Chapter 277: Strength Test
Lei Jing glanced briefly toward Zhang Ruochen and Luo Shuihan, then sat to the side, closing his eyes to rest.
The silver-robed elder returned to his original position, struggling to calm his emotions, and said, "Now begins the strength test. Who goes first?"
"I'll go first!"
Xue Qingshan, brimming with confidence, walked up to the testing stone wall, channeled his full true qi, and struck the wall with his palm.
"Bang!"
On the stone wall, seven silver lines appeared.
Xue Qingshan frowned slightly and roared, "Heavenly Might Palm!"
"Bang!"
With the second strike, one golden line and four silver lines appeared on the wall.
The silver-robed elder announced the result: "Xue Qingshan, first strike, 0.7 barbarian elephant strength; second strike, 1.4 barbarian elephant strength. Qualified, proceed to the next round of testing."
The force unleashed by the weakest Heaven Extreme Realm martial artist was roughly equivalent to one barbarian elephant's strength.
The Earth List testing was extremely strict; only those who achieved the strength of one barbarian beast were considered to have passed the first round of strength testing.
On the stone wall, one silver line represented 0.1 barbarian elephant strength.
One golden line represented one barbarian beast's strength.
Xue Qingshan felt quite satisfied with his strength and cast a glance at Zhang Ruochen, wearing a proud expression.
1.4 barbarian elephant strength was enough to contend with the weakest Heaven Extreme Realm martial artist, barely reaching the level of a martial arts myth. Though Xue Qingshan was arrogant, he had the capital to be so.
Next, Tu Jin began his strength test.
Tu Jin's first punch, also without using any martial technique, delivered 0.8 barbarian elephant strength.
His second punch, employing a highly explosive fist technique, achieved 1.9 barbarian elephant strength.
In terms of raw power, Tu Jin was significantly stronger than Xue Qingshan, naturally passing the first round of strength testing.
"Next, who will test?" the silver-robed elder asked.
Zhang Ruochen was quite deferential, making a "please" gesture to Luo Shuihan, and said, "Senior Sister, you go first."
Luo Shuihan nodded and walked to the base of the stone wall.
Everyone's gaze converged on her.
After all, Luo Shuihan was very young; at her age, passing the test seemed nearly impossible.
Yet Zhang Ruochen had great confidence in her, knowing that her strength should not be underestimated.
Luo Shuihan's figure was elegant, like a delicate orchid, standing beneath the stone wall. Without seeming to exert much effort, she struck the wall with a simple inch punch.
"Bang!"
On the stone wall, one golden line and eight silver lines lit up.
Seeing this, Tu Jin and Xue Qingshan, who had earlier wanted to show off in front of Luo Shuihan, widened their eyes in disbelief.
"How... how can she be this strong..." Tu Jin's throat felt as if someone had gripped it.
"Heavens! Just a casual punch delivered 1.8 barbarian elephant strength." Xue Qingshan felt he could barely breathe; it was too shocking!
If she used a martial technique, how strong would she be?
Even Lei Jing, sitting to the side, opened his eyes and glanced at Luo Shuihan, murmuring to himself, "No wonder she's the outstanding heir of the Luo family, a saintly clan. Truly formidable. Her cultivation doesn't seem to have reached the Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection yet, but her potential is boundless!"
Then, Luo Shuihan withdrew her arm, and a layer of white light enveloped her entire body.
As she threw another punch, the air roared with the sound of surging great rivers, deafening, making it feel as if the air itself trembled.
"Luo Water Fist Art!" Zhang Ruochen's eyes widened as he closely followed the trajectory of her fist technique.
With a thunderous "Bang!"
Nine golden lines and nine silver lines appeared on the stone wall.
9.9 barbarian elephant strength.
Seeing the lines on the wall, Tu Jin and Xue Qingshan felt suffocated. Their gazes toward Luo Shuihan shifted, now filled with awe and reverence.
This woman was not someone they could covet.
Even the silver-robed elder was taken aback, looking at Luo Shuihan as if she were a monster. How old was she? Yet the power she unleashed was more terrifying than many Heaven Extreme Realm martial artists.
"Luo Shuihan, first strike, 1.8 barbarian elephant strength; second strike, 9.9 barbarian elephant strength. Qualified, proceed to the next round of testing," the silver-robed elder announced.
"So she's that proud daughter of heaven from the Luo family, a saintly clan. No wonder she's so formidable."
Upon learning Luo Shuihan's name, Xue Qingshan suddenly understood.
"It's said that Luo Shuihan is a genius surpassing the Four Absolutes. Being outdone by her is no disgrace at all," Tu Jin sighed.
The silver-robed elder's gaze fixed on Zhang Ruochen. "Next."
Just then, Lei Jing exuded an imposing aura, speaking in a deep voice, "I will test him personally. All of you, leave!"
"What? A high-ranking figure from the Martial Market Academy is going to test that kid personally? Could his talent be even greater than Luo Shuihan's?" Tu Jin exclaimed in surprise.
"How is that possible? Luo Shuihan's achievements are due to her innate talent, plus the intensive cultivation from the Martial Market Academy and her saintly clan. Other martial artists don't have such favorable conditions and resources," Xue Qingshan said coldly.
Tu Jin, Xue Qingshan, Luo Shuihan, and even the silver-robed elder all exited the strength testing chamber, leaving only Zhang Ruochen and Lei Jing inside.
Lei Jing stared at Zhang Ruochen and asked, "That proud daughter of heaven from the Luo family is indeed formidable. Even I, at her age, was far inferior to her. Do you feel pressured?"
In Lei Jing's view, Zhang Ruochen and Luo Shuihan were likely evenly matched, perhaps with Zhang Ruochen slightly weaker.
After all, Luo Shuihan was the heir of a saintly clan, enjoying resources that Zhang Ruochen could never access.
"No."
With that, Zhang Ruochen walked directly toward the testing stone wall, channeling his full true qi through thirty-six meridians in rapid flow.
"Bang!"
He struck out with his palm, producing a thunderous roar.
On the stone wall, four golden lines and eight silver lines appeared.
To test his true strength, Zhang Ruochen used full force without holding back.
"4.8 barbarian elephant strength."
Lei Jing's eyes bulged in disbelief, and he stood up from his seat.
Remember, this was a strike without using any martial technique.
Luo Shuihan, without using a martial technique, had only achieved 1.8 barbarian elephant strength—less than half of Zhang Ruochen's.
Lei Jing looked at Zhang Ruochen again and let out a laugh, finally understanding why Zhang Ruochen had remained so calm and composed throughout. His strength was truly immense.
Zhang Ruochen nodded in satisfaction. After refining ten Bone-Tempering Tendon-Strengthening Pills, his pure physical strength had likely reached the level of a mid-stage Heaven Extreme Realm martial artist.
Otherwise, he couldn't have delivered 4.8 barbarian elephant strength with a single palm strike.
Lei Jing's heart hadn't been this excited in a long time. He urged immediately, "Quick, deliver the second strike!"
Zhang Ruochen's eyes grew brighter, like two balls of fire burning in his sockets. He unleashed seven consecutive palm strikes, each overlapping the last, amplifying the power sevenfold.
"Bang!"
Under the impact of the palm force, the testing stone wall trembled slightly.
On the wall, three black lines, two golden lines, and two silver lines appeared.
32.2 barbarian elephant strength.
Though it didn't reach the full sevenfold attack power, it was very close.
This time, Lei Jing was even more astonished. The power of Zhang Ruochen's palm strike could easily kill an early-stage Heaven Extreme Realm martial artist.
Someone like Tu Jin or Xue Qingshan could be crushed with a single palm.
Lei Jing's face flushed with excitement. "Good lad! That palm technique of yours—should it be a Spirit-level upper-grade martial technique?"
Although Zhang Ruochen hadn't fully mastered the fifth palm of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm, its unleashed power already surpassed some Spirit-level upper-grade martial techniques.
Facing Lei Jing's question, Zhang Ruochen merely smiled faintly. "Yes."
The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm was inherently a growth-type martial technique. Since Lei Jing assumed it was Spirit-level upper-grade, Zhang Ruochen saw no need to explain further.
The more he explained, the more troublesome it would be.
Lei Jing laughed heartily. "No wonder you came for the test. You already possess strength close to the top 100 of the Earth List. I underestimated you before!"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Entering the top 100 of the Earth List is no easy feat. The speed and combat tests will determine the final result."
Lei Jing nodded, fully understanding the difficulty of breaking into the top 100 of the Earth List.
At least Zhang Ruochen now had hope of reaching the top 100, while other martial artists didn't even have that hope.
"Let's go. Time for the speed test!"
Lei Jing quickly calmed down, but his anticipation grew even stronger.
Zhang Ruochen had brought him quite a pleasant surprise.
Tu Jin and Xue Qingshan had already arrived at the speed testing chamber. When they saw Lei Jing bringing Zhang Ruochen in, they were astonished. Had that kid passed the strength test?
How was that possible?
Only Luo Shuihan remained calm. Zhang Ruochen passing the test was within her expectations. She even suspected his results surpassed hers; otherwise, why would Lei Jing test him alone?
During Zhang Ruochen's strength test, the three of them had already completed the speed test.
Tu Jin's fastest burst speed reached 205 meters per second.
Xue Qingshan's fastest burst speed reached 219 meters per second.
Luo Shuihan's fastest burst speed reached 248 meters per second.
As long as one reached over 200 meters per second, they passed the test.
All three had naturally passed the speed test and could proceed to the final round of combat testing.
Lei Jing waved his hand grandly. "All of you, leave. I will test Zhang Ruochen alone."
"Alone again? Who is that kid? Wait... Zhang Ruochen... that name sounds so familiar."
Tu Jin furrowed his brow, thinking hard.
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