An intangible pressure swelled from all sides, causing the round-faced boy to tremble even more violently. Lu Yuan quickly approached him.

Just then, the boy, who had been displaying overwhelming fear, suddenly revealed a flash of cruelty in his eyes. His hands, hidden in his sleeves, shot out like striking snakes. He fiercely hurled a handful of light-yellow powder toward Lu Yuan's face. Lu Yuan, whose Spiritual Power controlled the entire field, had already noticed this hidden ploy. His arm lifted the instant the boy made his move. A casual swing generated a powerful gust of wind that cleanly swept away the meticulously planned poisonous powder.

In desperation, the round-faced boy threw his last-resort punch, but Lu Yuan casually caught it. Feeling the terrifying, irresistible force emanating from that smooth, slender palm, the boy finally gave up all resistance.

"Wait a moment!" The round-faced boy glanced at the hand about to seize his neck, took a deep breath, and said quickly, "I have one last question! I can't accept not knowing the answer!"

"Oh?" Lu Yuan paused, then readily nodded. "Speak."

"It's just..." The round-faced boy surveyed the area, gritting his teeth as he spoke. "During your fight with them earlier, I hit you with at least twenty-three different poisons. You couldn't have possibly avoided all of them. Why aren't you affected at all?!"

His eyes, showing a strange persistence, were fixed on Lu Yuan. Moments later, a large hand closed around his neck, lifting him completely off the ground.

"The answer is simple." Lu Yuan calmly met the boy's gaze, watching his face gradually redden from suffocation. He stated coolly, "I possess a Sacred Body and talent that is unparalleled throughout the ages... Do you think your paltry poisons can harm me?"

As he spoke, an unprecedented, overpowering confidence surged from Lu Yuan. While the round-faced boy went from stunned to enraged by the mockery, Lu Yuan nonchalantly swallowed the mostly dissolved antidote pill he had hidden under his tongue.

Then, with a sharp flick of his hand—SWOOSH! THUD!—the round-faced boy also became a piece of wall art.

Seriously though, with my whopping 17-point constitution and the antidote pill from Lin Zhiquin, it would be truly strange if these ordinary poisons could take me down.

CLAP! CLAP! With everything settled, Lu Yuan dusted off his hands and straightened his clothes. Then he started to look for the exit switch. It was quite conspicuous, and he found it almost instantly: a palm-sized bas-relief of a "crane."

Lu Yuan walked over and pressed the bas-relief until it was flush with the wall. He silently counted to thirty-three.

CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! The sound of gears turning echoed from within the wall in front of him. The steel door through which they had entered began to slowly slide open to both sides. Lu Yuan walked toward the light streaming in. Alright, he thought, a massive wave of shock is about to hit the battlefield...

...

CLICK! CLICK!

The steel door slowly slid open.

WHOOSH! Lin Zhiquin abruptly shot up from his seat, his face grave, filled with anxiety and urgency.

"It seems you really care about that boy, Lu Yuan. I've only seen you look like this when Momo was sick..." the short-haired woman remarked with a sigh, also rising from her seat.

Lin Zhiquin grunted in affirmation but said nothing more. He just wanted the assessment to end quickly so he could rush inside and check on Lu Yuan's injuries.

The Core Disciples at the other tables also rose one by one, their faces mostly unreadable. This battle had ended faster than any of them had anticipated. The sandalwood incense lit at the start of the assessment had only burned down a small portion; not even fifteen minutes had passed.

Almost everyone was staring intently at the opening door. Only Second Senior Brother, who had a head of dark hair, a ruddy complexion, and an ageless appearance, remained seated, unperturbed. A pot of tea was slowly brewing on the table before him. He didn't even glance toward the assessment chamber's entrance, his attention solely on the tea stove. It seemed the flickering orange flame in the small stove was far more important to him than the assessment's outcome. Or perhaps... he was already certain of the final result, feeling no need to confirm it with his own eyes.

TAP... TAP...

Clear footsteps echoed from within the empty assessment chamber. The person approaching walked steadily, their breathing even, showing no signs of fatigue from a difficult battle, clearly with energy to spare.

Second Senior Brother, still staring at the tea stove, chuckled softly for no apparent reason and extended a finger to gently poke the flame. His entire demeanor seemed even more relaxed.

The expressions of the other Core Disciples darkened, while the short-haired woman's face was impassive. Lin Zhiquin, however, grew increasingly anxious.

Finally, the figure emerging from the assessment chamber came fully into view.

Upon seeing the figure clearly, everyone who had been intently watching the assessment chamber door—in that single instant—froze as if collectively struck by an arrow. Their pupils contracted sharply; their movements, expressions, even their breathing, all stopped. The scene fell into an eerie, frozen stillness.

Second Senior Brother, still seated before the tea stove, frowned slightly, perhaps sensing the abnormal rhythm of heartbeats and breathing around him. He turned his head to look.

The next second, the composure and confidence on his face, that sense of having everything under control, vanished without a trace.

CRACK! The tea stove beside him inexplicably shattered.

He slowly rose from the stone stool, staring emotionlessly at the lone figure that had appeared at the entrance of the assessment chamber.

It was a young man with fair skin, a tall, straight posture, and well-proportioned, handsome features. He wore a simple white T-shirt and black casual pants, looking like an ordinary high school student. Standing at the entrance, he found the sunlight outside too dazzling and raised a hand to shield his eyes.

"Lu... Lu Yuan?!" Lin Zhiquin blinked, then blinked again, his stunned face filled with bewilderment and disbelief. He wondered if he was mistaken or perhaps dreaming. In this fiercely competitive Core Disciple assessment... Lu Yuan, the one who was supposedly just here to make up the numbers, was the first to walk out? Did he win?!

The short-haired woman beside Lin Zhiquin was also struck dumb. Her mouth fell slightly open as if she wanted to say something, but she was utterly speechless.

"This is impossible!" After a brief silence, a cry of shock and disbelief erupted from one of the other Core Disciples. With a cold shout, he shot across the courtyard toward the assessment chamber like the wind.

However, another figure was even faster, only to be stopped at the last step before the courtyard.

The mild-mannered Liu Si blocked Second Senior Brother, bowed slightly, and said softly, "The Sect Master wishes to see the new Core Disciple immediately. Please forgive me, Second Master." After speaking, he cupped his fist in salute to the others below. "Masters, please forgive me. Kindly wait until I have escorted the new Core Disciple to the Sect Master before you enter to investigate."

Second Senior Brother's aura fluctuated intensely, like a turbulent sea, causing the leaves of the surrounding flowers and bamboo to rustle. Finally, everything calmed. He nodded, calmly placing his hands behind his back.

Liu Si offered his sincere thanks, then gestured for Lu Yuan to follow. As Lu Yuan stepped forward, he felt probing, questioning gazes stabbing into him like daggers, making his exposed skin tingle with an almost painful sensation.

He frowned slightly, then straightened his posture even more. Stare all you want, a thought roiled fiercely beneath his impassive expression. Keep staring. Sooner or later, it'll be your turn! Every single one of you... I'll crush you all!

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the courtyard eaves, falling obliquely on Lu Yuan, bathing him in a faint golden glow. It was as if he carried a dazzling golden sword on his back, its brilliant light searing the eyes of everyone who watched his departing figure.

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