PDLP Chapter 35 Fault Line 1
Chapter 35 Fault Line 1
Han Tieshan stepped forward and unfolded the roster in his hand.
The sound silenced the murmurs in the room.
"The strength test results are out. Those whose names are called, please step forward."
He read them one by one.
Some of those whose names were called looked delighted, while others remained calm.
"Lu Yun, 500 jin... sixteenth place."
......
"Lu Chuan, 800 jin... tenth place."
......
When Lu Chuan and Lu Yun were mentioned, Lu Youde straightened his back in his seat.
Lu Yuan was also surprised, not expecting that Lu Youde's two children were not bad at all, and that they had also made it into the top sixteen.
Han Tieshan continued reading out the rankings.
"Zhao Li, 1400 jin... second place!"
A murmur of admiration rippled through the room.
This result would have been a solid first place in any previous year, and it weighs a full 1,400 jin (750 kg).
Moreover, this is almost the best result in the previous years' entrance selection.
But this year is different... because of that freak Lu Yuan.
When Zhao Li heard about the second place, his lips twitched for a moment, but there was no joy on his face.
It was as if it were an insult.
"Lu Yuan".
Han Tieshan paused for a moment.
All eyes of nearly a thousand people in the audience turned to him, waiting for Han Tieshan to announce a fait accompli.
"Four thousand nine hundred catties!"
Lu Yuan is number one.
No doubt about it!
The difference between 4,900 and 1,400 jin is 3,500 jin, which is more than three times the difference.
Zhao Li stood on the players' bench, his face expressionless.
But his right fist was clenched tightly at his side, his knuckles white.
The gap between the two made him feel that the words "second place" seemed ironic.
After reading Lu Yuan's name aloud, Han Tieshan closed the roster.
"The above sixteen people will proceed to the second round of selection."
Before he could announce the arrangements for the subsequent second round of selections, Tie Qianshan stood up from the main seat and interrupted him.
The entire room fell silent once again.
Han Tieshan had a big smile on his face.
"The number of outstanding young talents in Qingzhou City in this election is the most I have seen in the past ten years."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word he uttered was thunderous.
"Therefore, I will make an exception—the top eight in the re-selection will all be allowed to enter as menial disciples."
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
"Eight menial disciples!"
"In previous years, we only accepted one student at most, but this year we received as many as eight!"
The eyes of the dozen or so young people in the contestants' seats lit up almost simultaneously.
Even those who didn't make it to the top 16 craned their necks, their faces showing envy and barely suppressed excitement.
The reason these people were so excited was not because the words "entering the sect as a menial disciple" sounded nice.
It's because the Iron Bone Sect has a body-tempering pool.
Cultivating in the pool will greatly increase the probability of breaking through to the Blood Condensation Realm.
Furthermore, the foundation after the breakthrough is more solid.
Once you enter the Iron Bone Sect, whether you're a servant or an outer disciple, you'll have the opportunity to enter the Spirit Pool.
This opportunity, if it were among a group of independent cultivators, would be worth risking one's life for.
The group quickly came to their senses and bowed in thanks towards the person in the main seat.
"but,"
Tie Qianshan changed the subject.
"Those who enter the outer sect will still only be selected from the top performers."
These words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing everyone's hopes.
There can only be one leader.
After a short rest.
The drawing of lots for the second round of interviews has begun.
The second round will be conducted in a battle format.
They will engage in one-on-one combat.
Groups were formed by drawing lots.
The winner will advance to the next round.
Until the final champion is decided.
This tests both a martial artist's combat skills and their fighting endurance.
There is only a short rest period between each round.
The recovery of a martial artist's qi and blood is also a considerable test.
Han Tieshan carried the bamboo stick container to the center of the arena, where the sixteen bamboo sticks gently clinked together.
In the first match, Lu Yun faced off against Zhao Li.
No one expected that,
The first match was surprisingly between Lu Youde's youngest daughter and Zhao Li, the genius of the Zhao family!
The first showdown between the Zhao and Lu families began on the competition field.
Lu Yun naturally possesses some talent in martial arts.
She had only recently broken through to the mid-stage of Body Tempering, so passing the second round of selection was just a fluke.
With Lu Yuan there, she had no hope of getting first place anyway.
I came here to broaden my horizons.
However, after Sect Master Tie said those words...
She still held onto a glimmer of hope.
Unfortunately, his first opponent was Zhao Li.
Lu Yun stepped onto the stage first.
Clutching a short, cyan sword tightly in her arms, she was slender and elegant, standing there as beautiful as a painting.
Immediately afterwards, Zhao Li also stepped onto the stage.
"Miss Lu, my name is Zhao Li. Please enlighten me!"
When Lu Yun drew her short sword, everyone saw the fine beads of sweat on her wrist. She knew all too well that she was no match for Zhao Li.
However, she still tried to remain calm.
"I'd like to see just how strong this Zhao family genius really is!"
"Clang!"
With a flick of her wrist, the scabbard flew out.
Lu Yun used every trick in the book.
The cold glint of the short sword drew an arc across the arena.
The first move was the final form of the Lu family's ancestral sword technique.
They attacked Zhao Li directly.
However, the difference in realm between the mid-stage and peak-stage Body Tempering is undeniable.
Zhao Li didn't even need to use much of his internal energy; he neutralized her attacks one by one with just basic fist and foot techniques.
In the seventh move, Zhao Li struck the spine of the sword with his palm, and the short sword flew out of his hand.
"Miss Lu, you've lost!"
Lu Yun took three steps back to steady herself and conceded defeat with her hands clasped.
She sheathed her short sword and stepped off the stage.
He passed by Lu Yuan.
Her cheeks were still flushed, the sweat on her forehead hadn't been wiped away, and her ponytail was askew to one side.
Lu Yuan wanted to say something to comfort her.
Lu Yun raised her chin and swung her fist at him.
"Huh? What's with that expression?"
"I lost, but the Lu family cannot lose. My little brother Yuan, you better give it your all and beat that Zhao guy to a pulp."
Seeing this, Lu Yuan simply nodded and didn't say anything more.
Lu Yun grinned, hoisted her short sword, and strode back to her seat.
Immediately afterwards, a figure walked out from the waiting area.
Zhao Li stood at the edge of the arena, looking at Lu Yun walking towards him, a rare look of concern on his face.
"I rarely lay a hand on girls. How are you? Are you hurt?" he asked, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
Lu Yun paused, turned around, and snorted coldly, her tone fierce.
"It's none of your business. Just you wait, my Lu Yuan will beat you to a pulp."
Zhao Li was not angry; instead, he smiled.
"Great, I'm looking forward to playing against him too."
In the next match, Lu Chuan will face a disciple from a small family.
Lu Chuan was still wearing his brocade robe, as if the clothes did not affect his fighting ability.
He used no weapons, fighting bare-handed, and forced his opponent to the edge of the ring in just three moves.
On the fifth move, he struck the opponent's shoulder with a palm, causing the man to stumble back several steps and fall to the ground.
In just a few moves, it was clean and efficient, without a single unnecessary action.
Lu Yuan couldn't help but nod in agreement... Although Lu Chuan was eccentric, he was indeed a skilled fighter.
"Lu Chuan wins the second match!"
After the referee announced the result, he immediately read out the match-up list for the third game.
"The third match is between Lu Yuan and Chen Ergou!"