Standing on the platform, Shen Mihuan watched Mo Qian with clear recognition, remembering this particular competitor who'd once appeared notably thinner and less imposing than herself.Just a year earlier, this same young man had made his living as a humble street painter. Now he stood competing alongside her in this year's selection assembly, having already demonstrated genuine great-accomplishment-level mastery.She still vividly recalled the first day of this competition, watching Mo Qian send Qiu Tong flying with such casual ease—the memory had genuinely shaken her composure at the time.If pressed to identify her least desired opponent across these three days of competition, Mo Qian would certainly top that particular list.Standing beside Shen Mihuan, Xia Shuangshuang harbored an entirely different perspective. This particular matchup pleased her considerably—watching two great-accomplishment-level competitors face off against each other significantly eased her own competitive p

At that moment, Officer Qin's voice rang out."Mo Qian! Three consecutive victories across the preliminary rounds! Advancing directly to registered disciple status!"Near the selection platform, the assembled crowd erupted into enthusiastic cheering!After all, Mo Qian had become the very first candidate to secure direct advancement to registered disciple status this year, despite his humble, common origins! The legend surrounding his remarkable rise would undoubtedly continue circulating throughout Xiangu County for years to come, inspiring countless future generations of ordinary families...Mo Qian finally allowed himself a gentle, relieved smile, as though a tremendous weight had finally lifted from his shoulders!Striving to secure this direct advancement to registered disciple status had nearly driven him to genuine exhaustion through relentless effort.Shen Yanliu's gaze drifted toward Tao Rong, now standing below the platform.According to competition rules, mechanical devices

Given this understanding, most candidates hesitated visibly, and Officer Qin's calls proceeded rapidly, his third and final announcement approaching swiftly.Xiao Yu, too, found herself genuinely torn. Among the remaining nine competitors in this life-and-death phase, aside from Tao Rong, only Shen Mizhi rivaled her own combat strength.Should Xiao Yu decline to challenge her now, Shen Mizhi would likely claim another available position directly. This would leave seven remaining competitors fighting over merely two positions, virtually guaranteeing Xiao Yu would face a grueling series of consecutive matches!Yet she felt genuine reluctance given Shen Mizhi's particular status and background!Just as Xiao Yu wavered, with Officer Qin's third and final call approaching, her shoulders shifted, preparing to step forward.But at that exact moment, a burly figure standing beside her suddenly stepped forward first, claiming the challenge!Xiao Yu glanced at this competitor and paused, remain

At this critical moment, Xiao Yu's precise blade-flourish had sliced away only a portion of flesh from Qiu Tong's shoulder—had she not adjusted her technique this way, her original strike's full force would have severed considerably more, potentially cutting through half his shoulder entirely!Yet had she committed fully to that original devastating strike, she would have inevitably been struck by his darts! Multiple projectiles streaking toward her chest and waist, many positions genuinely fatal!Qiu Tong had spent four or five years dedicated specifically to perfecting hidden-weapon technique in preparation for exactly this kind of critical moment!Only his father, Qiu Yan, truly understood the tremendous effort and dedication he'd poured into mastering this particular skill!He'd deliberately kept this ability concealed from everyone else, reserving it specifically for demonstrating genuine achievement during this very selection assembly!Qiu Tong's dedicated preparation hadn't pro

Something flickered in Lu Qingzhu's eyes. Amo's sense of smell far exceeded that of ordinary people—she surely hadn't imagined this detail.Powder?Lu Qingzhu studied the exact spot where Luo Zhoucheng had collapsed atop the plum blossom stakes, her eyes suddenly brightening with realization.She recalled clearly that Mo Qian had walked from Ximen Kan's right side over toward Shen Mizhi's left, while Shen Mizhi herself had remained standing some distance away from the immediate action!Mo Qian had positioned himself directly beside Shen Mizhi, precisely upwind from where Luo Zhoucheng had collapsed, exactly when that sudden gust had swept through!"Miss..." Amo attempted to speak further.Lu Qingzhu's eyes narrowed. "Don't say anything more."Amo immediately fell silent.Lu Qingzhu's gaze drifted toward Xiao Yu's striking features, and she thought privately: If "Old Touch" really did scatter that powder deliberately, it was certainly for this particular young lady's benefit, wasn't it