At Apprentice Plaza, Instructor Zhou Cang watched the apprentices gathered on the enormous Martial Arts Arena.
He sized them up one by one in his mind, judging them by their performance.
After all, the Demon Suppressing Division's resources didn't fall from the sky.
There were only so many spots each year, and pills, weapons, and techniques could only be funneled toward those with real talent and potential.
As for those who just couldn't get it, these few days of training were the perfect sieve.
Zhou Cang's gaze lingered on a young man in fine clothes, then he gave a slight nod.
The young man was Shen Yifan, twenty-two years old and the third son of the wealthy local Shen Family.
Zhou Cang had observed that Shen Yifan was brimming with vitality, at least at the Body Tempering second-grade or above.
And though he was still young, he had been willing to give up a comfortable life as a young master and join the Demon Suppressing Division. That showed he had some aspirations in the Martial Dao.
Good material. A sound temperament and decent talent. With a little cultivation, he might become someone great one day. Zhou Cang thought to himself. Shen Yifan was the candidate he favored most in this year's intake. He had been keeping an eye on him ever since Shen Yifan stepped through the Demon Suppressing Division's gates.
Sure enough, Shen Yifan hadn't disappointed him. Of everyone Zhou Cang had taught these moves to, he had learned them the fastest.
Zhou Cang's gaze then shifted to a dark, gaunt man in the corner.
Zhao Ming was thirty, taciturn, and seemed somewhat cold.
Zhou Cang remembered that Zhao Ming had brought a letter of recommendation from Blood Heaven Martial Arts School. He, too, was a Body Tempering second-grade Martial Artist.
However, Zhao Ming was already thirty. His talent was clearly inferior to Shen Yifan's, but he had plenty of combat experience—an easy blade to put to use.
Resources and pills can force someone's Martial Dao realm higher before they're ready, but Martial Arts Talent often reveals a person's true level.
Just one set of basic moves is enough to tell which apprentices have talent and which don't. The Demon Suppressing Division isn't an iron rice bowl.
That was what Zhou Cang thought.
Meanwhile, at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena,
Lin Guanhuo was still practicing his tedious sword draws.
"Fifty-one..."
"Fifty-two..."
"Fifty-three..."
As he drew his sword, Lin Guanhuo counted silently.
Just then—
"Sir?"
A waft of fragrance drifted over.
Lin Guanhuo looked toward the voice and saw a young woman approaching. She wore a light-blue Qipao that showed off her flawless figure.
"Can I help you?" Lin Guanhuo lowered his sword.
The girl furrowed her delicate brows as she looked at Lin Guanhuo. "Everyone's listening to Instructor Zhou explain how to counter moves. Why aren't you joining them?"
Her name was Li Miaomiao, one of the few women among the apprentices.
With bright eyes, pearly teeth, and a graceful figure, she was quite popular among this year's crop of Newcomers.
Now that the world was plagued by Demons, more and more women were learning martial arts.
"My name is Li Miaomiao," she introduced herself.
She had noticed Lin Guanhuo in the crowd earlier. Though he was young, he had a composure far beyond his years, and he'd left a deep impression on her.
But Li Miaomiao didn't understand. Everyone else was practicing according to Instructor Zhou's instructions, while Lin Guanhuo was off by himself in a corner, drawing his sword over and over.
His movements were stiff. He looked like he was just flailing around.
"Are you having trouble with something?" Confusion flashed in Li Miaomiao's eyes.
She guessed that Lin Guanhuo might be a loner who didn't fit in.
"Instructor Zhou Cang is a Muscle-Tendon Realm expert. He's truly mastered his tendons and muscles, and his explosive power is like thunder. Plenty of people in the city would jump at the chance to hear him teach, but they don't have the connections. You're wasting a great opportunity..."
"I'll take you over," Li Miaomiao said.
In her view, Lin Guanhuo was just practicing in isolation. He wasn't making any progress, and he might even injure his wrist.
"Thanks for the advice."
Lin Guanhuo knew she meant well, so he thanked her before adding, "But I've already practiced all those moves."
At those words,
"You've practiced them already?"
Li Miaomiao froze, then grew a little annoyed.
He'd only been teaching for half a day, and Lin Guanhuo was already claiming he'd practiced them?
"You..."
Li Miaomiao was about to try persuading him again.
"Miss Li!"
A male apprentice, eager to ingratiate himself with her, called from not far away. "Come on over! Instructor Zhou's about to teach a new move, the Returning Horse Saber! Don't mind him. If he wants to learn, he'll learn!"
Li Miaomiao glanced at Lin Guanhuo.
He had already started drawing his sword again, without the slightest interest in her. All she could do was stamp her foot and turn to run off.
Lin Guanhuo couldn't help feeling a little helpless.
He really had practiced all those moves. He wasn't lying!
Ah, geniuses really are destined to be lonely...
Up on the raised platform,
Zhou Cang had obviously heard Li Miaomiao and Lin Guanhuo talking. He glanced toward Lin Guanhuo in the corner.
Of all the Newcomers this year, Lin Guanhuo was the youngest. Zhou Cang had paid him quite a bit of attention at first.
But now...
Ah, forget it.
Zhou Cang looked away and said nothing.
The Demon Suppressing Division wasn't a charity, nor was it a martial arts school begging you to learn.
If you couldn't value the opportunity yourself, then you could wait to be eliminated at the end-of-month assessment.
By evening, training had ended.
The apprentices were all drenched in sweat.
But after a full day of drills, they had sharpened their skills. At least they'd come away with something.
"Come on, let's hurry to the cafeteria and grab some meat!"
"Brother Shen, I'm still a little confused about that Returning Horse Saber move. Could I ask you about it later?"
"Brother Shen has a bright future ahead of him! Once he officially joins the Division and becomes a badge-holder, it'll only be a matter of time before he rises higher!"
"The Shen Family has been merchants for generations. Now that Brother Shen's here, maybe they'll prove their mettle in the Martial Dao and rise to become a Noble Family!"
The apprentices left in small groups. Shen Yifan was surrounded by people, the star of the show.
He had learned the fastest, so naturally the people around him were eager to curry favor.
Li Miaomiao, the Qipao-clad beauty in the crowd, also thought highly of Shen Yifan. "Young Master Shen must have mastered all these moves by now, right? I'm afraid I'm a little slow..."
Shen Yifan was clearly pleased to hear that. He smiled faintly and said, "Miss Li, you're being modest. You're making good progress, too. If you have time tonight, I can help you practice one-on-one."
"Really?" Li Miaomiao's face lit up.
Several of the apprentices around them watched, gnashing their teeth with envy. Li Miaomiao was young and beautiful—a bona fide Martial Arts beauty.
They couldn't believe she'd already gotten involved with Shen Yifan.
How enviable.
While Shen Yifan and his crowd were caught up in all the excitement, Lin Guanhuo remained utterly calm, walking at the very back of the group.
A little while later,
after everyone else had left,
Instructor Zhou Cang finally sheathed his sword, brushed the dust off his clothes, and walked away.
After a day of observation, he already had a clear idea who among the Newcomers would stay and who would be eliminated.
He also knew whom he should focus on cultivating.
As he passed the edge of the Martial Arts Arena,
he glanced unconsciously at the corner where Lin Guanhuo had been drawing his sword all day.
That kid stood there all day and didn't even get tired.
Who knows what he was working so hard at...
Zhou Cang shook his head and was about to leave.
But the corner of his eye suddenly caught the stone wall nearby.
It was a blue-gray stone wall built to block the wind, its surface incredibly hard.
Now, the wall was densely covered in dozens of sword marks!
Some deep, some shallow!
"What's this...?"
Zhou Cang stopped, then took a few steps over.
But as he drew closer,
his expression grew more and more grave!
Zhou Cang reached out and gently ran a finger over the marks.
Their edges were smooth as mirrors, without a single chip of stone...
These hadn't been carved by brute force!
"Hm?"
Zhou Cang looked down again and saw dried leaves scattered nearby, so thin and brittle they could barely hold together. Each had been sliced cleanly in two!
They were so fragile that even the slightest touch would shatter them, let alone a sword strike.
"This is... Blade Wind! You'd have to swing your sword like the wind to do something like this!"
"That person... something's not right!"
Zhou Cang hurriedly looked toward Lin Guanhuo's retreating figure in the distance.
No!
Something was very wrong!
Before you continue