novelraw Chapter 43 – Mind Shock
Chapter 43 – Mind Shock
"Master!"
"Greetings, Master!"
Seeing the sudden appearance of the middle-aged man in a blue robe, Zhang Lüliang and the Masters of the Eighteen Cities Martial Hall all stood up and respectfully saluted him in mid-air.
The many martial artists who came to participate in the entry assessment were also in an uproar, shocked.
To everyone, the existence of the Outer Sect Master was undoubtedly a legendary figure!
At this moment, all eyes on Luo Xiu on the dueling platform were filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
Because the Master seemed to hold him in high regard.
Being at the Qi Sea Realm, Second Layer at fourteen might not be much, but combined with the Pure Yang Technique and achieving Grand Perfection in a fourth-grade martial art, it was indeed astonishing.
"Father."
Lu Mengyao also stood up and saluted the figure in the air.
"No need for formalities, rise."
The Lu Master descended from the air, smiling gently.
"This year's entry assessment will be personally overseen by me," the Lu Master announced, shocking everyone.
In previous years, the entry assessment was always presided over by the Outer Sect Stewards, and there had never been a precedent for the Master to personally oversee it.
This news undoubtedly excited the martial artists who came to participate in the assessment, all preparing to give their all to perform well in front of the Master.
"Is this the Luo Xiu you mentioned?" Lu Mengyao suddenly heard her father's voice in her ear.
When he said this, the Lu Master used the Sound Transmission Technique, so no one else nearby could hear it.
Lu Mengyao nodded, understanding her father's reason for coming personally.
"I know about his grudge with Zhang Lüliang. Since he is your savior, I will ensure his safety in this Outer Sect," the Lu Master said.
At this moment, Zhang Lüliang, feeling a suffocating pressure in his chest, loudly declared, "Luo Xiu, Grand Perfection in fourth-grade martial arts, 10 points!"
Although he found it unlikely, Zhang Lüliang instinctively felt that this Lu Master seemed to have come specifically for Luo Xiu.
The status of the Outer Sect Master was so prestigious, what kind of luck did this little brat Luo Xiu have?
On the dueling platform, Luo Xiu smiled slightly, and his smile made the Zhang Clan Ancestor grind his teeth even more.
...
The second assessment of martial techniques proceeded faster than the cultivation test, and by sunset, the martial technique assessment was over.
In the end, aside from Luo Xiu's perfect score of 10, most people scored 6 or 7, with only a few achieving 8, and only Xu Ping and Wang Can scored 9.
As for Mo Chuan, who scored perfectly in the first assessment, his performance was mediocre, only reaching Minor Mastery in a fifth-grade martial art.
This was quite normal, as it was evident that Mo Chuan had spent most of his time improving his cultivation rather than focusing on martial arts practice.
The remaining two assessments would take place the next day, and based on the current rankings from the two assessments, only the top fifty out of hundreds would qualify for the next day's assessments, while the rest would be eliminated!
The three slots for entry into the Outer Sect would be determined the next day!
Back at the residence in Yunlong Prefecture Capital, among the other geniuses from the Eighteen Cities Martial Hall living with Luo Xiu, only Luo Xiu and Nie Xiaodie could continue to participate in the next day's assessment, while the other twenty or so people had already been eliminated.
Despite having the same Qi Sea Realm, Second Layer cultivation, some of them were older, scoring low in the first test, and the martial technique assessment required higher talent and comprehension, making it extremely difficult to rank in the top fifty.
In the courtyard, many people were dejected.
"Xu Qiusheng has also broken through to the Qi Sea Realm, but unfortunately, he missed this entry assessment," the Master of Qingyun Hall sighed.
Xu Qiusheng had high comprehension in martial techniques, reaching perfection in spear techniques at the peak of the Body Refining Realm, Ninth Layer, but his cultivation talent was slightly lacking, only breaking through to the Qi Sea Realm at eighteen.
Luo Xiu also felt a bit regretful about this. Joining the Free Spirit Outer Sect before eighteen was an opportunity to change a martial artist's fate. Once missed, without sufficient resources and inheritance, it would be difficult to achieve much.
Unable to enter the Free Spirit Outer Sect, Xu Qiusheng was destined to become a member of the Azure Guard, at least securing a place in Qingyun City.
As the night cooled like water, Luo Xiu sat cross-legged in his room, taking out martial arts manuals from his storage ring.
These martial arts manuals were obtained from the treasure trove left by Martial King Buchen, and Luo Xiu had never found the time to study them before.
The only seventh-grade martial art was the first one Luo Xiu picked up.
"Vajra Overlord Body Art, a seventh-grade body refining cultivation method, condenses True Qi to temper the body like a war armament, capable of refining the body to be comparable to an Earth-Grade Low Tier war armament!"
Luo Xiu glanced at this martial art, surprised to find it was a rare body refining cultivation method.
In the past, Luo Xiu had only heard of body refining cultivation methods but had never seen one. However, he knew that body refining cultivation methods were much more valuable than other martial arts of the same level.
"If I can master this Vajra Overlord Body Art, my body would rival an Earth-Grade Low Tier war armament, giving me a significant advantage in both offense and defense."
Luo Xiu shook his head, "Unfortunately, the minimum requirement for practicing this martial art is the Innate Realm, Third Layer."
Putting this martial art away, Luo Xiu then looked through other sixth-grade martial arts.
"Phantom Flower Fist, a fist technique like a phantom, drifting freely, containing three layers of hidden force, instantly destroying the opponent's meridians and internal organs, sinister and domineering!"
This was a rather insidious martial art. When executed, it appeared like the third-grade martial art Phantom Fist, but if someone dared to underestimate it, they would be instantly killed upon being hit.
However, Luo Xiu also found that this martial art had a minimum requirement of the Qi Sea Realm, Ninth Layer.
Martial arts are graded from one to nine. Grades one to three are suitable for Body Refining Martial Apprentices, grades four to six for Qi Sea Martial Artists, and grades seven to nine for Innate Martial Masters.
The higher the grade of the martial art, the greater its power, and the higher the requirements for the martial artist.
For example, the seventh-grade martial art Vajra Overlord Body Art normally requires only the Innate Realm, First Layer to practice, but this martial art requires the Innate Realm, Third Layer or above.
Luo Xiu, currently at the Qi Sea Realm, Second Layer, could practice fourth-grade martial arts. To practice more powerful fifth-grade martial arts, he would need to reach the Qi Sea Realm, Third Layer.
Luo Xiu picked up a fifth-grade martial art, and as he expected, it required a cultivation level of Qi Sea Realm, Third Layer or above.
"So many advanced martial arts, yet I can only look at them and not practice them."
Luo Xiu chuckled wryly, helplessly putting all these martial arts manuals away.
The next morning, he returned to the Outer Sect Base.
The place was still crowded, even those who had been eliminated came early to watch.
Currently, Luo Xiu, Xu Ping, and Wang Can were tied for first place.
The third assessment tested willpower, a concept that was elusive and said to be closely related to a martial artist's soul and state of mind.
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It was said that after reaching the Innate Realm, martial artists began to cultivate soul and mental power, and the state of mind was also related to whether a martial artist could overcome the Martial Dao Inner Demon in the future!
This was an extremely spacious area, allowing fifty people to be assessed simultaneously. The ground was engraved with numerous complex patterns, forming a large-scale formation, said to be inscribed by three fourth-grade formation masters from the Formation Master Guild, extremely valuable.
"Buzz!"
As brilliant light surged, the moment the formation was activated, the fifty martial artists within felt waves of impact originating from their soul and will.
Luo Xiu didn't know much about the state of mind, but ever since obtaining the Life and Death Pearl, his many experiences had subtly transformed his state of mind.
First, he clarified his cultivation goal of reaching the peak of the Martial Dao, and second, the tempering between life and death made him calm and unaffected by external influences, with a firm will.
During the impact on his will, he experienced layers of illusions, feeling as if he was in a mountain of knives and a sea of fire.
"What a realistic illusion." Despite the knives and flames, Luo Xiu remained calm, not feeling any pain.
However, around him, several people collapsed to the ground, screaming, drenched in sweat.
These people mistook the mountain of knives and sea of fire as real, feeling themselves being chopped into pieces and then burned to ashes, causing their state of mind to collapse instantly.
In fact, these people ranked in the top fifty out of hundreds, with decent talent, but their state of mind and willpower were lacking, without the tempering of life and death.
In a short moment, the illusion of the mountain of knives and sea of fire disappeared, replaced by the smell of thick smoke, and the surroundings turned into a large pot with boiling oil, where bodies were being fried with crackling sounds.
Such a horrifying scene caused many martial artists who had just endured the previous illusion to collapse instantly, rolling their eyes and fainting.
One illusion after another appeared, and unknowingly, the fifty martial artists undergoing the assessment experienced nine different illusions!
"Mengyao, this Luo Xiu is quite impressive, managing to withstand nine layers of illusions," the Lu Master commented with a smile, stroking his beard in the audience.
As the Outer Sect Master and a Martial Grandmaster at the Spirit Refinement Realm, Ninth Layer, the Lu Master had high standards.
His special attention to Luo Xiu was mostly due to him being his daughter's savior.
The nine layers of illusions were just the first stage of this top-tier fourth-grade formation, and many in the Outer Sect could withstand it.
However, among these fifty people, Luo Xiu's performance was already excellent, with half of them having fallen, and the remaining ones gritting their teeth, trembling, or grimacing, struggling to hold on.
"I wonder if this kid can withstand the mental impact after the nine layers of illusions?" the Lu Master mused with a smile.
"Father can wait and see," Lu Mengyao replied with a smile, full of confidence in Luo Xiu.
The Lu Master's brows furrowed slightly, sensing that his daughter seemed to regard Luo Xiu as more than just an ordinary friend.
At this moment, having passed the nine layers of illusions, Luo Xiu found himself in a desert.
"Boom!"
Luo Xiu instantly felt a mental impact rushing towards him, as if his head was struck by a hammer, causing dizziness, vertigo, and blurred consciousness.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."
In that instant, everyone else in the formation fell unconscious, including the two geniuses Xu Ping and Wang Can, as the mental impact was something even many Innate Martial Masters struggled to withstand.
Yet, in the field, only Luo Xiu remained sitting cross-legged, his body slightly swaying, but never falling.
Even the high and mighty Lu Master was moved by this scene, "This little guy is only fourteen, yet his will is so firm? At the Qi Sea Realm, Second Layer, he has a state of mind and willpower comparable to an Innate Martial Master. If he grows, he will surely achieve great things."
"Even I, back when I was at the Qi Sea Realm, Sixth Layer, couldn't withstand the mental impact at this stage," the Lu Master squinted his eyes, "No wonder Mengyao cares so much about him, but to match my daughter Lu Feichen, he needs to be even more outstanding."
In the second stage, the mental impact would continue to intensify, growing stronger and stronger, and only those at the peak of the Spirit Refinement Realm, Ninth Layer, could possibly withstand it all.