The pillar lit up brightly, blinding everyone in the testing square. The glow it released was on a whole different level than before. Without even seeing the score, it was clear this indicated strength above 225.
As the light flashed, the entire square fell silent. All the talking abruptly stopped, and those who were taunting and mocking Harry felt like their words were stuck in their throats. Even the examiners and presiding Elder had expressions of shock on their faces.
The only other person who managed to make the rocks even budge was Maynard Hatton. And nobody caused the carvings to light up this brightly.
There was a moment of pause, and then a number was displayed in the air.
236.
Everyone stared at the number hanging in the air. Some rubbed their eyes, some pinched their arms. But the number didn't change. It was still 236.
236… how could it be 236? That was nearly the strength of the 1st level of the Qi Absorption Realm!
The silence was broken by a shout of rage.
"No, I don't believe it!" someone loudly roared. "You cheated!"
Without even turning around, Harry already knew it was Maynard who caused the outburst. He was staring at the number, every muscle in his body tight and flexed in anger.
Just earlier, Maynard loudly boasted he would get first, and that no one could beat his score. After he showed his strength, he impressed everybody, and as the day passed by, no one surpassed him. The reward was basically already in his hands. Then, at the last moment, his prize was snatched away.
Even worse, he was beaten by someone with a lower cultivation! And even worse than that, it was a lowly Spiritless cultivator!
"I cheated?" Harry snorted. The test just involved punching a pillar. How was it even possible to cheat on this kind of test?
"How did I cheat?" he asked.
"Bastard, who cares how you cheated! You're a trash Spiritless cultivator at the 7th level of the Body Tempering Realm! How could your power be 236? It's obvious you cheated!"
Hearing that accusation, everyone immediately agreed. How could anyone at the 7th level reach a score of 236? It was clearly impossible, and could only have been reached through some sort of despicable means.
But really, they just couldn't believe they were beaten by a Spiritless man with lower cultivation. James being a cheater was an easier alternative to accept.
"That's right!" other people joined in. "Such a number is impossible!"
"Elder, you have to uphold justice and punish him!"
"Cheater!" all sorts of cries rang out.
Harry looked over at the Swan Sea Sect Elder. Though Elder Eustace was displeased the competitors were causing a commotion, Harry could tell he too was skeptical. Instead of quelling the complaints, he was closely examining Harry.
Harry was counting on Elder Eustace to enforce order, but he realized his hopes were too naïve. For that to happen, he would have to be prove himself first, and in a way that silenced all the accusers.
As for how he could prove his strength… there was actually a very easy way.
Harry turned back to Maynard, and shot him the biggest grin he could.
"Right, I'm a Spiritless cultivator at the 7th level of the Body Tempering Realm. Yet, I still beat you, haha. What does that make you?"
Pissing off people like Maynard was the easiest thing in the world. After so much time spent with the Exalted Cat, he could be considered somewhat of an expert.
As expected, Maynard immediately turned red from anger. He was practically fuming, and his shiny bald head looked like it was about to pop.
"You still don't admit to cheating?" he yelled. "Confess your crime -"
"Shut the fuck up," Harry interrupted. "You think I cheated? Why don't you come up here, and use your head as the Strength Pillar? If I can't smash your brain out in one punch, I'll admit to cheating."
Once again, the square became dead silent in an instant. Everyone looked at James, unable to believe what they just heard. Did he just threaten Maynard Hatton?
Threatening Maynard Hatton was the same as threatening the entire Ivory Fist Clan! Not counting the Swan Sea Sect, the Ivory Fist Clan was the strongest power around. Who actually had the guts to say those words?
"Little shit, you dare threaten me? I'm the Young Master of the Ivory Fist Clan!"
"Ivory Fist Clan? If their Young Master is so weak, why should I be worried? I bet even if I stood still, you couldn't leave a scratch on my body."
"You're courting death!" Maynard roared, then charged forward. This Spiritless trash actually called him weak? He took huge strides towards the stage, knocking everyone in front of him out of the way, and leapt a dozen meters into the air at Harry. As he did, he displayed the Ivory Strengthening Technique again, and a layer of white armor grew on his arms and chest. With all his strength, he descended upon Harry.
Earlier, Maynard achieved 224 on the strength test. This strike was just as strong, perhaps even stronger, since it was fueled by his momentum and rage.
Harry gave a mocking smile back. He had Maynard right where he wanted.
Strengthening Flesh!
Though his offensive power was extraordinarily high, Burning Blood wasn't even completed. He excelled even more at defense.
Maynard was incredibly strong, there was no question about that. But, back when he was just at the 6th level of the Body Tempering Realm, the Exalted Cat said he could already defend against the 1st level of the Qi Absorption Realm. He just gave Maynard a smile and stood still.
Seeing Harry not move, Maynard sneered. This boy was an idiot, not only did he cheat so blatantly, he didn't even bother to dodge.
Everyone expected to see the same scene. Maynard's strike would crush the cheater on stage, probably crippling his body and breaking dozens of bones. Some even saw a vision of Maynard's fist punching through his chest and exiting out the back, like a battering ram smashing through a wall of paper. But the opposite happened.
CRACK!
One moment, Maynard descended on Harry with all his strength. Everybody saw his fist come in contact with Harry's chest.
The next moment, the expression on Maynard's face stiffened, the anger and rage replaced by astonishment. Right after, a sharp pain traveled up his arm, causing him let out a shrill scream. He collapsed onto his knees, clutching and staring at his hand. Nothing besides horror was reflected in his eyes.
The inch of ivory coating his hand cracked apart, like a plate smashed by a hammer. Pieces of it were crushed into white fragments. Under his protective armor, the rest of his fist was badly mangled. His knuckles were all broken, and two snapped bones stuck out of his palm.
Not just that, his entire forearm was bent at an odd angle. The elbow joint was actually dislocated, making his arm flop like a dead fish.
Against Strengthening Flesh, the more powerful the attack, the worse the opponent's own injuries would be. Punching Harry was like punching a brick wall. Unless one had the strength to smash through the wall, attacking it would only hurt oneself.
"Hehe, didn't I say you can't even leave a scratch on me? Are you sure you aren't from the Eggshell Fist Clan?" Harry mocked as he dusted some powder off his robes.
The crowd just stared at the scene, speechless. None of them could understand what they were seeing. This was even more unbelievable than James reaching 236 on the Strength Pillar! Maynard's striking power was almost 225 kilograms, so how could James be uninjured?
"Y-y-you, who are you?" Maynard stammered. He no longer had any of his previous arrogance or anger, instead, he looked scared. The thing he was most confident in was his physical strength. In the same level, there was no one who could match it. But today, his understanding of the world was toppled over.
"My name is James Evans," Harry lied. "Remember that name, it's James Evans. James Evans, that's my name. Now, it's time for you to go back."
Burning Blood!
In a flash, Harry burned another couple thousand drops of blood. With all his power, he landed a kick right in the center of Maynard's chest.
Crack!
When Maynard used the Ivory Strengthening Technique, most of it was focused on his arms for attacking. There was only a thin layer of ivory on his chest. If he manifested a full set of armor, perhaps he could have avoided severe injuries. But as the situation stood, there was no way Maynard could withstand Harry's power.
A spiderweb crack appeared on his ivory armor, then it all shattered into pieces in a series of loud cracking sounds. His ribs were the next to shatter, and then the rest of Harry's force sent his huge frame sailing through the air. His scream was heard as he crashed into the other disciples from the Ivory Fist Clan, sending them all toppling over. They ended up in a heap of tangled limbs.
Everyone, from the spectators to the testing disciples to even the examiners, couldn't believe their eyes.
Wasn't that Maynard Hatton, the strongest junior of the Ivory Fist Clan?
Wasn't Maynard a genius, at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, who almost scored 225 kilograms on the strength test?
Why was he beaten by someone at 7th level of the Body Tempering Realm? And not just anyone, but a Spiritless Cultivator who was supposed to be trash?
Before, they all thought James had cheated, or that the Strength Pillar was faulty. But after seeing this attack, they realized James was just ridiculously strong!
James actually reached 236! He was only at the 7th level, and those cultivators had a strength of around 120 kilograms. Did that mean he was twice as strong as average?
As people glanced in fright at Harry and the fallen Maynard, a sudden movement occurred in the spectator area. Behind where the two metallic rhinoceroses were resting, the Ivory Fist Clan's carriage burst open, and out stepped an enormous man, even larger than Maynard. His eyes glinted with anger, his face was twisted with rage, and waves of pressure were radiating from his body, pushing the very air around him away. Beneath that force, those nearby felt like their bodies were being compressed, like a massive hand made of air was tightly clutching them all.
"You dare attack a member of the Ivory Fist Clan?" the man roared. Even from afar, the shockwave from this voice was enough to force Harry back, and send his ears ringing. Some of the people close to him clutched their ears, which started bleeding.
Harry turned to look at his shoulder, where the Exalted Cat was perched -
'Oh shit!'
The Exalted Cat left!
'Fuck, how could I forget?' Harry swore.
He was so used to the cat being by his side, and ordering him to fight without fear, that he struck Maynard without thinking. It had been his constant companion for many months. Subconsciously, he expected the cat to resolve the aftermath. Part of him was even waiting to hear the cat's criticism.
But the cat was no longer around!
He backed up, but the man already leapt into the air. Though he was standing far away, he leapt towards the stage in one powerful jump. Killing intent was clearly reflected in his eyes. In them, Harry saw his own death.
'Strengthening Flesh!' Harry thought desperately.
His flesh hardened again, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. Just the pressure this man was exerting was locking him into place, and it was difficult for him to even move. He could be smashed to death in one hit.
"STOP!" a voice from behind him roared. It was the Elder of the Swan Sea Sect!
In a flash, Elder Eustace appeared in front of Harry. The power of his cultivation base exploded out, in no way inferior to the attacking man. The two of them met in midair.
Out of nowhere, a large shield appeared in front of Elder Eustace. A moment later, the man from the Ivory Fist Clan smashed into the shield with an ear-shattering BANG!.
The ripples from the impact spread outwards, sending the whole crowd of disciples backwards. Harry was no exception, and he was forced a dozen steps back, almost off the stage.
'These two, they must be at least high-level of the Qi Absorption Realm!' he thought in shock.
There was no way he could defend himself against that attack. He couldn't even defend against those shockwaves. If not for Elder Eustace, he'd be a smear on the floor.
He was brutally made aware of just how weak he was.
The man from the Ivory Fist Clan landed and planted himself firmly on the ground, while Elder Eustace landed back on stage, in front of Harry. The two of them glared at each, gauging their opponent.
"This is the Swan Sea Sect," Elder Eustace warned. "This isn't a place where you can act as you please."
James had taken first place in the recruitment event. Even if he was Spiritless, and his cultivation was low, his physical strength was something rarely seen. Actually, it was something the Elder had never seen. He was skeptical at first, but once James showed his power, he was convinced.
Now, he couldn't allow James to be killed. If their top Outer Disciple was killed right in front of their gates, what sort of joke would that be? It would be a massive humiliation to their sect.
"The brat attacked the Young Master of my -"
"If two members of the younger generation fight, then that's of no concern to me. But if you attack one of our disciples, then don't blame me for interfering."
The expression of the Ivory Fist member grew ugly, but he restrained his rage.
From that exchange of blows, he knew he was stronger than Elder Eustace. If they had a real fight, he was confident he'd come out on top. But behind the Elder was the Swan Sea Sect, with plenty of stronger cultivators. If he actually killed James or injured the Elder, the Swan Sea Sect would settle accounts with their Ivory Fist Clan. He had to back down.
"Hmph," he snorted, then glared at Harry. "James Evans, I've remembered your name."
With that passing threat, he easily lifted up the groaning Maynard and stepped back into the carriage, disappearing from sight.
Far, far away, deep in a remote area of the Swan Sea Sect, a man was looking in the direction of the front gate.
"He's the one Horace had me start this recruitment event for? You know, I would have expected him to look more like his parents. Those chubby cheeks make him look like a squirrel."
"Have you gone blind? Can't you tell he's wearing one of Horace's masks?"
"Oh really? Hmm… hmmm? Hah, I still can't tell! Good, good, seems like his identity will be protected. Anyways, you know I came here to retire, right? Why must you two insist on complicating my life?"
"Who else can take this responsibility?"
"Well, you could have… ah, fine, I suppose I'm in the best position for this task. What do you want me to do?"
"Look after him, but not openly. He must grow on his own. Only interfere if there is no other choice, and do so without him knowing. I don't want him thinking someone will always be there to save him. And add these as a reward in the Missions Hall – set it for a task only he can complete."
A sack changed hands, and the man took a peek inside.
"All of them? Does he really need so many?"
"Actually, I doubt they will be enough. He also needs the following list of resources. But make him work for them."
"Consider it done. About the message from Horace…"
"What about it? What did he say?"
"Is it true? They poisoned Lily while she was pregnant?"
"Yes," the cat said grimly.
Instantly, the temperature plummeted. The air turned frigid cold, and swaths of the Swan Sea froze into ice. Deadly black clouds materialized in the sky, condensed from the man's anger and killing intent. The scent of death filled their surroundings, which become devoid of any movement.
For a long moment, the world around them hung still. And then the man sighed, releasing his hold of the environment. Everything returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.
"But, it doesn't fit their style," he finally said.
"You're right. The Death Eaters couldn't have gotten their hands on that kind of poison. Nor could they have poisoned Lily. As for who it was, perhaps only Lily knew."
"Ah, old cat, why do our enemies keep increasing? Is this truly our fate? Neither the shield nor we shall last for much longer."
"I am well aware. Have you made any progress on that?"
The man sighed again and smiled helplessly.
"If I had it, I'd immediately give it to you or Horace. How can such an item be found so easily?"
The cat let out a sigh of its own, and just stared far off into the distance, towards Harry.
"There's not much time left," it finally said. "Perhaps we should consider the other plans."
"Well, I did get one bit of news. Bad news, that is. Ollivander still has a contact, who heard some appeared in the Violent Storm Empire. But it was acquired by one of their Royal Clans." No more words needed to be said.
"Perhaps it's worth a try, since it's my last hope. Take care, old friend."
And with that, the cat vanished in a single step.