Chapter 112 - 109: Copper Man Formation

Chapter 112: Chapter 109: Copper Man FormationTrue Qi testing was just the first part of the initial round of the examination: to fully pass this round, one still had to undergo the second part of the test, which assessed a martial artist’s attribute of the cultivation technique. This test really examined a martial artist’s natural talent for attributes as every martial artist must choose a cultivation technique based on an attribute as their basic practice in martial arts itself is vitally important; most techniques and martial arts revolved around these attributes. This could be considered a specific test aimed at martial arts talent. On the other side of the courtyard, the attribute test was in progress, overseen by another elderly man. In front of him, there was a transparent crystal ball. The young martial artists being tested had to only place their hand on it and channel their True Qi into the ball, which would then show various colors representing different attributes; the intensity of the colors varied, indicating the level of their talent. "Tang Tao, Water Attribute, pale blue, fail!" The old man looked indifferently at the blue-clad young man in front of him, shaking his head. Having passed the earlier True Qi test was just a small step toward success; this attribute test, however, was much more stringent and critical. This part of the exam often eliminated many participants. Ye Xuan was next up after Yang Hang, who took a deep breath. Following the elder’s instructions, Yang placed his hand on the crystal ball, and a strand of True Qi flowed into it. Hum. The crystal ball quickly lit up, emitting a ring of rather dazzling golden light. "Qualified!" The old man nodded. Hearing this, Yang Hang also let out a sigh of relief, then he looked towards Tang Xiaoyan and Ye Xuan, especially the latter; he wanted to see what this guy, who had stolen the spotlight during the True Qi test, would look like in this attribute test. Having a strong True Qi didn’t necessarily mean one would score well in the attribute test. "Passed!" Tang Xiaoyan demonstrated good talent in her attribute, which made this phase of testing visibly easier than the previous; the surface of the crystal ball exhibited a deep blue color, a shade deeper than Yang Hang’s. "It’s my turn now; I wonder what the result will be if I release both of my major attributes." Walking up to the crystal ball, Ye Xuan suddenly entertained a bold idea; after all, the first part of his Hidden Dragon Skill was the Water Attribute, and the second part was the Thunder Attribute. For now, these were the only two, but the Hidden Dragon Skill, being a Divine Grade Cultivation Technique, made him believe that nobody in the Tiannan Region could match him. With that thought, Ye Xuan secretly activated his True Qi of both attributes, wrapping his Thunder Attribute True Qi around the Water Attribute True Qi and quietly channeled it into the crystal ball. Hum! The moment the True Qi entered the crystal ball, the surface of the ball lit up brilliantly; a deep purple color swiftly emerged, shining so brightly that even the old man in front froze. However, before he could speak, another fluctuation was forming under that deep purple, seemingly about to seep through. At that instant, the crystal ball’s aura suddenly became extremely unstable, buzzing loudly and causing the ground to tremble. "Not good!" People around sensed that something was wrong and hurriedly dodged. Bang! Indeed, the moment everyone had dodged, the violently trembling crystal ball suddenly exploded, turning into a plethora of fragments scattered in the air. This sudden anomaly undoubtedly attracted the attention of the entire courtyard. As everyone witnessed the scene, they were stunned anew — the crystal ball had been blown up by this guy? This was ridiculously absurd. "You little..." The moment the old man recovered his senses, the crystal ball in front of him was empty, reduced to nothing but debris on the ground; he then looked at Ye Xuan with a dismayed expression. "Heh, my apologies." Ye Xuan couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh, having only intended to test his idea; he hadn’t expected that his experiment would literally blow up the testing crystal ball. At this moment, atop a tower deep within the grand hall, one could clearly see several old figures with powerful auras, watching in the direction of Ye Xuan. "An ability to burst the crystal ball hasn’t been seen in many years," one of them remarked somewhat emotionally. "Yes, this boy’s performance in the earlier round was also quite good, achieving a high score of eighty-nine. It seems he must be one of the best candidates among the new disciples," another white-robed elder with kind eyes nodded in agreement, clearly optimistic about Ye Xuan’s potential. If Ye Xuan were here, he would be quite surprised to find that this elder in white was one of the two Martial Sect Masters he had encountered earlier in Horse Town. The two were in fact the same person. Even the elder in white hadn’t anticipated this coincidence of seeing Ye Xuan here. "The first round of testing merely assesses their basic abilities, which doesn’t reveal much. Let’s wait until the Copper Man Formation in the second round before drawing any conclusions." The last man remaining, a stern elder dressed in black, had the strongest aura of the three. "Then let us wait and see." The elder in white no longer spoke. What the other person had said was true. Since the Copper Man Formation involved many testing conditions, those who excelled in the first round might encounter difficulties there. Due to the large number of participants in the entrance tests, the first round ran from morning until afternoon. In the end, about two hundred people were selected to proceed to the next round. As for the others, they had been eliminated, losing their opportunity to continue with the assessments. After the first round concluded, they gradually left the courtyard until only the two hundred contestants remained, lined up in square formations within the yard. At this time, an elder responsible for overseeing the proceedings stepped forward, stopping in front of the crowd. "Young talents, congratulations on passing the first round of testing at the Heavenly Martial Hall. The last barrier lies before you, and once you overcome it, you will all become new disciples of the Heavenly Martial Hall." The elder’s voice boomed powerfully through the courtyard, sparking a gleam in many eyes as excitement surged through their veins. Being a disciple of the Heavenly Martial Hall was a title that, within the Tiannan Region, represented a noble status, admired by thousands. If they could become disciples of the Heavenly Martial Hall, it would be an honor to their ancestors, and they would undoubtedly have a boundless future. "In past years, our Heavenly Martial Hall had strict quotas for recruitment, but this year is different. This time, anyone who can pass the second barrier, the Copper Man Formation, can become a disciple. The eight fastest candidates to emerge from the Copper Man Formation will be assigned as Inner Hall Disciples of one of the four halls," the elder said with a beaming smile. However, his words caused a stir among the crowd, instantly elevating the atmosphere within the field to a fever pitch. Within the Heavenly Martial Hall, there were four branches: Qian Hall, Kun Hall, Yin Hall, and Yang Hall, ranked in that order of strength with Qian Hall being the strongest and Yang Hall the weakest. Out of the leftovers, Yin Hall generally recruited mostly female disciples due to its cultivation techniques, rarely accepting males, while Kun Hall’s influence was also considerable. Where the different sectors each had Inner and Outer Hall Disciples. Even though all were disciples of the Heavenly Martial Hall, Inner Hall Disciples held a much higher status and received better treatment. The position of an Inner Hall Disciple was quite esteemed because above them were only the True Disciples, and each of the True Disciples of the Heavenly Martial Hall were legendary figures, extraordinary in their own right. Being admitted as an Inner Hall Disciple immediately upon joining was the dream of many young martial artists, although most of the crowd hadn’t thought this far. Just emerging from amongst these two hundred candidates, passing through the Copper Man Formation, and becoming an Outer Hall Disciple was already a commendable outcome. As everyone’s emotions were stirred, the gate leading to the location of the second round of testing swung open. As the crowd entered orderly, a massive array came into view, likely spanning several miles. The formation appeared vast with numerous Copper Man automatons lined up solemnly. At first glance, it was visually disorienting and impossible to see where the exit was. Beneath this Copper Man Formation lay numerous traps and mechanisms. Although not fatal, being too slow to evade meant disqualification. The Copper Man Formation, seemingly calm on the surface, hid unimaginable dangers within. Ye Xuan looked composed, but next to him, Tang Xiaoyan’s face was particularly tense. However, after she bit her red lips, a firm look welled up in her beautiful eyes. No matter what, she had to make it through the Copper Man Formation. Seemingly noticing the change in Tang Xiaoyan’s expression, Ye Xuan didn’t say anything. At that moment, the voice of the elder echoed in their ears, "Prepare for the second round of testing." As his words fell, the figures tensed up, ready to spring into action at the elder’s command. "Start the challenge!" Watching the crowd, muscles taut in anticipation, a sharp gleam suddenly flashed through the elder’s eyes, and his roaring voice swept through the area. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! One by one, the figures activated their qinggong, swiftly lifting off the ground and racing towards the Copper Man Formation, creating an impressive scene! PS: The traffic dropped significantly after pushing the recommendation. 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