Chapter 24: The Hand-to-Hand Combat is Even More Exciting

Amidst everyone's anticipation, the assessment for Shifang Academy finally began.

The first potential test was held in a large square in the academy.

The area was surrounded by layers of parents and relatives of the test takers, while the test takers lined up at the entrance and walked in one by one.

At the entrance stands a huge mirror, its surface composed of countless three-dimensional cubes, resembling many small boxes forming this large mirror.

If the examinee takes another step forward after standing in front of the mirror, their figure will disappear and then appear in a small square in the mirror.

Viewers can watch their own children or observe other people's children at any time.

This potential test can be described as completely open and transparent, which further demonstrates the fairness and impartiality of Shifang Academy.

The most amazing thing is that when you stare at one of the small squares for more than three seconds, it will magnify in front of you, as if you have personally walked into this space and are watching from God's perspective.

Yu Shan and his group were most concerned about A Chen, but what they didn't expect was that Jin Ding, the only outsider, was also most concerned about A Chen.

Because Jin Liu has no problem handling such an assessment. If he couldn't even pass the academy's assessment, how could Venerable Yusheng possibly make him one of the Golden Armor Guards of the Cloud Palace?

As soon as Achen entered the square room, four beast-shaped puppets sprang out from the four corners.

Their forms are—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.

The outsiders, including Yu Shan, didn't find it strange at all. After all, it wasn't unusual for the academy to choose the Four Divine Beasts to create beast-shaped puppets.

How impressive!

However, Jin Ding was shocked. Just how high was this child's potential that it triggered the highest level of difficulty in the assessment, resulting in four divine beast-shaped puppets appearing.

It's important to know that in the Ten Directions Academy's assessment, the higher the level of the beast-shaped puppet in this potential test, the greater the candidate's potential.

Potential testing is never easy. The testing space can sense the candidate's potential in the first instance and then give a test of corresponding difficulty.

It won't let you pass easily just because you have high potential.

To put it simply, this test, besides assessing your potential, is more about testing your resilience and perseverance under pressure.

When Ah Chen saw the four divine beast puppets appear, he didn't forget to smile and whisper to the fathead fish:

“They are all mythical beasts. What is the relationship between your Kunpeng clan and them? If the relationship is not good, I will dismantle it into parts and vent my anger for you.”

"Hmph! They're just a bunch of mechanical beasts. In my eyes, they're nothing but parts," the fathead fish scoffed.

It had no intention of helping Ah Chen get through the ordeal. Unless he faced a life-or-death crisis, it would be content to be the pendant around his neck.

As Ah Chen whispered to it, he didn't forget to directly create four mental cages, locking all four divine beast puppets inside.

This was the second time Jin Ding had seen A Chen use the Mental Cage.

The last time was when he remotely observed those rogue cultivators disguised as bandits intercepting Yu Shan and his spirit boat, but he was too far away to see clearly at that time.

Watching the battle up close, he could see very clearly that the child's ability to materialize his divine sense had reached a level of complete control.

This is definitely not the level of proficiency a seven-year-old should have, unless he started cultivating his divine sense in the womb.

Achen: Congratulations, you got it right! I was forced to play hide-and-seek while I was still in my mother's womb, because I had to avoid my father's detection.

As for this mental cage, it was purely created by someone who, during the baby's first birthday celebration, collected all the gifts in order to take more than their share, and thus created this mental cage without any formal instruction (Chapter 276).

With a single, effortless strike, the four divine beast puppets shattered Ah Chen's mental prison.

Ah Chen immediately perked up: Wow! Not bad! My signature move was cracked so easily?

Any other child would have been frustrated, but Ah Chen felt like he had met his match.

Since mental power can't restrain them, let's just use close combat techniques!

When most testers encounter this situation, they rack their brains to try other spells, but Ah Chen just couldn't resist the urge to try!

Remembering his fighting skills that he hadn't used in a long time, he decided to beat up these puppets and teach them how to behave like beasts!

And so, everyone saw the small boy, waving his chubby little fists, weaving through the encirclement of the four divine beast puppets.

Each punch lands precisely on a single joint of the puppet.

Just kidding, while his mental energy can't be used to trap beasts, it's very useful for probing weak points in joints.

Moreover, he also studied the human meridian diagrams in the Ling Shu.

Although the meridians of these beast-shaped puppets are different from those of the human body, the flow of energy within the meridians is roughly the same.

Every time energy passes through a weak point in a joint, a very small amount of energy will dissipate from there, and his mental power can pinpoint that location precisely.

Then all he has to do is rush over and punch it...

Hehe! He dislocated the joint!

And so, amidst a series of cracking and snapping sounds, the four divine beast puppets collapsed one after another.

However, Ah Chen's delicate little face was also beaten into a pig's head.

"Zuo Chen, you've passed the first test!" After the mechanical voice announced the result, A-Chen, with a pig-like face, rushed out of the room and threw himself into Yu Shan's arms.