Unexpected

Under the gaze of everyone present, the mist crossed the third ring of grooves without the slightest obstruction.

"It passed! It passed!"

The plaza erupted into an instant clamor.

The mist spreading to the third ring meant that Lu Cheng's innate aptitude had reached the level of "Fine Jade and Good Material."

With such good aptitude, his other attributes would naturally be on par.

This meant that Lu Cheng reaching the Body Tempering realm was a certainty.

A master of the Body Tempering realm could walk sideways through Yangcheng County without fear.

"This... why is it still so fast!"

After the clamor, a heavy silence fell once more.

It was because after the mist reached the third ring, it was still spreading rapidly.

They had just witnessed the appearance of a "Peerless Di Hao."

When that "Di Hao" stood on the stone platform, the mist had spread to the fifth ring of grooves at an astonishing speed.

The Lu Cheng before them was actually following the exact same pattern.

Could it be that another "Di Hao" was standing before them?

However, Feng Zhan and his two companions had put away their smiles.

"This..."

The three exchanged glances, each seeing helplessness and regret in the others' eyes.

While others could not tell, with their strength, they had already discovered that the speed at which the mist spread beneath Lu Cheng's feet had begun to slow down.

But even as it slowed, it was absolutely certain to cross the "Human Hero" line.

It was precisely for this reason that they felt helpless and regretful.

They certainly couldn't keep a "Di Hao," but could they even keep a "Human Hero"?

The gaps between the six grades of martial arts aptitude were not orderly progressions.

The further one went, the more obvious the disparity became.

Ordinary people only knew of the three realms of martial arts.

But that was because, for ordinary people, the first three realms were already a destination they could hardly reach in a lifetime.

In reality, this so-called "destination" was merely Foundation Establishment.

True martial arts belonged exclusively to those geniuses.

Only those with the aptitude of a "Human Hero" could be categorized in this realm.

Since they were geniuses, they would naturally be fought over... or strangled in the cradle.

To grow, one had to be in sects like Heavenly Spring Temple or Emerald Cloud Abbey at the very least.

The three of them would have been satisfied if Long Wind Escort Agency could recruit one or two disciples approaching "Good Material."

But since things had reached this point, they could only continue to watch.

As for what level Lu Cheng could ultimately reach, it had become irrelevant.

Amidst the silent shock of the crowd, the mist broke through the fourth ring of grooves.

It was not until it spread between the fourth and fifth grooves that Lu Cheng felt the gravity on his body vanish, and the spreading mist rapidly retracted to his feet.

"A Human Hero! Another Human Hero has appeared!"

"The mist spread more than halfway; among Human Heroes, he is definitely upper-middle tier!"

"A half-step Di Hao, a half-step Di Hao has appeared!"

With a boom, the line that had just been organized outside the gate fell into chaos again.

They dared not run into the courtyard, so they swarmed toward the entrance, craning their necks desperately to look inside.

The successive appearance of geniuses had driven them into a frenzy.

They even began to fantasize about whether they might have a chance to be counted among them.

Only the three men who had called the little fatty a pig's head looked increasingly grim.

"Big Brother, Second Brother, should we... still seek apprenticeship?" the youngest of the three asked, looking quite uneasy. "This guy is a 'Human Hero.' We already had a conflict with him at the start; what are we going to do later?"

The eldest brother was also frowning, unable to make up his mind.

"Maybe we should try another place."

However, the second brother did not agree to change locations.

"What are you afraid of? It was just a couple of words of bickering. You think he can stop the master from taking us in?"

"Didn't he say it himself? We are all fellow disciples. If we were to target someone over such a trivial matter, then this 'Human Hero' title wouldn't be worth much anyway."

"Besides, I find his conduct and speech quite refined. If there is an opportunity, it wouldn't hurt to strike up a conversation and get to know him."

The first test finally concluded, and the crowd, having held their breath for so long, could finally exhale.

If the trend had continued and another "Di Hao" appeared, they would have started to suspect that the testing formation itself was malfunctioning.

The most shocked of all was the little fatty.

He never expected that he had casually "picked up" a "Human Hero."

Lu Cheng, however, felt a sense of disappointment in his heart.

Was he really just a "Human Hero"?

If he hadn't known about the six grades of aptitude, or if "Di Hao" hadn't appeared, he might have let it slide.

But now that he knew...

As a transmigrator, how could he settle for being inferior to others?

Yet, this disappointment lasted only for a fleeting moment.

With the [Heavenly Mandate] in his hands, what did it matter if his aptitude was a bit lacking?

As long as he put in the effort, never mind "Di Hao," what was even a "Heavenly Pride"?

"Lu Cheng, collect your thoughts and place both hands on the stone sphere to your left."

Feng Zhan's voice came from the front once more.

The stone spheres on either side of the platform had risen to the height of Lu Cheng's chest at some point.

Lu Cheng had no time to overthink and hurriedly pressed his hands against the stone sphere.

The moment he made contact, a wave of heat surged beneath his feet.

The sensation this time was far more intense than before; Lu Cheng felt as if a ball of raging fire had exploded beneath him.

Then, the heat split into two paths, rushing into the soles of his feet, surging through his body, and finally pouring into the stone sphere on his left.

And that was indeed the case; the moment Lu Cheng pressed his hands onto the sphere, the mist at the center of the platform shifted through his body and into the sphere.

"This is the second test, known as 'Tendon Measurement,' used to gauge the toughness and width of your meridians."

"The faster the mist transfers from the platform, the more... three breaths."

Before Feng Zhan could finish his explanation, the mist in the platform had already completely transferred into the stone sphere, leaving Feng Zhan to simply announce the result.

"Very well, move your hands to the stone sphere on the right."

"This third formation amplifies your perception of the world's vital energy, allowing even those who have not practiced martial arts to absorb it with the help of the formation."

"Whether it is bone structure or meridians, both exist to facilitate the blending with the world's vital energy. The better your talent, the stronger your ability to absorb that energy."

After Feng Zhan finished speaking, he saw that the stone sphere under Lu Cheng's hands remained unchanged. Fearing that Lu Cheng didn't know how to proceed, he continued to explain:

"First, calm your mind and focus your intent on your dantian. Then, use your spiritual sense to perceive your surroundings and imagine that you can draw that vital energy into your body. Once this energy has circulated through you, it will automatically flow into the stone sphere."

However, after waiting for a long time, the stone sphere in Lu Cheng's hands remained empty, showing no change at all.

"He hasn't fallen asleep, has he?" the little fatty whispered to himself, seeing Lu Cheng standing motionless with his eyes closed.

Little did they know, Lu Cheng was so anxious he was on the verge of breaking into a sweat.

In truth, the moment he placed his hands on the right stone sphere, Lu Cheng had already perceived the "vital energy" Feng Zhan spoke of.

Before Lu Cheng could even actively absorb it, the energy began to converge toward his dantian and sea of qi on its own.

Then, the stone sphere beneath his hands exerted a suction force, and the vital energy began to circulate through his meridians in an orderly fashion, flowing toward his arms.

Strangely, however, the moment the energy reached his chest, it seemed to flow into an invisible, untraceable void and vanished without a trace.

No matter how Lu Cheng tried to control it, he could not change the outcome.

By the time Feng Zhan spoke again, Lu Cheng was using every ounce of strength he possessed.

The vital energy surrounding him was indeed rushing into his body frantically.

The surging energy made Lu Cheng's dantian feel bloated, and it frantically sought to vent outward through his meridians.

But no matter how much energy there was, as soon as it reached his chest, it was swallowed by that void.

Time slowly ticked by; compared to the first and second tests, the time Lu Cheng spent on the third test already equaled the sum of the previous two.

The crowd, previously silent and holding their breath, had begun to whisper among themselves.

Up front, the three men including Feng Zhan did not stop him, though they frowned slightly.

Even with the help of the formation, absorbing the world's vital energy was mentally exhausting.

Before long, Lu Cheng could no longer hold on.

Fortunately, at that moment, the bottomless pit seemed to have been satiated; the vital energy entering Lu Cheng's body no longer vanished, but instead gathered in his dantian before flowing through his arms toward the stone sphere.

A wisp of white mist finally appeared.

But that was all. Before a second wisp could form, Lu Cheng had completely exhausted his mental energy, and his hands dropped powerlessly to his sides.