The next day, at dawn.
The central training ground of the Martial Monk Courtyard was livelier than ever before.
Nearly a hundred Martial Monks from the temple, along with Sweeping Monks and even several Scripture Monks who had come after hearing the news, packed the enormous training ground so tightly that not even water could pass through.
"Why is Martial Uncle Huijue reopening the martial assessment?"
"I heard things have been unsettled down the mountain lately. He probably wants to deter petty scoundrels."
"I heard a Sweeping Monk Disciple is taking the assessment too? No idea how capable he is, but with everyone watching, if he fails, Zeng Qiu will be thoroughly disgraced!"
Discussion rose and fell in waves. Most of the Martial Monks did not think much of Su Haoran.
In their eyes, laborers were laborers, and Martial Monks were Martial Monks. Between the two lay an insurmountable chasm.
Cultivation was not something that could be achieved in a single leap.
Amid the crowd's discussions, Elder Hui Jue, who was presiding over the event, arrived.
He was an old monk with a withered face, yet his gaze was as sharp as an eagle's.
Ignoring the surrounding clamor, he swept his eyes over the many Martial Monks and spoke in a deep voice. "Prajna Temple values rules, but it values strength even more. Today, the martial assessment is reopened to test the fruits of everyone's cultivation.
"Now, the assessment begins!"
The moment his words fell, two Martial Monks beside him carried up a huge bronze cauldron.
"The first test is strength! This cauldron weighs three hundred jin. Lift it above your head and hold it for ten breaths to pass!"
Three hundred jin!
A low murmur ran through the crowd.
Even for the Formal Disciples of the Martial Monk Courtyard, this standard was no easy challenge.
Lifting three hundred jin alone was not difficult.
The hard part was raising it overhead and holding it there for ten breaths!
Even a Martial Artist who had formally entered Skin Tempering had to possess ample strength and exert force through their entire body just to barely accomplish it.
Among the many Martial Monks, some gritted their teeth and completed the test, basking in the envious gazes of the spectators.
But even more failed regretfully, shame written across their faces.
Elder Hui Jue watched the scene in silence, but a faint worry showed in his expression.
If this continues...
At last, everyone's eyes naturally gathered on a conspicuous Gray-clothed laborer among the Martial Monks.
"This is Su Haoran?"
"This cauldron-lifting test is still too difficult for him."
"Even if he lifts it, he'll surely run out of strength within ten breaths, trembling all over and making a complete spectacle of himself."
Under countless gazes, Su Haoran walked before the cauldron.
He made no preparations. He merely took a deep breath, bent down, and gripped the cauldron's legs with both hands.
"Up!"
With a light shout, he suddenly exerted force through his waist and back!
The scene everyone expected—bulging veins and a flushed face straining with effort—never appeared.
The heavy bronze cauldron seemed like a wooden toy as he effortlessly raised it and held it steadily above his head.
His arms were straight as spears, his breathing even, and his expression unchanged. He did not tremble in the slightest.
One breath, two breaths... five breaths... ten breaths!
Time was up, yet Su Haoran remained as steady as Mount Tai.
With a flick of his arms, he tossed the bronze cauldron upward, caught it steadily, and lightly set it back on the ground. The entire sequence flowed like drifting clouds and running water, without the slightest trace of effort.
The dull thud instantly silenced the entire training ground.
The Martial Monks who had been waiting to laugh at him froze on the spot.
"Th-this... how is this possible? He made it look so easy?"
"His strength is probably no less than five hundred jin! He may even rival the old hands in the courtyard!"
Watching Su Haoran exert himself, Zeng Qiu's face immediately filled with shock. Then, as if he had recalled something, his expression turned to delight.
"Could it be... what my sworn brother asked about before was true? He really broke through?!"
A trace of surprise flashed through Elder Hui Jue's eyes, but his face remained impassive as he continued, "The second test is movement technique! Pass through the Plum Blossom Stakes before the incense burns out to pass!"
As soon as he spoke, an incense stick was lit on the other side of the training ground.
The Martial Monks gathered their breath, leaped onto the stakes, and employed their movement techniques to weave through them.
Su Haoran was once again the last to move. He frowned slightly.
"I've been focused on breaking through Iron Cloth Shirt lately. I haven't practiced movement techniques much."
"I can only take one step at a time."
Su Haoran moved, descending soundlessly onto the first Plum Blossom Stake like a fallen leaf drifting in the wind.
After a brief moment spent planning his route, his figure became a faint gray blur, swiftly weaving among dozens of uneven, precariously swaying wooden stakes.
The talent and comprehension granted by his extraordinary bones allowed Su Haoran, despite never having deliberately practiced, to discern the optimal route simply from his earlier observations!
His steps were light. Each time he landed, the stakes only swayed faintly, without making the slightest sound.
Though there was no real movement technique to speak of, every move was incomparably precise!
Steady! Accurate!
The spectators cast aside their previous opinions and watched as Su Haoran circled the complicated Plum Blossom Stake formation before returning to the starting point.
That incense stick had not even burned halfway down.
The entire field once more fell into dead silence.
If the strength test had merely surprised them, then this movement had already left them feeling as though they had witnessed the impossible.
Was this level of bodily control something a laborer could possess?
Zeng Qiu was so excited that he clenched his fists, his face full of pride.
At last, a flicker of emotion appeared on Elder Hui Jue's ancient well-still expression.
He could tell that Su Haoran had never cultivated any movement technique!
Moreover, Elder Hui Jue believed that this was Su Haoran's first time seeing the Plum Blossom Stakes. It was impossible for him to have practiced beforehand.
If so, it could only mean one thing: this boy's talent and comprehension were frighteningly high!
He gave Su Haoran a deep look and said, "The third test is fist technique! Wujing, the teaching Martial Monk, will exchange thirty moves with you. Do not lose, and you pass!"
When Wujing stepped forward, the many Martial Monks who had just crossed hands with him immediately turned their heads, visibly moved.
"Senior Brother Wujing is really making a move? I thought they'd have a newly initiated Martial Monk spar with him instead."
"Senior Brother Wujing is actually going to fight? Quite a few Formal Disciples just lost to him, and many couldn't even last twenty moves."
"Junior Brother Su is probably in for some suffering."
As the spectators buzzed with discussion,
A teaching Martial Monk carrying a Monk's Knife stepped forward and pressed his palms together toward Su Haoran. "Junior Brother Su, please."
"Senior Brother, please."
Su Haoran assumed the stance of Arhat Fist.
"Take this!"
Wujing gave a low shout. With a shake of his Monk's Knife, he spun out a fierce blade flourish and slashed directly at Su Haoran's face.
The strike was fast and ruthless, the essence of the Martial Monk Courtyard's practical combat blade technique.
Yet Su Haoran neither dodged nor retreated. At the instant the blade neared his body, he merely shifted slightly aside. His right fist shot out like a cannonball leaving its barrel, striking later but arriving first as it drove straight for Wujing's wrist artery!
The timing, angle, and speed of that punch were exquisite to the finest hair!
Surprise appeared on Wujing's face. If he insisted on completing the slash, his wrist would surely be crippled.
He could only hurriedly withdraw his blade to defend.
But Su Haoran's assault unfolded like a raging storm.
Arhat Fist!
Every move was broad and open, fierce and unmatched!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sounds of fists and kicks colliding rang out without end.
Wujing was forced back again and again. The Monk's Knife in his hand could not be fully unleashed and was constrained at every turn. In the end, he simply abandoned it, facing Su Haoran barehanded in a direct clash.
Sparks seemed to flash at every collision, leaving the watching monks utterly stunned.
"Am I seeing this right?!"
"Senior Brother Wujing is actually evenly matched with Su Haoran?"
Others held a different view. "How could that be? Senior Brother Wujing is at the realm of Second Skin Tempering, after all. He must be holding back, giving the newcomer three parts leeway!"
"Stop dreaming. That kid is only barely holding on. Let Senior Brother Wujing use his full strength and see what happens!"
Opinions varied, and discussions raged, but none of it disturbed the two men in the arena.
Su Haoran, standing within it, only found the fight more and more exhilarating.
He felt as if every ounce of his skill had been fully unleashed. A worthy opponent had met a worthy opponent, a fine general had encountered a fine talent!
Moreover, as the exchange continued, Su Haoran felt that the pressure Wujing brought him had changed from facing a great enemy at the beginning to handling it with ease!
"Could fifteen points of comprehension have given me the ability to see through things even in battle?"
Even as they exchanged blows, Su Haoran still faintly spared some attention to think of other matters!
If others knew what he was thinking at this moment, they would surely be shocked beyond measure!
"Thirty moves are up!"
"Stop!"
A thunderous rebuke rang out like a lion's roar, making both Su Haoran's and Wujing's ears buzz as they immediately separated.
Elder Hui Jue first glanced at Wujing before saying, "Wujing, if you do not change that temperament of yours, you will suffer sooner or later!"
At those words, Wujing gave an embarrassed laugh and picked up the Monk's Knife from the ground, bitterness too deep for words filling his heart.
He knew Elder Hui Jue must think he had held back.
But the problem was, he truly had not held back. By the end, he had even used every last scrap of strength he had, yet he had instead felt himself being suppressed by Su Haoran's wave-like offense!
His fist momentum was like an incoming tide, each wave higher than the last, leaving him deeply alarmed!
Hui Jue's gaze then turned to Su Haoran, his eyes now full of admiration.
"There is no need to test further. Strength, movement technique, and fist technique are all superb choices!"
He announced loudly, "This old monk declares that he has passed the assessment! From this day onward, Su Haoran is a Formal Disciple of the Martial Monk Courtyard of Prajna Temple!"
With those words, the dust settled.
The gazes of the many monks around them had completely changed when they looked at Su Haoran.
From surprise, to the recognition they now held.
In the world of martial arts, the strong were revered.
With flawless strength, Su Haoran had won everyone's recognition.
Elder Hui Jue looked at Su Haoran, nodding in satisfaction before adding, "Cao Yi truly has an eye for hidden gems to have found such a promising seedling! Go with him to the meditation rooms and the Weaponry Courtyard to collect a Monk's Knife and a token!"
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