Arena A (Physical Body 1–3)
Arena A of Physical Body 1-3 has applicants aged ten to fifteen. When a surprisingly young boy, seemingly no older than seven, stepped into the arena, clutching a spear that appeared too large for him, the older boys couldn't suppress their disdain. It was already considered a prodigy for a ten year old to reach the Physical Body level. Yet, here was someone even younger.
"Hey, how old are you, kid?" A tall, imposing boy, roughly fifteen years old, called out, his voice laced with a mixture of amusement and disdain.
"Who, me?" Jingxuan hesitated, unsure if they were speaking to him. However, seeing that the other boys were staring solely at him, with no intention of clarifying themselves, he responded: "I am seven years old."
The older boy scoffed, spitting casually to the side. "You're seven? Are they now letting babies on the sand?" His tone and behavior was very rude, clearly implying Jingxuan was too young and inexperienced for the ring.
"This isn't a playground," Jingxuan retorted, he was very confident: "Be careful, else, I'll beat you until you cry."
"I dare you?!"
Another boy muttered: "He's just another rich child prodigy."
It is a common sentiment that such young participants were often pampered and lacked true skill.
Jingxuan shifted his wooden spear to a better grip. He wasn't intimidated by them: "I'm not a child prodigy," he stated calmly, looking directly at the older boy who had initially addressed him. "My seven-year-old brother is. He has a heavenly ice mutated root and he's already at Physical Body level 3. It won't be long till he levels up again; you should worry about him instead. After all, you're this big and you're only at the 2nd level of Physical Body."
Tension filled the arena. Those who weren't talking were already planning their attacks, each calculating their moves and targets.
The older boy's lip curled into a sneer. "Talking big, are we? I hope you can still be this arrogant when the match is over." His words were a clear threat, he didn't see Jingxuan as an opponent rather as an arrogant noble that needs to be taught a lesson.
The judge, positioned at the edge of the ring, raised a flag high above his head. When the gong sounded through the arena, he shouted: "Begin!"
Immediately, a flurry of motion erupted as they all moved at once. All the older participants in the arena seemed to share a single objective: to quickly eliminate the younger, seemingly weaker opponents as soon as possible.
A boy with a straight wooden sword ran at Jingxuan. Jingxuan used the Skylark Step to slide aside and tapped the opponent's wrist and ankles with the spear butt. The boy didn't expect those to be his weak points, his wrist were numb and so was his ankles. Unable to stand still, he fell and was pushed out by the other applicants.
A boy with a straight wooden sword ran at Jingxuan, he was determined to take Jingxuan out within a few moves. Jingxuan, however, handled the spear effortlessly. It's been almost a year now since he had been training with it. Thanks to those obstacles courses, although he isn't as fast as his siblings, he also has great reflexes. He used the footwork of the Skylark Step to slide smoothly to the side.
The boy was unable to stop in time and passed him. Jingxuan took the opportunity to hit his opponent's wrist and ankles with the spear butt. The boy didn't expect these seemingly light touches to be his weak points. A sudden numbness spread through his wrist, followed by a similar sensation in his ankles. Unable to stand still, his legs gave out, and he tumbled to the ground, before being pushed out of the arena circle by the other eager applicants.
"Applicant 269 is out!" The referee said.
The boy was very dissatisfied but there's nothing he could do about it.
He glared at Jingxuan threateningly, clearly thinking of settling the score another day before limping away.
Next, a second youth launched a "Falling Branch" overhead smash. Jingxuan expertly caught the branch mid-air, blocking it with the center of his spear. Using his full body, he pushed against the youth, sending him stumbling forward. As the youth lost his balance, Jingxuan spun and swung his spear.
The boy was also quite fast, with his wooden sword, he easily countered with a slash, which Jingxuan blocked with the same move. They attempted several other techniques, each met with failure, before resorting to a physical pushing match with both hands and feet. Both youths were equally matched.
Li Jingxuan was surprised and asked with a smile: "How come you know the Falling Branch, and you're so skilled with it too?"
The boy chuckled, "My martial arts aren't stronger than yours. With opponents like you around, I'll have to focus on improving my technique to survive in this Academy. I never expected to meet someone in the same division who could match my skills; you're impressive."
Li Jingxuan modestely replied, "Not really."
The boy chuckled again. "Sure, okay then. What's your name? Mine's Yan Yushan, I'm nine years old."
"I'm Li Jingxuan... But call me Jingxuan or Xuan. Whichever one you prefer." Li Jingxuan responded.
The two laughed and began a conversation about skills, clearly ignoring the fact that they were currently in the middle of a match.
Seeing the two youngest applicants treating the match like a game, some older competitors saw an opportunity to sneak in attacks.
An older boy with a wooden sabre charged in, aiming to take out both of them. However, the two younger boys reacted swiftly, jumping backward out of the sabre's reach. Jingxuan then charged forward, delivering a powerful kick to the boy's chest. Yang Yushan moved behind the boy, blocking his escape and delivering a chop. Caught between the two, the older boy was quickly overwhelmed and thrown out of the arena.
Li Jingxuan and Yang Yushan stood back to back. "Since there will be three winners, why don't we work together?" Yang Yushan suggested.
Li Jingxuan nodded in agreement: "If it's alright with you, I don't mind. I will be one of the last ones standing here either way." He added proudly.
"I like your confidence." Yan Yushan laughed.
With their weapons drawn and ready, they moved to the center of the arena, preparing for their final fight of the day. As the competition continued, the two youths remained in the middle of the arena, engaging in battle after battle.
"Three remain in arena A, Physical Body level 1-3." The judge called. "The final winners are Bai Xinyu, Yan Yushan, and Li Jingxuan!"
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Arena two (Physical Body 4–6)
Group B-2 West Arena was filled with imposing figures. Even before the match began, he could sense the oppressive aura emitting from his competitors. He lifted his gaze, scanning his surroundings. Among the dozen or so individuals, some seemed very confident, as if this wasn't their first time in the arena, while the majority appeared nervous and apprehensive. Li Zhang had a guess in mind, just then, a boy spoke to him in a lazy voice.
"You seem new here. Are you taking the entrance exam for the first time?" He asked casually.
Li Zhang looked at him: "Yes. Isn't it the same for you guys as well?"
The boy smiled slightly. "Not exactly. This is my second year at the Academy."
Li Zhang was puzzled, he couldn't understand as to why a second-year student from Vermillion Academy would be retaking the entrance exam. However, Li Zhang wasn't one to overthink things. He simply asked, "Why are you taking the exam again?"
The boy shrugged his shoulders: "Who knows? Maybe I wasn't satisfied with my previous result. The opponents were very weak, and I defeated them too easily. I kept thinking I wouldn't have gotten first place if the contestants had been a bit stronger." He sighed deeply: "Hence, I decided to try again."
Li Zhang nodded empathetically. He understood the feeling; it sounded like something he'd do. Instead of overthinking, just redo it if possible.
"I was wondering why the teacher's pet appeared in the opening arena, it turns out that you weren't content with being in first place, how utterly arrogant!" An older boy scoffed.
Another boy replied in a low tone, his face showing disgust : "Just look at the way the teacher's pet acts. Don't make a mockery of us who are actually trying to raise our level!"
It suddenly dawned on Li Zhang that most of this group had taken the exam before. "What do you mean, 'rising in rank'?" Li Zhang inquired.
"You clearly don't grasp the significance of this Academy, do you?" Another boy scoffed: "Rank and placement are everything here, and this group combat is the most crucial assessment of the entire school year. A poor performance now makes it incredibly difficult to improve your standing throughout the school year. This opening assessment is open to everyone, and it can truly make or break you. Only this child prodigy and teacher's pet dare to take such a risk!"
The boy labeled "teacher's pet" didn't take their provocation to heart nor respond to it. standing lazily as if the conversation didn't concern him. Li Zhang could see that the boy was clearly everyone's target, as if they had conspired beforehand to eliminate him.
Li Zhang, however, didn't care about their conflict. He was there for a good fight, and no matter what, he was determined to be one of the last three applicants left in the arena once the match was over.
He adjusted his wooden boxing gloves. Despite being made of wood, the interior was surprisingly spongy and comfortable.
"Begin!" The referee announced the start of the match.
When the gong rang, Li Zhang stepped forward with Stone-Fist Start, a basic boxing technique that emphasized solid footing.
His first opponent came swinging with a big wooden rod that hit his shoulder because he was unable to dodge in time. Gritting his teeth through the pain, then retaliated with a forceful Pebble Break Punch to the boy's chest.
The boy flew out of bounds.
"Ring-out!"
The second match was trickier. Two boys tried to gang up on him. Zhang grinned excitedly: "This is way more fun."
He kept low and used Crab-Step Feint, rolling under one and landing a body-blow on the other. He turned and grabbed the second leg that was about to kick him, and flipped him backward.
His sturdy gloves absorbed the pain of blocking, and his sharp instincts carried him through.
"Ring-out, ring-out!" The referee called out twice.
Zhang raised a fist and laughed. Just as he was about to continue, he realized the crowd had shifted.
The "teachers' pet" truly lived up to his reputation. Despite being outnumbered, his movements were fluid and rapid, preventing anyone from landing a hit. He not only thwarted their offense but also launched swift counterattacks, moving almost imperceptibly. His strikes were clean, precise, and quick. Within 30 seconds, he had eliminated 20 applicants from the arena, concluding the match in under two minutes.
The boy then glanced sideways at a bewildered Li Zhang: "It seems only you and I remain." He sighed deeply, gazing at his hands, "So, this year is no different either."
"Why the sigh? I barely got a hit in thanks to you!" Li Zhang was clearly annoyed. "Why didn't you leave some for me to fight? What happens to 'ensuring' your victory?!" The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became.
"What's the fuss? They were all down before I even lifted a finger. You can only blame their weakness," the boy replied casually.
"You scamp, fine then," he said, looking at the defeated applicants, and then made an unbelievable proposal: "Why don't you all come back in for a rematch?!"
Everyone was speechless, when they soon recovered from the shock, they began to curse at him.
"Are you crazy?"
"Do you think we're your punching bag?"
"This is the entrance exams of the academy, not your private fighting ring, bastard!"
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
Li Zhang was stunned by the sudden uproar.
The boy patted him on the shoulder, shaking his head: "Bro, you sure are dumb."
"Three… no, two remain," The judge called, helplessly: "Two applicants remain in arena B, Physical Body level 4-6." The judge continued: "The final winners are Chen Liwei and Li Zhang!"