Donglin Martial Practice Hall, which covered a large area, was divided into three sections, namely, Martial Practice Room, Spirit Testing Chamber and Arena.
A footboy led Lin Xun to walk throughout the three sections. From time to time, Lin could see practitioners of all sorts, as well as some students wearing the uniform with the logo of Donglin School.
However, the cultivation of these practitioners was mostly within the nine levels of Martial Realm, and strong practitioners in Gang-Spirit Realm were hardly seen.
Obviously, though this Martial Practice Hall seemed to be of a large scale, the mainstream guests it attracted were practitioners of different levels in Martial Realm.
Before long, Lin Xun went into the Spirit Testing Chamber with the guidance of the footboy.
It was an extremely spacious chamber. In the middle stood a dark golden stone tablet which was over 33 meters high, from which wisps of spiritual energy waves pervaded around.
It was the Spirit Testing Stone, which was said to be a kind of spiritual instrument refined by the elites in the "Academy of Spiritual Implements" of the empire. It was able to perfectly test practitioners’ spiritual energy.
On closer inspection, the surface of the Spirit Testing Stone was carved with precise patterns, each representing a different meaning.
Lin Xun noted that each pattern had a corresponding number, respectively 100 jun (1 jun is equal to 15kg), 400 jun, 600 jun, 800 jun, 1,000 jun, and so on.
The footboy then explained by his side, "Childe, generally speaking, the practitioners on the first level of Martial Realm have spiritual energy of within 100 jun, the practitioners on the second level of Martial Realm have spiritual energy of within 400 jun, and so on and so forth. Different practitioners have different levels of spiritual energy."
Lin Xun understood at this point that the so-called "jun" was a measuring unit of spiritual energy.
"If you want to take a test, Childe, you just need to pay ten imperial silver coins," said the footboy.
Ten imperial silver coins were five hundred imperial copper coins, and that was a considerable sum.
Lin Xun thought for a while and finally took out ten imperial silver coins. For further cultivation, he indeed needed to know what degree his strength of spiritual energy had achieved.
The footboy took over the money, and then he left, leaving the spacious chamber to Lin Xun alone. This was also for protecting the privacy of the guest.
After all, cultivation concerned the fundamental power of a practitioner. No one wanted it to be seen by others.
Lin was rather pleased with this.
He strode forward, looking up and down at the Spirit Testing Stone for a long time. Finally, he took a deep breath, turned all the spiritual energy in his body, and pressed his hand lightly into a groove at the base of the stone.
Buzz!
In an instant, a strange wave of energy diffused out of the Spirit Testing Stone. Lin Xun felt as if he had been enveloped in a jet of water. He didn’t feel any other discomfort except for this.
At the same time, a light suddenly appeared on the surface of the Spirit Testing Stone and went straight up. In a moment it rose over the “100 jun”, “400 jun”, “600 jun” and “800 jun”, which were carved on the stone.
Then it still went upward from the position of "800 jun."
The spiritual energy of a practitioner on the fifth level of Martial Realm usually ranged from 800 jun to 1,000 jun. As to how strong the energy was, it depended on which specific position between 800 jun and 1,000 jun the ray of light would stop at.
If it just stopped at 800 jun, it meant that the spiritual energy of the practitioner who was on the fifth level of Martial Realm was too weak and the practitioner was mediocre.
If it stopped at the position of 1,000 jun, it meant that the energy in the practitioner had reached the peak on the fifth level of Martial Realm.
In general, the spiritual energy of most practitioners who were on the fifth level of Martial Realm would fluctuate between 800 jun and 1,000 jun, either high or low.
It was worth mentioning that this test standard was set according to the energy owned by most practitioners in the world. Accurate as it was, it only represented how strong one’s spiritual energy was. It did not mean how strong one’s cultivation was.
Soon, that ray of light went up to the position of 1800 jun, which meant that the spiritual energy owned by Lin Xun had reached the peak on the sixth level of Martial Realm.
But it wasn't over yet!
The ray of light was seen to go still upward rapidly after it reached the position of "1800 jun"!
Lin was surprised too at seeing this.
Between 1,800 jun and 3,000 jun, that was the range of spiritual energy owned by the practitioners on the seventh level of Martial Realm!
Did it mean that by the energy he possessed, Lin was able to contend with a practitioner on the seventh level of the Spiritual Realm?
Before Lin Xun came to his sense, he saw the ray of light still rising continuously. In a few breaths’ time, it reached the position of 3,000 jun.
But still, it was not over yet!
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It was not long before the ray of light burst into the position between 3,000 jun and 5,000 jun, a section for energy that could be possessed by a strong practitioner on the eighth level of Martial Realm.
As the ray of light reached the section, its ascending rate gradually slowed down.
Lin Xun made a great effort to control the emotions in his heart, focusing on watching carefully.
Eventually, the ray of light stopped at exactly 4, 900 jun and did not go upward any more.
But this position, which represented the spiritual energy of Lin Xun, almost reached the peak standard of practitioners at Da Zhoutian, the eight level of Martial Realm!
But we should know that the current cultivation of Lin Xun was only at Blood Burning, the sixth level of Martial Realm, two levels lower than the eighth level of Martial Realm.
It could be seen from this that, without mentioning the cultivation level, only in the strength of spiritual energy, Lin Xun had been able to contend with the peak practitioners on the eighth level of Martial Realm!
Seeing such a result, for a while, Lin Xun could not help but wonder whether there was something wrong with the Spirit Testing Stone?
If this result was true, did it mean that even ordinary practitioners on the eighth level of Martial Realm would not defeat him only by spiritual energy?
The ordinary overmatches on the eighth level of Martial Realm, and the peak practitioners on the eighth level of Martial Realm, were two different concepts!
After a long time of silence and reflection, Lin Xun could only attribute all this to the four spiritual vortexes in the four acupoints of cardiac vessel.
The spiritual energy in his body became pure and unmatched after being refined through four spiritual vortexes. Its quality was unique, and naturally, the strength was also horrible.
"Now I have owned the energy of 4,900 jun. To what extent the spiritual energy in my body will be promoted when I reach the sixth level of the Martial Realm?"
While pondering, Lin Xun walked out of the Spirit Testing Chamber.
As soon as he came out, he saw a turmoil in the hall which was in an uproar.
Soon he saw a group of soldiers, who worn imperial heavy armors and were enveloped in an awful momentum, rushed in to clear the way. Some of the practitioners who did not dodge quickly enough were directly thrown out of the way by the soldiers.
In the blink of an eye, in the Donglin Martial Practice Hall a way was opened by that group of soldiers before a tall and gallant teenager in a scarlet cloak strode in.
The teenager's brow ridge was broad, and his eyes seemed to contain electricity. He was slender and strong in shape. His gestures and the way he behaved implied his uppity temperament that was imbued with a spirit that could conquer mountains and rivers.
"Where is the Spirit Testing Stone?" asked the valiant youngster in a low voice.
"The…the…the…there." A footboy was startled by the scene. He stammered as he pointed to the position behind Lin Xun.
Hearing this, the valiant youngster flipped an imperial gold coin to the footboy. "Here is the fee. You can take all the extra money to buy wine. All the brothers behind me must be served well!"
Saying that, he walked towards the Spirit Testing Chamber.
Lin Xun, staying calm and collected, quietly moved aside to let him get by. Since this youngster appeared with such an array of soldiers, obviously, he had powerful backing. What’s more, he could take out an imperial gold coin to buy service at will, which meant he must come from a very rich family.
The youngster glanced at Lin Xun. As if suddenly remembering something, he asked, "Did you use the Spirit Testing Stone just now?"
Lin nodded.
“I see that you are no more than thirteen or fourteen years old. What level have you reached?" The youngster’s voice was vigorous. He was so straightforward that he seemed to be very disrespectful. After all, to directly inquire about the cultivation of others was a taboo for practitioners.
But curiosity was in his eyes, and it seemed that he was not picking on Lin deliberately.
Lin Xun thought for a while and said in ambiguity, "I have just set foot in the Blood Burning, the sixth level of Martial Realm, and I must be far inferior to your excellency."
This was a modest way of speech, but that youngster did not seem to recognize it. He nodded, "You do know your place. When I was nine years old, I already had reached the ninth level of the Martial Realm. But considering my further Taoist career, my grandfather suppressed my cultivation for four years long. Otherwise, four years ago, I would have been able to enter the Gang Spirit Realm! You really can't compare with me when it comes to cultivation speed.”
Lin Xun felt surprised. This guy was a freak! Who would talk about such things with a stranger he met for the first time?
And he had a serious look of boasting himself. Really...a freak!
But through this guy's words, Lin Xun knew that, this youngster was of the same age as him, only 13 years old.
But he didn't look like a thirteen-year-old boy at all. Instead, he looked as if he was eighteen or nineteen years old!
While Lin Xun was considering about this, the valiant youngster had already pushed the door open and walked into the Spirit Testing Chamber.
The group of heavily-armored soldiers remained outside. It was so frightening that no one dared to speak in the hall.
Many people had left.
Lin Xun also got away without staying any longer.
Originally, he had thought of going to the Martial Practice Room to have a look, so as to experience the power of the so-called copper-coated puppet, but being disturbed by this event, and missing Shia Zhi at home, he didn’t dare to stay any longer.
"The group of soldiers all bear murderous look. Obviously, they have gone through hundreds of battles, and are the elites walking out of the mountain of the dead and sea of blood. In addition, according to the logo on their heavy armors, they seem to be soldiers of the famous Blood Army of the empire."
"Blood Army of the empire? My God! Is it the one that has been stationing on the western border of the empire, and the one belonging to Blood King?”
"Besides the soldiers of Blood King, who dare to wear the heavy armor specially made for the Blood Army?"
"But who is the youngster? And he is able to have a group of soldiers from Blood Army surround and protect him along the way?”
"He must not be simple. Maybe he has some relations with the Blood King!"
"I am curious that the Blood Army, which has been stationing in Green-sand Province, the western border of the empire, and it is thousands of miles away from us. Why do these soldiers of Blood Army appear in Donglin Town, now? Does that mean something big will happen?”?
Before walking out of the gate of Donglin Martial Practice Hall, Lin Xun heard some conversations. And something came to his mind!
Blood King?
Would it be the Blood King, Ning Bugui who "belonged to the battlefield” and once said, “I will rest my head on the corpses of those who fought against me and lie in a sea made up of their blood. To be of heaven and earth, I will feel no regret”?
Lin Xun couldn't help stopping and turning his head to cast his eye on the soldiers inside the hall.
As expected, he found that all the soldiers were vigorous and bold, with murderous look. A Blood qi that could conquer the world spread all over the group.
"If these soldiers are really under the command of the Blood King, the background of that youngster will be more complex…"
Lin Xun was absorbed in thought, but soon he shook his head. He turned around and disappeared in the bustling street outside the Donglin Martial Practice Hall.
At the same time, in the Spirit Testing Chamber, suddenly an angry roar came from the valiant youngster, "What a little cheater! Obviously, your energy has reached the peak on the eighth level of the Martial Realm, but you told me that you were only with the cultivation on the sixth level of Martial Realm. I, Ning Meng, have never been cheated since childhood! Damn it! Damn it!
If Lin Xun returned, he would find that he left the Spirit Testing Chamber without remembering to erase the test record on the stone because he had been thinking about the cultivation of spiritual energy...
Unfortunately, this record made the valiant youngster, who called himself Ning Meng, misunderstand him.
However, probably Ning Meng also would not believe that Lin Xun, really had only the cultivation on the sixth level of Martial Realm…