C25 Question

As Zhuang Xing approached, the old man in linen and his companions furrowed their brows. It seemed that Cloud Peak City was only producing trash these days. Someone like Zhuang Xing would surely be eliminated in the first round of the Hidden Dragon Ranking Great Competition. They saw no chance of him advancing.

Despite their frustration, it wasn't their place to intervene. Their job was simply to hand out iron plates and handle registration. The decisions regarding which participants the various cities and families sent were beyond their control and concern.

"Here you go."

They tossed an iron plate to Zhuang Xing without a second thought, dismissing him as unworthy of their attention.

Zhuang Xing, unfazed, caught the iron plate, which immediately began to change. A red light surged forth.

Zhuang Dou and the others breathed a sigh of relief at the sight. The red light was an unmistakable indicator of a Spirit Wheel Stage Expert's presence.

"What's happening here?"

Suddenly, someone spotted an anomaly. The red light intensified, darkening to the hue of fresh blood. Typically, the deeper the color on the iron plate, the higher the practitioner's cultivation and strength.

"The color is deeper than Ma Zhou's from Great Harvest City, and it's lasting longer. Does that mean this person is even stronger than Ma Zhou?"

"How could that be? His cultivation is only at Spirit Wheel Stage Level Two Heaven. How could he possibly be stronger than a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Five Heaven Expert?"

"No, this has to be a mistake."

"Do you actually believe it? Because I sure don't."

"Neither do I. There's got to be a glitch with the identity card. That's the only explanation."

As they gazed at the dazzling red light, everyone shook their heads in disbelief, unable to trust their own eyes.

Yet, Zhuang Dou and his group weren't surprised at all. Zhuang Xing had already defeated Jia Du and Chai Shi, both at Spirit Wheel Stage Level Four Heaven, when he was merely at Spirit Wheel Stage Level One Heaven. Now that he had advanced to Spirit Wheel Stage Level Two Heaven, an increase in his strength was to be expected. It was hardly shocking that he might possess the might to outclass a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Five Heaven Expert.

"What's the issue here? Could there be a problem with the identity card?"

The elder clad in linen exchanged glances with his peers, equally incredulous at what they had witnessed. A Spirit Wheel Stage Level Two Heaven martial artist exhibiting strength surpassing that of a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Five Heaven Expert was unheard of to them. They were familiar with the concept of a Level Skipping Challenge, where a Talent Demon with exceptional gifts could outperform their peers and take on higher-level adversaries. However, they were skeptical that Zhuang Xing possessed such a capability. They were more inclined to believe there was an error with the identity card, a scenario not without precedent.

Yet, retesting posed its own set of problems, as the Zhuang family of Cloud Peak City had only one competitor slot. They had prepared just one iron plate for the identity card, and the remaining plates were already assigned and could not be used for additional testing.

"Esteemed one, I suspect this individual is engaging in deception."

Predictably, someone voiced their skepticism. Indeed, they had little choice but to doubt, given that Zhuang Xing's cultivation level was so modest. He was merely at the Spirit Wheel Stage Level Two Heaven, yet he boasted the prowess to eclipse a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Five Heaven Expert. Such a claim was hard for anyone to swallow.

"I have my doubts as well."

"I'm not convinced either."

Once one person initiated the skepticism, the rest followed suit, collectively expressing their disbelief in the identity card test results.

Zhuang Dou's expression grew stern. The Zhuang family had finally nurtured a Talent Demon, only to face universal doubt. The suggestion that his son might have cheated was a bitter pill for anyone to swallow.

The elder in linen and the others shared uneasy looks. Addressing this quandary was far from straightforward. In the past, even if there were discrepancies in the identity card readings, they were never this significant. A discrepancy spanning three whole levels was beyond what anyone was prepared to accept.

"What do we do now? The identity card is one-of-a-kind, making it difficult to verify."

"Yeah, creating a new identity card would take time, so that's definitely not an option."

The crowd around was growing restless. Without a reasonable solution, who could predict what might happen?

"Old Ma, you're known for your wisdom and resourcefulness. Please, think of something quickly."

Old Ma was the elder dressed in linen, his brow furrowed in deep concentration.

At that moment, all eyes were on him, eager to discover his solution to the current dilemma.

"I've got it," he suddenly exclaimed, a spark of inspiration lighting up his eyes.

"Out with it, then."

In a grave tone, the linen-clad elder suggested, "Why not test his strength? That should reveal if there's been an error."

The suggestion brightened the mood. The identity card's test might fail, but actual combat would surely reveal the truth.

"Sounds like a solid plan, but who should we find for the test?"

"Didn't we just see someone at the Spirit Wheel Stage Level Five Heaven? If the identity card's test suggests his strength exceeds that level, he'd be the perfect litmus test."

"But his cultivation is merely at the Spirit Wheel Stage Level Two Heaven. Would he even agree to challenge a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Five Heaven cultivator?"

"It doesn't matter if he fights or not; either way, it will clarify the issue."

Upon reflection, everyone agreed. If Zhuang Xing refused the challenge, it would indicate deception, rendering his results void. Conversely, if he accepted and managed to defeat Ma Zhou, it would validate the identity card's assessment. And if he lost, his results would be void anyway. Thus, whether Zhuang Xing fought or not, and regardless of the outcome, the truth would be revealed.

"Kid, do you have the courage to take up the challenge?" the elder in linen asked Zhuang Xing.

"Why wouldn't I?"

Zhuang Xing replied with unwavering confidence, not a trace of hesitation in his voice.

A wave of excitement swept through the crowd. Could Zhuang Xing truly possess the skill to best a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Five Heaven Expert? It seemed unfathomable.

The elder exchanged glances with his peers. Zhuang Xing was young, with modest cultivation, yet he was bold in his claims. They were well aware that the challenger they had in mind was a bona fide Spirit Wheel Stage Level Five Heaven Expert, immensely powerful. Even a cultivator at the Spirit Wheel Stage Level Four Heaven would face certain defeat against such an adversary.

Taking on a Level Skipping Challenge is no feat for the average person.