The scene was awkward. The Sect Deacon, named Yun Cheng, adjusted his breathing and stood up again, instinctively glancing around with his peripheral vision.
When he saw the disciples around him and the Sect Master and elders on the high platform looking at him with confused eyes, he knew he had lost a lot of face.
"You Little Girl, your strength is considerable. Relying solely on physical strength, you almost reached the peak of the Lingxi Realm. You passed. It was my miscalculation for not actively defending." Although Yun Cheng was a bit embarrassed, he still ruled that Ye Liuyun had passed.
Seeing Yun Cheng say this, Ye Liuyun immediately bowed to Yun Cheng in apology, feeling very embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, Deacon. I also didn't expect you wouldn't circulate your energy to resist," Ye Liuyun said, her face covered in cold sweat.
"Alas! It's my own problem. You've taught me a lesson; I can't underestimate anyone in the future. Go down, you've passed." Yun Cheng sighed, then added Ye Liuyun's name to the list of those who passed the assessment.
Everyone understood when they heard Yun Cheng's voice. It turned out that Yun Cheng had not used his energy to defend, and Ye Liuyun's attack was primarily physical strength, and this physical attack power reached the peak of the Lingxi Realm.
However, even so, could a physical attack at the peak of the Lingxi Realm injure a Dao Palace Cultivator? They still found it a bit strange.
But Yun Yun and the others did see some issues.
"This Little Girl's palm force seems to contain a hidden power. The hidden power penetrated Yun Cheng's body and injured him. Interesting. It seems that this Ye Liuyu has been cultivating physical strength for the past three years." Yun Yun basically understood.
"Physical strength? Sect Master, are you saying this Little Girl didn't cultivate spiritual energy?" Yun Ling asked curiously.
Yun Yun swept her divine sense over Ye Liuyun. In her eyes, the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from Ye Liuyun's body were very weak, at most only at the early Lingxi Realm.
"This Little Girl's spiritual root aptitude is not good, even very poor. If she mainly cultivates spiritual energy, she won't achieve much. Perhaps taking the path of body cultivation might offer more hope," Yun Yun replied, withdrawing her divine sense.
However, when Yun Ling and the others heard Yun Yun say this, they immediately lost interest in Ye Liuyun, because in the normal understanding of cultivators, the improvement of spiritual energy was the orthodox method of cultivation.
The improvement of physical strength is limited. It's not that no one in the Cultivation World has primarily cultivated physical strength, but unfortunately, they haven't gone far. As the body ages, physical strength will gradually weaken.
Looking at Ye Liuyun again, she returned to Lin Aoxue's side with a smile.
"How was it? I told you I could pass," Ye Liuyun said with a confident smile.
"How did you do that? One slap took down a Dao Palace First Layer Deacon! You're more famous than me now. Look, all those old disciples are staring at you," Lin Aoxue gestured around to Ye Liuyun.
How could Ye Liuyun not know that the people around her were looking at her? She felt as if she had thorns in her back, but she could only pretend not to feel anything, pretending not to see.
"It's a secret. However, it's mainly because this Deacon didn't put up a defense. If he had actively defended, it definitely wouldn't have been this result. It's just that he was careless. I've been primarily cultivating physical strength these past few years; my physical body is stronger than my spiritual energy," Ye Liuyun said with a mysterious smile.
Lin Aoxue didn't press further. The two began to discuss the upcoming Arena Sparring. However, Ye Liuyun secretly slipped many things into Lin Aoxue's arms.
"Ao Xue, here are some good things for you. These are all pills I refined. I've written down the effects and uses of each pill. Take them back and use them, but absolutely don't say I gave them to you," Ye Liuyun secretly slipped a Storage Pouch to Lin Aoxue.
Lin Aoxue was stunned, then asked curiously.
"You really became an Alchemist? You weren't just playing around in the Alchemy Pavilion?"
"Nonsense, do I look like that kind of boring person? Anyway, I definitely won't harm you. When the time is right, I'll tell you everything you want to know," Ye Liuyun said.
Lin Aoxue happily took the items after hearing this, then waited for the second round of Arena Sparring to begin.
The pain in Yun Cheng's abdomen had disappeared. After all, it was only a physical attack at the Lingxi Realm, making him hurt for a bit was enough; it was impossible to leave scars.
Yun Cheng flew to the high platform with the list, to Yun Yun's side, and then let Yun Yun and the esteemed guests elders decide the match list.
"Sect Master, this is the list of disciples who passed the assessment. How to arrange the matches next, please decide," Yun Cheng said respectfully.
Yun Yun nodded, then casually asked,
"Yun Cheng, are you alright? That Little Girl's palm just now seemed to have a hidden force."
When Yun Cheng heard this, his old face flushed. After all, being beaten down by a Little Girl in the Lingxi Realm would definitely become a stain on his entire life.
"Cough, cough, cough, Sect Master, I'm fine. I was just careless, but this Little Girl's strength is indeed great," Yun Cheng said with a few dry coughs, quickly explaining.
Seeing Yun Cheng's embarrassment, Yun Yun didn't press further. She began to draw up a list, with their realms written next to each name, so deciding how to pair them for duels wasn't difficult.
"No need to arrange them. Just randomly select opponents based on their general realms. Oh, and Ao Xue doesn't need to participate. Her realm is too high compared to these disciples; it's impossible to compare," Yun Yun gestured.
The other elders generally had no objections to this. The peak of the Linghe Realm and the Lingxi Realm were too far apart.
However, the Grand Elder suddenly spoke.
"I think we can find an old disciple of a similar realm to spar with Senior Niece Ao Xue."
As soon as the Grand Elder said this, Yun Yun became displeased again. She didn't want Lin Aoxue to expose more of her methods; it wasn't a good thing.
The other three elders, this time, did not object, because they also wanted to see whether Lin Aoxue's three years of cultivation truly only had realm and no combat power.
"Sect Master, I think the Grand Elder's suggestion is excellent. Even if Senior Niece Ao Xue loses, it's not shameful, as these old disciples have all cultivated for decades," Second Elder Yun Xiao said.
The other two elders also nodded. Since that was the case, Yun Yun had no reason to refuse, so she agreed to Yun Ling's suggestion.
"Since that's the case, then for the first match, let Ao Xue go on stage, and then find someone of a similar realm to spar with her," Yun Yun said.
Yun Cheng nodded, then took the list and returned to the arena.
"Alright, let's begin the first spar. For the first match, Personal Disciple Lin Aoxue, please come to the stage," Yun Cheng called out.
Lin Aoxue immediately became unhappy upon hearing that she was first.
"Why am I first again? Is this intentional?" Lin Aoxue grumbled, but still flew onto the arena.
After she got on stage, Yun Cheng announced Lin Aoxue's opponent.
"As for Lin Aoxue's opponent, given that there are no new Entry Disciples of a similar realm, after discussion with the Sect Master and elders, an old disciple has been chosen to fight her," Yun Cheng announced.
As soon as he said that, the old disciples immediately became interested.
"This is interesting. I also want to see if Senior Sister Lin truly possesses the combat power of a Linghe Realm peak. Those of you with similar realms, go up and try!" an old disciple shouted.
However, they didn't need to volunteer. Yun Cheng's gaze swept across and locked onto an Outer Sect Intermediate Disciple.
"You over there, yes, you. Come to the stage and fight Lin Aoxue," Yun Cheng called out to a somewhat lazy young man.