flstandardbreds Chapter 145 Maze
Chapter 145 Maze
Nothing happened overnight. As dawn broke, the group, who had slept soundly all night, got up refreshed and chatted happily while having breakfast. Then, full of energy, they headed to the examination hall for the day.
Today's third exam, which examines Wei Ying and his companions' understanding of meridians and acupoints, as well as their progress in physical combat, was conducted in a maze-like examination hall with intricate terrain, numerous dangerous passes, and a vast area, just like yesterday.
Today's assessment was also divided into two parts, but the largest part was the free-for-all between six students and teacher Chen Mu, which was scheduled at the beginning. The inexperienced students sparring with each other was scheduled after the free-for-all.
Wei Chaoyan and his father dropped Wei Ying and his group off at the entrance of the examination hall, where they stopped. Together with the other four teachers, they watched with a mixture of anticipation and worry as the group strode confidently into the seemingly complex and dangerous examination room. Only after the group had disappeared from sight did they reluctantly gather on a high platform overlooking the entire examination hall, silently observing their performance.
As soon as the six of them stepped through the gate, they saw Teacher Chen Mu, dressed in a close-fitting black outfit with a calm and profound expression, standing not far away like a spear emerging from its hole, gazing at them expectantly. His soaring fighting spirit, which he could not hide, surged towards them like waves of the sea, instantly igniting the passion in their hearts.
They all stopped and looked at Chen Mu with shining eyes, straightened their posture and greeted him in unison. Chen Mu nodded silently in response, then glanced at them to signal them to follow before turning and leaving.
The six students immediately understood the teacher's signal. Without saying a word, they exchanged glances for a moment and then followed closely behind.
After walking briskly along a flat path for about thirty breaths, we came to a stop in front of a tall, majestic, and continuous gray-blue wall.
Chen Mu suddenly turned around and nodded slightly to the six people, including Wei Ying, who had followed behind him. He calmly announced the exam rules: "The exam room for this assessment is inside. The teacher will go in first, and you will follow. You can form teams as you like, in pairs, in groups of three, or in groups of six."
This is a maze-like exam hall, with various checkpoints at different locations, including question-and-answer, riddle-solving, and adventure types. Once you enter, in addition to being careful not to get lost, you must also successfully pass each checkpoint to proceed to the next stage.
I will appear at any of the three important points at any time. You can attack me by any means, as long as you can withstand 100 moves from me or touch any part of my body, you will pass the level.
The three checkpoints represent three chances. Success on any one of them means passing the assessment. Even if you fail all three chances, as long as you complete the entire test and reach the finish line, you can still be considered to have passed the assessment.
Time and method are not limited! Good luck, I'll be waiting for you in the exam hall!
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and tapped the gray wall in front of him three times, once long and once short. The solid wall suddenly opened up, revealing a three-meter-high and one-meter-wide arched doorway. As soon as the doorway appeared, he slipped inside and disappeared without a trace.
While Wei Ying and his friends were still brainstorming the exam rules, they were dumbfounded to find that the teacher had disappeared without a trace. They had wanted to ask him for more detailed questions about the rules, but alas, he was gone, so what was the point of asking?
After hesitating for a long time at the entrance, the six of them huddled together and discussed in hushed tones. They finally decided to form a team together to keep their strength together. The team would be led by Qi Ye, who was meticulous and good at planning, and assisted by Lan Zhan, who was rational, calm and composed. The other four would follow orders and cooperate to overcome the difficulties before them.
After agreeing on their plan, the six of them no longer hesitated. They exchanged glances, encouraged each other, and strode confidently into the open cave entrance!
Upon entering, they were met with a complex and labyrinthine route, resembling a spider's web. However, the six remained calm and composed, each diligently and methodically observing the surrounding clues under Qi Ye's composed direction. They then reported their findings in detail to Qi Ye, who, upon receiving the chaotic clues, quickly analyzed the useful parts. After clarifying his thoughts, he turned to the calm Lan Zhan beside him, who pointed out the optimal solution. The other four listened attentively. If they agreed, they would proceed accordingly; if there were disagreements, they would discuss them or disperse to search for other clues…
With such steady progress and mutual consultation, the six of them made rapid progress, covering one-third of the journey, and finally met Teacher Chen Mu, who had been waiting for them at this checkpoint.
Without further ado, the two sides immediately began to fight upon meeting. Wei Ying and his six companions, adhering to their pre-arranged plan, attacked Chen Mu from all directions in perfect unison, striving to close the distance to any part of his body by any means necessary while rapidly dodging his counterattacks.
During the match, the movements were swift and decisive, with seamless coordination. Every attack, block, and dodge demonstrated the skills learned in daily practice. In fact, during the continuous practice, some people would have sudden insights and would unconsciously change their offensive moves. Others, although they did not know why the moves were changed midway, would still tacitly change their own attack trajectories to coordinate with the moves.
Even so, Wei Wuxian and his six companions, drenched in sweat and panting heavily, were all defeated by Chen Mu in the eighty-first move. Although they were defeated, they were not discouraged. On the contrary, they were full of fighting spirit, staring intently at Chen Mu, whose clothes remained perfectly still and whose breathing and expression were unchanged. They boldly challenged him to a rematch at the next level!
Upon hearing this, Chen Mu's usually calm face broke into a slight smile, and he nodded and replied in a slow voice, "Alright!" As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and quickly disappeared around the corner.
The six remaining people wiped the large beads of sweat from their foreheads, exchanged smiles, and walked inside with tacit understanding!