Chapter 120 – Low Grade

Chapter 120 – Low Grade

The bone-testing stones were apparently quite rare. Over two thousand people formed a single line, waiting to be tested. Gradually, some couldn’t stand any longer and sat down to rest, while others voiced their complaints.

Zhan Changfeng’s position was neither near the front nor particularly far back, yet she still stood for over an hour before it was finally her turn. She examined the dark greenish-black smooth stone closely, noting the graduated markings etched into its surface.

Two judges stood beside the stone. One held a registry, while the other observed the examinees.

The one observing examinees was a physiognomist, who evaluated each person’s facial structure and build according to the eight categories—Tong, Tian, Guan, Ri, Shen, Jia, Qi, and You—then recorded a score.

The other judge was the man who had spoken earlier, also the chief examiner. The nameplate on his chest displayed his name: Yuan Qiao.

Zhan Changfeng handed her exam token to Yuan Qiao and waited as he located her name in the registry.

“Place your hand on the bone-testing stone.”

Zhan Changfeng did as instructed. The stone beneath her hand felt warm, as though it exerted a subtle pull. After a moment, the colors of several graduated markings began to deepen.

Yuan Qiao nodded, recorded the results in the registry, then transcribed them onto her exam token before passing it to the physiognomist. The physiognomist remarked, “Excellent appearance, remarkable bone structure,” and noted a score on the token before returning it to her.

Zhan Changfeng looked at it. Beneath “Bone Root” was written “Low Grade,” and beneath “Appearance” was written “Nine.” The judges hadn’t explained the specific criteria, so she didn’t know how either score was calculated. But she knew that Low Grade was far from good. By all reason, she should have scored higher than this.

After all, she had formed a Dao Embryo and unearthed her Dao Seed talent while still in the Prenatal realm.

“Could this bone-testing stone be wrong?”

Yuan Qiao found this amusing. “The bone-testing stone is natural—it doesn’t make mistakes. Have you heard anyone among the thousand people before you cry error? Having bone root at all is already decent. Next!”

Those waiting behind her had been standing for ages and were growing impatient. “Alright, move aside already. Don’t hold everyone else up.”

The physiognomist intervened. “If you have any concerns, raise them after this portion of the examination concludes.”

“Hurry up! Why is it so slow!”

“What’s going on? Whoever’s in front, stop blocking the way!”

The people in line grew restless, unable to wait even a moment longer, complaints cascading one after another. Zhan Changfeng glanced at Yuan Qiao, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Lin Wu had noticed the commotion and asked when she returned, “What just happened over there?”

Yao Yu cracked open one eye. “Hmph. Some young people, before they’ve faced reality, always assume their talent is exceptional and that they can accomplish anything. Even when the facts are right before their eyes, they still refuse to accept them.”

“Mr. Yao Yu,” Zhan Changfeng drew her sword, “I’d like to take another look at reality. You won’t mind, will you?”

She hadn’t bothered about Yao Yu’s attitude before, but he shouldn’t mistake that for endless tolerance.

“Yi Zhan, put the sword away! What do you think you’re doing!” Lin Wu rushed to stop her. “People will laugh at us!”

Yao Yu sneered and rose to his feet. “Step aside. I’d like to see just how capable she is.”

“Mr. Yao Yu, why are you stooping to argue with a student? We’re in the middle of an examination—this isn’t appropriate.”

Zhan Changfeng and Yao Yu spoke in unison: “Then let’s take it outside!”

“…” Lin Wu was beside himself with worry, watching helplessly as the two actually walked away.

Li Baimao and Leng Yuzi, who had already completed their bone tests, wore peculiar expressions. Wait—were those two actually going to fight?!

“You two stay here and wait for the examination results!”

Li Baimao reluctantly pulled back his foot. “Mr. Yao Yu is a Foundation Establishment expert. What if something happens to Yi Zhan?”

Leng Yuzi nodded along. She was quite keen to see whether they’d actually come to blows.

“Mr. Yao Yu knows his limits. Stay here and don’t worry.” Lin Wu barked the order. These brats were going to give him a headache.

As for Yao Yu and Zhan Changfeng—one found her disagreeable, and the other found him disagreeable. Upon reaching a secluded spot, they dispensed with pleasantries and went straight at each other.

Zhan Changfeng initially fought at Postnatal realm perfection strength. Yao Yu accordingly suppressed himself to the same level, even keeping one hand behind his back.

Mysterious qi coiled around Yao Yu’s body. With a single hand tracing a circle, he deflected Zhan Changfeng’s sword to the side—yet inwardly he was startled. Such pure power.

At that moment, Zhan Changfeng’s sword followed through, sweeping over her shoulder and slashing downward. She abruptly erupted with the force of Minor Completion of the Prenatal realm. Yao Yu’s eyes gleamed as he pushed his palm upward, catching the blade.

Zhan Changfeng’s sword felt as though it had sunk into a quagmire, completely immobilized. She knew there was a gap between Foundation Establishment and the Prenatal realm, but hadn’t expected it to be so vast. Extrapolating from this exchange, even if she unleashed Peak of the Prenatal realm power, she would struggle to defeat a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Still, without trying, how would she ever know her own limits?

But Yao Yu clearly had no intention of fighting on her terms. “Your swordsmanship is quite impressive, I’ll give you that. But I won’t be having a martial contest with you.”

His figure swept backward, and he walked up a vertical pole as easily as strolling on flat ground. “What I cultivate is technique. Where the mind goes, the body follows.”

Yao Yu walked all the way to the top of the pole and looked down at her. “I’m up here. Can you hit me?!”

Zhan Changfeng cut down the pole with a single sword strike. Yao Yu leaped to a nearby wall, his entire body parallel to the ground. He stood firmly on the wall’s surface with his face tilted upward, grinning. From Zhan Changfeng’s angle, it looked thoroughly bizarre.

“Can you still reach me?!”

Zhan Changfeng brought her sword to the wall and took to the eaves, running along the vertical surface. Yao Yu dodged a sword strike, laughing heartily as he sprinted along the wall as though it were solid ground.

But Zhan Changfeng’s Lightness Technique clearly couldn’t keep her parallel to the ground indefinitely. Before long, she had to channel her qi and leap up to the top of the wall, following closely after Yao Yu and searching for an opening to strike.

Yao Yu pressed his lips together slightly. This one’s qi was remarkably sustained, her true qi exceptionally pure, and her foundational skills excellent. He had initially assumed that someone so young reaching Postnatal realm perfection must have relied on pills to get there.

“Mr. Yao Yu, do you know what separates martial arts from technique?”

Yao Yu’s feet never stopped. He turned his head to look up at Zhan Changfeng, who stood at a right angle to him. In this position, her sword couldn’t reach him, so he replied casually, “What separates them?”

“Roughly—” Zhan Changfeng suddenly halted her sprint, leaped off the wall top, and crashed down toward Yao Yu. “—the kind of ruthlessness where if I can’t kill you, I lose.”

Zhan Changfeng concentrated all her power into her legs and feet, slamming into his body like a heavy artillery strike. Yao Yu’s eyes went wide. He immediately turned skyward, crossing both arms to block. A resounding “boom” echoed as his body shook twice. He stepped one leg back to steady himself—but Zhan Changfeng’s sword was already thrusting downward at his heart.

“!” Yao Yu focused his power to push the blade tip aside, flipped and twisted through the air, and somersaulted to the ground. Zhan Changfeng pursued without pause, her blade splitting the air.

“With swordsmanship like this, what could you possibly need to learn technique from me for!” Yao Yu formed a circle with both hands to contain her sword’s momentum, his gaze intense.

“Regardless of martial arts or technique, I only seek to learn one thing: principle.”

“Hmph. Easy to make grand claims out of thin air. Is principle so easy to fathom?!” Yao Yu’s words were still blunt, but the sting had faded somewhat. He pinched the blade between two fingers, stopping it cold. “Do what’s appropriate for the moment. Take care of yourself first!”

Just then, Lin Wu caught up with them. “How did you two end up all the way out here? Get back quickly—the first examination is almost over!”

Zhan Changfeng sheathed her sword. “Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Yao Yu.”

An inscrutable look appeared in Yao Yu’s eyes. He flicked his sleeve and strode forward. “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and follow me to find that judge!”

Lin Wu looked at Yao Yu, then at Zhan Changfeng. “Find the judge? What for?”

“A retest!” Yao Yu pursed his lips, then deigned to explain further. “Although bone root doesn’t count for much in this Martial Exam’s scoring, once you actually enter the Six Academies, resources are allocated entirely based on bone root. The Martial Arts Academy is divided into an Inner Academy and an Outer Academy. True geniuses selected through the Six Academies’ entrance process go directly into the Inner Academy to receive orthodox instruction. Those who enter through the Martial Exam can only do odd jobs in the Outer Academy, take on dispatched missions at best, and if they’re extraordinarily lucky, become the nominal disciple of some Foundation Establishment cultivator. Don’t even think about accessing the core teachings.”

He said disdainfully, “What do you think the Martial Exam is for? It’s just recruiting a batch of fighters. With her bone root rating, she’d probably be buried under menial duties and political infighting before she ever gets a chance to shine. By the time that happens, no matter how good her aptitude, she’ll have missed the window for receiving proper instruction and will never make it into the Inner Academy.”

Hearing these inner workings for the first time, Zhan Changfeng furrowed her brow slightly. “Thank you for the warning, Mr. Yao Yu. But the bone-testing stone has already rendered its verdict. I’m afraid it will be difficult to change.”

“Now you choose to lose confidence?” Yao Yu was impatient. “Go get retested immediately. There is absolutely no way you are merely Low Grade.”

(End of Chapter)