Lin Heng, who had long since formed his divine soul, could naturally hear the academy elites discussing him.
He did not care and continued watching the arena with great interest!
By now, all the young people who had signed up to enter Chishui Academy had entered the arena.
Standing in the arena, Xi Zhaoqu began to release his imposing presence.
In an instant, a pressure enveloped the entire martial arts arena!
It covered not only the open space in the arena but also the stone steps on all four sides!
The pressure was not particularly strong, because the young people in the arena all had low cultivation levels.
Almost none of the people sitting on the stone steps were weak!
If any were weak, the elders beside them would help them withstand the pressure.
Hong San was right beside Lin Heng, but he did not help him.
He did not know how strong Lin Heng was now, but he felt certain that Lin Heng could withstand this pressure.
As he felt the pressure Xi Zhaoqu released, Lin Heng was naturally completely at ease.
Pressure of this degree was simply like a gentle breeze brushing his face!
Thud!
Only a moment passed before a young person in the arena could no longer endure it. Unable to remain standing, he fell to the ground.
Royal experts who had long been prepared rushed into the arena and carried the fallen person away.
He had been eliminated!
Two breaths passed.
More than a dozen others fell under the pressure!
This pressure tested not only a person's physical endurance but also their willpower!
Those whose willpower was not strong enough could easily be crushed as well!
After ten breaths!
Of the original three hundred-odd people in the arena, fewer than a hundred remained. More than half had been eliminated!
It should be remembered that none of these people were ordinary. Before coming here, they had not only attained a certain level of martial cultivation but also defeated many of their peers!
Those who lacked confidence in their own strength would not come here to waste time and make fools of themselves!
"Those remaining, do not leave the arena. Rest for a while first. The second round of selection will begin soon!"
Xi Zhaoqu shouted.
After shouting this, he glanced over at Lin Heng and Hong San, a trace of surprise seemingly in his eyes.
He dispersed his pressure, and the young people in the arena who had been struggling to hold on all breathed a sigh of relief.
Many began gasping for breath as they wiped the sweat from their brows!
"Our little prince seems pretty impressive too! He looked completely at ease the whole time just now!"
"He was sitting down, just like us. It's normal for him to have an easier time!"
"Normal, my ass! Any other three-year-old child couldn't possibly have withstood that pressure!"
"The geniuses in the arena all began practicing martial arts when they were five or six, and now they're all in their teens. The ones with the highest cultivation have even reached the Advanced Stage of the Body Tempering Realm. Every one of them is exhausted, but our little prince kept smiling the whole time, looking perfectly serene... impressive!"
"Whatever you say, it must be much easier to withstand the pressure sitting down than standing up!"
"Could the old eunuch beside the little prince have helped him withstand the pressure?"
"Stop making such a fuss. All he did was withstand a bit of pressure that wasn't even strong. What's there to boast about?"
"Exactly. Didn't you see that amazing fellow in the arena? He looks only thirteen or fourteen, and he didn't have any trouble the whole time either!"
The academy students began whispering among themselves again.
They did not know, but Xi Zhaoqu understood that Hong San had not helped Lin Heng withstand the pressure just now.
Xi Zhaoqu was not too surprised!
Lin Heng had once slapped him outside the Hall of Longevity. Back then, he had already learned that Lin Heng struck very quickly and was no slouch in physical strength either!
After all, he was the child of an invincible God Realm expert!
After waiting about the time it took an incense stick to burn, Xi Zhaoqu announced the start of the second round of selection!
The second round tested strength!
There was an iron ball in the arena that weighed two hundred jin. Each person had to throw it with one hand, and only a throw of more than ten zhang counted as a pass!
This tested not only physical strength but also how well everyone used it.
Since the ruler, Lin Changqing, was seated to the north, they naturally could not throw northward, nor could they turn their backs on him to throw southward. They could only line up on the east and west sides, with those in the east throwing west and those in the west throwing east!
The ninety-six young people who had passed the first round of selection formed straight lines on the east and west sides of the martial arts arena, taking turns throwing the iron ball toward the opposite side.
It looked as though more than half of them could throw the iron ball ten zhang!
Some could even throw it twenty zhang!
"It's that fellow who stood out in the first round. I think he can throw it twenty-five zhang!"
"Twenty-five zhang isn't all that much. Back then, the eldest prince, Lin Xuan, threw it twenty-eight zhang!"
"Of course he can't compare to our eldest prince. Still, compared to us back then, twenty-five zhang is already incredibly impressive!"
"I know him. He's Su Zhenyu, the grandson of the Demon-Subduing Army's grand commander!"
Su Zhenyu was exceptionally sturdy, with a tiger-headed, tiger-brained look and a fierce air about him!
When he picked up the iron ball, the corners of Consort Su Ying's lips lifted slightly. Seated not far from Lin Changqing, she could not help looking on with anticipation.
Su Zhenyu supported the iron ball with one hand and crouched slightly, then his whole body sprang upward!
Whoosh!
He hurled the two-hundred-jin iron ball away!
The ball reached the highest point of its arc over the center of the martial arts arena, then hurtled rapidly down toward the other side!
At that moment, Hong San frowned!
Hong San realized that the iron ball was going to land right where the little prince was.
As he prepared to act, he glanced at the little prince and saw that he was still smiling.
What was more, the little prince not only remained seated steadily but also reached his right hand out toward the iron ball!
"Hong San, don't move!"
Lin Heng ordered.
He knew Su Zhenyu had deliberately tried to hit him.
It had to be said, Su Zhenyu really was impressive. He could accurately control where such a heavy iron ball landed.
"This is bad!"
"The iron ball's going to hit the little prince!"
Many academy students on this side cried out in alarm, their expressions changing drastically!
At this moment, even Lin Changqing frowned.
But when he remembered that Hong San was right beside Lin Heng, his brow smoothed again!
Even if Hong San's strength had declined severely, he would not be unable to catch an iron ball.
However!
To the astonishment of everyone present, Hong San did not act!
Just as the iron ball was about to strike his head, Lin Heng actually caught it firmly with the right hand he had held out!
Lin Heng's little hand looked pale, tender and tiny, a stark contrast to the dark, heavy iron ball!
The entire arena fell silent. Not a bird or a crow could be heard!
Everyone's eyes widened!
The little prince, who was only three years old, could actually catch a two-hundred-jin iron ball hurtling down at him?
Before anyone could recover, Lin Heng bent his right arm and then thrust it sharply forward. The iron ball immediately flew toward the west side of the martial arts arena at an even greater speed!
The iron ball was moving extremely fast!
Like an arrow shot from a powerful bow!
Most of its flight followed a straight line!
Everyone was shocked, and by the time they realized the iron ball was hurtling toward Su Zhenyu, it was already too late to intervene!
Su Zhenyu was scared stiff. Only when the iron ball flew toward him did he abruptly come to his senses and throw both hands up to meet it with all his might!
Bang!!
The iron ball knocked Su Zhenyu down!