Quasi-Knight Assessment (IV)

Long Haochen said somewhat puzzled, "I don't know what Divine Seal Block is. Teacher only said it was a blocking skill."

Nalan Shu drew a deep breath, trying to calm his surging emotions. He muttered, "That's right, it is Divine Seal Block. It has to be. Xin'er, I've seen Divine Seal Block more than once. Whether Guardian Knights or Punishment Knights, once they reach the level of Radiant Knight, they must learn this skill. If it weren't Divine Seal Block, Haochen could never have blocked that strike of yours. No wonder Lord Xingyu had him challenge a knight. With Divine Seal Block, withstanding a knight's attacks for a quarter of an hour isn't impossible."

"The threshold for Divine Seal Block is indeed Radiant Knight, but that is the threshold set by our Knight Temple, not the threshold for learning the skill itself. As long as one has talent, sufficient judgment and reaction speed, and instruction from a knight of the sixth rank or above, anyone of any rank can cultivate it. But the prerequisite is that our Knight Temple must permit its instruction. There was once a Great Knight who was exceptionally taught it because he had rendered great service."

As an Earth Knight, Nalan Shu understood Divine Seal Block far better than Li Xin did. But precisely because of that, his shock was all the more intense.

The effect of Divine Seal Block sounded very simple: in an instant, it turned one's defense into a single whole. Simply put, if a person's defense were compared to an iron framework, then once an attack exceeded that framework's defensive strength, it could cleave it apart. But if an iron framework of the same size and hardness were smelted into a solid iron block, then the same attack naturally could not break it apart.

Divine Seal Block was the process of turning an iron framework into an iron block. It sounded simple, but in reality it was extraordinarily difficult. In the instant one entered the Divine Seal Block state, one could not move, so sufficient prediction was essential.

Moreover, once Divine Seal Block was cultivated to a certain level, after blocking, it could even temporarily transform part of the opponent's attack power into one's own strength for use in the next attack or defense. There was a reason why Divine Seal Block cultivated to its utmost limit was called Divine Defense.

To break Divine Seal Block's defense, one needed at least more than three times the spiritual energy of the person using the skill. And even then, it depended on that person's mastery of Divine Seal Block.

"Hall Master Nalan, did I pass my assessment?" Long Haochen had no idea what the two before him were so astonished about, so he asked.

"Of course you passed. Wait here. I'll get the thing Lord Xingyu asked you to bring back." As he spoke, Nalan Shu swiftly turned and left. Yet the stormy waves in his heart showed no sign of calming.

Li Xin stared at Long Haochen as though he were some kind of monster. "Little brother, tell me, what high-level knight skill did you use just now to block my Lightning Stab?"

Long Haochen shook his head. "None. I just countered each move as it came."

"You broke my Lightning Stab purely by reaction?" Li Xin's voice rose involuntarily. Naturally, she did not know that Long Haochen's defensive power was far more monstrous than his offense. A year of torment in the Owl Ant Lair had not been for nothing. With the medicinal liquid from the hot spring and the impurities purged from his twelve primary meridians, his cultivation over this past year was worth at least three years of Arduous Cultivation for an ordinary person.

Not long afterward, Nalan Shu returned and handed Long Haochen two items: a round badge engraved with a shield and sword, and a golden-yellow gem the size of an egg.

"This is the rank badge for a Quasi-Knight. The single star on it represents your rank as a first-level Quasi-Knight. Once you make a breakthrough, you can take the assessment again at any time. This Awakening Stone was entrusted to you by Lord Xingyu. Make sure to keep it safe."

"Thank you." Long Haochen accepted the two items and tucked them into his robes, then respectfully bowed to Nalan Shu.

Nalan Shu said, "Shall I have Xin'er show you around our Haoyue Branch Temple?"

Long Haochen shook his head. "No. Teacher assigned me a task to complete. I need to hurry."

Nalan Shu did not press him to stay. He and Li Xin escorted Long Haochen all the way to the entrance.

"Sister Xin'er, how do I get to the Adventurer's Guild?" Long Haochen asked Li Xin as they parted.

Li Xin said, "The Adventurer's Guild isn't far from here. Look, turn right at the intersection ahead, go forward for about a kilometer, then turn left. You'll be there."

"Thank you, Sister Xin'er. I'm very happy to have met you. I'll be going now. Goodbye, Hall Master Nalan."

After bidding them farewell, Long Haochen hurried away along the route Li Xin had indicated.

Watching his departing back, Li Xin could barely wait to ask Nalan Shu, "Uncle Nalan, just where did this little fellow come from? At his age, it's impossible that he could have made some outstanding contribution to our Knight Temple, so how could he have learned Divine Seal Block? And who is his teacher?"

Nalan Shu sighed softly and shook his head. "I can't tell you those things. You only need to know that the way he obtained Divine Seal Block fully complies with our temple's rules. Before long, our Haoyue Branch Temple may not be able to avoid becoming famous. Xin'er, do you see now? You aren't the only genius in this world. You need to cultivate diligently, or when the Alliance selects Demon Hunter Squads four years from now, you'll return empty-handed."

Li Xin nodded silently. "I wonder when I'll see that handsome little brother again."

Nalan Shu smiled. "That, I can tell you. He'll return two years from now. And he'll remain here at least until the Alliance selects Demon Hunter Squads."

Following the route Li Xin had pointed out, Long Haochen quickly found the location of his second task: the Adventurer's Guild.

Compared to the quiet around the Haoyue Branch Temple of the Knight Temple, the area around the Adventurer's Guild was far more chaotic. Crowds constantly streamed in and out, people in every kind of attire.

His eyes lit up as he spotted the place he was looking for. A counter not far to the left bore a sign for accepting missions. He immediately hurried over.

There happened to be no one there at the moment. Long Haochen stepped forward and said to a young woman in her twenties behind the counter, "Sister, I'd like to accept a mission."

"Huh?" The girl behind the counter froze when she saw Long Haochen, whose beautiful face stood only a head above the counter.

"Well, well, our Adventurer's Guild is really embracing all comers these days! Even a little runt like this comes to accept missions. What a joke." An exaggeratedly boorish voice rang out from nearby.

Long Haochen turned his head and saw a burly warrior with a face full of whiskers looking at him disdainfully, laughing loudly.

Long Haochen frowned, but ignored him. He once again said to the girl behind the counter, "Sister, I want to accept a mission."

The girl behind the counter grew curious as well. "Little brother, what mission do you want to accept?"

Before Long Haochen could answer, that boorish voice rang out again. "What little brother? He's obviously a little sister. Little sister, how about Uncle takes you to buy lollipops? Hahaha—" The burly man's words drew a burst of laughter from some nearby adventurers.

"I want to accept a level-two mission. Preferably one involving hunting Magic Beasts." Long Haochen's brow furrowed even deeper, but he still spoke to the girl behind the counter.

The girl looked somewhat troubled. "Little brother, I'm afraid that won't work. To accept missions above level two, you need a profession of the second rank."

"That's right, hurry home and drink milk. Though I wonder whether your mother still has any milk for you. If she does, how about letting me have a couple of mouthfuls too? With that pretty face of yours, your mother must be quite something herself. It'd be even better if you had an older sister or something."