Nie Li volunteered, immediately drawing the attention of many.
In the Beginner Class for Martial Artists, Nie Li, Ye Ziyun, Xiao Ning'er, and others were undoubtedly the most promising candidates to break through to the Bronze One Star realm.
The only other person who garnered attention was Nie Li, who had made a wager with Instructor Shen Xiu.
However, most did not think Nie Li could achieve Bronze One Star in such a short time.
If reaching Bronze One Star were that easy, countless others wouldn't be stuck at the threshold of becoming a Martial Artist or a Demon Spirit Master.
The power testing stone was a massive slab that shone like metal.
When Martial Artists struck it with their fists, it would leave a slight dent, indicating their strength.
“Boom!” Shen Yue’s fist slammed into the power testing stone, leaving a faint impression.
Several instructors responsible for the tests stepped forward.
“Bronze One Star, test result: one hundred twenty!”
This meant that Shen Yue's punch packed around one hundred twenty units of strength.
The other students in the Beginner Class of Martial Artists gasped in surprise.
They hadn’t expected Shen Yue’s physical strength to reach such a level; he was already at the realm of a Bronze Martial Artist.
Typically, students who primarily cultivated Demon Spirit Power saw faster gains in physical strength initially, slowing down after reaching the Silver level.
Even so, Shen Yue's progress in physical training compared to his peers was impressive, as he had reached Bronze One Star so quickly.
Each person had three opportunities to test their strength.
Shen Yue was clearly not satisfied with the first result.
He steadied himself once more, gathered his strength, and delivered another punch.
Boom!
Shen Yue struck the power testing stone again.
“Bronze One Star, test result: one hundred thirty!”
“Bronze One Star, test result: one hundred thirty-five!”
Now satisfied with the result, Shen Yue moved on to test his Demon Spirit Power.
Soon, the result came back: one hundred fifteen.
Generally, those with talents in both Martial Arts and Demon Spirit Mastery chose to become Demon Spirit Masters, as Demon Spirit Power was deemed more crucial than mere physical strength.
“Shen Yue’s Demon Spirit Power has surpassed one hundred! He’s already a One Star Demon Spirit Master!”
“That’s an impressive cultivation speed, truly worthy of someone from the Divine Sacred Family!”
“What an impressive talent! He’s surely eligible for the Beginner Class of Demon Spirit Masters!”
“If even a One Star Demon Spirit Master doesn’t qualify, who else would?”
Hearing these discussions, Shen Yue smirked, looking with pride at Nie Li and the others.
In the distance, several academy higher-ups wore satisfied smiles.
It wasn't easy for a student from the Beginner Class of Martial Artists to emerge as a Demon Spirit Master!
With arms crossed, Shen Yue stood apart, surrounded by his entourage, his lofty gaze sweeping across the other students in the Beginner Class.
“Next up for a test?” The instructor in charge looked at the others.
“Let me give it a try!” Lu Piao stepped forward, heading towards the power testing stone.
The students began to chatter.
“It’s Lu Piao!”
“He hasn’t been in class for a while!”
“Word is he has been hanging out with Nie Li all this time!”
“Lu Piao hasn’t broken through to Bronze One Star, has he? And he has no talent for Demon Spirit Mastery whatsoever!”
Hearing the comments, Lu Piao exchanged knowing smiles with Nie Li and Du Ze.
They underestimated him greatly! After training in the techniques Nie Li had given him, Lu Piao’s strength had outpaced his peers significantly.
Glancing at Shen Yue in the distance, Lu Piao revealed a contemptuous smile, raising his eyebrow slightly.
“This brat is too arrogant! We’ll teach him a lesson sooner or later!” shouted a couple of Shen Yue’s lackeys.
Shen Yue’s eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of chill.
Now even Nie Li’s entourage dared to provoke him? They simply didn’t know their place!
Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Lu Piao stood in front of the power testing stone, casually throwing out a punch.
“How much power can such a light punch really have?” Some nearby students scoffed.
With a muffled thud, the entire hall echoed.
The power testing stone vibrated slightly.
“What’s going on?” “That’s quite a sound!”
The instructor responsible for the testing stared blankly for a moment, then walked over to the power testing stone.
After a brief silence, he stated, “Test result: Bronze Two Star, two hundred sixty-five!”
A commotion erupted among the spectators.
“How is this possible?”
“Did the test result get mixed up?”
Lu Piao had merely thrown a light punch, yet it packed such immense power, reaching the Bronze Two Star realm and coming close to Bronze Three Star.
A subtle smile formed on Lu Piao’s lips.
His continuous training had not stopped.
Thanks to Nie Li’s potent techniques and consuming vast amounts of pills, along with soaking in Purple Orchid Grass, strengthening himself had been nearly effortless.
After what felt like an eternity, everyone regained their composure, exchanging glances.
At thirteen years old, possessing such formidable strength was considered extraordinary talent at the entire Saint Spirit Academy.
The academy’s higher-ups would surely put in significant effort to nurture him.
“Excellent, excellent! Who would have thought there’d be such a genius in the Beginner Class?” an academy leader stroked his beard and smiled.
“This year’s students should excel. The Alchemist Association has produced so many potent pills!” another added quietly.
The special pills created by the Alchemist Association had significantly raised the students' overall levels.
Families were willing to spend heavily to nurture their juniors.
Lu Piao shot a provocative glance at Shen Yue, whose face darkened.
This was blatant disdain! However, thinking of Lu Piao's capabilities made Shen Yue feel utterly dispirited.
Why had Lu Piao’s strength risen to such shocking levels in such a short time? Had he consumed countless pills during this time?
Instructor Shen Xiu also wore an unsightly expression.
Although Lu Piao was her student, his association with Nie Li left her feeling frustrated.
She was well aware of Lu Piao’s original results, so why had his abilities suddenly skyrocketed? Did this mean Nie Li...
Her gaze darkened as she shot a glare at Nie Li, who was chatting happily with two beautiful women in the distance.
For the second test.
Lu Piao steadied himself, delivering a powerful punch to the testing stone.
“Bang!” A deep thud echoed as the power testing stone bore the imprint of his fist.
“Bronze Three Star, test result: three hundred twenty-five!” The instructor examining it looked slightly startled and said with gravitas, clearly acknowledging that Lu Piao’s talent in martial arts was remarkable and that he was a genius worth cultivating!
The other students who hadn’t yet tested gasped in shock.
“Goodness, is there any chance we’ll keep going?”
“This isn’t fair!”
At thirteen years old, their strength might exceed eighty at best, which was considered quite outstanding.
But Lu Piao had broken through three hundred, reaching the realm of Bronze Three Star.
It felt like a harsh blow to their confidence; it was simply intolerable!
Ignoring their astonished gazes, Lu Piao shook his head, clearly dissatisfied.
He stood firm again and sent an even heavier punch into the power testing stone.
Boom!
“Bronze Three Star, test result: three hundred seventy!” The inspecting instructor gasped slightly, his eyes gleaming.
When he was Lu Piao's age, he had barely reached Bronze One Star.
Lu Piao was certain to enter the Genius Class of the Saint Spirit Academy.
The Genius Class only accepted a maximum of fifty students.
Those selected received a different level of guidance, with each ten students assigned a specialized elite instructor.
Moreover, these Genius Class disciples were protected by the titles of Glory City, accessible only to those who committed unforgivable errors; otherwise, they were untouchable.
Glory City was always under the threat of demon beasts, so protecting geniuses was a serious matter.
“Lu Piao should train properly; otherwise, he wouldn’t have such results!” Du Ze said, forcing a smile.
Hearing this, the other students couldn’t help but shudder.
With such results achieved without effort, how much better would it be if they worked hard? Their gazes fell on Du Ze and the others, wondering if Nie Li and Du Ze's improvements were linked to their association with Lu Piao during these months.
Next came Lu Piao's Demon Spirit Power test.
He held the Soul Crystal and infused it with his Demon Spirit Power.
Moments later, glowing dots began to appear within the crystal, growing brighter and more numerous.
“Bronze Three Star Demon Spirit Master, Demon Spirit Power: three hundred sixty-seven!”
Only one test was needed for Demon Spirit Power.
Upon hearing this result, even the academy higher-ups were moved.
Becoming a Demon Spirit Master was far more valuable than being a Martial Artist; a thirteen-year-old Bronze Three Star Demon Spirit Master was truly remarkable! This was undoubtedly a groundbreaking event!
“This child is undoubtedly a genius; he should be placed in the Genius Class!” The opinions among the academy higher-ups were unanimously aligned, and Lu Piao's name quickly entered their minds.
Some were eager to recruit him as their disciple.
There was no doubt regarding Lu Piao’s talent.
As academy leaders, they needed exceptional disciples to bolster their standing.
It seemed multiple leaders would soon vie for Lu Piao’s tutelage!
After the tests were completed, Lu Piao stood aside, smiling at Nie Li and Du Ze, thoroughly excited.
“Returning home after this test, I won’t get scolded by the old man!” Lu Piao thought gleefully, picturing the old man's jaw dropping upon seeing his results.
“Who’s next?” The instructor responsible for testing gazed eagerly at the students in the Beginner Class.
Previous test sessions had not produced any remarkable geniuses.
Who could have guessed that the least promising group, the Beginner Class for Martial Artists, would unexpectedly give rise to such a stunningly talented individual? This made the instructor eagerly look forward to the next tests.
(End of Chapter)