Can He Realize Extreme Strength?

"Forget it. I'd better not unleash it!"

After thinking it over, Lin Yi shook his head.

Though he was confident he could take first place in this Entrance Examination after breaking through to Late Seventh Rank yesterday with the help of his Martial Saint Body, it was still best to keep some of his cards hidden if he could, at least until he had actually secured first place.

After all, the first round of the examination was only about qualifying for the second round.

In this round, whether a student ranked first or twentieth, they would both advance.

If he revealed his trump card too early, it wouldn't do him any good. Instead, it would put the others on guard.

Besides, his Martial Cultivation was still too low, his body too weak, and his command of Extreme Strength insufficient. He couldn't unleash Extreme Strength many times in a single day.

Wasting one chance just to show off would be downright foolish.

As Lin Yi's thoughts turned, the short Martial Arts teacher across from him finished adjusting the Bronze Automaton.

Then...

Clang!

At the crisp ring of a copper gong, the burly man spoke again, his voice carrying in every direction:

"Everything is ready. Third batch of examinees, the examination begins now!"

Boom!

"Ha!"

"Take this, you little automaton!"

As the burly man's voice fell, the Martial Arts Academy students each displayed their own skills, unleashing attacks one after another.

Seeing this, Lin Yi made his move beneath the tense, mocking, and curious gazes of the teachers and students around him. The long saber in his hand flashed, transforming into a crescent moon as it slashed toward the Bronze Automaton.

Clang!

The sound of metal striking metal rang across the Martial Arts Arena. The saber collided with the long staff.

In an instant, the long saber in Lin Yi's hand seemed to come alive. It quivered lightly, and most of the force was swept away.

Lin Yi stood rooted to the ground, without moving an inch.

The Bronze Automaton, on the other hand, staggered from the force of the rebound. It stumbled back three steps, thudding against the ground each time, before finally coming to a stop.

"What! Lin Yi... he actually knocked back a Bronze Automaton at Sixth Rank Early Stage!"

The students in the Martial Arts Arena cried out in shock.

"That kid!"

Nearby, the short Martial Arts teacher's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Lin Yi's strength really has improved again!"

Wang Kai wore a helpless expression, though he looked as if he had expected it.

"His saber technique has probably come a long way even within the realm of Bright Moon Saber Art perfection!"

"And his Martial Cultivation has improved so much, too? He looks to be at Late Seventh Rank now."

"Compared to half a month ago, he's made incredible progress. Is Aperture Opening really that powerful?"

At the thought, Wang Kai couldn't help feeling envious.

In the stands around them, the cries of the students left the noble officials and wealthy merchants equally stunned.

Some powerful clans had already begun making inquiries into Lin Yi's background, wondering if they could recruit him.

But on the viewing platform, an elder in green robes stood surrounded by senior Martial Arts Academy officials. Unlike the others, he showed neither shock nor delight. Instead, he frowned slightly and asked Vice Principal Li You beside him:

"Senior Brother, is this Lin Yi the one you told me about? He seems a little different from your description."

"You said his comprehension was decent, but that he came from a poor family and his Martial Cultivation had remained stuck at Eighth Rank. As for his Martial Skill, you said he only perfected Bright Moon Saber Art two months ago, when you gave him pointers."

"But from what I'm seeing, he's far stronger than you described. Has he really achieved Aperture Opening, or is he..."

The Green-robed Elder paused. His expression suddenly grew grave, and he continued slowly:

"Could he be another Long Tianhong?"

"Long Tianhong..."

At those three words, the faint smile on Li You's face vanished.

Long Tianhong was practically a forbidden name in the Tianshan Sect.

He had been born in Qingyang Prefecture, one of the Eight Prefectures under the Tianshan Sect, and had been a prodigy of the renowned Long Family, a first-rate clan there, more than eighty years ago.

According to the stories, he had been dull as a child, with such poor talent for martial arts that he was inferior even to ordinary children, let alone geniuses.

But after suddenly achieving Aperture Opening at the age of eighteen, he soared to the heavens!

Ninth Rank in half a month, Eighth Rank in a month, Extreme Strength in two months, and Seventh Rank with Minor Accomplishment in Extreme Strength in three months. By the fourth month, he had reached Sixth Rank and Great Accomplishment in Extreme Strength.

Two months later, Long Tianhong had advanced to Martial Arts Fifth Rank and beyond Perfection in Extreme Strength.

The news shook the entire Tianshan Sect. Nearly all the sect's senior officials decided that Long Tianhong had the potential to break through Above First Rank.

The Tianshan Sect immediately sent a First Rank powerhouse to Qingyang Prefecture to escort him into the sect. After he formally joined, they gave him every advantage, providing him with the finest resources, techniques, and martial arts instructors. They were determined to cultivate him into another Above First Rank powerhouse for the Tianshan Sect.

At first, Long Tianhong's performance after joining the sect was respectable. His progress was at least worthy of the title of peerless genius. But once he reached Peak Fifth Rank, his pace of advancement abruptly slowed.

Not only could he no longer match his earlier rate of progress, he couldn't even keep up with some of the other talented disciples in the Tianshan Sect.

In the end, despite consuming countless resources, Long Tianhong only became a Peak Second Rank martial artist. He never even reached First Rank, let alone Above First Rank.

The Tianshan Sect was furious and helpless. But by then, all they could do was admit they had misjudged him. They didn't do anything to Long Tianhong.

Then, more than ten years later, an anonymous letter arrived at the Tianshan Sect. It described in detail how Long Tianhong had been exceptionally talented from childhood and had actually reached beyond Perfection in Extreme Strength and Peak Fifth Rank before his Aperture Opening.

Every terrifying leap in his progress afterward had been a deception, meant to trick the Tianshan Sect into providing Long Tianhong with resources and protecting his family.

The letter laid out every detail of the deception with vivid clarity and ample proof.

The Tianshan Sect was enraged. The Sect Master personally ordered Long Tianhong's execution by slow slicing, and the entire Long Family was uprooted, all nine branches wiped out!

But even then, the resources the Tianshan Sect had wasted on Long Tianhong were gone for good.

More importantly, after the affair, the Tianshan Sect became the laughingstock of the Nine Provinces' major powers. To this day, the story was still passed around among the great powers as a cautionary tale.

After Long Tianhong, the major powers generally judged young talents by what abilities they displayed at what age.

As for how quickly they progressed, it didn't matter how fast they advanced!

It was a classic case of the forebears chopping down the trees, only for those who came after to roast in the sun.

From then on, the name Long Tianhong had become a permanent disgrace to the Tianshan Sect.

If Lin Yi were branded another Long Tianhong, he could forget about making his way in Tianshan Sect territory.

"This... shouldn't be the case."

After thinking it over, Li You shook his head and replied:

"Long Tianhong was able to deceive everyone and make the entire Tianshan Sect believe he was a peerless genius because he had the help of the Long Family's Second Rank Ancestor, who was on the verge of death."

"That Ancestor himself was about to die, and his family had no successors. He feared that after his death, his clan would be wiped out by its enemies. That was why he took such a desperate gamble."

"But Lin Yi comes from a poor family with no real enemies. The strongest martial artist in his family's history wasn't even as strong as he is now, and his father is merely a Peak Eighth Rank martial artist from a county town."

"With that kind of strength, wealth, and connections, how could Lin Yi possibly recreate Long Tianhong's scheme?"

"In my view, Lin Yi must have achieved Martial Aperture Opening. Though it's rare, martial artists who achieve it still appear from time to time in the thousand-odd years of history of our Guangling Prefecture City."

"Besides, among the Aperture Opening martial artists in our prefecture's history, Lin Yi's current performance only ranks as average. He's nowhere near the level of those Aperture Opening martial artists in the history of the Nine Provinces. This isn't enough to attract the Tianshan Sect's attention. At most, it'll make us take a closer look at him."

"And our Guangling Academy has gone seven years without producing a genius who could pass the Tianshan Sect's entrance examination. We were already planning to spend a great deal to cultivate Lin Yi and the other students in this batch. What's the harm in paying him some special attention? At worst, we'll lose ten or twenty thousand taels of silver!"

"If that ten or twenty thousand taels can help him realize Extreme Strength and break through to Sixth Rank before the Tianshan Sect recruits disciples next year, allowing him to pass the entrance examination and enter the sect, then it'll be money well spent!"

"Exactly! Senior Brother is right!"

The Green-robed Elder nodded at that.

"Who cares whether he's putting on an act? As long as Lin Yi can show his talent and become the best in his batch, I'm willing to spend the money."

"Seven years have passed. It's time for our Guangling Martial Academy to produce a genius who can enter the Tianshan Sect."

"That's right!"

Li You spoke softly as well.

"Now, it all depends on whether this young fellow can realize Extreme Strength within a year."