Chapter 127 – What a Coincidence, I Can Do That Too

As the young man with white hair finished speaking, several candidates couldn’t help but glance at a young man with a silver earring.

Wang Xu’s gaze began to evade, and his expression became somewhat unnatural.

It was clear that this idea came from him.

However, the muscular man with a crew cut remained calm, his eyes fixed on the young man with white hair. He said in a deep voice, “Xiao Mubai, don’t speak recklessly without evidence. And even if it is related to us, it is allowed within the rules. Even if you’re unhappy, you can’t find fault with it…”

“Heh…”

Xiao Mubai sneered, suddenly reaching out and tearing off his shirt.

“Rip.”

Under his blue short-sleeved T-shirt, he was wearing a black tight-fitting top.

No one knew what material this top was made of, but under the indoor lighting, it had a fish-scale-like sheen.

Seeing this shirt, the pupils of the people on the muscular man’s side suddenly contracted.

The girl with an egg-shaped face couldn’t help but blurt out.

“Level B R-II Type Protective Suit?!”

The young man with a short beard among the five exclaimed, “Xiao Mubai, do you have no shame? This is an ancient martial arts crane style personal assessment, and you’re wearing such equipment? Even martial artists with inner strength might not be able to break through this protective suit!”

“That’s why you’re all useless.”

Xiao Mubai’s face showed undisguised scorn and contempt. He said with a mocking smile, “There are so many things allowed within the rules, yet all you can think of are some insignificant petty tricks…”

“Damn it!”

For a moment, the five people’s faces on the muscular man’s side turned extremely ugly.

“Enough, I’m done wasting words with you.”

Xiao Mubai’s face turned cold. He lightly twisted his neck, and a sound like gears turning came from his well-proportioned and slender body.

He extended his hands and casually squeezed them in front of him, producing a few crisp popping sounds.

An invisible pressure rapidly spread from him, filling the entire space in the blink of an eye.

The faces of the other candidates turned even grimmer, and some even began to show signs of retreat.

Xiao Mubai’s own strength was already unmatched among the candidates. He had entered the Organ Training stage, comprehended true skill, and developed Crane Power.

Now, wearing a high-tech protective suit that could almost withstand attacks from a martial artist master level, their already slim chances of victory became even more remote.

Sensing the group’s unease, the muscular man with a crew cut gritted his teeth and quickly pulled out an unknown potion from his pocket, swallowing it in one gulp.

He tossed the bottle aside, and his voice became even more hoarse and deep.

“Don’t be intimidated by him. No matter how strong he is, he’s just one person, and we still have our own tricks. Let’s go as planned. Don’t forget the sect leader is watching!”

The other four exchanged glances, quickly making up their minds and pulling out their own methods.

Some took pills, others applied patches to their bodies, and some even injected themselves on the spot.

Lu Yuan, who was watching from the sidelines, was stunned.

How did all these people have ways to boost their combat power on the spot?

Are these methods even allowed by the rules?

Why did Lin Zhiqin only give him an antidote pill? Isn’t that too stingy?

Why is this so-called Crane Style personal assessment so chaotic…

“All together, huh.”

Xiao Mubai didn’t seem to care about their actions at all. He exuded a sense of immense composure and confidence.

“Saves me the trouble of dealing with you one by one.”

He lifted his chin slightly, looking at them with an incredibly disdainful gaze.

“Trash is always trash. Even if you pile it up, it’s still just a pile of trash.”

“Attack!”

The muscular man with a crew cut shouted, stomping hard on the ground, shattering wooden floorboards as he shot towards Xiao Mubai.

The other four followed suit.

From a bird’s-eye view, five black shadows could be seen shooting towards Xiao Mubai at the center like arrows.

Xiao Mubai, the target of all, remained calm and unhurried.

His pupils reflected the images of the five, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

A fierce expression appeared on his face. Instead of retreating, he charged forward.

As he moved, his right hand extended to the side, seemingly aiming to grab a predetermined object to use as a weapon, ready to sweep through his opponents.

However…

“Huh?!”

Xiao Mubai was certain he had grabbed something, but when he tried to lift it, it wouldn’t budge.

He used a bit more strength and yanked hard…

Still, it didn’t move.

“Damn!”

Seeing the five figures led by the muscular man with a crew cut closing in, irritation flashed across Xiao Mubai’s face. He turned his head sharply.

He found himself staring into a pair of eyes filled with a mix of confusion and complexity.

Lu Yuan stood quietly in place, his arm firmly gripped by Xiao Mubai, maintaining a tugging stance.

The two of them stared at each other in silence.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

“Why… did you have to choose me first? I’m just a spectator…”

“Sigh…”

In the vast and empty assessment room, a sigh of helplessness echoed softly.

…

“Boom!”

A heavy thud reverberated from the direction of the assessment room.

It sounded as if something had been forcefully slammed against the hard floor or a wall.

Even though the assessment room was sealed off with thick steel plates on all sides, the people outside could still hear the commotion clearly.

After this sound reached outside, the conversations in the courtyard suddenly halted.

Almost all the direct disciples’ expressions shifted slightly.

Then everything returned to normal, though a noticeable portion of their attention was now focused on the direction of the assessment room.

“Xiao Mubai has started.”

The short-haired woman picked up the teapot and poured some tea for Lin Zhiqin, speaking softly.

Lin Zhiqin glanced in the direction of the assessment room, picked up the teacup in front of him, and took a slow sip. He frowned and said, “Xiao Mubai is indeed formidable, but his strength is out in the open. The other fellow disciples will surely instruct their chosen candidates to target him. I doubt he’ll easily secure the position of direct disciple.”

Having abandoned certain unrealistic thoughts, Lin Zhiqin was now completely relaxed.

Assuming the role of a mere observer allowed him to see the situation more clearly.

“You’re right.”

The short-haired woman nodded and said, “Even if he wasn’t exceptionally talented, just because he is the candidate recommended by the Second Senior Brother, the other Fellow Disciples would join forces to eliminate him first. But…”

The short-haired woman paused and then continued softly, “Don’t forget who the Second Senior Brother is.”

Lin Zhiqin was taken aback.

“If the Second Senior Brother lets you see seventy percent of his abilities, you can be sure he’s hiding the other ten completely.”

“…Half a month ago, the Second Senior Brother arranged for someone to purchase a whole set of level B protective suits from Xiabang. Do you think he bought it for himself?”

“Level B protective suits?!”

Lin Zhiqin’s pupils contracted sharply, “Is that even allowed by the assessment rules?!”

“That’s why you’ve never been favored by the teacher since you joined.”

The short-haired woman glanced at him and said, “Don’t you know the teacher’s temperament? This personal assessment is for selecting a disciple for him. The assessment format and the rules are all set by him. If the Second Senior Brother thinks it’s okay, then it’s naturally okay.”

Lin Zhiqin’s eyes flickered for a moment, and then he suddenly recalled something. He asked in confusion, “If this is so important, why would the Second Senior Brother let you know?”

The short-haired woman held the teapot with both hands and poured tea, the stream of tea flowing out in a thin, straight line.

There was an indescribable air of calm and detachment about her.

“Maybe… the Second Senior Brother knows that among a few of us, I’m the least likely to compete with him.”

“Have some tea, Junior Brother Lin.”

Lin Zhiqin said nothing, silently picking up the teacup in front of him.

He couldn’t help but glance in the direction of the assessment room.

In his mind, he subconsciously pictured a young figure clad in a level B protective suit, dominating the battlefield.

A deep concern appeared on his face.

Finally, he could only let out a sigh, all his worries dissolving into the tea.

…

“Boom!”

A figure shot out like a cannonball, slamming heavily into the wall.

The large character for “crane” on the wall shattered immediately, the wall plaster falling like paper fragments.

Xiao Mubai, with his upper body clad in a level B protective suit, was half-embedded in the wall, having created a moderate dent in the steel plate exposed behind the wall plaster.

“Cough, cough—”

Xiao Mubai lowered his head, clutching his chest with both hands, and emitted a series of violent coughs.

The vast assessment room had fallen into an eerie silence.

The muscular man with a crew cut and his companions had stopped at some point, and the only sound in the room was Xiao Mubai’s coughing.

“Uh…”

The five men stood scattered, motionless.

Their gazes lingered briefly on Xiao Mubai, who was stuck in the wall, before shifting to another person.

Confused!

Their minds were filled with confusion.

They had no idea what had just happened.

Or rather, they had no idea why things had happened the way they did!

Xiao Mubai, in an attempt to break free from their encirclement, had tried to grab the kid who had spent two million to join as a human shield.

After two failed attempts to pull him, the other guy retaliated with a punch that sent Xiao Mubai flying into the wall…

???

!!!

Twenty million?

A filler?

A single punch sent Xiao Mubai, who was wearing a level B protective suit, flying?

The five men felt as if their minds were in chaos, as if someone had hit them hard on the head and then whispered in their ears, “How’s that? Surprised? Unexpected?”

“Cough, cough—”

Xiao Mubai slowly extracted himself from the dented wall.

Standing firm, he took several deep breaths, gradually suppressing the shock and disbelief on his face.

Lu Yuan’s expression showed a hint of surprise and doubt, but only regarding the protective suit Xiao Mubai was wearing.

Impressive.

He took a punch like that from me and remained unscathed. Do Yellow Bear and the others wear the same suit? It doesn’t seem like it…

“Very good.”

Xiao Mubai’s expression had now completely calmed down.

He stared intently at Lu Yuan.

“Very good. I didn’t expect to find someone like you hidden among this group of worthless people.”

“Crack, crack—”

Xiao Mubai rotated his shoulders, producing a series of cracking sounds from his bones.

“Now… I’m a bit interested in this assessment. I’m going to get serious!”

With that, Xiao Mubai’s words were punctuated by a sudden explosion.

“Bang!”

The wooden floor beneath Xiao Mubai shattered as he suddenly disappeared.

In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Lu Yuan.

He raised his arm and threw a punch, with mysterious qi energy swirling around his fist, compressing into visible white air waves.

“Die!”

“Boom!”

A massive collision ensued, and a figure was sent flying backward at an even faster speed than before.

The figure slammed into the wall, creating an even larger and deeper dent than previously.

Lu Yuan maintained his punching stance, taking a slight half-step back.

His right arm, which had delivered the punch, had swelled up, with thick veins bulging like earthworms and muscles appearing as if cast from iron.

“Phew—”

Lu Yuan exhaled softly, his eyes bright.

“Crash—”

Xiao Mubai struggled out of the wall like a catfish flopping out of water.

One of his arms was twisted unnaturally.

His face was once again filled with deep shock, and his exclamation was distorted.

“You… you also mastered Crane Power?!”

“Hmm?”

Lu Yuan remained noncommittal, walking calmly towards Xiao Mubai.

A terrifying sense of oppression spread throughout the room, as if invisible waves were rising layer by layer.

“Damn it! Damn it!”

Xiao Mubai seemed to panic.

He gritted his teeth, his face becoming more vicious.

“So what if you mastered Crane Power? I have the ultimate true skill!”

With that, he pulled out a pill from somewhere and quickly swallowed it.

Immediately, his aura surged, and even his broken arm started to realign with snapping sounds.

“Sky Water Stream Crane Style Boxing Techniques Ultimate True Skill—Crane Shadow Float!”

Xiao Mubai roared, stomping the floor beneath him into pieces.

He charged at Lu Yuan with a force that was at least ten times more violent and terrifying than before.

However…

He suddenly lost sight of Lu Yuan.

“Crack, crack—”

A series of bone-cracking sounds came from above his head.

Xiao Mubai looked up in a daze.

In the next second, his pupils contracted rapidly.

He saw that Lu Yuan, whose body had swelled an entire size, was already above him.

The massive figure, exuding an incomparably terrifying aura, looked like a dense shadow.

It blocked the light from the chandelier on the ceiling, quickly spreading to every corner of the assessment room.

“What a coincidence,” Lu Yuan’s voice had also become dark and deep.

“Crane Shadow Float… I know it too.”

The next moment.

A high-pitched sound, reminiscent of a crane’s cry, echoed as the fist cut through the air.

In the eyes of everyone present, it seemed as though a scene had unfolded.

A monstrous crane, with a dark green, hulking, muscular body, flapping wings as thick as doors, aimed directly at Xiao Mubai’s head, striking down fiercely…