177: Chapter 177 Wang Lin's Test (Part Two)

Song Zhengchu did not look at anyone; he walked straight to the center of the Martial Arts Arena and stood in front of Wang Lin, the distance between the two of them less than three meters.

He looked Wang Lin up and down and said, "You are Wang Lin?"

"Yes."

"Level 4?"

"Yes."

"An Esper?"

"Yes."

Song Zhengchu nodded, his expression unchanging.

"I have seen many people that Bishop Qin Cang has favored. Some had talent, some had perseverance, and some had good fortune. Not many ended up surviving. Which type do you think you belong to?"

Wang Lin looked at him and thought for a moment. "The type that survives."

The viewing stand went quiet for a moment.

Song Zhengchu's eyes narrowed slightly, and then he turned slightly to the side, stepping aside by half a body width.

Behind him stood four people.

Four Sacred Court Knights, all dressed in uniform silver armor, with longswords hanging at their waists and eyes like torches.

Their auras were restrained, but Wang Lin could feel the oppressive weight that had settled after being forged through fire and blood.

Song Zhengchu raised his hand and pointed at the four people. "You are only a Level 4. Do you see them? The four people behind me are all Level 5s, and each of them can crush you."

"Tell me, where does your confidence come from?"

The Martial Arts Arena fell silent instantly, and everyone's gaze fell on Wang Lin, waiting for his answer.

Wang Lin looked at Song Zhengchu and smiled. "This is the difference between your judgment and Bishop Qin Cang's."

"You treat the four Level 5s behind you like treasures, while I treat them like trash."

Everyone on the viewing stand gasped and exclaimed in low voices.

The expressions of several people from the Council of Elders changed on the spot. A brash kid at Level 4, right in front of a Holy Court swordsman, calling Level 5 Sacred Court Knights trash?

The faces of the four people behind Song Zhengchu looked even worse.

The person standing on the far left was the first to lose his patience.

He was in his early thirties, with a square face and thick black eyebrows.

His name was Han Tieshan. He was known for his fierce and aggressive swordsmanship and excelled in strength among the Sacred Court Knights. His vitality was as thick as a mountain, and his sword style was grand and sweeping.

He took a step forward, his silver armor emitting a crisp metallic clatter.

"What did you say? Say that again if you have the guts."

Wang Lin looked at him and said indifferently, "I said you all are trash."

Han Tieshan's face flushed red, and his hand had already gripped his sword hilt...

"You..."

At this moment, the second person stepped out.

He was very tall with broad shoulders, a cold expression, and thin lips, giving people a feeling of harshness.

His name was Shen Qingfeng. His sword was as fast as lightning, his movement was nimble, and he was known as the "Lightning Sword" in the Holy Court.

"A Level 4 who relied on his connections with Bishop Qin Cang to snag a nominal position as an Inspector—do you really think you have the qualifications to stand here and talk?"

Wang Lin looked at him, the smile on his face unchanged. "Whether or not I have the qualifications to stand here and talk is not for you to decide."

Wang Lin paused, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the four people one by one.

"Do you think being Level 5 is amazing? Do you think a Level 5 fighting me, a Level 4, is a guaranteed win?"

No one answered, but their eyes had already answered... That's right, it was a guaranteed win.

The third person took half a step forward.

His name was Wen Yanghao. His swordsmanship was strange and unpredictable, and he excelled at using his vitality to perceive and predict his opponent's movements, often sealing off all paths of retreat before the opponent even made a move.

He didn't speak, just looked at Wang Lin with a scrutinizing gaze.

The fourth person was the youngest, looking to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with delicate features, but his brow carried a sense of composure that didn't match his age.

His name was Luo Qinghe. He had the highest talent among the four, and his swordsmanship was the purest.

It was said that his swordsmanship was entirely the result of talent and hard training; he did not rely on any fancy techniques. Among the four knights, he was the strongest and the quietest.

He stood at the very back and hadn't spoken the whole time, just watching Wang Lin. His eyes weren't angry like the other three, but rather scrutinizing.

Wang Lin pulled his hands out of his pockets and flexed his fingers. "Since you don't believe me and think you're so capable of fighting..."

"Then the four of you come at me together. I, a Level 4, am challenging the four of you Level 5s. Do you dare to accept?"

Once those words were spoken, the surroundings went completely silent. No one spoke, and no one moved.

Four Level 5 Sacred Court Knights, being challenged on the spot by a Level 4 outsider. And it was a one-versus-four?

Huo Yan's mouth hung open, unable to close. The girl with the ponytail covered her mouth.

The instructors on the viewing stand looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

The people from the Council of Elders looked livid... This Wang Lin was too arrogant...

Lu Zhiyi lowered her hands from her chest, letting them hang by her sides, her expression unchanged.

She knew of Wang Lin's arrogance, but she hadn't expected him to be this arrogant even when facing a Level 7 swordsman.

One had to know that among all professions, swordsmen had the strongest attack and lethality.

Bishop Qin Cang leaned back in his chair, his expression unchanged.

Instructor Meng He picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea was hot, and a hint of a smile played on his lips, looking like he was watching a good show.

Song Zhengchu didn't speak; he turned around and looked at the four people behind him.

"Did you hear that?"

The four of them gritted their teeth and nodded.

"He is challenging the four of you by himself. Do you accept or not?"

Han Tieshan was the first to speak, his voice suppressing anger. "We accept. Why wouldn't we?"

Shen Qingfeng followed up, "Since he's looking for death, we'll grant his wish."

Wen Yanghao didn't speak, but his eyes changed. He released his grip on his sword hilt—not out of giving up, but because he was ready.

Luo Qinghe was the youngest. He glanced at Wang Lin, then nodded without saying a word.

Song Zhengchu nodded and retreated to the edge of the Martial Arts Arena.

He stood next to Lu Zhiyi, hands behind his back, watching the center of the arena.

In the center of the Martial Arts Arena, only five people remained.

Wang Lin alone. Four people opposite him.

The four stood firm in the center of the Martial Arts Arena, a semi-circular encirclement locking Wang Lin in the middle.

Han Tieshan stood at the very front, Shen Qingfeng behind him to the left, Wen Yanghao behind him to the right, and Luo Qinghe at the very back.

The four's positioning formed a battle formation that integrated offense and defense...

This was the standard four-person combined attack formation of the Sacred Court Knights, with vitality connected and movements synchronized; it had strangled enemies far exceeding their own level in countless real battles.

But Han Tieshan did not wait for the formation to unfold.

He took a step forward. "No need for four people, I alone am enough."

As he spoke, he drew the sword from his waist.

The blade was broad and thick, the edge gleaming with a dull luster; it was a heavy sword.

Han Tieshan gripped the sword with both hands, infusing his vitality into the blade, like a beast awakening.

Wang Lin looked at him. "Perfect. I practiced a few blade techniques yesterday; I might as well use you to test the waters."

As he spoke, he reached out his right hand, palm facing up, and whispered two words: "Blade, come..."