Chapter 131: Demonstrating Strength! Qin Ruobing

People gradually arrived on the grounds, and soon the entire area was filled with strong persons from each county.

Qingning Prefecture oversees twenty-seven county cities, and over seventy individuals participated in this examination.

Most of them had just reached the Tuotai Realm, while some were at Blood Exchange Perfection.

Boom—boom—boom…

As Lu Zhangsheng surveyed the crowd around him, the stone gate of the Tongtian Tower ahead slowly rose.

The entire tower emitted wisps of golden radiance.

A Black-Clothed Elder leapt forward and landed upon the High Platform.

He then spoke slowly: "All participants shall enter the Tongtian Tower in four groups; the Tower Spirit will assess each Martial Artist's performance to determine their talent tier."

"Talent is divided into: Inferior, Ordinary, Excellent, Supreme, Genius, Heavenly Pride… each tier further subdivided into Lower, Middle, and Upper; reaching a certain threshold will allow you to pass the examination…"

"Once inside, you must give your all."

The elder's voice boomed, his eyes holding inwardly contained divine light, a powerful aura spreading across the entire grounds.

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

These Yaopians had been distributed to everyone by the Town Suppressing Office several days prior.

So he was in the fourth group to enter—perfect, he could observe the others' performances.

According to the elder's description of talent tiers, each level likely held a vast chasm.

"I wonder what tier my talent is."

He felt a flicker of anticipation.

As soon as the elder finished speaking, a large group descended from the platform and surged swiftly toward the central Tongtian Tower.

Han Mingxuan was right among them.

Soon, the group had passed through the Stone Gate one after another and entered the tower.

Boom—boom—boom…

As the Stone Gate slowly closed, the examination officially began.

At that moment, the Tongtian Tower ahead suddenly emitted a faint glow, and a massive projection appeared on its surface.

It displayed everyone's information—names, ages, and Martial Artist Realms—all clearly listed, except for their talent tiers, which had not yet appeared.

Han Mingxuan stood prominently at the top position, his Tuotai Late Stage cultivation setting him apart from all others.

Yet strangely, most below him were in anonymous status, their cultivation mostly Tuotai Early Stage or Blood Exchange Perfection.

The crowd's eyes shifted slightly upon seeing this.

"Han Mingxuan is arrogant—he doesn't hide a thing."

"He probably aims to seize first place outright, using the Deputy Hall Master's resources to break into Tuotai Perfection and the Primordial Realm."

Everyone began whispering, their faces filled with envy.

Zhou Mei'er smiled brightly and turned to Qin Ruobing: "Qin Hall Master, dare you make a wager?"

"What are you wagering?"

Qin Ruobing's gaze turned cold.

This woman had always sought to humiliate him, but the strength of those he brought was no match for Han Mingxuan.

He wouldn't be foolish enough to agree.

Zhou Mei'er clearly guessed Qin Ruobing's intent; she smiled sweetly and spoke again: "Your subordinates' strength is mediocre—so even if you wagered on them, you wouldn't accept. Let's wager on whether Han Mingxuan can take first place. Dare you?"

"The stake: ten Heavenly Crystal Stones."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ruobing raised an elegant eyebrow.

This fox-like woman had bold resources—Heavenly Crystal Stones were not easily obtained.

Even a Deputy Hall Master received only one per month, and each greatly accelerated cultivation progress.

"If anyone else takes first place, you lose. Think carefully."

She spoke calmly.

"No problem—I can afford to lose. I only wonder if Qin Hall Master dares to wager."

Zhou Mei'er wore a look of confidence.

Her subordinate Han Mingxuan had a seventy percent chance of securing first place; though a few others were Tuotai Late Stage, none matched him.

"Fine. I accept."

Qin Ruobing snorted.

She believed there must be hidden strong persons among the crowd—previous trials had seen anonymous individuals claim first place.

Lu Zhangsheng watched silently as Qin Ruobing and Zhou Mei'er made their wager, a thought stirring in his mind.

Zhou Mei'er was certain to lose.

Han Mingxuan was no match for him, let alone any other hidden experts.

Often, the loudest ones weren't the strongest—many preferred to remain low-key, and such strong persons were not rare.

The crowd sensed the exchange between Qin Ruobing and Zhou Mei'er.

They all turned their heads.

A plain-looking man remained standing in a corner, as if lost in his own world.

Zheng Yufan ignored the noise around him; having lain dormant for years, he had already comprehended one-tenth of True Intent. Today was his chance to seize first place and achieve total ascension.

He had no fear of Han Mingxuan.

As the crowd buzzed with chatter, changes finally occurred within the Tongtian Tower.

Everyone's talent tiers began to refresh.

From trash, they rose to Ordinary.

Han Mingxuan surged ahead alone, rising directly to Excellent level, and continued to climb further.

Seeing the information ahead, everyone on the field burst into exclamations.

Challenger: Han Mingxuan

Age: 23.

Realm: Tuotai Late Stage.

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

Talent Level: Excellent (Middle).

Currently ascending the fourth level...

"This person is incredibly formidable; at such a young age, he has already grasped a trace of Martial Dao True Intent."

"This is the key to the Innate Dao path. With his talent, he has a chance to break through to Innate before thirty-five."

A crowd below stared at the information ahead with deep reverence.

Even Tong Yuhua and Zhu Houyu felt a flicker of defeat.

To begin grasping True Intent at Tuotai Late Stage—this was simply astonishing.

Lu Zhangsheng's expression remained unreadable, not a ripple stirring in his heart.

Initial Entry-level Martial Dao True Intent had not even reached ten percent; naturally, he did not regard it as worthy of notice.

It was said that Qingning Prefecture's Tongtian Tower had thirty-six levels, the first sixteen challenged by Strong Persons below Innate.

As for the remaining twenty levels, little information had ever leaked out.

Higher-grade Tongtian Towers existed in Prehistoric City and the Capital.

As time passed.

The information on the Tongtian Tower refreshed rapidly.

Most people were merely at Ordinary (Upper) level, with a few barely reaching Excellent level.

Only Han Mingxuan surged forward relentlessly.

Excellent (Upper), Talent: Top (Lower)...

Zhou Mei'er looked at Qin Ruobing with smug satisfaction; if this trend continued, she might even have a chance to reach Talent level.

Even the crowd below began to anticipate eagerly.

Talent-level individuals appeared only once every few years; anyone rated Talent by the Tower Spirit, if they did not perish prematurely, all reached Innate, and even higher.

Half an hour later.

Han Mingxuan's talent level finally stopped rising, settling at Talent: Top (Upper).

Seeing this, those on the field felt a tinge of disappointment.

"It seems no Talent-level individual has emerged in this examination."

Zhou Mei'er felt certain of victory.

Talent-level individuals had appeared only once in the last examination; it was impossible for one to appear now.

She had won.

Thinking of the spoils soon to be hers, she was delighted.

This time, she could not only crush her old rival severely but also make her suffer a painful loss.

Qin Ruobing's expression grew dark.

Talent: Top (Upper) was nearly the pinnacle.

Even she did not believe another Talent-level individual could emerge in this examination.

Thinking of this, she suddenly felt regret over betting against her.

Moments later.

"Boom—boom—boom…"

As the tower gate slowly rose, a group emerged one after another from within.

Han Mingxuan stood with arms crossed behind his back, his face brimming with arrogance.

After this examination, he would surely become famous throughout Qingning Prefecture.

With his talent, he had a strong chance of attaining the Innate Dao.

Many around him bowed with flattery, clearing a path for him.

Han Mingxuan returned to his place, completely ignoring the group brought by Qin Ruobing.

Zhu Houyu and the others flushed red, a sense of helplessness rising within them.

The gap was simply too vast.

Lu Zhangsheng's expression remained as calm as still water; he waited silently for the next examination.

"Boom—boom—boom…"

As the Stone Gate rose again, the second group entered one after another.

Over half an hour later, this group emerged one by one; not a single one possessed Talent: Top level.

Immediately after, the third examination began.

Soon after, the examination ended again.

In this batch, only one person reached Talent: Top (Middle)—Xu Peng.

After this batch, only the final group remained.

"Giggling…"

Zhou Mei'er laughed triumphantly; in her view, no one in the final group could possibly reach Talent level.

"Hmph…"

Qin Ruobing's expression turned icy, and she turned directly to walk away.

Soon she passed through the crowd and vanished from the Square.

Zhou Mei'er smiled even more broadly at the sight, and she wasn't afraid the other would renege.

Moments later.

The fourth round of trials began again.

A group of people walked toward the Stone Gate ahead, and Lu Zhangsheng followed closely behind.

Zheng Yufan also blended into the crowd, utterly unremarkable.

"Hummm…"

When Lu Zhangsheng stepped inside the Tongtian Tower, the surroundings abruptly changed.

The void was filled with shimmering light, saturated with a dreamlike aura.

Before him, the void displayed his own information.

Tongtian Tower First Layer.

Challenger: Lu Zhangsheng.

Age: 22.

Martial Arts Cultivation: Tuotai Late Stage.

Talent: Not displayed.

True Intent: None yet.

……

A dense mass of information was displayed before him.

At that moment, a clear alert tone echoed in his ears.

"Would you like to hide your name?"

"Hide."

Lu Zhangsheng nodded faintly.

He chose to hide without hesitation; though this would eventually be exposed, with the final showdown approaching, he decided to conceal himself for now.

The instant Lu Zhangsheng confirmed his choice,

A black-clad man appeared from the void ahead, holding a Long Blade, expressionless.

"Is this an illusion?"

Lu Zhangsheng's eyes flickered slightly.

The man's strength was average—only Blood Exchange Perfection—and he emitted not a trace of life, clearly created by the Tower.

Lu Zhangsheng no longer hesitated; he slashed forward with one stroke.

"Shhhhlaa…"

A sharp Blade Light flashed through the void, emitting a series of booming sounds.

Before the man could react, the Blade Light instantly severed his body.

"First Layer passed."

Above, the void displayed another line of text.

Even his Talent field changed to Ordinary (Medium).

"It seems killing a Blood Exchange Perfection at age 22 is only considered ordinary talent—this Tower Spirit's standards are quite high."

Lu Zhangsheng thought to himself.

Immediately afterward, the illusion around him shifted violently, transforming into a vast grassland, with faint fragrances drifting in the air.

"Tongtian Tower Second Layer."

The text above changed again.

Then three black-clad men reappeared on the grassland.

Lu Zhangsheng slashed forward instantly.

The Blade Light pierced all three, slaying them completely.

His Talent changed to Ordinary (High).

Then he arrived at the Third Layer.

As Lu Zhangsheng and others were progressing through the trials, inside a magnificent Main Hall of the Town Suppression Office,

Qin Ruobing sat on a chair, while Liang Jinghui, the Prefectural City Hall Master, sat upon the High Platform.

On the Antai before them rested a transparent crystal ball, displaying scenes from within the Tongtian Tower.

"Hahahaha… Cousin Qin, you're likely to lose this bet."

Liang Jinghui laughed heartily.

He had been watching the crystal ball on the table and saw no chance of a genius-level figure emerging.

This crystal ball had some connection to the Tongtian Tower, allowing it to show certain scenes.

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

Qin Ruobing's expression was slightly defeated; she silently watched the crystal ball, hoping for a turn of fortune.

When she saw Lu Zhangsheng's trial scene, her expression shifted slightly.

There, Lu Zhangsheng was in the third trial, slicing through a Tuotai Early Stage man with one clean, decisive strike.

His Talent changed to Excellent (Low).

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

Liang Jinghui also noticed the anomaly, but paid it no further attention.

Excellent-grade talents are too common in Prefecture City.

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

Qin Ruobing smiled faintly.

She felt a pleasant surprise in her heart — even she hadn't noticed that the other party had been hiding some of his strength.

The foul mood brought on by the bet had also faded somewhat.

Judging from this, Lu Zhangsheng had hope of reaching Top-grade talent, which gave her considerable comfort.

The two of them also began quietly watching Lu Zhangsheng clear the trial.

Inside Tongtian Tower.

The fourth floor.

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

This person's face was covered in blood-colored runes, and his baleful aura was quite astonishing.

"A Low-level Demon Servant?"

Lu Zhangsheng's thoughts stirred slightly.

He had encountered many such people in the Wenxiang Sect before, and had slain most of the Ten Great Protectors himself, so naturally he was no stranger to them.

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

"Whoosh…"

As the Blade Light flashed past, the man ahead was instantly cleaved in two and vanished into the void.

The opponent didn't even get a chance to strike — the gap in strength was far too great.

Talent Grade: Excellent (Mid).

Immediately after, the assessment continued.

The fifth floor.

The sixth floor.

Lu Zhangsheng breezed through both floors in succession.

In the Demon-Suppressing Division Main Hall, Qin Ruobing looked thoroughly astonished — such strength and talent were already quite extraordinary.

"Could this person really have a chance of reaching Top (Upper)-grade talent?"

A hint of anticipation welled up in her heart — perhaps there was still hope for her bet with Zhou Mei'er.

……

Lu Zhangsheng's momentum was like a hot knife through butter; he broke through several floors in succession and arrived at the eighth floor.

Talent Grade: Top (Mid). A man in white appeared in the void ahead, a long sword in hand, his expression cold and stern.

This person possessed Tuotai Perfection strength, and his aura was quite astonishing.

"Kill."

The man in white struck directly, thrusting his sword forward.

A fierce Sword Qi blazed in the void, as if about to pierce through the very air.

Lu Zhangsheng's expression remained as calm as water.

He activated his Killing Intent and slashed forward with a single blade.

Waves of baleful aura swirled around the blade, as if countless evil ghosts were roaring, chilling the heart.

"Boom boom boom…"

In an instant, the two collided.

The violent shockwave swept out in all directions. Lu Zhangsheng's blade knocked aside the opponent's weapon and struck directly at his chest.

"Sizzle…"

The man was instantly cleaved in two and dissipated into the void.

"Eighth floor cleared."

Talent Grade: Top (Upper).

Inside the Main Hall.

Qin Ruobing saw this scene and was utterly shocked.

"This…"

She could hardly believe it in her heart, and instantly guessed Lu Zhangsheng's identity — he was the Mysterious Strongman who had been slaughtering the Wenxiang Sect all along.

She hadn't expected that hidden within her own ranks was a Mysterious Strongman.

A surge of immense joy welled up in her heart.

With this momentum, the other party fully had a chance of taking first place in this assessment.

Just one more floor and he would surpass Han Mingxuan.

Liang Jinghui's face was also full of surprise.

He hadn't expected the other party's strength to be quite impressive. He had also heard of the matter of the Mysterious Strongman of Changping County from time to time.

(End of this chapter)