Could he lift it?
It was not only Yang Jinhe who doubted him. Even Second Master Yang, who had a good relationship with Yang Chen, kept stroking his beard, sweating anxiously. From what he knew, Yang Chen had no real martial cultivation.
Could Yang Chen be acting this way because he had been pushed into a corner and lost his head?
By now, plenty of people were already pointing and whispering about Yang Chen.
"Yang Chen really is just grandstanding!" Once Yang Heng saw where Yang Chen had stopped, he swallowed hard. Then, remembering Yang Chen's martial cultivation, he sneered.
That was right. What was he so nervous about? With Yang Chen's martial cultivation, could he possibly lift a twelve-hundred-pound boulder?
Standing nearby, Yang Wu said mockingly, "He'll soon learn what a painful price he must pay for making fools of everyone at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony."
"Brother, this brat actually wants to lift a twelve-hundred-pound boulder. I think he's dreaming of surpassing you." Yang Heng snorted coldly.
"Him?" Yang Wu curled his lips. "I have no need to crush a pheasant's dream."
They were not the only ones. Even the girls cheering alongside Yang Caidie were dumbfounded.
"Isn't this..."
"Sister Caidie, is your brother really that impressive?"
"Isn't it said that your brother has no martial cultivation at all?"
"Twelve hundred pounds—he's already comparable to martial prodigies from major clans."
Yang Caidie's eyes were wide as well. Had her brother only behaved himself for a few days before starting to act muddleheaded again?
She was at a loss.
In a situation like this, what could she do?
Just as thoughts churned through her heart, Yang Chen suddenly made his move.
Yang Chen's abrupt action drew countless eyes at once. Everyone in the arena fixed their gaze on him, not knowing whether they were waiting to see him make a fool of himself or waiting for a miracle to happen to this young man.
Regardless, the entire venue fell silent the next moment.
Because Yang Chen actually wrapped both arms around that twelve-hundred-pound boulder and lifted it by sheer force. The next moment, he raised it effortlessly over his head. This action caused him no physical difficulty whatsoever; even when the boulder came down three seconds later, Yang Chen was still neither red-faced nor out of breath.
That calm composure showed that the twelve-hundred-pound boulder was nowhere near Yang Chen's limit.
It seemed this young man could still challenge a thirteen-hundred-pound boulder.
Quite a few clever people had already begun to speculate. "Could this brat be the Yang Family's true dark horse? Has he already reached the Body Refining Realm Fifth Level?"
The moment such a thought arose, it shocked some people so badly they could scarcely believe it.
This was undoubtedly a heart-shaking moment.
No one dared believe it was real.
Even Yang Caidie, who claimed she knew even her younger brother's underwear size like the back of her hand, covered her mouth, utterly unable to believe that the one who had lifted the twelve-hundred-pound boulder was actually her brother.
"This..."
Yang Family Patriarch Yang Jinhe felt stormy waves crashing through his heart.
Yang Chen—Yang Chen was actually this formidable?
Second Master Yang was dumbstruck as well.
"W-what is going on?" Second Master Yang was drenched in sweat. He had long been so nervous that his palms were slick with it.
Fourth Master Yang beside him burst into hearty laughter. "Second Brother, what do you think? I told you long ago that if you let Yang Chen participate in the assessment, perhaps the result would not disappoint you too much."
"Fourth Brother, did you already know that Yang Chen's martial cultivation had reached such a level? This brat hid himself deeply—he even fooled this old man." Second Master Yang drew a deep breath, calming his shocked heart.
"Yes. At first, even I, your Fourth Brother, could hardly believe it. But the truth is just that. All those rumors about Yang Chen in the past were merely signs of his keeping a low profile. In truth, among the Yang Family's younger generation, he is undoubtedly the true champion. Yang Chen is a genuine genius of Dual Cultivation of Alchemy and Martial Arts, one who stands above the entire Yang Family!"
Dual Cultivation of Alchemy and Martial Arts was a term that dazzled the ear.
In truth, not many people could genuinely achieve Dual Cultivation of Alchemy and Martial Arts.
Take Yang Heng, for instance. He too was said to practice Dual Cultivation of Alchemy and Martial Arts, but neither his alchemy nor his martial cultivation was outstanding. Sooner or later, Yang Heng would have to abandon one and focus on the other.
Only someone like Yang Chen, whose alchemy attainments and martial cultivation were both enough to seize the crown, could be called a genius of Dual Cultivation of Alchemy and Martial Arts.
"Dual Cultivation of Alchemy and Martial Arts... Dual Cultivation of Alchemy and Martial Arts... Incredible!" Second Master Yang muttered to himself.
He truly did not know how to express his excitement.
Li Youyan, however, burst into loud laughter. "Hahaha! Yang Family Patriarch, you hid things deeply enough. You even fooled the Elders within your own clan. It seems I guessed correctly—this Yang Chen must be the genius you secretly cultivated, your trump card for astonishing all four corners at the Yang Family's Coming-of-Age Ceremony."
Yang Jinhe was suddenly stunned. Li Youyan's question cleared away all his doubts.
So the genius Li Youyan admired was Yang Chen, while he himself had been completely kept in the dark!
When he recalled how he had driven Yang Chen out of his residence some days ago, Yang Jinhe felt his face burn with shame.
With Li Youyan questioning him like this, how could Yang Jinhe deny it? He hurriedly said, "Brother Li truly has eyes like torches. I could not fool you even with this. Yes, Yang Chen is the genius secretly cultivated by my Yang Family. Looking at it now, this boy's cultivation has indeed achieved the result I expected."
"In my view, this boy still held something back during the assessment just now," Li Youyan murmured.
"Yes. This child's cultivation has likely reached at least the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level Peak. Perhaps he is not far from the Body Refining Realm Fifth Level either," Yang Jinhe said slowly.
Yang Chen's performance stunned everyone present.
Yang Heng and Yang Wu were included among them.
Yang Heng was the one least able to accept Yang Chen's result.
At that moment, he roared in fury, "Impossible! Something must have gone wrong somewhere. Yang Chen cheated—Yang Chen definitely cheated! Don't let him fool you! Yang Chen has been unable to cultivate martial arts since childhood. He is nothing but complete trash. How could he possibly lift a twelve-hundred-pound boulder?"
His words immediately triggered a wave of murmurs.
"Cheating?"
"That really does seem possible."
"Impudence!"
Suddenly, Yang Family Patriarch leaped down from the pavilion. Sand and dust flew up around him as he shouted sternly, "Yang Heng, this is the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, not your family's backyard. How can you be the one to pass judgment on cheating? Do you take this patriarch's eyes for blind?"
"N-no, Patriarch..." Yang Heng had never expected that his words would force the patriarch to come down in person. He hurriedly said, "Patriarch, I'm only speaking the truth!"
Yang Jinhe was also curious about Yang Chen's martial talent. After all, one rumor had passed into another, and everyone had believed Yang Chen could not cultivate martial arts. Yet Yang Chen's sudden achievement today was truly beyond comprehension.
But regardless of the causes and consequences, he did not believe Yang Chen had truly cheated and somehow escaped his notice. Most importantly, the genius Li Youyan admired was clearly Yang Chen. How could he possibly slight Yang Chen today?
To slight Yang Chen was no different from slighting Li Youyan, and that was a price he did not wish to pay.
"Shut up!" Yang Jinhe said coldly. "Yang Chen is one of the most outstanding geniuses of my Yang Family. How can I permit you to question him? Enough. I will say no more—if you dare spout another word of nonsense, I will strip you of your qualification to continue!"
"Yes, P-Patriarch!" Yang Heng trembled all over. How could he dare defy Yang Jinhe's command?
Yang Jinhe turned and continued, "All right, I now announce that Yang Chen has claimed the crown in the first assessment. Of course, one moment's success or failure proves nothing. Next will begin the second assessment of today's Coming-of-Age Ceremony: the combat assessment. The rules are simple. Participants will fight in pairs, and the final victor will claim the crown of today's Coming-of-Age Ceremony!"
Once those words fell, Yang Jinhe turned and left, while the Coming-of-Age Ceremony finally entered its climax.
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