Chapter 139

Lu Ren's reputation was not small, and he soon attracted the attention of many people.

If it weren't for the fact that he had only been practicing martial arts for a year or so, in the eyes of many, he would have had a chance to challenge the top three of the Martial Science Examination.

Even on the high platform, many martial arts hall masters cast their gazes toward Lu Ren.

"This child is passable. To reach the mid-stage of Qi Gathering Major Success in just over a year of practicing martial arts—he must be the most outstanding disciple of your Weiyuan Hall."

Ji Yun smiled, giving an objective evaluation.

"I heard this child has a bad reputation, is ungrateful, and for the sake of climbing to a high branch, abandoned the family that cultivated him," another Tongbi Fist Hall master said.

Lin Cheng was just about to nod, but upon hearing this, his face turned black immediately.

"People move toward higher places. I actually think this child is not bad. He can repay the debt of gratitude later, but the martial path cannot be delayed," Ji Yun said again.

On the other viewing stand.

Several masters of the Huang family were also at the scene.

"Is this child that Lu Ren?" Huang Xu was seeing Lu Ren for the first time.

Huang Ping nodded: "That's right, he is Lu Ren. Looking at this appearance, he has a great chance of ascending the dragon. It's a pity he was dug away by the Gu family; otherwise, my Huang family would have produced a genius who could ascend the dragon."

Huang Xu nodded: "He should be a helper cultivated by the Gu family for Gu Haoming to enter a martial arts sect. There is a great possibility he will ascend the dragon. After the examination ends today, you send a gift over. My Huang family ultimately has a debt of gratitude to him; if we have something to ask of him in the future, he won't stand by and watch."

In the arena, Lu Ren let out a light shout, his feet gripping the ground tightly. As the soil splashed, he lifted the two-thousand-jin stone lock.

His bulging muscles supported it, and his entire body's aura was surging.

"If I, Huang Linger, am to marry, I must marry such a talented person."

Huang Linger's gaze was fixed tightly on Lu Ren, full of admiration.

Sharp-edged and high-spirited—this was the ideal candidate for a husband in her heart.

"Hoo hoo..."

A series of crisp cracking sounds erupted from Lu Ren's entire body's tendons and bones. Like he had been injected with chicken blood, he danced the iron lock in his hand up and down; he enjoyed this feeling of being the center of attention.

In the end, he lifted the two-thousand-jin stone lock thirty-three times until he was exhausted, obtaining a C-middle evaluation.

Enthusiastic applause rang out all around. To achieve such a result after one year of practicing martial arts, his martial arts foundation could be called solid.

Although he was exhausted to the point of almost losing his strength, Lu Ren still braced himself and walked out of the arena. The Weiyuan Hall disciples and the people from the Gu family's line who were in the same group stepped forward one after another to offer congratulations.

"Too strong!"

Zhang Yong felt somewhat bitter.

Lu Ren had always been the goal he was chasing, but he only obtained a D-upper result, while Lu Ren was C-middle.

"It is formidable!"

Xu Yang also felt somewhat moved.

He had spent one hundred and fifty from the Zhang Si Shui Gang and Lin Cheng's three Qi-Benefiting Pills to raise his cultivation base to the mid-stage of Qi Gathering, and he had broken through earlier than Lu Ren.

How much silver must the Gu family have spent on Lu Ren to pile him up to this cultivation base? It was no wonder Lu Ren would rather bear the infamy of being treacherous than abandon the Huang family. I fear Lu Ren had long been designated as a follower for Gu Haoming to enter a martial arts sect.

Lu Ren and Yang Jun were in the same group. After Lu Ren retreated, the one who took the stage was Yang Jun.

He struggled to lift the one-thousand-jin iron lock, but after lifting it fifteen times, he was exhausted and didn't obtain any result.

"It's over!"

Yang Jun's face was ashen. He was already over eighteen years old this year, and two years later, he would have no chance to take the exam again.

He didn't even obtain a result, let alone ascend the dragon; he didn't even have the title of Martial Scholar.

Walking out of the arena in a daze and standing for a while, his gaze looked toward Xu Yang with resentment.

If it weren't for Xu Yang injuring him and delaying his time, he wouldn't have had this result.

Soon, several more Weiyuan Hall disciples took the stage.

Zhao Hui, D-lower!

Fang Xing, D-middle!

Xiong Kui, D-middle!

Yang Lin, D-middle!

Several people in succession were all C-middle, and only one, Gu Fang, obtained a C-middle result, which was still acceptable.

On the high platform.

"Brother Lin, the foundation of your Weiyuan Hall disciples in this session is generally not good," Ji Yun smiled.

His Gale Hall disciples had produced several D-upper results in succession.

Lin Cheng's expression remained unchanged: "It's just lifting locks. Don't you see everyone is conserving their strength? It's just that your Gale Hall disciples don't have enough brains, risking their lives to show off in the first hurdle. The second hurdle is the true test of strength."

"You just have a stiff mouth. My Gale Hall disciples will also have a brilliant performance in the second hurdle."

Just as he was speaking, Ji Yun suddenly discovered that the Weiyuan Hall disciple who had topped and mocked him that day was starting to take the stage.

Lin Cheng also saw that it was Xu Yang's turn to take the stage, and he immediately looked toward Xu Yang as well.

"This kid is too cautious; don't let him hide a hand in this kind of occasion."

He hoped Xu Yang could amaze everyone with a single feat and regain some face for him.

Xu Yang had broken through several times following Lu Ren, plus being abandoned by the Huang family, Huang Linger refusing the marriage, killing Hong Feng, and mocking Ji Yun—he had some fame in Qingyuan.

At this moment, as he took the stage, gazes were cast from many places.

He didn't care about these gazes. Walking to the side of the one-thousand-jin iron lock, he didn't hesitate at all, took a large step, and walked toward the two-thousand-jin stone lock.

Sun Tao's gaze sank: "Why would he choose a two-thousand-jin iron lock?"

Although Xu Yang's talent was not inferior to Lu Ren's, he ultimately didn't have Lu Ren's resources.

If he chose a one-thousand-jin iron lock, perhaps he could gamble for a "D-upper" result. Choosing a two-thousand-jin one, he might not be able to lift it twenty times, and he might not even get a result.

"Grandstanding, wanting to prove to everyone that you are not much worse than me?" Lu Ren let out a cold sneer.

Usually, everyone compared Xu Yang with him, and Xu Yang probably took it seriously. Lifting locks looked at the martial arts foundation, not the kind of thing you could just talk about; you couldn't add even a bit of water to it.

"Originally, there was still a chance to obtain the title of Martial Scholar, but now it's going to be a basket of water. Is a false reputation so important?" Gu Fang shook her head inwardly.

It was fortunate that she hadn't befriended such a self-important arrogant person who couldn't see the situation clearly.

"Xu Yang is too impulsive!"

Zhang Hong and Zhang Yong hadn't expected that Xu Yang, who had always been steady, would act foolishly at such a juncture, wanting to lift a two-thousand-jin iron lock.

Someone at the early stage of Qi Gathering could indeed lift a two-thousand-jin iron lock if they used all their strength, but what was the use if they could only lift it once or twice?

"Truly stupid!"

If the occasion hadn't been inappropriate, Yang Jun would almost have laughed out loud. At the mid-stage of Qi Gathering, there weren't many disciples like that in the Gale Hall. Why did this mud-legged boy think that after practicing martial arts for a year or so, he could reach the mid-stage of Qi Gathering?

"Although very handsome, he is inevitably overestimating his own strength. No wonder you, Linger, look down on such a person."

Huang Linger's few close girlfriends who had a good relationship with her had originally had some good feelings for Xu Yang, and they also began to doubt the matter of the marriage refusal.

But seeing Xu Yang go to choose a two-thousand-jin iron lock, they also felt that such a person who grandstanded would definitely be able to do something like going to the Huang family to propose marriage.

"It's fortunate that he didn't become a retainer for my Huang family back then; otherwise, my Huang family would also be losing face now."

Huang Xu listened to the sneers all around, feeling a wave of relief in his heart.

In all directions, anyone who knew the name Xu Yang didn't think well of him, feeling that he was grandstanding and overestimating his own strength.

If he had a backer like Lu Ren, being cultivated by a great clan like the Gu family to be a follower of a young master entering a martial arts sect, he could still look forward to it.

But everyone knew that he was only supported by the Qiu family, which couldn't even be counted as a family, and he was only an ordinary retainer in the Liu mansion; he simply didn't have enough resources to raise his cultivation base to the mid-stage of Qi Gathering Major Success in a short period of time.

"Bang!"

The soil under his feet cracked, and Xu Yang lifted the two-thousand-jin iron lock with both hands.

"A bit light."

Tempering his body with Diamond true qi every day, he actually didn't know exactly how much strength he had.

With this lift, he discovered that the two-thousand-jin iron lock was lighter than he had imagined. He felt that even if he went to lift a three-thousand-jin iron lock, he could obtain a C-lower result, and lifting it twenty times wouldn't be a problem.

However, he still put on an appearance of surging aura and boiling blood.

One!

Two!

Three!

Those who had been watching him were counting silently. The more they counted, the more everyone's expression changed; Xu Yang's state did not look at all like someone who couldn't lift it twenty times.

"It's over twenty times!"

Suddenly someone shouted, with a look of surprise on their face.

Being able to lift it twenty times meant that Xu Yang was not grandstanding, but truly had the cultivation base of the mid-stage of Qi Gathering Major Success. ===== CHAPTER 140 =====