Gao Yuan stared at the assessment time Yang Lie had achieved, unable to shake off his astonishment for a long time.

In the Wuguan assessment, even a difference of a single second between two martial artists meant a world of difference in perceived ability.

A record of nineteen minutes and twelve seconds—had someone just shattered it in less than half an hour? Gao Yuan looked curiously at Qin Fen on the screen in the hall. What kind of performance would this young man, so highly regarded by Bai Sheng, display? It seemed most of these trusted martial artists already knew each other. Could this young man actually be the strongest among them?

Brooks strode into the room. Gao Yuan’s heart tensed again. The previous two young men had performed monstrously well in this stage. Surely this one couldn’t be that fierce too?

Thirty-six minutes and thirty-three seconds!

Brooks exited the room. Gao Yuan and Bai Sheng’s eyes went wide. That was too powerful! The Holy Martial Hall’s record was one hour and twelve minutes. This young man finished in half the time of a monster?

Solomon then walked into the room. Gao Yuan’s face was etched with a wry smile. Had they truly entered an era of explosive genius?

Bai Sheng stroked his chin, his brow furrowed with utter incomprehension. Whether it was Kai Tian Brooks, Little Dragon King Yang Lie, or the other young martial artists from the New Recruit Competition, based on their performance and foundation six months ago, it was already beyond expectation that any of them would reach the Nine-Star Martial Artist level today.

But before them... Bai Sheng shook his head repeatedly. These youngsters before him were like butterflies emerging from their cocoons, each one stunningly brilliant, their momentum so swift it invited awe and envy! These kids, barely approaching nineteen, had reached such a level of power in the Jiuyi realm. They undoubtedly belonged to the absolute top tier of the entire Federation’s younger generation.

One, then another...

Gao Yuan and Bai Sheng’s expressions had become rigid. Faced with one shocking result after another, they were starting to become numb.

One was surprising, two were stunning, but when every single one was like this, Gao Yuan began to feel desensitized. Were geniuses truly being mass-produced?

The door slowly opened once more. Yang Lie and Brooks both turned sharply to look at Qin Fen and Xue Tian. Only these two remained untested. Who would enter first? After the Wuguan assessment, everyone gradually understood: the longer one stayed inside, the deeper their foundation and strength.

While this wasn't the deciding factor in combat, it could precisely measure a martial artist's current strength from a different angle.

Qin Fen and Xue Tian? Yang Lie stared at the pair with great curiosity. These two were considered the strongest among the group. How long would they last? Without direct combat, this room would allow them to analyze who, for now, held the temporary edge.

“Old Qin, you go first.”

Xue Tian held his blade across his chest and casually gestured towards the door with a lift of his hand, leaning against the wall.

Gao Yuan, slumped in his chair, subtly straightened his spine, his near-numb eyes narrowing and focusing. On the monitor, the expressions and movements of the young martial artists did not escape Gao Yuan’s notice. These astonishing young dancers made no unexpected expressions when glancing at one another. Only when Qin Fen walked toward the room did almost every gaze convey excitement, anticipation, and speculation.

“The one who commands the attention of these breathtaking young martial artists!” Gao Yuan tapped his chin with his finger, glancing sideways at Bai Sheng beside him. “Eh? Is Xiao Bai even more expectant than the youngsters? That looks like the look of someone desperate to see the top record broken!”

Bai Sheng, tense, hadn’t even noticed that his own intent had momentarily suspended his breath. His eyes were locked firmly on Qin Fen. How long could he last? Could he break the Wuguan record?

Qin Fen stared absently at the large character ‘Wu’ (Martial) displayed on the wall. The concept within the character wasn't entirely novel; he had seen something similar during Song Jia’s first ‘Martial Arts Matchmaking’ event.

However, that previous character was saturated with destructive power; the longer one stared, the greater the damage inflicted upon the martial artist. This current character, however, was purely one of guidance.

One second, two seconds...

The massive Wu character suddenly distorted in Qin Fen's sight. The thick, black-bodied character seemed to come alive, twisting and writhing relentlessly! Twisting, then writhing again!

In less than a second, during the process of twisting, the Wu character transformed into a person! His eyebrows were slightly long, and his pair of phoenix eyes appeared exceptionally spirited. His forehead was broad and bright, complemented by thick, short black hair and a broad, robust physique. He looked to be about thirty years old, somewhat resembling Guan Gong, the deity often seen in temples, though his face wasn't the ruddy color of the historical figure.

The bearing! It was primarily that aura! Very much like Lord Guan Gong!

The Wu character transformed into a living man and stepped down from the wall without hesitation. His feet traced the Big Dipper's seven stars, and he executed Yang Lie’s 'Roaring Dragon Fist.' His body moved like a soaring dragon, descending with the force of Mount Tai, striking instantly!

As the martial figure attacked, the blood in Qin Fen’s entire body naturally accelerated. His brow pulsed rhythmically, and he could clearly sense the incoming palm force, feeling like Nezha’s mythical golden wheel artifact, aimed directly at the Tianting point on his forehead.

The palm never truly made contact; the intent of the palm struck first! As the martial man threw the Roaring Dragon Fist, there was no surging, dragon-like gust of wind surrounding his palm, unlike the Little Dragon King Yang Lie’s technique. Instead, the force was tightly compressed around his palm, forming a gale that possessed the essence of the dragon's roar but lacked the sound itself!

This absence of the roaring wind sound with such a powerful strike was because the palm speed was so incredibly fast that it compressed and solidified the surrounding air currents, creating this unique phenomenon surrounding the strike.

“Is this overkill?”

Hiss! The martial man’s Roaring Dragon Palm force stopped inches from Qin Fen’s forehead, the resulting gale merely ruffling the black hair above his brow!

Fast! Everything was incomparably fast!

If this attack had struck Qin Fen before his Marrow Replacement Nirvana, or the Little Underworld King Hades, they would have been defeated instantly by this surge of power. The moment the palm wind lifted his hair, the martial figure’s hard, spear-like, dragon-like arm snapped out with a crack as another arm intercepted it from the side, batting the Roaring Dragon Palm aside with immense force.

In that split second, Qin Fen’s raised right hand swept past his face, seemingly adhering like superglue to the martial man’s arm, wiping it sideways.

Cloud Hands from the 24 Simplified Tai Chi Forms! Qin Fen slightly bent his knees, rotating his body sharply. His back muscles bunched up distinctly, forming a small meat mountain, which he drove violently into the martial man’s chest!

Arhat Fist: Turning Body Single Mountain Lean.

The immense force generated by stamping his feet instantly shattered the surrounding stone slabs, sending them flying into the air! The raw power infused within them erupted again, the shattered stones exploding continuously in the air with sharp pats.

Qin Fen’s actions on the monitor stunned Bai Sheng and Gao Yuan simultaneously. They stared intently at him inside the Wuguan chamber.

Cloud Hands from the 24 Simplified Tai Chi Forms? Arhat Fist’s Turning Body Single Mountain Lean? Hong Fist, Dragon Fist...

Qin Fen’s eyes were clearly unfocused, yet his movements were like the wind, his strikes like lightning! The martial arts techniques he had learned were now erupting purely by instinct, his speed utterly unlike his usual rigid execution. In the blink of an eye, the 24 Simplified Tai Chi Forms, which normally required a smooth hour to complete, were finished by Qin Fen in mere seconds.

“What is this...” Gao Yuan stared blankly at the screen, his pupils flashing with incomprehension. “What is happening?” He clearly hadn’t retreated from the Wu character yet. How could he be moving? No one had ever moved before!

Bai Sheng also watched Qin Fen on the screen with confusion. After staring at the Wu character for only a few seconds, why had the young man suddenly become possessed? Flailing his fists and feet as if battling an invisible opponent!

“Strange...” Bai Sheng gave a slight smile and shook his head repeatedly. “Truly strange. What on earth is going on?”

Nine seconds... ten seconds... thirty seconds... forty seconds... forty-seven seconds...

Like a mad dragon or tiger, Qin Fen suddenly stopped. The dazed look vanished from his eyes, replaced by his usual clarity. He looked around at the heavily damaged hall floor with a lost expression.

“Impressive, quite an impressive character,” Qin Fen sighed, clicking his tongue as he muttered, “A single character actually managed to plunge me into a martial arts illusion! Fortunately, I won. I wonder if I would have truly died if I had lost.”

Forty-seven seconds? Gao Yuan’s eye muscles twitched more than ten times in one second. He suddenly sprang up from his chair with such speed that it was as if a knife had been jabbed into his backside. “How is that possible?”

Gao Yuan braced his arms on the monitoring console, staring blankly at Qin Fen on the screen as he walked out of the room as if nothing had happened. In the past, a time like this wouldn’t cause astonishment; many young people attempting Wuguan achieved similar results. But for it to appear after all these record-breaking youths, it was utterly unexpected.

This young man, awaited by so many record-setting martial artists, this young man held in such high regard by Bai Sheng—he went berserk inside the room for forty-seven seconds, and then walked out as if nothing had occurred?

“Forty-seven seconds?” Gao Yuan tapped furiously on the control panel. “What is this? Forty-seven seconds?”

Bai Sheng also rubbed his temples. He had been hoping Qin Fen would seize the moment and smash that freak’s record. Who knew he would go crazy for only forty-seven seconds before walking out?

Thank heavens, thank heavens he only went crazy for forty-seven seconds. If he had only gone crazy for twenty-nine seconds, he would have been eliminated.

The door opened, and Qin Fen emerged under the scrutiny of everyone’s strange gazes.

“Forty-seven seconds?” Yang Lie found the number hard to believe. Even if Qin Fen had stayed inside for a full day and night only to leave because he couldn't hold his bladder anymore, it wouldn't have been surprising. But forty-seven seconds was simply too short.

The white-clothed youth regarded Qin Fen with curiosity. What exactly had transpired in that room?

“Old Qin,” Xue Tian leaned against the wall, clutching his blade. “What were you getting into in there? I heard from outside like you turned into a demolition crew.”

Qin Fen managed a weak smile and shook his head. The situation just now was too fantastical. He patted Xue Tian’s shoulder. “Be careful. That Wu character might suddenly spring to life and attack you.”

“What Wu character?” As Xue Tian entered the room, he pushed the guard of his folding blade, and a sliver of cold light, half an inch long, burst from the sheath.

“What a sharp blade!” Gao Yuan drew a sharp breath. “A martial artist’s blade should reflect the man.”

How long would this one last?

Fifty-two seconds...

Xue Tian didn't engage in the destructive flurry of punches and kicks that Qin Fen unleashed upon the Holy Martial Hall structure. He merely stood motionless before the Wu character for fifty-two seconds before turning and exiting the room with cool composure.

“Fifty-two seconds?”

Gao Yuan was caught between laughter and tears. The times achieved by these last two were hardly outstanding. If Qin Fen hadn’t suddenly gone mad for forty-seven seconds, he might not have left any deep impression at all.

“Xiao Bai...” Gao Yuan hooked his thumb and pointed diagonally toward Qin Fen on the screen. “Are you still certain he can pass the optional test coming up next? The one involving paper? Prepare to watch the server room for me for a year.”

Bai Sheng crossed his arms, a confident smile playing on his lips. “I don’t know what just happened, but I still believe you’ll be handing over your cultivation notes.”

Gao Yuan smiled without replying. If Brooks, who had the longest time, might have a chance to complete the wager, this Qin Fen with only forty-seven seconds clearly stood no chance.

“Boys,” Gao Yuan said, activating the microphone with a smile. “In a moment, the doors to your left and right will open. The door on the left leads directly into the Holy Martial Hall—that means you’ve passed the assessment and begin your journey there. The door on the right leads to an additional challenge. If you complete one of those tasks, you will receive the corresponding reward of medicinal pills or other items offered by the Holy Martial Hall. If you fail to complete any, there will be no punishment.”

Rewards but no penalties? Everyone laughed. In such a situation, was there any need for discussion? Naturally, they would try it out!

“Oh, yes,” Gao Yuan snapped his fingers. “Although there’s no punishment, if some people pass and others fail when going together, it’s still quite embarrassing.”

The room fell silent for a few seconds. Qin Fen smiled and walked toward the door on the right. The optional challenges of the Holy Martial Hall must be more interesting, he thought. His recent skirmish with the martial man, though brief, had been immensely beneficial, allowing him to re-connect and synthesize all his previous martial skills in a practical application.

Actual combat! Qin Fen nodded lightly. While diligent training was vital on the Martial Dao, practical fighting was even more crucial! Teaching alongside Yang Lie and the others couldn't replicate a true combat state necessary for victory. Fighting Xue Tian? Sparring with a family member felt wrong; one small mistake and he could actually die, a lifelong regret.

One, two, three...

In an instant, only the white-clothed youth remained in the room. A flicker of hesitation crossed his handsome, proud face several times before he clenched his fists tightly. “A martial artist who doesn’t dare accept a challenge—what worth does his courage have? Defeat is not terrifying. What is terrifying is refusing to fight at all!”

Passing through a relatively short corridor, an arched stone door appeared before them.