Cloud Martial True Inheritance

Inside the grand hall, all the disciples gaped in astonishment when they heard the Martial Academy teacher's words.

"What? A Martial Master?"

"Is that for real?" The Martial Academy disciples stared at Wu Yuan in shock.

"Senior Brother Wu is only fourteen, isn't he?"

"He hasn't even turned fifteen!" As Martial Academy disciples, most of them were Eighth-Rank Warriors, so they naturally understood what it meant to be a Martial Master.

One had to know that among adults, Martial Masters were already "one in a hundred." They could join the City Guard Army as squad leaders or platoon leaders.

How much more so for these Martial Academy disciples, who were only teenagers? Even reaching the strength of a Seventh-Rank Warrior was already impressive.

From seventh rank to sixth rank, it seemed like only a single rank's difference, but the minimum physical requirements were twice as demanding.

Twice the physical strength meant ten times the combat power.

"Fourteen years old, and a Martial Master?" Guan Yang was dazed for a moment. He blurted out, "Impossible. It's only been a few months. How could he have improved so quickly? Is this for real?"

His first instinct was that it couldn't be true.

After all.

Guan Yang was a Seventh-Rank Warrior, but the highest goal his clan's old ancestor had set for him was to become a "Martial Master" before he turned sixteen!

"Guan Yang, what are you talking about?" The Martial Academy teacher known as "Teacher Liu" frowned. "The dean came here in person. Do you really think he'd make this up? Even if your Senior Brother Wu hasn't quite reached Martial Master level, he must be very close."

"This disciple wouldn't dare." Guan Yang hurriedly lowered his head.

Question the dean?

Forget a little Seventh-Rank Warrior like him—even his clan's old ancestor, Guan Zishan, would hardly dare dismiss the words of the Prefectural Sect Martial Academy dean.

Setting aside the authority he wielded, the dean of a Martial Academy was at least a Second-class Expert!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Just then, Dean Zhang Da, Huan Xinyan, and the other Martial Academy teachers came in through the hall entrance.

They all looked at Wu Yuan with smiles.

"Dean!"

"Master Huan." Wu Yuan bowed respectfully. Though he now possessed astonishing strength, he had chosen to be a Martial Academy disciple, and so he would act like one.

Guan Yang and the other disciples also bowed, each of them respectful.

But what shocked the disciples was that Dean Zhang Da and the other Martial Academy teachers voluntarily stepped into two lines, clearing a path. The scarred youth in black robes walked to the very front, while all the teachers, including the dean, appeared deferential to him.

The disciples were secretly astonished. In their minds, even when the prefect or the Garrison General visited, the dean had never acted like this.

Who was this scarred youth in black robes?

Wu Yuan alone wasn't surprised, though he still let an expression of "astonishment" show on his face.

You have to act the part!

"Wu Yuan, let me introduce you. This is Senior Gao Yu, a Sect Protector from the Sect Headquarters!" Dean Zhang Da said from the side.

A Sect Protector?

The disciples nearby were puzzled, and Wu Yuan wore the same confused expression.

"'Sect Protector' is a title used within the sect. If Senior Gao Yu were stationed outside, he could serve directly as the dean of Nanmeng Martial Academy, or even as a general in a prefecture," Dean Zhang Da said with a smile. "Put in terms you'll understand better, Senior Gao Yu is a Third-Rank Martial Artist!"

"And among Third-Rank Martial Artists, Senior Gao Yu is exceptionally powerful." Zhang Da sounded utterly certain.

Silence fell.

Every Martial Academy disciple stared wide-eyed at the scarred youth in black robes, hardly able to believe it.

A Third-Rank Martial Artist? A First-class Expert!

After all, hardly any of the disciples present had ever seen a First-class Expert in their lives.

"Greetings, Senior Gao." Wu Yuan spoke with an expression of "admiration."

The other disciples also bowed. Most of them were excited; it was their first time meeting such an important figure at close range.

Guan Yang was just as restrained. He knew that even his own clan's old ancestor had once been nothing more than a sect steward and had never received the title of "Sect Protector."

Within Hengyun Sect, every Sect Protector was a First-class Expert, but not every First-class Expert was a Sect Protector.

Then.

Guan Yang looked at Wu Yuan with envy. Everyone present could tell that such an important figure had come here for Wu Yuan.

"Wu Yuan, don't be nervous."

The scarred youth in black robes smiled. "I'm not a Sect Protector from the Teaching Hall. I only happened to be passing through Li City. You happened to come to the Martial Academy today, and your dean was going to test your strength, so I came along to take a look."

Wu Yuan nodded "obediently."

"Wu Yuan!"

Huan Xinyan said solemnly from the side, "Although Senior Gao can't take you into the sect directly, he can certainly recommend you to the sect. If he does, your chances of becoming a Cloud Martial True Inheritance disciple will greatly increase!"

"You must seize this opportunity and give it your best." Huan Xinyan urged him, a trace of worry in her voice.

"Yes." Wu Yuan nodded, though he was puzzled.

Cloud Martial True Inheritance?

What was that?

When he had first arrived at the Martial Academy, he had only been told to come to the Martial Dao Grand Hall. No one had said anything else.

Wu Yuan had no idea that, during the days he hadn't returned to the Martial Academy, Gao Yu had suddenly arrived in Li City. Huan Xinyan had decided at the last minute to discuss things with him beforehand, but hadn't had the chance.

Still, Wu Yuan had a vague sense.

Gao Yu seemed to have an unusual relationship with Huan Xinyan.

And as Huan Xinyan's personally instructed disciple, if he truly intended to join Hengyun Sect, today did seem like a good opportunity!

The expressions of the Martial Academy teachers nearby changed when they heard the words "Cloud Martial True Inheritance." Some were delighted, some astonished, and others envious!

"Let's go!"

"Wu Yuan." Dean Zhang Da smiled warmly. "Your task today is simple: show us the full extent of your strength."

"This is a rare opportunity. Don't let it slip by."

"If one of my own disciples can become a Cloud Martial True Inheritance disciple, that'll be an honor I can carry with me for the rest of my life," Zhang Da said.

He was all smiles, as if he had great faith in Wu Yuan.

Wu Yuan, however, sneered inwardly.

How could he forget the way Zhang Da had pressured him to give up the Martial Academy Grand Competition at Xu Manor? He was a smiling tiger!

"I'll do my best, Dean." Wu Yuan spoke with a solemn expression.

Soon.

The Martial Academy teachers gathered around Gao Yu, Zhang Da, and Wu Yuan as they entered the Strength Testing Room beside the Martial Dao Grand Hall.

The room was spacious enough to hold over a hundred people!

Aside from the teachers, disciples like Guan Yang also filed in, eager to see what would happen. Many more Martial Academy disciples heard the news and rushed over to watch.

The teachers naturally didn't stop them.

Before long, the room held fifty or sixty people.

"Go ahead," Huan Xinyan said. "Start with the five-thousand-jin testing stone and work your way up. Don't rush."

Wu Yuan nodded.

He walked to the center of the testing room. There, more than a dozen special stone blocks were arranged from small to large and low to high, increasing in weight from one thousand jin to two thousand jin, and so on.

The heaviest block weighed a full twenty thousand jin.

Strength testing covered two things: power and combat ability!

Wu Yuan didn't follow Huan Xinyan's suggestion. Instead, he walked straight to the eight-thousand-jin stone block.

Made of a special material, the testing stone had an extremely high density. Though it weighed eight thousand jin, it was only the size of a table.

But everyone present knew exactly how heavy it was.

"Up!"

Wu Yuan grabbed the handle on one side of the testing stone with one hand. He shifted his stance and drove his arm upward with an explosive burst of strength, lifting it in one swift motion!

Without pausing for even a moment, he raised it straight over his head. His body didn't tremble at all, and his arm remained perfectly steady.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, hardly able to believe what they were seeing!

Even Gao Yu, who had remained calm the whole time, was slightly taken aback, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

A Martial Master had the strength to lift ten thousand jin with one arm, but that didn't mean he could easily raise an eight-thousand-jin testing stone.

Especially not in one smooth motion like Wu Yuan had just done.

Either Wu Yuan's strength far exceeded eight thousand jin, or he possessed an exceptionally unusual technique for exerting force!

Wu Yuan gently set it down, looking as though it hadn't taken much effort.

He walked over to the next testing stone, which was slightly larger.

Ten thousand jin!

Again, without the slightest suspense, Wu Yuan raised it. His arm, torso, and legs remained perfectly steady.

The only difference was that the testing stone paused briefly in front of his chest. It was clear that the stone's weight put much greater pressure on him.

By this point.

No one had any doubts left: he had Martial Master strength!

A fourteen-year-old Martial Master!

And from Wu Yuan's posture, the Martial Academy teachers could clearly tell that he still hadn't reached his limit.

"Thud!" The testing stone hit the ground.

Wu Yuan's face was a little red, but instead of returning to Huan Xinyan, he walked straight toward the next testing stone.

He wanted to keep testing.

"Ten thousand jin? Could that still not be Wu Yuan's limit?" Guan Yang stared in disbelief.

All the Martial Academy disciples watched with wide eyes.

"He can lift something heavier?" Huan Xinyan's eyes lit up.

Wu Yuan's ability to lift a ten-thousand-jin testing stone had already surpassed her expectations.

Wu Yuan walked past the twelve-thousand-jin testing stone without stopping.

He continued forward.

"He's not even going to try those? What is Wu Yuan planning to do?" Huan Xinyan's expression changed. A hint of disbelief crept into her voice. "Could he actually lift something heavier?"

She remembered clearly.

Just over three months ago, Wu Yuan had only just reached the Seventh-Rank Warrior level! Gaining a thousand-jin strength in such a short time was already terrifying.

Could he really be even stronger?

"That kid Wu Yuan—is he really that strong, or is he just bluffing?" Dean Zhang Da stared intently at Wu Yuan.

On the surface, he hoped Wu Yuan would reveal his talent, but in truth, he was deeply wary.

At that moment, he even felt a twinge of regret, wishing he hadn't obstructed Wu Yuan back then.

Wu Yuan walked past the fifteen-thousand-jin testing stone and still didn't stop.

He continued toward the next one.

At that.

The atmosphere in the entire testing room shifted. It wasn't just the others— even Gao Yu, who had remained unruffled all along, showed a trace of curiosity.

He hadn't stopped even at the fifteen-thousand-jin stone?

At last!

Wu Yuan stopped before the second-to-last testing stone. It was nearly twice the size of the ten-thousand-jin stone he had tested earlier, and stood half a person tall!

Wu Yuan stood before it.

The eighteen-thousand-jin testing stone!

A layer of dust covered it, as if it hadn't been moved or wiped down in a long time.

At that moment, nearly everyone held their breath as they watched Wu Yuan.

One had to know that in the two hundred years since the Prefectural Sect Martial Academy in Li City had opened, not a single disciple had ever lifted an eighteen-thousand-jin testing stone.

Since I've decided to join Hengyun Sect, and I want to quickly earn their attention without arousing suspicion, I have to take the "genius" route! Wu Yuan thought. Originally, I planned to lift the ten-thousand-jin stone.

But as luck would have it, Gao Yu, a First-class Expert, showed up.

I'll reveal a little more of what I can do. I'm sure he'll notice something unusual. Wu Yuan considered it.