[ I was doing research on internal energy for a while and found that it is possible to manipulate it much more easily than mana, especially for those who have more control over it. So, I just manipulated the internal energy being directed from the Elder to his disciples. ]
‘Try to do it with all the people present here,’ Ryuk thought. Seeing how the system had just captured the voice or the message the Elder had directed to his disciples, he commanded to do the same with the remaining individuals from upper town.
[ Here it goes. ]
[ :: Hey, have you noticed that woman in the fairy white dress? Isn’t she beautiful? :: ]
[ :: Yes, Young Master. Would you like me to send your message to her? :: ]
[ :: No, leave it. That weakling beside her is just at foundational establishment, and she shows no signs of Qi? Once both of them are disqualified, I will console her. :: ]
‘….’ Ryuk was looking towards a young master from one of the 18 major families in Upper Town. To him, that man, unlike his wild thoughts, appeared calm, only giving a slight nod and smile towards him.
[ Energy signature has been recorded for the first kill. ]
‘I see,’ Ryuk thought, avoiding his gaze towards other young masters as he remembered that particular man was the same one who, moments ago, had called him a weakling when he entered the outer pavilion.
[ :: Did he really kill Suin Heme? :: ]
[ :: Yes, young master, I saw it with my own eyes. He played with him like a child. :: ]
[ :: Hm, Lucas, isn’t it? :: ]
[ :: Yes, at least that Fox woman referred to him by that name. :: ]
Most of the individuals who appeared silent, unlike the all-absent candidates from Middletown, were, in truth, conversing with each other through Qi telekinesis.
‘Lucas Devereaux,’ Ryuk turned his attention towards a man seated on a nearby platform, with another woman standing beside him with closed eyes while holding a white katana that appeared to belong to a Foxkin.
“Huh? Where are you going, Young Master?” Yao Lian noticed Ryuk moving towards a particular direction, causing her to inquire, as Esme glanced at him.
‘Huh? A woman?’ Esme, following the direction where Ryuk’s gaze was settled, turned her eyes in that direction, where they fell upon a woman reflecting in her sight—morning rays glistening on her impassive calm face with long eyelashes slowly revealing a light hint of amber within, along with black furry tails on her back, long enough to appear like a small throne, adorning two ears on her head like a crown.
‘….Vixen,’ as Esme gazed at the woman, a single thought dominated her mind, one that was both instinctively true (for she was a female Foxkin) and logically evident (given that she resembled a vixen drawing Ryuk’s attention).
—-
“Tch, I am bored,” Lucas, seated in a carefree position while supporting his chin with his hand, looked towards the so-called trial everyone was undergoing with a yawn, feeling bored due to not having anything adventurous or exciting to do.
Considering the well-known tale popular about the Jade Dominion possessing warriors, he had anticipated seeing strong individuals with whom he could fight or achieve a feat as a flag bearer. But after coming here, he was just meeting weaklings.
“Be quiet, Lucas. Shouldn’t you feel curious about the mechanism of that slab?” Iliantara, standing with a composed demeanor and glancing towards that green stone where the individuals from upper town were slowly heading, inquired, feeling curious about the criteria at which it selected the individuals.
“What curious?” Lucas asked as he looked towards that green stone, feeling the dense amount of internal energy from it, but knowing how Iliantara would just bore him by giving a long explanation. His body vanished from there as he appeared directly in front of the platform, breaking the line.
“About how it is able to measure someone’s bloodline, physique, or bone ag….this idiot.” Iliantara felt curious and observed the stone slab. But before she could complete her words, she noticed how Lucas had directly teleported in front of the stone, shocking everyone nearby.
“!?!” The one who was at the front of the line, Phil, saw towards the stone slab directly landing on the back of a man who had just arrived in the middle. Due to the force of the punch, the nearby air was instantly thrown away due to the shockwave.
Though not enough to be felt outside the platform, the soft whip was enough proof that the punch was very strong, considering it was done by one of the young masters of major families, with the strength being enough to create a big crack in a mountain.
“Move aside and let me punch,” Lucas, unfazed by the punch that had landed on his back, turned his eyes toward the man and calmly stated before clenching his fist, which instantly created the same level of small shockwave just by the speed he moved his fingers.
“Wh-what?! How did you even arrive here?!” The young master from one of the major families was about to inquire what was happening, fear arising within him concerning his test.
swish
But before he could complete his inquiry, a gust of wind produced from the recoil of Lucas’ punch directly threw the young master out of the platform.
The tiles of the platform where Lucas stood instantly shattered as his muscles started tightening enough to increase overall force concentrated in his hands while tearing through the resistance of the air, directly colliding with the trial’s judgment pillar.
Boom!
The punch was so swift from the start that it had already caused all of the individuals’ gazes to fixate in that place.
But the moment his fist collided with the pillar, the elder standing nearby felt that even with the internal energy reinforcing his body, his feet automatically started to slide off the platform.
He controlled himself by arriving at the edge while standing with both hands behind his back, eyes widened and trembling with sweat all over his face, staring at the force that had just struck the pillar, making him momentarily think about what would happen if the pillar crumbled. But assuring himself, he thought, ‘no, it’s impossible.’
Crack
And in an instant, a series of cracks started to form all over the slab, scattering like a web throughout the green gemstone which had appeared to be indestructible but was now trying to absorb a force that had crossed the limit.
“Th-this! It’s possible!”
“Gasp! He broke the pillar!”
“Was it true he killed Suin Heme?!”
For those who witnessed him breaking the pillar, astonishment filled the air. But for those aware of the strength of this pillar, like the elder and disciples of the outer pavilion, their hearts skipped a beat.
All of their eyes trembled as they looked at the sight in front of them in horror, their legs numbing as they witnessed, for the first time, a real monster.
“Hm, it’s still not broken?” Lucas, after applying one-fourth of his physical strength, looked towards the slab, which had cracks all over it as if it would crumble at any moment. However, seeing that it hadn’t, he glanced in the direction of Iliantara and struck his shoulder as if to convey: I broke half; now you break the other half.
He lifted his gaze toward the top of the broken slab, where a golden tick started to appear.
:: PASS ::
Iliantara’s image is in fandom.
