You don't want your secret to be revealed by others, right?-Chapter 186 - 15, One Cut

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"The basic assessment consists of three items."

Grandmaster An swept his gaze over the more than three hundred assessors in the open ground, saying, "Each item requires you to reach the first boundary limit set by the Ancestor Hall to pass. If you can’t reach it, you’ll be eliminated."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "If anyone wishes to participate in the Inner Hall assessment, they must achieve the second boundary limit; otherwise, they won’t even have the qualification to attempt."

On the open ground, among the more than three hundred assessors including Lin Yue, many immediately set the second boundary limit as their minimum goal.

If they couldn’t even reach the second boundary limit of the basic assessment, what hope was there for the Inner Hall assessment?

"Martial Arts is the path of combat. The first item is to test your ability to attack and kill."

Grandmaster An stood in front of the crowd and with a mere wave of his sleeve, a strange treasure mirror of the Yin Yang Tai Chi Diagram appeared before him, floating in mid-air.

"A Daoist Magic Treasure?"

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow slightly.

A nearby assessor, who appeared to be a young master of a noble family, heard this and immediately explained with enthusiasm, "Mu Yue, the Ancestor Hall has many Elders who have practiced other paths. When Grandmaster An was young, he practiced the Daoist Body to Saint Cultivation Method and also possesses Daoist Magic Power, allowing him to control cultivation methods."

Lin Yue came to realize.

Cultivators who practiced body refinement from various families mostly also practiced martial arts, as martial arts techniques greatly enhanced body refiners.

The body path of the Ancient God’s Way, the Daoist Body to Saint Cultivation Method, the Buddhist Vajra, the Demon Body of the Demon Sect, all follow this principle.

Pure martial arts often didn’t match the combat power of body refiners who also practiced martial arts.

"Begin."

With a point of his finger, Grandmaster An made the treasure mirror floating in mid-air shine brilliantly.

As the light gathered and dimmed, it transformed into layer upon layer of translucent spherical barriers, each smaller as they moved inward, perfectly encasing the treasure mirror at the center.

The outermost barrier had a radius of about ten feet, the innermost about three feet, with each layer only an inch thick, spaced slightly apart, stacked layer upon layer.

Lin Yue counted roughly and saw that the barriers numbered ninety-nine layers.

"This first assessment tests your attack and kill capabilities."

Grandmaster An said, "You may not use Daoist Talismans or other foreign items, and the magic treasure may only be a First Grade. You have one full-strength strike. Breaking through twenty layers clears the first boundary limit and allows you to proceed to the next assessment. If you want to attempt the Inner Hall assessment next month, you must pass the second boundary limit by breaking all ninety-nine layers."

He then announced, "Begin, starting with number one."

The first assessor was a man in blue martial clothes, with a calm expression and a slight smile, akin to a swordsman in the Jianghu.

"May I ask, Grandmaster An, does breaking through ninety-nine layers of barriers mean striking the treasure mirror itself to achieve the second boundary limit?" the swordsman inquired with clasped hands.

The crowd was astonished. This person appeared to have not yet reached the peak of the Four Symbols Heaven Barrier, yet he was so confident.

Representatives from various factions nearby were also paying close attention at these words.

Those under thirty capable of attempting the Inner Hall assessment, even if they didn’t become a Martial Arts Grandmaster, would be powerful figures below the level of a Great Cultivator.

"Breaking through the ninety-nine layers is sufficient," Grandmaster An replied calmly.

"Understood."

The blue-clothed swordsman confidently stepped forward, the sound of a sword drawing echoed as he pulled his longsword from his waist. After gathering his energy, he lightly called out,

"Break!"

A streak of green sword light shot forth, piercing toward the treasure mirror enveloped by numerous barriers.

"Bang bang bang bang—!"

A series of barrier-breaking sounds erupted as layers were pierced through.

But after penetrating just nineteen layers, the green sword light halted, its power completely dissipated.

The crowd was speechless.

Such confidence in asking about the ninety-nine layers, yet... this was it?

"How... is this possible..."

The smile on the face of the blue-clothed swordsman froze. He looked at the barrier before him in disbelief, unable to accept that he couldn’t even pass the first boundary limit.

Having practiced diligently for years and defeated countless powerful enemies, his family prided themselves on him. He had traveled far from Langzhou to Di Hong City in pursuit of martial arts, aiming to enter the Inner Hall of the Ancestor Hall, possibly reaching even higher.

But now, he couldn’t even pass the Outer Hall?

He stood there, stunned, unable to accept the outcome.

"Failed to reach the first boundary limit, eliminated."

Grandmaster An glanced at the blue-clad swordsman with indifference, devoid of emotion, "Next."

He had seen too many assessors in his lifetime.

Many assessors from all over the world came to Di Hong City, seeming like geniuses in small places, impressing others for a while, yet utterly unaware that Jingzhou Imperial City was the true gathering place of talents worldwide, let alone understanding how monstrous and terrifying true geniuses were.

He had seen such frog-in-the-well cases far too often.

As the first assessor left somewhat despondently, one by one, the assessors began their tests.

But only a few reached the first boundary limit, let alone the second. In fact, not a single one did.

After all, most cultivators hopeful of attempting the Inner Hall had long entered Tianxia Building, sparing themselves from this basic assessment.

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"Number one hundred."

As Grandmaster An called out, a substantial assessor that everyone paid close attention to finally emerged.

A black-robed swordsman, wearing a wooden mask, tall and lanky, with an iron sword at his waist.

The person seemed unremarkable.

Yet his aura was at the peak of the Four Symbols Heaven Barrier, exuding an exceedingly intense and chilling aura of killing intent, his every step seemingly measured with a ruler.

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