135: Martial Arts Test (Part Four)

Sure enough, the second wave of impact began.

The mechanical devices no longer fired iron pellets, but dozens of "fire arrows" trailing smoke. Although there was no real fire, the arrows flew faster, and upon landing, they exploded into clouds of lime powder, obscuring vision.

At the same time, fifteen "Stone-Skinned Boars" charged out with a roar! These boars were as large as oxen, with thick hides and coarse flesh, their tusks white and sharp as they charged straight for the gates of each pass!

"Heavy armor ramming type!" Chen Linsheng's pupils constricted. "Archers, aim for the eyes! Everyone else, prepare the logs and rolling stones, smash their heads and necks!"

Arrows whistled through the air, but the Stone-Skinned Boars had extremely thick eyelids. Only two were struck in the eyes, howling in pain as they tumbled, while the rest continued their wild charge.

Boom!

The gate of the Shu Pass shook violently from the impact!

"Brother Liu, Brother Sun, hold the line!" Chen Linsheng shouted. Simultaneously, he grabbed a second log, took aim at a boar slamming into the gate, and timed the moment it backed up to build momentum, releasing the log!

Bang!

The log struck the boar's head dead center, leaving it dazed. Liu Meng and Sun Qian seized the opportunity to strike with all their might, their Blazing Sun True Energy slamming into the boar's flank. Lime powder exploded—"Heavily Wounded."

But three other boars had already reached the base of the wall and began ramming it frantically! The wooden wall groaned under the unbearable pressure.

"The wall is going to collapse!" Zhou Yuan cried out in panic.

"Jump down and fight on foot using the Abatis for cover!" Chen Linsheng made a split-second decision. "Shield-bearers, Zhou Yuan, and the lady with the twin swords, follow me down! The two Junior Brothers, keep Throwing the rolling stones! Archers, provide suppressing fire!"

Before his voice even faded, he was the first to leap from the wall, his spear moving like a dragon as it pierced straight into a boar's neck!

The spear tip plunged in, and lime powder exploded! The boar was "killed."

The shield-bearers followed him down, their large shields bracing against another boar's charge, while Zhou Yuan and the woman with the twin swords attacked from both sides.

But at that moment, a boar on the flank suddenly changed direction, its tusks lunging toward the back of Zhou Yuan, who was preoccupied with the boar in front of him! Zhou Yuan couldn't pull back in time and was about to be "impaled"—

A dark green figure swept in like the wind!

After killing the first boar, Chen Linsheng didn't stop for a second. He pivoted, his spear shaft sweeping out to smash heavily against the tusks of the flanking boar!

Clang!

A loud noise like clashing metal rang out! The boar's momentum shifted, and it grazed past Zhou Yuan's side, crashing into the Abatis.

Having narrowly escaped death, Zhou Yuan broke into a cold sweat, his eyes filled with gratitude as he looked at Chen Linsheng.

"Don't get distracted!" Chen Linsheng shouted. His spear struck again, and working together with the shield-bearers and the others, they "killed" the remaining boars one by one.

The second wave of impact ended.

The gate of the Shu Pass was damaged and the wooden wall was partially cracked, but no one had died, with only a few new minor injuries.

As the proctor recorded the results, he couldn't help but steal an extra glance at Chen Linsheng.

The third wave of impact followed immediately.

This time, it was a mixed attack! Ten "Wind-Whistling Sparrows" dived down from the sky—demon birds with a three-foot wingspan and beaks like iron awls, specializing in attacking eyes and throats. Simultaneously, eight "Earth-Spike Lizards" burst from the ground, capable of briefly burrowing and launching sneak attacks from beneath one's feet. Further away, mechanical devices launched a sky-covering net of ropes over the wall, restricting movement!

"A simultaneous attack from the air, the surface, and underground..." On the viewing platform, the Deputy Commander of the Army Breaker Manor leaned forward slightly. "This round tests comprehensive adaptability and command coordination."

Shu Pass.

Chen Linsheng's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. With his Tracking Perfection perception fully deployed, he instantly captured the trajectory and rhythm of every attack.

"Archers, focus all fire on the sparrows! Shield-bearers, cover the sky! Everyone else, form groups of three and stand back-to-back, watch your feet!"

He issued orders rapidly while grabbing a broken Abatis stake from the ground. Aiming at where three Earth-Spike Lizards were about to burst from the earth, he threw it with all his strength!

The stake whistled through the air, accurately crushing two of them, while the third was severed by a swordsman.

The Wind-Whistling Sparrows dived down. The archers fired rapid successions of arrows, shooting down four, but six still managed to close in!

"Heads down!" Chen Linsheng shouted sternly. He grabbed a handful of lime powder and threw it into the air to disrupt the demon birds' vision, while his spear darted out like lightning, instantly piercing two of them.

The woman with the twin swords and one of the Junior Brothers teamed up to finish one off, while Liu Meng and Sun Qian combined their strikes to kill another.

But the last two Wind-Whistling Sparrows were extremely cunning, bypassing the front line to lunge at an archer who was in the middle of reloading!

The archer didn't have time to draw an arrow—

At the critical moment, Chen Linsheng's left hand brushed his waist, and he flicked three iron darts! This was the hidden weapon technique he practiced daily; though he wasn't a master, his aim was sufficient at such close range!

Puff, puff!

The two Wind-Whistling Sparrows were hit and spiraled to the ground.

Almost simultaneously, the rope nets fell! Chen Linsheng spun rapidly, his spear dancing like a whirlwind to shred most of the nets descending upon the group. The others also used their own methods to break free.

The three waves of impact finally ended.

At the Shu Pass, the walls and gates were damaged, and everyone bore "wounds," but not a single person had died, and they had killed over eighty percent of the attacking Yao Beasts.

The proctor remained silent for a moment before announcing loudly, "Shu Team: three rounds of defense, zero deaths, twenty-three Yao Beast mechanisms killed. Defensive coordination: Superior. Command and adaptability: Excellent. Final rating—Grade A-Superior!"

A wave of amazement rippled through the sidelines.

At the same time, the results for the other passes were announced one after another.

Yan Chen's "Yin" Team also completed their defense, but two members died (withdrawing after their Life Talismans shattered), and three were heavily injured. Yan Chen himself was like a god of war amidst the flames, killing the most enemies, but the team's coordination was chaotic. Evaluation: Grade A-Inferior.

Mu Qingxue's "Chen" Team cooperated seamlessly, their sword formation like a net. No deaths, five minor injuries. Evaluation: Grade A-Superior.

Han Tie's "Wu" Team was fierce and brave, clashing head-on with the Yao Beasts. One death, two heavy injuries. Evaluation: Grade A-Middle.

The contrast was stark.

On the viewing platform, several chief examiners discussed in low voices.

Judge Li stroked his beard and said, "That Chen Linsheng from the Shu Team remains calm in the face of danger and commands with skill. More impressively, he looks out for his teammates, rescuing them from peril in an instant. This lad has the makings of a general."

The Deputy Commander of the Army Breaker Manor nodded. "His Hunyuan Martial Dao Foundation is robust. I thought he excelled at breakthroughs, but I didn't expect his defensive command to be so seasoned. It seems he has made further progress after the Jiǔqū Refining Pool."

Ling Feng's lips curled slightly, but he said nothing.

Eunuch Cao slowly fiddled with his black jade prayer beads, his narrow eyes fixed on Chen Linsheng, who was chatting briefly with his teammates on the Drill Ground. He suddenly spoke softly, "I observe that this lad seems to have touched the threshold of the Jiaojin Realm."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone around him was startled.

The Governor focused his gaze and indeed discovered that although Chen Linsheng's aura remained restrained, the movement of his fascia and tendons carried a faint sign of a dragon's roar. It was just that he was deliberately suppressing it, making it difficult to detect without careful inspection.

"It truly is so..." the Governor said in surprise. "But he didn't show it just now."

"Hiding one's edge in the scabbard is the mark of a wise man," Eunuch Cao said calmly. "The Martial Examination isn't over yet, so naturally, one must keep some trump cards. However..."

He paused, his voice dropping even lower, as if talking to himself or for others to overhear. "To have such a Foundation, Heart-Nature, and vision at such a young age... The Hunyuan Martial Dao has been dormant for a hundred years; could its glory truly be reborn through this boy?"

In the field, Chen Linsheng seemed to sense something and looked up toward the viewing platform.

For a fleeting moment, his eyes met Eunuch Cao's.

He gave a slight nod, perfectly courteous, before looking away, his expression calm and unruffled.

Eunuch Cao smiled—a very faint smile, like ripples on a cold pond.

"Pass on my orders," he said, turning to the attendant behind him. "Make a copy of all this boy's records from both the literary and Martial Examinations and send them by express courier to the Capital."

"Yes."

The attendant bowed and quickly withdrew.