Chapter 11: Principles in Hand, the Golden-Breaking Knuckle Dusters!

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First update of the day: Chapter 011!
……
Someone immediately voiced their skepticism: "Over fifty percent explosive power? That’s too harsh! How many people who haven't undergone professional training can actually achieve that?"
"Exactly, that requirement is far too high!"
The thin man remained silent. Only after the chorus of murmurs died down did he extend a finger: "You, you, you, and you..."
He pointed at seven people in a row—all those who had just voiced their objections.
"Your interview qualifications are revoked. You may go home."
"On what grounds? We paid the registration fee!"
"That’s right, aren't you being unreasonable?"
In principle, since they had already paid their registration fees, stripping them of their qualifications for no reason was illogical.
But as the dark, hollow muzzles of firearms were leveled at the seven who had spoken, everyone realized a simple truth:
Principles were whatever this thin man decided they were.
Yu Le, sitting beside the thin man, leaned back instinctively, while the young man next to him trembled with fear, whispering, "He’s a Gunner Warrior!"
Eh?
A warrior? One of those who wasn't born with a divine gift yet still chose the path of cultivation?
They belonged to the class of Mechanists!
"I am at the ninth stage of the Bedrock Realm. The firearm in my hand is the 'Owl-Eagle Crossbow Cannon.' While not a Life-Weapon, a single blast is enough to make even those in the Iron-Bone Realm wince in pain. I can view your current behavior as a provocation against the Burning Heaven Hall, and I have the authority to execute you on the spot."
"Three, two, one..."
Before the man could finish counting, the seven individuals he had singled out were scrambling to get away, fleeing for their lives.
What did registration fees matter compared to their own lives?
The man holstered his Owl-Eagle Crossbow Cannon, maintaining that same cold, icy smile. "My name is Ling Xiao, and I am your explosive power testing examiner. Now, I can answer the questions those people had earlier."
"The Owl-Eagle Crossbow Cannon in my hands requires the user to withstand a recoil of five stones of force just for a standard shot. If you only possess the cultivation level but lack the explosive capability, you won't even be able to use artificial equipment, let alone fight magical beasts. You’d end up hurting yourself before you even touched the enemy."
"Those who are confident, follow me."
Ling Xiao walked into a room. The remaining twenty-five people looked at each other; three of them, knowing they couldn't meet the requirements, turned and left.
The remaining twenty-two candidates followed Ling Xiao into a room housing a single machine.
Ling Xiao collected their registration forms, reviewed them, and gestured to the room. "This is an explosive power testing chamber. In addition to re-evaluating your physical strength, it will measure your explosive ratio based on your counter-impact force."
"Each person has three attempts. As long as one attempt results in an explosive ratio exceeding fifty percent, you pass."

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"A friendly reminder: even if you haven't received professional training, as long as you can channel your emotions, you can unleash greater power."
"Come, let the testing begin."
Ling Xiao didn't waste any more words; he picked up the registration forms of the twenty-two remaining candidates and began calling names.
"Zhang Chaoyang!"
"Present!"
Unlike Yu Le, most who came to join the Burning Heaven Squad were young, just as the receptionist at the Demon Hunter Association had said. Yu Le, at twenty-nine years old and only at the sixth stage of the Bedrock Realm, was considered to have poor talent and a poor background.
Ling Xiao glanced at the first test-taker. "Twenty-three years old, seventh-stage Bedrock Realm warrior. Get inside."
"Yes!"
The young man named Zhang Chaoyang walked into the chamber, which resembled a karaoke booth. As he stepped in, the door sealed shut, and lights began to flash like a progress bar.
The results of his cultivation level were displayed on the screen.
Bedrock Realm, sixth stage!
Hmm?
Yu Le looked at Ling Xiao, who was in charge of the test. He saw the man's eyes darken as he stepped forward and pressed the power switch.
The cabin door opened, and Ling Xiao commanded, "You lied about your cultivation level. Your qualification is revoked, and you will be blacklisted by the Demon Hunter Association from now on. Now..."
"Get out!"
No matter how the young man surnamed Zhang wailed and pleaded, Ling Xiao remained cold-faced, grabbing him and throwing him out.
"Are there any others who lied about their cultivation? I advise you to leave now. Trying to cheat at the Burning Heaven Hall? You're dreaming!"
At these words, two more people, feeling guilty, withdrew.
Well, looking at the competition drop from thirty-two people to nineteen, the odds for those remaining had actually improved.
After the incident with Zhang Chaoyang, the cultivation levels of the subsequent candidates proved accurate.
After testing ten people, Yu Le noticed that Ling Xiao’s micro-expressions suggested he wasn't very satisfied.
Only three had met the criteria, and even then, it took them three attempts to barely reach an explosive ratio of 50%!
Reaching fifty percent was merely the baseline; it wasn't the ceiling of talent the Burning Heaven Squad was looking for.
When Ling Xiao picked up a new registration form, his expression finally shifted.
There was a hint of pleasant surprise.
"Who is Su Rui?"
"Me, me, me! I'm Su Rui!"

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A fat man, whose flab seemed to tremble with every step he took, squeezed out from the back.
Looking at his physique, Ling Xiao’s eyelid twitched slightly as he compared him to the registration form. "Mystic-grade Life-Weapon 'Gold-Breaking Knuckle-Duster,' plus eighth-stage Bedrock Realm?"
The fat man, Su Rui, scratched his head. "Heh heh, that's right."
Though he appeared harmless, Yu Le could clearly hear a hint of pride in his tone.
The recruitment requirement for the Burning Heaven Squad for those with divine gifts was only the sixth stage of the Bedrock Realm.
Yet this Su Rui was not only a divine-gifted user with a Mystic-grade Life-Weapon, but his own cultivation had reached the eighth stage of the Bedrock Realm!
When the others heard their conversation, they gasped in shock.
With someone like this competing, wouldn't they all just be background noise?
Ling Xiao also said with approval, "If I'm not mistaken, your Life-Weapon can boost your explosive power, right?"
Su Rui nodded obediently. "It provides a certain increase."
"Very well. I require you to perform one blast at full power without using your Life-Weapon, one normal strike using your Life-Weapon, and finally, one full-power strike using your Life-Weapon. Is that acceptable?"
"No problem!"
Under the focused gaze of the crowd, Su Rui entered the testing chamber.
His cultivation level was verified without issue, followed by the three power tests!
Full-power blast without using the Life-Weapon, explosive ratio: 55%!
This was the highest among the twelve people tested so far, and he hadn't even used his Life-Weapon yet! Of the three who had previously passed, two were divine-gifted and had only barely crossed the threshold by relying on their Life-Weapon bonuses!
Second strike, normal force using the Life-Weapon, explosive ratio: 61%!
Gasps erupted from the surrounding crowd.
Third strike, full-power blast using the Life-Weapon, explosive ratio...
70%!
My goodness!
Is this the power of a Mystic-grade Life-Weapon?
Combined with his eighth-stage Bedrock Realm cultivation, couldn't he unleash the force of five to six stones?
That would be enough to instantly kill a fifth-stage Bedrock Realm expert; even a sixth-stage expert wouldn't be able to withstand more than a few of his attacks.