Chapter 111 - 108: First Round of Testing

Chapter 111: Chapter 108: First Round of Testing"Copper Man Formation?" Ye Xuan’s eyes showed a hint of surprise. Although he was not unfamiliar with the name, he had seen similar things before. This Copper Man Formation was simply a set of simple copper puppets, each programmed with different Martial Arts routines and placed all together in one array, forming a composite formation. However, looking at it from another angle, this Copper Man Formation could not be considered a true Array because it also incorporated many moving mechanical traps. When combined, it was more often a means used by some forces to assess and train their disciples. Unexpectedly, the newcomer assessment of the Heavenly Martial Hall included this Copper Man Formation. For ordinary people, it was indeed somewhat perverse. "Last assessment, I failed in this Copper Man Formation. Over these three years, I have undergone many similar trainings; this time, I will definitely pass." Yang Hang said with extreme confidence on his face. "Then I should congratulate you in advance." Tang Xiaoyan smiled, but her beautiful eyes revealed a hint of worry. Listening to what Yang Hang said, the difficulty of this Copper Man Formation was extraordinary. Whether she could pass was a big question. However, just as she was somewhat worried, Ye Xuan gently patted her shoulder and nodded, signaling her to be at ease. "Okay." Encouraged by Ye Xuan, Tang Xiaoyan felt much more relieved, and the worry in her eyes gradually dissipated. Seeing this scene, Yang Hang could not help feeling a bit jealous. Just an attendant, and yet being so presumptuous. However, for the sake of manners, he couldn’t say anything and could only suppress his jealousy inwardly. Later, during the performance assessment, as long as he showed a bit of his strength, he believed Tang Xiaoyan would be able to see clearly who was truly capable. As for Ye Xuan, he was just a pretty face. With this mentality, Yang Hang did not speak further, and after a short wait, the queue was almost done, and it was finally Yang Hang and the others’ turn. What came into view was an extremely vast and magnificent building. At the entrance, a gray-robed elder was in charge of the assessment, seemingly registering information. "Name." The gray-robed elder said expressionlessly. "Yang Hang." Yang Hang hurriedly stepped forward with a respectful attitude. Every time someone entered, they had to prove their identity information and background. It had to be clean; many people couldn’t pass this point, so they couldn’t even step through the doors of the great hall. Of course, there were also those who harbored hope against hope, not meeting the age requirements and naturally could not enter either. These descendants of illustrious families naturally had no issues. Only when it came to Ye Xuan did it take some time. Only after checking from some documents on the side was the identity clarified and entry allowed. Several people entered the great hall one after another, only to see that the interior of the great hall was very spacious. In this courtyard resembling a quadrangle, there were many young people divided into two groups, undergoing the first round of testing. The first test was True Qi strength. What surrounded by many figures was a jade-colored True Qi Testing Column. Although it looked slightly different from the True Qi Testing Column Ye Xuan had seen in Dragon City, its function was the same. "Miss Tang, this True Qi test must exceed seventy. Anything below seventy is considered unqualified and will be eliminated." Yang Hang specifically reminded Tang Xiaoyan. Upon hearing this, Ye Xuan raised his eyebrows. The assessment of the Heavenly Martial Hall was indeed strict; hitting seventy was not easy; he feared that just this True Qi assessment alone would eliminate many people here. Bang! The moment this thought crossed Ye Xuan’s mind, a red-robed youth standing in front of the True Qi Testing Column had already punched it, immediately causing a startling noise. The scale on the testing column rose rapidly, but ultimately it stopped at the position of sixty-eight and would not go any higher. "Sixty-eight, unqualified!" The elder in charge of this stage, who looked almost sleepy, announced the result expressionlessly, effectively sentencing the red-robed youth to failure. "Damn, just a bit more." The red-robed youth was dejected. He was just a hair’s breadth away from seventy, but once the data came out, it was final—there was no changing it or attempting again. However, the elder in charge of the test just sneered coldly, noncommittal. If he couldn’t even pass the True Qi test, he shouldn’t even think about what follows. Even if he barely made a score of seventy, it would be useless. Seventy was just the minimum standard. Not reaching such a low threshold and still dreaming of entering the Heavenly Martial Hall was pure wishful thinking. "It’s my turn." When the red-robed youth left, it was soon Yang Hang’s turn. He flexed his muscles and was eager to try as he approached the True Qi Testing Column. Gathering his strength, Yang Hang’s eyes suddenly hardened, and then with a "bang," he struck the True Qi Testing Column with his fist. "Seventy-nine!" The scale shot up linearly before finally stopping near eighty. "Not bad," the elderly man said, his gaze slightly shifting, expressionlessly. Yang Hang nodded, clearly quite satisfied with his result. He even gave Tang Xiaoyan a look and gestured encouragingly to her. "Focus your strength, and don’t hold anything back. Seventy should be no problem," Ye Xuan said lightly. "Okay." Tang Xiaoyan nodded, then walked up to the True Qi Testing Column. Her lovely face turned serious, and then she gathered all her True Qi into her palm and struck the column. In a blink, the scale swiftly rose and stopped at seventy-three. "Sigh..." Tang Xiaoyan exhaled deeply, her suspended heart finally settling. "It’s that kid’s turn to test now." After Tang Xiaoyan finished her test, Yang Hang’s gaze then fell on Ye Xuan. It was finally his turn to test, and Yang was curious to see what this pretty boy could achieve. Surpassing seventy wasn’t going to be easy. "Go Ye Xuan!" Tang Xiaoyan clenched her small fist, knowing Ye Xuan would surely have no issues, though she wondered just how high he could score. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Ye Xuan remained composed in front of the testing column. Unexpectedly, without even glancing at it, he simply raised his middle two fingers, and like a bolt of lightning, he poked at the column. "Hmph, arrogant!" Yang Hang sneered. Ye Xuan’s method seemed like child’s play, utterly arrogant. Others, too, shook their heads at Ye Xuan’s actions, clearly thinking he was just asking for embarrassment. However, what ultimately took everyone aback was the column’s scale, which, under Ye Xuan’s seemingly casual flick, shot up dramatically, breaking past seventy, then eighty, and finally stopping near ninety. Stares fixed on the scale on the column, and a momentary silence fell over the scene, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. "Excellent!" The previously drowsy-looking elder suddenly seemed to awaken from a dream and exclaimed loudly, breaking the silence. He could clearly see that Ye Xuan’s fingers had never actually touched the column, stopping just a hair’s breadth away. Yet, the well-gathered True Qi had struck the column with force. The casual flick had reached a score of eighty-nine, utterly unexpected. Had Ye Xuan chosen a different approach, surpassing ninety would have been no problem at all. This meant he didn’t really regard this test of True Qi highly. "Eighty-nine, how is this possible?" Yang Hang stared dumbfounded at the astonishing figure on the column, unable to utter a single word and clearly struggling to believe that Ye Xuan’s mere flick could achieve such a remarkable result. But whether he believed it or not, the fact was right in front of him. As for the others, after a brief shock, they began to discuss animatedly. "Impressive, a score of eighty-nine. There shouldn’t be many above him," someone said. "Yes, this Ye Xuan, I don’t know where he came from. Besides those two who scored above ninety, so far, his score ranks him third." "Above ninety? Are you referring to Long Gudu and Deng Tianyu? One hails from the royal Long family of the Great Hua Country, and the other is the number one talent from the prestigious Deng family, both renowned among the younger generation in the Great Hua Country. I didn’t expect Ye Xuan to measure up to them." "That’s still not certain; don’t speak too soon. This is just the True Qi test. Whether he can measure up or not, we’ll have to see later." "Right, the second phase with the Copper Man Formation is the real highlight." People kept discussing, with many already adding Ye Xuan’s name to their lists of promising competitors. "Long Gudu, Deng Tianyu?" Ye Xuan, overhearing these names, also began to ponder. Anyone scoring above ninety was undoubtedly an extraordinary individual, at least in the Tiannan Region, considered absolutely top-tier talents. "This is getting more interesting." The True Qi test was really just a mild exercise to warm up. The forthcoming evaluations, especially the Copper Man Formation, was something Ye Xuan was beginning to look forward to with anticipation.