"Hmph, trash."
The young girl, who had been silent for quite some time, shot a glance at the burly young man before walking right past him. She arrived before the dark iron statue and suddenly lifted her leg, launching her attack. Her cultivation at the fourth level of Yuan Martial was fully displayed.
"Whoosh whoosh."
The girl's leg technique was formidable. Her speed was so fast that afterimages trailed in her wake, and her power was so immense that gusts of wild wind whipped up around her. This was no simple leg technique but a martial art — a powerful leg martial art that was absolutely no less than fourth-rank.
"BOOM!" The moment the girl's fifth kick landed, a thunderous boom rang out. The dark iron statue was actually sent flying into pieces by her kick, scattering across the ground.
"See that? If it's me, it only takes five moves." The girl cast a smug glance at the burly young man.
As for that burly young man, his face was currently ugly with frustration. Because whether it was cultivation or technique, the girl was genuinely superior to him. Even being mocked like this, he was left speechless — after all, he had just been showing off his skills in front of her.
"Mm, not bad. You pass." The representative from the Spirit World Guild nodded with satisfaction.
At this moment, among the four people present, three of them instinctively turned their gaze toward Chu Feng. Especially that burly young man, whose eyes as he looked at Chu Feng were filled with anticipation.
After the girl's display, he felt he had completely lost face, but he knew he could recover his dignity through Chu Feng. Because he could sense that Chu Feng's cultivation was merely the first level of Yuan Martial.
The current test had nothing to do with barrier techniques — it was purely a test of cultivation. So the burly young man felt that as long as Chu Feng was here, he wouldn't be the most humiliating failure, wouldn't be dead last.
Under the watchful eyes of the three, Chu Feng held his head high and approached the dark iron statue at an unhurried pace. He spread all five fingers open, then clenched them into a tight fist, and threw a single punch at the dark iron statue.
Chu Feng's fist was astonishingly fast — truly like a bolt of lightning. With just a "boom," the incredibly sturdy dark iron statue was obliterated by that single punch. Not cracked into pieces, but utterly and completely reduced to powder.
"One move! He actually only used one move!"
Staring at the statue fragments scattered across the ground, all three people present were shocked. The girl's small mouth fell slightly open, her eyes locked tightly on Chu Feng, revealing an indescribable sense of awe.
Even the elder from the Spirit World Guild had his gaze flickering. It took a long while before he finally relaxed, nodding slightly with a satisfied smile. "Not bad. A rare talent indeed."
"How is this possible? This guy is clearly only at the first level of Yuan Martial, yet he could reduce that dark iron statue to powder so effortlessly without even using a martial art?"
But the one with the most dramatic expression of all was that burly young man. He simply could not fathom that Chu Feng — whom he had regarded as weak as dregs — was actually this powerful.
An attack like that, he suspected, might not even be achievable by a fifth-level Yuan Martial expert. Yet Chu Feng, at only the first level of Yuan Martial, had pulled it off. What did that mean? Anyone with even a shred of intelligence could grasp the implications.
After the combat strength test, they moved on to the barrier technique evaluation. This primarily tested control over barriers, the sturdiness of barriers, and the sensitivity of Mental Power.
At first, the burly young man had been skeptical of Chu Feng. He figured that while Chu Feng's combat strength was extraordinarily powerful beyond reason, he must have devoted the majority of his time to martial cultivation, possibly spending far less effort on barrier techniques. He might not even be as skilled as the burly young man or the girl.
But when Chu Feng demonstrated his prowess in barrier techniques, the burly young man, the girl, and even the Spirit World Master from the Spirit World Guild were all left slack-jawed, completely conquered by Chu Feng's abilities.
In the end, all three successfully passed the test, clearing the first round of this white-robed examination. They could now receive new tokens and leave the area to purchase their Spirit World white robes.
However, after the examination concluded, the Spirit World Master from the Spirit World Guild made note of Chu Feng's name and rated him as a talent seen but once in an age.
"Brother Chu Feng, your strength is absolutely no joke. I truly admire you with every fiber of my being."
"Brother Chu Feng, with your power, you're definitely going to attempt the second round, right? Why don't we go together?"
After clearing the first round, the three walked out of the great hall. Whether it was the burly young man or that alluring young girl, both began trying to get on Chu Feng's good side. The alluring girl, in particular, wanted to travel with Chu Feng.
After all, the second round was the Twisted Forest. Not only did it demand high proficiency in all aspects of a Spirit World Master's abilities, it also required a certain level of combat strength. Because in the Twisted Forest, the greatest danger didn't come from traps or formations — it came from other people. So no matter how you looked at it, traveling with Chu Feng would make it easier for them to pass.
"Then let's travel together." Chu Feng nodded with a smile.
"Great! With Brother Chu Feng along, the second round is nothing to fear!" The burly young man laughed heartily with delight.
"Who said we're bringing you along?" The girl shot the young man a fierce glare. In examinations like these, everyone naturally prioritized themselves and wouldn't carry dead weight for no reason. In the girl's eyes, this burly young man was exactly that — dead weight.
"I..." The burly young man seemed to want to say something but ultimately swallowed his words, disappointment flooding his face.
"Meeting by fate — let the three of us go together." But right then, Chu Feng spoke up casually.
"Brother Chu Feng, you really are a good person! Don't worry, I absolutely won't slow you down." Hearing Chu Feng's words, the burly young man was overjoyed, his face brimming with gratitude. Amid his gratitude, he didn't forget to pat his chest and make his promise.
And after Chu Feng spoke, even though the girl was quite reluctant, she didn't say anything more. After all, she herself was hoping to rely on Chu Feng's strength to get through the Twisted Forest. If even the person she was relying on had spoken up, what right did she have to refuse?
And so, the three left the great hall without using the tokens from the first round to purchase Spirit World white robes. Instead, they ventured deeper, stepping into the Twisted Forest.