The path to immortality through martial arts begins with being forced into marriage!

When Zhao Jingsheng saw the potential assessment on the armor, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and the black-clad man who brought Cui Yi over was also startled.

"Armor...Armor on?!"

This kid is way too young; he's only just turned eighteen!

As a rogue cultivator, he had no resources to invest, yet he was still able to reach the peak of the Qi Refining Realm, which is extremely rare among rogue cultivators.

No wonder he was rated as having the potential to be promoted to the top tier; he's qualified!

"good."

"Your true qi is rich and mellow, almost liquefied... It seems you're not far from Foundation Establishment."

"Cui Yi, do you know that since its establishment, our Demon Suppression Division has gone through hundreds of years, recruiting talents from all over the world?"

"And this rating is not simply based on the level of one's cultivation."

"But to date, including you, only seven people have been able to achieve a potential rating on the Bone Stone Armor during their initial entry assessment."

Seven people!

This number sent another shock through the black-clad deacon beside him, whose gaze toward Cui Yi shifted from surprise to awe.

Although the Examination and Assessment Office was large, the crowd queuing for the basic assessment on the other side was not far away. In addition, the cultivators had sharp ears and eyes, and many of them heard the keyword "A" clearly.

But when they saw how young Cui Yi was, some people's attitudes began to change.

The assessments are conducted in a specific order, and the process is quite complicated, so many people waited for one or two hours without getting a number.

Those who had been waiting in line for a long time, or who had just gone through a lot of trouble in the basic assessment, felt even more resentful.

On what grounds?

This kid looks no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, still wet behind the ears. Why is he allowed to skip the basic tests they have to go through and be taken directly to the bone stone?

And the test revealed a once-in-a-century A1?

However, some observant people noticed the unusual document on Zhao Jingsheng's desk, and their expressions turned hostile.

"Tsk, I knew it... so you came with a letter of recommendation from an official."

"No wonder they can cut in line for bone examination directly. These days, having a good backer makes all the difference. Even the threshold for the Demon Suppression Division is lowered by three points."

"Exactly! Look at his age, he's at most at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining. How pure can his true Qi be? Close to liquefaction? You're kidding me!"

"Perhaps the bone-examining stone is old and malfunctioning, or..."

"Heh heh, some people probably manipulated a better score just to curry favor with the county magistrate, right?"

"A piece of trash who got in through connections doesn't even deserve to wear armor! It's an insult to those six seniors!"

Among those speaking, most were older, having wasted half their lives to achieve their current level of cultivation.

How could they not be jealous of such talent?

It is considered a sin to smack your lips when others are hungry!

The man in black who had led Cui Yi there also noticed the commotion and the undisguised contemptuous looks from the crowd, but he only frowned slightly and didn't say anything.

Rumors, if suppressed with violence, will only create more problems.

Cui Yi and Zhao Jingsheng naturally heard it all clearly.

Instead of stopping him, Zhao Jingsheng watched Cui Yi with great interest, seemingly wanting to see how this top-ranked genius would quell the incident.

Should we pretend we didn't hear it, or...?

What other methods could be used?

Cui Yi's eyes flashed, and he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Master Zhao, I have a favor to ask."

Zhao Jingsheng looked up, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Speak."

"This junior dares to suggest setting up a simple competition arena on the premises of the Examination and Evaluation Office!"

"Anyone present today who has doubts about the juniors' ranking or qualifications is welcome to come up on stage and discuss with them to verify their claims!"

"If I am defeated by either of them, I am willing to give up the top ranking without any complaints!"

Upon hearing this, the entire Examination and Evaluation Department fell into a deathly silence!

Everyone was stunned, including Zhao Jingsheng, who did not expect Cui Yi to suddenly make such an arrogant request!

This is the most direct way to respond to all the doubts!

"Good lad! You've got guts!"

"I'm actually looking forward to testing the quality of your armor!"

"Arrogant! A mere Qi Refining stage cultivator dares to spout such nonsense and accept challenges from everyone?"

The crowd waiting for the assessment was in an uproar. If they could defeat this genius on the first level, they would surely gain a great reputation in the Demon Suppression Division!

and......

Whether this kid is a true genius or not is still uncertain!

Zhao Jingsheng glanced at Cui Yi, a barely perceptible hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

The young man's do-or-die spirit was hard to ignore!

"Have you thought this through?"

Zhao Jingsheng asked in a deep voice, "There are no eyes in fists and feet on the arena. Although the Demon Suppression Division restricts arena fights from intentionally causing death or maiming, injuries are inevitable."

"And if you lose, you must keep your promise."

"Giving up your qualifications means losing all the resources allocated by the Demon Suppression Division, which could very likely affect your future cultivation path."

"I've thought it through."

Cui Yi's expression remained unchanged as he stated resolutely, "We cultivators seek immortality and freedom, and we strive to defy fate!"

"If I can only cower behind rules and letters of recommendation, even if I obtain this top-tier qualification today, a shadow of cowardice and timidity will inevitably remain in my heart in the future!"

"Then how can we climb higher mountains and see farther views?"

"Please grant my request, sir!"

Cui Yi's words were all reasonable, and everyone present could understand that.

He wasn't provoking anyone, but rather requesting a fair platform to prove himself.

Inside the Examination and Evaluation Office, many people who were originally just watching the show or were simply jealous were slightly moved after hearing this, and their gazes toward Cui Yi became less contemptuous.

This kid, though young, speaks with a lot of bravado. Regardless of today's outcome, at least Cui Yi has salvaged a lot of public goodwill.

"I'll do it!"

The first person to jump onto the stage was a burly man with a scar on his face.

He held two short halberds in his hands, exuding a fierce aura, clearly a rogue cultivator with rich combat experience.

"My name is Lu Zhen, Qi Refining Level 7!"

"Kid, don't think you're something special just because you have a Class A title!"

"Take this!"

Before he finished speaking, Lu Zhen had already charged at him like a tiger pouncing on its prey!

Holding two halberds in his hands, one on each side, they aimed straight for Cui Yi's shoulders with a piercing shriek that tore through the air!

A glint flashed in Cui Yi's eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his long sword humming as it was infused with true energy. Then, he thrust the sword towards his opponent!

The first layer of hidden force of the Surging Waves technique was quietly unleashed the moment the sword tip touched the halberd!

Ding!

With a crisp sound, a short halberd flew out of the hand, arcing through the air before crashing heavily onto the stone surface at the edge of the arena, sparks flying everywhere!

The voice was so sharp that many of those with weaker cultivation levels in the audience covered their ears.

Lu Zhen felt a sudden, sharp pain in his wrist, and half of his body was unable to exert any strength. He was terrified and hurriedly swung his short halberd horizontally with his left hand, trying to force Cui Yi back.

However, Cui Yi blocked the attack with his longsword and then spun his right hand in the air to strike out with a palm!

The hidden force of the overlapping waves condensed again, but this time Cui Yi used a second layer of force!

boom!