Chapter 4 : Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Astonishing the Crowd
With the danger gone, Lu Zhan opened the system panel.
Name: Lu Zhan
Realm: Fourth Heaven of the Qi Condensation Realm
Spirit Root: Mortal Spirit Root
Cultivation Method: Basic Qi Refining Art
Martial Art: Iron-Slaying Saber Art (Not Yet Beginner)
Slaughter Points: 440
Looking at the system panel, Lu Zhan stroked his chin and thought for a moment.
“I’m lacking a martial technique right now, so I’d better deduce a martial art first.”
“System, deduce the Iron-Slaying Saber Art.”
As soon as he spoke, a mechanical electronic voice rang out.
[ Ding! The Slaughter System is wholeheartedly at your service. ]
[ The host consumes 440 Slaughter Points to deduce the Iron-Slaying Saber Art. ]
[ No resources beneficial to cultivation have been detected. Entering an unceasing cultivation state... ]
[ Since you have only just come into contact with the Iron-Slaying Saber Art, you find the saber art formulas obscure and difficult to understand, and the movements extremely awkward. ]
[ So you have no choice but to work twice as hard, swinging your saber a thousand times a day, without fail through wind and rain. As expected, seven days later, your Iron-Slaying Saber Art reaches the Beginner stage (1%). ]
[ As a result, your body and mind are filled with joy, and your luck soars. You unexpectedly trigger a temporary buff: comprehension speed for saber arts increased by 100%. ]
[ One month later, after bitter training day and night without rest, you gradually come to understand what the Iron-Slaying Saber Art truly is. The Iron-Slaying Saber Art reaches Minor Mastery (10%). ]
[ Three months later, all kinds of insights regarding the Iron-Slaying Saber Art continuously surge through your mind, as though an invisible pair of hands had opened your skull and poured knowledge directly into it. ]
[ Congratulations, host. You have comprehended the Iron-Slaying Saber Art at the Mastery stage (90%). ]
The moment the system’s voice fell silent, Lu Zhan’s pupils abruptly contracted, and countless memories of saber swings flooded into his heart.
A scene flashed through his mind: beneath the blazing summer sun, a young boy stood under a great tree and practiced his saber art with relentless dedication. From scorching heat to winter’s bitter cold, even when the flesh between his thumb and forefinger split open, he still kept a tight grip on the hilt.
A moment later, Lu Zhan came back to himself and felt rather emotional.
“As expected of me. I really am diligent.”
What surprised him, however, was that a mere demon beast at the Fourth Heaven of the Qi Condensation Realm had actually allowed him to deduce one of his martial arts to such a level.
According to Lu Zhan’s memories, martial arts officially recognized by the authorities were generally divided into five levels.
Beginner, Minor Mastery, Mastery, Major Mastery, and Perfection.
To him, a demon beast at the Fourth Heaven of the Qi Condensation Realm was something he could kill with a single strike.
Yet it had saved him a full three months of time for free.
No, that was not right. If he had not unexpectedly obtained that buff, then it would have been six months.
Tsk!
And this was the reward from less than two minutes after entering.
The examination lasted a full hour and a half.
In that case, how many demon beasts could he kill?
Ten? Or twenty?
Excitement gradually filled Lu Zhan’s eyes, and he suddenly let out a low chuckle. “Heh. The hunt begins now!”
Gripping his saber, he strode toward the depths of the forest.
...
Inside the spacious and empty hall of the Demon Extermination Bureau, many people in the stands were utterly shocked.
Because on the electronic screen displaying the rankings, one person’s name had suddenly appeared.
First Place: Lu Zhan
Realm: Fourth Heaven of the Qi Condensation Realm
Points: 20
Was 20 points a lot? Absolutely not.
But the problem was, how many minutes had it been since the demon nest opened?
And this person had already killed a demon beast at the same realm as himself.
The door had barely opened, and he had already slain a beast right after entering?!
A wave of exclamations erupted throughout the entire Demon Extermination Bureau.
“Holy shit! Who the hell is this Lu Zhan? How is he this fierce?!”
“This... is way too exaggerated, isn’t it? Didn’t they say demon beasts at the same realm are stronger than humans? Could that demon beast have been fake?”
“Was that demon beast stupid or something? Even if it couldn’t win, it could’ve run away.”
“Exactly. Even if it turned into some ridiculous chase scene, it still should’ve dragged on for at least ten minutes or so, right?”
“Less than two minutes. This... that’s... unbelievably short!”
“Hasn’t any of you considered that he would’ve had to find the demon beast after entering the demon nest? I suspect he used some kind of cheating method we don’t know about.”
“Maybe he just got lucky and happened to teleport right beside a demon beast.”
“Even so, there’s no way he could kill a demon beast at the same realm in under two minutes, right? It’s not like none of you have dealt with demon beasts before.”
“Heh, do you have to praise demon beasts and belittle humans like that?”
“Exactly. What if Brother Lu has mastered some powerful martial art?”
“That’s right. Demon beasts are naturally stronger in body than humans, but don’t forget, humans have martial arts.”
Listening to the waves of amazement and doubt rising from the stands,
Li Cunguang’s heart was far from calm as well.
He had worked in the Demon Extermination Bureau for many years and had seen countless gifted youths, but this was the first time he had ever witnessed such a swift kill speed.
Just who exactly was this Lu Zhan?
Could he be some peerless genius raised by one of the old monsters in the Demon Extermination Bureau? Or had he really used some special trick, as everyone guessed?
Filled with doubt, Li Cunguang slowly took out a mirror.
This was the Heaven-Gazing Mirror. It could observe the situation inside the demon nest, and It was also an Entering-the-Divine-grade artifact used to prevent cheating.
After the examination, there would be a manual review as well.
Once the Heaven-Gazing Mirror was activated,
a curtain of light projected from the mirror into the vast hall of the Demon Extermination Bureau— showing the exact scene of Lu Zhan killing the wild boar in a single strike.
That image delivered a tremendous shock to quite a few people.
Cold. Clean. Decisive.
With the red glow of the Longevity Saber illuminating him, he even appeared somewhat bloodthirsty in a wild, frenzied way.
In the stands, the spectators were even more astonished when they saw this scene. Any suspicion of cheating was instantly dispelled.
In the face of absolute strength, no one dared question him.
“Holy shit, a one-hit kill! This Lu Zhan is way too incredible!”
“Did those people who said Brother Lu cheated see that? I told you Brother Lu relied on absolute strength. But where was that powerful martial art of his?”
“Martial art? What martial art? Lu Zhan just crushed it with pure power. Oh, no, not crushed a person—crushed a beast.”
“Why do I feel like that demon beast was facing him the same way we would face a demon beast...?”
“Heh. He’s only at the Fourth Heaven of the Qi Condensation Realm. What’s there to be arrogant about? If he has the ability, let’s see him kill demon beasts in one strike when he reaches the late stage of the Qi Condensation Realm.”
“Oh, come on, now you’re just sour. Forget whether it’s the late stage of the Qi Condensation Realm or not. Just answer this—could you kill a demon beast at the same realm in one strike when you were at the Fourth Heaven of the Qi Condensation Realm?”
“Exactly, exactly. For most newcomers, not wetting themselves the first time they face a demon beast would already be pretty good. Is killing one in a single strike something an ordinary martial artist can do?”
...
In the examiners’ section, Li Cunguang stood there with his mouth open, his face full of complicated emotions.
“Old Li, what’s wrong?”
Zhao Jun asked in confusion from beside him.
“So his name is Lu Zhan.”
Li Cunguang looked at Lu Zhan, yet for a moment, he truly did not know what to say.
Was he supposed to admit that a crusty old man like him, who had lived for so many years, had actually been fooled by a hairy little brat?
If he admitted that, where would he put his pride?
Seeing his reaction, Zhao Jun did not press further and only asked curiously, “By the way, Old Li, didn’t you say just now that you saw a very interesting kid? So, what do you think? Shall we take a look?”
The Heaven-Gazing Mirror could lock onto a particular examinee according to their thoughts.
That was also one of the methods used to prevent examinees from cheating.
Li Cunguang recovered from his shock and pointed helplessly at Lu Zhan in the Heaven-Gazing Mirror.
“There. Isn’t he right there?”
Zhao Jun froze for a moment when he heard that, then burst out laughing.
“Hahaha, Old Li, and this kid has anything to do with being a good person? I think your eyes have gone—” But before he could finish the words “gone dim,” his voice cut off abruptly.
Because Lu Zhan in the Heaven-Gazing Mirror had already sheathed his saber. The difference between Lu Zhan with his saber drawn and Lu Zhan with it put away was like heaven and earth.
Looking at the harmless Lu Zhan after he had sheathed his saber, along with that awe-inspiring righteous aura around him, Zhao Jun nearly thought some sage had been reincarnated.
But the sight of Lu Zhan slaughtering the demon beast just now was still vivid in his mind.
For a moment, Zhao Jun felt completely thrown into chaos.
Seeing Zhao Jun’s reaction, Li Cunguang could not help but sneer.
“Oh? Old Zhao, what was it you were trying to say just now? Let me guess—had my eyes gone dim?”
He deliberately emphasized the words “gone dim,” his expression full of mockery.
Zhao Jun looked awkward and cursed under his breath.
“This brat is fucking bizarre.”
But one thing was undeniable.
This kid was absolutely a genius.