133: Martial Arts Test (Part Two)

Chen Linsheng's expression was calm, as if he hadn't noticed.

On the Wind Chasing Path, Yan Chen's performance was equally eye-catching. He did not pursue ultimate agility but used ferocious explosive power to forcefully accelerate! Every step left scorched footprints on the fine sand, his figure like a fiery meteor, charging straight ahead, yet always narrowly avoiding the Bronze Bells and protruding obstacles.

Final result: Zero bells struck, time taken was eight breaths, second only to that Noble Family Disciple who specialized in Movement Techniques.

In the Iron Chain Array, Yan Chen's sense of balance was slightly inferior, but with the assistance of the Blazing Sun True Energy's burst, he forcefully stabilized his figure using brute strength. Although his movements were somewhat stiff when completing the required actions, he did not fall. Result: Good.

"Comprehensive evaluation, C-Group Seven, Yan Chen. Strength: Excellent, Speed: Excellent, Agility: Good. Overall: Upper A!" the proctor announced loudly after summarizing.

On the viewing platform, Eunuch Cao's hand stroking the prayer beads paused slightly. His slender eyes glanced at Yan Chen, and he nodded: "True Fire True Gold, he is a promising seedling."

The Prefect smiled: "It is a joy and congratulations that the Blazing Sun Martial Arts Hall has such a successor."

The Blazing Sun Martial Arts Hall Master's face glowed with happiness. He cupped his hands humbly, though his eyes were full of pride.

group c testing.

As Chen Linsheng walked towards the Thousand Jin Cauldron Area, he clearly felt several gazes focusing on him.

Besides Yan Chen and others, the gazes of Eunuch Cao, Ling Feng, the Deputy Commander of the Po Jun Mansion, and others also fell upon him from the viewing platform. Especially the two beardless young attendants behind Eunuch Cao, their eyes were like needles, seeming intent on seeing through every inch of his bones and sinews.

Chen Linsheng acted as if he noticed nothing, stopping before the first cauldron weighing five hundred jin.

He did not challenge the heavy cauldrons directly like Yan Chen, but started with the lightest. This action disappointed some who were looking forward to his performance.

He gripped the cauldron with both hands, his lower back slightly sinking.

There was no phenomenon of surging Qi and blood, no explosive tension in his muscles, just a simple lift—

The Stone Cauldron floated lightly off the ground, lifted above his head, steady as a rock. When he put it down, it didn't even make much noise.

The Eight Hundred Jin Cauldron was also lifted with ease.

The One Thousand Two Hundred Jin Cauldron was still lifted as if it weighed nothing.

By this point, people on the sidelines had begun to sense something was wrong. Chen Linsheng's movements were too steady, so steady it didn't look like he was exerting strength to lift the cauldron, but rather casually picking up an ordinary object. His breathing was even, his expression normal, and he hadn't broken a single drop of sweat.

Before the One Thousand Eight Hundred Jin Cauldron, Chen Linsheng paused slightly.

It wasn't that he lacked the strength, but that he was weighing things in his mind.

With over two hundred and forty muscle groups refined to Perfection through the Hunyuan True Body, combined with the burst from Python Dragon Strength, lifting Three Thousand Five Hundred Jin with full effort would not be difficult. But that would be too astonishing and would expose most of his trump cards.

The Martial Examination had just begun; there was no need for that.

Once his mind was made up, as his hands gripped the cauldron, Python Dragon Strength circulated quietly. Qi and blood surged like dragons through his major tendons, and a spiraling force rose from the soles of his feet, passing through his waist and back, and flowing into his arms.

"Rise."

With a light shout, the Stone Cauldron left the ground, went over his head, and was lowered in three breaths.

The movement was still steady, but this time, one could finally see the slight tightening lines of his arm muscles, and his breathing was slightly deeper.

"C-Group Seven, one thousand eight hundred jin, Good!" the proctor recorded, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes. Lifting this weight at the Flesh Refining Realm was already rare.

Chen Linsheng walked towards the Two Thousand Five Hundred Jin Cauldron.

This time, a trace of "gravity" finally appeared on his face. He rooted his stance, sinking his waist and sitting his hips. His arm muscles slowly bulged, and a faint golden light flowed beneath his skin—he deliberately revealed a slight physical manifestation of the Golden Bell Shield Perfection, showing strength without being overly conspicuous.

"Hng!"

He exerted force with both arms, and the Stone Cauldron slowly left the ground. One inch, two inches... the speed was noticeably slower than before, his arms trembled slightly, and fine sweat beaded on his forehead.

But in the end, he lifted it over his head and held it steady for three breaths.

When he lowered it, there was a muffled 'boom,' and the ground trembled slightly.

"C-Group Seven, Two Thousand Five Hundred Jin, Good!" the proctor announced loudly, his tone full of admiration.

Chen Linsheng gasped for breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, decided not to challenge a heavier cauldron, and turned to leave.

This result was already astonishing enough, yet it remained within a "reasonable" range—comparable to the strength of an ordinary Jiaojin Realm, Initial Stage, perfectly matching the Foundation he displayed at the Hidden Dragon Banquet.

Discussions erupted on the sidelines.

"Lifting Two Thousand Five Hundred Jin in the Flesh Refining Realm... A monster!"

"No wonder he could contend with Yan Chen; his Foundation is too deep!"

"But he seems to have reached his limit; he's still a bit worse than Yan Chen."

Yan Chen watched from afar, letting out a cold snort, but there was no contempt in his eyes. He knew that Chen Linsheng definitely had more strength than this; deliberately holding back was the hardest thing to deal with.

On the viewing platform, Eunuch Cao's speed in stroking his prayer beads quickened slightly, his slender eyes narrowing: "Lifting things as if they weigh nothing, holding back power... This little fellow knows how to hide."

Ling Feng's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.

In front of the Wind Chasing Path.

Chen Linsheng moved his limbs slightly. The White Crane Wind and Cloud Song Mind-Cultivation Technique circulated quietly within him, and the agile essence of Spirit Monkey Hundred Changes integrated into his footwork.

"C-Group Seven, prepare!"

His body slightly lowered, like a crane about to fly, like a monkey ready to leap.

"Start!"

Before the word finished falling, Chen Linsheng shot out like an arrow loosed from a bow!

With the first step, his figure had already swept past three zhang. His toes lightly touched the raised fine sand, using the leverage to pivot, and amidst fluttering robes, he narrowly avoided the bells on both sides.

The second step, the third step... His silhouette traced smooth arcs through the winding passage, sometimes light and graceful like a white crane gliding over water; sometimes swift and unpredictable like a spirit monkey climbing branches.

Those completely random protruding obstacles were completely revealed under his Tracking Perfection perception. He could always adjust his center of gravity half a step ahead and pass over them lightly.

The Bronze Bells trembled in the wind, but not a single one was struck.

Seven breaths, six breaths, five breaths... Finally, Chen Linsheng's figure rushed out of the end of the passage like the wind, standing firm.

"C-Group Seven, zero bells struck, time taken Five Breaths and Three! Excellent!" When the proctor announced the result, his voice held disbelief.

The entire audience erupted in an uproar!

Five Breaths and Three! This surpassed all previous examinees, including that Noble Family Disciple who specialized in Movement Techniques!

"What kind of Movement Technique is this? I've never seen it!"

"Like a crane, like a monkey, possessing both grace and agility—how profound!"

Mu Qingxue's cool eyes looked towards Chen Linsheng, a flash of surprise crossing them. She thought that even in the Wind Chasing Path, she could achieve zero bell touches, but the time taken would likely be hard to beat at five and a half breaths. This person's Movement Technique had already reached the Transcendent realm.

Yan Chen's expression darkened. Speed and Agility were not his strengths to begin with, but being so thoroughly crushed by Chen Linsheng still left him displeased.

On the viewing stand, one of the young attendants behind Eunuch Cao quietly took out a small booklet and rapidly recorded something with a charcoal pencil.

Iron Chain Array.

Chen Linsheng looked up at the crisscrossing iron chains, catching the subtle patterns of the mechanisms operating in his ears.

"C-Group Seven, ascend the chains!"

His toes lightly touched the ground, and his figure soared into the air, landing steadily on the iron chain with the least amount of sway.

As soon as he stepped on it, the iron chain suddenly sank down and immediately began to spin violently!

Chen Linsheng's body swayed along with it, like willow catkins in the wind, deflecting the force with the momentum. When the spinning slowed slightly, he stood on one foot on the chain, completing the first designated action, "Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg," as steady as a rock.

Next was the "Inverted Swing Over"—his body leaned back, hands gripping the iron chain, using his core strength, he swung from one chain to another like a nimble cat flipping over. The movements were fluid and natural, without any hesitation.

The most difficult was the "Chain Shuttle," which required crossing five chains swaying in different directions consecutively without touching the ground.

Chen Linsheng took a deep breath, simultaneously pushing the Mind-Cultivation Techniques of the White Crane Wind and Cloud Song and the Spirit Monkey Hundred Changes to their absolute limit.

His figure soared like a crane in the sky, leaping lightly. Just as the first chain was about to tilt over, he used his toes to push off and change direction; then, like a gibbon extending its arm, while the second chain was spinning, he grasped it with one hand and twisted to flip over.

The third, the fourth... every maneuver was perilously close, yet exquisitely precise.

The crowd by the side held their breath, even the sound of discussion disappeared.

The last iron chain had the widest swing. As Chen Linsheng leaped into the air, the chain happened to whip violently sideways! It looked like he was going to miss—

He twisted his waist and hips in mid-air, forcibly converting his forward momentum into a sideways rotation. His toes lightly hooked the edge of the chain, using the force to spring back upright, landing steadily.

"Good!"

Someone shouted first, followed by a burst of applause.

Even the several big shots on the viewing stand nodded slightly.

"C-Group Seven, Iron Chain Array, all actions completed, no falls, Excellent!" the examiner announced loudly, his eyes full of admiration.

Chen Linsheng jumped down into the grass pit, breathing slightly heavily, sweat beading on his forehead. The Iron Chain Array was quite demanding on stamina, but the divine light in his eyes was brilliant, clearly indicating he still had reserves.

"C-Group Seven Chen Linsheng, Strength Excellent, Speed Excellent, Agility Excellent, Overall Rating: Upper A!"

When the examiner announced the overall rating, the crowd boiled over again.

Two Upper A ratings! Currently, only Yan Chen and Chen Linsheng had received this evaluation.

But anyone with discerning eyes could see that Chen Linsheng was clearly superior in Speed and Agility, and although his Strength was slightly weaker, it was still enough to make most examinees envious.

Yan Chen stared at Chen Linsheng from afar, flames flickering in his eyes. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

In the first round of the Martial Examination, the two appeared evenly matched, but in reality, they had completed a silent contest.

Chen Linsheng returned to the line, took the waterskin handed by Lei Hao, and took a long drink.

"Brother Chen, you're amazing!" Lei Hao slapped his shoulder forcefully. "That Movement Technique made my eyes blur!"

Chen Linsheng smiled, but his gaze swept over the viewing stand as if unintentionally.

Eunuch Cao was still fiddling with his prayer beads, his expression indifferent, as if the spectacular test that had just occurred was commonplace.

But the two attendants behind him, one was still recording in the booklet, while the other's lips moved slightly, seemingly reporting something to Eunuch Cao using a secret sound transmission technique.

Eunuch Cao nodded slightly, his slender eyes looking at Chen Linsheng again. This time, they lingered for a full three breaths.

In those eyes were scrutiny, evaluation, and a trace of unfathomable depth.

Chen Linsheng's heart tightened, but his expression remained unchanged as he averted his gaze.

He knew that he had truly attracted the attention of this supervising eunuch from the capital.

The testing continued.

When Mu Qingxue took the stage, she once again drew the attention of the entire audience.

Thousand Jin Cauldron: She stopped at 1,800 Jin, her movements light and elegant, as if she were lifting a paper kite instead of a Stone Cauldron. Result: Good.

Wind Chasing Path: Zero bell touches, time taken five breaths and five, second only to Chen Linsheng. Excellent.

Iron Chain Array: Body like a fleeting swan, Sword Intent faintly visible, every step precise as if measured by a ruler, completed with composure and grace. Excellent.

Overall Rating: Upper A.

The military youth Han Tie, true to his name, had skin like aged bronze and was taciturn. His Strength nearly matched Yan Chen's, lifting the 2,800 Jin massive cauldron; his Speed and Agility were slightly inferior, but his endurance was astonishing. In the Iron Chain Array, he relied on his robust physique and tenacious will to advance steadily without falling once. Overall Rating: Upper A.

Yu Linfeng, Lin Yueru, Xu Wangshu, and others all received A-level ratings.

Lei Hao received Excellent for Strength, Good for Speed, and Qualified for Agility, with an overall rating of A. He himself was already very satisfied.

By early noon, the first round of the Martial Examination was completely over.

Out of the more than 480 examinees, only seven received Upper A ratings, forty-two received A ratings, and the rest were B, C, or lower. Nearly a hundred people were directly eliminated for failing all three events.

The sun was blazing fiercely above the Drill Ground.

Judge Li ascended the platform and announced: "The first round of the Martial Examination is concluded. The second round—Archery on Horseback—will begin at the precise hour of the afternoon! Examinees are to eat and rest separately; do not leave the Drill Ground!"

The crowd dispersed, each seeking shaded spots to rest.

Chen Linsheng gathered with Lei Hao, Shi Poyue, and others under a tree's shade, sharing dry rations and clear water.

In the distance, Yan Chen was surrounded by Disciples of the Blazing Sun Martial Arts Hall, his gaze occasionally sweeping over, sharp as a knife or sword.

Further away, on the viewing stand, Eunuch Cao slowly rose and departed, escorted by his attendants. Before leaving, he glanced back at the Drill Ground one last time, his gaze sweeping across Chen Linsheng, Yan Chen, and Mu Qingxue in sequence, a faint, inscrutable curve lifting the corner of his mouth.

"This generation from Jiuqu Prefecture has indeed produced a few Good prospects," he murmured in a voice as thin as a gnat's buzz. "Especially that Chen Linsheng... This old man must see how long you can hide."

The Dark Jade Prayer Bead slowly turned between his fingers, reflecting the scorching midday sun, flowing with a dark light.