My martial arts have no bottlenecks.

Chapter 65 Year-End Business Meeting

Time flies by.

More than a month has passed since Wang Teng broke through the barrier, but the atmosphere at the Martial Academy remains somber.

Liang Cheng did some short-term missions along the way, and with all the silver he had, he exchanged it all for resources. Spurred on by Wang Teng's breakthrough, he cultivated even more diligently.

[Broken Wave Technique, Level 1: Minor Success (932/2500)]

[Stone Armor Technique (Iron Armor): Mastery (1261/3000)]

【Whirlwind Blade Technique: Mastery (1981/2000)】

【Dragon Step: Minor Success (60/1200)】

At this moment, he stood in the courtyard, holding a knife in his left hand.

Liang Cheng closed his eyes and concentrated, his mind completely focused on the long sword in his hand. He slowly rose to his feet, the blade slicing through the night without a trace of smoke or fire.

At first, it was just basic chopping, slashing, and cutting, with slow and deliberate movements, as if weighing a ton. Gradually, the speed of the blade began to increase, and the sound of wind began to rise.

His blood and qi flowed with the momentum of the sword, and with each step, the exquisite twists and turns of the "Dragon's Journey" were integrated into the sword path. His body was like a dragon in flight, and his sword was like a startled swan.

The flashing of swords grew brighter, and the sound of the wind grew stronger.

Suddenly, Liang Cheng felt something.

Where the blade passes, the airflow is no longer an obstacle, but rather a driving force. In the twists and turns of the body, all stagnation disappears, and everything flows smoothly and effortlessly.

The knife is the body, the body is the steps; the steps follow the body, and the body follows the knife.

Wherever the blade pointed, the air in the courtyard suddenly condensed, then transformed into a visible pale blue arc of energy that pierced through the air for three zhang.

The howling wind in the courtyard stopped abruptly, and then the blade shattered into pieces; the long sword couldn't withstand the force of the sudden attack.

【Whirlwind Blade Technique: Perfected】

Liang Cheng's lips curled slightly, his strength having improved once again.

However, forging a fine longsword should also be put on the agenda.

Just then, a servant reported that someone had come to visit.

Upon going outside, he saw Chen Bainian.

"Guest Liang, tomorrow is the year-end chamber of commerce meeting. If it is troublesome, you can choose not to attend. I will not utter a single complaint."

"Don't worry, Master Chen, I will definitely go tomorrow."

Upon hearing the news, Lu Qingzhou could only shake his head.

The Wang family is powerful. Although Chen Bainian is a wealthy merchant in the three towns, he is nothing in Linwu City. Junior Brother Liang still acted impulsively.

The Xu family also received the news.

Xu Zhi found Xu Zhang and discovered that Xu Feng was also there. He quickly bowed and the three of them talked for a long time. No one knew what they talked about.

……

The next day, Chen Bainian picked up Liang Cheng on time to attend the Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Chen Bainian's green-canopied carriage stopped at the entrance of the Martial Academy. Liang Cheng, dressed in a black outfit and wearing a standard long sword that he had temporarily exchanged from the Martial Academy's armory, stepped into the carriage.

"Guest Liang," Chen Bainian said, dressed today in a crimson brocade robe adorned with floral patterns. He smiled, but his eyes held a hint of seriousness. "The Chamber of Commerce is being held at Jiya Hall in the south of the city today. Thank you for your help."

Liang Cheng nodded: "It's alright. Please explain the rules for passing the three trials again, sir."

Chen Bainian lowered his voice: "The so-called three trials are all real martial arts competitions. The Chamber of Commerce has rules that those who attempt the trials must fight three consecutive battles against current senior members of the top-tier Chamber of Commerce."

He paused for a moment: "According to past practice, very few people can pass two rounds, and only two companies have succeeded in passing all three rounds in the past five years."

"So, Mr. Liang, you can consider this carefully. You are still young, and I can wait, as can the Chen family business."

"Don't worry, Master Chen. I know what I'm doing. I won't do things blindly.

"That's good."

The carriage entered the south of the city and stopped in front of a large courtyard with five courtyards. Above the gate hung a black plaque with gold characters for "Jiyatang" (Elegant Hall), and stone lions stood solemnly on both sides. Several luxurious carriages and horses were already parked there.

The two got out of the car and had just stepped inside when they heard a long laugh:

"Master Chen, you've kept me waiting for so long!"

A plump, round-faced middle-aged man walked towards them, followed by two burly guards. Chen Bainian cupped his hands and said, "Manager Liu."

"This must be Guest Master Liang?" Manager Liu glanced at Liang Cheng, his smile unchanged. "Truly a young talent, his reputation precedes him."

Liang Cheng nodded calmly, which was his way of greeting him.

Chen Bainian chuckled: "Manager Liu, please."

After passing through two courtyards, a wide open space suddenly appeared before us. In the center of the space was a large bluestone square with three high platforms, each three feet high. Seating areas had been set up around the platform, and no fewer than a hundred people were seated there, all dressed in fine clothes and exuding an air of great importance.

Liang Cheng's gaze swept across the room and he saw several familiar faces. Lu Qingzhou was sitting in the martial arts academy's disciple seats, nodding slightly to him with a complicated expression.

At the Xu family banquet, Xu Zhang, Xu Feng, and Xu Zhi were all present. Xu Zhi was whispering to Xu Feng, and when his eyes met Liang Cheng's, a hint of undisguised coldness flashed across his face.

The Wang family's seats were empty, but Wang Qinian was standing by the stage, talking to an old man in black robes. As if noticing the gaze, he turned his head and smiled slightly at Liang Cheng.

"The people from the Martial Arts Academy have also arrived," Chen Bainian whispered.

Liang Cheng looked at the main guest seats. Three martial arts academy deacons sat there. They looked familiar, but he hadn't greeted them before. There were also people from the city lord's mansion, whom Liang Cheng still hadn't seen before.

At the second quarter of Chen (7:45 AM), Shen Wenqing, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, put down his teacup, stood up, and walked to the central platform.

"At this auspicious time at the end of the year, I am honored by your presence." His clear voice resonated throughout the hall. "As is customary, those who wish to be ranked first in the Shanxi Merchants Association must pass three tests. Today, three companies have submitted their applications: Liu's Trading Company, Li's Cloth Shop, and Chen's Trading Company."

"We request that the three families send their retainers to sign a waiver of life or death."

Chen Bainian glanced at Liang Cheng, who nodded slightly, stood up, signed the life-or-death agreement, and agreed to fight in the arena, leaving their fates to fate.

Then they drew lots to select their opponents. Liang Cheng was lucky and was the third to appear.

The guest advisors from the Liu and Li families were the first to appear.

The Liu family business hired a strong man who wielded an iron whip. Their first opponent was a master swordsman. Both of them were at the peak of their internal energy cultivation. They fought for nearly a hundred moves on the stage, with whip shadows and sword lights clashing. In the end, the strong man swept his opponent's shoulder with a heavy whip, knocking him off the stage.

"Liu's Trading Company, you've passed the first test!" the referee announced loudly.

In the second match, Liu's guest faced a swordsman. The swordsman was incredibly fast and used unorthodox techniques. Although the strong man's iron whip was powerful and heavy, it could not keep up with the opponent's speed. After thirty moves, he was stabbed in the calf and staggered to his death.

Liu's Trading Company shook its head helplessly. They had not been promoted to Grade A again this year. But what powerful martial artist wouldn't choose a better employer?

Then the Li family fared even worse, failing to even pass the first round and suffering a direct defeat, thus missing out on the top-tier ranking. The atmosphere between the two families became increasingly silent.

Liang Cheng then got up and walked towards the arena.

"Third place, Liang Cheng, guest advisor of the Chen Family Trading Company!" The referee glanced at him. "Your opponent is Zhao Mang, guest advisor of the Huitong Trading Company!"

A giant man nearly nine feet tall leaped onto the ring. His muscles were like cast iron, his skin had a bronze sheen, and he wore steel boxing gloves. With each step he took, the ring trembled slightly.

"Kid," Zhao Mang grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth, "admit defeat now, and you can still walk away."

Liang Cheng didn't speak, but stood silently facing him.

The gong was struck.

Zhao Mang roared, and the barbarian elephant charged forward, throwing out both fists at once. The wind from his punches howled, and surprisingly, it carried the sound of wind and thunder!

He follows a path of pure brute force, with his perfected Transformation Realm cultivation combined with innate divine strength, making him someone that ordinary Transformation Realm cultivators wouldn't dare to directly confront.

Liang Cheng, however, did not retreat at all, standing as straight as a pine tree.

The armor is complete!

Raging Bull Force - Mountain Collapse!

Breaking Wave Technique - Triple Force!

"boom!"

Liang Cheng neither dodged nor evaded; the two exchanged blows. Zhao Mang's expression changed, and before he could react, the force surged like a tide, each wave stronger than the last, breaking through his defenses and reaching his chest before exploding with a deafening roar.

boom!

Zhao Mang was sent flying backwards and crashed outside the arena.

Defeated in one move, the stadium fell silent.

Chen Bainian couldn't help but open his mouth wide, instinctively stood up, and excitedly shouted, "Great!"

Only then did the others realize what was happening, and an uproar ensued.

The referee took a deep breath and announced loudly, "Chen's Trading Company, you've passed the first round!"