Chapter 23
Translator:
Lordbluefire
Editor:
Lordbluefire
Back on Xia Qingchen’s grandfather’s 60th birthday celebration, this person’s son, Li Yaozong had kept on challenging him and had been badly beaten up by him.
If he was the one hosting the repeat examination, then he’d probably avenge his son, creating obstacles for his examination.
“The repeat examination shall start. The first test is the inner force examination.” He pointed to the south of the training ground.
100 copper balls were laid out neatly, and there was quite a steep hill 100 feet away.
“Use all of your strength and push the copper ball up the hill.”
The copper balls were extremely heavy, and if one wasn’t at the fourth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage, it’d be very hard for them to push the copper ball up the hill’s steep slope.
“Get prepared and head up in order of your registration sequence!” Li Weifeng threw an indifferent glance toward Xia Qingchen.
Everyone headed over in succession.
There was a number pasted on every copper ball.
Xia Qingchen was the 20th person to register, and he found the copper ball with the number 20 on it.
“You’re that Xia Qingchen who had fainted from fright?” A surprised voice rang out next to him.
Xia Qingchen turned his head and saw a muscular-looking young man assessing him from top to bottom, not hiding his ridicule. “You must be careful this time around and don’t faint from fright again. Haha.”
When the other participants heard what he had said, all of them couldn’t help but start laughing.
Xia Qingchen wore a composed expression, saying indifferently, “Pay attention to yourself.”
The muscular young man pointed to himself and smirked. “You probably don’t know who I am. Let me introduce myself. I’m Cheng Wei, someone at the sixth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage. Don’t put me on the same level as a good-for-nothing like you.”
Xia Qingchen was unmoved and merely showed a faint smile.
In his eyes, someone at the sixth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage was probably not much stronger than an ant.
“Everyone, get into position! Start!” At this moment, Li Weifeng gave the command.
Everyone started to circulate their inner force, putting their hands onto the copper ball. Upon the command, all of them started to push their copper ball.
Xia Qingchen circulated his inner force in his four major meridians and pushed hard.
However, his copper ball didn’t budge in the slightest.
All the other participants had already pushed their copper balls to a distance of one to two zhangs.
Only Xia Qingchen stayed on the spot, not moving.
The Vice Headmaster, who was backstage, frowned slightly. “He can’t even manage to push a copper ball? This person probably hasn’t even opened up his martial meridians.” Although the copper balls were heavy, martial practitioners at the first radiance-level would be able to push it somehow.
The two Consecrators looked at Xia Qingchen and broke out laughing. “It’s Xia Qingchen again? He had fainted in the midst of the last examination, and now, he can’t even move the copper ball? Is he planning to make a complete fool of himself?”
“So it’s him?” The Vice Headmaster was struck by understanding, shaking his head in disappointment. “When the martial pavilion conducts the repeat competitions in the future, don’t invite people like Xia Qingchen anymore.”
At the training ground.
Cheng Wei was in the lead, pushing the copper ball for a distance of four zhangs.
He turned and saw that Xia Qingchen was still standing where he was. Hence, he couldn’t help but laugh and say, “Do you want me to wait for you?”
All the other participants started laughing.
Xia Qingchen seemed as if he hadn’t heard anything and just assessed the copper ball silently.
There was an obvious crack at the very bottom.
If he wasn’t mistaken, someone had done something to his copper ball, filling it with a tremendous amount of heavy metal. This caused the copper ball to be two times heavier than the ordinary copper balls.
Therefore, it was impossible to move it with the inner force of someone at the fourth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage.
Fortunately…. Xia Qingchen wasn’t at the fourth radiance-level.
“Number 20, if you still don’t move, we’ll take it that you’ve given up!” Li Weifeng called out from the distance.
His eyes were filled with concealed coldness. How could Xia Qingchen still dare to dream of getting into the martial pavilion after having seriously injured his only son?
Wishful thinking!
Xia Qingchen didn’t show any signs of wanting to push the copper ball. He just slowly took ten steps back.
Suddenly, he accelerated and charged forward. When he charged up to the copper ball, he kicked out.
At the same time, he mobilized the inner forces from his five major meridians and 50 minor meridians, displaying an inner force that far surpassed that of one at the sixth radiance-level.
He had also secretly performed the first form in the [Four-Forms Ancient Scroll], the Fire Phoenix Illuminates the Sky.
The prowess produced was tremendous!
The copper ball was like a leather ball, kicked up into midair by Xia Qingchen.
Cheng Wei had taken a great lead above the others with his strong body and was about to push the copper ball to the top of the mountain!
“Haha, I’m sorry everyone. I’ll be taking first place!” Cheng Wei laughed out loud.
Bang——
However, at this moment, a huge shadow brushed past his face.
Then, a stifled sound rang out. Something smashed onto the hill, causing it to tremor.
With a stiff expression, he saw a copper ball lie steadily on the top of the hill.
“Liu Yiyi, is it you?” Cheng Wei immediately looked back toward Liu Yiyi, someone with a stronger cultivation than him.
However, he was stunned to see that Liu Yiyi’s copper ball was still being pushed by her.
If it wasn’t her, then who was it?
What kind of powerful inner force must one have to be able to kick the copper ball over?
“First place, Number 20!” the referee announced in a loud voice.
Number 20? Wasn’t that Xia Qingchen?
Cheng Wei was stunned, wondering, “Did the referee see the wrong person?”
However, when he turned back, he saw Xia Qingchen shaking off the dust on his clothes leisurely.
There was nothing in front of him. His copper ball was nowhere to be seen.
It just happened that Xia Qingchen looked up and met his stunned gaze. Xia Qingchen sighed in disappointment and said, “I let you get a head start, but you still can’t get first place. This is really… sigh…”
His words caused Cheng Wei to feel infuriated.
“You’re cheating!” he said.
He wasn’t the only one suspecting this. The people backstage and outside the training ground also had the same suspicions.
At the backstage…
“Given the copper ball’s weight, one would at least need to be at the seventh radiance-level of the minor constellation stage to be able to kick it flying, right?” The Vice Headmaster’s brows raised slightly.
He wouldn’t find it strange if Liu Yiyi and Cheng Wei were able to achieve this.
However, it was impossible for Xia Qingchen to do so.
The two Consecrators were unable to understand this at all. Given Xia Qingchen’s performance from three months ago, it was impossible for him to be able to do this.
Zhen Zhilan was the only one who smiled and looked at Xia Qingchen, her beautiful eyes gleaming.
“Go and check the copper ball.” A hint of light flashed past the Vice Headmaster’s eyes.
He suspected that someone had bribed a member of the martial pavilion, making the copper ball lighter.
One of the Consecrators got up, wearing a cold expression. “Hmph, to think that someone dares to cheat in the martial pavilion’s examination. That Xia Qingchen is too audacious!”
If it was found that Xia Qingchen had really cheated, then what awaited him would be a serious punishment.
The Consecrator quickly headed up the hill under everyone’s gaze. He tried to hold up the copper ball with one hand.
He had thought that the copper ball used for cheating would be very light and that he wouldn’t need to use his inner force. He expected that he’d be able to lift it with just his physical strength.
However, he failed to pick it up.
“Hmm?” The Consecrator appeared surprised. He was only able to pick it up after using his inner force. He then placed the copper ball down and returned to the backstage.
The Vice Headmaster seemed displeased and said, “It’s clear that there’s cheating, right?” The Consecrator nodded.
“Send down my orders and capture Xia Qingchen. Punish him seriously as a warning to the rest!” The Vice Headmaster slammed down on the table, giving out the command furiously.
If he didn’t give out a serious punishment, how would they be able to uphold the martial pavilion’s prestige?
“Hold on!” the Consecrator quickly said. “It’s true that there’s cheating. However, the one who had cheated wasn’t Xia Qingchen, but someone from the martial pavilion.”
Uhh——
The Vice Headmaster and the other Consecrator looked toward him, stunned.
“What do you mean?” the Vice Headmaster asked.
The Consecrator looked toward Xia Qingchen, his eyes filled with perplexity as he said, “It’s true that something has been done on that copper ball. However, it hasn’t been made lighter, but instead, is two times heavier than it should be!”