Boundless Divine Strength

He quickly skimmed through the content, then closed his eyes and mentally recalled each move to reinforce his memory.

If this were an online game, you would see Si Ming's skill bar showing a crazy surge in the experience points for the Nine Earth-Shattering Hammers, with his skill level rising rapidly.

Si Ming did not take advantage of his talent to learn all the martial arts in the book in advance, because doing so would not be of much value; learning them did not mean he could use them in battle.

It's like asking a college student to do a math problem they did in high school. Even though they've learned the relevant formulas, they might not be able to recall them immediately. But if they look at the formulas first, it will be much easier for them to solve the problem.

In actual combat, no matter how many martial arts skills Si Ming has learned, when facing an enemy's attack, all he can do is counterattack with one move. At this time, more is not as good as more, and too many choices are not necessarily a good thing. It's like playing an online game, where the number of skill hotkeys is usually kept to within ten. If it becomes a hundred skills, the player himself will panic.

Tao Chengsi asked nervously, "Brother Si, is everything alright?"

Si Ming closed his book and said confidently, "Don't worry, I've already reviewed everything."

Tao Chengsi still felt it was unreliable, but he had no other choice. If his priority was Ding, he might have been able to find someone else, but now he could only pin his hopes on Si Ming.

"Yes, I also believe that Brother Si can definitely do it!"

Tao Chengsi lied through his teeth, yet his tone was remarkably sincere.

In terms of deception skills, the Liu School can't even come close to the Diplomatic School; in terms of acting skills, the Xiang Family is inferior to the Diplomatic School.

If a person can't even convince (or fool) himself, how can he convince (or fool) others?

Just then, a teacher who was temporarily in charge of being the referee walked in and said loudly, "Student Si Ming, it's your turn to go on stage. Please get ready quickly."

Tao Chengsi clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I will wait here for Brother Si's triumphant return."

"Ha, thank you for your kind words."

Si Ming didn't say much and followed the teacher into the hall, arriving at the designated arena. Although the school also had a fighting arena that could change the terrain, just like the Youth Martial Arts Tournament, there was only one, which couldn't meet the needs of so many candidates. Therefore, the assessment venue was the simplest kind of arena, and the rules also included a rule that "those who fall outside the arena will be judged as losers."

The teacher who was also acting as a part-time referee said, "You can choose a weapon or go bare-handed, but when you choose a weapon, the tester also has the right to choose the weapon."

In other words, candidates have the right to choose. If a candidate chooses to give up, then even if the tester is more skilled with weapons, the candidate will have to fight bare-handed. This is undoubtedly an advantage for the candidate.

Before Si Ming could answer, Ke Chajing, standing on the arena, offered a suggestion. "I'd better choose your weapon, otherwise this fight will be quite boring."

The referee warned, "Ke, don't say anything unnecessary. According to the rules, you are not allowed to reveal any information to your opponent; otherwise, it will be considered as helping the candidate cheat!"

Ke Chajing clicked her tongue, openly expressing her dissatisfaction.

Hearing Hu Jixian from the next arena chuckled and said, "Actually, if you want to help examinees cheat, you can just go easy on them during the fight. Why use such an obvious method as providing information?"

The referee paused for a moment, realizing the logic was sound, but still insisted, "Rules are rules, and we hope you will abide by them."

Ke Chajing said, "I'll say it again, and then shut up. The last examinee couldn't even withstand three of my moves. Junior, you understand now, right? Don't think I'm using psychological tactics."

Only students from the same school address each other as "senior sister" and "junior brother". Students from different schools can only address each other as "senior sister" and "junior brother". This is a common way of addressing each other and is not particularly strict.

Seeing this, the referee shook his head helplessly. He knew a thing or two about the temperament of this martial arts team Captain, who was a true martial arts fanatic, so he could only turn a blind eye.

Although Si Ming was unfamiliar with Ke Chajing's character, he had prior knowledge of her abilities and naturally did not believe it was a psychological tactic. He readily agreed, saying, "Of course I humbly accept your kindness, senior."

If what is said is true, it means that the opponent has reduced the burden on his body without expending physical energy, making it more difficult for him to win than the previous one.

Si Ming went to the weapon rack next to him, and after picking and choosing, he selected a gourd hammer that was very similar to the weapon used by the "Prison-Subduing Boulder" Shi Yuan. It was also made of ironwood and was not affected by magnetic fields.

Upon seeing this, Ke Chajing laughed and said, "You're quite savvy; it seems you were prepared all along."

Si Ming stepped onto the arena carrying his gourd-shaped hammer and said, "Senior sister's name is renowned far and wide, how could I not be careful? I hope senior sister will go easy on me."

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle. It is understandable to choose a weapon that counters your opponent, but it must be one that you are good at. If you choose this uncommon weapon specifically to deal with me, you will only end up shooting yourself in the foot."

"Please don't worry about that, senior. I happen to know a little about hammer techniques."

"Knowing a little bit isn't enough; you need to know eight or nine things."

The referee, not wanting the two to continue their conversation, quickly banged a gong to announce the start of the assessment.

Ke Chajing's eyes sharpened, her previous easygoing demeanor vanished, and she exuded a wild aura, as if she had transformed into a wild beast, charging headlong into the attack.

In the blink of an eye, her hands turned bright red, clearly indicating that she had activated the Iron Refining Hand, showing no intention of hiding her ultimate move and saving it for a crucial moment.

Si Ming remained calm and used the opening move of the Nine Earth-Shattering Hammers, "Hegemon Mounts the Horse," to smash and stab his opponent head-on.

Ke Chajing lightly touched the ground with her toes, her movements as swift as a cheetah, quickly turning to Si Ming's side and striking his shoulder with one hand, the air itself becoming scorching hot.

When faced with a heavy weapon like a hammer, the best approach is to use footwork to maneuver, avoid the opponent's strengths and strike their weaknesses, and use agility to overcome clumsiness. Even if Ke Chajing possesses the ruthless Iron Refining Hand technique, she doesn't want to confront it head-on, otherwise she would be using her own weakness to attack the enemy's strength.

However, before she could get close to Si Ming, a dark shadow rapidly expanded in her vision, slamming towards her head with a force as swift as Rushing Thunder. She quickly leaped back, almost bending at ninety degrees, to create distance, but the airflow generated by the gourd-shaped hammer still stung her face.

"Nine Earth-Shattering Hammers! And at the level of effortless mastery! Where do you get such strength?"

After Ke Chajing stood still, she looked at Si Ming with a surprised expression. To master a heavy weapon like a hammer to the point of "effortless skill" requires not only years of practice but also a high level of strength. Si Ming's physique did not seem to be that of a strength type.

Si Ming thought for a moment, then said in a very serious tone, "I'm the type who looks thinner when I wear clothes."

Ke Chajing was taken aback by what she heard, then burst into laughter, bending over with laughter, as if she had been tickled.

"Junior, I'm interested in you. Let me burn your clothes and see if what you're wearing is really as you say."

She lowered her stance and her inner energy surged. Not only her hands, but her entire body began to radiate heat, causing the surrounding air to become misty and hazy.

"I'm coming, watch out!"

Before the warning had even finished, Ke Chajing moved, her speed actually three times faster than before. Coupled with the white steam swirling around her body, it was difficult to pinpoint her location for a moment.

Chapter Ninety-Seven: Boundless Divine Power