Chapter 10 Assessment

Words : 2863 Updated : Oct 8th, 2023

"Young people are always so impulsive. Come with me." The person leading Stanley to the testing site was an old man in a white robe. Stanley noticed two badges on the old man's chest—one was the crossed-swords badge of a hunter, and the other was a six-pointed star formation badge. "A formation mage badge!" Stanley was slightly surprised. It was clear this old man held a special status, having dual identities. Though he appeared aged, his life energy, evident in his strong and vigorous life force, showed that powerful strength lay dormant within him. Walking through the passageway lined with torches, they eventually reached a stone door. After pushing it open, Stanley followed the old man into a spacious room. The floor of the room was etched with strange patterns, resembling bizarre symbols connected in intricate, irregular lines that seemed to have no discernible order. In the center of the room stood a raised stone platform about two feet high. Before Stanley could ask, the old man in white robes spoke, "This is the testing site. If you fail the test, remember you will have to pay the cost of activating the formation." "Cost?" Stanley asked, a bit confused. "Did you think activating a formation was free? The test for a first-level hunter requires a Vitality Stone. If you pass, the Hunter's Guild covers the cost. If you fail, you must pay for the stone," the old man explained. Stanley had heard of Vitality Stones before. They were highly concentrated sources of spiritual energy that martial artists could absorb directly, far more effective than gathering scattered energy from the surroundings. "How much does a Vitality Stone cost?" Stanley asked, beginning to regret not thoroughly reading the contract from the beautiful receptionist earlier. "Five hundred silver." "That expensive!?" Stanley was startled—such a sum was astronomical for him. The old man glanced at Stanley and chuckled. "If you're not confident, you can still back out now." Five hundred silver was a hefty amount, and Stanley hesitated for a moment. He then asked, "Can you tell me what the test actually involves?" "You don't even know what the test is about, and you dared to come here? Do you think the Hunter's Guild is a joke?" The old man bristled, his beard quivering in anger. "I'll overlook this because you're young. Go back and train properly." Though the old man's words were harsh, Stanley didn't take offense. After all, he truly didn't know much about the hunter's test. He had overheard bits from other hunters in the guild earlier, guessing it had something to do with battling a first-level demon beast. But looking around the room, he saw no sign of any beasts. The old man, noticing Stanley's puzzled gaze, said, "The demon beasts appear after the formation is activated. To pass the test for a first-level hunter, you must defeat three first-level demon beasts alone." Demon beasts differed greatly from regular beasts. Even the weakest first-level demon beast was comparable to a fifth-level Lian Ti Realm martial artist. But their true strength only manifested in battle—an inexperienced martial artist wouldn't stand a chance against a demon beast of the same level. "Three first-level demon beasts? I should be able to handle that," Stanley replied confidently. The old man didn't say anything further, simply pointing to the stone platform in the center of the room. "Stand on that." Stanley nodded and stepped onto the platform. "When I activate the formation, you'll be transported to an environment created by the formation. Everything you experience will be nearly indistinguishable from reality. If you find yourself unable to continue, don't push too hard. Just focus your mind, and you can exit the formation within three breaths," the old man instructed. Three breaths seemed like a brief window, but in life-or-death combat, it was enough time for many things to happen. The injuries and deaths during these tests often occurred within that short period. "Let's begin!" Stanley took a deep breath, adjusting his state of mind to its peak. The old man produced a palm-sized stone glowing faintly with white light and placed it into a recessed area within the formation's pattern. A hum resonated through the room as the formation's lines lit up with a soft glow. All the light converged toward the stone platform where Stanley stood. In the blink of an eye, his surroundings began to warp, transforming into a confined, cage-like space. "Roar!" With a flash of white light, three ferocious demon beasts appeared about ten meters away. They were covered in gray fur, with blood-red eyes resembling wolves but much larger, and their claws gleamed with sharpness, as did their razor-sharp fangs. "Ironback Demon Wolves!" Though Stanley had never encountered a demon beast before, he had read enough to recognize their traits. These low-level demon wolves were called Ironbacks due to the iron-like hardness of their spinal bones. "No life force?" Stanley furrowed his brow as he focused on the three wolves, noticing they lacked any visible life energy. These creatures were composed entirely of spiritual energy, a result of the formation. Without life force, Stanley's ability to disrupt life meridians was useless in this battle. Facing the three wolves, Stanley wasn't nervous; in fact, he felt a thrill of excitement. Licking his lips and adopting a fighting stance, he murmured, "No matter—I can still show my real strength!" "Howl!" The three Ironback wolves charged at Stanley, ferociously and fearlessly. Though the formation couldn't replicate real life completely, it perfectly captured the wolves' behavior and attack patterns. "Bring it on!" Stanley's feet moved in a subtle, fluid motion, his One-inch Kick footwork, at the level of great achievement, acting on instinct as he dodged the attacks of two wolves. His hands followed immediately, with no hesitation. "Fierce Tiger Strike!" Stanley channeled his internal energy into his fists and aimed at the third wolf's abdomen. Sensing the danger, the wolf crouched low, exposing its iron-hard spine to defend against Stanley's blow. "Bang!" The wolf was sent flying, shattering into white light in midair. Though its back was its strongest defense, Stanley's great achievement-level Dragon and Tiger Boxing, combined with the destructive force of his death energy, allowed him to take down the wolf with a single punch. However, the recoil left his right fist in immense pain, as if his bones had cracked. At that moment, the other two Ironback wolves lunged again, their foul breath hot on his face. "Life energy!" The life-and-death energy inside Stanley's body shifted, and a surge of life force flowed into his fist, quickly repairing his meridians and healing the fractured bones. Using One-inch Kick footwork, Stanley easily dodged the attacks of the two Ironback demon wolves. "Soaring Dragon Style!" The internal energy within Stanley split into two streams—one transforming into life energy to heal his meridians, and the other into death energy to power his martial techniques and strike down his enemies. With a loud boom, another Ironback demon wolf shattered into white light as Stanley crushed its head with a punch. "First-level demon beasts aren't that tough." Stanley narrowed his eyes, focusing on the last remaining wolf. A slight smirk appeared on his lips as he muttered to himself, "Might as well use this one to refine my One-inch Kick technique." The Ironback demon wolf lunged at him again, but this time Stanley didn't immediately counterattack. Instead, he placed his hands behind his back, dodging the beast's strikes by relying solely on his footwork. The wolf's attacks came swiftly, with slashes, bites, and lunges coming in rapid succession without pause. But Stanley was quicker. For a full half-hour, the demon wolf couldn't even graze his clothing. "This is getting boring. Looks like if I want to further improve my footwork, I'll need more than just this kind of training." After training for half an hour, Stanley realized that while it was more effective than practicing on wooden stakes, the progress was still minimal. Finally, he delivered a heavy punch, taking advantage of a moment when the wolf leaped at him without enough time to react. The wolf's hard skull cracked under his strike, and the creature dissolved into white light, vanishing completely. "Exit," Stanley commanded, having completed the test. The surroundings began to shift, and in the span of three breaths, Stanley found himself back on the stone platform, as if he had never moved. As soon as Stanley reappeared, he saw the white-robed elder who had brought him here for the test. The elder looked at him with surprise. "Well done, boy. Looks like I underestimated you. Your strength is on par with someone at the seventh level of the Lian Ti Realm," the elder said, clearly impressed. Since he had set up the formation, everything that happened within had been visible to him. Stanley scratched his head, a little embarrassed, unsure of what to say. "But don't get too full of yourself," the elder continued. "In Yun Long Shire County, and even here in Qing Yun City, the fifth level of Lian Ti Realm isn't much. You still have a long way to go." "I'll remember your advice," Stanley replied respectfully. "Alright, go to the main hall to get your hunter's badge," the elder said, signing Stanley's test form and handing it to him. "Benson Zhuang…" Stanley read the signature, realizing this must be the elder's name. ... "Half an hour has passed. That kid must've failed the test." "Haha, maybe he's already dead in there." "Even if he's not dead, losing a limb or two during the test is pretty common." In the main hall, Carl's group was full of confidence, smirking at the impending result. Barret's side, however, looked grim. The wager they had placed on Stanley passing the test was no small sum—1,000 taels of silver! For a Qi Hai Realm warrior, 1,000 taels wasn't a trivial amount. They would need to work hard for weeks to earn that kind of money. But for Barret, more than the silver, it was about pride. He was a well-known figure among the hunters in Qing Yun City. "Carl, don't be so sure of yourself. If that young man passes the test, I'd love to see how you'll save face!" Barret growled. "I'm telling you, if he passes, I'll let him use my head as a ball!" Carl shouted, just as confidently. "He's coming out!" At that moment, someone pointed toward the passage leading to the test chamber. All eyes turned to see Stanley walking towards the counter, holding his test form. With all eyes on him, Stanley approached the counter and slapped the form down with a grin, looking directly at Zora. "Well, well, little brother. You don't seem hurt. Did you give up and not take the test?" Zora asked, examining Stanley with a smile. "What if I told you I passed?" Stanley replied with a chuckle. He knew Zora had tried to help him earlier and found her amusing. Perhaps it was the atmosphere of the hunter's guild, but Stanley was starting to loosen up and enjoy himself. Both Barret and Carl's groups were now intensely focused, eager to hear the outcome. Zora winked at Stanley, her finger tapping her lips as she teased, "Little brother, passing the test at the fifth level of Lian Ti Realm is less than a ten percent chance. If you really passed, how about I start chasing after you?" Pfft! Many people in the hall spat out their drinks, their eyes wide with disbelief. "Damn, why can't I get luck like that? Zora chasing me? That'd be a dream!" "This isn't fair. Does Zora really like that kid?" "Damn it! I hope the kid fails!" The hunters in the hall jeered, "Kid, stop messing around. Did you pass or not?" Stanley grinned, lifting his hand off the test form. "Remember what you just said, beautiful." Everyone's eyes fell on the form, where the word "Passed" was clearly written. The entire hall fell into dead silence. You could hear a pin drop.

Chapter 10 Assessment

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