11: A county town genius? Nothing more than that!

On the training ground, the dead silence continued to spread.

The air seemed to solidify, with only the black force-measuring stone still emitting a faint, unwilling hum. The dazzling red light reflected on everyone's stiff faces, especially the eight blood-red characters—[Exceeded upper limit, immeasurable!]—which were branded into everyone's hearts.

Everyone's gaze was drawn as if by an invisible magnet, fixed firmly and immovably on Li Dong.

It was the young man whom, not long ago, they had secretly ridiculed as a "country bumpkin" and "hick" who had stumbled into good luck.

Now, he stood there calmly, his figure not particularly tall or robust, yet he exuded a sense of profound stability and gravitas, like an abyss or a towering Peak.

It was as if he wasn't a person, but an unshakeable, immeasurably high mountain.

The undisguised contempt, self-righteous mockery, and deep-seated disdain from before had all been shattered into dust by that earth-shattering "pat" just now, leaving not a trace.

In their place was a bone-deep shock, an unbelievable horror, and a hint of fear that quietly grew, yet was inexpressible.

Zhou Shaoyang's face was ashen, his body stiff as a log, his mouth unconsciously agape, his eyes unfocused, filled with terror and bewilderment.

His proud achievement of [Body Refinement Fifth Level, High-Grade] was nothing but a pile of dog shit, a huge joke, in front of Li Dong's [Exceeded upper limit, immeasurable!].

All his previous boasting and provocations had now turned into resounding slaps, hitting his own face fiercely, burning with pain.

In the corner, Zhao Zhen's sinister smile had completely frozen, then shattered like cheap porcelain.

Shock!

Profound shock!

And a kind of... fear that even he was unwilling to admit!

His pupils suddenly constricted into the most dangerous needle-points, staring intently at Li Dong, as if to see through him completely, inside and out!

How was this possible?!

How could a wild boy from a remote, godforsaken mountain village possess such terrifying and peerless strength?!

This was absolutely not a level that a mere Body Refinement Fifth Level could achieve!

Could he... an extremely terrifying thought uncontrollably surged in Zhao Zhen's mind, making him feel a chill all over and shiver involuntarily.

Even Zhang Wu, who had always appeared calm and composed, seemingly with everything under control, could no longer maintain his composure.

His pupils sharply contracted, and for the first time, a truly shocked expression appeared on his face!

He first stared intently at the eight shocking blood-red characters, then turned his gaze to Li Dong, whose expression remained calm and unruffled, with tumultuous waves rising deep in his eyes!

This kid... hides his strength so well!

A casual strike actually directly broke the upper limit of the force-measuring stone's judgment!

One must know that this specially made force-measuring stone could precisely withstand and measure the full power of a Body Tempering Realm Great Perfection Martial Artist!

Could it be that his true strength had already surpassed the scope of the Body Tempering Realm?!

How could a young man from a remote mountain village, without any Family resources, reach such an incredible Realm at such a young age?

This was simply a fantasy!

Li Shanyue's son... was indeed extraordinary!

Thoughts raced through Zhang Wu's mind like lightning, and his gaze towards Li Dong had quietly undergone a qualitative change.

From initially just a slight concern and sentiment for an old friend's descendant, it had transformed into genuine solemnity, scrutiny, and deep anticipation.

Perhaps this kid could truly inject a new, variable-filled vitality into the stagnant, faction-ridden Mu Shi County Demon Suppression Division.

Li Qingyan covered her small mouth, her beautiful big eyes wide open, filled with uncontrollable surprise and immense pride.

She knew it!

She knew her brother was the best! The most amazing!

In this suffocating silence, after an unknown period, a low murmur finally broke out from the crowd, filled with deep doubt and uncertainty.

"This... this force-measuring stone... isn't broken, is it?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly breaking the frozen atmosphere and triggering a chain reaction.

"That's right! How is that possible? A casual pat... and it exceeds the upper limit?"

"The force-measuring stone must be malfunctioning! Young Master Zhou and the others tested just fine!"

"How could the Body Tempering Realm produce such power? Unheard of!"

Voices of doubt began to rise and fall.

Many aristocratic Family disciples seemed to have found a lifeline, a plausible reason to explain the incomprehensible scene before them.

They would rather believe that the incredibly sturdy force-measuring stone was broken than believe that a young man from the countryside possessed such terrifying strength that completely overshadowed them.

This was too demoralizing!

It completely subverted their understanding!

Hearing these discussions, Zhou Shaoyang's originally ashen face seemed to regain a little color, and a glimmer of hope rekindled in his eyes.

Right! The force-measuring stone must be broken!

How could this country bumpkin be stronger than me?!

Zhao Zhen's eyes flickered. Although deep down he didn't believe the force-measuring stone would break so coincidentally, this reason undoubtedly gave him a buffer and an opportunity to continue observing.

"Silence!"

Just as the discussions began to grow, a middle-aged man in the uniform of a Demon Suppression Division deacon, responsible for recording test results, shouted in a deep voice.

He quickly walked to the force-measuring stone, his expression solemn.

As the deacon responsible for maintaining the testing equipment, he was well aware of the sturdiness and accuracy of this force-measuring stone.

But he still meticulously inspected it according to procedure.

He reached out and stroked the surface of the stone tablet, then channeled his Spiritual Qi into it, sensing the operation of the internal rune formation.

A moment later, he withdrew his hand, his brow slightly furrowed.

"The force-measuring stone is operating normally, the internal formation is intact, and there are no malfunctions."

The deacon's voice clearly spread throughout the venue, completely shattering the glimmer of hope that had just arisen.

Not broken?

The force-measuring stone isn't broken?!

Then does that mean... the result just now was real?!

Everyone's hearts sank again, and their gazes towards Li Dong were filled with even more awe and fear.

The deacon also looked at Li Dong, his eyes holding a hint of scrutiny and solemnity.

"Li Dong, to ensure the accuracy of the result, please test again."

"Okay."

Li Dong responded indifferently, as if he was merely being asked to do another trivial task.

Under the renewed gaze of the entire audience, he once again walked to the force-measuring stone.

He still stood there casually.

He still slowly raised his right hand.

There was no build-up of power, no Spiritual Qi fluctuations, not even any superfluous movements.

Then, under the breathless gaze of everyone, that palm, once again seemingly lightly, struck the black stone tablet.

The action was identical to before.

The result... "Bang!!!"

Another dull, thunderous sound that made hearts skip a beat!

Buzz buzz buzz —!!!

The piercing hum sounded frantically again, even more urgent than the last time!

The rune light on the surface of the force-measuring stone flashed explosively, reaching its Peak, as if about to ignite!

The light flickered chaotically, unable to condense into stable characters at all!

Finally, in a dead silence and dazed gaze, those eight blood-red characters once again, incredibly clearly and incredibly cruelly, appeared on the stone tablet—

[Exceeded upper limit, immeasurable!]

Exactly the same!

This time, no one uttered any more words of doubt.

The training ground was eerily silent.

Everyone was like puppets whose souls had been drawn out, staring blankly at the force-measuring stone that once again erupted with dazzling light, looking at the eight blood-red characters that declared absolute power.

The facts, like the coldest, hardest steel, slammed heavily into their faces, shattering all their hopes and unwillingness.

The force-measuring stone was not broken.

This young man from the countryside truly possessed terrifying strength far beyond their imagination, perhaps even beyond the scope of the Body Tempering Realm!

Awe.

Deep awe replaced the previous disdain and jealousy.

The way they looked at Li Dong had completely changed.

It was a gaze of looking at a peer... no, even a gaze of looking up to a higher-level existence.

Zhou Shaoyang's face was even uglier than before, almost beyond description.

If the first time was shock and disbelief, then this time was naked despair and humiliation.

Twice!

Twice, he was completely crushed by the same person, in the same understated manner!

He felt his face was swollen from the beating, his dignity trampled on and repeatedly rubbed into the ground.

The jealousy and unwillingness in his heart gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes, almost driving him mad.

Resentment!

Unspeakable resentment condensed deep in his eyes, staring intently at Li Dong, as if to engrave his image into his bones.

But he dared not make any provocative moves, not even having the courage to meet Li Dong's gaze.

Zhao Zhen's face was so gloomy it could almost drip water.

Two confirmations, the result was the same.

This completely disrupted his originally thought-out plan.

He had originally thought Li Dong was merely a standout among the Body Refinement Fifth Level, perhaps with some fortuitous encounter, a bit stronger, a bit faster.

Dealing with such a person, by tampering with the Demon Suppression Baptism to create some "accident" to make him suffer a great loss or even damage his Foundation, was not difficult.

But now it seemed that the opponent's strength was unfathomable!

At least at the Peak of Body Tempering Realm Great Perfection, or even... higher!

This was troublesome.

The stronger the strength, the stronger the control over energy and the resistance to it. Trying to secretly harm him during the Baptism without anyone knowing would exponentially increase the difficulty.

A slight mistake could not only lead to failure but even backfire!

Zhao Zhen's eyes flickered with uncertainty, his brain rapidly working, re-evaluating the risks and countermeasures.

The killing intent had not diminished because of this; instead, it grew more fervent due to the immense potential Li Dong displayed.

This child must not be allowed to live!

He must adjust his plan and use more covert, more vicious methods!

Unlike Zhao Zhen's gloomy resentment, Zhang Wu, standing nearby, now had an undisguised look of satisfaction and appreciation on his face.

Good kid!

I was right about you after all!

Li Shanyue having such a son meant he had a worthy successor.

He looked at Li Dong's calm and composed demeanor, nodding secretly in his heart.

This strength, this Heart-Nature, far surpassed his peers.

The Demon Suppression Baptism, for him, might truly be not just an opportunity, but a springboard to soaring to great heights!

Zhang Wu couldn't help but look forward to the Baptism three days later even more.

Li Dong withdrew his hand, as if merely brushing off a speck of dust from his clothes.

He looked around, taking in all the expressions filled with shock, awe, and fear.

Especially Zhou Shaoyang's distraught, resentful yet daring not to act appearance, and Zhao Zhen's gloomy, almost murderous gaze.

"Heh."

He let out a soft chuckle in his heart.

"These are the so-called county geniuses? The future hope of the Mu Shi County Demon Suppression Division?"

"With such meager strength and Heart-Nature, they dare to flaunt themselves in front of me. How laughable."

A faint sense of disdain and arrogance rose in his heart.

Of course, he did not relax his vigilance because of this.

These obvious clowns were not to be feared, but the venomous snakes hidden in the dark, like Zhao Zhen, needed more caution.

"Alright, the test results have been confirmed." The deacon's voice sounded again, breaking the silence and announcing the official end of this mentally exhausting preliminary test. "Everyone can disperse now, go back and rest well, and await the Demon Suppression Baptism three days later."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt as if they had received a great pardon, lowering their heads and leaving the training ground with faltering steps.

No one dared to look at Li Dong again, nor did anyone have the mood to discuss anything.

Everything that happened today had too great an impact on them.

Li Dong's performance was undoubtedly the most dazzling and shocking scene of the day.

With his undisputed absolute strength, he completely crushed all doubts and established his unique leading position among this group of candidates.

Those aristocratic Family disciples who had originally disdained and mocked him now had to put away all their arrogance and begin to truly face this "country" youth who came out of Li Family Village.

They understood that the Mu Shi County Demon Suppression Division might be about to stir up quite a storm due to the arrival of this young man.