Puppet Warrior

The one presiding over this preliminary competition was Elder Wang, whom Lu Ming had met before. It was he who had gone to Shuofeng City to verify Lu Ming's identity.

Upon his appearance, he first explained the specific content of the preliminary competition and then stated some requirements.

Afterward, he had people divide into ten teams according to the number plates they received yesterday and stand in their designated positions.

Zhu Ningyun naturally returned to the very end of the tenth team.

Once the teams were organized, Elder Wang waved his hand. Following his gesture, the ground suddenly trembled.

Then, a crack appeared in the ground, and stone paths, each about ten feet wide, rose from below.

The scene was grand.

This was Lu Ming's first time witnessing such a spectacle. To be honest, the level of shock it brought was in no way inferior to the grand scenes created by technology in his previous life.

And it carried a hint of the mystical.

At the entrance of each stone path stood a giant clad in heavy armor, wielding a sword and shield.

Most of these figures were over two meters tall, entirely made of steel, exuding an imposing and oppressive aura.

"Are these Puppet Warriors?"

Lu Ming was amazed, and so were the others.

Even the disciples who had seen them before couldn't help but feel a chill.

"I got stuck on the first level last time; I'll definitely pass this time," someone from the ninth team said.

"Huh, wait, look, those Puppet Warriors don't seem to be the same as last time."

"You're right. I wonder how strong they are. The first level last time was peak early Zhen Qi Realm. They won't skip straight to the middle stage to save time, will they?"

"I don't know."

"Alright, quiet!"

Elder Wang stood above the ten puppet paths, surveying the scene.

"The puppet paths are ready. The first level is guarded by a puppet with the strength of an early Zhen Qi Realm cultivator. Disciples will advance one by one, defeat the puppet, and proceed to the next level!"

"I didn't expect it to become simpler. That's good; I'm even more confident now."

"Now, I declare the assessment to begin!"

Elder Wang spoke again.

As he officially announced it, the Outer Sect Elders guarding each puppet path also made their move.

They held their record lists and began calling out almost simultaneously:

"Team one, first participant, Chi Xuan, step forward now."

"Team two, first participant, Li Qi, step forward now."

"Team three..."

The assessment officially began. Chi Xuan from the first team heard his name called and calmly stepped forward, walking towards the Puppet Warrior.

The Puppet Warrior seemed to sense someone approaching. Its previously dim eyes suddenly lit up like light bulbs.

Then, as if possessing life, it fully revived.

It struck its shield with its sword and then suddenly charged towards Chi Xuan with heavy steps.

Mid-stride, it raised its massive sword, its icy blade sending shivers down one's spine.

However, Chi Xuan remained unfazed. Without any superfluous movements, he casually unleashed a burst of qi, sending the heavy Puppet Warrior flying backward to the ground.

"Pass!"

The elder in charge of the first path wasn't overly surprised. Although he was an Outer Sect Elder, he was aware of the geniuses within the Inner Sect.

Therefore, after the Puppet Warrior was defeated, he announced Chi Xuan's passage and let him proceed.

In an instant, Chi Xuan entered the passage, heading to the next level.

Next was He Jianjun, ranked second. She also passed with ease, not even taking down the guqin on her back, defeating the Puppet Warrior with a single blow and entering the next level.

Zongzheng Yunlou, ranked third, was the same.

Overall, the first level was not a problem for the vast majority of Inner Sect disciples, except for those newly promoted ones.

It was merely a matter of time.

However, precisely because of this, there were time limits for passing. For example, the first level required completion within half an incense stick's worth of time.

Otherwise, some could drag it out for half a day using their Lightness Skills.

Restrictions had to be put in place.

Thus, some people began to be eliminated for exceeding the time limit.

Even with this restriction, the advancement speed of each team varied significantly, with the first and tenth teams being the fastest.

The first team was fast because they were strong and defeated the puppets quickly.

The tenth team was naturally slow because they were weak and were defeated quickly.

After all, the people in the tenth team had basically just joined the inner sect not long ago, and not all of them were geniuses like Lu Ming and Zhu Ningyun.

So, in less than half an hour, it was Lu Ming's turn.

"Next, number sixty-nine."

The elder in charge was a little surprised by Lu Ming's cultivation level. It was rare for someone who had just joined the inner sect to be at the middle stage of the Zhen Qi Realm.

He obviously didn't know about Lu Ming.

That's understandable. Without a certain status, one truly couldn't know.

Lu Ming walked forward and didn't waste any time. His figure flashed, and he appeared before the Puppet Warrior that had launched a preemptive strike. Before it could even raise its blade, he stretched out his palm and lightly pressed it to the ground, pinning it down.

It was like gently laying someone who was about to fall asleep.

The elder in charge's eyes lit up. It was so effortless, and he didn't even see any True Qi being used. It was truly remarkable.

After all, a Puppet Warrior weighed a thousand pounds.

"Good, you pass."

He couldn't help but add an extra word.

"Thank you, Elder."

Lu Ming bowed and nodded back at Cui Bai and Zhu Ningyun before proceeding to the next stage.

"Next, number seventy."

Hearing his number called, Cui Bai took a deep breath and stepped forward.

After nearly a year of cultivation, his realm had also reached the peak of the early stage of the Zhen Qi Realm. Furthermore, the Hundred Refinements Profound Technique he had switched to had also reached a certain level.

Therefore, dealing with a puppet with the strength of an early stage Zhen Qi Realm cultivator was not a problem.

He let out a deep, muffled shout, and as the puppet attacked, he threw a punch.

He successfully knocked the puppet down.

"Pass."

The elder in charge couldn't help but nod. Although he could tell that the disciple had used most of his strength, it was still clean and efficient.

It was much better than the disciples who had been assessed before him.

Cui Bai happily exhaled a breath of white air, bowed to the elder, and quickly entered the next stage.

Next were three people who had entered the inner sect at the same time as Lu Ming. Compared to Cui Bai, their strength was a notch weaker.

Therefore, dealing with the puppets was a bit strenuous.

In fact, with their strength, dealing with real people might have been easier. Puppet Warriors were extremely heavy and didn't fear injury, making them difficult to take down.

Only two of the three managed to pass with difficulty.

After them, the strength was even lower. Only a handful of people managed to last longer by relying on their Lightness Skills, but they ultimately failed.

So, it was soon Zhu Ningyun's turn.

"Last one, number ninety-two."

The elder in charge turned his gaze to her. Compared to Lu Ming, whose information was specially kept secret by the sect, Zhu Ningyun was much more famous.

Not only within the Wuji Sect, but many outside the sect also knew of her.

Therefore, the elder in charge knew of her existence.

Zhu Ningyun stepped out and easily dodged a slash from the Puppet Warrior. Then, without drawing her sword, she flicked it, knocking the Puppet Warrior down.

"Good, you pass. Proceed to the next stage."

The elder in charge's eyes also lit up. With his discerning eye, he could tell that she hadn't used much True Qi. And unlike Lu Ming, She hadn't used much physical strength either, relying entirely on skill. Taking advantage of the Puppet Warrior's attack interval and following its force, she had skillfully knocked it down.

It had the effect of using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds.

This required extremely keen observation.

Thus, the first stage of the tenth team's assessment was completed. The number of people entering the next stage had significantly decreased. Out of ninety-two people, only thirty-seven remained.

Lu Ming and the others waited with the elder in charge who had brought Zhu Ningyun in, which meant the second stage was about to begin.

The Puppet Warriors guarding the second stage had a strength equivalent to the peak of the early stage of the Zhen Qi Realm.

Clearly, the number of people passing this stage from the tenth team would be even smaller.

However, for Lu Ming, it made no difference. When it was his turn, he, with no room for refusal, pinned it down.

Next was Cui Bai. It was evident that he was struggling a bit, but he cultivated an inner and outer dual cultivation method, giving him strong defense and great strength.

So, he still passed within the allotted time.

There was no need to mention Zhu Ningyun.

By the third stage, only eleven people remained in the tenth team.

The third stage featured two guardian Puppet Warriors at the peak of the early Zhen Qi Realm, further increasing the difficulty.

Therefore, only Lu Ming and Zhu Ningyun passed. Cui Bai's strength was also good, but facing two formidable puppets simultaneously proved a bit strenuous for him.

He ultimately ran out of time and regrettably failed.

In fact, it wasn't just the tenth team; by this stage, the number of people eliminated from other teams also increased significantly.

"As expected, it's easiest here. Alright, you two and the remaining members of the ninth team will merge with the eighth team and continue the assessment."

Upon reaching the fourth stage, the Elder in charge suddenly announced.

It turned out the puppet path was shaped like a cone, with fewer stone path entrances further in.

By the fourth stage, there were only eight stone path entrances.

"Yes."

The two complied, and the Elder in charge took their information to assist the Elder of the eighth team.