Chapter 008 Talent Assessment

Tan Qingxuan's shout was born out of sheer impatience; these sycophantic servants treated human life as nothing, and such people had no business cultivating virtue—they belonged in the depths of hell. She brandished her sword and stepped forward; not a single man dared act, so let a woman do it instead!

As for Lin Zhan, he was well aware of his own abilities. In this world, he lacked the strength to stand out. His voice was purely a matter of impulse. He still had a few bolts loaded on his crossbow, his only reliance. This weapon was useless against wild beasts, but it should suffice for dispatching a villain or two.

What did the police academy teach him? To punish evil and uphold good—regardless of past or present, this ingrained conviction would never change.

The whip’s shadow swept away Lin Zhan’s bolt, but the wicked servant had no time to defend against Tan Qingxuan’s thrust. A sharp sound echoed as she unleashed three inches of sword energy—rare even among these people. The arm wielding the whip flew into the air, blood spurted forth, and the villain collapsed from rapid blood loss. The snakeskin whip dropped at Lin Zhan’s feet; he picked it up without hesitation and handed it to Tan Qingxuan, who tucked it into her backpack.

The crowd silently cheered, but also worried for the pair of young people in the arena. Offending the Fan family—could it be worse than death?

“Second Young Master...” The remaining servants were baffled; how could their young master remain so composed during such chaos? One nervously tapped Fan Ning’s arm and called again, “Second Young Master...”

Fan Ning snapped from his daze, slurping the drool from his lips and wiping it away with his sleeve. His wolfish eyes remained fixed upon Tan Qingxuan’s face and figure, his expression lewd.

Tan Qingxuan still held her sword, vigilant and ready. Behind her, Lin Zhan had moved Tong Feng to safety; Fang Daguang, with some medical skill, was treating him.

“Second Young Master, Fan Sixteen is dead!”

“Oh... Good riddance!” Fan Ning curled his lips into a smile and strode toward Tan Qingxuan.

“Wonderful, wonderful! Such a beautiful woman. If you’re not satisfied, I have a few more servants—please do as you wish!” The crowd erupted in astonishment; Fan Ning was not angry at all. Did he have his eye on her? The mood shifted dramatically.

Supporting Tong Feng, Lin Zhan was shocked, scratching his head. Damn, this guy’s a lunatic. Clearly, there are degenerate scions everywhere—lustful devils through and through.

He was also curious how Tan Qingxuan would react to such provocation. He hadn’t known her well before, and their first meeting had seen her pointing a sword at him, but now a certain camaraderie had formed between them.

Of course, he knew Miss Tan was not someone to be trifled with. He clenched his fists in secret, and Tan Qingxuan’s sword aura surged to seven inches!

At that moment, she pointed her sword at Fan Ning, her voice cold and furious: “I’ll kill you!”

“Beautiful lady, why resort to murder? Wouldn’t you rather become my wife?” Fan Ning shuffled closer, his eyes filled with lascivious intent.

“Before the Blazing Ice Mountain, silence must be maintained!” An elder inside the stone gate, his white beard fluttering without wind, lips barely parted, spoke with a voice that pierced the ear, sending a chill through everyone present. The air seemed to freeze, and an oppressive force made even Lin Zhan feel weak, as if he might collapse.

His clenched fist lost its strength; the fiery seven-inch sword aura at Tan Qingxuan’s blade vanished instantly.

Seeing the awkward situation, the elder presiding over the talent test intervened.

“Heh, it’s my turn now—no one else is crowding in, right?” Fan Ning brushed the dust from his clothes, turned reluctantly, took a few steps toward the stone gate, ready for his test.

The corpse on the ground was whisked away by the elder’s sleeve, swept into the snowy mist by the gate and vanished.

Tong Feng awoke at that moment. Seeing his servant’s fate, he pounded the ground in anguish, heartbroken. After thanking Lin Zhan and the others, his gaze lingered on Fan Ning’s back at the gate, muttering to himself.

Fan Ning stepped onto the stone gate’s threshold, arms at his sides. Pale blue mist projected around him, and his body seemed weightless, feet suspended nearly two feet from the ground.

The elder stroked his beard and nodded, announcing, “Cultivator’s body talent: one foot eight inches. Passed!”

The blue glow faded, and Fan Ning, brimming with confidence, swaggered inside. His face radiated pride as he settled on the mountain steps, ready to watch whether his servants would pass the talent test.

If any of them succeeded, it would mean another opportunity for resources in the future.

Clearly, his servants lacked the wealth of resources he’d enjoyed since childhood. Raised on rare treasures, he easily passed the test, but they all failed.

Fan Ning showed little regret, waving impatiently for them to return home.

“Next candidate!” During the Fan family’s test, Fan Ning strutted inside, arrogant and disdainful, so no one wanted to go next for fear of bad luck.

“I’ll go!” Tong Feng, at some point, had stood up, dragging his injured body step by step toward the stone gate.

“Cultivator’s body talent: one foot. Barely passed!”

Watching Tong Feng enter and stand stubbornly to the side, Lin Zhan found himself admiring his resilience, feeling a twinge of concern for Fan Ning—though mostly schadenfreude.

A warrior bent on revenge, even if less gifted, would give his all in cultivation. Should an opportunity arise, Fan Ning might face Tong Feng’s fierce retribution.

“Let’s go, Tan family,” Tan Qingxuan said, looking at the five remaining members of her group. Her gaze swept across Lian Ming, Fang Daguang, Lin Zhan, and the two soldiers, then she resolutely stepped up to the stone gate.

The entire clan, who had sacrificed so many, hoped someone would pass through this gate and succeed in the test.

Tan Qingxuan’s heart was full of emotion; she silently prayed she would succeed.

“Cultivator’s body talent: one foot six inches. Passed!”

She staggered inside, and Lin Zhan knew the excitement had overwhelmed her.

Lian Ming likewise passed at one foot six, and, to everyone’s surprise, even Fang Daguang managed to pass at one foot five.

The two soldiers, unfortunately, were eliminated. Reluctantly, they bade farewell to their young lady, promising to wait at the mountain’s base for a chance to reunite someday.

While they underwent the stone gate’s talent test, Lin Zhan kept studying the source of the blue light—it was more impressive than any stage effect he’d ever seen.