163: Chapter 161 The bustling outskirts of Su City once again and the last qualified freshman

Luo Xiling and Zhao Qi were startled awake by the vibrations beneath their feet, hurriedly rushing to the edge of the platform to look down at the foot of the mountain.

The sword qi had already vanished, leaving only a chasm several meters deep and nearly a hundred meters long in the ground before the stone mountain.

The two of them couldn't help but wonder what kind of modern weapon could withstand such an attack.

They knew that many human weapons could produce even more terrifying power, but there were "limitations."

Missiles require flight time, various forms of guidance, and some models can be intercepted by air defense.

Mortars and rocket launchers have a set range, must reach a designated location in advance, and must relocate immediately after a volley.

Otherwise, a destructive counter-attack would arrive within minutes.

Bombers have to take off from their own side and fly for a certain amount of time to reach the enemy area.

But what about this sword qi?

A person, holding a sword, raises their hand and strikes.

From preliminary preparations to the completion of the attack, Zhao Qi estimated it probably wouldn't even take 30 seconds.

Coupled with Immortal Xu's elusive invisibility methods that no instrument could scan...

Zhao Qi imagined such a person in modern warfare; if they delivered a single strike to the enemy's Command Post, how could the war even be fought?

Furthermore, he would never believe that the strike before his eyes was Immortal Xu striking with full power.

While the two were inexplicably shocked, Zhang Mu, whose expression was calm, also felt doubt in his heart; the destructive power was not right.

The moon bright sword was a non-standard "puppet" he had specially made, with a blank Core installed inside that was engraved with his "True Great Wind Blade Technique."

Zhang Mu had used the upgraded Wind Blade Technique many times in the Silent Forest.

It was indeed strong—an Apprentice Level magic that had mutated to the point of being comparable to a Elementary magic.

But it was only at the level of shattering stones and rending iron, unable to even pierce the hide of a Fourth-tier Magic Beast.

Why now...

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as he recalled the "Pseudo Great Rock Fall Technique" he had released earlier in the London outskirts.

That was the first time he had used the upgraded Rock Fall Technique, and the size of the stones had shocked even him.

But he thought that since it was based on a Elementary magic template, perhaps the increase in power with each upgrade was greater than at the Apprentice Level, so he didn't think there was a problem.

However, with this obviously abnormal Wind Blade, if he still couldn't detect an abnormality, he would be a true idiot.

Actually, the matter wasn't difficult to analyze; after a few seconds of contemplation, Zhang Mu realized the only differentiating factor in the change of power between the two Wind Blades was the location where they were released.

Saul Continent...

Zhang Mu didn't have conclusive evidence, but it was easy to solve.

He just needed to find time to return to the Other World, release a Rock Fall Technique, and cross-verify it with the Wind Blade Technique.

If the power of the Rock Fall Technique he performed after consuming a Mana Enhancement Potion in the Saul Continent was smaller, then his suspicion would naturally be confirmed.

"Master! I want to learn this!"

Snapping back to reality, Zhang Mu looked up to see Luo Xiling skipping toward him: "Stand still."

"Oh."

Once she was standing steadily, Zhang Mu said, "Though you have been accepted by Xu as a Named Disciple, the height of the Mountain Gate is not easily scaled."

Luo Xiling was stunned: "What does that mean?"

Zhao Qi, who had already been informed of the situation by the Bureau Chief, walked over and explained, "Immortal Xu's Mountain Gate is about to recruit disciples.

There's surely more than one immortal master inside. You're considered to have been favored by Immortal Xu and pre-selected, but you still have to go through the normal process."

"Uh, what process?"

"An assessment or something like that."

"What if I don't pass?"

"Immortal Xu is right here, just ask him."

Hearing this, Luo Xiling glanced over with her small eyes, and Zhang Mu smiled: "If you fail, you will naturally be turned away at the door. Is that not reasonable?"

"Very, very reasonable."

Zhang Mu opened his right hand, and the moon bright sword flew into the scabbard Luo Xiling held in her hand: "The others who hold a Token do not have Crystal Jade.

With Xu's assistance, you are already ahead of the others; you must not harbor other intentions.

Also, remember: if you are fortunate enough to be accepted by the Mountain Gate, you must not commit evil, otherwise Xu will personally cleanse the sect."

Seemingly frightened, she nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at grain: "I understand."

Seeing this, Zhang Mu said no more, and his figure vanished into an illusion.

After staring at the spot where he had stood for a while, Luo Xiling shamelessly asked Zhao Qi, with whom she didn't get along very well, "So, what's the test?"

"Immortal Xu didn't say."

Zhao Qi looked at the phone in her hand: "Turn it off."

"Alright."

Once the livestream was closed, he was about to call Yue Ruo to pick them up when his phone rang.

He pulled it out and saw it was a call from the Bureau Chief.

"Chief."

The Chief's voice was very loud over the receiver, enough for Luo Xiling standing nearby to hear.

"You and Yue Ruo protect the scene. The army closest to Su City is rushing toward you, and the Research Group from Kyoto has also boarded a plane.

Also, bring along the Named Disciple Immortal Xu recruited. I'm almost there."

"Yes!"

Realizing the scale of the operation, Zhao Qi didn't dare to be lax, responding loudly before hanging up.

"What is the army coming for?" Luo Xiling asked with the expression of a curious baby.

"Isn't it all because of you..." Zhao Qi suppressed his complaint. "The recording of your livestream has been shared everywhere. Won't the people who saw it come to the mountains?

Not to mention the skeptical outsiders, how many local Su City residents witnessed Immortal Xu's Tribulation?

What if an accident happens?

If we aren't careful and the sword marks below are damaged, the higher-ups will tear the Special Investigation Bureau apart."

Having done something stupid, Luo Xiling laughed awkwardly and spoke stubbornly: "Well, you could have reminded me just now."

"Would I dare speak if Immortal Xu agreed?" Zhao Qi looked up at the helicopter descending in altitude. "Stop talking nonsense and hurry down the mountain."

...

After leaving the mountaintop, Zhang Mu did not go home but drove straight to London, arriving a few hours later.

While driving around high in the sky, he strangely discovered that today was the last day of the assessment, yet all the new students were not busy with the exam but were instead gathered at the Queen's Palace.

Controlling the car to land at the palace gates and putting it away, he didn't deactivate the Shadow Technique, instead striding through the walls and walking all the way into the parlor.

Twenty-four people in total were sitting around a U-shaped long table in the center of the vast hall.

At the head was the Queen in full dress; to her right were Toby and the little girl Misha, and to her left sat Lyon and Klaisi.

The remaining nineteen sat in the wooden chairs around the table one after another.

At the moment, except for the deep-scheming Queen, Misha, and Toby, everyone else was arguing heatedly about something.

After listening for a while, Zhang Mu roughly understood that they were arguing over the qualification criteria.

It turned out that for the first four days, everyone had used every trick in the book, but in the end, they hadn't even figured out what the test was.

This morning, Lyon had released a hint, and the overjoyed crowd had all tried their own methods.

However, the result was that, except for Misha, no one succeeded.

Only the little girl had received the Interview Letter sent by the Owl with the pre-programmed instructions from Zhang Mu.

Upon learning the news, the Queen had summoned them, intending to synthesize all the information so the Royal Family's professionals could provide support.

As for why the discussion and narration had turned into a fiery verbal conflict...

It was because someone had with ill intent questioned Lyon on whether he had clearly seen the contents of the letter.

The implication was a suspicion that he was hiding something.

Watching the increasingly emotional new students, Lyon and Klaisi desperately defending themselves, and Toby rising to help defuse the situation, a trace of mockery appeared at the corner of Zhang Mu's mouth.

Nineteen people fighting for one spot?

It's more like whether even one of the nineteen can pass.