Martial Saint with Passives

In the first trial, Shi Poyue faced an Energy Guard of the same Realm, whose Saber Technique was as ferocious and domineering as his own.

After a bitter struggle, he was ultimately defeated by a half-move margin!

For him, this was a monumental disgrace!

He didn’t say a word, not even daring to look at his master on the high platform. Head bowed, he simply pushed through the crowd and scurried away dejectedly.

When the crowd saw his reaction, they knew exactly what had happened.

"He failed... Shi Poyue was actually eliminated in the very first trial?"

"Impossible! He was the fourth-place finisher last time!"

A buzz of discussion erupted immediately. For the first time, the crowd truly grasped the difficulty of this inheritance trial!

If even an expert like Shi Poyue had been defeated, how much harder would the subsequent trials be?

Seeing that Jiang Che, Gu Qingxuan, Xiao Qingge, and the others had yet to emerge, Xu Qingshan and Ye Lianzhen breathed a small sigh of relief, but their expressions remained solemn.

......

Inside the cavern-dwelling, in the circular great hall of the second trial.

The prodigies all stood before the murals, deep in thought. Even Qin Wuya and Gu Qingxuan wore deep frowns, clearly finding the task at hand to be a thorny one.

Wang Zhenhai of Panyue Courtyard was a straightforward man. He scratched his head and stared at the murals for so long his head began to ache. Finally, throwing caution to the wind, he leaped onto the circular platform and haphazardly performed a self-created and rather comical Fist Technique.

Just as expected, a flash of light flared, and his figure instantly vanished as he was teleported out.

Outside the cavern-dwelling, Wang Zhenhai appeared and, in his typical frank manner, explained the situation inside.

And with that, the crowd finally understood.

「Not long after.」

Another flash of white light, and a tall figure appeared at the entrance.

It was Qing Ling, the prodigy of the Heaven-Sundering Sect!

The moment he appeared, he irritably ran a hand through his short-cropped hair, his face a mask of frustration and resentment.

"Nephew Qing Ling, what happened?" an Elder acquainted with the Heaven-Sundering Sect immediately stepped forward to ask.

Qing Ling shook his head and said in a gruff, muffled tone, "It’s too damn hard! I couldn’t make heads or tails of those demonic scribbles on the wall, let alone comprehend any Martial Arts from them! I just randomly performed a Spear Technique and was immediately kicked out! This stupid trial isn’t meant for people like us who just train in combat!"

He was clearly ill-suited for and deeply frustrated by a trial that tested one’s Comprehension.

Qing Ling had barely finished speaking when the white light flashed again. A fiery red figure appeared—it was none other than Xiao Qingge of the Profound Sound Sect!

She did not seem as frustrated as Qing Ling. She simply clutched her Profound Iron Suona, a helpless, wry smile on her face.

On the high platform, Nun Jing Yi of the Profound Sound Sect saw this, and her expression instantly darkened, turning quite grim.

She had placed high hopes on her star disciple, never expecting her to be defeated in the second trial so quickly!

However, before she could voice her displeasure, a chain reaction seemed to begin.

Flashes of white light flickered in quick succession as, one after another, the prodigies previously favored by the crowd were teleported out.

Members of the Taiyuan Sect, the Profound Sound Sect, the Cangyun Sect, the Chen Family, the Fang Family...

In short, prodigies from every sect and clan were continuously failing and being teleported out!

At this, the expressions on the faces of the Elders on the high platform gradually began to improve.

A strange sense of equilibrium washed over them:

’My prodigy may have failed, but yours didn’t do any better! If everyone fails, it’s the same as if no one failed!’

’True Master Bai Yi’s trial is so outrageously difficult, it’s more normal to fail than to pass!’

On the high platform, Xu Qingshan and Ye Lianzhen stood side by side, their gazes locked on the entrance to the cavern-dwelling.

"This second trial is so difficult..." Xu Qingshan said slowly, a hint of imperceptible tension in his voice. "That boy, Jiang Che... his Root Bone has improved, but this trial..."

Ye Lianzhen chimed in, her tone more confident than Xu Qingshan’s. "I actually think he might just succeed. That boy’s Temperament and Comprehension are far beyond the norm. Otherwise, he never would have been able to cultivate the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud Technique to such a degree in so little time. This trial... this might be his perfect opportunity."

Xu Qingshan nodded at her words, but the worry in his heart did not completely subside.

After all, his rivals inside the cavern-dwelling were the absolute top prodigies of Cangzhou Prefecture—Qin Wuya, Gu Qingxuan, Chen Jiayu...

Every single one was a formidable contender!

......

「Inside the cavern-dwelling.」

Jiang Che stood before the mural, his [True: All-Seeing Eye] already activated at full power!

In his vision, the chaotic movements of the little figures seemed to be deconstructed and reassembled, piece by piece.

Moreover, thanks to his constant cycle of practicing and then dissipating skills,

he had stored a massive amount of Martial Arts Knowledge in his mind!

As a result, countless possibilities rapidly unfolded and were analyzed within his mind!

Soon, he had derived not just one set of martial arts, but three!

A Fist Technique, a Palm Technique, and a Body Technique!

Each one was exceptionally brilliant!

Although they didn’t meet the standard of a True Skill, they were far superior to ordinary Qi Blood Realm Martial Arts!

Jiang Che took a deep breath and strode onto the circular stone platform in the center!

The moment he moved, he became the center of attention!

All the prodigies, still lost in thought, simultaneously paused their own deductions and turned to look at him.

"He’s going up there!"

"So soon? The time limit isn’t even halfway over. Is he that confident already?"

"He’s probably just another one giving up."

Most of the onlookers watched with eyes full of doubt and skepticism.

"Hmph. Just trying to show off."

Nearby, Fang Muye watched Jiang Che’s back, his eyes flashing with unconcealed contempt and jealousy.

He himself had been studying the murals for so long, yet he still hadn’t a single clue.