The Divine Machine Camp Martial Arts Arena is a shooting field, a place for firing guns and cannons.
This time, it’s a magic test, testing spells.
The targets are set on the mountain to the east of the Western Capital, divided into ten mile targets, twenty mile targets, forty mile targets, sixty mile targets, eighty mile targets, and hundred mile targets.
Each location has twelve targets, each target marked with numbers, with soldiers holding flags beside them waiting. If the target is hit, they raise a yellow flag; if missed, they raise a white flag.
The goal of the test is simple: stand on the sacrificial platform in the Martial Arts Arena, and in one incense burning’s time, hit each of the six targets, with unlimited attempts, any spell permissible.
Chen Shi arrived at the test site, and from a distance, the target ten miles away was already the size of a needlepoint, invisible to ordinary naked eyes. Only by using talismans like the Heavenly Eye Talisman or Divine Eye Talisman could one see clearly.
To see the targets twenty miles away clearly, Nascent Soul must be used.
To see the hundred mile targets clearly, only the Primordial Spirit can accomplish this.
And the limit of spells for a cultivator in the Divinity Transformation Realm is precisely one hundred miles away.
But this magic test is not only about distance, but also accuracy. When a spell is sent a hundred miles away, controlling accuracy is essentially very difficult, so even for scholars in the Divinity Transformation Realm, it’s no small challenge.
If one hasn’t cultivated Nascent Soul, even the ten mile targets can be considered impossible to hit.
Written tests are extremely strict, but martial tests are incredibly relaxed, with a sea of people outside the arena, all citizens of the Western Capital, coming here for the spectacle.
In front of Chen Shi, there were many scholars in the magic test, twelve scholars standing on different sacrificial platforms, each marked with numbers. The scholars held their breaths, focused, and activated Nascent Soul or Golden Core, urging their spells.
The spells they used were diverse - wind, fire, water, thunder, blade, spear, sword, halberd, and even ghost control techniques, transportation techniques, and other unconventional spells.
There were talisman masters drawing symbols in midair, showcasing extreme proficiency in talismanic magic, casting spells with talismans, quite enchanting.
However, among the twelve scholars, only five hit the first target, and only two hit the second target.
No one was able to hit the third target, and as for the fourth, fifth, and sixth targets, it was even less hopeful.
After this group of scholars, another twelve scholars came to the sacrificial platforms, the chief examiner lighting an incense stick, letting the twelve scholars perform freely.
Among these twelve scholars, there was one practicing the flying head skill, suddenly his head flew out from his neck, carrying throat, heart, and liver, flying in midair, captivating everyone’s attention.
Chen Shi went closer, tiptoeing to peek into the person’s headless body, only to see that after the head, heart, and liver flew out, no blood flowed from within, and other organs continued to operate.
"Don’t fly too far, be cautious of others’ spells hurting you!" A kind-hearted examiner reminded.
Halfway flying, that person’s heart and liver suddenly fell down, not knowing which spell hit them.
As the heart and liver fell, the head also dropped, and the person’s headless body hurriedly stood up, running toward the falling location of his head and heart, after several dozen meters, blood suddenly spurted from the neck like a fountain, collapsing and dying.
The crowd outside watched in horror, the discussion grew louder, prompting the Divine Machine Camp soldiers to raise silence placards.
The next group of magic test scholars became much more cautious, led by Chen Shi.
Soon, all twelve hit the ten mile target, attracting the attention of the chief examiners.
Next, these twelve hit the second target, causing a commotion, with many examiners hastily checking the backgrounds and origins of these twelve, finding none to be from significant families.
At the third target, two missed, failing to hit.
At the fourth target, three missed again.
Many examiners were shocked, and outside people whispered and discussed. Typically, during exams, scholars from poor backgrounds served as foils for family heirs, and those with excellent aptitudes could at most hit the first and second targets, never dreaming of hitting the third!
But this time among the twelve, most hit the third target!
At this moment, a commotion arose from the crowd, as four hit the fifth target!
"These four are at the Nascent Soul Realm perfect!"
Numerous examiners were stunned, looking at these scholars.
The cultivation techniques these twelve scholars practiced were definitely not inferior to those practiced by family heirs, perhaps even on par with those practiced by core family members!
Remaining four scholars each urged their spells, the spells tracing lines of light in the air, aiming for the hundred mile target!
After a moment, soldiers beside the targets raised white flags, indicating all four spells missed.
The four scholars seemed dejected, yet the examiners were extraordinarily surprised, for their spells, though missing, came very close to the hundred mile target!
This showed, the four scholars though at the Nascent Soul Realm, their strength closely approached the Divinity Transformation Realm!
Their cultivation techniques must be extraordinary!
The twelve scholars stepped down, passing by Chen Shi, greeting him.
"Instructor!" "Instructor!" "Instructor, must claim the top scorer!"
Chen Shi nodded in acknowledgment, puzzled, "Why do they call me instructor? Could it be they’ve also joined the Heavenly Court? No, they should have joined the Red Mountain Hall’s Talisman Master Association, I’m temporarily an instructor at the Red Mountain Hall Talisman Master Association, receiving fifty silver monthly."
At this moment, another twelve scholars ascended.
Noises erupted anew. At the ten mile target, not a single miss!
At the twenty mile target, not a single miss!
At the thirty mile target, not a single miss!
This time, the twelve scholars achieved even better results than the previous group, with five hitting the fifth target!