The next morning, the remaining participants gathered in a large open arena on the lower slopes of Cloud Mountain.
The arena was divided into several fighting platforms.
Sect disciples and elders stood around to supervise the matches.
Lin Kai, still under the name Chen Yan, stood among the crowd in his gray robes.
He kept his aura controlled and his expression calm.
Elder Zhou floated in the air and spoke with a strong voice.
“The second test is a combat test. You will fight in one-on-one matches. The winner will continue, and the loser will be eliminated unless they show outstanding performance. There will be no killing, but serious injuries are allowed. Those who admit defeat can stop the match.”
He waved his hand, and a large board appeared in the air, showing the match list.
Lin Kai looked at the board carefully.
His first opponent was a young man named Sun Hao, a Peak Stage 5 cultivator from a small family.
Many participants started talking.
“Sun Hao is quite strong among the lower group.”
“Chen Yan only showed Mid Stage 6. It should be an easy win for him.”
Lin Kai walked toward Platform 7 when his number was called.
Sun Hao was already waiting.
He was tall and looked confident.
“Chen Yan, right? Don’t worry, I will finish this quickly,” Sun Hao said with a proud smile.
Lin Kai did not reply.
He simply stood in place.
“Begin!” the supervising disciple shouted.
Sun Hao immediately charged forward with a flaming fist.
“Blazing Tiger Fist!”
Lin Kai moved slightly to the side and avoided the attack with almost no effort.
He then raised his hand and lightly pushed Sun Hao’s shoulder.
A small amount of black energy entered Sun Hao’s body.
The young man’s eyes widened in shock as he felt his strength suddenly weaken.
Lin Kai followed with a simple palm strike to the chest.
Boom!
Sun Hao flew backward and crashed onto the ground.
Fear appeared on his face.
“I… I admit defeat!”
The surrounding participants were surprised.
“He won so easily?”
“What kind of technique was that? Sun Hao’s energy seemed to disappear.”
Lin Kai walked down from the platform without saying anything.
He returned to the waiting area and closed his eyes, ignoring the stares.
From the spectator stands, Lin Feng watched with narrowed eyes.
A cold smile slowly appeared on his lips.
“Still trying to hide, trash? Let’s see how long you can keep that disguise.”
Zhao Rong, who was also watching, played with his fan and smiled with interest.
“His control is better than before.”
Luo Qingya glanced at Lin Kai for a moment before looking away, her expression still cold.
Feng Jian remained expressionless, as if nothing in the arena was worth his attention.
The matches continued.
Many young cultivators showed their techniques.
Some fights were intense, while others ended quickly.
Soon, it was Zhao Rong’s turn.
He defeated his opponent in less than ten breaths using only two moves.
Luo Qingya’s opponent could not even get close before being frozen in place by her ice energy.
Feng Jian’s match was the most shocking — he ended the fight with a single sword draw that left a deep cut on the platform floor.
The crowd became more and more excited.
Lin Kai’s second match came in the afternoon.
This time his opponent was a Late Stage 6 cultivator named Gao Fei, known for his heavy saber techniques.
Gao Fei looked at Lin Kai with a serious expression.
“You defeated Sun Hao easily. Don’t think I am the same.”
When the match started, Gao Fei attacked with full power.
Lin Kai used Shadow Step and moved between the attacks like a ghost.
Every time he got close to Gao Fei, he touched him lightly with his palm.
Each touch drained a bit more energy.
After less than a minute, Gao Fei’s face turned pale.
His movements became slower, and his energy was clearly unstable.
Lin Kai finally struck with a controlled Dark Flame Palm.
The black flame pushed Gao Fei off the platform.
“Winner, Chen Yan!”
The discussions around the arena grew louder.
“This Chen Yan is strange. He doesn’t use flashy techniques, but his opponents keep getting weaker during the fight.”
“Is it a draining technique? That’s rare.”
From the stands, several elders also started paying attention to him.
Elder Zhou stroked his beard and muttered, “Interesting. That boy’s technique is unusual.”
Lin Kai returned to his seat and continued to keep a low profile.
He did not want to reveal too much of his real power yet.
As the sun began to set, the second round of matches ended.
Only about one hundred participants remained for the final part of the combat test, which would continue the next day.
Lin Kai was among them.
When he returned to the temporary living area, he received another message from Ye Chen through the jade slip.
“Lin Feng is watching every one of your matches. The Li Clan has also sent people into the spectator area. Be very careful tomorrow.”
Lin Kai crushed the jade slip and looked out of the small window toward the higher parts of Cloud Mountain.
“Lin Feng… if you already know it’s me, then come. I am no longer the same person you threw into the forest.”
That night, while most participants were resting or recovering, Lin Kai sat in meditation.
The small amount of energy he had drained from his opponents was refined by the Void Core, slowly increasing his progress.
[Current Stage: Mid Stage 6]
[Progress to Late Stage 6: 27%]
Outside, under the night sky, Lin Feng stood alone on a high platform, looking down at the living area where the participants stayed.
“Tomorrow,” he whispered, “I will force you to show your real face, Lin Kai.”
The real storm of the entrance test was about to begin.
End of Chapter 17