Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

Chapter 187: Chapter 128: The Empress Arrives in Person, Passing 5 Passes and Slaying 6 Generals

As the Demon Sect and Buddhist Sect disciples stacked stones ever higher in the examination area, a wave of cheers erupted from the surrounding candidates.

The first round of the assessment was not for points.

So, it didn’t matter how much weight they lifted.

The reason for their display, aside from their usual squabbling, was primarily to broadcast the power of their respective Sects to the other candidates.

Word would spread.

This would be a great boon to the expansion of both the Buddhist and Demon Sects.

Watching the boisterous crowd from his seat of honor at the head of the examination grounds, a middle-aged official frowned, clearly displeased.

But he said nothing.

Instead, he turned to a refined-looking young man behind him and whispered, “Sir, these people are getting completely out of hand. Should I intervene?”

The young man he addressed as ’Sir’ had rounded, slanted phoenix eyes.

His skin was fair and flawless, like fine jade, and his long hair was coiled behind him, lending him an alluring charm uncommon in a man.

Hearing the question, the young man replied in a hoarse voice, “It matters not. Let’s just watch for now.”

Upon receiving the order, the middle-aged official nodded and said no more.

…

Li Chang’an and Ma Dongyang walked over to the testing area together.

A clerk standing nearby asked for their names and origins. After finding them on a list, he made a checkmark and said, “You have three minutes to warm up.”

Ma Dongyang didn’t warm up. Instead, he glanced at the crowd behind them and asked, “Brother Li, one of these millstones weighs a thousand pounds. How many do you think you can lift?”

Li Chang’an glanced at the millstones on the ground. After a moment’s thought, he replied, “I don’t know…”

He wasn’t lying to Ma Dongyang.

He truly had no idea how many he could carry.

At his current level of strength, a thousand-pound stone was merely a unit of measure, nowhere near his actual limit.

Seeing that Li Chang’an seemed reluctant to answer, Ma Dongyang didn’t press the issue. He stretched his limbs and said, “I’ve completed the Muscle Training stage, though I haven’t started Bone Tempering yet. Still…”

As he spoke, he stacked eight millstones and heaved them onto his back in one smooth motion. His face didn’t flush, and his breathing remained steady. “Carrying eight or ten of these stones is no problem for me at all!”

One large, millstone-like stone weighed a thousand pounds.

Carrying eight to ten of them would be nearly ten thousand pounds.

That amount wasn’t exceptionally high for an entry-level Martial Artist, but it certainly wasn’t low, either.

Ma Dongyang was not even twenty years old yet.

At his age, being able to lift five or six thousand pounds was already a sign of exceptional talent. Many Martial Artists in their thirties weren’t even as strong as he was.

So, when he lifted the eight millstones,

many of the surrounding candidates immediately turned to look.

“Alright! Nice one!”

There was an age limit for candidates in the Martial Arts Examination, so when the crowd saw that the one lifting all that weight was just a young man in his early twenties, many began to clap and cheer.

Ma Dongyang held the eight millstones for several breaths. Hearing the crowd cheering for him, he felt a surge of adrenaline. He looked over at Li Chang’an and said, “Brother, I can take more! Add another two!”

Seeing his insistence, Li Chang’an stood up and added one more to the stack.

The cheers from the crowd immediately grew louder.

Ma Dongyang wanted to insist on one more, but Li Chang’an refused to add it. He could see that Ma Dongyang had already reached his physical limit.

Seeing that Li Chang’an wouldn’t add another, Ma Dongyang knew he couldn’t hold on much longer either.

He was just preparing to offer a few face-saving words before putting the stones down.

Just then, a young man in his early twenties, dressed in white, sneered from behind him. “You want one more, do you? Alright then, I’ll add it for you!”

Before anyone could even see how the young man moved,

a millstone-sized rock flew through the air and landed squarely on Ma Dongyang’s back.

Ma Dongyang was already at his limit. With another thousand pounds suddenly added to his shoulders, he buckled instantly. His body swayed, and he was nearly crushed by the collapsing stack of stones.

Fortunately, Li Chang’an yanked him out of the way just in the nick of time.

The young man retracted his foot and sneered. “There are two things I despise in life: show-offs and people who push themselves just to save face. You happen to be both.”

All eyes turned to the young man.

A gasp went through the crowd when they saw the Waist Token hanging at his hip.

A knowledgeable candidate couldn’t help but whisper, “The Demon Sect’s Saint Heir… That’s Lu Sheng, this generation’s Saint Heir of the Demon Sect!”

“The Demon Sect usually sends a Saintess to the Martial Arts Examination. The fact that they sent the Saint Heir this time… It looks like they’re preparing for a real, head-on confrontation with the Buddhist Sect!”

The Demon Sect has six Saintesses.

But each generation has only one Saint Heir.

This spoke volumes about the young man’s status within the Demon Sect.

Lu Sheng was clearly pleased by the surrounding murmurs and the looks of admiration and envy. Flicking open a folding fan, he strode through the crowd, which parted for him automatically, and entered the testing area.

He shot a glance at Li Chang’an and Ma Dongyang and said coldly, “Get lost. You’re in my way.”

Utterly humiliated, Ma Dongyang’s face went pale. But considering the man’s identity and status, he was just about to step aside.

But Li Chang’an grabbed his arm, stopping him.

Li Chang’an stepped in front of Lu Sheng and said calmly, “And who the hell are you?”

Seeing that Li Chang’an not only refused to move but was now questioning him, Lu Sheng didn’t get angry. On the contrary, he let out a hearty laugh. “It’s been a long time since anyone dared to speak to me like that. Who I am is none of your concern. After all, a piece of trash at your level could live another lifetime and still never comprehend what kind of existence I am!”