Everyone ate and drank for less than an hour, then each found a place to sit and feign sleep for a while.
About two hours later, Elder Jian came to the center of the square, looked at the compiled booklet, and announced loudly.
"The first part of the assessment has a total of two hundred thirty-eight participants. Everyone, enter the track now."
About half a cup of tea time later, once everyone had entered the track, Elder Jian immediately announced loudly: "The first part of the assessment officially begins."
As soon as the start was announced, many people shot out like arrows.
Liang Zi saw others running and was about to accelerate to overtake them when Lu Yun pulled him back.
Liang Zi asked, puzzled: "Why did you pull me back?"
Lu Yun smiled mysteriously and said: "There's naturally a reason for pulling you back. Do you believe me?"
Liang Zi rolled his eyes at Lu Yun and said: "Of course I believe you."
Lu Yun smiled and said: "If you believe me, then run at my pace. Look, aren't there many people running very slowly?"
Liang Zi looked and saw that it was true, then asked in confusion: "What's going on?"
Lu Yun smiled and said: "Your father doesn't hunt, so he probably doesn't know the Dao behind this.
I heard my father say that when hunting, you can't always kill the prey with one shot.
Sometimes, if the prey isn't hit in a vital spot, it will desperately try to run. If you chase it desperately at that moment, there's only one outcome: you'll be half-dead with exhaustion and lose the prey.
When you start to slow down your pace and gradually increase your speed, you can slowly wear down the prey. If you run desperately from the start, it will greatly injure your muscles.
Muscle energy is released quickly. When muscle energy is depleted, the muscles are already in a strained state, and it becomes as difficult as ascending to heaven to run again.
If you start running slowly, when your body adapts to the current speed, muscle energy will automatically adjust.
In fact, muscle energy is like a person's breathing, forming a cycle. The stronger the muscles, the longer you can run.
Of course, this explanation is something my father figured out on his own with no real basis, but it's actually very effective. Do you understand why I pulled you back now?"
Liang Zi listened, half understanding, but also felt it made sense, then flattered him with a smile: "Yun-ge, you're amazing, and you're the best to me."
Lu Yun smiled and said: "Since we came together, of course we have to help each other."
After running for about a quarter of an hour, Lu Yun and Liang Zi also saw those who had shot out quickly at the beginning, now ahead of them.
Those guys were still running with all their might, their faces grim, but their speed was getting slower and slower.
In contrast, those who had run slowly from behind were now accelerating, their faces not red and their breathing steady.
After about two quarters of an hour, Lu Yun and Liang Zi had reached the place where the small flags were planted. Each pulled out a flag and immediately ran back without stopping.
Lu Yun smiled and said: "Although our speed isn't fast, it's not slow either. We should have no problem passing the first stage of the assessment."
After about three quarters of an hour, Lu Yun and Liang Zi were halfway back on their return journey when they were suddenly blocked by two guys ahead.
They were two of the first few who had shot out, and they wanted to snatch the flags from their hands.
Those two clearly had never suffered since childhood, living lives of luxury as young masters.
They arrogantly said: "Leave the flags, and then I'll give you the address to come to my house for money.
We're buying your flags, so hurry up and scram."
However, Lu Yun also saw that they were already outwardly strong but inwardly weak.
He immediately gave Liang Zi a look, and the two instantly accelerated and ran off.
The two guys chased after them, threatening them, but Lu Yun ignored them.
Slowly, their voices became softer and softer until they could no longer be heard.
Liang Zi then gasped, saying: "I was so scared just now. Good thing Yun-ge, you have so many ideas, but they just threatened our families."
Lu Yun comforted him: "Don't worry. As long as we join the Green Dragon Gang, their threats don't matter.
Not only that, but they'll even have to come and apologize then, so we must enter the Green Dragon Gang."
Around three and a half quarters of an hour, they finally reached the finish line with their flags, and after verification, it was confirmed that they had passed the first stage of the assessment.
After drinking water, they each found a place to sit and rest, waiting for the remaining people who had not yet passed the first stage.
When it was almost four quarters of an hour, Lu Yun glanced around and saw about two hundred people still in the square, then sighed: "It seems that everyone who can come here is extraordinary."
Just after four quarters of an hour, Elder Jian stood up and said with full vigor: "The second stage of the assessment is now ready."
Many people hadn't even caught their breath yet and immediately complained in low voices: "They don't even give us time to breathe. This is going to kill us!"
Elder Jian, with his profound Internal Energy and sharp senses, was not one to indulge these youngsters, and said coldly: "The second stage of the assessment will begin in half a quarter of an hour."
Then, with a dark expression, he added: "If you feel you can't go on, you can withdraw now.
Our Green Dragon Gang is not a charity; we only want elites, not waste. If you can't endure this little hardship, what can you accomplish?"
At these words, the complaints instantly ceased. As soon as half a quarter of an hour passed, with Elder Jian's command, the second stage of the assessment officially began.
Lu Yun said to Liang Zi: "This stage isn't just an ordinary mountain climb, but we have to grit our teeth and persevere.
The person who set these rules is definitely a pervert. Just climbing this mountain alone wouldn't be a problem for most of us.
The key is that the first stage exhausted everyone's physical strength, and they're not even giving us time to rest before starting the second stage. It seems this stage can only be endured through sheer willpower."
This rocky mountain was nearly a hundred zhang high, with dense trees and steep slopes.
Each Disciple was followed by a Green-Robed Disciple to prevent any un-cleared wild beasts from harming people.
A quarter of an hour later, Liang Zi gasped: "Yun-ge, I can't go on, let's rest."
Both of them were sweating profusely from exhaustion.
Lu Yun quickly said: "No, we can't stop. If you rest when you're tired, after a few rests, you'll lose your fighting spirit.
At that point, you'll tell yourself you can't do it, and you'll never make it to the top. Just climb a little slower, but don't stop."
Then, the two supported each other and continued to climb upwards.
The Green-Robed Disciple behind them looked at Lu Yun and nodded secretly.
About an hour later, they had climbed about a small portion of the way.
The number of Disciples around them participating in the assessment was getting smaller and smaller. There were about a dozen people ahead of Lu Yun and his friend, and over thirty behind them, all gritting their teeth and persevering.
The others had either withdrawn or were too far ahead to be seen.
Two hours later, the two of them looked as if they had just been pulled out of water. By this point, they were relying solely on their will to keep going.
Looking at the mountain peak, Lu Yun smiled and said: "It's not far, we're almost at the finish line. Let's push a little harder."
Liang Zi gasped: "Yun-ge, I've never been this tired in my life. Which bastard made these assessment rules? He's a complete lunatic."
Lu Yun took a few harsh breaths and said: "He is indeed a lunatic.
This only means that practicing martial arts in the future might be even more tiring than this. There's no free lunch in this world; if you want to learn skills, you have to put in deep effort.
Now, we can only see about a dozen people in front and behind us. Perhaps the faster ones have already reached the peak."
Two quarters of an hour later, the two of them, dragging their heavy bodies, painstakingly took the last step to reach the mountain peak.
At this time, there were already twelve people who had reached the peak. They glanced at the two and then continued to rest.
The two found a random spot, sprawled out on the ground, breathing heavily.
Liang Zi panted: "Yun-ge, don't even mention it, I feel so light and comfortable now."
Lu Yun smiled: "It's true, I feel completely comfortable too."
Another two quarters of an hour passed, and dozens more people slowly made their way up. Just after three hours, Elder Jian arrived at the mountain peak.
He looked at the Disciples who had passed the assessment, about a hundred of them, and nodded with satisfaction.
Smiling, he said to those who had reached the peak: "Youngsters, you've all done very well.
I declare the assessment over. You on the mountain peak have passed the assessment."
Yay, everyone cheered with joy and excitement.
Elder Jian raised a hand to quiet them and said: "You all rest for a while, and then I'll take you to the Green Dragon Gang."
An hour later, everyone gathered at the place they had come from at the foot of the mountain. As for those who had not passed the assessment, each was given one tael of silver and sent back by carriage.
