Interlude

"The time has come. The assessment begins!"

Seeing that all the instructors were in place and the Deputy Pavilion Master had arrived as well, a steward beside them shouted loudly.

The crowd suddenly fell silent, waiting to see who would be the first to step forward for testing.

This was something new, and no one understood it. Everyone wanted to glean some experience from the first person being tested.

"Tai Pengfei!"

The steward called out in a ringing voice. Shen Xiu saw a lean youth push through the crowd and walk onto the platform, his face full of grievance.

Clearly, Tai Pengfei felt extremely unlucky to have been called first.

But no matter what, when it was time to step up, he still had to step up.

Under the steward's guidance, Tai Pengfei walked before the Resonance Stone Pillar and planted his feet firmly.

Then, concentrating and holding his breath, he used one stance from the Vajra Palm and struck fiercely at the leather-wrapped section in the middle of the Resonance Stone Pillar.

That palm strike was like mud sinking into a sea of stone. The Resonance Stone Pillar did not budge in the slightest, but a faint buzzing sound soon came from several hollows at the top of the pillar.

"One Resonance Strength," the steward recited, expressionlessly marking something on the paper in his hand.

"Next, Zhu Wenle!"

As the disciples stepped forward one after another, the Resonance Stone Pillar on the platform occasionally let out several ringing sounds.

Some produced only one brief sound, some rang twice, while others did not make a sound at all.

After observing for a while beneath the platform, Shen Xiu found that those who caused no reaction were the most numerous. One resonance came next, while two light resonances were few and far between.

As for three resonances, only two people had achieved them since the assessment began, and both were Registered Disciples who had paid to come here and learn martial arts.

In terms of strength, they should have been on the verge of entering the Body Tempering stage.

Shen Xiu judged that three resonances were roughly the dividing line for Body Tempering force.

"Next, Shen Xiu."

Just as Shen Xiu was still lost in wild thoughts, the steward above had already called his name.

When Shen Xiu stepped onto the platform, he could see the varied expressions on the faces of the disciples below.

Some were relieved that their names had not yet been called; some watched him intently to see what result he would get; others bore an indescribable jealousy.

He also spotted Steward Yu in a corner nearby, displeasure plain in his eyes.

Walking before the Resonance Stone Pillar, Shen Xiu studied the pitch-black stone before him. His eyes fixed on the leather-covered section in the middle as he assumed his stance.

At the steward's command, Shen Xiu's body suddenly tightened, his muscles bulging high. Using one stance from the Dragon Subduing Tiger Taming Art, he crossed several meters in a single stride and threw a punch.

His fist struck the center of the leather with a piercing crack.

He immediately felt the rebounding force within it and raised his arm to dissipate it.

At the same time, the Resonance Stone Pillar let out a tremendous hum. This one strike rang three times.

"Three Resonances Power."

The steward gave him an extra glance, then recorded it on the paper.

The rare Three Resonances Power drew the attention of several instructors on the platform, their gazes lingering on him for a little longer without seeming to do so.

Instructor Duan in particular.

After Shen Xiu stepped down, envious gazes came from all around him.

Only a handful of Three Resonances Power had appeared so far. Anyone with half a brain knew that Shen Xiu passing this assessment and becoming a Formal Disciple was almost as certain as a nail driven into a board.

Wang Si's expression beside him was especially astonished and complicated, carrying the resentful air of saying they would grow old together, only for the other man to secretly dye his hair.

The testing continued. The next one to take the platform was a burly youth named Gao Xiaozong.

There was no technique to it at all. He moved back a few steps, turned sideways, then charged savagely forward and slammed into the pillar with his broad, thick arm.

A thunderous boom rang out, followed by three stone resonances.

The disciples below looked at one another in dismay. They had not expected such a method to work, and judging from the instructors' expressions, it was evidently permitted.

Taking in all the expressions below the platform, Gao Xiaozong looked somewhat pleased with himself. Just as he was about to step down with a swaggering gait that acknowledged neither kin nor king—

A figure suddenly appeared on the platform. Before anyone could react, that person swung out a palm, and the air erupted with a sharp explosive crack!

Gao Xiaozong's burly body flew out in an instant, slamming directly onto the wall more than ten meters away.

He immediately lost consciousness, his breath as thin as a thread!

Even the wall behind Gao Xiaozong had caved in, covered in rings of terrifying spiderweb cracks.

The martial arts training ground fell deathly silent. Looking at Gao Xiaozong's miserable state, everyone felt their scalps tingle.

Only then did they see Xiang Shou, the Deputy Pavilion Master, standing at a distance on the platform with a cold, stern face.

A Martial Artist of the Third Realm Bone Marrow Cleansing was truly powerful to such a terrifying degree.

"Hmph! If anyone else dares to take Great Strength Pills and try to deceive me, Xiang Shou, this will be the result!"

Xiang Shou snorted coldly, his sharp gaze sweeping across the faces of the many disciples. Those harboring little schemes lowered their heads in unison, fear rising in their hearts.

Great Strength Pills were a common explosive medicine sold in outside apothecaries. They were costly, and Martial Artists generally used them in duels or when fighting enemies to the death. No one had expected someone to use one during an assessment.

Only then did the disciples understand what had happened. Someone had actually dared to try muddling through with such a method—he truly was not afraid of death.

Only then did Xiang Shou withdraw his gaze and return to his seat on the platform. Looking at the Formal Disciples watching the show nearby, his tone softened somewhat.

"Peel your 'good' Junior Brother off the wall. Don't forget to throw him outside the gate for the Gao family members to drag back."

Several Formal Disciples accepted the order. Smiling, they peeled that human-shaped picture off the wall, dragged him to the gate, and tossed him out as if throwing away a pile of garbage.

The Gao family servants outside the pavilion trembled as they stepped forward and carried their master away, not daring to utter a single sound.

After this interlude, the remaining disciples became much more obedient, even if they had been harboring similar little schemes.

The assessment continued as usual.

Afterward, Three Resonances Power did not appear again for the time being. It was not until midway through, when a youth with thick brows, large eyes, a broad mouth, and a square nose stepped onto the platform, that a single punch made the sound of three resonances ring out once more.

After an hour had passed, no more such disciples appeared after the last disciple took the platform for testing.

There were merely a few more disciples with Two Resonances Power.

The entire assessment had now completely ended.

The many disciples beneath the platform did not leave yet. The instructors on the platform were discussing who would be retained.

Once their discussion was finished, the list was handed to the steward. The steward then spoke in a ringing voice, reading out the names on it one by one.

Without question, Shen Xiu's name was among them.

After all, throughout the entire assessment just now, only a scant few among the many disciples had managed to strike out Three Resonances Power.

Where there was joy, there was naturally sorrow.

Once the list had been read, the disciples whose names had been called beamed with delight, wild with joy. Those whose names had not been called looked like withered grass, their hearts turned to ashes. This was even more pronounced among the Labor Disciples.

After all, if Registered Disciples missed this chance, they merely had to wait another half year before practicing martial arts again. But Labor Disciples would have to suffer through another half year of menial chores.

These days were not something an ordinary person could endure.