Without using any technique, Zhuang Xun simply followed the instincts of this body.
He gripped the handles with both hands.
Then, he lifted the thousand-and-eighty-pound stone lock straight up. There was not a single moment of hesitation or loss of form; the entire motion was as smooth and natural as flowing water.
“Whoa—!”
A massive clamor erupted throughout the field.
Even though they had expected it, the onlookers were still utterly shocked to see it actually happen.
“He actually lifted it! He really lifted it! And it doesn't even look like he's using all his strength?!”
“Nine stones of strength! This already meets the criteria to enter the Inner Court, doesn't it?”
“Superior bone structure! That youth definitely has a superior bone structure! Only a genius with superior bone structure could temper nine stones of strength before the age of fifteen!”
Thud!
Zhuang Xun set the stone lock down on the ground and looked at the dumbfounded instructor.
After staring at each other for a moment, the instructor finally snapped out of it. He coughed lightly to hide his embarrassment and said, “Congratulations, you pass!”
He picked up the stamp on the desk and stamped Bai Yujing's token. “My name is Huang Wei, and I will be your instructor from now on. Remember to bring this token to report to the Seventh Courtyard before the Hour of the Dragon the day after tomorrow.”
Zhuang Xun quietly took back his token and placed a money bag on the desk.
“No need,” Instructor Huang said with a smile. “The top performer in the entrance exam is exempt from the monthly tuition fee. I doubt there will be any disciple more outstanding than you in this exam.”
That's great, but can I get a refund on my application fee then?
Zhuang Xun felt a bit tempted, but he was too embarrassed to bring it up. It would completely ruin Bai Yujing's otherworldly, pristine image.
He took back his money bag and turned to leave with a cold, aloof demeanor. To his surprise, however, the martial arts field was already packed so tightly that not a single drop of water could trickle through, leaving him with nowhere to go.
...
“Wow~ He's so handsome... Hey, brother, you're blocking me. Move aside, move aside.”
“Pardon us, young master, sorry to bother you. Could you let us two sisters pass through?”
Two soft and gentle voices pulled Zhuang Xun's attention back to Yan Pingsheng's side. He glanced at the two young girls he was blocking and controlled Yan Pingsheng to step aside a few paces.
“Thanks, brother... Huh! Why is someone else blocking the way? I can't even see the young master now. Out of the way, out of the way! Forget it, Sister, let's squeeze to the very front to watch.”
“Alright.”
Zhuang Xun watched the backs of the two girls as they excitedly squeezed their way in, then looked around. His mouth fell slightly open.
This is way too exaggerated...
The sisters were not an isolated case. At this moment, the crowd was surging all around, with massive numbers of people gathering toward this spot. Now, even Yan Pingsheng, who was some distance away from Bai Yujing, was trapped in the human tide.
Observing from a third-person perspective, Zhuang Xun gained a whole new understanding of his own charm.
A maxed-out charm attribute was truly terrifying.
...
“Can't get out?” A voice came from Bai Yujing's side. It was Instructor Huang speaking. “Hiss—this is the first time I've ever seen someone so popular. I'll have someone escort you out.”
Zhuang Xun controlled Bai Yujing to put on a hesitant expression, then said, “Thank you for your trouble, Instructor.”
“Haha, no need to be polite, it's a small matter,” Instructor Huang chuckled. “You over there, a few of you come here...” Before he could even finish his sentence, over a dozen disciples responsible for maintaining order eagerly raised their hands.
“Senior Brother Huang! Me! Me! Let me do it!”
“Alright, alright, a few are enough. We don't need that many. Just you few, escort Yujing out.”
The disciples who weren't chosen by Instructor Huang looked thoroughly disappointed, while those who were selected looked excited and nervous. They quickly walked over to Bai Yujing's side, not daring to strike up a conversation for fear of offending a celestial being. They guarded him in the center with absolute vigilance.
Dodging the wandering hands that tried to touch him without any mishap, Zhuang Xun finally made it out of the crowd's encirclement.
Afterward, led by the academy's disciples, he bypassed the long queue and quickly completed the registration process for the academy's lodging.
—And it was even a special single room.
The academy disciples escorted him all the way back to the inn where he was temporarily staying. Standing at the door of his room, Zhuang Xun bid them farewell. Though his words of gratitude were brief and casual, the academy disciples looked utterly flattered.
Remembering how the Wanxing Martial Academy disciples he had seen on the streets before were always incredibly arrogant, a strange sensation welled up in Zhuang Xun's heart.
Once he confirmed they had left, Zhuang Xun walked up two more floors and returned to his own room. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Playing on Bai Yujing's account was indeed much more satisfying. Unlike Yan Pingsheng's account, which couldn't even pass a basic entrance exam.
...
Yan Pingsheng was also controlled by Zhuang Xun to return to his inn, which was two streets away from the one Bai Yujing was staying in.
The two clones did not stay together.
This was because Zhuang Xun did not want others to think Yan Pingsheng and Bai Yujing knew each other. That way, if one clone provoked a powerful enemy in the future, the other clone wouldn't be implicated.
The Character Creation Panel was bound to Zhuang Xun's soul. As long as at least one clone remained alive, Zhuang Xun would never truly die.
Today, the task Zhuang Xun had set for himself was only half-completed. Originally, he had planned to have both clones join the Wanxing Martial Academy.
Bai Yujing would fully display his talent to attract the attention and resources of the higher-ups, thereby rapidly raising his status and strength;
meanwhile, Yan Pingsheng would use the Wanxing Martial Academy's protection to lay low and stay safe. He hadn't expected Yan Pingsheng to fail the exam.
“Sigh, if I had known, I wouldn't have pushed things to such an extreme and would have put a few more points into his realm.” Zhuang Xun shook his head and sighed, opening the Character Creation Panel.
The Character Creation Panel could modify all attributes on the character panel, which naturally included the realm.
The realm was the most unique of all the attributes on the panel. While other attributes could no longer be modified after character creation, the realm could still be upgraded by consuming points.
However, the upper limit for upgrading the realm depended on Zhuang Xun's clone with the highest realm.
In other words, since Bai Yujing's realm was Nine Stones of Strength, Yan Pingsheng's realm could at most be upgraded to Nine Stones of Strength. If he wanted to upgrade it further, he would have to wait until Bai Yujing broke through to a new realm.
[Realm: Three Stones of Strength → Four Stones of Strength]
【Current Points: 2 → 1】
Zhuang Xun added a point to Yan Pingsheng's realm column, and immediately felt a warm current flow into Yan Pingsheng's body.
In just a few breaths, Yan Pingsheng's body became noticeably stronger and more powerful.
“Phew, that wasn't easy. This way, if I take the exam with Yan Pingsheng again tomorrow, I'll definitely pass. However, such a huge improvement overnight might easily arouse suspicion... Huang Wei gave me a good excuse, though. I'll just say I ate some precious meat.”
To put on a convincing act, Zhuang Xun immediately controlled Yan Pingsheng to head to the market. He spent twelve taels of silver at the Aquatic Treasure Shop to buy the cheapest precious fish: the Blue-Veined Carp.
The scales of the Blue-Veined Carp resembled lines of blue veins, which was how it got its name.
“So expensive, and it looks so disgusting.” Looking at the Blue-Veined Carp, which was still flopping around with a straw rope threaded through its gills, Zhuang Xun slapped it unconscious, feeling a bit pained over the money.
Creating Bai Yujing had drained all his savings, leaving him with only fifty taels of silver. This purchase immediately ate up nearly a quarter of it. On top of that, he had to set aside fifteen taels of silver for Yan Pingsheng's tuition and lodging fees, leaving him with only twenty-three taels of disposable silver.
Fortunately, Bai Yujing did not require any further expenses.
Wrapping the Blue-Veined Carp tightly in a piece of cloth and stuffing it into his robes, Zhuang Xun heightened his vigilance. He only walked along the crowded main streets, avoiding the narrow alleys.
Without any incidents along the way, he returned safely to the inn.
Rate on N.U.
