Entrance Examination

At dusk, Lin Ye returned to his small wooden hut.

Closing the door, he sat on the bed and looked at the text before him once again.

[Points: 365]

"Let's try deducing the complete technique first."

Lin Ye took the Basic Fist Manual out from his bosom.

This manual only had three pages; the first three forms were the "Thrust Punch," "Swing Punch," and "Mountain Crushing Force." There should have been six more forms following them, but they had long been lost. Even the Qingshi Martial Hall only possessed the first three; the subsequent ones could only be learned at the large martial halls in the county seat.

"Deduce the remaining six forms of the Basic Fist Manual," Lin Ye silently recited in his heart.

[Deducing the remaining six forms of the Basic Fist Manual requires 100 points.]

[Proceed with deduction?]

Lin Ye hesitated for a moment.

With his current points, he could deduce the complete follow-up techniques three times. However, points were hard to come by, and he had to use them cautiously.

"I'll deduce the form following the third one first to see the effect."

Lin Ye mentally selected the fourth form that followed "Mountain Crushing Force."

[Deducing the fourth form of the Basic Fist Manual requires 20 points.]

[Proceed with deduction?]

"Yes."

Twenty points were deducted.

A cool stream of air surged into his mind once again.

This time, the phantom was not performing an optimization, but demonstrating an entirely new set of fist techniques.

After the "Mountain Crushing Force," the phantom lowered its waist, and its fists struck out like dragons emerging from the sea. One high and one low, the fist force layered one upon another, surging like crashing waves.

[Deduction complete]

[Basic Fist Manual Fourth Form: Layered Wave Force]

[Effect: Building upon "Mountain Crushing Force," it transforms power into layers of surging waves. Each strike is stronger than the last, capable of stacking up to three layers of force.]

Lin Ye opened his eyes, a sharp glint flickering within them.

He stood up and assumed a stance in the cramped wooden hut.

Starting with "Mountain Crushing Force," he twisted his waist and threw a punch.

Then, following the momentum, he sank his waist and struck out with both fists simultaneously.

"Ha!"

With the first punch, the wind whistled as it broke through the air.

With the second punch, the force stacked, and the air emitted a dull, explosive boom.

The third punch—

"Bang!"

The wall of the wooden hut shook violently, and dust rained down.

Lin Ye retracted his fists and looked at his hands, his breathing slightly rapid.

In those three punches just now, the power had stacked layer by layer. The force of the third punch was already approaching the power of the strike Zhao Tieshan had demonstrated during the day.

And he was merely a poor kid who had practiced basic fist techniques for ten years.

"One point to optimize a form, twenty points to deduce a follow-up form..."

Lin Ye calculated in his heart.

If he used all his points for deduction, how many forms could he derive?

He suddenly thought of a question.

"What if I use points to deduce a higher-level technique?"

Lin Ye's eyes lit up.

The Basic Fist Manual was only the lowest-level martial art. In this world, there were "Mortal-grade," "Spirit-grade," "Mystic-grade," and even higher-level techniques above it.

What if he deduced a high-level technique directly?

But this thought was quickly suppressed.

One must eat one mouthful at a time.

He hadn't even mastered the basics yet; aiming too high would only lead to deviation.

"I'll master 'Layered Wave Force' first. Once I'm proficient, I'll deduce the rest."

Lin Ye made up his mind and began practicing the newly learned fist technique over and over again in the wooden hut.

Moonlight spilled in from the window, illuminating the figure of the youth as he sweated profusely.

What he did not know was that, at this moment in Qingshi Martial Hall, Zhao Tieshan was staring blankly at a shattered wooden dummy.

"That punch the kid threw today..."

Zhao Tieshan muttered to himself.

He had been teaching boxing for twenty years and had never misjudged anyone.

The way Lin Ye had engaged his waist during that punch earlier today was absolutely more refined than anything he had taught. Although Lin Ye had tried to cover it up afterward, Zhao Tieshan had seen that fleeting, perfect exertion of force with absolute clarity.

"Could he have created his own technique for generating force?"

Zhao Tieshan shook his head, finding it impossible.

A seventeen-year-old youth, without the guidance of a famous master, how could he possibly create his own technique?

Zhao Tieshan sighed, turned around, and headed back into his room.

Meanwhile, in his wooden hut, Lin Ye had already practiced Layered Wave Force to the point where he could control it with ease.

He retracted his fist, stood tall, regulated his breathing, and looked out at the sky, which was gradually brightening.

A new day was about to begin.

And his points had increased by another one.

[Points: 346]

"Continue tomorrow."

Lin Ye lay back down on his bed, a faint smile on his lips.

One month later.

The central square of Qingshi Town was bustling with noise.

Today was the day the major sects came to Qingshi Town to recruit disciples, and all the youths of age in the town had gathered here, their faces filled with nervousness and anticipation.

Lin Ye stood at the edge of the crowd, his washed-out cloth clothes standing out starkly among the youths dressed in fine silks and satins.

But his expression was calm, his gaze sweeping across the high platform at the front of the square.

Five people sat on the high platform.

In the center was an old man in green robes with white hair and a white beard. He was Elder Xu of the Qingyun Sect, one of the strongest sects within a thousand miles, which only recruited the top geniuses every time they held a selection.

To his left was a beautiful woman in red, a deacon from the Chiyan Sect.

To his right was a middle-aged man in black robes, hailing from the Heishui Fortress.

The other two came from Tiejian Villa and the Jindao Sect respectively; they were smaller sects, but they were also the only chance for the youths of Qingshi Town.

"Quiet!"

Zhao Tieshan walked onto the high platform, his voice booming like a bell.

The square fell silent instantly.

"Today, the sects are recruiting disciples, and the rules remain the same. The first round: test bone age and cultivation. Those who are at least sixteen but under eighteen, and have reached the 'Third Level of Body Tempering', may proceed to the second round."

After Zhao Tieshan finished speaking, he waved his hand.

Two martial hall disciples carried a gray stone tablet half a person's height onto the platform.

"Place your palm on it, and it will display your bone age and approximate cultivation."

Zhao Tieshan looked down at the crowd: "Start from the left and come up to the platform in order."

The first to go up was Zhou Ming.

He held his head high and chest out, walked to the stone tablet, and pressed his palm against it.

The stone tablet lit up with a pale yellow glow, and two lines of text appeared:

[Bone Age: Sixteen years and seven months]

[Cultivation: Fourth Level of Body Tempering]

"Not bad."

The elder from the Qingyun Sect nodded slightly.

Zhou Ming smiled triumphantly and walked to the side.

Next, one youth after another went up to the platform.

Most were at the third or fourth level of Body Tempering, and occasionally, someone at the fifth level would trigger a wave of exclamations.

Finally, it was Lin Ye's turn.

He walked onto the high platform and, amidst countless gazes, pressed his hand against the stone tablet.

The stone tablet lit up:

[Bone Age: Seventeen years and one month]

[Cultivation: Third Level of Body Tempering]

Low snickers drifted up from the crowd below.

"Seventeen years old and only at the third stage of Body Tempering?"

"With talent like that, he dares to come and take the assessment?"

"He'll probably only manage to pass the first round."

Zhou Ming laughed out loud, "Lin Ye, I suggest you just head down. Don't embarrass yourself here."

Lin Ye's expression remained unchanged as he withdrew his hands and stepped to the side.

Only he knew that over the past month, by using points to deduce techniques, he had advanced the Basic Fist Manual to the sixth form, which was why his cultivation had broken through from the second stage to the peak of the third stage of Body Tempering.

"Next!"

The test continued.

An incense stick of time later, the first round concluded.

Out of over a hundred youths, only thirty-five passed: twenty at the third stage of Body Tempering, twelve at the fourth, and three at the fifth.