Strength Exposed!

The rest of the tests passed without a ripple.

Most failed to reach the 750 Jin threshold and could only leave in disappointment.

The occasional few who barely made the cut were so excited that tears welled in their eyes.

Bang!

A dull, thunderous boom rang out.

This time, Zhao Ming stepped up. He was somewhat gaunt and still wore that same indifferent expression.

He was thirty years old, the oldest among this batch of Apprentices.

Though the Demon Suppressing Division nominally recruited Apprentices under forty, the overwhelming majority were young people below thirty.

Before long, the result appeared on the Force Measuring Pillar.

950 Jin!

"Good!"

Even Zhou Cang could not help but praise him. "Your blood and qi are solid, and your power is steady! With 950 Jin of force, you are only one step away from the Body Tempering third-grade."

A third-grade Martial Artist needed a strength of one thousand Jin, and it was also a major dividing line among Martial Artists.

With a family's foundation behind them, one might perhaps force their way into the First Rank or Second Rank through unnatural means.

But to become a third-grade Martial Artist, neither resources nor talent could be lacking.

Zhao Ming becoming a third-grade Martial Artist was already a foregone conclusion. Zhou Cang announced loudly, "Zhao Ming, registered as a Grade C Division Servant, with a monthly salary of twenty-five taels!"

Twenty-five taels!

A wave of envious gasps rose from the crowd.

That was more than double the ten taels paid to Grade D servants!

Three hundred taels in Monthly Salary a year was enough to purchase a respectable property in Blackwater City.

If one worked for several years, even starting from nothing, one could become a prominent household in Blackwater City.

Then came the main event.

"Next, Shen Yifan."

The moment they heard that name, the entire venue fell silent.

Shen Yifan, standing below the stage, adjusted his collar.

Then he strode onto the platform with an arrogant expression.

He did not rush to throw a punch, instead assuming an opening stance.

Shen Yifan's gaze swept over Lin Guanhuo amid the crowd below, and he let out a cold laugh.

Lin Guanhuo, it's almost time!

Very soon, you'll see what a true gap looks like!

Then—

"Break!"

With a low shout, Shen Yifan drove out a punch!

The punch was immensely powerful, even stirring a faint whistle of wind!!

Boom!!

The Force Measuring Pillar shuddered violently as the punch landed.

Then, the pointer on the Bronze Plate began spinning madly!

Before everyone's eyes, it shot straight past the thousand-Jin mark.

It finally stopped at 1065 Jin!

"One thousand Jin?! He broke a thousand!"

"Body Tempering... third-grade?!"

"I... I'm not seeing things, am I?? Shen Yifan is only twenty-two this year, right?? He's already Body Tempering third-grade??"

"I've trained bitterly for so many years... and only barely entered the ranks. Brother Shen is even a year younger than me, yet he's already a third-grade Martial Artist... What a gap!!"

At the sight of the number on the Force Measuring Pillar, the Apprentices present erupted completely!

The gazes they turned on Shen Yifan held envy, admiration, and jealousy.

A Body Tempering third-grade at such an age—his future was immeasurable!!

"Not bad!"

At this result, even Zhou Cang, usually stern and cold, could not help but reveal a faint smile.

Zhou Cang had always kept an eye on Shen Yifan, so he naturally knew that in the short month Shen Yifan had spent at the Demon Suppressing Division, his Martial Dao realm had broken through once more.

This had clearly given him a pleasant surprise.

Then Instructor Zhou Cang announced loudly, "Shen Yifan passes! Registered as a Class B Division Servant! Monthly salary: fifty taels!"

He looked at Shen Yifan, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "Yifan, you've only just entered the Demon Suppressing Division, yet you're already a Class B Division Servant. Cultivate well. This year, you may have a chance to earn a plaque and become the face of our Demon Suppressing Division!"

Hearing this, Shen Yifan respectfully cupped his hands. "Thank you for the praise, Instructor. This junior will remember it."

Though he said that, Shen Yifan was at this very moment basking in the envy and admiration in the eyes of the crowd below.

His face was brimming with pride!!

There was only one word in his mind.

Awesome!!

This feeling of holding his head high and breathing free was simply awesome!!

Half a month ago, he had learned the Demon Suppressing Breathing Technique, only to be overshadowed by a Lin Guanhuo who had sprung out of nowhere!

He had even been left unable to hold his head up in front of women...

The light boat had already passed ten thousand layers of mountains; now, he had finally reclaimed his pride.

At this moment, Shen Yifan's gaze toward Lin Guanhuo inevitably carried a trace of provocation.

But...

Hm??

What disappointed Shen Yifan was that he could not find even a shred of shock in Lin Guanhuo's expression!

Lin Guanhuo merely stood there, his face as calm as ever.

Hmph, putting on a calm front? Shen Yifan thought.

What Shen Yifan did not know was that Lin Guanhuo was neither looking down on him nor putting on a calm front.

From beginning to end, he had never taken Shen Yifan to heart, nor had he noticed that Shen Yifan had been competing with him all along...

Just then.

Zhou Cang's voice rang out again. "The last one, Lin Guanhuo."

As soon as the words fell, every gaze in the venue instantly focused on him.

Shen Yifan stepped down from the stage and entered the crowd, his eyes likewise fixed on Lin Guanhuo.

Let's see how much longer you can keep acting smug!

Lin Guanhuo's expression remained calm.

Step by step, he Ascended the Stage and slowly walked up to the Force Measuring Pillar.

"Begin." Zhou Cang spoke slowly, deeply curious as well about how this genius of comprehension—who had condensed Six Qi Vortexes in a single day—would fare in terms of raw strength.

Lin Guanhuo nodded at his words, without the slightest hesitation!

He thrust out his palm!

Then slapped it directly onto the striking pad.

This palm strike was ordinary—pure and simple.

There was no preparation at all, just an utterly ordinary palm strike.

The needle on the Force Measuring Pillar began to turn slowly, barely stopping at the 750-jin mark.

"That's... it?"

"750 jin of force?"

"He only just passed the line..."

The Apprentices around them exchanged glances, their expressions stiffening slightly.

Although Lin Guanhuo's test counted as a pass, it was nowhere near as dazzling as before.

"Looks like Lin Guanhuo really is lopsided. His comprehension may be high, but his physical foundation is still a little lacking."

"His condensing Six Qi Vortexes before was probably just luck, wasn't it?"

"How can there be so many geniuses in this world... Still, he's only eighteen, right? He's young. Who knows what the future holds..."

Seeing that number, Shen Yifan could not help curling his lips into a smug smile.

Lin Guanhuo, I won!

However.

Just as everyone thought the dust had settled.

Zhou Cang, standing to one side, suddenly furrowed his brow. He stared fixedly at the Bronze Plate on the Force Measuring Pillar without speaking.

Something was wrong!!

Lin Guanhuo's palm strike had seemed light and effortless, but Zhou Cang had sensed a strand of Hidden Force seeping into the Force Measuring Pillar!

This was probably not so simple.

Just as expected.

The next second.

Click... click-click...

As the needle began to turn, the entire venue fell silent!!

Then, under countless gazes, they saw it!

The needle, which had already stopped, suddenly seemed to be shoved by an invisible hand and began spinning wildly again!

From 750, it shot up to 900 in an instant!

950!!

1000!

1050!!

1100!!

After rapidly breaking through 1,100 pounds and surpassing Shen Yifan, it still didn't stop!!

It was still rising!

1150 pounds!

1200 pounds!!

In the end, the needle on the dial stopped at—

1230 pounds!!

At that moment, all the voices that had been discussing the result abruptly fell silent.

The smile on Shen Yifan's face vanished instantly.

His entire body stiffened, as if struck by lightning!!

1230 pounds...

This was... Body Tempering fourth-grade?!