It had to be said that, as one of the Yang family's most outstanding geniuses, Yang Wu had already begun to show signs of becoming the Yang family's Number One Genius. The moment he appeared, he drew everyone's attention. Many young women from outside clans who had intended to get close to Yang Wu began screaming one after another when they saw him.
That was perfectly normal. Across the entire continent, martial strength was revered above all.
Only the martial path could endure through the ages.
Those with high cultivation and great talent would naturally draw the screams of countless women.
Yang Wu greatly enjoyed that feeling.
Over the past two months, his cultivation had advanced another step, rising from the middle stage of the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level to the late stage. He was confident that he could seize the crown at this Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
"Yang Wu!"
At the call of his name, Yang Wu strode forward with his head held high and his chest out, his presence imposing.
"Yang Wu is the symbol of our Yang family's younger generation today."
"If my son could be this outstanding, then even if I died, this old man would rest easy."
"Yang Wu truly is formidable. He completely disregarded a thousand pounds."
"Yang Wu has set his sights on eleven hundred pounds!"
Having reached the late stage of the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level, Yang Wu already possessed the strength to lift a twelve-hundred-pound boulder. However, twelve hundred pounds was considerably more difficult. After thinking it over again and again, Yang Wu still set his target at eleven hundred pounds.
"Even if it is only an eleven-hundred-pound boulder, no one can surpass me, can they?" The corners of Yang Wu's lips rose into a confident smile.
He was not the only one in the Yang family to reach the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level, but the others were at most at the middle stage. No one besides him had reached the late stage.
With that thought, Yang Wu's entire body tensed. The next moment, he fiercely wrapped both arms around the boulder and raised it over his head in one powerful motion.
"Yang Wu lifted an eleven-hundred-pound boulder so effortlessly. It seems he still held back some of his strength. Otherwise, lifting an eleven-hundred-pound boulder would not be so easy. To do so like Yang Wu, without even turning red or losing one's breath, would be far more difficult."
"Yang Wu did not bring out all his strength. He must be planning to hold something back. This boy's future is boundless; he can become a great man!"
Quite a few people from outside clans gave Yang Wu extremely high praise.
As for the young women who admired Yang Wu, their screams rang out without end. Miss Yu, who was to marry Yang Wu in the future, was especially overjoyed, her heart blooming with delight as if she could not wait to jump up.
Yang Jinhe's old servant also nodded in satisfaction and said gently, "Yang Wu, eleven hundred pounds, middle stage of the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level!"
Because Yang Wu had held back some of his strength, the announced result was merely the middle stage of the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level.
In truth, many of the young clan members present had held back as well.
"Next..." The old servant swept his gaze across the crowd.
No one knew whether it was coincidence or what, but after Yang Wu, the next person called was actually Yang Chen.
"Yang Chen!"
Yang Chen was somewhat surprised when his name was called.
He shrugged and gave Yang Wu a calm glance.
Yang Wu was enjoying the feeling of being surrounded by stars and worshipped by the moon. When Yang Chen looked at him like that, he immediately recalled all the unpleasantness between them and said coldly, "Yang Chen, it seems your luck is not very good. You were actually placed after me. I wonder what fraction of my result you can reach. Oh, I forgot—sorry. You seem to have no martial cultivation at all! Saying you could reach even a fraction of mine may have been overestimating you."
Hearing Yang Wu's words, Yang Chen rubbed his ears. "Did you just say my luck was bad?"
"What, do you think your luck is good?" Yang Wu barked.
Yang Chen laughed freely and did not bother arguing with Yang Wu. Since his name had been called, he slowly stepped forward.
When Yang Chen stepped out, Second Master Yang, who was in the same pavilion as Yang Jinhe, abruptly stood up.
"Wait!" Second Master Yang shouted.
Yang Jinhe asked in surprise, "Second Elder, what do you mean by this?"
Everyone present turned their eyes toward Second Master Yang as well.
"What is going on?"
"Why did Second Master suddenly stand up?"
Because of Second Master Yang's shout of "Wait," the examination had no choice but to stop.
Second Master Yang said respectfully, "It is like this, Patriarch. I request that Yang Chen be exempted from the examination."
Yang Jinhe's expression gradually turned ugly. "Second Elder, I would like to know what you mean by this."
Second Master Yang knew that his request today would make it difficult for Yang Jinhe to save face. After all, Yang Jinhe was receiving distinguished guests. Yet Yang Chen was an Alchemy Genius whom he valued greatly. If Yang Chen was truly expelled from the clan registry, it would be much more troublesome to try to salvage the situation afterward.
Therefore, after thinking it over again and again, he still decided to put in a word for Yang Chen.
From the bottom of his heart, he still did not believe Yang Chen could pass this examination today.
With that in mind, Second Master Yang took a deep breath. "Patriarch, everyone knows that Yang Chen cannot cultivate martial arts. He has considerable talent in alchemy. I want him to study alchemy under me from now on, so let him be excused from this coming-of-age examination."
"Nonsense!" Yang Jinhe shouted, his face as cold as frost.
Under normal circumstances, he would naturally not mind giving Second Master Yang some face.
But today was different. Li Youyan was sitting right there; how could he allow an outsider to see a joke made of his own clan? After all, those who failed the examination were to be expelled from the clan registry—that was an order he had personally issued. If he agreed to Second Master Yang today, would he not be lifting a stone only to smash his own foot?
Having been refused, Second Master Yang's expression became ugly as well.
"Second Elder, this is where you are in the wrong. How can you engage in favoritism and fraud during a sacred ceremony like the Coming-of-Age Ceremony?" A strange, mocking voice rang out, deliberately raised so that those watching the Coming-of-Age Ceremony examination below the pavilion could hear every word clearly.
The speaker was a man in his prime, known as Eighth Master Yang. He was the Yang family's Eighth Elder and an old rival of Second Master Yang. Seeing Second Master Yang suffer a setback, he did not mind stepping forward to add a few more cutting remarks.
The moment he shouted those words, everyone learned of Yang Chen's situation.
"Someone actually wants to use connections to evade the coming-of-age examination?"
"Heavens, something like this can actually happen at the Yang family's Coming-of-Age Ceremony?"
"It would be strange if it were anyone else, but do you not know Yang Chen? He is a rare piece of trash in the Yang family. Alchemy or martial cultivation, he cannot pass at either. They say that when he competed against the Wang family, despite having a heap of precious materials, he failed to refine a single pill."
"He probably saw that he could not pass the coming-of-age examination, so he gave Second Master Yang some sort of gift. That must be why Second Master Yang spoke for him."
Quite a few outsiders stood to the side, gossiping with the mentality of watching a spectacle. This was truly a rare bit of excitement.
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