The day of the exam arrived in the blink of an eye.
The Martial Practice Field.
All the new disciples had arrived. Their palms were sweaty, and every one of them was a bundle of nerves.
On the raised platform, Instructor Wu wasn't the only one there. Master Pei, who tested their bones, had come too. He sat in a grand chair, cradling a cup of hot tea as his gaze swept back and forth over the crowd below.
Instructor Wu clasped his hands behind his back and took two steps forward.
"Half a month has passed. The exam begins today."
"I'll state the rules just once: the first three forms of the Thunderbolt Fist. Anyone who can make a decent showing will stay."
"Anyone who can't will take off their True Disciple robes and report to the Servant Courtyard."
As he spoke, his eyes fixed on Li Pingsheng, standing in the corner.
The meaning was obvious.
You're packing your things and getting out today.
"Begin."
Instructor Wu waved his hand. The first disciple trembled as he walked to the middle of the field, took his stance, and began performing the Thunderbolt Fist.
His movements were stiff, and his strength didn't flow smoothly. The whole set of punches came out limp and lifeless, let alone sounding like thunder.
"Next."
The disciple's face went pale as he stepped aside.
The next few were much the same. It was an achievement just to remember all the moves. One after another, they punched with no force at all, and Master Pei's brows on the raised platform were nearly knotted into a ball.
The Thunderbolt Fist was the foundational fist technique of the Azure Cloud Martial Hall. It was all about fierce, domineering power, with qi and blood surging like thunder.
These new disciples hadn't even scratched the surface.
"Next, Zhao Ming!"
At Instructor Wu's call, Zhao Ming strode out with his chin held high.
First, he bowed respectfully to Pei Guang and Instructor Wu on the raised platform, then sank into a horse stance.
"Ha!"
Thunder on Flat Ground!
Lightning Flash and Thunder Roll!
Thunder Moves Through the Nine Heavens!
He performed the first three forms of the Thunderbolt Fist in one breath.
His fists whistled through the air, even producing a faint sound as they cut through it.
He was still far from making his punches boom like thunder, but among these new disciples, he was in a class of his own!
"Good!"
"Senior Brother Zhao is awesome!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. The disciples still waiting in line stared at him with wide-eyed admiration.
On the raised platform, Instructor Wu stroked his beard, unable to hide his smile as he nodded over and over.
Even Pei Guang, who had kept a stern face the whole time, set down his cup and gave a nod.
"Not bad. You're starting to get the hang of it."
With Pei Guang's approval, Zhao Ming grew even more pleased with himself. His smugness was practically bursting off his face.
He lowered his fists and turned to leave. As he passed Li Pingsheng, he deliberately stopped.
In a low voice, audible only to the two of them, he said:
"Useless trash. See that? You can leave on your own now and save yourself some face."
Li Pingsheng acted as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Being ignored so completely made Zhao Ming even angrier than if Li Pingsheng had insulted him back.
"Last one, Li Pingsheng."
At long last, it was his turn.
In an instant!
Sneering, contemptuous, and eager-to-see-a-show gazes all turned his way.
Everyone craned their necks, waiting to see how this "superior bone structure," supposedly forged out of medicine jars, would make a fool of himself in front of them all.
Zhao Ming folded his arms, a faint smile still playing on his lips.
Instructor Wu had even opened his mouth, ready with a string of insults. He was just waiting for Li Pingsheng to throw out that laughable "chicken-chasing fist" so he could kick him out of the martial hall on the spot.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Li Pingsheng slowly walked to the middle of the field.
He didn't yell like Zhao Ming had, nor did he make any unnecessary movements.
He simply sank his waist and settled into a horse stance.
A single opening posture.
Yet that simple opening posture suddenly changed the atmosphere on the field.
If Li Pingsheng had once been an unremarkable stone in everyone's eyes,
that stone had now revealed a sharp edge like a blade.
An aura both heavy and keen, with a hidden force coiled beneath it, rose from him.
Without anyone noticing, the chatter around the field began to fade.
The smile on Zhao Ming's face stiffened.
Instructor Wu's prepared insults caught strangely in his throat.
What was this...?
Before anyone could react, Li Pingsheng made no unnecessary flourishes.
He twisted his waist, drove his hips forward, and punched.
First form, Thunder on Flat Ground!
Whoosh!
His punch didn't make as much of a fuss as Zhao Ming's, but as it passed through the air, there was a muffled "boom"!
It wasn't the sound of his fist cutting through the air. It was an air blast!
All his strength was concentrated in his fist, not a bit of it wasted!
Then he turned, his steps nimble, and launched the second form, "Lightning Flash and Thunder Roll."
His fists struck out in a rapid flurry, so fast it was frightening. A string of sharp cracks snapped through the air, as if lightning were flashing.
Third form, Thunder Moves Through the Nine Heavens!
Li Pingsheng stamped down hard. The stone slab beneath his foot boomed. His strength surged to its peak, coursing along his spine, through his arm, and finally crashing into a single punch!
Boom!
The three moves flowed together without a single flaw!
His movements were precise, his force perfectly controlled, and his momentum fierce. He was more than ten times stronger than Zhao Ming!
Zhao Ming had performed the outward form.
Li Pingsheng had brought out its intent!
The true, unrestrained force of the Thunderbolt Fist, the kind that smashed everything to pieces!
The entire Martial Practice Field fell terrifyingly silent.
Th-this was the useless trash who'd spent half a month chasing chickens?
That fist... had he really thrown it??
Zhao Ming stared fixedly at Li Pingsheng, his eyes filled with disbelief and humiliation. (I can't hold it together.jpg)
How could this be!
It was impossible!
On the raised platform, Instructor Wu's mouth was still hanging open, ready to curse.
His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. His throat made a "gurgling" sound, but he couldn't get a single word out.
What had he just seen?
A useless disciple he'd written off had performed three perfect forms of the Thunderbolt Fist, better than even Instructor Wu himself could manage!
"Crack!"
A sharp sound rang out.
It was Pei Guang.
Not a trace of calm remained on his face. He was stunned, and overjoyed.
"Fist... fist intent taking shape?!"
Fist intent!
Only someone who'd trained a fist technique to the very peak, and grasped its underlying force, could possibly reach that level!
In the entire Azure Cloud Martial Hall, you could count on one hand the people who'd cultivated the Thunderbolt Fist's intent!
Every one of them was an old hand with decades of practice behind them!
Instructor Wu swayed, nearly losing his balance.
Fist intent... He'd trained in the Thunderbolt Fist for over ten years and hadn't even brushed against it!
"No! I don't believe it! He cheated!!"
Zhao Ming roared like a madman, jolting everyone out of their daze.
He pointed at Li Pingsheng and shouted:
"He must've used some dirty trick! I refuse to accept this!"
"Instructor Wu, Master Pei! I demand to fight him right now!"
To be crushed by a useless nobody he'd looked down on, using the very thing he was proudest of.
The humiliation drove him completely mad.
"Silence!"
Pei Guang's roar made Zhao Ming shudder.
"This is an exam! What kind of behavior is it, making a racket here?!"
"If you can't match someone's ability, you start trouble instead. Is that how the Zhao Family raises its sons?"
Zhao Ming was berated into silence.
Pei Guang snorted and ignored him, turning to Li Pingsheng.
"Li Pingsheng, well done."
"As for fighting, there's no need to rush. The Martial Hall Grand Exam is coming up. You'll have your chance to test yourselves then."
It was both reassurance and a declaration of the rules.
Li Pingsheng lowered his fists, turned, and gave Zhao Ming a cold glance without saying a word.
But he made a mental note of it.
"So, the day of the Grand Exam..."
"Let's hope your bones are harder than your mouth."
With that, he walked off the Martial Practice Field.
On this day, Li Pingsheng's three punches had stunned the entire field!
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