"Oh? The one who killed a Heavenly Luan White Ape through sheer strength, and who recently repelled Yue Longkuang with a blood needle at the Cloud-Filled Tower, is him as well?" The Eldest Young Master's brow furrowed tightly...

"Yes, I hadn't expected it either; in just a few months, he has actually become a Soul Master. Furthermore, judging by the Qi within his body, he has already reached the Martial Master realm..." The man nodded, barely believing what he was saying himself...

Since childhood, he had barely heard of anyone cultivating both Soul and Martial arts. After all, most people focused solely on martial techniques. Those capable of cultivating the soul spent all their waking hours refining their spirit, seeking the path to longevity, leaving absolutely no time to study martial arts...

Yet here was Ye Jingyu, undeniably a dual cultivator of Soul and Martial arts, and one who had achieved success in both—how could this not shock people...

"It seems the Third Brother had good fortune indeed, finding such a talent. If that is the case, then his fate was simply too thin. Are you confident you can kill him if you encounter him?" Luo Haitian’s eyes blazed with killing intent. His principle regarding talent was always the same: if they cannot be made to serve him, they must all be extinguished...

"Young Master, rest assured. If he is lucky enough to reach the third round of the examination, I swear I will ensure he meets a gruesome end..." the man declared with full confidence...

"Very good. For this Martial Examination, you are the only one fighting alongside me. With your strength, even those useless wretches like Bie Li will be no match for you. Taking the championship should be no issue. However, you must watch out for one person..."

"Who is that..."

"Huangfu Buyue..."

"From the Dragon Capturing Sect?" The man’s face registered shock...

"Indeed. It was a fellow named Huangfu Heiyou who appeared in today's arena that drew Father's attention. A subsequent inquiry revealed that the Dragon Capturing Sect actually sent two participants this time. Father’s decree is absolute: no one from the Huangfu family must claim the top spot, or they might stir up unimaginable trouble..." Luo Haitian spoke coolly...

"I understand, Young Master..." The man nodded, saying no more...

And the night deepened, growing gradually more profound...

Outside the Eldest Young Master's manor, the other factions of Yunjing were also debating the day's matches. Most believed Ye Jingyu had simply gotten lucky; very few perceived his true capabilities. Even at the Third Young Master's residence, many felt his success was purely down to immense luck...

Regardless of the opinions, the first round of the competition was finally over. The second round would not be martial combat, but a contest of archery and military strategy...

Naturally, military strategy would involve matters of text, serving merely as a formality. Archery, however, required a genuine test of skill. If one aspired to be a General, how could they not know how to shoot?

In this second round, the two individuals with the worst rankings would be eliminated, leaving the final eight to contend for the ultimate prize...

Therefore, for the remaining ten-plus days, all of Ye Jingyu’s focus was poured into practicing archery...

He had learned the most rudimentary skills of archery in the Southern Savage Forest, but relying on that alone to excel in the archery contest was impossible. Fortunately, he had two divine archers by his side; where was there to worry about such a problem?

And so, under the dim night sky, on the training grounds behind the Dan Yun Villa, rows of archery targets stood tall. Ye Jingyu held a longbow in his left hand, a feathered arrow nocked with his right, placing it on the bowstring. His eyes were fixed intently on the distant targets...

With a "Swish..." the feathered arrow shot from his hand, piercing the air and instantly vanishing. Yet, among the rows of targets, not a single one showed any reaction...

"Uh... where did it land?" Looking at the unresponsive targets, Ye Jingyu murmured in confusion...

"Your force is sufficient, and your posture is mostly correct. But at the moment you release the string, your body loses balance, which is why you miss the target every time..." Beside Ye Jingyu, Hu Yanmeng wore a tight, light-blue gauze skirt, her graceful figure mesmerizing under the moonlight. However, her voice remained as cold as ever, even though Ye Jingyu was her master...

"What should I do then?" Ye Jingyu asked innocently; he was already trying his best...

"Come, I will teach you..." Hu Yanmeng said, moving her exquisitely curved body close to Ye Jingyu. After ensuring Ye Jingyu had the correct archery stance, she pressed tightly against his back, one hand steadying the bow, the other guiding his string-drawing hand. Her face turned forward, yet the breath exhaling from her nose brushed past Ye Jingyu's ear... making him feel terribly ticklish...

I'm going to die, I'm going to die...

Isn't this little one trying to make me formally take her?

Ye Jingyu roared inwardly...

"Hold your breath, calm your mind..." Perhaps sensing Ye Jingyu's agitation, Hu Yanmeng’s icy voice returned...

"I am holding my breath, I... I am calming my mind..." Ye Jingyu forced himself not to think about anything else, but inhaling that delicate fragrance and feeling that intoxicating sensation, how could he possibly settle down...

"Do you still want revenge?" Seeing that Ye Jingyu was unable to focus, Hu Yanmeng stated coldly...

Upon hearing these words, the ripples churning in Ye Jingyu's heart instantly vanished without a trace. In his mind, the chubby face of Ye Fugui involuntarily flashed before him. Icy killing intent surged out from within his body...

"I do..." A frigid tone emerged from his lips, and there was no longer any lewd thought in his heart...

"Then remember this: archery uses not the arms, nor the body, but the heart. Use your heart to sense your target, use your heart to believe you can hit it, you will hit it..." Hu Yanmeng spoke coldly, possessing the air of a true master...

Ye Jingyu slowly closed his eyes, his heart growing quieter and quieter, so silent he could hear the faint sound of ants crawling beneath his feet...

A faint crescent moon mark materialized between his brows. His tightly shut eyes snapped open instantly, fixing upon the distant target. The drawing hand on the right instantly released...

With a "Swish..." the feathered arrow transformed into a streak of black light, plunging directly into the center of the front target. While it didn't hit the bullseye, it grazed the red center, and the sheer force of the shot penetrated clean through the target board...

"That’s it. Feel that sensation you just had..." Hu Yanmeng said lightly, releasing her hands from Ye Jingyu...

Ye Jingyu didn't dwell on it. He snatched another arrow from the quiver beside him, nocked it on the bow, drew the string, and released...

This entire sequence flowed as one seamless action, and that black arrow once again pierced the target, disappearing into the darkness...

He shot dozens of arrows continuously like this until the quiver was empty. Only then did Ye Jingyu stop. Even with his strength, his arm felt slightly numb, but the targets were already riddled with holes, and the red centers long gone. Seeing these results, Hu Yanmeng said no more, merely stating faintly: "Master has grasped the Way of Archery. The rest is practice and experience. It is late; please rest early, Master..."

"You may leave first. I wish to be alone for a while..." Ye Jingyu replied calmly, his face showing an expression devoid of sorrow or joy...

Hu Yanmeng glanced at the targets in the distance, then at Ye Jingyu's face illuminated by the moonlight. She let out a long sigh, turned, and walked away to the side...

She quickly vanished into the pitch-black night, while a shimmer of silver light flickered in Ye Jingyu's eyes...

"Since you are here, why not step out and show yourself..." Only after Hu Yanmeng's silhouette had completely disappeared into the darkness did Ye Jingyu speak slowly...

"I did not expect you to detect me. It seems your victory today was no mere accident then..." A hearty voice sounded out, and as the voice echoed, a faint human shadow emerged from the darkness...