Chapter 129: Stunned Silence

“Break both his hands and feet, then cripple his cultivation?” Li Jiansan glared coldly at Elder Ning. This old scoundrel, having some strength, thought he could twist the truth and maim someone’s limbs?

“Nonsense!” Elder Ning exploded in anger upon hearing Li Jiansan’s words.

“You insolent brat! I originally intended to spare your life, but it seems you won’t repent. Very well, then I shall personally kill you today!” Elder Yu rose abruptly and slammed a fierce palm toward Li Jiansan.

At the same time, beneath Li Jiansan’s sleeve, his palm was rapidly gathering power.

“Elder Yu, stop right there!” Suddenly, a figure appeared behind Li Jiansan, stepping forward to block his path.

Elder Yu halted, surprised slightly. “Elder Lu, this brat was causing trouble during the examination. I was about to execute him. What are you doing?”

Seeing Lu Jiannan, Elder Yu hesitated. If this stubborn old man intervened today, he truly could not strike.

“Are you trying to shield him?” Elder Yu asked.

“Ridiculous. I just don’t want the academy to lose a genuine talent,” Lu Jiannan replied calmly.

Elder Yu was taken aback. The one standing before Li Jiansan was none other than Lu Jiannan, renowned for securing first place in the literary examination.

“This brat topped the literary test? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” Elder Yu inquired, skeptical. Killing him now would be complicated if that was true.

Lu Jiannan’s expression darkened with anger. “I personally supervised the exam. There’s no mistake.”

Elder Yu scoffed, “Your literary test isn’t exactly difficult. Just memorize some texts, and you’ll pass.”

“That exam paper was personally crafted by me. I dare say, throughout the entire Azure Dragon Academy, fewer than a handful could finish it,” Lu Jiannan retorted.

Elder Yu was surprised. Given Lu Jiannan’s meticulous nature, it wasn’t impossible for him to design a literary test at a hellish level.

Still composed, Elder Yu said, “Even so, it’s nothing extraordinary. Your literary exams just recycle a few questions. As long as you practice previous years’ papers and get a bit lucky, passing isn’t hard.”

“Recycle a few questions? Practice old exams?” Lu Jiannan’s face darkened. “Who do you think you’re belittling? I dare say even if I gave you this paper, you might not pass. Besides, you barely scraped a passing grade in your own literary test. After all these years, you’ve gained no new skills except in bragging.”

If not for Li Jiansan, Lu Jiannan would have liked nothing more than to beat Elder Yu mercilessly. Talking so casually—why not try scoring a perfect on the test yourself? It’s easy to talk when you’re not the one taking it.

“You…” Elder Yu ground his teeth but found no retort.

“Moreover,” Lu Jiannan continued, “he completed all the questions correctly within fifteen minutes!”

“What!” Elder Yu was stunned, utterly shocked and disbelieving.

Not only him, but everyone else present froze, their expressions caught between awe and disbelief.

Fifteen minutes to complete the entire literary exam, and all answers were correct—that’s unheard of! Even with the exam paper in hand, no one could finish that fast, let alone flawlessly.

Not to mention the logic, theory, and various argumentative techniques embedded in the test.

The only way to finish in fifteen minutes would be to copy answers verbatim.

But how did Li Jiansan do it? Did he not need to think at all?

“This kid’s comprehension is terrifying,” several elders muttered in admiration.

Even among these seasoned veterans past fifty, few could match such speed and accuracy.

Could this be genius?

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Lu Jiannan said, noticing Elder Yu’s grim expression. “It’s not over. He also ranked first in the Pressure Test!”

After Lu Jiannan’s words, the field fell silent except for gasps of disbelief.

“Not only the literary exam but also the Pressure Test? This kid topped both!”

“The literary exam is one thing, but the Pressure Test—that’s truly fearsome. The pressure inside is terrifying. I recall a few students barely surviving it; some were incapacitated for half a year, others had their martial paths destroyed!”

“To top the Pressure Test is to be among the very best talents!”

“A genius this formidable nearly perished by our own hands…”

After a moment of stunned silence, Lu Jiannan asked, “Do you know how long he lasted?”

“Almost three hours! He nearly broke the Azure Dragon Academy’s record!”

“But for some reason, he exited early. Otherwise, he could have lasted even longer.”

Everyone was dumbfounded, pupils constricting sharply.

This… how was it possible?

The onlookers were stunned, gasping repeatedly.

“He… he endured nearly three hours in there!”

“This is unbelievable, and that’s not even his limit.”

“This kid is a monster. In all my years, I’ve never seen a talent this terrifying.”

Amid the astonishment, a few doubted quietly, “Is this for real?”

Lu Jiannan snorted. “Of course it is. Every exam has records. If you don’t believe me, go check.”

With Lu Jiannan’s confirmation, all gazes turned sharply to Li Jiansan.

Since its inception, the strongest in the Pressure Test was their academy head, who endured three hours.

Now, Li Jiansan matched that duration—and that was not even his limit.

Did this mean Li Jiansan’s potential surpassed their revered academy head?

Realizing this, all present paled.

What did this imply?

If Li Jiansan survived, he could truly rise to be a peerless figure, commanding the entire Great Jiang Empire.

Unable to calm himself, Elder Yu stared at Li Jiansan. He had thought the youth merely talented, but never expected such overwhelming potential, ranking first in two grueling tests.

After a long silence, Elder Yu spoke calmly, “Your talent is exceptional. I will overlook past grievances. If you join Azure Dragon Academy, you will surely become a formidable force.”

“Join Azure Dragon Academy?” Li Jiansan shook his head without even glancing at Elder Yu. “No, I’m no longer interested.”

“What did you say?” Elder Yu’s expression froze. He stared coldly at Li Jiansan. “You insolent brat, I have given you chance after chance, yet you remain ungrateful. If that is so, don’t blame me for what comes next.”