Chapter 135: Chapter 130: Selection (Part 2)

"I am disciple Zhang Zhiyuan. I specialize in the Harmonizing Element Skill, and my techniques are the Flowing Cloud Palm and Following Wind Force."

Perhaps because Kong Cang’s performance had been so exceptional, the second disciple to take the stage was visibly nervous and lacked confidence. During his demonstration, his palm strikes were sluggish and his body technique was sloppy.

The five elders shook their heads inwardly as they watched. However, out of courtesy, they patiently waited for him to finish.

"Next, Zhao Lin."

After Zhang Zhiyuan left, Elder Gold Stone picked up a wooden tablet and announced the name.

Zhao Lin steadied himself, strode into the demonstration area, and clasped his hands in a salute. "I am disciple Zhao Lin. My main cultivation is the Sea Return Skill, and my techniques are the Stone Roar Fist and Turtle Shell Force!"

Upon hearing this, looks of understanding crossed the five elders’ faces. The Sea Return Skill was one of the Xingyun Sect’s main cultivation techniques, belonging to the Water Department.

However, the other two techniques were somewhat strange.

The Stone Roar Fist was a very common fist skill, and by no means exclusive to the Xingyun Sect. Few within the sect chose it, though it was quite popular among practitioners in smaller, external martial arts schools.

Turtle Shell Force was a good technique, but it was incredibly troublesome to practice. Just opening the acupoints on the chest and back was immensely time-consuming. It was a technique that was difficult to learn and master.

Never mind the Wuxiang Institute—even in the Inner Courtyard, there were few disciples who could achieve any real proficiency with the Turtle Shell Force.

’How on earth did Zhu Huaishan teach his disciple?’

Of course, they didn’t know that Zhao Lin had only entered the Qi Realm a few months prior.

Back then, Zhu Huaishan had felt that Zhao Lin often put himself in dangerous situations, so he had him learn the Stone Roar Fist, a technique that was easy to pick up quickly.

Furthermore, Zhao Lin’s strength and speed far surpassed that of ordinary people, allowing him to unleash considerable power even with a common fist skill.

After his introduction, Zhao Lin activated his Sea Return Skill. He sank into a bow stance, raised his right elbow, and shot his left fist out from his ribs, executing a move from the Six Harmonies Fist: "Dragon Swings Its Head."

The five elders exchanged glances, their expressions stirred.

The Six Harmonies Fist was the foundational fist skill of the Xingyun Sect; nearly every disciple practiced it. Yet, the same set of moves could produce vastly different results depending on the user.

Zhao Lin’s foundation was solid. Although there were minor flaws in the details, his body technique was like lightning, the edge of his fist was chillingly sharp, and his movements carried a murderous air.

’You probably couldn’t produce an effect like that without having killed someone,’ they all thought, being seasoned veterans.

As Zhao Lin threw his punches, he channeled the power of the Stone Roar Fist. Midway through his routine, he slowed his pace, activated his Turtle Shell Force, and covered his chest and back with a layer of qi-forged armor.

Elder Water Mirror’s eyes brightened. He saw at a glance, to his great surprise, that Zhao Lin had actually achieved some proficiency with his Turtle Shell Force.

For someone of Zhao Lin’s age, reaching this level of mastery was quite remarkable.

One breath was about three seconds, making twenty breaths a minute. Estimating his time was up, Zhao Lin stopped, deactivated his technique, and left the demonstration area.

"Yao Lirong."

Elder Gold Stone announced.

After her, the remaining five disciples took their turns. The entire demonstration process was over in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"Please wait outside. The results of whether you will be admitted to the Wuxiang Institute will be announced shortly."

Elder Gold Stone announced.

The eight disciples, their hearts filled with apprehension, exited the main hall and gathered in the courtyard.

"Congratulations, Brother Kong. You’ll definitely get into the Wuxiang Institute this time!"

"Haha, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We should wait for the official results."

"Brother Kong, your strength is plain for all to see. If even you don’t get in, then the rest of us are surely doomed."

"Sigh, I’ve got no hope. I was so nervous just now I even forgot my signature moves..."

With the assessment over and the results out of their hands, everyone relaxed and began to chat among themselves.

However, no one paid any attention to Zhao Lin. In their eyes, while their own chances were uncertain, Zhao Lin was only at the First Layer of the Qi Realm and his skills weren’t particularly impressive. He definitely had no hope, so they didn’t bother speaking to him. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Zhao Lin, however, didn’t see it that way. He was quite satisfied with his performance and hadn’t noticed anything amiss in the elders’ expressions.

’The next round is the real test—I’ll have to defeat two outer courtyard disciples at the Third Layer of the Qi Realm.’

’When I fought bandits in the past, I always used heavy weapons like a bronze staff or a Judge’s Brush. That helped close the gap between our cultivation realms.’

’This will be the first time I’ve fought a higher-realm martial artist bare-handed.’

Meanwhile, in the main hall, the five elders were fiercely debating the selection.

"Kong Cang’s temperament is steady and his qi is profound, similar to the techniques of our Earth Department. He should join our department."

The elder from the Earth Department said calmly.

"What do you mean, ’steady temperament and profound qi’? His aggression is like fire, and his attacks are ferocious! He’s a perfect fit for my department," Elder Huoyu immediately retorted.

Elder Gold Stone raised a hand to stop them. "Right now, we’re discussing who gets into the Wuxiang Institute. We can talk about department assignments later."

He glanced around at the others. "So, out of the eight candidates, who do you think should get in?"

Age and cultivation level were just the basic requirements. They also had to consider innate talent, performance in the demonstration, and compatibility with the Xingyun Sect’s techniques.

Elder Water Mirror was the first to speak. "I choose Kong Cang, Han Yang, and Zhao Lin."

The elder from the Earth Department said, "I agree."

Elder Huoyu jutted out his chin. "Kong Cang and Han Yang."

Elder Cyan Wood said, "I agree."

Elder Gold Stone nodded. "It seems we’re all in agreement on Kong Cang and Han Yang. But this Zhao Lin..."

Elder Water Mirror interjected, "Brother Jin, Zhao Lin is practically one of our own. His techniques are a perfect match for the Xingyun Sect, and his innate talent is upper-mid grade. That’s a rare find!"

Before Gold Stone could speak, Huoyu snorted. "If upper-mid grade talent is enough to get into the Wuxiang Institute, then what’s the point of this assessment? His cultivation is only at the First Layer of the Qi Realm. He’s simply not qualified!"

Water Mirror’s expression soured. "Don’t forget, he’s only seventeen, and he’s already made decent progress with the Turtle Shell Force. He’s clearly worked very hard."

Huoyu sneered. "First you bring up his talent, now his age? If he had time to practice the Turtle Shell Force, why didn’t he use it to raise his cultivation level?"

Elder Gold Stone shook his head and sighed. The two of them belonged to the Water and Fire departments, respectively. He didn’t know if it was a coincidence or simply a clash of personalities, but they argued every time they met.

"Stop arguing! State your reasons."

Elder Water Mirror picked up Zhao Lin’s wooden tablet and tapped it.

"According to sect rules, because Zhu Huaishan established his school outside of Yan Province, he was only permitted to pass on the most basic medicinal formulas, like the ones for the Vajra Pill and Qi Replenishing Soup."

"You probably don’t understand how difficult it was for him to train a disciple like this. Many of the disciples currently in the Wuxiang Institute, if they had been trained externally from a young age, would have struggled to even enter the outer courtyard!"

"Doesn’t that prove Zhao Lin is a talent worth cultivating? What’s the harm in making an exception just this once?"

Gold Stone nodded after hearing this and turned his gaze to Huoyu.

Huoyu fell silent for a moment before saying with a serious expression, "I admit, Zhao Lin’s innate talent is quite good."

"However, you all saw his Six Harmonies Fist. How was it? He’s been practicing for two years at most! He hasn’t even opened all ten of the required acupoints for the Stone Roar Fist."

"Why not let him temper himself in the outer courtyard for a year? He can build a better foundation and try again. If we let someone at the First Layer of the Qi Realm into the Wuxiang Institute, our standards will be far too low!"

Elder Gold Stone found that both of them had made valid points, leaving him momentarily conflicted.

"What is there to argue about? Don’t we have rules for this exact situation?"

The elder from the Earth Department suddenly spoke up. "If a candidate meets all the requirements except for their cultivation realm, they must defeat two outer courtyard disciples at the Third Layer of the Qi Realm consecutively. Only then can they be granted special admission into the Wuxiang Institute."