Chapter Seventy-Four: The Second Round

A dazzling red light suddenly burst forth from the surface of the testing stone. Yet, at the very instant the red light appeared, the glow began to fluctuate, and within the red radiance, a faint trace of gold shimmered through.

This was the only gold to appear in the entire first round of the assessment, and it belonged solely to Yang Ze—he alone displayed a touch of golden light. Though not pure gold, it was still strikingly obvious amid the crowd.

All eyes in the plaza were fixed on Yang Ze; without question, his talent was the greatest among them.

Sitting off to the side, Yang Yuanzhen looked deeply uneasy, as though he were seated on a bed of needles. The more outstanding Yang Ze became, the more it slapped him in the face. Others were ignorant of the truth and would simply assume he’d exiled Yang Ze for selfish reasons.

Withdrawing his hand from the testing stone, Yang Ze took his place behind Yuan Heng. His expression remained calm, betraying no pride at having revealed such remarkable talent.

As Yang Ze stood there, Lu Qing and Xu Wenwu, off to the side, regarded him with undisguised apprehension in their eyes.

The remaining candidates each stepped forward to be tested in turn. Unfortunately, only two more passed the assessment, and both merely produced white light; the rest yielded black or grey.

Yang Ze glanced around and saw that less than half of the participants had passed the first round. The pass rate seemed reasonable, but this was only the beginning. With two more rounds to come, how many would remain at the end?

As Yuan Heng concluded his group’s tests, Wang Yi on the other side had also finished. Their results were slightly better, but even then, only twenty-four had passed.

“Combined, not even fifty have passed the first round from both sides. The admissions at Wuyang Martial Institute are truly rigorous,” Yang Ze mused inwardly. It seemed this assessment was no simple matter.

Yuan Heng put away the testing stone and addressed the nearly twenty people behind him. “You have all passed the first round. Next, you will face the second trial.”

As he spoke, the group saw Wang Yi leading those who had passed into the large tent, prompting several to exclaim in surprise.

“What are you making a fuss about?” Yuan Heng said impatiently. “They are different from you. They need only pass two rounds of assessments. The final round is held inside, overseen by the Institute’s masters. For you, the second round will suffice out here.”

The crowd quieted under his rebuke, and Yuan Heng continued, “Very well, let us proceed to the second round. The first tested your talent; the second will test your strength.

“This round is simple. Do you see that large stone over there?” He pointed to an area at the edge of the plaza, where a section had been cordoned off. Within stood a massive stone and various contraptions.

“When your turn comes, you must attack the stone with all your strength and leave your mark upon it. If you succeed, you will have passed the second trial. But be warned: reaching the stone is not so simple. You must first traverse obstacles. Only by overcoming them will you have the chance to leave your mark.

“I won’t waste words. Follow me.” Yuan Heng led the way, bringing the group to the edge of the designated area.

The cordoned-off ground in the plaza was reserved for this test. Now that he approached, Yang Ze could see that at the center of the field stood a large stone.

A single glance told him this stone was anything but ordinary.

The earth around it had been excavated, leaving the stone alone in the center of a large pit. At the edge of the pit stood a plank of wood, serving as a platform. Ahead of the plank, a series of wooden stakes had been driven into the ground. To reach the stone, one would have to step across the stakes; otherwise, they would fall to the bottom of the pit.

The group lined up once more. This time, Yang Ze was placed last, with Lu Qing ahead of him, and Xu Wenwu before Lu Qing.

The three most talented candidates were all at the back, while the rest were scattered before them.

“First one, step up!” Yuan Heng called, beckoning the first candidate forward.

This young man had only shown ordinary white light in the first round and was merely at the initial stage of Qi Induction. Being called first left him weak at the knees.

Yuan Heng, seeing him hesitate, frowned and unceremoniously shoved him into the arena.

With a shout, the young man landed on the wooden plank at the edge of the pit, clearly flustered.

“This trial tests both your strength and your courage. You may be scions of noble families or sons of officials, but you have chosen the path of martial cultivation. Without courage and adaptability, talent alone will not take you far.

“The rules are simple: step across the stakes and leave your mark on the stone. If you fall, you fail!” Yuan Heng explained.

Yang Ze studied the field. The gaps between the stakes were sizable—anyone lacking in agility or lightness skills would find it difficult to cross.

Clearly, this round tested both swiftness and strength; only those with both would pass.

The first candidate rose shakily and took his first step, leaping to the first stake. Yet, as soon as his foot landed, his body wobbled precariously. Desperate, he lunged for the next stake.

Yuan Heng shook his head in disappointment.

Yang Ze, at the end of the line, had already foreseen the outcome. With such poor balance, the boy would not last long.

Indeed, after barely crossing seven of the twenty stakes, the candidate lost his footing and toppled into the pit.

Expressionless, Yuan Heng had two constables haul him out and escort him away—the first to fail, and so quickly.

“Don’t think crossing stakes is easy. You lot have lived soft lives and rarely honed the basics. This test of fundamental skills will show how many of you can persevere.” Yuan Heng sneered, beckoning the second candidate forward.

The second fared little better, failing before halfway. One after another, the candidates tried their luck.

It was not until the fifth attempt that someone finally made it to the stone. With all his might, he struck a blow, leaving only the faintest of marks—just enough to scrape a pass.

After him, the others stepped forward in turn. By the time Xu Wenwu took his place, only six had succeeded.

Xu Wenwu passed with little difficulty, leaving a shallow palm print on the stone.

Lu Qing followed, also leaving a faint print and passing as well. Now, only Yang Ze remained.

Under the watchful gaze of all present, Yang Ze strode forward to the plank. Only then did he truly understand how the others had felt standing there.

Perched above the pit on a narrow plank, with nothing but air beneath, it was easy to lose one’s balance.

But for Yang Ze, accustomed as he was to fighting for his life, such imbalance meant little. He pushed off from the plank and landed steadily on the first stake.

His movements were measured and composed—each step was precise and sure, without the slightest hint of instability. Several onlookers exchanged glances, their expressions shifting.

Crossing stakes required true skill; without years of hard practice, one simply could not keep steady. Even Lu Qing, for all his ability, had wobbled a few times. None could match Yang Ze’s composure.

“This young man has stirred up trouble in the martial world and is rich in experience. His abilities have been honed through real battle. For him, this trial is hardly a challenge,” Yuan Heng thought to himself, fully aware that this round posed little threat to Yang Ze.

Twenty stakes later, Yang Ze landed upon the last one. Poised on his right foot, he channeled his inner energy into his fist and unleashed a punch at the great stone.

The stone’s surface quivered and shook before falling still. Where his fist had struck, a clear imprint was left—far deeper and more distinct than any before him.

The crowd’s eyes widened in disbelief. Where others had left only faint traces, Yang Ze alone had carved a perfect fist mark into the stone.

“His strength must be at the very peak of Qi Induction,” Yuan Heng thought, his estimation of Yang Ze rising for the first time.

Yang Ze withdrew his fist, leapt back across the stakes, and landed lightly at Yuan Heng’s side.