Chapter 73: The Strongest Few

Wang Chengfei was a silent youth, seldom speaking and rarely interacting with others; naturally, few ever paid him any attention. In the Eighth Battalion, his name was utterly unknown. Even within his own squad, aside from the instructors, almost no one realized he had already awakened his spiritual body’s attributes.

Yet on this day, he emerged from obscurity, destined to astonish all.

The members of his squad were stunned, the other instructors were stunned, the entire Eighth Battalion was stunned—everyone present was stunned. No one had imagined that such a genius still existed within the Eighth Battalion.

Upon the dueling platform, Wang Chengfei utterly overwhelmed his opponent with absolute strength, unmatched by any. What shocked people most was that he possessed the exceedingly rare Wind Spirit Body.

It was common knowledge that those born with this spirit body were fated to become the legendary Lords of the Sky.

That very day, the Wind Spirit Body revealed its innate superiority: riding the wind to soar and strike, moving freely and unhindered, his combat prowess truly terrifying.

Even Chu Feng, on the spectator platform, couldn’t help but frown. The first time he’d encountered a Wind Spirit Body was with Murong Qiuxue, but she had not then displayed its true advantages—nonetheless, Liu Yantao had already fled in defeat.

Now, for the first time, he witnessed the Wind Spirit Body’s extraordinary might in battle. Chu Feng felt it was even harder to contend with than any long-range assault.

Following Chu Feng, Wang Chengfei likewise received the unanimous approval of the twenty chief instructors, earning the qualification for the Trial of the Saints, and was regarded as one of the strongest in this cohort of the new recruits.

Wang Chengfei’s sudden prominence also sparked speculation among the crowd; now a third-tier Earth Spirit Warrior, he had clearly already joined one of the Four Great Battalions. Of these, most believed he belonged to the Celestial Battalion.

After this frenzy, two more days of calm passed. The competitions of the Seventh and Sixth Battalions produced many impressive newcomers, truly worthy of the title ‘genius,’ but none were able to gain the approval of more than fifteen chief instructors. After all, to participate in the Trial of the Saints required a genius among geniuses.

By now, the Feiyun Battle Arena had become a sea of people, the audience far exceeding a hundred thousand. The crowds were so vast that, for better viewing, barriers were erected around the spectator platforms, projecting images of the dueling stages onto glowing screens that revealed every detail.

As the competition advanced, more and more prodigies emerged, with the First and Second Battalions drawing the greatest attention as the places where talent gathered in abundance.

In the other battalions, even the champion might struggle to earn a place in the Trial of Saints, while in these two, even an early loss might suffice for qualification.

Each year, the opening two battalions would see several individuals earn the right to the Trial of Saints.

Subsequently, the Fifth, Fourth, and Third Battalions stirred waves of excitement; each of their competitions saw one person qualify for the Trial.

Of these, Zhu Miaomiao of the Third Battalion received the unanimous approval of the twenty chief instructors and was regarded as one of the strongest of this year’s new recruits.

Thus far, three had been recognized as the strongest of the cohort: Chu Feng of the Twentieth Battalion, Wang Chengfei of the Eighth, and Zhu Miaomiao of the Third.

When the day of the Second Battalion’s competition arrived, the Feiyun Battle Arena’s audience swelled past 150,000, including many students from the Four Great Battalions.

On this day, expectations were not disappointed: four contestants earned the right to the Trial of Saints, with Han Wen taking first place and being named one of the most powerful new recruits by the twenty chief instructors.

At this moment, Sun Xuan—renowned as the Celestial Battalion’s foremost—realized how narrow and self-assured her perspective had been. The new recruits harbored hidden dragons and crouching tigers; even the twenty chief instructors could not easily rank the best among them. Who, without real contest, could claim the title of the number one new recruit?

At last came the day of the First Battalion’s grand competition. On this day, the audience at Feiyun Battle Arena reached its peak, and every duel was riveting.

The students of the First Battalion were the youngest and the most dazzling. By day’s end, ten of them had qualified for the Trial of Saints.

Among them, Sun Xuan once again won the approval of all twenty chief instructors and was named one of the strongest new recruits.

Yet the day’s brightest star was not Sun Xuan, who only placed second, but a boy named Yuwen Feng who took first.

Despite her defeat, Sun Xuan was still counted among the strongest, for her strength was truly formidable—few besides the chosen few could match her radiance.

Among the strongest, there were still differences in power, but they were all close enough to challenge one another, with no overwhelming disparities.

Yuwen Feng shone the brightest of all. When his Thunder Spirit Body was revealed, the entire arena was shaken, and even the twenty chief instructors were disturbed.

A Lord of the Sky had appeared only days before, and now the legendary King of Battle had emerged as well.

Both the Wind and Thunder Spirit Bodies were exceedingly rare, but strictly speaking, the Thunder Spirit Body was rarer still.

According to the chief instructors, the Celestial Battalion already had a Lord of the Sky, and now there was another; but a King of Battle had not appeared for over a decade.

The Wind Spirit Body could command the air and grant flight, while the Thunder Spirit Body mastered lightning, its bearer’s power unrivaled among peers.

Both were fearsome, and which was greater none could say for sure, though most favored the Thunder Spirit Body—after all, the King of Battle was so named for a reason, while the Lord of the Sky seemed more limited.

In battle, Yuwen Feng’s spiritual power was charged with lightning. His opponents might block his spiritual force, but the lightning was impossible to guard against, conducting instantly and seemingly unstoppable.

Naturally, Yuwen Feng was counted among the year’s strongest. The twenty chief instructors could not judge which among these strongest was truly supreme, but in their eyes, Yuwen Feng had the highest potential to become the number one new recruit.

Rumors had already spread that Yuwen Feng had long since joined the Celestial Battalion.

Through the final days, Chu Feng watched every duel, deeply impressed by the strength of the new recruits—far beyond his expectations.

Yuwen Feng, in particular, made Chu Feng frown—not because of his power, but because of his Thunder Spirit Body.

Yuwen Feng wielded the power of lightning, and Chu Feng felt as if he had met his nemesis. Even if the Violet Battle Robe could block it, a sword could conduct electricity—in the end, short of enduring it with his body, Chu Feng could think of no way to counter it.

After twenty days, the grand competitions concluded. In total, nineteen had qualified for the Trial of Saints—a privilege they would retain regardless of which of the Four Great Battalions they joined.

Among them, Chu Feng, Wang Chengfei, Zhu Miaomiao, Han Wen, Sun Xuan, and Yuwen Feng were considered the six strongest of the year’s recruits, stirring endless discussion and speculation.

Amidst the debate, Chu Feng’s reputation was no less than Yuwen Feng’s—perhaps even greater. After all, he had not yet undergone spiritual transformation, breaking all conventional expectations.

Moreover, wherever Chu Feng went in recent days, he attracted attention. Across all the new recruits, only he bore a long sword on his back, the very image of a swordsman.

Two miles behind the Human Race’s Sanctuary lay a place of picturesque mountains and flowing waters, where craggy peaks and rushing waterfalls were untouched by the clamor of the mortal world.

There, a modest peak encircled by emerald streams stood. On its eastern side, a great waterfall plunged down into a mountain ravine.

This mountain was called Changle Peak. Its pines and cypresses were lush, flowers bloomed everywhere, and dense spiritual energy shrouded the summit, making it seem like a realm of the immortals.

On Changle Peak stood five simple cottages—the secluded retreat of the five elders, who spent some of their days in the Sanctuary, but most of their time here.

Beneath an ancient pine before the waterfall, the First Elder and Second Elder were presently engaged in a game of chess; the other three elders were absent.

Moments earlier, the two elders had received word from the new recruits’ camp. As masters of the Spirit Battle Hall, they paid close attention to any great commotion among the new recruits.

“Who would have thought that both a Lord of the Sky and a King of Battle would appear in the same year? This will be interesting,” the First Elder said with a smile.

The Second Elder smiled slightly, placed a piece on the board, and said, “Indeed. A Thunder Spirit Body hasn’t appeared for over a decade. But what surprises me most is that young Chu Feng.”

The First Elder nodded. “Yes, that boy is truly astonishing. Without even a spiritual transformation, to have come this far—his potential upends all our previous understanding.”

The Second Elder sighed. “At first, I thought the boy was simply ambitious, but I never imagined he would be quite so extraordinary. Later, when the Fourth Elder suggested revoking his Spirit Battle Order, I respected Yuyang’s wishes, but to be honest, I felt it was a pity. Now, it seems our worries were unfounded.”

“In that case, Yuyang must have done it deliberately—he must have seen something special in the boy,” the First Elder mused with a frown. “Only, the path Yuyang pointed out will be a thousand, ten thousand times harder than the ordinary one.”

As elders of the Human Race, their insight was extraordinary; combining this with Chu Feng’s strength, they quickly saw what kind of path Chu Feng was destined to tread.

The Second Elder also frowned, evidently understanding the First Elder’s meaning. “To become one of the strongest, he must be very close to that step already. But the inheritances along that path are nearly extinct.”

“Isn’t there still a complete manual hidden in the Heavenly Treasure Hall?” the First Elder remarked.

The Second Elder hesitated. “That secret manual is fierce and domineering—too dangerous. The boy probably has no idea what path he’s truly set upon.”

“If he wants to continue, if he wants to reach the summit, that is the only manual he can choose. In truth, on that path, is there any manual that isn’t dangerous?” The First Elder placed his piece. “Since Yuyang dared send him, he must have faith in him.”

The Second Elder nodded, set down another piece, and said, “That’s true. For him to have made it this far is already extraordinary. Who knows if he can achieve further glory? It is something to look forward to.”

“He holds the Spirit Battle Order—he will surely go to the Heavenly Treasure Hall,” the First Elder said, gazing into the distance with a complicated expression and a soft sigh. “It is about time to ask him about Yuyang.”