While the elders were enjoying their meals, the disciples were getting ready for the competition. Zhuan Ming was amongst these disciples, everybody was waiting in line, they would have to complete tests that tested the disciple strength, control, smarts, the best 5 students of each sect would then compete against each other. First came the test of strength. Disciples had to punch a stone pillar that was a artifact for measuring power, when punched it will measure the power and display it. First came a skinny girl with long hair but and a beautiful face, she walked up to the stone pillar, stressed because she was the first one, but she pushed back this thought and took her stance then she channelled large amount of spiritual energy in her nirvana roots and punched, the impact making a loud boom, the artefact displayed the number 1398. The girl then walked to the other side waiting in the resting aria for the next part of the test. Then followed the next disciple, after most of the disciples had completed the test and many realized that the average was around 1000 and the people with the best scores were from the Iron Fist Mountain. Then it came turn for the last disciple to take the test and it was none other than Zhuan Ming, unlike other he had no stress and didn't feel anxious because he was taking the test last he chose to be last on purpose to see how strong of a punch he had to throw, seeing that the top score was 1831 he decided to use around 90% of his strength, he channelled spiritual energy in to his nirvana roots he could feel the muscles pump up, everything became slower to him and then he threw a punch that followed with a loud boom, the score was 1832, Zhuan Mind decided that from today he could show some of his true power, and since he possessed incredible energy control he could top the 1st place by 1 point. Seeing this everybody was surprised, but the most surprised were Zhuan Mings fellow disciples many finding out that he existed for the first time. "He beat me?" Li Qingyue thought in her mind, she always knew that he was strong and smart, yet seeing their age difference she subconsciously always thought herself to be stronger than Zhuan Ming, but today she wished that her condition would improve so she can begin to cultivate again.
Other were just as surprised always seeing Zhuan Ming as average, he didn't really stand out much in class, the only thing that seemed to be going for him were looks. But today they realised that he was one of the strongest amongst the inner disciples.
Many still wished to reject this, telling themselves that this is just brute strength, and that there are many other tests left, and that he must have got lucky.
So the next test came it was for control, they had to refine a key guide it trough air using spiritual energy, and open a locked door in less than 1 minute. It was not a easy task, first a lot of time was usually spent refining the artifact, then one had to guide the key that took concentration and great control, and last opening the door took great amount of spiritual energy that will mostly be expanded when guiding the key to the lock.
The control test began, yet the elders were still surprised about what happened the last test. A line of identical wooden doors stood at the far end of the arena, each secured with a spiritual lock.
The control test arena held twelve ancient doors of black iron, each bearing a lock that glowed faintly with residual energy. Before them on stone pedestals rested twelve identical bronze keys.
First up was a burly Iron Fist Mountain disciple who had scored highly in the strength test. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he poured his own spiritual energy into the key, trying to flush out the lingering traces of previous users, the key refinement cost him half of his time but he had done the first part. Now he could finally attempted to guide it, the key went slowly wobbling till it reached the halfway point. Then he realised that time was running out so he used half of his remaining spiritual energy to lunch the key forwards with great might, not focusing on control, luckily for him the key shot to were the door was, making a metal clang sound when hitting it, he regained control barely holding it up in the air and started moving it toward the hole for the lock, slowly and steadily he inserted the key but when it came to twist the lock he realised he didn't have enough spiritual energy.
"Bzz" a sound came signalling that time is up.
Frustrated, sad the boy went to the other side.
Next came a Blazing Steel disciple who purified her key too quickly - the foreign energy wasn't fully expelled. Her key flew smoothly but refused to turn in the lock, the conflicting energies causing it to stick fast.
Li Qingyue used a brute force method when refining the key she had naturally large spiritual energy reserves, so she used a large amount of spiritual energy to flush the original energy in the key. That took her little time, now she guided the key trough the air, she had practise control before, since to master the basics of rule path it important to feel and guide the natural laws. So she didn't struggle with this part of the test, than she reached the key hole inserting the key, and using her spiritual energy she twisted the key. She was the first to complete the test.
After that many other disciples came most of them failing the test, but through out the tests the best results were to the Blazing Steel Sect, almost half of their disciples managed to pass. The best score currently was also being held by Blazing Steel Sects disciple Zhin Hung he completed the test in 30 seconds.
But no again Zhuan Ming waited to be the last of the disciples to participate in the test, other that tried to take the last spot in the line, he would go behind them and if they complained, he knocked them out. He again wanted to see what score he had to beat. "30 seconds….," he muttered, the most troubling part will not be controlling the key but refining it. So Zhuan Ming walked up to the key, he was about to channel large amount of spiritual energy, to refine the key forcefully, but then he thought of an idea to make this more interesting," what if I use the string refine the key, so he quicky shot string in to the key sharply penetrating the keys surface but on a molecular level. The artifact is hard to refine because you have to breach the outer spiritual wall that is like a glass bottle that's holding the liquid that is spiritual energy. Usually when refining artifacts you have to breach the outer layer by using refining techniques or brute force. But Zhun Ming decided to try another way using the string to concentrate the spiritual pressure in one dot breaching the outer layer giving him access to the spiritual energy that he now could easily refine. This all took him 19 seconds, seeing how it was his first time trying this refining style, no he controlled the key quickly guiding it in to the lock the timer showed 25 seconds he waited for 28 seconds to come and then he opened the door at exactly 29 seconds again beating the top scoor by 1.
The elders at the table eating, became even more curious about this talent that the Azura Sky sect have been hiding, but they themselves were baffled since they didn't know who the boy was. "Zhuan Ming…. could he be related to Zhuan Li."
"Tell us who is this boy that is so bold beating everybody by 1 point, does he not want to give us face." One of the elder that had fat belly and a long beard spoke up.
"You know how the young are," the Azura Sky sect elder tried to play it off.
All the elders present were surprised and irritated. Usually, the results would be even and each sect would win one event but now Zhuan Ming had won 2 which meant that Azura Sky sect has a large lead.
"Well, there still is another event, we might win that one," one of the elders tried to calm himself.