Chapter 0203: Display of Strength

Chapter 0203: Display of Strength

The crowd knew only that Qin Yun was at the Seventh Rank of the Martial Body, and his true abilities were unknown to them, as they hadn't witnessed his victories over Qi Yu and Qin Zhengfeng firsthand.

Rumors about Qin Yun's strength circulated widely. Some claimed he had the power to defeat those at the Eighth Rank of the Martial Body, while others insisted he had won by luck, and still others believed he relied on an undisclosed demonic technique.

All three theories had their supporters. Now that Qin Yun was undergoing the assessment, the students could finally see the true extent of this prominent figure's strength with their own eyes!

Ever since the incident at the Tian Qin Hall, Qin Yun's reputation had grown even greater. After all, he had defeated both Qi Yu and Qin Zhengfeng, both geniuses at the Eighth Rank of the Martial Body.

Moreover, he possessed the terrifying Heavenly Lion Arm!

Qi Yu had once been a well-known figure in the Star Profound Martial Academy, and he had many cronies. Now that Qi Yu had been crippled, those cronies could no longer indulge in lavish outings with him, so they deeply resented Qin Yun.

"This assessment will definitely expose Qin Yun! The only reason he's so strong is probably because his father gave him a temporary strength-enhancing pill, which only worked for a short time in the Tian Qin Hall."

"Poor Prince Qi Yu was tricked by such a person!"

"He's only sixteen and doesn't have talent like Xiao Yuemei. He has lost his Martial Soul and Inner Essence, so how could he possibly defeat Qin Zhengfeng and Qi Yu, both at the Eighth Rank of the Martial Body? Just think about it logically, he must have used some shady methods."

Those close to Qi Yu were all influential people. They spoke loudly, and no one dared to contradict them.

In a neighboring line, Yu Zhen sneered, "See that? It's not just me who doubts your abilities; most people don't recognize your strength either!"

Qin Yun, however, remained indifferent. He could tell that the majority of them were just jealous of him. After all, he had married Xiao Yuelan, and in the Star Profound Martial Academy, he also had the stunning Meng Feiling protecting him.

Hum!

The sound of the bell echoed as Meng Feiling struck the large bell, gaining the pass to freely enter and leave the Star Profound Martial Academy!

She had also heard the many rumors about Qin Yun and felt secretly angry. She hoped that Qin Yun would perform well in the upcoming assessment.

Now it was Yu Zhen's turn!

As soon as Yu Zhen appeared, his flashy clothes and the beautifully sheathed sword caught the attention of many.

"Isn't that Yu Zhen from the Yu family? The Yu family from Tian Qi, that's the Tiger Soul family. It's said that every direct heir of the Yu family possesses a powerful Tiger Martial Soul!"

"His Martial Soul is the Wind Tiger Martial Soul, a Platinum-grade one!"

"Judging by that, his speed must be outstanding!"

The crowd began to discuss and marvel at the sight. After all, a Platinum-grade beast soul was something most people could only envy.

In the middle of the open square, several people stood at a starting line. An elder shouted "Begin," and Yu Zhen, along with a few other students, shot forward like arrows released from a bow!

In just a brief moment, Yu Zhen and another middle-aged man stood on the hundred-meter line, indicating they had passed the first round.

During the dodging test, an elder standing fifty meters away from Yu Zhen picked up a fist-sized stone and threw it forcefully. Sometimes one, sometimes several, or even a dozen stones were thrown.

With a proud look, Yu Zhen easily dodged the stones. When the elder finished throwing all hundred stones, Yu Zhen passed the second round effortlessly!

His success in the first two rounds earned him cheers from the crowd, which only increased his arrogance.

In the third round, the square grew quiet as everyone watched Yu Zhen.

Yu Zhen jumped lightly, landing in the middle of the large bell, and delivered a punch to it. However, instead of the deep resonating sound of the bell, only a faint thud sounded.

Yu Zhen failed to ring the bell!

This left everyone speechless in shock!

However, in everyone's eyes, this was considered normal, because among those undergoing the assessment at the seventh level of the Martial Body stage, half of them were unable to make the great bell ring.

This large bell was also a spiritual weapon that could absorb a strong force from a martial artist. If the force was not strong enough, it would be impossible to make it ring.

"Instructor... can you give me another chance? I didn't give it my all just now!" Yu Zhen, sweating profusely from embarrassment, asked awkwardly. Before, the students watching had constantly praised him, but now he couldn't pass the assessment.

The elder replied coldly, "If you were fighting a Demon Beast and held back, the result would be certain death! No second chances. Step down!"

As Yu Zhen saw the disdainful looks from the crowd, his heart burned with shame and anger. His face flushed red, he walked out of the assessment area but did not leave. He wanted to watch Qin Yun's assessment!

When Qin Yun stepped up, just like Yu Zhen, he attracted much attention, with many watching closely.

"Begin!" The elder shouted, and Qin Yun and several other students dashed forward like arrows released from a bow.

Qin Yun's speed didn't seem as fast as Yu Zhen's, but he still reached the 100-meter mark within a second. Among these students, only he managed to do so; the others fell just short.

The instructor in charge of judgment had excellent eyesight and could tell even if someone missed by a little.

"Qin Yun passes the speed test!" the instructor called out.

Qin Yun also breathed a sigh of relief. Of the three rounds, he was most concerned about the speed test. His speed wasn't particularly fast, and he had almost failed just now.

Before, many people had been confidently saying that Qin Yun wouldn't pass the first round, but now they were silent!

It was known that among students at the seventh level of the Martial Body stage, only half could pass the assessment. Most were eliminated during the speed test.

Next, Qin Yun proceeded to the second round of assessment, which was dodging stones thrown by an instructor. This was a piece of cake for him.

The dodging test was also an assessment of perception and reaction abilities, requiring quick judgment of the stone's path and rapid body coordination.

His spiritual power was very strong, so he could quickly sense the path of the incoming stones and dodge in time.

One hundred stones were thrown in succession, and Qin Yun dodged them all with ease!

He passed the second round of assessment!

These two rounds were a rigorous test of foundational skills. Without sufficient strength, one would surely be eliminated.

Now came the third round, the one Yu Zhen had failed.

Yu Zhen clenched his teeth and watched. If Qin Yun passed this round, he would lose face completely. He had previously belittled Qin Yun, saying he wouldn't pass the assessment.

"Qin Yun, you must give it your all! This kind of assessment only comes once a year. If you fail this time, you'll have to wait until next year! If you don't get the pass, you can't leave the Black Tortoise Academy for a year unless you decide to leave," Meng Feiling shouted lightly from the side of the field.

She was also concerned that Qin Yun might miss this opportunity by holding back.

Everyone nodded silently. If one failed the assessment, they would be confined to the academy for a year, unable to gather resources, which would significantly slow their cultivation.

The Black Tortoise Academy's approach was also for the students' benefit. Outside, Demon Beasts roamed freely, and venturing out without sufficient strength was a death sentence.

Now, areas where humans were active had been mostly taken over by Demon Beasts, meaning the human population would decrease in the future, and talented individuals would become rarer. Therefore, major martial academies, including the Blue Spirit Star Palace, restricted students from leaving unless they had sufficient strength and passed the assessment.

Qin Yun took a deep breath and clenched his left fist. He was going to use the power of the Heavenly Lion Arm.

"I need to gain profound points quickly, and to do that, I must get the pass that allows me to leave freely. Otherwise, I won't be able to reach the eighth level of the Martial Body stage anytime soon."

Seeing Qin Yun's serious expression, everyone became attentive.

Now, it all depends on this strength test to determine if Qin Yun is as weak as the rumors suggest.

This kind of test is the best way to accurately assess a warrior's true strength, because no one knows exactly how much force is needed to make the great bell ring. So when striking the bell, one must use their full strength!

Yu Zhen said, "Hmph, putting on a pretense. Even I couldn't pass this test, so he won’t stand a chance! Those who pass the test have usually been cultivating the Golden Bone for a long time. Someone like me, who just broke through, has a weak foundation and naturally couldn't make the bell ring."

"Yu brother is right. That’s exactly the reason. Geniuses at the seventh level of the Martial Body stage are few and far between. So if we don’t pass the test, there’s no need to lose heart. With more cultivation of the Golden Bone, we will surely pass."

"Great minds think alike!"

The other students at the seventh level of the Martial Body stage who failed the test all agreed with Yu Zhen. They were merely trying to save face.

Qin Yun controlled the Purple Gold Thunder soul bead of the Heavenly Lion arm, absorbing the inner energies of the Yin-Yang Inner Element and the Shock Inner Element, quickly converting it into Diamond Inner Energy. Then he rushed forward quickly, jumped up, and delivered a powerful punch to the great bell...

As he jumped, the sleeves of the Heavenly Lion arm bulged, emitting faint purple currents of electricity. The fierce wind from his punch, like the roar of a heavenly lion, was mighty and fierce.

This was the thunderous might of the heavenly lion! It was just as terrifying as when Qin Yun battled Qin Zhengfeng!

When his fist hit the great bell, lightning and fire burst forth, with electric snakes writhing wildly, appearing fierce and terrifying!

Boom—Buzz—

Qin Yun's punch shattered the great bell, producing an explosive sound, followed by the distinctive buzzing of the great bell!

The crowd’s ears rang from the explosion. They stared in shock at the cracks emitting flames from the great bell!

A great bell that many couldn’t budge even slightly was shattered by Qin Yun's single punch. This level of strength, even students at the eighth level of the Martial Body stage might not be able to match!

The students finally witnessed Qin Yun’s terrifying power, and they felt that the Qin Yun before them was far more frightening than the Demon Beasts outside!

Qin Yun's punch deeply shocked all the teachers and students present, especially Yu Zhen, who had previously mocked Qin Yun. His mouth dropped open in shock!