31: Inner Sect Qualification

Lin Ye calmly walked off the arena, leaving behind a deathly silence.

As he passed, the crowd instinctively parted, making way for him.

Every face was etched with complex emotions.

If Lin Ye's unbreakable defense had previously brought them “shock,” then his true nature was far more profound.

From beginning to end, Lin Ye wasn't relying on luck, nor was he frantically defending.

He was merely toying with them.

Like an ancient beast, he watched with amusement as a challenging ant used all its might, only to smash its head against its indestructible scales.

Then, when he grew tired of the game, he casually extended a claw and lightly crushed it.

Realizing this, a layer of cold sweat seeped from everyone's backs.

They recalled their previous mockery and disdain towards Lin Ye, feeling their faces burn as if an invisible hand had slapped them countless times in public.

Lin Ye paid no attention to the awestruck gazes around him. He walked straight back to his familiar corner of the Martial Arts Training Ground, leaned against the stone pillar, and closed his eyes again, as if the earth-shattering battle he had just fought was merely swatting a buzzing fly—utterly insignificant.

His calm and composed demeanor made his image in everyone's hearts even more unfathomable.

“Gulp.”

Fatty Wang swallowed hard. He looked at that familiar yet strange figure, feeling his brain had turned into a complete mess.

“My… my heavens… Lin Ye… what kind of monster is he…?”

On the high platform, the Outer Sect Elders finally recovered after a brief moment of daze. They exchanged glances, each seeing the unconcealed surge of wild joy and shock in the other's eyes!

“A Prodigy! A true Prodigy!” Elder Liu's beard trembled with excitement. “Offense and defense in one! Foundation as solid as a mountain, attack as fierce as fire! Most terrifying is his Heart-Nature, hidden to the extreme! This child's future achievements are limitless!”

“Great wisdom appears foolish…” Chief Elder Zhang was also filled with emotion. His gaze towards Lin Ye was full of admiration. “All of us were fooled by him! He is not a waste; he is a peerless unpolished jade that has been dormant for decades in my Qingyun Sect's Outer Sect, finally emerging!”

...The top eight had been decided.

After a short break, the battles to determine the final four spots were about to begin.

When the Deacon Disciple responsible for drawing lots once again called out Lin Ye's name, the reaction from the entire audience was completely different from before.

There was no longer any mockery or disdain, only tense anticipation.

And Lin Ye's next opponent, an elite Disciple ranked among the top five in the Outer Sect, whose cultivation had reached the fourth level of the Qi Refinement Stage, instantly turned ashen-white when he heard his name paired with Lin Ye's.

It was Lin Ye's turn to enter the arena.

However, this time, he did not immediately get up as he had before.

He still leaned against the stone pillar, his face paler than ever, his forehead covered in fine cold sweat, and his body even trembling slightly, as if enduring immense pain.

“He… what's wrong with him?”

“Look at his face! It's so pale! Could it be… could he have suffered internal injuries from his battle with Senior Brother Zhao?”

Just as everyone was filled with doubt and alarm, Lin Ye finally, slowly and with great difficulty, stood up from the ground.

He first let out a “wah” and coughed up another mouthful of blood. Although its color was much lighter than Zhao Tian's, it was still shocking to behold.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, then dragged his seemingly fragile body, step by step, with immense difficulty, towards the arena.

The Elders on the high platform also frowned deeply.

“What's going on? How could his bronze-wall-iron-fortress-like defense be injured?”

“Could it be… a backlash?” A flash of understanding appeared in Elder Liu's eyes. “Yes! It must be! His final palm strike had immense power; it must be some secret technique that requires a huge price! He's… killing a thousand enemies, but harming himself eight hundred!”

This explanation instantly made everything “reasonable.”

So, he wasn't invincible! His powerful attack came at the cost of overdrawing his own strength!

Understanding this, on the arena, Lin Ye's opponent, the elite Disciple at the fourth level of the Qi Refinement Stage, instantly rekindled the flame of hope in his eyes!

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

As soon as the gong for the start of the match sounded, he launched a fierce assault without hesitation!

However, the ensuing battle once again left everyone in a daze.

Facing his opponent's storm-like attacks, Lin Ye's performance seemed to revert to the first day.

He was in a sorry state, flustered, completely gave up on attacking, and merely endured the blows with his body.

But his bronze-wall-iron-fortress-like defense also seemed to be greatly compromised due to his “severe injuries.” Each time he was hit, he would cough up a mist of blood, his body swaying, as if he would collapse in the next second.

He continued like this, under everyone's anxious gaze, enduring for a full stick of incense time.

Finally, when his opponent showed a momentary lapse due to excessive spiritual energy consumption, Lin Ye once again seized that “only” flaw.

As if experiencing a final burst of energy, he gathered the last shred of strength in his entire body into his right palm, and with an extremely “difficult” posture, he “luckily” pushed his exhausted opponent off the arena again.

After doing all this, he himself seemed to have all his strength drained, his eyes rolled back, and he directly “fainted” on the arena… When Lin Ye “slowly regained consciousness,” he found himself lying in a simple medical room in the Outer Sect.

Fatty Wang was guarding his bedside. As soon as he saw him open his eyes, he immediately pounced on him, crying with snot and tears: “Lin Ye! You're awake! You scared me to death!”

“What… what happened to me?” Lin Ye asked “weakly.”

“You… you won! You're in the top four!” Fatty Wang was so excited he was incoherent. “The Deacon Hall just announced the final results. Because you and several other Senior Brothers are severely injured and unable to fight further, this Minor Competition will no longer have a final. The current rankings will stand!”

“Ultimately, the Sect has decided to take the top ten Disciples and promote them to the Inner Sect!”

“Lin Ye… you… you succeeded! You're in the top ten! You've qualified for promotion to the Inner Sect!!!”

This news exploded in Lin Ye's ears like a thunderclap on flat ground.

Meanwhile, in front of the notice board at the Martial Arts Training Ground, when the gilded annunciation (list) displaying the final top ten rankings was posted, the entire Outer Sect fell silent.

Everyone stared intently at the name on the fourth line of the list, a name that three months ago belonged to a mere handyman who was bullied by everyone, but now had ascended to heaven in one step, gaining the qualification that countless people dreamed of.

Lin Ye!

This result utterly astonished everyone!

A freak who entered the finals relying on Heaven-Defying luck and brute force actually… created a miracle!