Chapter 506: Jade Plaque

The martial test site was a small grove cleared behind the Heposuo government office, a few mu of yellow earth leveled by soldiers in half an hour.

Seeing Liang Qu step out from the shadow beneath the office eaves, the bustling crowd instinctively parted to make a path.

The villagers of Yixing Town were bold: "Master Liang, are you also boarding the King's ship?"

"Not boarding. Just coming up to have a look."

Liang Qu rolled up his sleeves, revealing the bloodstone arm armor on his left arm; today he wore no official robe—Long Dragon Lingxiao had transformed into a black robe with red patterns, his bearing majestic.

Even if people from other counties didn't know Liang Qu, merely by his posture and appearance, they could tell a man of weight had arrived.

"Quick, quick! Master Liang's about to act! Clever ones, make room!"

"Exactly! How can Master Liang wait in line!"

The Yixing villagers in the training ground, hearing Liang Qu was about to touch the pillar, erupted in excitement, shouting for others to clear space.

After half a day of martial testing, the queues before the three white marble pillars had twisted over half a li in the sweltering heat.

Those at the front fell quickly; those at the back pressed tightly—basic dynamic equilibrium.

"No need." Liang Qu waved his hand. "I'll queue like everyone else."

"Master Liang! There's a spot right here for you!"

At the eastern pillar, a dark-skinned youth jumped up to wave, his own queue having only three people ahead.

"That doesn't seem right…"

"Perfectly right! Kid, you've queued here three times since yesterday morning—this one more won't hurt!"

"Three times?" Liang Qu paused, sizing him up. "I've seen you before—you're from the Chen family, right? Why come so often? Insomnia at night?"

The crowd caught the teasing and burst into laughter.

"Chen Mingchao, that's my name—I'm kin to Elder Chen!" Chen Mingchao, recognized, grew excited; hearing the latter half, he blushed, scratching his head. "I figured, the more I touch, the more used to it I'll get, maybe I'll last longer—and who knows, maybe I'll board the ship and bring glory to my ancestors."

"Ah Shui's popular, isn't he?" Ke Ko Wenbin crossed his arms and teased.

"Local boy, born and raised—naturally favored."

"Good!"

Liang Qu fished in his pocket, tossed out a silver cash, and waved his hand.

Chen Mingchao's face lit up; he stepped aside, yielding the spot.

A few eyes flickered with unusual glints.

Ran Ran Zhongshi summoned a soldier from outside the training ground: "Go to the Tianbo Trading Association and buy some blue blood dye—mark everyone who touched the pillar, no retests allowed."

"Yes!"

All eyes in the training ground focused.

Liang Qu stood tall and broad, nearly one meter ninety, his shadow looming over the first three in line; they felt immense pressure, hands trembling before even touching the pillar, sweat pouring from their foreheads, glistening oily.

"Passed! Passed! Someone passed! A quarter of a quarter-hour—bronze medal! Bronze medal!"

A cheer suddenly erupted in the crowd.

Everyone turned to look.

At the neighboring white marble pillar, a thin youth had ashen lips, sweat streaming as if pulled from water, yet he clung to the pillar without letting go, every muscle trembling, twisting, as if enduring some unspeakable torture.

"An ordinary person?"

Lu Gang assessed the opponent's blood qi strength.

Not yet entered the Skin Barrier—undoubtedly ordinary; his clothes had patches, and he showed no signs of scholarly merit.

Xu Xu Yue was astonished: "First one since the martial test began—rare indeed."

"Where's this kid from?" Xiang Fang Su grew curious; he called over a soldier. "Ask around if anyone nearby knows him."

"He's from Nanxun Town."

The soldier bowed in reply.

The youth in the field released his grip and collapsed.

Barely exceeded a quarter-hour by half a breath.

Bronze was the limit.

A soldier beneath the white marble pillar stepped forward, caught the youth, dragged him to a chair, poured him a bowl of iced mung bean soup, and, with Ran Ran Zhongshi's approval, slipped him a bronze waist plaque bearing a swirling "Xu Yue" character.

The youth's hand trembled, spilling much of the mung bean soup, yet he clutched the bronze plaque tightly.

Opportunity is rare.

Those with extraordinary perseverance will always have a baseline wherever they go.

So far, no scholarly title, no breakthrough—just a hard-luck soul.

Either his parents are gravely ill, or he must support a host of younger siblings, or he's suffered some grave injustice.

Liang Qu's thoughts shifted slightly; he withdrew his gaze, reminded the soldier to record the time, confirmed accuracy, then reached out and pressed his palm to the white marble pillar.

"Master Liang's touching it! He's on!"

A loud cry startled the villagers, who turned their attention back.

Hum!

Silver light blazed fiercely; Liang Qu showed no reaction, yet suddenly felt his body grow light, his spirit rising, drifting into a hazy realm.

Above and below, waves of shimmering light surged.

In an instant.

Countless piercing blades slashed against his flesh!

Roar!

The Dragon and Tiger energies spiraled out, actively guarding their master.

Gold and silver light flowed like water, competing to crush the blades!

The cicadas in the grove screamed desperately.

Beneath the office eaves, Ke Ko Wenbin sat on a small stool, scooping watermelon with a spoon, spitting out black seeds.

"Come on, come on, guess—what medal will Ah Shui get? Gold? Silver? Bronze? Which one?"

"Different realms correspond to different difficulties," Xiang Fang Su stroked his chin. "For Ah Shui, he should at least get a silver medal."

Ran Ying nodded in agreement: "Silver medal guaranteed."

"Seven to three—gold and silver."

They weren't fools.

Liang Qu never hid his cultivation—he broke through realms like eating and drinking, never once uttering the word "stuck."

He surged ahead, leaving all others far behind.

In addition, he had condensed two True Gangs, achieved sudden enlightenment while riding the wind, and grasped the Spiritual Form upon his first observation of the phenomenon.

He deserved the title of peerless talent.

The King of Xu Yue didn't establish the martial test to find ultimate prodigies.

Ultimate prodigies, once they show even a hint of brilliance, are swiftly taken as disciples by high-level masters; few remain among the common folk. Picking two or three to board the ship would be meaningless.

A few cats and dogs aren't enough to even form a framework.

What they truly sought were talents with potential to become the backbone—occasionally, a couple of Master-seeds would be a bonus.

Ran Ran Zhongshi glanced at Lu Gang and Xu Xu Yue beside him: "You all are Liang Qu's senior brothers—what medal do you think he'll earn?"

"Gold medal!"

"Gold medal!"

Lu Gang, Xu Xu Yue, Hu Qi, and others spoke in unison, certain and resolute.

Ran Ran Zhongshi smiled: "Same sect, indeed—you trust him far more than we colleagues do."

Xu Xu Yue looked up at the sky: "You've seen the Master's youngest disciple, who raced past his seniors, climbing from ninth to fifth in two years—you wouldn't hesitate for a moment."

Lu Gang added: "I think he could reach fourth. Third isn't out of the question."

An arrow pierced Xu Xu Yue's heart.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Bronze medal! Bronze medal!"

Shouts erupted across the yellow earth training ground.

Testing slowed on the other two pillars; all eyes turned toward him.

On the sundial, the shadow of the gnomon clearly passed the quarter-hour mark, confirming Liang Qu had reached bronze medal standard.

Two additional silver lines glowed on the white marble pillar.

Yet not a single bead of sweat appeared on Liang Qu's forehead—a stark contrast to the previous youth.

Effortless.

The locals remained calm, looking down on the astonished outsiders.

"Master Liang has seen His Majesty himself—what's a bronze medal?"

"Forget Master Liang—I'll say this: even his river otter could touch the pillar and earn a bronze medal!"

Seen His Majesty?

"Hmm?" Ran Ran Zhongshi tilted his chin. "Ah Shui, when did you go to the capital?"

"Rumor," Xu Xu Yue scoffed, flicking his lip. "That brat came back from flood control last year and paraded the Emperor's verbal decree every day. Country folk don't understand—they twisted it, passed it around, until it became 'he met His Majesty face-to-face and received the decree personally.'"

The void realm.

The piercing blades intensified, doubling in force.

The golden light was forced to contract.

"A bronze plaque?"

Liang Qu felt no passage of time, yet he sensed the silver light's power doubling—surely entering a new stage of resistance.

The Golden Body alone could barely withstand it; the silver radiance scraping his skin brought bone-chilling pain, forcing him to unleash the Azure Dragon True Gang.

Golden and silver light clashed, with a streak of deep blue emerging between them.

Golden and blue intertwined, reclaiming over half the dominance, stabilizing his stance.

"I told you the silver plaque was a given."

Xiang Fang Su had sharp eyes.

A few beads of sweat glistened on Liang Qu's forehead, but none had yet formed into droplets.

Still in the exertion phase—far from exhaustion.

Survive half a watch, and the silver plaque is assured!

Time ticked away second by second.

The cicadas screamed loudly.

Ke Ko Wenbin had eaten his half-watermelon down to a thin layer of pale red rind.

"Silver plaque! Silver plaque!"

Someone shouted.

The entire white jade pillar blazed with silver radiance, glowing half its length!

Third stage!

Survive this, and the gold plaque is yours!

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths!

"He's holding! Today's gold is coming!"

An old man shouted.

After eating melons for so long and watching so much spectacle, the villagers had worked out their own pattern.

Touching the pillar: if you cross a stage and don't fall within three breaths, you've held your ground—and stand a good chance of enduring!

The Wu Wu Shengzhen has been here so long, yet no gold plaque has ever been won!

The entire training ground buzzed with chatter; more and more people gathered, not just villagers, but also youths from powerful clans.

"Brother Liang is truly formidable," said Weng Weng Shaoping, closing his paper fan.

"If he's this strong, brother, why not introduce me?" The girl reclined on the long chair, lifting one foot to reveal her white socks.

Weng Weng Shaoping ignored her.

Zhai Zhai Yunsu and Inspector Bian Inspector Bian Yuanchong exchanged glances, both slightly startled.

Zhang Xu was right—only one man from the Heposuo had appeared, yet he already had a shot at gold!

Could it be…

"Lin Yanjiang, hurry to Shanghu Academy and fetch Master Zhang. Tell him the martial trial is about to produce gold!"

Lin Lin Yanjiang resented Zhai Zhai Yunsu's order.

All were boarding candidates, yet someone acted as if giving orders.

What could he do? He was a bronze plaque; they were a solid silver.

The ship has single cabins; rumor says upon reaching Ningjiang Prefecture, they'll assign private courtyards—at least two courtyards deep!

"I'm going."

"Huh!"

The silver radiance surged like a tide.

The Golden Tiger Body, Azure Dragon True Gang, and White Ape True Gang all erupted simultaneously!

Golden, blue, and white light wove together, forcibly resisting the crushing will.

Liang Qu had no doubt: if he withdrew his True Gangs, he would suffer agony as if being sliced by a thousand blades!

His spiritual will was being shattered; his body could not suppress the pain—it had no upper limit.

"Obtaining the gold plaque shouldn't be hard…"

Liang Qu sensed the intensity—he had stabilized his stance; holding for another half watch was no challenge.

What changes would come after a full watch?

Two True Gangs: Golden Tiger and Azure Dragon.

Not yet at Liang Qu's limit!

The Cloudborne Immortal Isle had not yet appeared, and the Wan Sheng Wansheng Baoyuan still held the technique 【Cun Shen】, naturally arising at its third realm.

【Cun Shen】 stored the 【Chuanzhu Zhan Jiao】.

Liang Qu rarely used it.

Because before 【Cun Shen】 could be exhausted, 【Hua Ling】 usually resolved the difficulty first.

If 【Hua Ling】 couldn't solve it, 【Cun Shen】 wouldn't help either—and would only drain his strength, cutting short 【Hua Ling】 prematurely.

"How long has Liang Shui been holding?"

Zhang Xu mounted Jueying, rode through the forest path, and saw the training ground packed with crowds. He stopped a soldier.

The soldier recognized him and replied: "Almost a watch."

The moment he spoke—

A roar like mountain and sea erupted from the training ground, the crowd surging like an ocean.

"Gold! Gold! Gold!"

"It's gold! It's gold!"

"A full watch—gold plaque!"

"Truly!"

The young man reclining on the chair, still dazed, clutched his bronze plaque, eyes filled with envy.

Unyielding willpower still couldn't match true genius.

"There really is a gold plaque!"

Inspector Bian Inspector Bian Yuanchong and Zhai Zhai Yunsu scrambled up a tree to watch, hearts pounding.

Gold plaque!

The boarding privileges far surpassed those of silver.

Never mind other things.

Bronze and silver holders had no right to bring attendants; gold holders could choose one servant to accompany them!

On the ship, gold holders already lived with their own beautiful maidservants—slender figures, envied by all outsiders!

"I wonder if he can take that final step…"

Zhang Xu watched Liang Qu, pushed through the crowd, reached the center of the arena, and reached into his robe, touching his small plaque.

In the entire prefecture, gold plaques were rare.

The Xu Yue Wang had traveled northward, stopping at many places; at most, he'd ever awarded six gold plaques in one stop, with only two boarding, usually no more than a handful.

After three days of testing, he couldn't claim perfection, but he could discern something.

Yet after gold, further changes occurred—everyone assumed them to be unavoidable forces ending the trial.

Only a few close confidants of the Xu Yue Wang understood.

Not just that!

"Is it… over?"

The void heaven and earth was hazy; Liang Qu gasped heavily.

He'd expected another trial after gold—never imagined it would end abruptly.

As regret welled—

BOOM!

Thunder roared and rumbled; a violent wind surged; the pale white void turned gray, dark clouds blotting out the sky!

Huh?

Liang Qu stood in the gale, robes flapping, then felt a piercing killing intent surging endlessly from the chaos.

He didn't hesitate.

He fiercely activated 【Cun Shen】!

The Azure Dragon became a coiled pillar; the White Ape embraced it; white clouds from the Cloudborne Immortal Isle poured down like a river!

Then thunder cracked again—a silver-white spear suddenly appeared in the sky, wrapped in endless lightning, piercing the heavens and hurtling toward him!

The silver radiance sliced through the sky, cleaving the clouds in two, scattering them in torrents.

Bone-chilling cold descended from above!

Liang Qu remained unmoved, stepped forward fiercely, clenched his palm—faintly, a spear began to form.

The White Ape, over three zhang tall, gripped the dragon pillar, eyes blazing like torches, every hair flowing like water, swirling endlessly.

Though a white ape, it radiated the bearing of a divine general; behind it, a blurred figure emerged, subtly merging with it.

The cold pierced his third eye.

The White Ape swung its massive pillar!

In an instant.

The phantom sharpened; the divine general raised his hand.

Heaven and earth flashed into black and white!

The spear hurtling toward them suddenly seemed to become a child's crude sketch, formed of two black lines…

The coiled-dragon pillar crashed down, like an eraser wiping away portions of the two black lines.

The lines composing the spear snapped, twisting like earthworms.

Instantly.

Shattered into ten thousand fragments!

The forest was thick; the cicadas, drowned by the crowd's cheers, dared not chirp.

To outsiders, the silver patterns flowing along the entire Hanbaiyu pillar flared to life, bursting with light!

Yet at its most brilliant moment, it ceased abruptly, fading into silence.

The light receded from top to bottom, leaving not a trace.

The Hanbaiyu pillar seemed to have regressed into an ordinary upright pillar.

Liang Qu opened his eyes, released his grip weakly, and the soldiers behind promptly caught and supported him.

Strange.

Inspector Bian Inspector Bian Yuanchong and Zhai Zhai Yunsu exchanged glances; they had never seen such a scene.

After the gold medal, shouldn't the person be instantly repelled?

Was it that… gentle?

"Congratulations, Lord Liang, you have passed the martial examination," Zhang Xu stepped forward from the crowd and bowed.

"Mr. Zhang!"

Inspector Bian Inspector Bian Yuanchong and Zhai Zhai Yunsu leapt down from the tree branches to greet him.

Silver and copper medals were distributed by the Heposuo; the gold medal required Zhang Xu to present it personally.

The townsfolk stretched their necks, eagerly awaiting.

Even if one never saw a gold medal, a few taels of gold were rare in a lifetime—worth a look.

"Wait, Liang Ashui isn't boarding the ship—he won't get a medal!" Ke Ko Wenbin suddenly spoke up.

"Damn, I almost forgot," Xu Xu Yue smacked his forehead.

"No! Liang Shui didn't board, but he still gets a medal."

Zhang Xu pulled a small square plaque from his sleeve and held it up before them.

Unlike the glittering metallic sheen of gold, silver, and copper, the plaque glowed with a soft, subdued luster.

A… jade plaque?

Inspector Bian Inspector Bian Yuanchong and Zhai Zhai Yunsu froze.

Inspector Bian Inspector Bian Yuanchong guessed: "Could it be that those who don't board don't get gold medals, but jade ones instead?"

"Is that right?"

"That's incorrect," Zhang Xu interrupted them. "It's true that those who don't board get no medal—but the gold medal itself is the jade plaque. Whether you board or not, all are granted one. This was ordered long ago by the Prince of Xu Yue."

The gold medal itself is the jade plaque?

How could there be a level above gold?

Inspector Bian Inspector Bian Yuanchong and Zhai Zhai Yunsu were stunned.

Four tiers: copper, silver, gold, jade?

Liang Qu traced the jade plaque with his fingers.

Lamb's-fat white jade, like the Dragon Girl's skin.

"Mr. Zhang, how much of a discount could I get on this jade plaque at the Heavenly Fleet Trading Guild?"

Zhang Xu froze.

After a moment.

Zhang Xu smiled.

"I'll go ask the guild's manager."