“What?!”

“This is too crazy, right?!”

“He’s testing us all by himself?”

“Is his spiritual force enough?”

“You kidding me?”

Instantly, the whole audience roared in clamor. However, this racket swiftly abated. This was because Xu Yangyi’s title was quite long.

Disciple of Daomaster Ancientpine. The Nantong Province Paragon of five years ago. A survivor from under Vermilion Snow’s hand. The pill master’s sole liaison and… an A-rank Legion Commander.

If it was only one title, it was possible that some people would even believe it to be luck. But so many titles… none dared to believe this was luck anymore.

“Well said!” Before the voices even fell, a loud shout echoed. “Dongshan Province’s Meng Clan! This generation’s seventh-ranked disciple, Meng Butong. Please confer your teaching!”

Donned in black ancient-style martial attire, a man with a crew cut leaped over a dozen meters and landed right on the martial stage.

Boom!

 As he fell, the sand and dust that covered the ground rose up. Even countless cracks extended from where the soles of his feet were. He wasn’t that tall, roughly around 1.7 meters, but from this, it was further visible how astonishing his mass was! He was practically a 500 kilogram weight!

“Fellow Daoist Xu.” He prudently cupped his hands. “Today, in the presence of a good many genius disciples of noble lineages, allow me to be the first to receive the teaching of Commander Xu’s great skill!” 

“That’s Dongshan Province’s Meng Clan.” Below, many people’s eyes flashed with spirited light. “They cultivate an extremely rare physique art. Legend says that the Meng Clan possesses a section of the Tang dynasty’s black-armored cavalry’s body-refinement arcane effort. It’s different from other body-refinement divine abilities. The more its cultivated, the shorter one’s stature will get, but their power will become more astonishing. According to cultivators who’ve engaged in arcane combat with them, the wave of a fist holds a strength no less than a thousand kilograms!”

“Nothing but an iron lump.” Beside Old Man Ge, the feminine man covered his mouth and nose, and said loathingly, “Is there anything good-looking about a pretty boy and an iron lump? My Lord, could it be that I really have to join this Xingtian Legion thing?”

Elder Ge massaged his temples achingly. The aptitude of this descendant was indeed fiendish, but his character was likewise cruel and untamed. His eyes held room for no others.

“Qianqiu, you 

must

 join the Xingtian Legion.”

Ge Qianqiu snorted coldly and said no more.

“The Meng Clan’s body cultivation is very fierce, but their obtained arcane efforts have a flaw.” Another cultivator said. “Because the cycle of qi in their bodies is restricted, they… are the only clan unable to fly at Foundation Establishment.”

“But can it be said that Commander Xu is able to resist his punch?” 

“Every opportunity has to be seized… but there’s really no fuss about how it’s to be gained.”

“I don’t even know what level this Fellow Daoist Meng cultivated up to, but if by chance Commander Xu can resist this fist…”

Everyone spoke no further. The thoughts within each person’s heart were all the same: 

Don’t be picked!

Altogether, the quota was ten. One position taken was one position less! Over a hundred gazes all converged on the martial stage. Meng Butong was bereft of the slightest complacency and breathed in deeply. In the next instant, his seven apertures shocking emitted rays of black light!

After three seconds of silence, the floor below exclaimed in surprise. “The second level! The second level of the Meng Clan’s Nine Gods Body Forging Art! He’s just the middle stage of Qi Condensation!”

“It’s said that this level is impervious to sword and spear, encroached by neither water nor fire! A fist purely without spiritual force is simply unable to pierce Meng Butong’s protective qi!”

“This person should be a top-three cultivator in the Meng Clan! Otherwise, he absolutely wouldn’t be able to comprehend the second level at the middle stage!”

A halo of black qi indistinctly took form around Meng Butong’s body. At the same time, his body fiercely swelled with a great ring! The clothing on both his arms and his legs had totally ruptured apart! His body appeared to be shrouded with the aura of a ferocious beast!

Xu Yangyi calmly watched him. He didn’t know what the crowd was saying or their many gasps of surprise. He only knew that this person would not pass. Did Meng Butong truly believe… his fist was so easily received?

Five years ago, Luo Sanfeng had been sent flying with a kick, unable to put up a minor shred of resistance. Two years ago, the scouts of three great legions had also been kicked away, still not putting up the slightest resistance!

“He’s probably… equal to Chu Zhaonan from back then…” Yet Xu Yangyi was no longer the him of then! “You won’t do,” he said said tranquilly, “Go back down, alright?”

A single line dazed everyone. Meng Butong even more so. In the next second, a nameless anger rushed his heart! Won’t do? What a joke! In his clan, when hadn’t he been a genius praised by all?! Now… his hand yet to even stir, Xu Yangyi had actually said he was inadequate! He had broken through to the second level of the Nine Gods Body Forging Art before thirty years old! How was he incapable?!

“Good or not, you’ll naturally know once you try.” Meng Butong’s eyes concealed a wisp of deep anger. “Commander Xu, make your move.”

Xu Yangyi looked into Meng Butong’s eyes. “In order to determine whether a true genius reaches qualifications, I won’t be pulling back with this fist.”

“Hehe…” Meng Butong’s spirit and will flourished even more within his heart. “Come at me!”

Xu Yangyi laughed. “At the side, there is prepared pill-elixir. Fellow Daoist need not be worried.”

“HAHAHA!” Meng Butong finally turned upwards and roared in laughter. After no less than ten-odd seconds, he then looked fiercely towards Xu Yangyi. “Commander Xu, I deny your words!”

“This humble one has cultivated for almost two decades! After my middle-stage breakthrough, the Meng Clan passed down its supreme art! I’ve struggled countless times! Although I’m no absolute genius, I’m confident that I’m not so bad that I’m unable to even resist your fist!”

Xu Yangyi nodded deeply, not saying anything. Instead, he assumed a military-boxing stance. This was his most familiar starting stance from Heavens Law. 

“In that case, be careful, Fellow Daoist,” he said in an indifferent tone.

“COME AT ME!!!” Meng Butong bellowed, and black qi cloaked him even more vigorously!

The chaotic flow of battle torrented swiftly, gushing forth like wind and thunder. The line from this ancient poem described speed. In the next instant, however… Meng Butong went flying straight back!

[1]

A majority of people only felt a blur to the eye, essentially without any reaction! At minimum, 50% of people were still watching the martial stage, but an intense wind in front of them was closely followed by a rumbling sound at their backs!

However, the gazes of at least twenty people quickly transformed from the earnestness of moments ago into extreme graveness! At the same time, following that sound of wind, their eyes trailed over with a swish!

“So fast!” At this moment, Quan Ningyue’s hand tightly gripped her hammer for the first time. She watched that intense wind in amazement. She had seen it clearly… Seen it extremely clearly!

The very front of the intense wind was a person. A person with disbelief smeared across his face! Meng Butong! The black luminescence that covered him from head to toe had been completely broken apart! The inside of his mouth was filled with blood, and his pupils reflected the increasingly distant silhouette of Xu Yangyi. He simply hadn’t seen it! How was he flying away?! It wasn't even until he flew straight several meters that his abdominal pain bubbled forth like a tide! The pain didn’t even give him enough time to shout!

Swoosh…

 Reddust Executioner Twelve’s eyes flashed with a sharp glint, his gaze like a falcon. His pupils were different from everyone else’s, surprisingly rhombus-shaped pupils akin to a snake’s! He only caught a glimpse of Meng Butong’s incredulous face. Afterwards, he promptly turned his head towards Xu Yangyi.

What power!

This was his first reaction! This… wasn’t even a move that exhausted Xu Yangyi’s maximum strength, but it was so inconceivably fast! At least in the middle stage of Qi Condensation! He thought highly of himself, but even for him, it absolutely wasn’t easy to attain such speed unless he completely activated his bodily divine abilities!

The bald youth stood up. The tattoos all over him strangely began to squirm. He looked deeply at Xu Yangyi for a long time and finally spread wide his mouth to laugh. 

“Good technique, good strength, good speed… good talent! This kind of legion is the mix of geniuses that I’ve been expecting! I might be someone this commander views importantly; his talents are in no way below my own!”

It was deathly still. A morbid silence.

After several seconds, a majority of people then began to turn their necks with a crack, looking at the kicked-up smoke and dust behind them in shock.

The are around Meng Butong’s body had smashed in a ten-square-meter depression. The present him had already blacked out completely, twitching unconsciously. A line of blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth. 

Tens of gazes looked at Meng Butong and then towards Xu Yangyi who was cupping his hands at everyone. They looked at Meng Butong and then at Xu Yangyi again, endlessly cycling in a loop.

This strength...

This power...

In the blink of an eye, the hilarious effect left behind by the prior comedy-like prologue faded away without a trace. It was removed and replaced with only one other kind of thought!

Originally, many people had believed that receiving a fist couldn’t possibly be difficult at all. There was probably still an interview and an inquiry about their respective personal strengths, nothing more than the acceptance of excellence.

But now they knew. By no measure or pace was a fist a joke! This fist that Command Xu had spoken of was just a single fist! Unquestionably without the slightest falsehood! Even if there was an interview later, that was still business after taking this fist!

Zhao Wuye’s hand holding onto Zhao Ziqi was trembling. He said shakily, “What speed… What speed! Such powerful strength! T-This trial by fire… is really difficult… Too difficult! Is this even human?”

Suddenly, he felt… how was it that his hand was trembling so violently? He doubtfully turned his head and glanced, but surprisingly discovered that Zhao Ziqi’s pupils… had already become Taijis! They circled endlessly without stop! As for their target, they directly faced Xu Yangyi!

“The Netherpierce Eye?! The Netherpierce Eye automatically activated?!” In a twinkling, Zhao Wuye’s whole back broke into a cold sweat. The Netherpierce Eye was the Zhao Clan’s greatest secret. Due to Zhao Ziqi’s power, it was impossible for him to activate it without an elder’s help!

No!

 All of a sudden, Zhao Wuye was immediately dazed like he was struck by lightning. No… there was another kind of situation… That was… there was someone here right now… able to lead directly to the netherworld… or… a dead man! A person who was still alive… and had once died… yet had come back to life!

“Ziqi…” Forthwith, he stood at Zhao Ziqi’s side and obstructed his eyes, asking softly, “What did you see?”

“So terrifying…” Zhao Ziqi’s hand was shaking fiercely, and he tightly grabbed onto Zhao Wuye, even causing the other some pain. His cracking voice murmured, “T-That big b-brother on s-stage, h-he’s not human…”

Zhao Wuye’s sweat poured like rain, and he restrained his madly beating heart. He gritted his teeth and asked lowly, “Not human?”

“I didn’t see it clearly, Fifth Uncle… That big brother… is hiding a very horrible aura on his body… He himself has death qi and life qi… The two extremes of black and white are in his shadow… It’s so weird… Hold on… There are so many—I-I think I saw… leaves?”

Xu Yangyi was simply none the wiser that a pair of eyes were watching him full of fright. He cupped his hands and continued, “Next.”

The entire audience was silent and motionless.

Xu Yangyi’s intention was rather clear. Those with insufficient qualifications, don’t waste time. If one was determined to come, he wouldn’t mind making them leave, but later job applications from this clan would be considered having been cut off from the Dao of Pills.

Nonetheless… over the course of that fist just now, a steelyard balance made home in everyone’s hearts.

A minute, two minutes, and a full three minutes passed, but Xu Yangyi wasn’t worried. Just like so, he watched everyone as if he was strolling idly in a courtyard, similar to a challenger open to contest on the martial arena.

1. This line is from the Tang Poet Cen Shen or otherwise known as Cen Can.

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