First!

Shi Qingfeng began his charge through the final fifty meters.

Boom! Boom!

This fellow dared to be so arrogant because he truly possessed formidable strength. By now, the Bronze Men's power had risen to the Eighth Layer of Body Refining, yet they were no match for him at all, blasted apart in disarray.

Without pausing, he broke through to sixty meters and claimed his first point.

"Not enough! Not enough!" Shi Qingfeng laughed wildly, his steps never faltering.

Bronze Men at the Ninth Layer of Body Refining appeared!

"Fall back!" Shi Qingfeng's eyes blazed red, his battle intent soaring. Even Bronze Men at the Ninth Layer of Body Refining had no resistance against his hands, sent tumbling left and right.

He advanced another ten meters, entering the Bronze Man Formation at the Tenth Layer of Body Refining.

From the Ninth Layer to the Tenth Layer of Body Refining was a qualitative leap. Bronze Men at the Blood Refining Realm had at least doubled their strength!

"Haha, mere lifeless things, not true Blood Refining Realm—what can they do to me?" Shi Qingfeng laughed wildly, clenching his fists as he engaged these Bronze Men in fierce combat.

His talent was truly terrifying. He could hold his own against Bronze Men at the Blood Refining Realm with peak Ninth Layer of Body Refining strength! Though the Bronze Men lacked intelligence and were controlled by mechanisms, achieving this was still astonishing.

Even Zhou Heng, Shen Xinqi, and others who disliked Shi Qingfeng's character had to admire his strength.

Shi Qingfeng fell at eighty-three meters!

That meant he had broken through the Bronze Man Formation at the Tenth Layer of Body Refining and advanced three meters into the formation at the Eleventh Layer of Body Refining. Though only three meters, it was enough to inspire awe.

"Pass!" Zhu Xun revealed a hint of satisfaction. Such a result was quite good, barely ranking in the top ten among outer disciples!

"Next!" He pointed at Chang Kang.

Chang Kang's expression was somewhat serious. The first seventy meters posed no difficulty for him, but could he charge forward like Shi Qingfeng against Bronze Men at the Tenth Layer of Body Refining?

"Begin!"

Chang Kang's figure moved, drifting lightly into the corridor. His movement technique was extremely agile. Bronze Men at the Seventh Layer of Body Refining punched too slowly to even touch a corner of his robe.

Fifty meters, sixty meters, seventy meters!

Chang Kang's pace suddenly slowed. Ahead lay Bronze Men at the Tenth Layer of Body Refining—a massive test for him! He excelled in movement techniques, but in such a narrow space, he had no room to dodge!

"Chang Kang, scared?" Shi Qingfeng hadn't been seriously injured. After a brief rest, he had mostly recovered and sneered at Chang Kang.

Chang Kang refused to lose to Shi Qingfeng and immediately began his charge forward.

Bang! Bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

Facing the terrifying power and speed of the Tenth Layer of Body Refining, Chang Kang, who relied on his movement technique, was severely battered. He advanced only five meters before being pummeled by the Bronze Men and fell, bleeding.

Zhu Xun stopped the mechanism and said, "Not bad, you pass!"

With his insight, he could naturally see where Chang Kang had faltered.

Next was Zhang Zijun, then Shen Xinqi. This order puzzled everyone—why was Zhou Heng last? What was so special about this kid that he got the final spot?

But Zhang Zijun and Shen Xinqi's abilities shocked everyone again!

Zhang Zijun: eighty-seven meters!

Shen Xinqi: ninety-two meters!

Both surpassed Shi Qingfeng's score. Shen Xinqi, in particular, had broken through the Bronze Man Formation at the Eleventh Layer of Body Refining—a terrifying feat that left everyone stunned!

Zhou Heng, however, noticed that when the Bronze Men struck Shen Xinqi and Zhang Zijun, faint white light flickered, so subtle that only his keen perception could catch that fleeting instant.

That white light helped them absorb most of the force, allowing them to go further!

It must be some kind of protective gear—quite remarkable!

Zhou Heng didn't know about Zhang Zijun, but Shen Xinqi clearly had deep backing to obtain such gear. By the same logic, Zhang Zijun's background was likely no simple matter.

"Last one!" Zhu Xun pointed at Zhou Heng, a trace of curiosity on his face. He truly wanted to know why Zhou Heng had earned Yu Dongcheng's regard.

Not only Zhu Xun was curious; the other youths were equally puzzled. What strength did Zhou Heng really possess? Shi Qingfeng sneered coldly—this was a test of raw power. The Seventh Layer of Body Refining was just the Seventh Layer of Body Refining; no tricks could change that.

Zhou Heng remained the same, a faint smile on his face as he approached the corridor entrance.

"Begin!"

He stepped forward. Bang, bang—two Bronze Men immediately attacked him.

Flying Cloud Steps!

Zhou Heng lightly twisted his body, flowing like drifting clouds and water, and slipped past effortlessly.

Bang, bang, bang, bang—Bronze Men from the walls struck continuously, but they couldn't slow Zhou Heng's pace. Soon, he had passed fifty meters.

"Hmph, just relying on a tricky footwork, but that's all it is. Someone here is a perfect example!" Shi Qingfeng sneered, throwing a jab at Chang Kang.

"Shi Qingfeng, what did you say?" Chang Kang immediately jumped up. Though he had suffered in the Bronze Man Formation, he wasn't afraid to fight Shi Qingfeng outright.

"Enough arguing. Let's see what that guy's really made of!" Zhang Zijun folded his arms, his tone equally defiant.

Under everyone's gaze, Zhou Heng began his push beyond fifty meters—the true test!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Bronze Men struck out repeatedly, but Flying Cloud Steps was so exquisite that even in this narrow space, he maneuvered with ease, as if strolling through a garden.

Sixty meters, seventy meters!

He charged through the Bronze Man Formation of the Eighth and Ninth Layers of Body Refining without a pause.

"How is this possible!"

"Not a single punch, not a single palm strike—relying purely on the agility of his movement technique, this is too absurd!"

"Hiss! Though the bronze men's moves are rigid, with so many of them attacking together, there's almost no blind spot! Doesn't this mean even a true martial artist at the Ninth Layer of Body Refining couldn't harm him!"

"Hmph, it's only the Ninth Layer of Body Refining—the real show is yet to come!" Shi Qingfeng crossed his arms over his chest, his words light, but jealousy and resentment were plain on his face. Zhou Heng's performance had clearly far exceeded his expectations.

"Indeed!" Shen Xinqi and the other two nodded in unison. They too could not accept that a "weakling" at the Seventh Layer of Body Refining could match them, or even surpass them.

Just then, Zhou Heng pressed forward without the slightest hesitation.

The bronze men's strength and speed surged instantly!

Zhou Heng's mind was clear and pure; every move of every bronze man was within his grasp. He unfolded the Flying Cloud Steps, moving like a nimble serpent, slipping through without a single touch.

Miss! Miss! Miss! Miss! Miss!

Every bronze man struck empty air, then, driven by the mechanisms, threw another punch in futile effort.

Seventy-six meters!

Chang Kang's face darkened. The other party relied solely on movement technique, and was only at the Seventh Layer of Body Refining, yet had already surpassed his limit! To be suppressed in his own area of expertise—this slap stung hard!

Eighty meters!

Zhou Heng could no longer stop; one step carried him into the Bronze Man Formation of the Eleventh Layer of Body Refining!

He struggled slightly. The bronze men here attacked faster, forcing him to expend more mental energy to grasp their changes. Otherwise, while the Flying Cloud Steps were miraculous, facing a flurry of wild punches, he couldn't cover every angle perfectly!

Eighty-one meters, eighty-two meters, eighty-three meters, eighty-four meters!

He surpassed Shi Qingfeng!

Like Chang Kang, Shi Qingfeng's expression turned extremely ugly.

"How can that guy's movement technique be so profound?"

"It looks like he might even clear the entire Bronze Man Formation of the Eleventh Layer of Body Refining!"

"Heavens, is he really at the Seventh Layer of Body Refining?"

Gasps rose one after another. By now, no one had any doubt why Zhou Heng was the final contender—who had ever seen such a monstrous Seventh Layer of Body Refining!

"Hmph, he's just relying on the subtlety of his movement technique. It's not like his actual combat power can rival the Blood Refining Realm!" Shi Qingfeng was stubborn as a dead duck, refusing to admit defeat, but he didn't consider that while he himself could advance to eighty-three meters, that hardly meant he could truly fight against the Tenth or Eleventh Layer of Body Refining.

Shen Xinqi and Zhang Zijun said nothing. Zhou Heng was already closing in on their results, and their hearts suddenly tightened.

As geniuses, being surpassed by someone else was absolutely unpleasant.

Ninety meters!

Zhou Heng's face showed utter exhaustion. Though his consumption of True Essence Power was negligible, the excessive use of mental energy was equally taxing, stirring a drowsy urge to collapse into sleep.

Not yet!

He let out a long cry, unfurled the Flying Cloud Steps once more, and spread his divine sense, scanning every move of every bronze man, calculating a path through.

Whoosh!

Like a fish, he twisted and turned his body beyond its limits, dancing as if on a blade's edge. Each step was exquisitely timed, narrowly dodging attack after attack as he advanced step by step.

Ninety-two meters! Ninety-five meters!

He surpassed everyone!

Zhou Heng did not stop. In terms of points, ninety meters and ninety-nine meters were the same—both earned four points. His target was five points!

Everyone's breath unconsciously caught. A Seventh Layer of Body Refining cultivator breaking through the Bronze Man Formation of the Twelfth Layer of Body Refining—this was too much to anticipate!

"Impossible! Impossible!" Shi Qingfeng ground his teeth. He was the one least happy to see Zhou Heng steal the spotlight, and his abdomen throbbed with a dull ache!

Ninety-eight meters! Ninety-nine meters! One hundred meters!

Zhou Heng had successfully passed the entire Bronze Man Formation!

Even Zhu Xun hadn't expected this result. He was stunned for a moment before saying, "Pass."

Thus, seven people earned extra points. Zhou Heng was first with five points, Shen Xinqi second with four, Zhang Zijun and Shi Qingfeng tied for fourth with three, Chang Kang fifth with two, and the remaining two youths at the Eighth Layer of Body Refining each got one point.

Additionally, twenty-three were eliminated and had to leave in dejection.

"Follow me. Only the final test remains," Zhu Xun said, scanning the faces of the group before striding forward.

Over twenty people hurried after him. Except for Shen Xinqi and a few others, everyone's expression was tense. With a fifty percent elimination rate in each test, it was truly nerve-wracking.