Unfixed Pagoda

After returning to the hall, Lu Yun felt utterly at ease, refreshed in both body and mind.

After all, Netherworld Valley had been far too dim, its air unpleasant, with the stench of mutated beasts filling every corner.

The moment he appeared, the crowd in the hall consciously moved aside to make way. Lei Tian, the chief examiner for this practical assessment, approached with several imposing middle-aged men.

"This must be Lu Yun, I presume?!"

The middle-aged man at the front, the middle-aged man at the front, examined Lu Yun with a beaming smile.

"And you are?"

Looking at the gentle-smiling middle-aged man before him, Lu Yun somehow sensed an extremely dangerous aura.

"Hehe, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gu Yuanwei. I came here today on behalf of the Martial Dao Alliance headquarters specifically to meet you."

As he spoke, Gu Yuanwei extended his hand toward Lu Yun.

After hesitating briefly, Lu Yun still clasped the other man's hand and said with a smile, "A pleasure to meet you!"

After hearing the name, he relaxed instead.

No wonder he had suddenly felt such pressure. So this was the foremost among humanity's four great Star-Gathering Realm experts...

Eastern King Gu Yuanwei!

Rumor had it that he had reached the Star-Gathering Peak Realm many years ago. Even compared with Martial God Baili Yuchen, his strength was only inferior by a hair.

In other words.

Among humanity today, the man before him stood beneath one person and above ten thousand!

No wonder he can exert such tremendous pressure on me! I never expected the Martial Dao Alliance to value me so highly. This is only our first meeting, yet their second-in-command came in person.

But...

Fortunately, I don't need to fight an expert like this yet. Otherwise, even with my Sea-Opening Perfection Realm strength and the boost from a thirty-threefold amplification, I'd probably still find victory difficult.

Lu Yun silently assessed the gap between himself and the other man.

At the Sea-Opening Realm level, even a mere minor-realm advancement could bring a several-dozenfold increase in strength.

As for Eastern King Gu Yuanwei in the distance and Lu Yun, one was at the Star-Gathering Peak Realm, while the other was at Sea-Opening Perfection Realm. They were separated by an entire major realm.

The vast gulf between them was not something Lu Yun could truly overcome easily, even if he could continuously raise his strength through critical hits in battle or even use a thirty-threefold amplification.

This made him feel a slight sense of disappointment.

This practical assessment had originally given him immense confidence. Yet upon meeting Eastern King Gu Yuanwei now, that inexplicable confidence had already vanished like smoke.

It seems there are heavens beyond heaven. I am still a long way from becoming a true top-tier expert.

Lu Yun silently made up his mind.

At the same time...

Eastern King Gu Yuanwei, one of humanity's supreme experts, had already roughly assessed Lu Yun's true martial cultivation during their handshake.

The shock in his heart was beyond description.

When he had first heard that Lu Yun possessed an unprecedented SSS+ martial talent, he had found it somewhat hard to believe.

Even after personally arriving at the hall and witnessing Lu Yun defeat a sixth-order mutated beast, he had still retained a trace of doubt.

However...

Now that he had truly sensed the aura surrounding Lu Yun, he could confirm with absolute certainty that this young man standing before him was an unquestionable martial arts prodigy.

Perhaps before long, even he would no longer be this young man's opponent.

At such an age, with such terrifying strength...

Gu Yuanwei had no choice but to take him seriously, truly regarding Lu Yun as an existence on the same level as himself and completely setting aside the faint contempt he had harbored when he first arrived.

"Hehe, truly extraordinary!"

"At such a young age, you already possess Sea-Opening Peak Realm strength, and you even have SSS+-grade martial talent. Before long, you will surely become a pillar of humanity."

Gu Yuanwei warmly took hold of Lu Yun's right hand. He looked like an ordinary elder, completely devoid of the Eastern King's usual reserve.

This left Lei Tian and the others accompanying him beside them in a daze.

Was this... still the Eastern King who normally shook the world with his might?

Why had he suddenly seemed like a completely different person after seeing Lu Yun?

"Hehe!"

"Lu Yun, I came here this time under the Martial God's verbal decree to appoint you Grand Lord of Humanity's Ninth District."

"However..." Gu Yuanwei changed the subject. "The Martial God hopes that before assuming office, you will still follow the rules of the Martial Arts Assessment and head to the Unfixed Pagoda for the final test."

"Mm, I understand!"

"Even if the Martial God had not made that requirement, I would have applied to go to the Unfixed Pagoda myself." Lu Yun nodded in reply.

According to the rules of humanity's annual Martial Arts Assessment, everyone had to undergo a talent test.

Those contestants who met the basic requirements would then face the practical assessment.

In theory, 99.9 percent of contestants would return to their respective homes after the practical assessment ended.

However...

Some belonged to that tiny handful of exceptions.

Among all 527 cities of humanity, the top three overall contestants in each examination region were qualified to participate in the third stage, the ultimate assessment.

The rules of the assessment were very simple.

Everyone entered the Unfixed Pagoda to challenge its trials. Whoever climbed to the higher level would receive the higher score.

According to the information Lu Yun had obtained, this Unfixed Pagoda had an extremely long history.

It had already stood there long before the arrival of Sky Net Star's Spirit Revival Era.

The tower had nine levels in total.

It was said...

That even Martial God Baili Yuchen, in his youth, could only reach the eighth level at most.

Moreover, ever since the Martial Arts Assessment had been established, although humanity's finest geniuses came every year to challenge the tower...

To this day, aside from the record Martial God Baili Yuchen set back then, the best record had only been reaching the fifth level.

"Good!"

"Since you have no objections, let's set off as soon as possible!"

Seeing Lu Yun agree so readily, Gu Yuanwei was in a very good mood.

He even found himself looking forward to whether Lu Yun would create some astonishing record during the coming Unfixed Pagoda challenge.

After all.

Even for someone as proud and arrogant as him, his experience challenging the Unfixed Pagoda in his youth had left him with an unprecedented psychological shadow.

A question had always lingered in his heart.

Other than Martial God Baili Yuchen, could anyone else truly reach the eighth level?

Over the years of martial talent assessments, young geniuses had emerged one after another, yet not a single one possessed the double-S talent capable of rivaling Martial God Baili Yuchen.

Who would have thought...

That a miracle would truly appear this year!

And even more breathtakingly, Lu Yun's martial talent was not merely outstanding—his own strength had unexpectedly reached the Sea-Opening Peak Realm as well.

It was impossible not to look forward to it...

Could such an unparalleled genius break the records of those who came before?

Very soon.

The two boarded a supersonic spacecraft, and in no more than a moment, they had arrived at their destination.

The Unfixed Pagoda!