Assessment Begins

"An imprint four inches and two tenths deep?!"

That was the force of a four-hundred-and-twenty-pound punch!

As Lin Rou's words fell, the training ground went silent for a moment before a wave of discussion erupted.

"Four inches and two tenths? That's brutal."

"His natural strength is absurd. He hasn't even condensed Blood Qi yet—once he does, won't breaking five hundred pounds of punching force be effortless?"

"I've trained for three months and only just passed two hundred pounds. Cao Xuan's more than doubled mine..."

Many Outer Court apprentices looked at Cao Xuan differently now, wondering whether they could curry favor with him and become part of his circle.

Judging by the strength he had displayed in today's Minor Exam, he had a strong chance of becoming an Inner-Court Direct Disciple in the future.

If they befriended Cao Xuan now and joined his circle, then once he became an Inner-Court Direct Disciple, they could rise with him.

Even if they could not become Cao Xuan's lackeys, forming a good connection with a future Inner-Court Direct Disciple would still be worthwhile.

Some of the sharper Outer Court apprentices had already begun considering how to befriend Cao Xuan and catch his attention.

Li Daniu's mouth hung open for a long while before he turned to Fang Han, his voice full of envy and shock.

"Fang Han, did you see that? Four hundred and twenty pounds of punching force! Cao Xuan's fist could probably kill a calf with one punch!"

"I saw it."

Fang Han answered softly, his gaze still fixed on the swaying sandbag.

One punch carried four hundred and twenty pounds of force.

Cao Xuan did have the advantage of natural brute strength, but such power was still astonishing.

He had now condensed two strands of Blood Qi, and his Gale-Breaking Fist had reached Minor Accomplishment.

If he struck with all his strength, how deep an imprint could he leave?

Could he also deliver a four-hundred-pound punch?

Fang Han remained calm as he silently assessed his current strength.

No matter what, he knew his punching force should not be below three hundred pounds.

It might even be higher.

Fang Han raised his head and looked at the Soft Sand Bag, which was still swaying faintly in the middle of the field. A glint of eagerness flashed in his eyes.

However, as an unranked newcomer, he would not be tested until all the other apprentices had finished their assessments.

Fang Han took a deep breath, suppressed the restless excitement in his heart, and continued watching quietly.

After Cao Xuan left the field, the real highlight of today's Minor Exam was about to begin.

Su Yuheng, ranked second, and Zhao Jing, the Outer Court's number one for six consecutive Minor Exams!

Everyone's eyes turned toward the two figures ahead.

At the front of the crowd, seven or eight apprentices stood together, clearly separated from the others by a stretch of open space.

Their robes were neat and made from fine material, and their bearing stood out sharply from the people around them.

"Fang Han, see them?" Li Daniu introduced them in a lowered voice. "The one in the blue robe is Su Yuheng. His family deals in medicinal herbs. I heard that one-third of the herb shops in the Outer City belong to them. The Su Family is considered a major clan in the Outer City."

Fang Han nodded slightly.

No wonder...

The Su Family controlled one-third of the Outer City's medicinal herb trade. That was indeed no small family business.

After all, in a world where martial arts reigned supreme, being able to hold onto a family fortune was itself a form of strength.

"The guy dressed even more flamboyantly..." Li Daniu lowered his voice further.

"He's Zhao Jing, and he's even more formidable than Su Yuheng. His eldest uncle is the chief constable at the Outer City government office, with influence in both the underworld and the legitimate world. And his uncle is a Martial Artist at Major Manifest Force himself—a truly formidable figure!"

"Major Manifest Force?" Fang Han's gaze tightened slightly.

During the past few days of training at the martial arts academy, he had chatted with other apprentices in his spare time and indirectly learned about the divisions of martial cultivation.

In the present Great Qian Dynasty, the stages of martial cultivation were divided in great detail:

The three Body Tempering layers were Skin Tempering, Bone Tempering, and Sinew Tempering. These three did not have to be trained in any particular order; they could be cultivated simultaneously or separately. Only when all three were united could one advance to the next realm.

After the three Body Tempering layers came the three major realms of Manifest Force, Dark Strength, and Transformed Force.

A Martial Artist at Major Manifest Force was indeed an important figure in a small place like Azure Cloud City, even if it was only the Outer City.

That was why Zhao Jing carried himself so confidently at Flood Peak Martial Arts Academy.

Fang Han glanced again at the seven or eight apprentices led by Zhao Jing and Su Yuheng. They stood subtly apart from the other Outer Court apprentices, forming a small world of their own, and he came to a realization.

In such a tiny martial arts academy, among Outer Court apprentices who were not even Martial Artists yet, people had already begun forming circles and drawing lines. How interesting.

But upon further thought, Fang Han found it perfectly normal.

The world was like this everywhere. Wherever there were people, there was a jianghu.

What others cared about, he did not need to care about. He only needed to train, to keep training. Advancing his cultivation and growing stronger were only matters of time.

Fang Han withdrew his gaze, and his heart was utterly calm.

"Next, Su Yuheng."

Lin Rou's voice rang out.

Su Yuheng strode forward at an unhurried pace, his movements composed and carrying the refinement of a scion from a distinguished family.

He walked to the center of the field and clasped his fists toward the senior brothers, his manner humble yet neither servile nor overbearing. "Senior Brother Huo, senior brothers."

Huo Zheng nodded slightly, his expression still blank.

Su Yuheng then straightened, took a deep breath, and slowly raised both fists.

The first form of the Gale-Breaking Fist.

His fist shot out like the wind. Compared with the raw ferocity of the apprentices before him, his punches carried an added measure of supple force...

Then came the second form, the third form... Each punch flowed without interruption, its force running through seamlessly.

Fang Han watched closely.

"This man's Gale-Breaking Fist doesn't seem to be mere explosive power. His method of exerting force looks more refined. Every punch concentrates its power at a single point, without the slightest waste."

His fist technique had reached Minor Accomplishment.

Huo Zheng took one look and spoke in the same even tone. "Gale-Breaking Fist at Minor Accomplishment. Precise force application, force flowing through without obstruction. Upper B."

Like Cao Xuan, he had received an Upper B rating, but the value behind the scores was completely different.

Cao Xuan had earned his Upper B rating for the Gale-Breaking Fist solely through the momentum created by his natural brute strength, while Su Yuheng had earned his through painstaking refinement of his fist technique.

Su Yuheng's expression did not change, as though he had expected the Upper B rating all along.

He walked up to the Soft Sand Bag. Without any obvious preparation, he merely lowered his right shoulder slightly and swiftly threw out his right fist.

Bang!

The sandbag swayed.

Lin Rou stepped forward to inspect it. "The fist imprint is three inches and five tenths deep."

"Impressive. Three hundred and fifty pounds of force in a single punch." Fang Han raised his brows slightly.

Su Yuheng's punching force was only seventy pounds less than Cao Xuan's, but there was a vast difference between their physiques.

Su Yuheng was rather slender, yet he could deliver three hundred and fifty pounds of force with one punch. That was already extremely remarkable.

After Su Yuheng stepped down, everyone's attention focused on Zhao Jing.

Even Huo Zheng, whose face had remained expressionless throughout, allowed his gaze to linger on Zhao Jing for an extra moment.

Zhao Jing slowly stepped out of the crowd, neither hurried nor slow. Every step was steady, and his back remained straight.

His chin was slightly raised as his arrogant gaze swept across everyone present, carrying an inexplicable air of superiority.

Upon reaching the center of the field, Zhao Jing casually clasped his fists, not even bending at the waist.

"Senior Brother Huo."

Huo Zheng nodded slightly, unconcerned with the other man's manners as he waited only to see his performance.