Bone Weighing

The man appeared with startling abruptness.

Everyone only saw a gray shadow flash before their eyes, felt a gust of wind brush their faces, and then the man was standing right in front of Lu Cheng.

The man wore a black cloth cap on his head, a white cotton jacket with a cross-collar underneath, and a gray, narrow-sleeved robe over it, his waist cinched tight by a leather belt with a dark silver eagle-head buckle.

His eyebrows were neat and sharp, arching like mountain peaks, and while his eyes were not large, they were piercingly bright.

His nose was straight and bridge-like, his brow ridge broad, and his jawline square and well-defined; he possessed a rugged appearance and a steady, imposing posture.

Even through his clothes, Lu Cheng could discern his lean, powerful muscles, and combined with his height of nearly two meters, the man radiated immense authority.

As soon as the man appeared, he said to Lu Cheng:

"Your analysis is decent, but the Qi Refining Realm is by no means the highest level; in terms of martial arts, it is merely the starting point."

His voice was not loud, but it was deep and resonant, perfectly matching his physical presence.

After speaking, he continued to ask:

"What is your name? Are you here to seek apprenticeship?"

The man had flashed out from the Long Wind Escort Agency, his belt featured an eagle-head buckle, and given his attire and age, his identity was obvious!

Seeing this, Lu Cheng bowed and saluted:

"This disciple is Lu Cheng, sixteen years of age, a native of Cold Willow Town. I have long yearned for the martial path and have heard much of the great reputation of the Long Wind Escort Agency and the three masters. I have come today to seek apprenticeship and earnestly hope the master will accept me."

The man nodded, said "Good," and then asked:

"Judging by your appearance, you are a scholar. Are you proficient in the classics and mathematics?"

Lu Cheng replied:

"This disciple has studied since childhood, but I am of dull aptitude; I have only passed the county-level preliminary examination and dare not boast of proficiency."

"Oh?" The man was first surprised, then asked with curiosity:

"The hardships of martial arts far exceed those of study, yet there is no guarantee of reward. You are already a scholar at such a young age, and passing the imperial examination would not be difficult. Why not continue your studies instead of coming here to practice martial arts?"

Lu Cheng's gaze was firm:

"Studying for the imperial examinations ultimately relies on the power of the imperial court; it may provide temporary stability, but it is never enough to secure one's life."

"Since I have been born into this world, I do not seek worldly prosperity, but I do seek to live without being oppressed by the times, relying on my own fists and feet to uphold the pride in my heart."

"Hahaha, well said!" The man's eyes revealed admiration, and he praised him loudly: "A man born between heaven and earth should be exactly like this!"

"However, intelligence and ambition alone are not enough for the martial path. I am Feng Zhan, the Third Escort of the Long Wind Escort Agency. Follow me inside for the Bone Weighing!"

With that, he turned and walked toward the interior of the agency.

This meant he was taking Lu Cheng to cut the line.

The surrounding crowd dared not express any dissatisfaction, only watching with envy as Lu Cheng followed the man inside.

By now, everyone knew that Lu Cheng had caught the master's eye ahead of time.

As long as his innate constitution didn't test poorly, he would certainly have a place in the agency in the future.

The little fatty had been startled by the sudden appearance of Feng Zhan.

Seeing that Feng Zhan not only didn't give him trouble but was actually letting Lu Cheng cut the line, he became instantly excited and hurriedly pulled the boy and girl beside him to follow.

Some disgruntled people tried to stop them, but the little fatty retorted with a simple, "We are together."

Seeing that Feng Zhan at the front didn't react at all, they fell silent.

The three young men who had originally clashed with the group of four felt a bit uneasy, but in the end, they did not leave.

The gate of the Long Wind Escort Agency was not large, but the interior was vast.

Unlike the northern and southern architecture Lu Cheng had seen in his previous life, this residence appeared rugged and open.

There were no screen walls, winding corridors, or ornate gates.

After entering and passing the front rooms, one was met with a wide plaza paved with blue bricks, large enough to hold a hundred people standing loosely.

On the east and west sides of the plaza were two long rows of side rooms, extending all the way to a high-ceilinged main hall at the far north.

In front of the eastern side rooms stood a row of various weapons and equipment, while on the north side of the west end was a water well, and to the south was a large area of plum blossom stakes of varying heights, thicknesses, and spacing.

Several tables and chairs were set up in the plaza, with three grand chairs in the center. The one on the far east was empty, while the other two were occupied by men of similar age to Feng Zhan.

The man in the center chair had a square face and a wide mouth, a complexion like a ripe date, eyebrows slanting into his temples, and deep, piercing eyes. He sat with a dignified posture, exuding an air of natural authority.

The man on the west was thin, with a goatee on his chin, narrow eyebrows, and small eyes. He sat quite casually, leaning to one side, watching the four approaching figures with a smile; he appeared to have no airs at all.

In the center of the plaza stood a circular, translucent cyan stone platform, three feet in diameter and half a foot high.

The top surface of the platform was as smooth as a mirror, with six concentric grooves distributed from the center outward, and the sides were carved with complex symbols that Lu Cheng could not understand.

In the very center, a mass of white mist swirled incessantly.

Additionally, there were two stone balls the size of a human head, made of the same material as the platform, placed on either side of it.

On the east side of the plaza, a line of disciples stretched from the entrance, winding their way in.

On the west side, a man sat behind a horizontal table, upon which rested brushes, ink, and ledgers.

Behind the table stood or sat sixty or seventy young men and women carrying bundles.

Lu Cheng scanned the crowd, unable to identify which one was the so-called Di Hao.

Feng Zhan led Lu Cheng and his three companions through the gate, heading straight to the front of the line.

He signaled for the four of them to remain before the stone platform, then walked around it to take a seat in a grand armchair on the east side, tilting his head to converse in low tones with two other men.

To Lu Cheng's surprise, although the stone platform was not far from the three men and he could clearly see Feng Zhan's mouth moving, he could not hear a single sound.

It was as if an invisible barrier had isolated the three of them from their surroundings.

This display of skill left Lu Cheng feeling deeply astonished.

According to the skinny man, the three masters of the Long Wind Escort Agency were only at the initial stage of the Body Refining Realm.

In Lu Cheng's understanding, since it was called Body Refining, it should generally not exceed the limits of a mortal frame.

Yet, it appeared that was far from the truth.

Whether it was the way Feng Zhan had appeared earlier or the current situation with their conversation, everything far exceeded Lu Cheng's imagination.

The man on the west side stroked his beard as he listened, his gaze fixed steadily on Lu Cheng.

The man in the middle remained expressionless, only nodding once Feng Zhan had finished speaking.

Then, Feng Zhan said to Lu Cheng:

"This stone platform is a formation capable of testing a martial artist's aptitude. Stand in the center and follow my instructions step by step."

The man was speaking normally now, and his voice reached Lu Cheng's ears with perfect clarity.

Lu Cheng stopped overthinking and, following Feng Zhan's instructions, stepped onto the stone platform.

"Calm your heart and focus your intent on your dantian."

Lu Cheng did as Feng Zhan said, and soon felt a surge of heat rising from the stone platform beneath his feet.

The heat raced up his legs, traveled through his chest and abdomen to his limbs, circled his torso, and then returned along the same path.

The moment the heat vanished, Lu Cheng felt his body suddenly grow heavy.

Then, the swirling white mist within the stone platform began to spread rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, the mist reached the first circular groove.

Without pausing, it continued to spread past the second circular groove at the same astonishing speed.

Furthermore, the speed of the expansion showed no signs of slowing down.

Throughout the entire day prior to this, only that "Di Hao" had shown such a result.

Seeing this, Feng Zhan and the two men in front immediately flashed looks of pleasant surprise.

There were three formations refined into this stone platform.

The first was called Bone Weighing.

As the name implied, it was used to weigh the innate bone structure of the person being tested.

The range of the mist's expansion within the platform was related to the weight of the tester's innate bones.

The sheer momentum of the mist's expansion proved that Lu Cheng's innate bone structure was exceptional.

Everyone nearby held their breath, watching the mist inside the stone platform without blinking.

Only one thought remained in everyone's mind:

Just how far would this kid, who had been brought in and allowed to cut the line by the head of the escort agency himself, actually go?