The True Genius [1]

I followed the sound and looked over.

At this moment, the 400-jin stone lock was already in play.

Converted, this weight was equivalent to that of three household refrigerators.

Now, only five people remained.

The first to try was a tall woman with slightly dark skin.

After a few attempts, she barely managed to lift the stone lock a few centimeters off the ground, unable to straighten her back at all. Seeing this, she had no choice but to give up.

Even so, she still walked away with a prize of several hundred thousand.

Of the next two people, one managed to lift it, but only held it for two or three seconds, which naturally didn't count.

As for the last one, he was a man in a black tank top with a snake tattoo on his arm.

This was the same Hu Clan member who had previously boasted about being able to deadlift three hundred kilograms.

He took a deep breath.

Gripping the handle of the stone lock, the veins on his neck bulged as he tremblingly lifted it up.

He managed to hold it for ten seconds, which was barely a passing grade.

Seeing this, the surrounding crowd broke into applause.

In previous years of the Strength Bearing Festival, most clansmen stopped at this 400-jin stone lock.

Being able to lift it basically secured the qualification of "Hammer Holder."

The man clearly understood this, and a smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

No one knew how much he had suffered for this moment.

However, the very next second, an untimely voice rang out.

"What are you doing? Move aside and let me through already."

His body swayed as he was shoved aside by an arm.

He nearly stumbled and fell to the ground.

He turned to look.

The person who had arrived was none other than the little chubby kid named Hu Zetong.

Ignoring the man, he walked up to the stone lock, reached out one hand, and grabbed it.

The next second.

To the stunned gaze of the crowd, he lifted it with a single arm and even hoisted it over his head.

This sight caused the man who had been about to fly into a rage to choke on his own words.

His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the little chubby kid before him.

To lift a 400-jin stone lock with one hand—was this kind of strength even human?

Hu Zetong ignored the man's gaze and set the lock down.

The effortless motion made it look like he was swinging a toy.

"Your turn!"

Hu Zetong looked at Hu Long behind him.

He naturally recognized him.

This was the person who had played him earlier.

Thinking of this, a hint of mockery appeared in his eyes.

He was ready to watch him make a fool of himself.

In response, Hu Long looked at the 400-jin stone lock without much hesitation.

He reached out both hands and lifted it straight up.

At this moment, the Hu Clan member in the black tank top nearby.

His expression had shifted from shock to looking as if he had seen a ghost.

He had been nearly exhausted just from lifting this 400-jin stone lock.

So why was it so simple for these two guys?

This was just unfair.

It looked like he wouldn't even be able to take second place this time.

"Not bad, you're actually somewhat interesting! But if you want to compete with me, you're still far off."

Hu Zetong glanced at Hu Long with some surprise, not expecting him to be able to lift it as well.

However, he did not take it to heart.

For now, only the two of them remained in the arena.

"These stone locks are too light; competing like this is far too boring."

Hu Zetong walked over to the four-hundred-and-fifty-jin stone lock on the side, extended one arm, and lifted it up once again.

His posture was extremely relaxed.

As he spoke.

He looked toward Hu Long at his side.

"How about we decide the winner in a single round?"

"What do you propose?"

Hu Long's expression remained unmoved as he asked indifferently.

"Great-Grandfather Patriarch, I want to try that!"

Hu Zetong did not answer Hu Long, but instead looked toward Hu Zhenkui, pointing his finger at an object placed at the very end.

It was different from the stone locks arranged in front.

Standing there was a massive three-legged bronze cauldron.

This object was called the Deer Cauldron, and it weighed over a thousand jin.

However, that was the terminology from the Yun Dynasty, where twelve taels made one jin.

According to the current calculation of ten taels to one jin, it weighed a full twelve hundred jin.

The cauldron had a round belly and high legs, cast entirely from bronze.

Unlike the stone locks, which could be gripped or grabbed, this cauldron had nowhere to get a hold of; there was no other way to lift it than to wrap one's arms around the entire vessel.

Yet, this object weighed a thousand jin; how could a mortal body possibly lift it?

Over these many years, although many strong members of the Hu Clan had appeared, it had been fundamentally impossible for anyone to lift this thing.

Except for a few elders who knew the truth.

The only successful attempt to lift the cauldron occurred twenty years ago.

That was the only time in nearly a century.

"Hmm, since you have the confidence, then give it a try!"

Patriarch Hu Zhenkui nodded.

He did not interfere much with the young man's display; no matter the place, only competition could drive people to improve.

As the patriarch, he was very happy to see his clansmen compete within reasonable limits.

Of course, there was another point.

He wanted to see just how far this little fellow could go.

"Yes, Great-Grandfather Patriarch!"

Having said that, Hu Zetong cast a provocative glance at Hu Long standing to the side.

The meaning was obvious: let's see how you can surpass me.

Unfortunately, Hu Long couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind, his expression remaining completely unchanged.

This gave Hu Zetong the illusion of punching a pile of cotton, leaving him feeling incredibly stifled.

Hu Zetong took a deep breath, his gaze falling upon the silent bronze cauldron.

The body of the cauldron was dark, its three legs firmly rooted in the ground as if they had grown into the stone floor.

The surrounding clansmen were deathly silent, all eyes fixed upon him.

He walked to the front of the cauldron, leaned over, spread his arms, and wrapped them around one of the legs.

He slowly lowered his waist and back, his arms tensing.

The next second.

Blue veins suddenly bulged on his neck and forehead, and his cheeks instantly flushed red.

That thousand-jin Deer Cauldron, following the exertion of his arms, began to lift off the ground bit by bit.

Dirt and grit fell in a rustle from the cauldron's legs as the vessel slowly rose, until, using every ounce of his strength, he hoisted it up before him!

Time seemed to freeze in that moment.

The crowd held their breath, eyes wide, as if they had seen a ghost.

Everyone had almost forgotten how to speak.

The scene fell into absolute silence.

What was it they had just witnessed?

This thousand-jin Deer Cauldron had actually been lifted by him.

What a joke!

This scene.

Even those from the main family couldn't help but cast sidelong glances.

Their eyes were filled with a mix of shock, envy, and admiration.

Because they understood far better than the other clansmen what this represented.

Innate Divine Strength!

This was a true genius.

"This strength is significantly greater than what I possessed back then. If we're talking strictly about raw power, I'm afraid he has already touched the level of the late stage of Body Forging."

Hu Li watched this scene, her brows slightly furrowed, her eyes complex.

It was true that she was a genius, but the person before her was even more of one.

Compared to the onlookers, Hu Zetong, who was in the center of the arena, was actually not having an easy time.

Unlike the stone locks from before, although he had lifted this bronze tripod, it was clearly not done with such ease.

At this moment, his arms were trembling violently, the tripod was swaying slightly, and he stumbled, causing fine cracks to appear in the stone floor beneath his feet.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

Just as the fifth second was about to pass, a streak of bright red blood suddenly trickled from his nostril, crossed his tightly pursed lips, and dripped onto his lapel.

Hu Zetong's eyes were wide open, bloodshot and dense, yet he was still desperately holding on.

However, the dam of his strength had already cracked; this was not something that could be sustained by willpower alone.

His arms began to shake uncontrollably, and the body of the tripod tilted along with them.

"BOOM!"

The next moment.

With a dull thud, dust flew and brick fragments scattered.

He finally exhausted his strength and set the tripod down heavily, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

He himself staggered back two steps and plopped onto the ground.

Hoo-hoo!

His breathing was as heavy as a bellows, and the nosebleed continued to drip, splattering onto the ground.

The surroundings were deathly silent.

All eyes were fixed on Hu Zetong.

There was shock, pity, and even some lingering fear.

After all, if this thing had come crashing down, one careless move and he might have been crushed to death on the spot.

Even though he hadn't truly succeeded, he had indeed managed to lift the tripod.

This was something ordinary people could not imagine.

Hu Zetong wiped away his nosebleed and turned his head to look at Hu Long behind him.

He raised a provocative smile.

"Come on then, if you have the guts, try lifting it just like I did!"

"Fine, I'll give it a try!"

Hearing this, Hu Long nodded, and without any hesitation, walked straight toward the three-legged bronze tripod.

Seeing this, the expressions of everyone present couldn't help but freeze.

They hadn't expected Hu Long to actually dare to lift it.

He Yanling, watching from the side, wanted to stop him.

But she was held back by Hu Chengwen.

"Don't worry, the Patriarch is watching, so it will be fine. Besides, Xiao Long has grown a lot lately and wouldn't do anything he wasn't sure about."

As he spoke, the look of shock in his eyes had yet to dissipate.

He Yanling's expression was grim.

"Hu Chengwen, if anything happens to Xiao Long, I won't let you hear the end of it!"

She didn't care about the main family or branch family; she only wanted her child to be healthy and safe.

Hu Chengwen opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

Hu Long's current performance gave him a glimmer of hope.

He did not want to give up.

To the side, Hu Zetong also did not believe Hu Long could lift it.

Because only those who had experienced it personally knew exactly how heavy this thing was.

"If you don't have the strength, don't force it, or you'll end up crushing yourself to death!"

"Hu Zhao, are you really not going to stop your brother? Don't blame my nephew if he gets crushed later."

On the sidelines, Hu Xiao cast a sidelong glance at Hu Zhao not far away, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Hu Zhao pressed her lips together and remained silent.

She finally understood where the other party's confidence came from; that Hu Zetong was her own nephew.

Given this situation, entering the main family was a foregone conclusion.

With this connection, she certainly had the qualifications to be arrogant.

Thinking this way.

Her gaze remained locked on Hu Long's back.

Having spent these days together, she had naturally noticed a certain indescribable change in her brother.

For instance, his actions lacked the recklessness of his youth and possessed more composure.

Since he dared to step forward, he must have some degree of certainty.

But... that bronze tripod was truly too terrifying.

Her hands, hidden within her sleeves, clenched slightly. Hearing Hu Xiao's shrill, mocking tone again, a cold fire suddenly flared in her heart.

"Hu Xiao."

She turned her face, her eyes icy.

"If you utter one more sarcastic remark, do you believe I'll tear your mouth open?"

Hu Xiao choked on her words.

In all the years they had known each other, she had only seen this expression on Hu Zhao's face once before.

That was back when someone had shoved Hu Long during their childhood.

She knew this woman was capable of doing it, so she had no choice but to swallow her words, though she sneered inwardly.

Hu Zetong was her own nephew; she knew his strength and constitution better than anyone.

It had surprised her that Hu Long could lift a four-hundred-jin stone lock, but this tripod... it was absolutely impossible.

"Just wait. Once Zetong enters the main family, there will come a time when you'll be on your knees begging me."