novelraw Chapter 42 – Martial Technique Assessment
Chapter 42 – Martial Technique Assessment
"Disqualified from the assessment?"
Luo Xiu was stunned, never expecting the Zhang Clan Ancestor to be so shameless, seizing every opportunity to target him.
"Zhang Lüliang, don't go too far!" The Master of Qingyun Hall's face changed, shouting angrily.
As he spoke, the aura of a half-step Spirit Refinement expert spread, suffocating those nearby who had come for the assessment.
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Although not as powerful as the Master of Qingyun Hall, Zhang Lüliang, as an Outer Sect Steward, held a status comparable to the Master of the Martial Hall. As the chief examiner of this Outer Sect Assessment, he naturally wasn't afraid of what the Master of Qingyun Hall might do.
"I am the chief examiner of the assessment. Is the Master of Qingyun Hall questioning my decision?" Zhang Lüliang sneered.
"On what grounds are you disqualifying Luo Xiu?" the Master of Qingyun Hall demanded angrily.
"I've already said, he is clearly at the Qi Sea Realm, Second Layer, yet he used special means to unleash the power of the Qi Sea Realm, Third Layer, which is equivalent to cheating. Shouldn't someone who seeks attention and lacks integrity be disqualified?"
"Nonsense!" The Master of Qingyun Hall's face turned ashen. "Luo Xiu has mastered the Pure Yang Technique, making his True Qi more robust and pure than others at the same level. Such a situation is perfectly normal."
"Pure Yang Technique?"
Many martial artists present showed expressions of surprise, and their gazes towards Luo Xiu were filled with envy.
The Pure Yang Technique was notoriously difficult to master, with only one or two people in Yunlong Prefecture managing to do so every few years.
Many nodded in agreement. If it was the Pure Yang Technique, then it was reasonable for someone at the Qi Sea Realm, Second Layer, to exhibit True Qi comparable to the Third Layer.
"Hmph!"
Zhang Lüliang snorted, his eyes sharp. "You say he mastered the Pure Yang Technique, but that's just your word as the Master of Qingyun Hall. Whether he truly mastered it, I must personally verify!"
His words caused an uproar. For a martial artist, having someone inspect their meridians, acupoints, and dantian was akin to exposing all their secrets, even placing their life in another's hands—a major taboo among martial artists.
Luo Xiu's expression changed instantly, never expecting Zhang Lüliang to make such a demand.
He couldn't possibly allow Zhang Lüliang to inspect him. If the Heaven's Life and Death Cycle in his dantian and Qi Sea were discovered, it would spell trouble. Moreover, with Zhang Lüliang's cultivation at the Innate Realm, Ninth Layer, he could easily manipulate the inspection process, or even kill him.
Who would willingly let an enemy probe their life secrets without reservation?
At that moment, Zhang Lüliang's figure flashed, appearing directly in front of Luo Xiu, his voice cold. "I must see if you truly mastered the Pure Yang Technique."
Luo Xiu's first instinct was to retreat, but the overwhelming aura of an Innate Realm, Ninth Layer Martial Master locked him in place, the air around him compressing, rendering him immobile like a nailed-down stake.
"You old fool, you're abusing your power for personal vendetta!" Luo Xiu shouted, looking towards the Master of Qingyun Hall for help.
"Stop!"
A clear voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention to a woman approaching from the Outer Sect.
Seeing her, everyone was captivated, while Luo Xiu was filled with astonishment.
The woman wore a white dress, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, her skin as white as jade, exuding a pure and holy aura that was refreshing.
Accompanied by two maids, the woman in white approached slowly, her lips parting slightly. "I can testify that Luo Xiu has indeed mastered the Pure Yang Technique."
Luo Xiu was stunned, recognizing the woman in white as none other than Lu Mengyao, the former instructor at Qingyun Martial Hall!
Zhang Lüliang also turned to look, his hand reaching for Luo Xiu abruptly stopping, and he greeted respectfully, "Miss."
Simultaneously, the Masters of the Eighteen Cities Martial Hall rose to their feet, respectfully saluting Lu Mengyao.
Seeing this, Luo Xiu was filled with confusion. What exactly was Lu Mengyao's status in the Free Spirit Sect?
"Steward Zhang, I'm vouching for Luo Xiu. Do you have any objections?"
"This..." Zhang Lüliang furrowed his brows, showing a troubled expression. "With Miss vouching, I naturally dare not object. However, as the chief examiner of the Entry Assessment, I must act impartially to fulfill the Sect Master's trust."
"Are you saying my intervention makes things difficult for you?" Lu Mengyao's voice turned cold.
"I wouldn't dare," Zhang Lüliang lowered his head.
"In that case, let's see how you handle this impartially. It's a fact that Luo Xiu mastered the Pure Yang Technique."
Lu Mengyao said slowly, and then someone brought over a table and chair for her to sit and observe the Entry Assessment.
Zhang Lüliang's face was grim. He hadn't expected the recently returned young lady to intervene at this moment.
He could disregard the face of the Master of Qingyun Hall, but he dared not ignore the young lady's.
"You brat, consider yourself lucky to have the Sect Master's daughter help you out."
Zhang Lüliang glared at Luo Xiu, knowing that Lu Mengyao had lived in Qingyun City for several years.
"Since the young lady vouched for you, you pass the cultivation test!"
Zhang Lüliang reluctantly announced, "Luo Xiu, fourteen years old, Qi Sea Realm, Second Layer, 8 points!"
An 8-point evaluation was not high, but it was decent and unassailable.
The assessment continued, and Luo Xiu stood among the crowd, his gaze meeting Lu Mengyao's, who smiled at him.
"Who is that beauty, making the chief examiner so wary?"
"I heard she's the daughter of the Outer Sect Master!"
"My god, such a noble status. How does Luo Xiu know her?"
From the murmurs around him, Luo Xiu gleaned some information about Lu Mengyao's identity.
...
The first test of cultivation lasted the entire morning. In the afternoon, the second test, Martial Technique, began.
In the first test, only one person scored the highest, a young man named Mo Chuan.
Xu Ping from Shuiyun City and Wang Can from Yushan City both scored 9 points, tying for second. Behind them were eighteen fourteen-year-olds at the Qi Sea Realm, Second Layer, scoring 8 points, including Luo Xiu.
The cultivation test assessed a martial artist's innate talent in cultivation, though some relied entirely on resources to reach their level. Thus, cultivation alone didn't tell the whole story.
The second test, Martial Technique, assessed martial talent. Even with a great teacher, without enough insight and talent, mastering martial techniques to a high level was difficult.
Luo Xiu was confident about this test. With his Thunderstorm Sword Art at Grand Perfection, he was sure to score well.
The Swift Sword Art, in a sense, wasn't a martial technique but a technique for exerting force.
The Martial Technique assessment took place in an open Martial Practice Field. Each participant took turns on the central Dueling Platform, showcasing their best martial technique.
Final scores were based on the grade and mastery of the martial technique.
"Third-grade martial technique, Windless Phantom Palm, Minor Mastery, 6 points!"
The first to take the stage was a fifteen-year-old martial artist at the Qi Sea Realm, Second Layer, who scored 7 points in the first test.
Compared to the cultivation test, scoring in the Martial Technique test was much harder.
Luo Xiu noticed that most participants practiced third-grade martial techniques, with only a few practicing fourth-grade ones.
One by one, participants took the stage. Occasionally, someone who mastered a third-grade martial technique to Major Achievement would score 7 points.
"Fourth-grade movement technique, Major Achievement! 9 points!"
At this announcement from chief examiner Zhang Lüliang, the crowd was in an uproar, all eyes on the stage.
"It's Xu Ping from Shuiyun City. He scored 9 points in the first test and now scored so high in the second!"
"He's sure to secure one of the three Outer Sect spots. Mastering a fourth-grade movement technique to Major Achievement shows incredible talent!"
As Xu Ping stepped down, another took the stage—Wang Can, the genius from Yushan City, tied with Xu Ping.
His appearance drew all eyes, as Wang Can and Xu Ping were the highlights of this Entry Assessment.
Wang Can performed a blade technique on stage, his True Qi shining, the blade light fierce and majestic.
"Fourth-grade blade technique, Major Achievement! 9 points!"
The crowd gasped again. Wang Can, a strong contender for first place, was as impressive as Xu Ping.
At fifteen, reaching the Qi Sea Realm, Third Layer, and mastering a fourth-grade martial technique to Major Achievement was astonishing.
The test proceeded slowly, and finally, it was Luo Xiu's turn.
His appearance sparked much discussion, given the earlier incident with Zhang Lüliang trying to disqualify him and Lu Mengyao's unexpected intervention.
"This Luo Xiu is a genius from Qingyun Martial Hall. Being able to master the Pure Yang Technique shows his talent," someone commented.
"Unless he mastered a fourth-grade martial technique to Perfection, he can't catch up to Xu Ping and Wang Can," another dismissed.
Zhang Lüliang also watched Luo Xiu on the Dueling Platform, hoping he wouldn't enter the Outer Sect.
"Clang!"
A sword light rose on the platform, like thunder, spreading instantly.
"Fourth-grade sword technique... Perfection!?"
In the viewing area, the Masters of the Eighteen Cities Martial Hall were shocked, rising to their feet.
Even the Master of Qingyun Hall was incredulous, having expected Luo Xiu to reach Major Achievement at most, not Perfection.
Perfection meant fully comprehending all the mysteries of a martial technique, something nearly impossible for a Qi Sea Realm martial artist.
Some might think Perfection was just a small step above Major Achievement, but the gap was vast.
Lu Mengyao smiled at Luo Xiu on the platform. "This guy always does the unexpected."
"This..." Zhang Lüliang's face darkened. The better Luo Xiu performed, the greater the potential threat to him in the future.
"Haha, fourteen years old, Qi Sea Realm, Second Layer, mastering the Pure Yang Technique and a fourth-grade martial technique to Perfection—what a promising talent!"
Suddenly, a hearty laugh echoed from above. Everyone looked up to see a middle-aged man in a blue robe, standing in mid-air, looking down at Luo Xiu on the platform.