I run a Taoist temple in a bizarre world.

Chapter 99 passed easily.

The second test at Biyue Martial Arts Academy is still ongoing.

"Brother Xun, Brother De, look! Another person has chosen to be hacked to pieces rather than lift the stone weight!"

Chen Fang stood on tiptoe, saw what was happening on the field, and then turned to share it with Chi Le and Zhao De.

After seeing Chi Le's expression as she looked in a certain direction, Chen Fang asked in confusion.

"Brother Xun, what are you looking at?"

Chi Le withdrew his gaze from the room with the plaque for the martial arts hall hanging above it and shook his head.

Upon entering the martial arts school, he sensed several chilling auras in the training hall.

It possesses extraordinary power, similar to the aura of the Day Returners in the mortal world.

[The owner of the martial arts school, and other high-ranking members?]

But that's not what piqued Chi Le's curiosity.

As a martial arts school capable of passing on skills, it's perfectly normal for it to have several extraordinary individuals with exceptional powers presiding over it; it would be abnormal if they didn't.

What truly piqued Chi Le's curiosity was the location of the core of the Biyue Martial Arts School, behind the martial arts training hall.

Nearly ten chilling auras swirled and moved within.

Since using the [Awakening Incense] at the training camp, my mental strength has been enhanced.

He became even more acute in his perception of the chilling aura emanating from extraordinary individuals.

It's not just that you feel the distance has become greater, but you can also feel the differences between each person under the same cold aura.

Just like the nearly ten chilling auras that followed the martial arts hall.

Chi Le could clearly sense a distinct difference in atmosphere compared to the martial arts hall.

If all martial arts were learned at the Biyue Martial Arts School, and they share the same lineage, their auras wouldn't be too different.

Who else could it be if it's not someone from the Biyue Martial Arts Academy?

[Furthermore, there are two other auras in the martial arts hall whose strength far surpasses the others, yet are roughly equal in power.]

After one aura departed, the other seemed to lose control, and its intensity suddenly increased.

What happened inside?

The doubts that arose in her heart swirled in her mind for a moment before Chi Le suppressed them.

His purpose in coming to Bishui Martial Arts School.

It's not about finding out what's behind Biyue Martial Arts School or uncovering all its secrets.

He came here simply to learn how the native inhabitants of the Mysterious World acquired the extraordinary power to fight against the demons and evil spirits in the Mysterious Mist.

As for the rest, Chi Le has no intention of getting involved or getting involved.

His gaze fell on the fourth person on the field who did not go to the stone lock, but instead chose to be slashed by the knife.

He then looked at the flat ground where the test was being conducted.

The man was thin and frail; at first glance, he certainly didn't seem like someone capable of lifting a stone weight.

The man approached the burly man wielding a broadsword, said nothing, but simply lifted his clothes, revealing his waist, abdomen, and part of his chest.

He then closed his eyes and waited for the sword to fall.

Swish!

The burly man aimed briefly, and with a swift movement of his broadsword, a shallow gash appeared on the man's waist and abdomen.

Perhaps because the burly man's broadsword was too fast, it took a while for the shallow wound to turn red, and a few drops of bright red blood oozed out.

Upon seeing this change, the burly man's calm expression softened.

He rubbed his hands on his clothes a few times, which lessened the negative feeling of not being able to accurately control the force from holding the knife for a long time.

At the same time, he moved his feet outward a little, changing to a posture that made it easier to control his strength.

The burly man was about to get serious.

The crowd watching from the sidelines also noticed the burly man's transformation and began to comment.

"Something's not right, this person is strange."

"That's right, didn't you see the person holding the knife adjust their posture?"

"Do you think he can pass these three cuts and successfully advance to the next stage of the 'Bone Marrow Test'?"

"Fool, once you've successfully withstood those three cuts, it doesn't matter whether you go for a bone structure test or not; the Biyue Martial Arts School will accept you."

'

'

As the group talked, the burly man's second strike came down.

On the man's body, below where the first knife had landed, the mark left by the second knife appeared.

Similar to the first cut, bright red blood only started flowing from the cut after a while.

This time, however, more blood flowed out, and the man groaned in pain.

Without giving the man time to adjust to the pain, the burly man struck again, unleashing a third slash.

Unlike the previous two cuts, this one directly sliced ​​through the person's flesh and skin.

The broadsword was sheathed, and through the wound from which blood continued to flow, a pale white hue could be seen.

The bones are visible!

This cut is almost to the bone!

Everyone watched nervously as the burly man wielding the broadsword announced the final result.

According to past practice, if the third stab causes this level of injury, the person basically has no chance of passing this stage.

But the man's first two strikes were too amazing.

"How do we calculate this?"

"Is he still going to pass?"

"Who would have thought that after performing so well in the first two strikes, the last one would be such a disaster?"

"I think it's a bit risky—"

,

The conversation gradually subsided, and the onlookers outside fell silent, watching the two people in the arena, awaiting the verdict.

The man took the wound medicine from the martial arts school and pressed it onto his wound.

He didn't wipe the sweat from his pale face; his eyes remained fixed on the burly man holding the broadsword.

The burly man wiped the blood off the knife and spoke after a brief silence.

"Passed. Go over there and wait for the bone analysis."

These words immediately sparked a commotion among the crowd outside the venue.

"It actually worked!"

"Doesn't this mean this person is guaranteed to join the Biyue Martial Arts School?!"

"Of course! The last person who suffered three cuts and joined the Biyue Martial Arts School is now a second-tier martial artist, capable of escorting goods to Liuchuan City with the镖局 (escort agency)!"

"Given time, this person will become the next martial arts master, a master who can freely roam the eerie fog outside Heliu Town!"

'

""

Amidst the astonishment of the crowd, a smile appeared on the man's pale face. After wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he nodded to the burly man.

"Okay, senior brother, I'll be right there."

Unlike lifting the stone lock, after being stabbed three times, joining the Biyue Martial Arts School is almost a given.

As long as the underlying aptitude isn't exceptionally poor, Biyue Martial Arts School generally won't refuse someone who can withstand three blows.

To the onlookers, there was nothing wrong with him calling out to the burly senior brother in advance.

"The tenth batch, Cai—"

Another group of people were called into the venue.

Despite testing so many people, the number of spectators outside the venue hasn't decreased much.

Firstly, those who fail to lift the stone lock and fail the test will not choose to leave the Biyue Martial Arts School directly.

"We've already paid the 'entrance fee' of one or two taels of silver, so what's wrong with staying to watch the show?"

Secondly, not many people passed the second test.

Therefore, not many people leave this flat area and venture deeper into the martial arts school to explore their potential.

"It's almost our turn, I'm a little nervous—"

Chen Fang's voice trembled as he rubbed his arms, trying to relax.

Seeing Chen Fang's muscular physique, Chi Le understood the key issue.

Besides training, another important factor in determining physical strength is adequate nutrition.

As the saying goes, "It's 30% practice and 70% diet."

Without adequate nutrition, it's impossible to develop sufficient strength.

Buying food is another significant expense.

[There are also expenses for nourishing the body after training and for medicine to soothe muscle and joint pain.]

Judging from their clothes, it's already difficult enough for them to have enough to eat; it's truly difficult for them to afford more money for physical exercise.

[However, ordinary people have no way of knowing the specific content of the martial arts school's tests; they only know that it tests strength, but the martial arts school will never clearly explain how much strength is required or how the test is conducted.]

As Zhao De said, last time he was carrying the millstone, but this time he was lifting the stone weight with one hand.

[Perhaps if it were stated explicitly, so many people wouldn't rush to pay the "entry fee."]

Chi Le looked at the new players who had come on stage.

Most of them were very thin and frail, with hardly any flesh on their bodies.

Not to mention being able to compare with Chen Fang, he couldn't even match his own rather thin physique.

It would be too much of a challenge for them to lift a 240-pound stone lock with one hand.

As expected, this group of people were quickly eliminated, and none of them were able to lift the stone weight.

The next group of people, whose physiques were exactly the same as the previous group, also left the field very quickly.

"The thirteenth batch: Zhao De, Chen Fang, Yu Xun —"

When he heard his name called, Chen Fang turned to Chi Le and Zhao De and said.

"Quickly, it's our turn! It's our turn to go on stage!"

His voice trembled slightly with nervousness, but this did not affect his firm steps in the slightest.

Zhao De and Chen Fang pushed through the crowd at the front, and Chi Le followed behind them. The three of them stood together on the field.

"May the abbot of Qingshan Temple and Brother Yu bless me so that I can pass the test smoothly and join Biyue Martial Arts School."

Chen Fang made the Zi-Wu formula with his hands, which he had learned from someone when he was offering incense at Qingshan Temple, and prayed devoutly in a very proper manner.

Chi Le, the person being asked, secretly put a clump of crystal powder into the pocket of her clothes.

After finishing his prayers, Chen Fang stood beside the stone lock and took a deep breath.

He had already wiped the sweat from his palms, but he still wiped his hands on his clothes again and again.

"oh!"

The gasps from the sidelines reached Chen Fang's ears.

He looked around and saw that Zhao De had already lifted the stone lock. After holding it for a sufficient amount of time, he received the test result announced by the martial arts school.

"No, Brother De has already passed, I can't fall behind."

Chen Fang took another deep breath, patted his right arm, and then gripped the handle of the stone lock with one hand.

He lowered his body, held his breath, and with a sudden burst of strength, lifted the stone lock off the ground.

The weight of 240 pounds, tied to his hands, made Chen Fang's face instantly turn red, and his veins bulge.

His intense concentration allowed him to clearly feel the waves of pain in his hand holding the stone lock.

It seems that every now and then, several or even a dozen muscle fibers break.

The pain did not stop him from lifting the stone lock in his hand.

"Ah, get up!"

Chen Fang roared, and the stone lock trembled as he lifted it above his head.

Under the immense pressure of the stone lock, Chen Fang's mind had completely given up on thinking.

He couldn't feel the passage of time, nor could he feel the presence of the people around him.

The only thing I could feel was the stone lock in my hand.

"Okay, you can put the stone lock down now."

At some point, a martial arts student from a martial arts school appeared beside him.

After failing to persuade Chen Fang, the martial arts student simply took the stone lock from Chen Fang's hand and placed it on the ground.

With the weight gone, Chen Fang seemed to suddenly realize something and came to his senses.

"Wow!"

"Holy crap!"

"That's incredible?!"

"Is this even human?!"

Hearing the exclamations from the crowd, Chen Fang grinned, raised his hand, and thoroughly enjoyed the praise and cheers from the crowd.

But gradually, he realized something was wrong.

These compliments didn't seem to be directed at him personally.

"What kind of formidable person is he? One strike and there's not a trace left."

"This is fucking rigged! The guy who passed by taking three blows at least, but this guy only took one?!"

"They must have bribed the martial arts master with the knife!"

"Are those two things under your eyebrows quail eggs? They can only blink, not see?"

"This clearly shows that he exceeded the requirements for being cleaved by a blade. Look at where the broadsword fell; there wasn't even a white mark. Not only that, even the knife used for testing got a chip!"

"—Holy crap, it really is!"

"Even the blade shattered! Is this even humanly possible?!"

"What the hell is this monster?!"

,

As the subject of exclamations from the audience.

Chi Le calmly put down the clothes, and, amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, walked towards the place the burly man pointed to.

Chen Fang, who had been standing there with his outstretched hand, stood frozen in place, receiving gasps and exclamations that were not his own.

"Damn it from lifting the stone weights? Come this way, it's time for the final test."

With a reminder from the martial arts instructors, Chen Fang seemed to snap out of his daze and caught up with Chi Le and Zhao De.

He quickly walked to Chi Le's side and said.

"Brother Xun, you're amazing!"

"His physical body is so strong that it withstood the broadsword and even managed to inflict several cuts!"

Chen Fang exclaimed in surprise, but there was not a trace of dissatisfaction in his tone that Chi Le had stolen his thunder.

He knew that Chi Le, as a disciple of Qingshan Temple, must have some skills.

I just didn't expect that the brush would be so much harder than I had imagined!

Chi Le nodded without saying anything.

He was just an ordinary abbot of Qingshan Temple, without any extraordinary abilities.

His physical toughness is similar to that of an average person, or even below average.

If Chi Le had actually taken that knife wound, the other people who didn't pass would probably have had a similar reaction, with another cut on their bodies.

As for why he was able to pass the test and even chip several nicks in the long sword used for the test...

He relied entirely on a semi-transparent robe he wore underneath his outer robe.

[Mysterious Relic: Toad Molt]

[Effect: Significantly reduces physical damage from external sources up to the second-tier level.]

With this [Toad Treasure Sheath] present, let alone a burly man wielding a sword, even a second-tier martial artist could easily slash him without much harm.

However, the "Toad's Molt" is not actually transparent.

If I were to go on stage like this, the martial arts school would definitely discover that I wasn't just relying on my physical strength, but was using other methods to cheat.

Fortunately, during the training camp, the instructor in charge of imparting knowledge about the supernatural world mentioned how to use the [Strange Relics].

One of them explicitly states...

When using [Mysterious Relics], you can consume [Mysterious Cores] to enhance the relic's effects or acquire new ones.

The effect of using the [Strange Core] on the [Toad Treasure Molt] is that it can become completely transparent and stick tightly to its body, just like a second layer of skin.

Thanks to this, Chi Le was able to pass the test easily.

Walk through another long corridor built next to an open space.

Chi Le and the others arrived at the deep courtyard of the Biyue Martial Arts School.

An elderly man, dressed in a loose cotton robe and looking frail, sat under the pavilion, leisurely sipping his tea.

Chen Fang said softly from the side.

"As long as he examines our physique, there won't be any problems, and we can join the Biyue Martial Arts School."