if it wasn't him who had casually defeated Mao Bufan.
Ye Heng scanned the crowd with a steady gaze and solemnly said, "A martial artist's potential is not solely dependent on talent but also on will and the heart for martial arts. As long as your heart for martial arts is firm enough, even if your talent is mediocre, you can still achieve greatness. Xiaoshanhe Institute will indeed accept you!"
The crowd, which had just been severely demotivated, suddenly became lively again.
"Even a genius with the Battle War Holy Body is willing to stay in Xiaoshanhe Institute, it seems we really underestimated this place!"
"My martial heart is definitely not weaker than anyone else's, I can do this!"
Except for some faint-hearted individuals who had already given up on continuing the examination, more than seventy percent of the young martial artists, their eyes sparkling, rushed towards the direction where Ye Heng and his associates were.
This challenge was said to be a test of potential.
But more appropriately, it was a test of mindset!
Weak in talent, Xiao Yi had countless ways to compensate.
But if the heart for martial arts was not firm enough, even with Xiao Yi's miraculous abilities, there would be no remedy!
These seventy percent of determined martial artists smoothly passed the first barrier of the examination.
"Ye, Brother Ye Heng..."
Mao Bufan weakly woke up, tremblingly got up, and looked at Ye Heng tentatively, no longer as arrogant and domineering as before, "I, I really want to join Xiaoshanhe Institute, please, Brother Ye..."
Ye Heng stared at Mao Bufan.
Just when Mao Bufan thought Ye Heng was going to reject him, Ye Heng smiled and said, "It seems you've understood that talent is not everything. This challenge not only tests the potential of talent but more so the will and the heart for martial arts. Seeing that you are still thinking about the examination, your heart for martial arts is firm enough, congratulations, you've passed the first barrier of the examination!"
"Really? Thank, thank you, Brother Ye Heng!" Mao Bufan's pale face broke into a look of ecstasy.
The thirty percent who had given up, hearing this, suddenly realized, shouting one after another, "We also want to join Xiaoshanhe Institute!"
"I want to continue in the examination..."
Ye Heng frowned and looked at the crowd: "You have already been eliminated!"
"But Mao Bufan was also defeated by you, why can he continue? Why can't we?"
"I don't accept this, I want to continue in the examination..."
"Brothers, let's break through the first barrier..."
The crowd roared furiously.
The remaining thirty percent tried to forcibly rush past Ye Heng and Jin Feiyan.
In this critical moment...
Ye Heng suddenly drew the heavy sword from his back, a fearsome and radiant sword light sweeping across as he slashed a huge sword mark across the ground before the crowd. Cold sword Qi surged to the sky as Ye Heng stood with his sword, his gaze icy as he stared at the tens of thousands of martial artists: "Those who cross the boundary — die!"
Tens of thousands of martial artists dared not cross the boundary...