Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Chapter 353: Chapter 172: Superior-Superior

“You two go ahead of me…”

Huang Jiao voluntarily stepped back, moving behind Ning Chong and Su Bing.

She only had a One Extreme Upper Grade Root Bone, and most of her confidence had evaporated. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to just turn around and leave; she was truly unwilling to give up.

“Marsong, Third Level Upper Grade. Finally, someone decent. Go sit on the left and wait for my instructions.”

“Ding Lu, Four Extremes Upper Grade. Not bad. Sit on the left.”

“…”

“Su Bing, Five Extremes Upper Grade. Very good! Sit on the left.”

Inside the stone house, the female Steward’s voice suddenly jumped an octave.

Evidently, Five Extremes Upper Grade was already the cream of the crop among this batch of people.

“Ning Chong, Four Extremes Mid Grade…”

The female Steward’s voice paused for a moment, then suddenly shot up several octaves:

“Meat Extreme Upper-Upper Grade! Excellent, excellent, excellent! We’ve finally found a fine prospect! Come with me. I’ll personally take you to see the Outer Elder!”

The female Steward shot up from her chair. She was nearly two meters tall, with a brawny build and broad waist. Her muscles were sharply defined, making her look like a granite statue.

She walked over to Ning Chong.

She clapped a hand the size of a clay pot on his shoulder, the force of the blow making him sway.

“Let’s go.”

With a word, she wrapped an arm around Ning Chong’s shoulders and strode out like a shooting star.

Everyone else in the room was left hanging.

“Four Extremes Mid Grade… with only one Extreme being Upper-Upper. Is a Root Bone like that really better than Five Extremes Upper Grade?”

Marsong’s dark skin looked as if it were cast from iron, and his colorful attire, typical of the Alien Race, stood out conspicuously among the group.

He frowned, seemingly unable to comprehend this Root Bone rating system, which was completely different from the one in his own clan.

“Of course. Meat Extreme Upper-Upper Grade is a perfect match for the Mountain Courtyard’s Horizontal Martial Arts…”

Beside him, Su Bing explained in a low voice:

“A Martial Artist’s time is limited. All top-tier masters specialize in one type of Martial Arts, honing it to the absolute peak. In theory, you only need one Extreme at the Upper-Upper level.”

“In contrast, while Five Extremes Upper Grade might be compatible with a wider range of Martial Arts, reaching the absolute peak is far more difficult than it is for someone with one Upper-Upper Extreme.”

“To put it bluntly, a jack of all trades is a master of none. In the end, you won’t excel in any of the extremes, which is worse than someone who drills a single log all the way to the heavens…”

At this, Su Bing couldn’t help but sigh softly, her gaze falling on Ning Chong’s departing back with a complicated expression.

Her own Five Extremes Top-Grade Root Bone had just earned her a “very good” from the Steward, and she had been secretly pleased for a while.

But compared to Ning Chong’s “Meat Extreme Upper-Upper Grade,” that joy instantly faded, like a cup of hot tea diluted with cold water—lukewarm and tasteless.

“In any case, your Five Extremes Top-Grade Root Bone is already very impressive.”

Nearby, Ding Lu said with a smile:

“My name is Ding Lu. Would you like to be friends?”

“Of course.”

Su Bing nodded, returning the smile.

Outside the stone house.

Only Huang Jiao was left standing there, rooted to the spot.

“Damn it! That good-for-nothing from the backwoods… He dared to lie to me! The whole way here, he said he just had an ordinary Top-Grade Root Bone… Damn him! He deserves to die…!”

Huang Jiao’s pupils trembled slightly and her lips moved, her voice so low that only she could hear it.

However, with every word that escaped her, she felt as if her face was being fiercely slapped by an invisible hand, causing her cheeks and ears to burn with heat.

She even quickly realized that Ning Chong had never lied to her. It was simply that in a small place like theirs, no one knew the Five Extremes Detection Method.

At this thought, her face burned even hotter, as if it were about to catch fire.

「In the distance.」

Inside a larger stone house.

A middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe with an extraordinary air sat behind a wooden desk, the space between his brows exuding the calm confidence of a superior.

He held a Small Gilded Bronze Bottle in both hands. After careful inspection, he respectfully handed it back to Chen Cheng.

“Young Master Chen, I have confirmed it. This is indeed the token of Junior Martial Uncle Yun Shuanglin.”

A warm smile bloomed on the man’s face, deepening the fine lines at the corners of his eyes:

“Since Junior Martial Uncle Yun was able to gift this to you, your relationship must be exceptionally good…”

“We can waive the Root Bone test. Please stay at the Outer Sect Stone Platform for a day or two. Someone from the Mountain Courtyard’s ‘Sword Pavilion’ will come down to receive you.”

“Thank you. Might I ask your name…?”

Chen Cheng accepted the small bottle and bowed with his fists clasped.

“Mountain and Sea Sect, Outer Sect Elder, Zhou Wansen.”

The man also clasped his fists, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

“KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.”

A knock sounded at the door, followed by a resonant female voice:

“Outer Sect Steward Li Wenrou, requesting to see the Elder.”

“Enter.”

Zhou Wansen responded. The warm smile on his face instantly vanished, his lips pressing into a flat line and his back straightening as he assumed his usual posture of a superior who commanded respect without being angry.

Immediately after, Li Wenrou pushed open the door and walked in with Ning Chong.

“Greetings, Elder Zhou… And this is?”

Li Wenrou’s gaze fell on Chen Cheng, and her steps faltered for a moment, a clear trace of surprise flashing in her eyes.

‘A fair-skinned youth of sixteen or seventeen is actually sitting on equal footing with the Elder, completely at ease?’

‘Just how terrifying must this young man’s background be?’

Li Wenrou quickly ran through the possibilities in her mind, growing more astonished with each one.

“Younger Brother Chen! What are you…”

Ning Chong’s eyes widened, his face a mixture of shock and excitement.

“Insolent! Who are you to call him ‘Younger Brother’? You have no sense at all!”

Li Wenrou whipped her head around and shot Ning Chong a vicious glare, her eyes like daggers, as if she wanted to gouge two holes in his face.

Of course, she could tell that Ning Chong knew Chen Cheng.

‘But when I tested his Root Bone, I saw his household registration. How could a commoner’s son from the backwoods be on such familiar terms with Elder Zhou’s esteemed guest?’