Two days later, Shenjing’s Expert Testing Grounds was officially held in a plain gym.
The Experts Alliance was a completely legal business. It was a subsidiary of the China Science Institute. And the Experts Alliance’s chief was also the head of the Institute.
Experts Alliance had the Chinese government’s backing while out of its control sphere. Simply put, it was using its name to justify all their actions.
The participants to the Expert Testing Grounds were all members, since they had to show their badge at the entrance.
Per usual, the two leaders would give a pep talk before the testing started.
But today was an exception. The two announced two grave news.
The first was related to the mystery person, with no clues being found regarding him. The second involved the disappearance of Thunderstruck Enterprise’s China division’s vice-chairman, Lei Tian.
“Lei Tian may not be one of us, but he is in the top ten of China’s Heaven Board. They say he was very hardworking, quickly rising in power. For such a great man to vanish into thin air, who else besides Zhou Mengxian is capable of pulling such a feat? I suspect this is closely related to that mystery man in black!
“The headquarters reevaluated the seriousness of this matter and decided to double the bounty on the mystery man.”
While the audience was raising a ruckus, Li Mo was calmly sitting.
After that announcement, the two leaders proclaimed the start of the testing.
Only three were chosen from each base to go to the capital and participate in the annual competition. Even if the hope is bleak to become the champion, everyone who was qualified to go to the capital would earn a hefty reward. It was one of the main reasons why the competition was so fierce.
“I’ll go first!”
Frozone Sun Wei strutted on the stage.
“If anyone isn’t convinced of my third level power, you are welcome to take me down!”
The testing at the bases was through constant challenging. As long as one could defeat ten challengers, or becoming unchallenged for ten minutes, he’d earn a spot to the capital.
The crowd was getting livelier when he went on the stage.
Sun Wei may be crude, with query appearance, but a third level expert had renown even in the headquarters.
In the world of experts, power spoke louder. Sun Wei taunted, yet went unchallenged for two whole minutes.
“Is there no one ballsy enough to fight me? This is so boring, a total waste of time.” Sun Wei shook his head.
“Beating him will earn you the right to go to the capital?”
Li Mo was pulled by Yang Hongying just as he was getting up.
“You think you can take him? Fool, Sun Wei is a third level expert. Do you even know what that means? Are you looking for a quick death?
“In this testing, you will have to defeat ten challengers to qualify for headquarters. Sun Wei is a third level expert. Look, he was the first to go on stage, but do you see any willing to meet his taunt?”
“My turn!”
Someone stood up just as Yang Hongying finished talking.
Liu Feng looked to find Liu Feng, the one he slipped a talisman to on a whim.
Sun Wei’s eye twitched, “Liu Feng, you’re not my match. Are you looking for a smackdown?”
“We will know after the fight!”
Liu Feng threw five goos egg-sized steel balls. With a shout, they flew in circles around him.
In just a few days, Liu Feng’s power grew to the peak of the second level. He was this close to becoming a third level power.
“Then I will grant your wish!” Sun Wei leaped.
Liu Feng retreated as he controlled the iron balls to strike Sun Wei. The latter didn’t even dodge. The five balls struck him but his hand still clutched Liu Feng.
Cough~
Sun Wei coughed a bit but Liu Feng shuddered from the cold, ultimately collapsing.
“So this is a third level, able to withstand iron balls with just a light cough!”
“The defense is incredible!”
“Sun Wei is unbeatable!”
“He’s too powerful. Thank my lucky star I didn’t go up there.”
“Liu Feng isn’t bad either. A pity he’s too rash. With his strength, he’d be able to get the final spot if he waited out.”
“He can only dream now.”
Sun Wei snorted, his head way up high.
The first challenge was met and repelled!
Liu Feng was taken away and covered in a blanky.
Ten minutes passed yet there were no more challengers. Sun Wei easily earned his spot.
“My turn!”
“My turn!”
Sun Wei just got off the stage, and two men jumped on.
Besides Sun Wei, Shenjing’s other experts were pretty much on the same level of power. So when Sun Wei left, everyone thought of themselves as capable.
And the fight Li Mo didn’t want to look at, began.
The so-called expert, and a cultivator that followed a system, were two entirely different concepts. Experts had a special skill, like Sun Wei’s freezing body. Liu Feng had telekinesis. All these things were easy for cultivators to do, but an expert could never wield a cultivator’s magic arts.
In layman’s terms, they were playing around based on instinct, getting ahead only because of their experience. And yet they were the farthest thing from a cultivator.
Of the two that went on stage, one was a tub of lard. His skill was to expand his body as he breathed in. And since his weight remained the same, he actually made it easier for his opponent to kick him off the stage when he was big enough.
The third to walk on stage was a beanpole. He had uncanny flexibility. When the fight started, he jumped his opponent, wrapping around him like an octopus. It worked, but since he was so thin, a hit to the head was enough to decommission him.
‘Is this the so-called expert battle?’
Li Mo averted his eyes. He had seen enough to last a lifetime.
The fighting went on and on. With one side going up, then the other, ‘fighting’ like no tomorrow. Li Mo didn’t want to see such a circus show, but the other experts thought differently. They each climbed the stage like brave warriors.
“Fffff~”
Just as Li Mo looked elsewhere, an eerie sound came from the stage. The stench was so unbearable that Li Mo instantly sealed his smell.
The same went for the others.
Yang Hongying was covering her face and was shocked to see Li Mo sporting the same casual expression. She gave him a thumbs up.
On the stage, the expert was sticking up his round behind and kept on going.
His name was Shi Zhenqiang(T/N: lit. history’s strongest) with the marvelous skill of breaking stinking winds galore.
Since his opponent was the closest, he frothed at the mouth and was out like a light.
Plop~
Many people were falling like flies. This Shy Zhenqiang’s farts were out of this world, affecting even on those covering their faces.
Only Li Mo was safe, after having sealed off his senses. But only he could do that.
“B-brother Shi, stop already!” Yu Boyan’s head swoon from the blissful aroma. The other leader, Auntie Lan, was already on the floor and frothing.
This fart… was deadly!
Li Mo walked on stage.
“Anyone else wants some? I won’t stop until there’ll be no more challenger.”
Shi Zhenqiang was farting now and then between his speech.
Li Mo stood before him and Shi Zhenqiang responded in a series of quick farts.
Li Mo walked to him. Shi Zhenqiang’s look was fearless.
Li Mo’s flying kick sent him rolling off the stage…
