Chapter 14: Standard Knight Examination (II)
Li Xin stood at the side, full of curiosity: Nalan Shu was Hao Yue Hall’s master but also a genuine Earth Knight, the fifth step of the vocation. In the Temple Alliance, only a few people matched him. If a simple letter could make him so reverent, there ought to be an issue.
But as she thought about that, Nalan Shu, who had already read the letter, nodded towards Long Hao Chen, and said: “Come with me.” As he said that, he headed outside.
Long Hao Chen followed Nalan Shu to the third floor, accompanied by Li Xin full of curiosity.
Hao Yue Hall’s first floor was the main reception. The second floor was the one where all kinds of affairs were handled, and the third floor was known as the place where examinations took place. All the knights who belonged to Hao Yue Hall lived in a dwelling place in the area behind the hall.
The third floor was a dome at the top of the hall of the first building. As he entered, Long Hao Chen felt at the same time, a kind of dissuasive atmosphere. The third floor was an extremely broad hall, five meters high, without any decorations. On the wall all around, there were some symbols and lines, forming a faint brilliance.
Nalan Shu, who continuously advanced, arrived at this examination hall before he stopped. A soft blue light was sent out from his right hand and from the ground surface, a stone pillar immediately rose. It was pitch-black, the nature of its material hard to identify.
Nalan Shu faced Long Hao Chen and said: “Do you know for what purpose your teacher told you to come here?”
Long Hao Chen shook his head: “Teacher said you would tell it to me.”
Nalan Shu nodded: “Senior Xing Yu wanted you to undergo the Standard Knight examination. Let’s start now, hit this black stone with full force, from whichever side you want.”
Hearing the words “Standard Knight examination”, Li Xin who was at the side thought she had misheard.
How old was Long Hao Chen? Eleven, or twelve years-old at most? She herself was called Hao Yue Hall’s greatest genius and it was at thirteen years old that she passed the Standard Knight examination. Nalan Shu didn’t seem like he was joking, and hearing his tone, she realized could this Long Hao Chen’s teacher be even above Nalan hall master? Could he be a sixth step Radiant Knight? Heavens! Radiant Knights could be called the elite of the Temple Alliance. And how could he let his disciple go to Hao Yue Hall to undergo the examination?
As Li Xin had her heart filled with uncertainty, Long Hao Chen, on the other side, had already gotten prepared.
Long Hao Chen took out his refined-iron sword, flashing of a black color, from its handle. At the moment he gripped this sword, his temperament suddenly seemed to have undergone incredible changes.
From this originally shy-looking child, a stern atmosphere rose. His gaze became firm and inflexible, his whole body gave a feeling close to a steady rock and sent out a powerful feeling. Where had his characteristics of a child of ten years old gone?
A step forward, and a cut. An attack consisting of the two most basic movements for a knight.
A Ping sound echoed, the refined iron sword ruthlessly hit the black block of stone.
With a Buzz sound, a gentle blue mist directly shone from the surrounding walls of the Hall and on the black block of stone, a precise number appeared.
“107.”
Spiritual energy of the 107th level, Nalan and Li Xin both, at this instant, couldn’t help opening their eyes wide. A spiritual energy level of 100 meant the second step of the vocation. So even though the 107th spiritual energy level only corresponded the first rank of the second step, it was still the second step! However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Long Hao Chen had not used any skill to improve his body’s capabilities. It was just a pure cut.”
It wasn’t just them, Long Hao Chen was also shocked. My Spiritual energy has already reached the 107th level? Since he was in Odin hall, as his spiritual energy was only at the 25th level, it was the first time he tested it, but he didn’t imagine that there would be such a result. A Standard Knight, I am unexpectedly already a Standard Knight.
An excited feeling ran through his whole body. In this instant, Long Hao Chen felt that all his efforts over the past year just got rewarded.
Xing Yu enabled a little child to grow within a single year from the 25th spiritual level to more than the 100th level, breaking through to the second step of the vocation. Even though it couldn’t be said as an unique case in Sheng Mo Da Lu, it could still be described as a miracle.
Long Hao Chen made undeniable great efforts by himself, but it was also because of Xing Yu who allowed him to soak in the hot springs, and the Assassin from the Temple who brought incredible benefits to his body channels. Without soaking in the hot springs, how could Long Hao Chen possibly have continued such a practice? A single coma would have been enough to force him to rest for a long while.
In a single year, his body’s foundations had already become solid.
Nalan Shu’s look gradually recovered. The gaze with which he looked at Long Hao Chen underwent incredible changes, as if he was seeing a rare treasure, his plump face revealed a somewhat flattering expression. “Your name was Long Hao Chen, right? How old are you this year?”[1]
Long Hao Chen answered without even thinking: “Ten years old.”
Nalan Shu and Li Xin took a deep breath once more. A Standard Knight of ten years-old? The word genius couldn’t even be used to describe this, it should be called a talent even greater than a genius.
“Nalan hall master, I passed through the examination at last, right?” Long Hao Chen asked.
Nalan Shu replied: “It looks so: according to the procedure, you only need a 100th spiritual energy level to pass through the second step, but your teacher said in the letter that you ought to challenge, in battle a knight (TL: genuine knight, 200th+ S.E lvl) and stand this knight’s attacks for fifteen minutes or else you won’t be considered as to have passed the examination.”
In regard to this demand, Nalan Shu found that it was too harsh. Even if a fifth rank Genuine Knight may still not be capable of withstanding a Genuine Knight’s attacks for a quarter of an hour, let alone a youth like Long Hao Chen who just entered into the Standard Knight step.
“Okay, then please assign a knight to this task.” Long Hao Chen said that as he unsheathed his left hand’s second refined-iron sword.
“I am coming, I am coming.” Li Xin didn’t show the least hesitation as she advanced, her small, pretty, and charming eyes couldn’t hide her flowing curiosity. A ten years old Standard Knight, what kind of concept was that? She absolutely had to test this little knight’s fighting capability.
Nalan Shu gave a look to Li Xin and nodded his head: “Pay attention.”
Li Xin smiled: “Rest at ease Uncle Nalan, I am not willing to injure him, he has just become my little brother after all.”
As she said that, Li Xin also took out the two swords from her back. Compared to Long Hao Chen’s, her pair of swords looked more magnificent. On each sword’s body, a golden brightness was sent out. Each sword’s length was 1.06 meters (3 Chi 2 Cun), and a kind of strong sacred atmosphere was sent out by the engraved symbol.
Li Xin, still holding her pair of swords, looked at Long Hao Chen. She was secretly surprised because as he gripped the weapon, his temperament clearly changed compared to his past appearance of a shy youth. His current appearance looked rather fierce, and unexpectedly, the pressure he sent out faintly affected her.
Nalan Shu moved away a few steps, saying with a low voice: “Start.” By acting as referee by the side, he had confidence that he wouldn’t let them injure each other.
“Elder sister, take care.”
1.more precisely, ”how big are you this year?” (the way you ask to a kid how old he is in Chinese)