Zhu Yan pondered as he traced the ring on his finger. He said, “Brother Wang, Sky Fortune City is your domain, what kind of connections do you not have? Naturally you associate with superior individuals that are at the Fourth Stage or even the peak of the Fourth Stage.” Zhu Yan suspected that Lin Ming had a solid foundation and was stronger than he appeared. It would be impossible to have an expert at the peak of the Third Stage deal with him in an easy manner; it would be best to jump straight up and look for someone at the Fourth Stage to send him off.
Wang Yigao said, “I know many masters at the Fourth Stage, but…they are the guards of my father or brother. Because of the previous matter, my father already issued a decree. Now no one listens to me.”
People at the Fourth Stage of Body Transformation were usually not some fresh spring flower. This sort of person tended to be over thirty years old and often occupied a high position, or were some powerful persons personal guard. By Wang Yigao’s ability, asking them to deal with a fifteen year old boy was just not possible.
Zhu Yan thought of this and said to Wang Yigao, “This Seven Profound Martial House inspection, isn’t the one policing it Zhao Mingshan? He seems to have received a promotion from your father recently.”
Wang Yigao was surprised, but he nodded and said. “There is such a matter. Brother Zhao is usually very nice to me.” Zhu Yan had heard from others that Zhao Mingshan was the captain of Sky Fortune City’s Police Force. The City Police Force and the City Protection Army were two parts of a system. The City Police force was responsible for public security, such as catching thieves and maintaining law and order, and the City Protection Army was responsible for maintaining the emperor’s ruling power and suppressing rebellion.
“Ah, I know… I have an idea to make a cripple of you Lin Ming…” Zhu Yan peeked through the carriage curtain, and stared at Lin Ming like a poisonous serpent as his face began to darken.
…
Seven Profound Martial House’s inspections were divided into three parts, the Strength Trial, the Dream Trial, and the Exquisite Pagoda.
This morning was the first test, the Strength Trial.
Strength Training was the First Stage of Body Transformation. It was also the foundation of martial arts. If Strength Training was not solid, then the later stages of Flesh Training, Viscera Training, Altering Muscle and Bone Forging would all become useless.
Therefore, strength was very important to martial artists. The measurement for strength was also relatively simple. As long as the trial was done well, then a large number of applicants could be eliminated.
Because of this, for the last several years the Seven Profound Martial House had placed the inspection of strength as the first test.
The test was a special stone structure the height of a man. There was a beam of light at the top that was formed by true essence. As long as someone punched the stone, the beam would transmit a light that signaled the person’s strength. An inch high beam of light would be a bit less than 100 jin. If one managed a beam of light a foot high, then it would be 1000 jin and one would qualify. Anything below that was instant elimination.
But Body Transformation’s peak of the First Stage of Strength Training was usually around nine stones. It was enough to break iron wood, but generally martial artists at the First Stage had around 900 jins of strength so they had a difficult time passing the first trial.
Lin Ming had already surpassed a thousand jins of strength early on in the First Stage. Presently he was a bit stronger than 2600 jins. This was because of the overwhelming prestige of the ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians.’ Naturally in this test, strength was his forte, and he would be able to fight for first place.
In the square, the trial had not yet started. Lin Ming was meditating on a stone platform off the road and controlling his breath.
Suddenly a rapid burst of sound came as a loud voice shouted, “Out of the way! Out of the way!”
Lin Ming opened his eyes and was surprised to see a twenty year old man bolting down the road on a horse. He wore thick shiny armor and his hand was a two meter long lance as thick as a child’s arm. He dispersed the crowed by waving the lance around with one hand while wielding a horsewhip with the other.