Eternal Life: I Have the Favor System

Chapter 527: Chapter 225: Black Tortoise Divine Power, Battle Against a True Martial

But Xuanyuan Jinkang still felt a pang in his chest and fell backward from the flowerbed onto the ground. He clutched his chest, feeling pain all over, and simply lay on the ground, closed his eyes, and pretended to have passed out.

"Eunuch Liu, Xuanyuan!"

Chu Lingguang cried out in alarm. He saw steam rising from Eunuch Liu’s body, and the eunuch was looking at him with an excited expression. Clearly, the old man was very satisfied with this battle.

So, he ran toward Xuanyuan Jinkang, lifted him from the ground, and said worriedly, "Eunuch Liu, Xuanyuan is injured! He has the Martial Arts Examination tomorrow. What are we going to do?"

"This is all your doing. You don’t know how to pull your punches," Guo Wei reprimanded.

He quickly examined Xuanyuan Jinkang. With his strength in the True Martial Life and Death Realm, he instantly saw that Xuanyuan Jinkang was feigning death and couldn’t help but breathe a secret sigh of relief.

Chu Lingguang’s punch had been thrown from a great distance, and he had also withdrawn most of its power. Given Xuanyuan Jinkang’s physique, it was unlikely he was so injured that he couldn’t participate in the Martial Arts Examination.

’He must be feigning death because he’s utterly disheartened, lamenting the unfairness of the world.’

’After all, Chu Lingguang is an examinee from the same cohort, yet he could fight his own master to a standstill. Even if one suspected Eunuch Liu was holding back, and on top of that, his power hadn’t fully recovered, the feat was still astonishing.’

’At the very least, the current Chu Lingguang has the strength to compete for the top three spots.’

"Eunuch Liu, I have failed to discipline him properly..."

Guo Wei didn’t expose the ruse. Instead, he turned to Eunuch Liu to apologize.

Eunuch Liu hurried forward to check on him. This was his own disciple, after all; it would be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous, especially since Xuanyuan Jinkang had the Martial Arts Examination tomorrow.

Even if Chu Lingguang hadn’t done it intentionally, a part of him was starting to blame the young man.

However, when he leaned in for a closer look, his powerful perception immediately told him that Xuanyuan Jinkang was just playing the victim. The thought that this wretched disciple had scared him half to death made him so angry that he landed a heavy slap across Xuanyuan Jinkang’s face.

SLAP!

He roared, "Stop playing dead and get up!"

"Master."

Xuanyuan Jinkang looked aggrieved.

"Xuanyuan, are you okay?"

Chu Lingguang felt bad.

"Stay away from me. Don’t talk to me."

Xuanyuan Jinkang said with disgust.

"My apologies."

Chu Lingguang looked apologetic.

"You actually awakened the Black Tortoise Divine Power. You might just stun everyone at the Martial Arts Examination tomorrow," Eunuch Liu remarked with a sigh.

"Master, Eunuch Liu, what is Black Tortoise Divine Power?" Chu Lingguang asked, confused.

"Black Tortoise Divine Power, like Dragon Elephant Power, is a force hidden within the body," Guo Wei explained. "Compared to Dragon Elephant Power, very few people are able to awaken Black Tortoise Divine Power. This power requires at least thirty resonances to form. Once awakened, not only will your physical defense far exceed that of a six-layered Dharma Aspect, but your Qi Power will also multiply. It’s equivalent to possessing several strands of Primitive Power at once."

"If you can fuse the Black Tortoise Divine Power and Dragon Elephant Power in the future," Eunuch Liu added, "even if you haven’t broken through to the Qi Sea realm, your Qi Power will surpass that of many True Martial Realm experts. You could even kill those of a higher realm."

"What?"

Chu Lingguang and Xuanyuan Jinkang were both utterly shocked.

"The Black Tortoise Divine Power not only enhances physical defense but also possesses powerful restorative properties," Guo Wei advised. "This power is exceptionally difficult to awaken. In tomorrow’s Martial Arts Examination, you can use it as a trump card to catch everyone completely off guard."

’Restorative properties.’

Chu Lingguang hadn’t expected that.

He channeled this power, and black patterns appeared on his palm, showing traces of lightning and thunder. He asked, confused, "I feel another power within these black patterns, but I don’t know how to use it."

"The Black Tortoise Divine Power contains a lightning attribute and, like Dragon Elephant Power, can continuously evolve. When it successfully evolves, it can unleash the might of lightning. However, as far as I know, the evolution technique for the Black Tortoise Divine Power is held by Yuanchu Mountain. Without the aid of this technique, it is very difficult for an ordinary person to make this power transform," Eunuch Liu added.

The Black Tortoise Divine Power was equivalent to several strands of Primitive Power, making its transformation quite difficult.

"Thank you for the reminder, Eunuch Liu. When I have the chance in the future, I must make a trip to Yuanchu Mountain," Chu Lingguang said with a serious expression.

As his strength increased, he had discovered that within the cultivation system he followed, most of the profound Cultivation Techniques were in the hands of Yuanchu Mountain. If he wanted to keep getting stronger, Yuanchu Mountain was an obstacle he would have to overcome.

"With your aptitude and temperament, you will certainly have a chance in the future."

Eunuch Liu nodded. Chu Lingguang was not only exceptionally talented but also had a steady character that made one feel at ease. Even if he couldn’t distinguish himself in tomorrow’s Martial Arts Examination, he might still have a chance to encounter Yuanchu Mountain in the future by performing great service for the Court.

「The next day.」

The third round of the Imperial Examination proceeded as scheduled under the watchful eyes of the public.

The Martial Examination originally had over a thousand Martial Arts Scholars participating. However, only one hundred and thirty-two had made it to the third round and earned the title of Martial Scholar.

The elimination rate was as high as ninety percent.

The assessment for the third round was held in the Imperial City Hunting Ground. The main purpose of this round was to rank each Martial Scholar and select the top three.

The rules were relatively simple: whoever passed through the Hunting Ground first would be ranked first, and so on down the line.

After the rules were announced, the crowd began to whisper among themselves.

Many children of nobility had some knowledge of the Imperial City Hunting Ground.

Yan Zhen was one of them.

He took the initiative to explain to Chu Lingguang, "The Imperial City Hunting Ground has three stages, each guarded by Demon Beasts. The first stage has the low-level Demon Beast, the Silver Moon Wolf; the second has the mid-level Demon Beast, the Iron-Armored Bull; and the third has the high-level Demon Beast, the Greedy Tiger. To pass, you have to get by them. Don’t think you can just sneak through unnoticed. Once they lock onto you, they’ll stick to you like glue. You either kill them, or they eat you."

"It’s that difficult? Isn’t the Court afraid of excessive casualties?" Chu Lingguang asked.

"Casualties are unavoidable," Yan Zhen said, "but there should be protective measures in place. This third round tests not only strength but also a bit of luck."

Chu Lingguang nodded slightly.

Soon, the one hundred and thirty-two Martial Scholars entered the Imperial City Hunting Ground together.

Everyone was equipped with weapons. They were allowed to carry up to three different types, which they could choose themselves.

Chu Lingguang was surprised to find that bows and arrows were permitted. He slung a saber at his waist, carried a Long Spear in his hand, and strapped the Overlord Bow and ten arrows to his back.

At the same time, each person was also given a warhorse.

With all this equipment provided, some contestants were grinning from ear to ear, while others looked grim. The more comprehensive the gear, the more difficult and dangerous the third round was likely to be.

(Happy New Year to everyone.)

(Thank you all for your support. 2023 was the year my debts exploded, and in the new year, I will work twice as hard. The number of updates in the last month of ’23 was, even to my own eyes, atrociously low.

Looking back, this year has been full of setbacks. I feel like I’ve wasted another year of my life. I long to undergo a transformation, just like Chu Lingguang.

I’m hoping for a fresh start in the new year, that this book will achieve great results in ’24, that I can deliver explosive daily updates, pay off all my debts soon, and that all of you will continue to support me!)

(Thank you, everyone. I’m kowtowing to every reader right now. Thank you, Carefree Divine Venerable, I’m kowtowing to you, too!)