Then Lu Yun decided to test how his defense and speed had changed after breaking through.
He clenched his fist, gathered his strength, and slammed it into his own chest.
Clang...
A crisp ring echoed through the courtyard. He didn't feel the slightest pain, let alone suffer an injury.
"Such powerful defenses. They've improved by at least twice as much."
Lu Yun's eyes lit up.
He hadn't held back that punch. It had been as strong as a full-force blow from an ordinary Bone-Tempering martial artist at the peak of the realm.
Yet the attack hadn't even left a mark on his skin.
One could only imagine how terrifying his defense was now.
He estimated that his body alone could withstand attacks as well as a top-grade ordinary weapon. Even if he stood still, it would be difficult for a Bone-Tempering martial artist to hurt him. That was the terrifying part about being a well-rounded warrior.
Before breaking through, his body had only been comparable to a mid-grade ordinary weapon. Now, it had undergone a complete transformation.
"This time, I'd like to see what Xiao Longcheng can do to break my Diamond Body!"
Lu Yun's face brimmed with confidence.
He wasn't worried at all about tomorrow's decisive battle. So what if his opponent had already broken through to Bone-Tempering and practiced several high-grade martial skills?
He guessed that Xiao Longcheng had only trained his skills to the Minor Achievement stage at most. That alone would make him a once-in-a-century genius.
As for reaching Major Achievement, that was probably impossible during the recruit period.
Next, Lu Yun began testing his speed.
Whoosh...
His right foot shifted slightly, and he vanished from the spot in an instant. Afterimages flickered all around the clearing. He moved so fast that no one could make out his figure.
A few breaths later, he came to a stop.
"After breaking through in my footwork, my speed has increased by at least fifty percent."
He thought to himself.
Before the breakthrough, his top speed had been around sixteen meters per second. Now, it had reached a terrifying twenty-four meters per second.
As long as he had enough qi and blood, he could maintain that speed indefinitely.
Even a Bone-Tempering martial artist at the peak of the realm would struggle to catch him by speed alone.
Now everything was ready. All that remained was tomorrow's challenge tournament.
The title of First Centurion was his, Lu Yun's, for the taking! Even the King of Heaven himself couldn't stop him.
The next morning.
The sun rose, its golden rays spilling across the earth.
Early that morning, Clear Distance City grew lively. Countless martial artists poured toward the square at the center of the military camp.
The three great families, the Black Tiger Gang, the Canal Gang, and the City Lord's Mansion had all sent large numbers of martial artists to watch.
The Red Flame Army's annual Centurion Selection Tournament was the grandest event in Clear Distance City. No one wanted to miss it.
Meanwhile,
the city's two major money houses had already opened their betting pools. The peak showdown between Xiao Longcheng and Lu Yun drew the most attention.
Most people, however, favored Xiao Longcheng.
The odds had reached two to one, though plenty of people had also bet on Lu Yun, the dark horse, hoping to make a fortune if he pulled off an upset.
The maximum bet for this match was one thousand spirit stones, making it a fairly large wager.
Central Square.
"Make way! My big brother Lu Yun is here!"
Sharp-eyed Ye Quan spotted Lu Yun just as he came out of the side street.
Ye Quan looked proud, as if he were afraid people might not know they were close.
Everyone looked over.
A young man in white approached from afar, a long spear in his hand. He stood as straight as a spear, an imposing aura radiating from him.
"That's him—the peerless genius said to rival Xiao Longcheng."
The recruits hurriedly made way for him, their faces filled with awe.
To them, Lu Yun and Xiao Longcheng were blazing suns in the sky, impossible to reach.
The Centurion's position was within easy grasp for those two. For ordinary recruits like them, it was the highest point they could ever hope to reach.
Xiao Longcheng noticed Lu Yun's arrival and turned to look. After sizing him up, his expression grew serious.
"What a powerful aura. He certainly lives up to his reputation."
As the saying went, outsiders watched the spectacle, while insiders saw the finer points. With just one glance, Xiao Longcheng knew that Lu Yun was no ordinary man.
The vitality and spirit practically bursting from him made Xiao Longcheng uneasy. Lu Yun was nothing like those sham geniuses who had been talked up beyond their merits.
At that moment, Xiao Longcheng raised his estimation of Lu Yun to the highest level.
Lu Yun felt Xiao Longcheng's gaze and immediately turned his head.
Their eyes met in midair, colliding like two sharp swords. Their fighting spirit was already beginning to surge.
"This Xiao Longcheng is no ordinary man."
Lu Yun silently assessed him.
It was a good thing he had broken through in both of his skills. Otherwise, winning this battle would not have been easy.
Before long, he reached a table on the west side of the square.
A middle-aged man sat in a chair, a sheet of rice paper on the table covered in betting records.
"Are you here to place a bet?" the middle-aged man asked with a smile.
He naturally knew of Lu Yun, the young genius.
"I bet one thousand spirit stones on myself to win," Lu Yun said calmly.
The middle-aged man froze. He looked Lu Yun up and down but didn't see any spirit stones on him.
"What do you mean by that?"
His tone was puzzled.
Seeing this, Lu Yun picked up the brush on the table, turned to a blank sheet of rice paper, and carefully wrote two characters: "Lu Yun."
"Can these two characters stand for a bet of one thousand spirit stones?"
He spoke calmly, as if discussing something trivial.
"Haha... Of course they can."
The middle-aged man laughed and immediately agreed.
If anyone else had tried that, he would have punched them and told them to get lost.
But Lu Yun was different. A top genius challenging for the position of First Centurion naturally had the standing to do this.
Lu Yun's move left the many recruits present dumbfounded.
"You can do that? I've seen it all now."
They wouldn't dare pull a stunt like that. Did he think the money house was running a charity? Without a few tricks up its sleeve, it would have been cleaned out long ago.
Under the recruits' awed gazes, Lu Yun continued forward and soon reached the front of the line. Zhuo Feifan and Xiao Longcheng stood right beside him.
Watching Lu Yun approach, Zhuo Feifan felt a bitter pang.
Two monsters had appeared in this year's cohort. He had become nothing more than a backdrop for them.
At that moment, on the viewing platform ahead, a black-robed, long-bearded elder in the Zhang Family formation among the three great families had a strange glint in his eyes.
The old man quickly scanned the recruits gathered in the square, as if sizing up merchandise.
Lu Yun seemed to sense something. He followed the gaze with his eyes, but only saw that it came from the direction of the three great families, so he paid it no further attention.
At the very center of the viewing platform stood several high-ranking members of the Red Flame Army.
Ten Centurions had come today, with Mu Zijun and Qin Jue among them.
All ten Centurions looked toward Lu Yun and Xiao Longcheng, their eyes full of admiration.
For them, this battle was the main event.
Usually, only one Centurion came to preside over the challenge tournament.
"The Centurion Selection Battle officially begins."
"All recruits will earn one point for each victory. Defeated fighters will earn no points. The top twenty in the rankings will advance to the final round."
An old man in a blue robe walked forward and shouted.
His clear voice rang across the entire square.
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yun strode out and walked to the rightmost of the three central rings.
Then he leapt up. His body shot through the air like a cannonball and landed squarely in the center of the ring.
"Anyone who wants to challenge me, come at me together."
Lu Yun rested the long spear on his shoulder, his expression as calm as still water.
To him, everyone except Xiao Longcheng was just a bunch of small fry. Zhuo Feifan was merely a slightly larger grasshopper, but there was little difference.
What was the point of a tournament for points? It was a waste of time.
The strong were always the ones who broke the rules. There was no rule against one person challenging six thousand.
"Ah... How arrogant! Does he really think there are no worthy recruits among us?"
"Let's all go at him! We can pile on until he goes down."
Countless people seethed with indignation, their eyes blazing.
And yet not a single one dared to challenge him. Pile a genius to death? They could talk all they wanted, but nobody was foolish enough to try.
A top-tier Bone-Tempering expert with a body trained like iron could sweep through every one of them with ease.
They probably couldn't even break through his defenses. Plenty of them had witnessed Yang Shengrong's miserable fate with their own eyes.
Just then,
Xiao Longcheng also leapt into the air and charged toward the central ring, landing steadily in its center.
"Everyone, come at me together."
He turned and calmly swept his gaze across the crowd.
Seeing Lu Yun steal the limelight, he naturally wasn't about to let himself fall behind.
He had to defeat Lu Yun in this battle and lay the strongest possible foundation for his path to invincibility.
Before you continue