Chapter 690: Evaluation
## Chapter 690: Evaluation
Two years later.
Inside the Zhenwu Token.
Fang Xing sat cross-legged, suddenly raising his hand.
A book appeared out of thin air, hovering mid-air, its pages flipping one by one.
Each page was projected, transforming into golden text in the air:
[First on the Dragon Tiger List! Lotus Master of the Great Black Temple, martial arts: "Black Sun Sutra", and the "Great Brightness Fist", unbeaten in the world... Record: Ten thousand punches on Bright Peak, defeated the Heavenly Sun Sect’s Master "Heavenly Sun", once single-handedly held back three thousand iron floats... A single palm caused the "Purple Mist Waterfall" to reverse its flow...]
[Second on the Dragon Tiger List! Master of the Dark Yin Sect, "Dark Yin", the world's greatest swordsman... Record: Once severed Mount Xiaoqingfeng with a single sword stroke, drew a chessboard, and debated martial arts with Heavenly Sun for three days and nights, winning by half a point...]
[Third on the Dragon Tiger List! Green Dragon Boss of the Green Dragon Gate, the supreme leader of the underworld... Record: Blood hands exterminated three gangs and six families, forming a mountain of corpses...]
[Fourth on the Dragon Tiger List! Heavenly Bird Master of the Five Birds Sect, record...]
...
This was the Dragon Tiger List that Xun Heihu had "tributed."
The Dragon Tiger List ranked the absolute top martial artists of the nine provinces, and changes were rare, far less frequent than the ever-changing Chu Wind List!
The Chu Wind List, compiled by the Five Birds Sect, ranked only the top martial artists of Chu State. There was also a "New Wind List" for those under thirty and a "Lady Wind List" for female martial artists. In terms of entertainment value, it far surpassed the Dragon Tiger List.
"This Heavenly Sun Sect, though one of the nine major sects, seems to have been reduced to a benchmark for measuring combat strength?"
Fang Xing’s expression was peculiar as he flipped through the pages, but he couldn’t find the person he was looking for.
He saw a note at the back: "Oh... turns out he fought too many battles and lost too many... After returning, he fell into depression and died, partly due to old injuries... Otherwise, as a First Rank expert, he could have lived for five hundred years and wouldn’t have been killed by anger... Ultimately, it was the severe beating that damaged his foundation..."
Heavenly Sun wasn’t weak!
But he specialized in peak matches, which were often brutal...
"The Dragon Tiger List only ranks Third Rank and above experts, with masters from one temple, two sects, and six major sects all listed... This can give me an idea of the martial arts progress in this world..."
Fang Xing looked at the descriptions of mountains being severed by a single sword and rivers being cut by a single palm, shaking his head. "Their strength is at the Sixth or Seventh Rank, perhaps reaching the Eighth Rank at peak... but their lifespan is far shorter."
Even the absolute top experts in this world didn’t have the problem of "Panwu awakening within me."
Simply put, they were too weak for Panwu’s consciousness to awaken.
Let alone resurrection.
Moreover, in this world’s Heavenly Dao, there was the existence of "Zhenwu"!
"It’s time to guide the spread of the Zhenwu Tradition and start laying the groundwork..."
"Even though I’ve been in seclusion for so long, it’s not entirely fruitless... At least, starting the Great Zhenwu Path isn’t a big issue..."
Currently, Panwu, though very strong, was like a plant. Zhenwu, though weak and still a child, had the ability to act.
This was the unfair advantage brought by using the "Gates of the Heavens."
Otherwise, Fang Xing wouldn’t know how many more years it would take to open the path.
'Fortunately, the internal time flow in this world is extremely fast, so there’s no need to worry about missing the insect war in the Daxia Universe.'
'Even if I do miss it, so be it... I will avenge human civilization and rebuild it afterward...'
Fang Xing closed his eyes and fell into deep contemplation.
...
Outside the Zhenwu Token.
A group of teenagers, around fourteen or fifteen years old, were practicing punches with each other.
The Heroic Instructor, Jade Instructor, and other instructors were watching from the side, occasionally offering comments.
"Wei Chi Gang is still first, now at the Upper Seventh Rank, right?"
"Situ Yan Yan is doing well too, barely breaking through the Seventh Rank..."
"These two are from noble families, with substantial resources, which allows them to support the hard training of the Lower Three Ranks... But the most surprising should be Xun Heihu, right? He also broke through the Seventh Rank, with a body of Golden Silk and Silver Net, not inferior to Situ Yan Yan..."
"I’ve heard his family is quite well-off; his father has sent silver several times. I wonder how many family assets he’s sold..."
Jade Instructor listened but didn’t comment, her gaze fixed on one person—Jiang Yu Yan. 'Yan is doing well, and her character is exceptional. Even with just a little support from me, she’s already reached the Upper Eighth Rank... She’s not far from breaking through the Seventh Rank.'
As for the remaining dozen or so teenagers, all were at the Ninth Rank, including Ye Feng Chun, who was completely overlooked.
After three years, if they only reached the Ninth Rank, they would likely spend their entire lives in the Lower Three Ranks.
After leaving the White Deer Academy, they would either join the military or become bodyguards or escorts... Of course, those with even worse character might become bandits.
But in this era, being a bandit or a thief was very risky, with many young heroes eager to make a name by capturing them.
Even the Five Birds Sect would occasionally send a large force to wipe out bandits, regardless of how remote the location.
"Line up!"
With a stern shout, more than twenty teenagers gathered.
Xun Heihu sighed inwardly at the sight: 'Three years... Of the recruits from back then, only these few have become ranked martial artists.'
'Your generation is already quite good.'
In the charm around his neck, Fang Xing's voice directly entered Xun Heihu's mind.
This was a recent 'development' of Fang Xing's, allowing him to communicate spiritually with the host, similar to telepathy, without having to speak aloud.
Xun Heihu didn't think much of it, assuming it was a feature of the 'Zhenwu Charm' all along.
For Fang Xing, however, this was a significant step towards breaking free and making the Zhenwu Charm act on its own—truly a cause for celebration.
'My strength... I should already surpass Weichi Gang, right?'
Seeing the handsome young man at the top of the list, Xun Heihu thought to himself.
'Training in the lower three ranks is about laying the foundation for internal strength... The stronger your body, the faster you can refine internal strength in the future, and the more robust it will be.'
Fang Xing said, 'This is why I advised you to stay in the seventh rank for a while. Your current state is already at the peak of the seventh rank, and you can break through to the sixth rank of internal strength at any time...'
The internal strength of the Great Zhou Nine Ranks is built from the outside in. Once you break through, you possess an immense amount of internal strength.
It's not a gradual process of slow improvement, but an instantaneous leap! And the destructive power of internal strength is extremely formidable.
Therefore, it's essential to lay a solid foundation for greater benefits.
Xun Heihu, now focusing on new martial arts with ancient martial arts as a supplement, has already built an incredibly solid foundation, even mastering six of the Twelve Body Oddities.
One could say that even if he encountered a sixth-rank martial artist, he could still give them a fight.
"Ha ha..."
Accompanied by a light laugh, the spherical 'Taiyi Hand,' Zhang Kaitai, also arrived at the square.
"Greetings, Dean."
Xun Heihu quickly bowed, but in his mind, he thought, 'Even the Dean is here; there must be something big!'
'What else could it be? Just the graduation exam, right?'
Fang Xing's voice came, "Judging by this, it's likely going to be some kind of practical combat test."
"Students, your task for this exam is a live combat mission."
Zhang Kaitai smiled and raised his hand.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Sheets of paper flew up and landed accurately in the hands of each student.
"Huh? A wanted notice?"
Xun Heihu took the notice and saw a handsome face with a hint of sinister aura: "Sky Howl Dog Gou San? Seventh-rank Golden Silk martial artist? Reward: 3,600 taels of silver?!"
"Exactly, this is your mission—to capture this person!"
Zhang Kaitai laughed, "The reason isn't about righting wrongs, but this person has been brazenly grave-robbing over the past few years, even digging up the family tomb of a Five Birds Sect steward..."
It was clear he was quite dissatisfied with the sect casually assigning such tasks, so he didn't hold back.
"Our wanted notices... are all for this Sky Howl Dog Gou San!"
Weichi Gang asked, "Is only one person allowed to pass the exam?"
At this, the faces of all the young men and women changed dramatically!
"Of course not. We're just a Five Birds Lower Academy; the exam can't be that cruel."
Zhang Kaitai laughed, "If you capture or kill this villain directly, you pass automatically... Additionally, there will be instructors secretly observing you. If you perform exceptionally well during the capture, you can also earn high marks. And this is based on your current strength, for example, him..."
Zhang Kaitai casually pointed to a ninth-rank student, Ye Fengchun: "A student like this, as long as they contribute slightly during the capture, whether it's in the siege or by providing some clues during the pursuit, can be deemed qualified..."
With these words, many of the eighth- and ninth-rank martial artists breathed a sigh of relief.
They couldn't even defeat their seventh-rank senior brothers; going up against a real seventh-rank martial artist in the wild would be a death sentence!
A single rank difference means a vast disparity in martial arts.
Even if it's not an instant kill, they wouldn't last more than a few moves.
At this moment, Fang Xing was watching Xun Heihu's expression with interest.
Xun Heihu maintained a calm expression and even accepted Ye Fengchun's request to team up, essentially asking for support.
It wasn't until night, with the door closed, that he sat cross-legged on the bed, gripping the 'Zhenwu Charm' around his neck: "Elder... Is there anything you want to say?"
"I can only tell you that the Zhenwu Charm was originally a burial item... Your father brought it out from an ancient tomb."
Fang Xing's light laughter echoed.
"Sky Howl Dog, a grave robber... He's been active frequently in recent years." Xun Heihu thought of the shadow that had given him silver, even appearing somewhat humble...
"Elder... I thought you would keep this a secret."
After a long pause, Xun Heihu said in his mind.
"Keep it a secret and watch you and your father fight to the death? What would I gain from that?"
Fang Xing scoffed, "I don't have that kind of twisted pleasure..."
"I thought you would hate him?" Xun Heihu was clearly puzzled.
"Do you think being buried with someone is something one does willingly?" Fang Xing's voice carried a hint of exasperation, "Strictly speaking, your father bringing me out and desecrating that guy's grave made me quite happy..."
Yes, that ancient Daxia person probably considered the 'Zhenwu Charm' a source of chaos, so they chose to entomb it with their body, ensuring it would remain buried for a long time...
Strictly speaking, this wasn't an unreasonable belief.
(End of Chapter)
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