From the Iron Shirt Technique to physical sanctification

The Dragon Gate assessment ground of Lingyin Academy is the size of a football field, with stands set up around it, which are now full of people.

The Dragon Gate Assessment, held every six months, attracts many outer disciples from the five major academies to watch, gaining some experience for their own future assessments.

The disciples from the five academies who were taking the assessment followed the deacons of each academy to the entrance, where each person received a number and then lined up to wait for the assessment.

In reality, it's not difficult to cultivate someone with hidden strength if you have the money and resources. Lingyin Academy is a place that cultivates true martial arts elites, which is why there's this rule: those who don't pass the Dragon Gate assessment can never become inner court disciples.

The Dragon Gate assessment is very simple: you can kill a third-tier monster that has been starving for a day and a night.

A third-tier demon beast is equivalent to a martial artist at the Transformation Realm.

It's not too difficult for several martial artists with internal strength to hunt a third-tier demonic beast, but it's very difficult in a one-on-one situation. The academy even starved the demonic beast for a day and a night, which made it even more dangerous. That's why someone is seriously injured every time there's a Dragon Gate assessment.

If you want to gain the attention of the inner court teachers, or even be accepted as their personal disciple, you must challenge two third-tier demonic beasts.

This makes it even more difficult and dangerous; there have been instances where challengers have died.

Zhang Yu stood in the group, looking relaxed.

He doesn't need to become an apprentice; he only wants to learn top-tier techniques. Therefore, he only needs to defeat a third-tier demonic beast to pass the assessment.

Suddenly he spotted a familiar figure among the disciples being assessed at Yun Gui Academy.

Name: Xu Yang

[Cultivation Aptitude: Excellent]

[Comprehension: Exceptional]

[Destiny Traits: Proud and Aloof, Compassionate]

[Physique: Frost-Condensed Myriad Swords Body (Unawakened), ranked 6th among the 36 Heavenly Divine Bodies]

"It seems my image as a master didn't convince him last time," Zhang Yu thought to himself, looking at the other person's physical data with envy.

"No, we must find a way to take him as our disciple."

Before awakening his Frost Condensation Myriad Swords Body, Xu Yang possesses excellent cultivation aptitude and outstanding comprehension. Once awakened, his cultivation aptitude will increase by one level, transforming him into a genius with both exceptional cultivation aptitude and comprehension.

"Cloud Return Institute, prepare!"

The Dragon Gate assessment has begun.

Three outer disciples from Yun Gui Academy participated in the Dragon Gate Assessment, with Xu Yang being the first.

Xu Yang said to the deacon in charge of the assessment, "Deacon, I want to challenge two third-tier demonic beasts."

The presiding deacon glanced at him and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Xu Yang nodded affirmatively.

He has been stuck at the peak of Dark Force and cannot make any progress. Many people from his family have been asked to see the problem with him.

He came to Yunyin Academy to seek help from teachers at the Gangqi Realm. To attract the attention of Gangqi Realm experts, he had to be outstanding in the Dragon Gate Assessment, so he chose to challenge two third-tier demonic beasts.

roar...roar...

Two iron cages were opened in the testing ground, and two third-tier ghost wolves inside leaped out and howled at the sky.

Ghost Wolves, Tier 3, speed-type monsters. Each one is two zhang long and one zhang tall, with two ghostly blue eyes staring at Xu Yang, and foul-smelling saliva dripping from their mouths, falling to the ground drop by drop.

Xu Yang stared at the two ghost wolves, his expression grave.

Roar!

Suddenly, a ghost wolf howled and pounced on Xu Yang. It was very fast. In a flash, the black shadow was in front of him, and its blood-red mouth was about to bite his neck.

Xu Yang tilted his head back to dodge the wolf's bite, while simultaneously striking the ghost wolf's chin with his right Crimson Sun Palm.

Snapped!

It hit, but only hit; it didn't deliver the full force of the Crimson Sun Palm, because at the same time Xu Yang's right palm struck the Ghost Wolf's chin, the Ghost Wolf's two front paws also pounced on his chest.

boom!

Xu Yang took three steps back, and the ghost wolf was also knocked back ten feet.

Before Xu Yang could even regain his footing, he suddenly heard a whooshing sound behind him. It turned out that another ghost wolf had circled around behind him and, at the perfect moment, bit down on the back of his neck as he retreated.

Xu Yang inwardly cried out in alarm, a look of resentment flashing in his eyes.

"I, Xu Yang, have been a genius since childhood, and I absolutely cannot stop here," he cried out in his heart.

The next second, his left elbow lashed backward.

boom!

Xu Yang's left elbow slammed into the ghost wolf's mouth, knocking out two of its front teeth, and the remaining force struck the wolf's upper palate.

But the ghost wolf endured the pain and didn't let go, biting off Xu Yang's left arm.

Click!

Ah!

Xu Yang let out a short scream, a resolute look in his eyes. Enduring the pain of shattered bones, he concentrated all his strength in his right palm, which began to burn, and slammed it toward the head of the ghost wolf.

"die!"

boom!

The wolf's head was slammed directly to the ground by Xu Yang's palm strike, producing a loud bang and a shockwave emanating from the ground, demonstrating the immense force of the blow. The wolf's head then left a charred palm print.

Xu Yang cultivates the Crimson Sun Skill, a family heirloom technique that inherently possesses the fire attribute.

Awoo!

The ghost wolf howled, blood welling in its eyes. Though not yet dead, it had lost its fighting ability.

what……

Xu Yang let out another scream. While he turned around to strike the second ghost wolf, the first ghost wolf bit his left leg, tearing off a piece of flesh and eating it in two bites.

Uh...

After finishing its meal, it roared and pounced on Xu Yang again.

Xu Yang's left arm and left leg were injured, so he could only rely on his right arm and right leg to fight off the ghost wolf.

The third-tier demon beast already possessed a certain level of intelligence. It did not engage in a direct confrontation with Xu Yang, but instead used its speed to continuously inflict wounds on him.

bang bang bang...

A few breaths later, Xu Yang was covered in wounds and turned into a bloody mess. His breathing became rapid, and he was at his last gasp.

"Is this how it ends? I'm not reconciled!" Xu Yang cried out inwardly, his face filled with sorrow.

Whoosh!

Seeing the swaying Xu Yang, the ghost wolf's body surged with a layer of black demonic power, its speed increased again, and it appeared to Xu Yang's side like lightning, biting down on his neck.

The female disciples from the outer courtyard in the stands were already screaming, and some were covering their eyes with their hands. It was clear to everyone that Xu Yang couldn't dodge.

boom!

thump!

In an instant, a deacon from the main hospital appeared above the Ghost Wolf, kicking its head to pieces and saving the blood-soaked Xu Yang.

Xu Yang closed his eyes in despair, feeling tears welling up in them: "What should I do? Can anyone help me?!"

Having been hailed as a genius since childhood and the ray of sunshine in his family, he felt utterly despondent and overwhelmed by a sea of ​​despair.

Xu Yang was quickly carried away, and the Dragon Gate assessment continued.

The second and third examiners from Yun Gui Outer Academy also failed and were carried out one after another.

The newly arrived outer disciples had only heard that the Dragon Gate assessment was difficult and that injuries were common, but now that they had seen it with their own eyes, their expressions all became very serious.

"This is so difficult! These monsters are all top-tier members of the third tier. Is the academy deliberately making us fail the test?" someone whispered.

"The deacons didn't step in to save people until the very last moment. How cruel."

"Keep your voice down, don't let the deacons hear you."

……

There was a lot of discussion in the stands.

Li Feifei and Su Wan sat together, both of them looking very upset.

"It's this difficult? How are we going to get through this?" Li Feifei said.

Su Wan frowned deeply: "I hope Senior Brother Ye can pass."

"Yes, yes, Senior Brother Ye will definitely pass. Once he becomes an inner disciple, he'll get more resources and guidance from teachers. He might give us a few pointers then, and maybe we'll be able to pass the Dragon Gate assessment," Li Feifei said.

Four students from the Star Law Outer Academy signed up for the Dragon Gate Assessment, but only one senior disciple managed to pass by sheer luck, managing to kill a third-tier demon beast at the last second.

"Ye Xuan, number one from the Rock Outer Courtyard!" The deacon in charge of the assessment read out Ye Xuan's name.

Ye Xuan's arrogance and confidence had vanished, and he walked into the assessment square with a solemn expression.

"Go, Senior Brother Ye! I believe you can pass. You're the best!" Li Feifei's voice rang out from the stands.

At this moment, Ye Xuan found Li Feifei's voice very noisy and irritating, and he really wanted to tell her to shut up. He himself wasn't confident that he could pass the test, and if he didn't, Li Feifei's shouting and yelling would only make things more embarrassing for him.

Therefore, Ye Xuan did not look up when he heard Li Feifei's voice, nor did he even glance at her.

Roar……

A third-tier Crimson-Eyed Tiger was released from its iron cage and stared at Ye Xuan, who was ten feet away, with its crimson eyes.

Ye Xuan gripped his longsword tightly, trying his best to appear calm, but the slight trembling of his little finger betrayed his true state.

I was nervous, and even a little scared.

Roar……

The Crimson-Eyed Tiger roared, and Ye Xuan was so frightened that his body trembled involuntarily.

The next second, the Crimson Tiger pounced in front of him, its claws slamming down on his head.

Ye Xuan panicked. He was a fraction too slow to dodge to the side, and a huge tiger claw slashed across the outside of his shoulder.

hiss……

The tiger's claws left a bloody, deep wound on the outside of his shoulder, exposing the bone.

Ah!

Ye Xuan let out a miserable scream.

He tried to stab the Crimson-Eyed Tiger with his sword despite the pain, but he only managed to shatter the tiger's afterimage.

Uh...

A whooshing sound came from behind.

"Oh no!" Ye Xuan only had time to think to himself that something was wrong before a loud bang rang out as the thick tiger tail lashed across his back.

puff……

Ye Xuan spat out a mouthful of blood, his body lurched forward, and he fell to the ground.

Roar……

A tiger's roar sounded again from behind, and the red-eyed tiger's blood-red maw snapped at the back of its neck.

"I give up, help!" Ye Xuan shouted, terrified.

boom!

In an instant, the deacon of the main hospital made a move and kicked the Crimson-Eyed Tiger away.

He glanced at Ye Xuan and said expressionlessly, "Ye Xuan of the Rock Outer Court has voluntarily admitted defeat and is not allowed to participate in the Dragon Gate Assessment for one year."

"Ah!" Ye Xuan was stunned.

"That disciple from the Rock Outer Court is a disgrace. I think there were even female disciples cheering him on just now."

"She's quite fair-skinned, but I didn't expect her to be all show and no substance."

"I heard he's from the Ye family in the capital, tsk tsk."

A buzz of discussion erupted in the stands, and even Ye Xuan's background was dug up by a disciple who also came from the capital.

Zhang Yu watched Ye Xuan limp off the field, his face expressionless; the other's life or death was none of his concern.

His only goal was to pass the assessment, become an inner court disciple, and gain the qualification to learn first-class techniques.

Next up was Leng Chao, a senior disciple from the Rocky Outer Court. He killed the Crimson-Eyed Tiger at the cost of serious injury and successfully passed the test.

"Zhang Yu, No. 3, Panshi Foreign Languages ​​School!"

Zhang Yu strode into the assessment arena. His appearance caused a stir, because he was the only one with the lowest cultivation level in this Dragon Gate assessment—the late stage of Dark Force; everyone else was at the peak of Dark Force.

"A late-stage Dark Force cultivator dares to participate in the assessment? He's courting death. Just watch, he'll probably be crying and begging for defeat soon."

"The Rock Outer Courtyard is really deserted, tsk tsk!"

Li Feifei, who was in the stands, had already left. She went to comfort Ye Xuan; the investment was too large, and there was no turning back.

Su Wan didn't go. At this moment, she stared at Zhang Yu as he appeared, her expression somewhat complicated.

"He dares to sign up for the assessment at the late stage of Dark Force, what is he relying on?" Su Wan was very curious.

Roar……

The cage was opened, and a giant ground bear, standing two zhang tall, stepped out.

"It's actually an Earth Bear, one of the top-tier third-tier demonic beasts."

"He's finished. This disciple from the Rock Outer Court is doomed if he doesn't admit defeat."

"The Earth Bear is both ferocious and cunning, and its defense is also very high. It is impossible to break through its defense with internal force. There is no way to fight it."

hum...

When the Tier 3 Earth Bear appeared, the people in the stands gasped in surprise, all thinking that Zhang Yu was doomed and had no choice but to admit defeat.

Zhang Yu listened to the discussions in the stands, curled his lip, then stretched his neck, thinking to himself, "I'll dazzle your eyes in a bit."

Roar……

The earth bear roared again and pounced on Zhang Yu, its huge paw striking Zhang Yu's head.

Zhang Yu did not dodge or retreat. He stomped his foot on the ground and threw a punch to meet the attack.

boom!

The fist and the bear's paw collided, the powerful force stirring up a cloud of sand and creating a surging shockwave.

"He's insane, trying to outmuscle a giant bear?"

"I bet his entire arm is ruined..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Earth Bear's body was seen flying backwards in the shockwave.

boom!

He fell onto the iron cage and smashed it flat.

Swish!

Zhang Yu's body appeared almost simultaneously above the fallen Earth Bear, his fist emitting a faint black light.

"die!"

He punched the fallen earth bear in the head.

boom!

The entire ground trembled as the giant bear's head was smashed into the ground, its brains splattering everywhere.

hiss……

"What...what...what the hell is this?"

Am I seeing things?

"Is he really at the late stage of the Dark Force realm?"

"Holy shit!"

After a moment of silence, a lively discussion broke out.

Zhang Yu withdrew his fist, glanced around at the stands, and a smile crept onto his lips: "Dazzling, huh? Hehe!"

Su Wan stared at Zhang Yu's retreating figure, covering her mouth with her hands to stifle a gasp: "How is this possible? Who is he? Did I miss something?"

A pang of regret welled up inside her. She had lived in the same courtyard as Zhang Yu for two months. Although she hadn't offended him like Li Feifei had, she hadn't developed a close relationship with him either.

The next moment, Su Wan hurriedly got up and walked outside, wanting to congratulate Zhang Yu as soon as possible.