5: Chapter 5: Martial Arts Talent at the Ninth Level of Heaven!

Li Yuan's martial Realm had now reached Fifth-Grade Perfection.

Li Yuan was not yet twenty years old, but he had already achieved such strength.

To be honest, he felt a small sense of pride in his heart.

But within this pride, there was a faint trace of worry.

In the four characters for 'martial arts strength,' the focus lies on the word 'actual.'

Cultivation progress and Realm are merely appearances, used to roughly judge a person's combat power.

True strength should always be grounded in practice.

Li Yuan possessed the martial experience of many people, and his martial Internal Energy was even more powerful.

But since he began cultivating, he had never once engaged in actual combat.

The test just now was likely the first time Li Yuan had ever used an offensive Move externally.

After finishing the Move, Li Yuan felt quite good.

The exhilaration of bursting power gave him a sense of accomplishment in his martial training.

Next was to wait for the Magical Artifact in front of him to give its evaluation.

He wondered if he could be a few points better than City Lord Liu Shengyong's second Young Master.

That Young Master's evaluation was Earth-Grade Eighth-Rank.

This evaluation was indeed very good.

As Li Yuan was thinking, he saw the Magical Artifact before him suddenly undergo a major change.

During the day, this artifact clearly only displayed the evaluation through text at the top.

But at this moment, the artifact actually began to emit a loud sound.

It was as if a great bell in a thousand-year-old temple had been suddenly struck.

Li Yuan was stunned; he hadn't expected the artifact to have this trick up its sleeve!

He quickly activated the Cloud Mist Step, hiding himself in the darkness.

He still wanted to peacefully scavenge corpses on the front lines for benefits; he didn't want to expose himself.

Just as he left, people from the military camp immediately leaped toward this direction.

The generals on the front lines of Yingyang Pass also headed toward the rear of the camp, following the sound.

These generals were tidying their outer robes as they ran over, arriving in a fluster.

With a sudden loud noise in the night, how could those stationed there not be worried?

When the group stood before the Magical Artifact for testing martial talent, they were all stunned.

On the artifact, it clearly displayed [heaven-grade ninth-rank]!

This artifact for testing a Martial Artist's talent would behave this way when a Heaven-Grade talent was detected.

It was just that during the day, no one had such talent.

The artifact had not demonstrated this feature.

On the other side, Li Yuan blended into the crowd and followed them back to the artifact.

"Hea... Heaven-Grade..."

The faces of the military generals were filled with shock and confusion, with a faint trace of worry.

"heaven-grade ninth-rank, a talent that reaches the summit of martial arts!

Who on earth is it?

Who exactly was testing here just now?"

City Lord Liu's gaze swept over the crowd, but no matter how he looked, he didn't feel like anyone had such ability.

Hearing this, no one around answered; only the crackling sound of burning torches remained.

"Having such martial talent is a great stroke of luck bestowed by heaven.

Yingyang Pass will surely put all its effort into nurturing you; you have no need to worry!

If you feel you won't be well-cared for at Yingyang Pass, I can even recommend you to Qianqiu Mountain.

Please show yourself; there's no need for concern in your heart!"

City Lord Liu Shengyong continued to speak, doing his best to dispel the other person's worries.

But no matter what he said, no one stepped forward.

Everyone in the camp looked left and right, wanting to see who exactly had such ability.

Li Yuan also mimicked the people around him, putting on the look of a curious onlooker.

The culprit himself just pretended to be a bystander watching the scene.

After City Lord Liu finished speaking, his lieutenant also stepped forward to persuade.

A heaven-grade ninth-rank talent evaluation—such martial potential would earn rewards if reported to the Dashun Imperial Court.

Besides reporting to the court, various Sect forces would surely be desperate to obtain this martial Genius.

If City Lord Liu recommended this Genius to any Sect, he would earn a massive favor.

However, not a single person in the camp stepped forward to admit it.

It was clearly such a good thing...

It was still late at night; continuing the standoff here would likely yield no results.

It was very likely that the person who had just come to test had already left long ago.

City Lord Liu ordered the generals to his tent.

After such a commotion, they probably wouldn't be able to sleep for a while.

Moreover, there were many unsolved mysteries, so they naturally had to discuss it thoroughly.

Inside the tent, several lieutenants and vice-generals were sharing their guesses.

They also felt something was wrong; why would someone not admit to it when they could gain benefits?

"Could it be that the person testing at the artifact just now wasn't from our camp?"

As a lieutenant said this, everyone's expressions immediately turned serious.

"Could it be... an assassin from the Jin Kingdom...?"

Because of those words, everyone in the tent felt a chill in their hearts.

If it really was a Jin Kingdom assassin, then this Yingyang Pass military camp would be like an empty field to him.

The lives of these generals could vanish at any moment.

Amidst the panic, Liu Shengyong waved his hand.

This City Lord was still relatively calm.

"Don't mythologize the enemy. If our front-line defenses were that poor, they would have been breached long ago. How could we have held out for so many years?"

Hearing this, the generals also felt it made sense.

If the Jin Kingdom had that kind of ability, Yingyang Pass should have already fallen.

"As an assassin, one does not act lightly, but when they do, it must be fatal; that is the code of conduct.

Look at how that assassin acted before; which time did they not cause injury?

Having penetrated deep behind enemy lines and with such a good opportunity, how could they just go to the artifact for a test?

Would they do that just to make our defenses stricter?"

City Lord Liu's series of statements were logically sound.

What he said was very reasonable and stood up to scrutiny.

"So that means there is a hidden martial Genius in our camp?

Then why is he unwilling to step forward?

We wouldn't harm him; we would only help him improve his martial strength."

The lieutenant beside him pressed with his confusion.

City Lord Liu's eyes held a hint of thought: "Perhaps that person isn't necessarily in the camp.

It's possible it's some talented young junior from Yingyang Pass.

As for why he's unwilling to reveal his identity, it's likely because he doesn't trust us enough."

Another thing: that artifact can see the approximate age of the person being tested.

The Bone age is between eighteen and twenty-two years old.

According to intelligence, although that Jin Kingdom assassin is young, he is over thirty.

"In that case, post a notice in Yingyang Pass tomorrow.

Express our sincerity. I, Liu Shengyong, guarantee on my character that I will protect his safety and lead him further on the path of martial arts!"

During their discussion, the sky gradually brightened.

The matter of posting the notice was quickly arranged.

At the Third quarter of the Hour of the Dragon, notices were posted everywhere throughout Yingyang Pass.

Anyone with even a little contact with martial arts could understand what a heaven-grade ninth-rank talent evaluation meant.

With such talent, by cultivating step-by-step, one could step into the Ninth-Grade Realm!

Any power would want to obtain such talent.

With a little nurturing, their side could gain a Ninth-Grade Immortal of the Mortal Realm powerhouse!