Chapter 53: Lord Shen's Surprise

The front courtyard of the martial arts hall.

Shen Congyun scanned the crowd with an air of indifference.

At his current level of martial arts, a single glance was enough to discern the underlying details of most of these novice practitioners.

As his gaze swept past, he shook his head inwardly.

They were all mediocre, not even as good as that young girl.

Then, as his gaze landed on Zhou Xing, a slight ripple appeared in his eyes.

"Successful skin tempering, comparable to grinding stone. To reach this stage at this age is quite good; he can be considered a genius."

Then, his nose twitched slightly.

Even from several yards away, he could clearly distinguish the scents clinging to the people.

"The medicinal scent is extremely dense and has already permeated the bones. It seems he comes from a good family!"

"In that case, he is merely average!"

After making his judgment, Shen Congyun shook his head slightly.

"Brother Shen, have you discovered something?" Wang Jin noticed the subtle change in Shen Congyun beside him and couldn't help but speak up.

Hearing this, Shen Congyun gave a wry smile and shook his head.

"What discovery?" He then added, "Didn't you say there was a grand event at the hall today, Brother Wang? Why hasn't it started yet?"

Hearing Shen Congyun's words, Wang Jin felt a surge of disappointment.

Looking at the eyes of the disciples ahead, some seemed to realize that this was a moment of destiny, their eyes shimmering with hope.

Wang Jin couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

As master and disciple, I have fought for every opportunity I could for you.

If Brother Shen does not take a liking to you, there is nothing more old man I can do!

After a moment of fleeting emotion, Wang Jin steadied his mind and looked toward the disciples ahead.

"A few of you, come and carry this cage into the western courtyard together."

"Teacher, I'll do it!" someone spoke up instantly.

"Teacher, me too!"

"Me too!!!"

Everyone spoke up one after another.

Especially those who knew Shen Congyun's identity; they were even more eager to prove themselves.

In the next moment.

Several people immediately approached the tiger's cage.

As they bent down and exerted their strength.

With their combined effort, the iron cage containing a tiger four meters in length was lifted directly off the ground.

This commotion instantly awakened the sleeping tiger.

It opened its eyes and looked around.

*Roar—*

With a single furious roar, the entire front courtyard of the martial arts hall fell silent.

"Is this the King of Beasts?" someone asked, their face turning pale.

No one answered at that moment.

"Such intense pressure!"

Jiang Ning clicked his tongue in amazement as he looked at the tiger with the character for 'King' on its forehead.

"It really is strong!!" Cheng Ran nodded in agreement and continued, "That roar just now made my heart skip a beat. The pressure is overwhelming!!"

"But it actually makes me want to go on stage even more!"

"Only by going on stage, feeling the pressure of this tiger head-on and fighting it personally, can I have a better chance of bringing my Tiger Fist to the stage of Great Completion!"

"And!" As he said these words, Cheng Ran's gaze quietly drifted toward Shen Congyun, instantly meeting Shen Congyun's eyes as the latter looked over.

Cheng Ran's heart was filled with excitement, and his face was full of confidence.

"And, by showing myself, I might catch the eye of this Pavilion Master Shen!"

He then nudged Jiang Ning's arm.

"Come on, Junior Brother Jiang, let's move a bit closer! So that Pavilion Master Shen can see me more clearly!"

Cheng Ran was secretly excited.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ning's gaze drifted as he fell into deep thought.

"Just as Senior Brother Cheng Ran said, gaining the favor of such a great figure and receiving investment from Wanhua Pavilion could change my destiny!"

"This is an opportunity for me!"

"Even with those few wild ginseng roots, I still lack the resources for martial advancement."

"Furthermore, if I gain Shen Congyun's favor and investment, I can obtain the protection of Wanhua Pavilion's background, allowing me to practice martial arts smoothly and prepare for the great matter of entering the Inspectorate!"

The more he thought, the more Jiang Ning felt he had to try.

There was no harm in failing.

But if he succeeded, the benefits would be immense!

No less than the benefits of entering the so-called Inspectorate.

"I must think carefully to see if there is any way to make Pavilion Master Shen see my potential and thus value me!"

"However, my current strength is insufficient, and my fist techniques are mediocre. It will be difficult to win Shen Congyun's favor."

The more he pondered, the more troubled Jiang Ning felt.

The trouble of not knowing where to start.

Although he was confident that with this miraculous panel, he would surely have a place in the world in the future.

But right now, he truly couldn't figure out which angle to take to win the favor of a heavyweight like Shen Congyun.

Then, jolted by Cheng Ran's touch, Jiang Ning snapped back to reality.

"Junior Brother Jiang, shall we go over?" Cheng Ran spoke again.

"Alright!" Jiang Ning nodded, his gaze following suit.

At the same time.

Shen Congyun's gaze also fell upon Jiang Ning and Cheng Ran.

He was first attracted by Cheng Ran's vigorous blood and qi.

His blood and qi were at Great Completion, on the verge of entering a formal rank!

Then, he shook his head inwardly.

A mediocre fellow!

Shen Congyun had already reached a conclusion about Cheng Ran.

His vision was naturally different from ordinary people.

In the next moment.

His gaze finally landed on Jiang Ning, who was beside Cheng Ran.

Mediocre!

He reached this conclusion in his mind once again.

Suddenly, his pupils contracted.

Something was wrong!!!

His aura was long and steady, and his breathing was calm.

Shen Congyun focused his hearing once more.

*Thump—*

*Thump—*

*Thump—*

In Shen Congyun's ears, he could clearly and powerfully hear the beating of Jiang Ning's heart.

A slow and powerful beat!

This was the preliminary manifestation of tempered internal organs!

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

As that thought occurred to him, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Am I going mad?

Otherwise, how could I have such a thought?

Shen Congyun shook his head inwardly.

However, at this moment, his heart seemed possessed by that thought, and his footsteps involuntarily slowed down.

"Brother Shen, what is it?" Wang Jin noticed Shen Congyun's change once again.

At this moment, Shen Congyun was oblivious to his surroundings.

His eyes were already closed.

In his state of inward focus, any change from all directions—including the movement of wind through leaves and the crawling of ants beneath his feet—was reflected in his mind.

Then, Shen Congyun's heart suddenly jolted.

The aura of the Essence of Solar Radiance!

This boy actually carries the residual aura of the Essence of Solar Radiance!!

A massive storm surged in Shen Congyun's heart.

The presence of the Essence of Solar Radiance on Jiang Ning clearly corroborated his previous suspicion.

This boy practiced the Internal Elixir Health Cultivation technique, which shared the same origin as the Internal Strengthening method he practiced, as well as the method Wang Jin practiced.

That was why the boy carried the residual aura of the Essence of Solar Radiance.

Furthermore, based on Jiang Ning's breathing rhythm and the rhythm of his heartbeat, he deduced that Jiang Ning's cultivation of the Internal Elixir Health technique had already achieved success, clearly reaching the entry-level realm. His achievement in the Internal Elixir Health technique was no less than that of Wang Jin, who was ranked seventh in the martial arts hierarchy.

Only with such an achievement could the internal organs be tempered to this extent, making him much stronger than an ordinary martial artist.

As his thoughts raced, Shen Congyun opened his eyes. His gaze was as calm as a still pool, and his expression revealed not a shred of his inner thoughts.

"Brother Shen, what just happened?" Wang Jin asked, looking puzzled.

Shen Congyun shook his head slowly. "It was nothing!"