Chapter 131: Unleashing Power! Qin Ruobing's Shock!

People kept arriving on the field one after another; before long, the entire arena was filled with strongmen from each county.

The Qingning Prefecture governs twenty‑seven counties, and more than seventy people participated in this assessment.

Most of them had just reached the Transcendent realm, while some were in Blood‑Transformation Completion.

Boom—boom—boom…

Just as Lu Zhangsheng surveyed the crowd, the stone gate of the Celestial Tower ahead slowly rose.

The whole tower radiated a faint golden glow.

A black‑clad elder leapt onto the platform ahead.

He then spoke slowly: "All assessors on the field will be divided into four batches to enter the Celestial Tower; the tower spirit will grade their talent levels based on the warriors' performance."

"Talent is divided into Inferior, Normal, Excellent, Outstanding, Genius, Heavenly Pride… each rank further splits into Upper, Middle, and Lower; reaching a certain degree allows one to pass the assessment…"

"Once you enter, you must give it your all."

The elder's voice was booming, his eyes held restrained divine light, and a powerful aura spread throughout the arena.

Lu Zhangsheng heard this, glanced at his Waist Badge, which bore the character "Four."

The badge had been issued to everyone by the DemonSubduingOffice a few days earlier.

It seemed he belonged to the fourth batch, giving him a chance to observe others' performance.

According to the elder's description, each talent tier likely had a huge gap.

"I just don't know what talent level I am."

He felt a hint of anticipation.

As soon as the elder finished speaking, a large crowd poured out from below the stage, rushing toward the central Celestial Tower.

Han Mingxuan happened to be among the crowd.

Before long, groups of people passed through the stone gate one after another, entering the tower.

Boom—boom—boom…

As the stone gate slowly closed, the assessment officially began.

At that moment, the Celestial Tower ahead emitted a faint radiance, and a massive projection appeared on its surface.

It displayed everyone's information—names, ages, and warrior realms—all present, except that talents had not yet manifested.

Han Mingxuan stood prominently in first place, his late Transcendent strength being unmatched.

Strangely, most of those below were anonymous, their cultivation mostly early Transcendent or Blood‑Transformation Completion.

The onlookers' eyes flickered at the sight.

"Han Mingxuan is indeed arrogant, showing nothing at all."

"He probably intends to seize first place in one go, using FuduDianZhu's resources to push toward Blood‑Transformation Completion and Innate."

Everyone began to chatter, their faces full of envy.

Zhou Meier smiled, turned her head toward Qin Ruobing and said, "Qin Hallmaster, do you dare to bet a round?"

"Bet what?"

Qin Ruobing's eyes turned cold.

She had been trying to save face, but the people she brought this time were not as strong as Han Mingxuan.

He wouldn't foolishly agree.

Zhou Meier clearly guessed Qin Ruobing's intention, smiled sweetly, and said again, "Your subordinates are mediocre; even if this is the stake, you wouldn't accept. Bet whether Han Mingxuan can take first—dare?"

"The stake is ten Heavenly Crystal Stones."

Qin Ruobing heard this and raised her willow eyebrows.

This fox beauty makes a bold move; those Heavenly Crystal Stones aren't easy to obtain.

Even the FuduDianZhu receives only one per month, which can greatly accelerate one's cultivation progress.

"As long as anyone else takes first, even if Zhou Hallmaster loses, think carefully."

She spoke calmly.

"No problem, I can afford to lose; it's up to whether Qin Hallmaster dares to bet."

Zhou Meier wore a confident expression.

Her subordinate Han Mingxuan had a seventy‑percent chance of taking first; there were a few late Transcendents on the field, but none as strong as the opponent.

"Fine, I bet."

Qin Ruobing snorted coldly.

She thought there must be hidden strong ones on the field; in previous trials, the chance that an anonymous strong one took first wasn't zero.

Lu Zhangsheng quietly watched the bet between Qin Ruobing and Zhou Meier, his thoughts stirring.

Zhou Meier was destined to lose this time.

Han Mingxuan was not at all feared.

Let alone there might be hidden strong ones.

Often the one who jumps most enthusiastically isn't the strongest; many strong ones prefer a low profile.

The crowd also sensed the clash between Qin Ruobing and Zhou Meier.

They all turned their heads.

A plain‑looking man still stood in a corner, as if immersed in his own world.

Zheng Yufan ignored the surrounding clamor; having lain in wait for years, he had already grasped a true insight, and today was the moment to seize first and fully soar.

Han Mingxuan was not at all feared.

While the crowd debated, the Celestial Tower finally changed inside.

A group of people's talents all began to refresh.

【61】 From worthless to Normal.

Han Mingxuan, however, leapt ahead, directly rising to the Excellent level, and continued to improve.

Looking at the information ahead, everyone on stage exclaimed in surprise.

Challenger: Han Mingxuan

Age: 23.

Realm: Post-Embryo Late Stage.

Martial Dao True Intent: Gold Radiance (Initial Entry).

Talent level: Excellent (Medium).

Currently challenging the fourth layer...

"This person is truly formidable; at such a young age they actually grasped a hint of Martial Dao True Intent."

"This is the key to the path to Innate; according to such talent, breaking through to Innate before thirty-five also holds hope."

The crowd below looked at the information ahead with faces full of awe.

Even Tong Yuhua and Zhu Houyu, along with a few others, felt a hint of defeat.

To begin grasping True Intent at the Post-Embryo Late Stage is simply astonishing.

Lu Zhangsheng, however, had a blank expression, not even a ripple in his heart.

The initial-level Martial Dao True Intent hasn't even reached one-tenth; naturally he doesn't deem it worthy of notice.

It is said that the Heaven-Reaching Tower of this prefecture city has thirty-six levels in total, and the first sixteen levels are challenged by those below Innate.

As for the latter twenty levels, very little information has been passed down.

In the prefecture city and the Capital City there are also higher-grade Heaven-Reaching Towers.

With the passage of time.

The information on the Heaven-Reaching Tower is also quickly refreshing.

Most people are merely at the Ordinary (Upper) level, with a few having just reached the Excellent level.

Only Han Mingxuan has been rapidly rising all the way.

Excellent (Upper), Supreme (Lower)...

Zhou Meier looked at Qin Ruobing with a smug expression; according to this trend, reaching the Genius level also holds some hope.

Even the crowd below began to anticipate.

Genius-level individuals appear only rarely, once every few years; anyone whom the Tower Spirit selects as a genius, as long as they don't fall midway, all have cultivated to Innate, even higher.

Half an hour later.

Han Mingxuan's talent level finally stopped rising, staying at Supreme (Upper).

Those on the scene, seeing this, also felt some regret.

"It seems this examination has no genius appearing."

Zhou Meier also felt victory was within her grasp.

Genius-level individuals appeared once in the previous examination; this time it is impossible for them to appear.

She is sure to win.

Thinking of the spoils soon to come, she was quite delighted.

This time she can not only heavily suppress her old rival, but also make him feel pain for a while.

Qin Ruobing's expression also turned somewhat gloomy.

Supreme (Upper) talent is nearly at the peak.

Even she does not believe this examination can again produce a genius level.

Thinking of this, she suddenly felt some regret about betting with the other party.

A moment later.

"Boom—boom—boom..."

As the tower gate slowly rose, a line of people walked out from within the tower.

Han Mingxuan had his hands behind his back, a face full of arrogance.

After this examination, I'm afraid I'll become famous throughout Azure Tranquility Prefecture.

With his talent, the path to Innate also holds great hope.

Many people around showed flattery, making way.

Han Mingxuan returned to his original spot, completely ignoring the few people brought by Qin Ruobing.

Zhu Houyu and a few others all turned red in the face, a sense of helplessness rose in their hearts.

The gap is really too great.

Lu Zhangsheng's expression remained as calm as water, beginning to wait quietly for the later examination.

"Boom—boom—boom..."

As the stone gate rose again, the second batch of examinees entered the field.

After more than half an hour, this batch of examinees walked out; the entire batch didn't even have a single Supreme talent.

Immediately after, the third batch of examination began.

Soon after, the examination ended again.

In this examination, there was also only one Supreme (Middle) talent, namely Xu Peng.

After this batch, only the last batch remains.

"Hehe..."

Zhou Meier also laughed smugly. In her view, the last batch cannot possibly have anyone reach the Genius level.

"Hmph..."

Qin Ruobing's face turned cold, and she directly turned around and walked away.

Soon she passed through the crowd and disappeared above the square.

Zhou Mei'er saw this and smiled even happier, and she wasn't afraid of the other party defaulting on debt.

A moment later.

The fourth batch of examinations began again.

A group of people hurried toward the front stone gate, and Lu Zhangsheng closely followed.

Zheng Yufan also blended into the crowd, utterly unnoticeable.

"Hum..."

When Lu Zhangsheng stepped into the Heaven-Reaching Tower, the surroundings suddenly changed dramatically.

The void was filled with flowing light and colors, brimming with a dreamlike aura.

Ahead in the void also displayed its own information.

Heaven-Reaching Tower, first layer.

Challenger: Lu Zhangsheng.

Age: 22.

Martial cultivation: Embryonic Transformation Late Stage.

Talent: not displayed.

True Intent: none.

……

A dense mass of information was displayed ahead.

Then, a clear prompt sound rang in the ears.

"Do you wish to conceal your name?"

"Conceal."

Lu Zhangsheng lightly nodded.

He unhesitatingly chose to conceal it; although this would eventually be exposed, with the decisive battle imminent, he decided to temporarily conceal it.

At the very moment Lu Zhangsheng confirmed it,

A black-clad man emerged from the void ahead, wielding a long blade, expressionless.

"Is this an illusion?"

Lu Zhangsheng's eyes flickered slightly.

This person's strength was ordinary, only at Blood Exchange Perfection, with not a trace of vitality; obviously fabricated within the tower.

Lu Zhangsheng hesitated no longer, and swung a blade forward.

"Rattle..."

The sharp blade aura flashed in the void, emitting rumbling sounds.

Before the opponent could react, the blade aura instantly sliced through the man's body.

"First layer cleared."

Above ahead in the void, a line of text appeared once more.

Even his talent column changed to ordinary (medium).

"It seems being able to kill a Blood Exchange Perfection at age 22 can only be considered ordinary talent; the tower spirit's judgment is quite demanding."

Lu Zhangsheng thought to himself.

Immediately, his surrounding illusion shifted dramatically, transforming into a vast grassland, the air still threaded with faint fragrance.

"Heaven-Reaching Tower, second layer."

The text above his head changed again.

Subsequently, three black-clad men appeared again on the lawn.

Lu Zhangsheng directly swung a blade.

The blade aura instantly penetrated all three, slaying them completely.

His talent also became ordinary (high).

Then he arrived at the third layer.

While Lu Zhangsheng and others were challenging the tower, inside a splendid hall of the Demon Subduing Office,

Qin Ruobing sat upright in a chair, and on the elevated platform sat none other than Liang Jinghui, the Prefectural City Hall Master.

On their desk lay a transparent crystal ball, which displayed the scenes of challengers within the Heaven-Reaching Tower.

"Haha…… Qin niece, this time you'll probably lose the bet."

Liang Jinghui laughed heartily.

He had been keeping an eye on the crystal ball on the table, and didn't think a genius-level figure would appear this time.

This crystal ball has some connection with the Heaven-Reaching Tower, so it can show some of its scenes.

He also knew Qin Ruobing's background; otherwise he wouldn't have allowed her to watch.

Qin Ruobing looked somewhat defeated; she stared silently at the crystal ball, hoping for a turnaround.

Just as she saw Lu Zhangsheng's level-challenging scene, her expression twitched slightly.

Only saw Lu Zhangsheng in the third level, cutting down an early-stage Embryonic Transformation cultivator with a single clean slash.

His talent also became excellent (continued).

"Is this the person you brought? His strength is somewhat interesting."

Liang Jinghui also noticed the anomaly, but didn't pay much attention to it.

Excellent-grade talent is too common in the prefectural city.

"Hmm, this person is my niece's confidant; I didn't expect his strength to increase so quickly."

Qin Ruobing gave a light smile.

She also felt some unexpected joy in her heart, and she hadn't even noticed that the other party had concealed some of their strength.

The bad mood brought by the bet also faded somewhat.

In this way, Lu Zhangsheng seems capable of reaching peak talent, which makes him quite relieved.

The two also began to quietly watch Lu Zhangsheng clear the levels.

Inside the Heaven-Reaching Tower.

Fourth level.

Lu Zhangsheng looked at the strange man who suddenly appeared ahead, his expression still calm as water.

His face was covered in blood-red runes, and his killing aura was quite astonishing.

"Low-grade demon servant?"

Lu Zhangsheng's thoughts stirred slightly.

He had encountered many such people in the Wenxiang Sect; the ten Guardians had been slain by them in large part, so he was naturally not unfamiliar with them.

He no longer hesitated, and slashed forward with a blade.

"Whoosh..."

As the blade's light flashed, the man ahead was instantly cut in half and vanished into the void.

The opponent didn't even get a chance to make a move; the strength gap was too great.

Talent: Excellent (Middle).

Immediately after, the examination continued.

Fifth level.

Sixth level.

Lu Zhangsheng easily broke through two levels in a row.

Inside the DemonSubduingOffice's main hall, Qin Ruobing looked astonished; such strength and talent were already quite extraordinary.

"Could it be that the other party truly has the potential to reach peak (Upper) talent?"

She actually felt a sense of anticipation rising in her heart; perhaps her bet with Zhou Mei'er still had hope.

……

Lu Zhangsheng advanced like a bamboo splitter, breaking through several levels in succession, and arrived inside the eighth level.

Talent level: Peak (Middle) — a white-clad man suddenly appeared in the void ahead, holding a long sword, his expression cold.

This person possessed the strength of a completed rebirth, and his aura was quite astonishing.

"Kill."

The white-clad man directly made a move, thrusting his sword forward.

The sharp sword light glittered in the void, as if it wanted to pierce through the void.

Lu Zhangsheng's expression remained calm as water.

He unleashed the true intent of slaughter, and slashed forward with his blade.

Waves of killing aura coiled around the blade, as if countless evil spirits were roaring, making one's heart tremble.

"Boom boom boom..."

In an instant, the two collided.

Violent energy surged in all directions; Lu Zhangsheng's blade knocked aside the opponent's weapon and directly struck the opponent's chest.

"Sizzle..."

The man was instantly cut in half and dissipated into the void.

"Eighth level passed."

Talent level: Peak (Upper).

Inside the main hall.

Seeing this, Qin Ruobing's face was full of shock.

"This..."

She felt somewhat incredulous, and instantly guessed Lu Zhangsheng's identity: the mysterious powerhouse who had been slaughtering the Wenxiang Sect all along.

She never expected that there was actually a hidden mysterious powerhouse under her command.

A great surge of joy welled up in her heart.

With this momentum, the other party certainly has hope of winning first place in this examination.

As long as he breaks through one more level, he will surpass Han Mingxuan.

Liang Jinghui's face also showed surprise.

He hadn't expected the opponent's strength to be not bad; he had also occasionally heard rumors about the mysterious powerhouse of Changping County.

(End of chapter)