Chapter 1141: Internal Energy Channel

"Reached the pinnacle of Saint 1-dan twenty years ago?" Zhang Xuan nodded, full of surprise.

Almost everyone who could enter the Combat Master Hall was a genius. For someone like this to forcibly suppress their cultivation for twenty years without breaking through, their accumulation at the same level must have reached an astonishing degree!

"The reason this guy hasn't broken through is actually to break the record of the Inner Breath Hall!" Hearing their conversation, a combat master looked at Zhang Xuan curiously and said.

"The record for the Inner Breath Passage was set by Combat Master Feng Moxia three hundred years ago—a full thirty-seven points. Breaking it probably won't be easy!" Hall Master Wei frowned.

In the Inner Breath Hall, ten points was already an extremely high standard. Thirty-seven points meant one's vital energy density was 3.7 times that of an average combat master; such a score was simply astounding.

For this very reason, no one had broken it in three hundred years.

Shi Hao had endured for twenty years, constantly accumulating power, all to surpass this record in one go, leave his name in the Inner Breath Passage, and establish his fame.

Although Hall Master Wei trusted him greatly, breaking the Inner Breath Passage record was still extremely difficult, virtually impossible.

"In the past, it wouldn't have been easy. However, over the past six months, he has cultivated incredibly diligently, hunting sacred beasts, collecting sacred herbs, and nurturing his meridians and dantian… It's even said that to purify his vital energy, he delved deep underground into lava. No one knows what level of power he has accumulated since we last saw him half a year ago! But he shouldn't be any worse than Combat Master Feng from three hundred years ago!"

The combat master who had spoken earlier said with a solemn expression.

Six months ago, he would have thought breaking the record was almost impossible, but now… it was hard to say.

"This guy is truly ruthless… I can't believe he actually learned that cultivation technique!" Hall Master Wei was momentarily stunned, then shook his head.

"Cultivation technique?" Zhang Xuan asked, puzzled.

"It's an extremely profound cultivation art from the Inner Breath Hall called the Ocean Deluge Art. It's said that once mastered, one's vital energy flows endlessly, like water pouring from an ocean… Only Combat Master Feng from back then managed to master it. It seems this young man is determined to break the record…"

Hall Master Wei explained.

As they spoke, they saw light flickering on the walls of the passage before them.

"Look, the assessment has begun…"

Someone shouted, and everyone turned their gaze in unison.

*Whoosh!*

Following the light, a series of numbers slowly flickered on the formerly smooth wall, rising higher and higher, then quickly stopping at… thirty-eight!

"He actually broke it…"

Seeing the number clearly, everyone was stunned, and even Hall Master Wei was filled with surprise.

Combat Master Feng's record had stood for three hundred years, unbroken by anyone, yet now, before their very eyes, it had been successfully surpassed.

"It seems my efforts in nurturing him weren't in vain…"

Hall Master Wei smiled.

He had invested considerable effort into Shi Hao over the years and was pleased to find him truly a genius.

The door slowly opened, and a young man with a slightly pale face emerged.

"Hall Master…"

Seeing his appearance, Shi Hao bowed, clasping his fists. Although he looked severely depleted, his back was as straight as a spear, without the slightest bend.

"Indeed, you've done very well to surpass Combat Master Feng and set a new record!" Hall Master Wei praised him.

"Thank you for your guidance, Hall Master…" Shi Hao let out a sigh of relief, his eyes filled with excitement.

Being able to break the record was a significant affirmation for him.

"A score of thirty-eight means his vital energy is 3.8 times that of an average combat master. This record will probably be very hard to break!"

"I think no one will succeed in breaking it within the next three hundred years!"

"A record lasting several centuries… incredible!"

A ripple of commotion spread through the crowd.

Witnessing a new record being set firsthand was a great source of inspiration for the other combat masters.

"Teacher Sun, you can go in and try now…"

Seeing Shi Hao break the record in front of Teacher Sun, Hall Master Wei's face beamed with pride. He smiled and said.

Zhang Xuan nodded, said no more, and pushed the door open to enter.

Seeing him enter the passage, Shi Hao looked over curiously: "Hall Master, who is this Teacher Sun…?"

For the Hall Master to personally escort him, he must be extraordinary. Yet, he had met all the Saint 1-dan pinnacle combat masters before, so why did he have no impression of this one?

"He's not a combat master; he's an Enchanter who greatly assisted the Grand Hall Master. He wishes to conduct a test, and at the same time, assess his own cultivation!" Hall Master Wei explained.

"An Enchanter wants to test his vital energy density? What a joke…"

Shi Hao scoffed, his eyes full of disdain.

He had thought it was some formidable expert, but it turned out to be just an Enchanter.

Enchanters were a supportive profession, not strong in combat themselves. Wasn't it a joke for one to come and attempt an assessment meant for combat masters?

Not just him, but everyone else also shook their heads.

Enchanters… too weak!

Not worth mentioning.

"Don't underestimate Teacher Sun; his combat prowess is quite formidable!" Hall Master Wei said, seeing their expressions.

He had personally witnessed Teacher Sun in action: his reactions were lightning-fast, and his grasp of combat timing was terrifying… However, after only two or three exchanges, he couldn't tell if the other party's vital energy was dense or if their inner breath was powerful.

Still, with such profound understanding of combat, his vital energy shouldn't be too weak.

"Combat prowess doesn't necessarily mean dense vital energy… At the same level, almost no one can surpass a combat master in vital energy density!" Shi Hao's eyes showed deep confidence.

As one of the Inner Breath Hall's most formidable geniuses in three hundred years, he had every right to be proud and the capital to back it up.

"It's starting…"

Someone else shouted, and everyone looked up in unison, eager to see what score this person, so highly praised by the Hall Master, would achieve.

Light flickered on the wall, but no numbers appeared.

"No numbers? This guy can't even penetrate the first wall, can he?"

"Penetrating the first wall earns ten points, enough to pass the combat master assessment… If he can't, there'll naturally be no score!"

"I thought he'd be as impressive as Shi Hao and amaze everyone, but it seems… an ordinary person is just an ordinary person!"

Seeing no numbers appear on the wall, everyone shook their heads, and even Hall Master Wei found it a bit strange.

Based on his combat performance earlier, getting ten points shouldn't be difficult, so why was there no score?

Had the test not even begun?

No, that wasn't right. Since the wall was flickering, it meant the test had started. So why was there nothing?

*Creak!*

While they wondered, they heard the sound of the door opening, indicating someone was about to come out.

Someone coming out meant the assessment was over.

Numbers should have appeared before the assessment ended, but none had… This suggested that the person truly hadn't passed, and as everyone said, hadn't even penetrated the first wall…

"It seems Teacher Sun's combat prowess is strong, but his vital energy isn't particularly dense…"

Hall Master Wei shook his head.

The Inner Breath Passage assessed vital energy density. Strong combat prowess only indicated good explosive power; it didn't necessarily correlate with vital energy reserves or the total amount of true qi.

It was like the difference between sprinting and long-distance running.

Someone good at sprinting might be terrible at long-distance running.

This Teacher Sun had impressive combat prowess and quick reactions. It seemed he relied on instantaneous bursts of power and lacked endurance; otherwise, it would be impossible for him to have gotten zero points.

As he mused, the door opened, and Zhang Xuan walked out, looking somewhat awkward.

"It's alright if you didn't pass… I'll take you to the library now!"

Assuming Zhang Xuan hadn't passed and felt embarrassed, Hall Master Wei quickly stepped forward.

"Those walls…" Zhang Xuan pointed inside, trailing off.

"Don't worry, it's fine. You're not a combat master, so there's no need to be measured by their standards!" Fearing he hadn't even penetrated the first layer and might be embarrassed to say so, Hall Master Wei smiled.

The other party was merely an Enchanter. Even if he were a member of the Combat Master Hall—which he wasn't—with such heaven-defying enchanting abilities, he would undoubtedly be given a green light and allowed free passage.

"But…"

Zhang Xuan scratched his head.

"That was just an assessment inside; don't take it to heart!" Hall Master Wei quickly said.

"Assessment? Oh, the formations can automatically repair themselves, right?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

"Yes, the thickness of the penetrated wall measures vital energy density. Even if damaged, it can repair itself, so there's no need to worry!" Hall Master Wei smiled.

"That's good…" Zhang Xuan sighed in relief, no longer troubled. "Let's go!"

Hall Master Wei nodded and led the way.

The Inner Breath Hall's library was not far from the passage. Hall Master Wei swiped his palm, the formation opened, and the two walked in.

"I thought he was some master, but he couldn't even pass the first stage…"

"Just a minor Enchanter, trying to pass an Inner Breath Passage meant for combat masters—how could it be that easy!"

"I really don't know his background. With that strength, I could fight three of him. I don't think he was helping the Grand Hall Master… he's probably just a scion from some influential family!"

Seeing the two enter the library, everyone in the Combat Master Hall shook their heads.

Members of their Combat Master Hall could only enter to choose secret techniques after passing an assessment. Yet, this person, without even a score, was personally escorted by the Hall Master. His treatment was truly incomparable to theirs…

"Alright, he's not a combat master, so it's normal for him not to pass. Xiao Bo, I remember you wanted to make a bet with me last time, didn't you? Now that I've finished my assessment, it's your turn. I want to see if you can surpass me and break my record!"

Interrupting the others' discussion, Shi Hao looked at a combat master nearby.

"I… definitely can't break your record, but getting over twenty points shouldn't be difficult!"

Questioned publicly, the combat master named Xiao Bo's face flushed.

"I remember your last score was twenty-one points, right? I won't bully you. If you can exceed twenty-three points this time, you win, and our previous bet still stands!" Shi Hao chuckled.

"Alright!" After a moment of thought, Xiao Bo took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, pushed the door, and walked towards the passage.

He had only gone halfway in when he suddenly stopped, trembling uncontrollably as if he had seen a ghost.

"Th-this… how is this possible?"

A sharp cry directly burst from him.

Seeing Xiao Bo's extreme surprise, everyone felt a bit curious. Shi Hao swayed and came closer: "What's wrong?"

As he spoke, he also looked towards the half-open doorway, his face turned pale, his pupils contracted, and he couldn't help but retreat a few steps, his body rigid.