Enemies on a Narrow Road

"Sun Zhengchu, I advise you... you'd better leave yourself some room when you speak, lest you be unable to step down from the stage in the end!"

There was no expression on Lu Yun's face, as though they were not discussing him at all.

Ever since he had advanced to the Sea-Opening Realm, his mindset had become vastly different from before.

Not to mention a clown like Sun Zhengchu—even if his father came in person, if he made Lu Yun unhappy, Lu Yun would still slap him to death.

For a moment, the entire rest area fell deathly silent; one could almost hear a needle drop.

Even the other youths standing beside Sun Zhengchu, who had originally worn gloating expressions, abruptly stopped talking. Everyone stared at Lu Yun as if he were an idiot.

In their eyes, Chu Lingxue was of noble status. She was the only daughter of the city lord, Chu Hongxin, and she was beautiful as well—the very definition of Tong City's top-tier fair, rich beauty.

Unfortunately, her judgment was truly terrible. She had actually set her sights on Lu Yun.

Back then, it would have been one thing. Lu Yun's family background had been fairly decent, after all.

But ever since his dantian had been damaged half a year ago, he had not appeared in public for a long time.

They had even heard that he could no longer continue cultivating.

In contrast...

Sun Zhengchu had been in the limelight lately. Not only had he successfully broken through to the first level of the Postnatal Realm last month, he had also been directly accepted as a personal disciple by Lü Hongcai, a peak Astral-Qi Realm expert from the imperial capital.

In other words,

No matter what today's assessment results were, Sun Zhengchu already had a peak Astral-Qi Realm expert backing him.

Lu Yun had actually dared to talk back to him in front of so many people just now. It was practically the same as kicking an iron plate.

The Lu Family might be considered respectable in Tong City, but compared to the great aristocratic clans of the imperial capital, the Lu Family was no different from an ant.

After hearing Lu Yun's reply, Sun Zhengchu gave him a long look and sneered, "

"Hmph! A dead duck with a hard beak. I'd like to see just how capable you really are later!"

Just then, a number was called in the rest area.

"Numbers 232... through 236... please proceed immediately to Testing Area Nine and wait."

"I didn't expect to be in the earliest batch. Then I'll be going first. Don't worry... after I'm done, I'll definitely stay and wait for your result, hahaha!"

Sun Zhengchu looked at Lu Yun with a half-smile, mockery curling at the corners of his lips.

Lu Yun's face was as still as an ancient well, with no emotion visible.

He casually glanced at the number in his hand. It was actually 242.

However, a staff member had already walked over and led him toward Testing Area Nine.

"Can everyone see the talent-testing device on the stage?"

A female evaluator in her twenties, dressed in a black uniform with a slender and graceful figure, pointed at the oval-shaped instrument in the distance.

"When your number is called, simply stand beside the device and place your hand into the groove in the center." The female evaluator continued explaining patiently.

Lu Yun and the others turned their gazes toward the testing device.

The entire instrument was golden. A square electronic screen was embedded in its front, while a red button at the lower left was likely the activation switch.

This device was rather interesting. It had only been a little over three hundred years since the spiritual energy revival on Sky Net Star. What principles had people relied on to design such a precise instrument?

"Number 232."

The female evaluator pointed at Sun Zhengchu, signaling that he could go onstage for the test.

"Alright."

Sun Zhengchu felt somewhat nervous.

Buzz!

The female evaluator pressed her remote, and the talent-testing device on the stage immediately emitted a startup sound.

The next second,

A lamp-shaped image slowly appeared on the electronic screen of the testing device, though the image was still somewhat blurry.

Gradually, the image grew brighter and brighter until it burst forth with intense light, making it difficult for people to keep their eyes open.

Immediately afterward...

A second lamp appeared. It was blurry at first as well, but soon gradually became clear.

Not long after,

A third...

A fourth...

When the fifth lamp appeared, it was not as clear as the preceding ones. Its outline could only barely be made out.

"B-minus, mid-grade martial talent."

The female evaluator directly announced the result, with no emotion audible in her voice.

Although B-minus martial talent was fairly good, let alone throughout the entire Human Base, even in small Tong City, more than a dozen people like that appeared every year.

It was not particularly rare.

"That makes no sense! How... is it only B-minus?"

After coming down from the stage, Sun Zhengchu could not help muttering to himself.

Although B-minus martial talent was still B-grade talent, it was far inferior to B-plus.

Lü Hongcai of the Myriad Forms Martial Hall in the imperial capital had already accepted him as a disciple some time ago. If he could be assessed as having B-plus martial talent this time, he would surely receive better treatment after going to the imperial capital.

The next one to go onstage was one of the youths who had been standing beside Sun Zhengchu earlier.

The result came out quickly.

D-plus.

Number 234's assessment result was even more appalling.

It was merely F-minus.

That was the lowest tier of martial talent.

When it came to number 235, the result finally improved somewhat.

C-minus.

It had just barely reached the minimum standard for a martial arts prodigy.

After that...

Number 236... D-minus...

Number 237... F-plus...

Number 238... D-minus...

Not a single one of the people after them managed to reach the minimum standard.