However, when all was said and done, this was someone else’s business. Gu Zuo wasn’t so idle that he would manage all sorts of matters every step of the way — Otherwise, who would quarrel with whom today, who would fight with whom tomorrow, and who would do whatever with whom the day after that — How was he going to take care of his own affairs?
While it was quite pitiful that this teenager was schemed against, if he wasn’t able to pass through this hurdle on his own, even if he set foot upon the path of martial arts in the future, he would still crumble under the external forces of others. At that time, perhaps what they took would be his little life instead!
As a result…
Gu Zuo turned his head, and pretended like he didn’t know about it.
— They were still waiting for someone to come.
Gongyi Tianheng saw Gu Zuo acting this way, and didn’t ask further. Although he couldn’t utilize any psychic power, his hearing was sharp. He was able to listen to some words and sentences, which allowed him to infer the general situation.
He smiled, and kept Gu Zuo company as they continued to wait.
Because a prodigy had arrived, that armored martial artist naturally reported the matter swiftly. The teacher who had been invited by him also didn’t dare to neglect anything. Before much longer, the teacher hurriedly dashed over.
When he saw Tianheng and Gu Zuo, he first paid his respects: “Welcome, Prodigy Gongyi.”
After that, the teacher looked at Gu Zuo, but didn’t know how to address him.
Gu Zuo gave him a meaningful smile.
Tianheng spoke: “This is my adoptive younger brother, Pharmacist Gu.”
That teacher heard Tianheng speaking in such a serious manner, and his attitude towards Gu Zuo became a bit more prudent.
Soon after, Tianheng repeated their purpose to the teacher: “We came here this time because this is a place to nurture talents for the sect. Would it be presumptuous if we observed the recruitment situation?”
Although that teacher had already found out from that armored martial artist, he still hastily said: “This one dares not refuse. Prodigy Gongyi is a distinguished son of our sect, and thine arrival to this academy is a privilege. Please…”
Tianheng faintly smiled: “In that case, I will trouble this honored teacher to show us the way.”
Naturally, the teacher replied: “It’s no trouble at all.”
The first checkpoint tested one’s bone age, and wasn’t really that exciting to watch. The reputation of Ten Ultimates Sect was well-known, and the dignity of the Sect Offering Academy was naturally inviolable. Practically no one would dare to play any tricks in this place. Granted that members of some large organizations would come to scout the sect’s foundations, they wouldn’t be able to enter Ten Ultimates Sect while thinking they could hide in the Sect Offering Academy.
Though, everyone had their own means, and some even had secretive, tacit understandings… But that was another matter entirely.
As a result, in order to allow Ten Ultimates Sect’s arriving Gongyi Tianheng to see the best appearance of the Sect Offering Academy, the teacher led the pair straight to the location of the second checkpoint.
It was a test on one’s skills and talents.
When Gu Zuo raised his eyes, he saw several dozen gigantic, raised platforms that towered across the academy’s sprawling venue. Surrounding each platform was a dense congregation of people. In addition, these platforms were all set up differently to meet the assessment needs of the students of different ranks.
Anyone would become interested once they saw this.
The teacher started an introduction: “From left to right, the students are tested from lower to higher realms.” He guided the pair to the front of the first raised platform, “Have a look. Most of those who are tested here have just started training their bodies, and are at the Blood Refining Realm. Therefore, during the assessment, we place the most importance in testing their physical body and strength.”
On the raised platform were numerous stone blocks.
Many martial artists walked onto the platform one by one, and lifted those stone blocks to verify their own strengths.
This spectacle… For some reason, it seemed familiar.
Gu Zuo couldn’t help looking at Tianheng.
Tianheng smiled and said: “Does Ah Zuo remember that I was also given such a test when we were in the Cangyun Empire?”
Indeed. Gu Zuo remembered.
At that time, his big brother received an invitation to represent the Cangyun Empire to participate in the Hundred Countries Tournament. Because Tianheng acquired a position in the rankings, there was the subsequent matter of joining Qingyun Sect. Then, there was the opportunity to come to the Central Continent — It could be said that it was precisely due to his big brother’s formidable willpower and supreme determination to strive ahead that they didn’t miss the chance to grasp their present destiny.
However, back then, his big brother was just someone being tested. Right now, although his big brother wasn’t in charge of the assessments, his identity could directly influence the outcomes of these applicants.
It was just that his big brother wouldn’t be so senseless.
Gu Zuo’s line of sight returned.
The Cangyun Empire’s Qianjun Stone wasn’t as light as these stone blocks, but the people being tested back then weren’t as young as most of the people here.
Gu Zuo saw that there were as many as nine stone blocks. The first one was the smallest at one hundred kilograms. After that, every subsequent block weighed fifty kilograms more. When one reached the ninth stone block, it was no less than five hundred kilograms. Among the martial artists who were participating in the tests here, the majority were only eleven or twelve years old. Of course, there were also some even younger than ten. “Seniors” who were in their early twenties could also be seen. The realms of these martial artists were Blood Refining stage three at most.
At this time, a youngster with a bone age of nine years walked onto the platform. However, one couldn’t focus on his young age. He held himself as if he stood nearly eight feet tall, but his realm was at Blood Refining stage one. Not to mention his powerful, imposing aura, it could be seen that he was steady and unflustered… In the future, so long as this youngster didn’t fall halfway, he could probably make something of himself.
The youngster walked to the first stone block, and effortlessly lifted it into the air. After setting it down, he went to the second stone block and raised it up just as easily. Immediately following that was the third stone block, the fourth stone block… His strength was extraordinary, and he didn’t expend too much effort till the seventh stone block. When it came to the eighth, his forehead was slightly damp with perspiration, but he still succeeded. Finally, he reached the ninth. He used his hands to grasp that stone block, his cheeks were flushed red, and rivulets of sweat rolled down his fevered face!
One would only hear him suddenly give a shout: “Hah!”
In an instant, the veins on his arms bulged like young dragons, his muscles swelled up, and he quickly heaved that stone block up! He endured this pain and persevered for quite a few breathes of time before releasing his grip and tossing that stone block down!
At this time, the youngster’s bare upper-body was already drenched with sweat. Practically his entire body was soaked through.
Gu Zuo also exhaled at this moment.
He unexpectedly realized that, as the youngster was lifting the stone blocks one by one, he had been following along with bated breath. The youngster’s inspirational enthusiasm really wasn’t weak.
Tianheng chuckled, and patted his head: “Ah Zuo, snap out of it.”
Gu Zuo composed himself, and praised: “This youth has heaven-sent strength!”
Apart from those who had heaven-sent strength, people who didn’t practice martial arts usually only had enough strength to lift fifty kilograms. After practicing martial arts, the strength of Blood Refining stage one was usually around one hundred to one hundred fifty kilograms. As a person progressed, each advancement in their realm would improve their strength. It was just that the incremental increases were small at the Blood Refining Realm, moderate at the Bone Forging Realm, and large at the Meridian Condensing Realm.
Thus, the general limit of the Blood Refining Realm was five hundred kilograms.
However, at such a young age, this Blood Refining stage one youngster already possessed the strength of five hundred kilograms!
Moreover, after lifting that five hundred kilogram stone block, although he was completely covered in sweat, his physical body didn’t suffer any irreversible harm. This was enough to prove that he had excellent results in terms of physical training!
This kind of youngster was truly a rare sight.
Naturally, it wasn’t only Gu Zuo who voiced a line of praise. Other spectators were also discussing spiritedly. All of them were astonished. On the side of the platform, the teacher who was in charge of this assessment saw this achievement. He twirled his mustache, and smiled: “Pang Wei, you have the strength to raise five hundred kilograms. You’ve passed this assessment! Having entered the Blood Refining Realm, you’ll be assigned to a first-class residence in the Alpha Institute.”
When that youngster named Pang Wei heard this, no matter how mature he was, he couldn’t help beaming with a white, toothy smile: “Many thanks, honored teacher!”
After he finished speaking, he promptly jumped down from the elevated platform, and hugged a robust man on the side. That man’s physical body was clearly formidable. At this moment, the man’s hand, which was the size of a palmetto fan, clapped against Pang Wei’s back several times. The loud whacking sounds that echoed out would make listeners wince in pain. They would only think that this man wanted to slap the child’s internal organs out of his body. However, Pang Wei was used to this, and his smiling expression still glittered brilliantly.
Upon seeing this performance, other people would be vigilant, but more than that, they would be envious.
Anyone who was accepted into the Sect Offering Academy could enter many institutes for learning based on their realm. Houtian Realms had three large school districts, which were respectively responsible for the studies of the three major realms of Blood Refining, Bone Forging, and Meridian Condensing. Each of the school districts were further divided into four institutes: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. Every institute also had student residences that corresponded to a class rank. For example, the Alpha Institute corresponded to the first-class residences, and these dwellings were the student residences that had the best and most comfortable treatment.
Pang Wei quickly followed that robust man, and stood on the side to watch the other assessments on the raised platform. In Pang Wei’s area, there were some who already passed their tests and earned their rights to stand here. Currently, they were observing and chatting with each other — After all, they would be fellow classmates at the same institute before long.
Gu Zuo looked at Pang Wei, and couldn’t help saying to Tianheng: “Big brother, what relationship do you think that man with the muscular body has with Pang Wei?”
Tianheng slightly raised an eyebrow: “Based on his facial features, there’s somewhat of a resemblance. Their bloodlines should be closely related.”
Gu Zuo quietly said: “That Pang Wei has heaven-sent strength, and in my opinion, that man’s strength also isn’t low…”
Tianheng smiled: “Ah Zuo means to say that all of their family members might be like this?”
Gu Zuo silently nodded his head: “Possibly.”
Tianheng understood Gu Zuo’s meaning, and pinched his cheek: “This elder brother understands Ah Zuo’s thoughts. Pang Wei, this person, is someone I will remember. Let’s see how he will advance in the future while at the academy. If there’s a use, I will send someone to communicate with him. Then, we’ll take in the whole family.”
Gu Zuo suddenly had a thought. From this suggestion, his big brother listened attentively, and made the appropriate considerations. Suddenly his heart felt sour and soft. He didn’t know how to describe his own state of mind. He only blinked his eyes, and kept his mood under control.
After that, he gave a great, big smile: “Let’s look around this place for a while longer. Maybe we can find lots of talents. At that time, we’ll store up on manpower with some more observations!”
Tianheng had a smile on his face: “I’ll listen to Ah Zuo’s every word.”
Gu Zuo’s face warmed up. He wasn’t willing to think about it too deeply to prevent himself from misunderstanding his big brother’s intentions. He tugged on Tianheng’s robe sleeve, and calmly said: “Then, let’s keep watching the next ones, big brother.”
Tianheng’s voice was soft: “Okay.”
After looking around here for a while, they could see that there were indeed many young martial artists who had excellent foundations. The performances at this platform were also out of the ordinary. Merely, among these people, another person as gifted and strong as Pang Wei didn’t appear.
As Gu Zuo watched, he only felt that, although most of these Blood Refining Realm martial artists were twelve or thirteen years old like those from the Cangyun Empire and Qingyun Sect, their qi and blood were denser and their physical bodies stronger. One could imagine what would happen once they broke through in the future. Within equivalent realms, they would certainly be capable of sweeping away their peers from the Peripheral Continents!
Of course, most of these students couldn’t be compared to the exceptional geniuses and prodigies nurtured within some large organizations. Because it was normal for those people to be trained differently since childhood, one couldn’t mention both sides in the same breath.
However, while the entire Central Continent was full of geniuses, ordinary martial artists were the ones who mainly comprised this landmass. In addition, the robust foundations and powerful strengths of ordinary martial artists were the backbone of the Central Continent’s overall might. They were also the source that could provide a steady stream of geniuses with natural talents and excellent aptitudes.
With Pang Wei’s outstanding performance in the beginning, because no one else surpassed him later on, Gu Zuo’s interest began to wane.
Tianheng saw this, and said: “Ah Zuo, let’s go look at the next area.”
Gu Zuo suddenly perked up when he heard this: “Okay!”
During the date, anything his big brother said was fine with him!
…Although, this wasn’t anything like a date at all.
The teacher was silently waiting on the side the entire time. It was only when the pair asked something that he would deliberately speak.
At this moment, he noticed that they wanted to proceed towards another platform. He showed the way once more, and stated: “The second raised platform is for Bone Forging Realms. This time, besides having to test their strengths, we also need to test their fighting skills.”
Thus, on the second platform, apart from stone blocks whose material looked different, every two applicants would battle one another with their own skills after their strengths were assessed. This allowed people to take a look at their battle awareness.
The third platform assessed Meridian Condensing Realms, and they were tested on three items: Strength, battle, and comprehension. With regards to strength, they still had to lift stone blocks. For comprehension, they needed to understand a martial discipline from a scratched-up stone tablet. Meanwhile, in terms of battle, they wouldn’t be fighting another person. Rather, they had to deal with a starving wild beast.
Neither weightlifting nor the power of understanding would truly harm oneself. But if an applicant had a moment of carelessness when dealing with a starving wild beast, there was a chance of being heavily injured — It was just that, under the protection of the teachers, they wouldn’t be killed.
When Gu Zuo and Tianheng walked in front of this elevated platform, what they saw was a wild wolf striding its way out of a cage. Its stomach rumbled in hunger.
This starving wolf was lean and bony, but its eyes were filled with an ominous glint. It hadn’t fought with anyone yet, so none of its remaining energy was used up. This was the time when it was at its most ferocious.
T/N: Thanks for the corrections, Charysa.
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