Chapter 955: True Breath Stone

"Is the Dean's class really that powerful?"

Not only were Zhuo Qingfeng and Wu Tianqiong exasperated, but even Elder Mi and Zhao Bingxu were dumbfounded. They knew their students' capabilities very well. Normally, they expected the first-year assessment to be a complete failure for their students. Yet, four students had gone up and defeated four battle masters. What was most surprising was that the weakest students had gone up. If the stronger ones were to participate, wouldn't they all pass?

If this continued, no other academy would have a chance. Hongyuan Academy alone would recruit all one hundred individuals for the Battle Master Hall. They had known beforehand that the Dean's lessons were powerful, but they never imagined just how powerful. Enabling ordinary cultivators to achieve combat power comparable to battle masters within half an hour was simply beyond description; it was truly "defying the heavens."

"Once the assessment is over, we must find them and meticulously copy the Dean's lecture content," Xu Changqing and the others secretly decided. How potent must the class content be to empower such weak students so significantly after just one lesson? The mere thought was exhilarating.

Although the copied text, lacking the direct impact of a teacher's instruction and the immersive atmosphere, would be far less effective than attending the lecture, it would still provide them with significant enlightenment.

"Bai Quan, Huang Tao, both of you suppress your cultivation and continue the assessment!" After his initial frustration, Zhuo Qingfeng gritted his teeth and gave further instructions. Suppressing cultivation at the Bridge Heaven Realm hadn't worked, but surely suppressing it to the Unity Realm would suffice!

"Yes!" The two battle masters stepped forward. After suppressing his cultivation, Bai Quan was the first to leap onto the platform. This time, before he could even call out, the Hongyuan Academy section below erupted into chaos."I'll go!""Let me do it instead; your strength is a bit higher than mine, so you'll have another chance. Let me try!""Try what? I'm going first! You can go if I can't beat him!""Do you think I'm foolish? By the time you're done, he'll probably be on the ground...""You're older than me; can't you show a little courtesy? Where did all those years of studying Master etiquette go? I'm younger and my cultivation is weaker, so let me go..."The students from Hongyuan Academy were all flushed with excitement. Students from other academies, seeing experts from the Unity Realm suppressing their cultivation for the assessment, tried to hide. Yet, the Hongyuan students scrambled eagerly, as if they had spotted a treasure and feared someone else would seize it. Was such exaggeration necessary? Such ferocity?

On the platform, Bai Quan's face twitched, and he was on the verge of tears from anger. He was a battle master, revered by all! Yet, these students, far from being afraid to spar with him, were squabbling to be the next contender, as if they were haggling at a market. It was simply intolerable! "Fine, let's see you be arrogant," he roared, gnashing his teeth, "I'll beat you senseless!" He swore inwardly, then watched as a young man jumped onto the platform. It was still the lowest-ranked student among the twenty.

The young man looked a bit thin and weak. Seeing him jump onto the platform, everyone behind him was filled with regret. They wished they had rushed forward instead of wasting time talking. As a result, he had seized the opportunity. "Damn it!" Seeing their disappointed faces, Bai Quan was enraged. He roared, "Come on, unleash your ultimate move!"With a whoosh, his five fingers spread wide, whistling downwards. In a single strike, he unleashed all the power he could at the Spirit Integration Realm, an attack at least ten percent stronger than Chen Zhu's earlier attempt. His strength was formidable, his reaction speed quick, and his moves dazzling. However, the student opposite him seemed to pinpoint his flaws. After just two moves, the student found an opening and delivered a kick.And then, that was it. Bai Quan lay on the ground. Before losing consciousness, tears welled in his eyes. He was truly a battle master, truly here to conduct an assessment. Yet, one by one, they were getting knocked out. It felt as if they were the ones being assessed, and the students were the examiners. More importantly, they couldn't even withstand three moves from their opponents.

"Captain, if this continues, I fear we won't even finish assessing the first-year students; we'll all be knocked out! It's not about failing the assessment, but our reputation as battle masters..." Seeing Bai Quan defeated as well, Zhuo Qingfeng was about to send another person up when Lu Cheng couldn't help but step forward. Others might not know the peculiar nature of Dean Zhang, but Lu Cheng had experienced it personally. If someone at the Dimension Breaking Realm could easily defeat him, a Half-Saint, how could the students he taught be ordinary?

Zhuo Qingfeng rubbed his temples. The other person was right; if they continued, this situation was highly likely to persist. They had come to conduct an assessment, but if all the battle masters responsible for it were to faint, how could the assessment proceed? They wouldn't be able to explain themselves upon returning. Furthermore, to come as assessors only to be knocked unconscious by the examinees... if word got out, it would be incredibly humiliating.

"How about we assess the students from the other three academies first and leave Hongyuan Academy for last?" Lu Cheng suggested."That's the only way," Zhuo Qingfeng agreed after a moment of hesitation. If they continued with Hongyuan, more and more of their battle masters would surely be knocked out. It made more sense to finish assessing the remaining three major academies first.

With the decision made, Zhuo Qingfeng wasted no time and immediately arranged the new order. Although Wu Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and others were displeased at being assessed first, they ultimately agreed. There was no alternative; given the situation with Hongyuan's students, the assessment simply could not proceed as originally planned.

The assessment of students from the three major academies proceeded much faster than with Hongyuan Academy. Four hours later, all students from the first to fifth years had completed their assessments. Although these three academies possessed profound legacies, the battle masters from the Battle Master Hall were truly formidable. Yunxu Academy, across all five years, had only twelve students pass, setting a new historical low. Luoqing Academy had only ten, and Qingzhu Academy even fewer, with just eight. The three major academies had arrived with great confidence, yet this unforeseen outcome was a complete shock.

"Now, we will assess the students of Hongyuan Academy..." After assessing the three major academies, Zhuo Qingfeng shifted his gaze to the many students of Hongyuan Academy. Xu Tai, Chen Zhu, and the others responsible for the assessment had now recovered and rejoined the examinations. As before, almost immediately after stepping onto the platform, they were knocked out again by a first-year student from Hongyuan Academy. With their previous experience, the students were even more proficient; in at most one move, the so-called battle masters were defeated."This..." Zhuo Qingfeng's face turned ashen, seeing his subordinates lying on the ground one by one, unsure how to proceed. Not even the first-year students of Hongyuan Academy had finished their assessment, and there were still eighty students from the remaining four years. If they continued like this, when would it ever end? Their Battle Master Hall wasn't here to be humiliated. Getting repeatedly knocked out was also incredibly embarrassing.

"Dean Zhang," Zhuo Qingfeng said after a moment of hesitation, "if we continue like this, the assessment definitely cannot be completed. I have a proposal: if your academy's students can meet a certain condition, all of them can be recruited as battle masters, regardless of the hundred-person quota. If not, then you will have to internally select for the remaining slots."Currently, a total of thirty students from the three major academies had passed the assessment, leaving seventy positions available. If Hongyuan Academy could not meet the condition, they would have to internally fill those seventy slots. However, if they succeeded, it would be acceptable to recruit all one hundred of their students. The hundred-person quota was merely a guideline from the Battle Master Hall; encountering true geniuses and recruiting more would actually be a fortunate outcome for the Hall.

"Battle Master Zhuo, please speak!" Zhang Xuan said, looking over."Battle masters not only possess combat skills," Zhuo Qingfeng explained, "but their internal true qi and physical strength must also far exceed those of ordinary cultivators. Only then can they cooperate effectively in group battles without becoming a burden." Wu Tianqiong, Shen Pingchao, and others nodded in agreement.Battle masters are essentially the army of the Master Teacher Pavilion, existing to combat the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and eliminate threats to humanity. Under normal circumstances, they engage in coordinated combat. No matter how high an individual's comprehension of martial techniques, if their true qi isn't abundant and their strength isn't great, they can easily hinder their team in group battles, turning a potentially victorious situation into an unpredictable one.

"I have a True Qi Stone here," Zhuo Qingfeng explained, "which was specially requested from the Battle Master Hall headquarters and must be returned after use. By simply striking it with your palm, it can clearly measure the level of your true qi and strength. Many students from Hongyuan Academy possess a terrifying understanding of martial techniques, grasping their very essence and returning to simplicity. However, their true qi and physical strength are somewhat weaker. Normally, a reading of four on the True Qi Stone qualifies one as a battle master. For your students, if they can reach two—half of the normal requirement—they will pass!"Under normal circumstances, battle masters have high demands for both true qi and physical strength. However, these students from Hongyuan Academy are exceptionally peculiar; despite having weak true qi, they can defeat stronger opponents. For such geniuses, even the Battle Master headquarters would relax their conditions. There had been similar instances in the past.

"Reach two?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He had never heard of this "True Qi Stone" before and had no idea what reaching levels two or four implied. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan asked, "May I see your True Qi Stone?"

"Alright!" Zhuo Qingfeng nodded. With a flick of his wrist, a stone stele, taller than a person, appeared before them. The stele was entirely greyish-blue, emitting a faint blue glow that made anyone who looked at it feel a sense of enchantment."A True Qi Stone... indeed this thing, it's formidable!" Wu Tianqiong's eyes lit up.

"Dean Wu, have you seen this before?" Shen Pingchao couldn't help but ask."I haven't seen it personally, only read about it in a book," Dean Wu replied, nodding. "It's said to detect a person's true qi and strength. You place your palm on it and exert your full true qi, and a number will appear. A reading above two indicates some talent, while above four signifies astonishing combat power, far surpassing ordinary geniuses."

"Can it be used by people of different cultivation levels?" Shen Pingchao continued to ask. "Can it detect everyone, regardless of their varying levels and cultivation?""It can be used by everyone," Dean Wu replied. "This device merely detects the purity of true qi and physical strength, independent of cultivation level."

While the two chatted, Zhang Xuan had already approached the True Qi Stone. He examined it, then couldn't help but look at Zhuo Qingfeng nearby, his eyes gleaming. "Battle Master Zhuo," he asked, "may I try this?"(Only five hours left! Is there still a chance? There will be another update at midnight!)