CXnovel #512 - Born different, acquired different
#512 - Born different, acquired different
Before him, Liang Yue, as one of the volunteers, didn't arrive particularly early.
At this moment, the registration site wasn't exactly overflowing with people, but there were still fifty or sixty individuals present.
Furthermore, it wasn't the first day of registration; this temple gate area had been serving as a gathering point for the past few days.
Thus, the lively atmosphere of the scene was evident.
After arriving, Liang Yue didn't rush to join the queue but stood aside to observe for a moment.
After observing for about ten minutes, he discovered that at least half of the people present were just charlatans.
Their skill level was basically only slightly better than those who performed on the streets.
Crushing stones on their chest, piercing their throats with spear tips, breathing fire, twirling whips, standing still while soldiers hit them with wooden sticks…
Reportedly, the community of experts in China is roughly divided into two categories: innate experts and acquired cultivators.
In terms of setting, it was somewhat similar to an anime he had watched in his previous life.
However, Liang Yue wasn't yet sure if the specific people and events involved were from that particular anime.
As the name suggests, innate experts are a group of people who spontaneously awakened special abilities during their growth, and they are mostly skilled in natural techniques.
Such as controlling fire, water, wind, and so on.
Acquired experts, on the other hand, are a group of people who achieve inner sublimation through acquired cultivation, thereby mastering extraordinary skills.
The representative figures among them include the various famous sects and families that have been passed down through the ages in China.
Various martial arts schools and esoteric Taoist methods mostly originate from this.
Strictly speaking, Liang Yue has something to do with both, because he has never given up on either special abilities or cultivation…
…
After watching from the sidelines for a while, Liang Yue felt that he had gained some understanding of the situation, so he didn't delay any longer and directly found a less crowded registration point.
Register, file, and then undergo inspection~
"What's your name, and where are you from?"
The person in charge of writing seemed to be a young military officer, his uniform crisp and neat, his cap straight, and his spirit very vigorous.
Although he wasn't wearing any insignia, he seemed to have some background.
"My name is Liang Yue. I have been cultivating in the mountains. This is my Taoist certificate."
As in the previous public world, the Taoist certificate was prepared by the system.
It was a legal identity recognized by both the world and the authorities, and there would be no problem no matter who checked it~
"Oh~ So you're actually a Taoist abbot? You don't look very old. The Taoist certificate is fine, but I've never heard of the Flowing Cloud Sect."
"It's a small sect. It's normal that you haven't heard of it. We've always practiced in seclusion, and it's passed down through a single line. After my master passed away, the inheritance fell to me."
"Hmm… What can you do? Are you an innate expert, or do you practice the inheritance of your own sect?"
"I'm both an expert and have an inheritance. I know a little bit of Taoism, martial arts, and weapons."
"Oh? You're quite confident?"
"I wouldn't dare to hide anything."
"Hmph~ How far have you cultivated? Forget it, I won't ask you about your specific realm. Just tell me one thing, can you stop a bullet?"
"I can stop it."
"Really?"
"Of course. If I didn't have some ability, I wouldn't dare to come here to show off."
"Then would you dare to let me try?"
As he said that, the officer opposite him stood up from his seat with a whoosh, deftly pulled out a pistol from his waist, and then deliberately slowed down his movements.
He looked at him with a half-smile, as if waiting for him to go back on his word.
Presumably, he had seen many Jianghu people who were full of hot air in the past few days…
"Please, sir~"
Facing the officer's doubts, Liang Yue didn't react much.
After all, the current registration selection was originally for participating in the Sino-Japanese Special Abilities Exchange Conference, and it was appropriate to be strict.
Otherwise, if a bunch of substandard people were selected to go on stage, it would be a loss of face for the entire country.
Everyone present understood this principle~
However, to their surprise, after the bullet left the barrel, it didn't continue forward as expected.
Instead, the moment it flew out of the muzzle, it seemed to encounter an invisible transparent wall and directly hovered there.
Behind it, the powerful thrust generated by the gunpowder explosion continued to urge the bullet forward.
But the invisible wall in front seemed to be truly indestructible, and it couldn't be penetrated at all.
So next, under the observation and attention of everyone around, the bullet was gradually squeezed and pushed by these two forces, eventually being compressed into a metal disc about the thickness of a dime.
After exhausting its force, it directly "thudded" and fell onto the table covered with a layer of padding.
"Wow~"
Seeing this scene, the fellow practitioners around couldn't help but burst into an uproar.
The gazes they cast at Liang Yue also unconsciously carried a hint of envy and shock.
Although stopping bullets might not be something that everyone present couldn't do.
But for most of the applicants who were just here to try their luck, this realm was indeed enough to make them look up to him.
The young officer opposite him was obviously a knowledgeable person. After realizing that Liang Yue really had the ability, he immediately put the gun back into its holster.
Then he respectfully cupped his fists, bowed, and said.
"Taoist priest, please come inside!"
"You're too kind, sir."
…
After staying in the inner hall of the temple for about half an hour, after clarifying the competition arrangements and process of the Sino-Japanese Special Abilities Exchange Conference, Liang Yue got up and said goodbye.
When he left, he naturally had an entry qualification certificate in the shape of a token in his hand.
The corresponding identity information, serial number, etc., had also been recorded.
As for the official date of this exchange competition, it would have to wait until early winter more than a month later.
Reportedly, although this Sino-Japanese Special Abilities Competition was nominally held only between the two countries, it was actually a semi-public event.
At that time, although this exchange meeting would not be open to ordinary people, some high-level figures from China and Japan, foreign envoys stationed in Beijing.
Even some socially influential and well-connected social elites may be present to watch.
In addition, the arrangement of this competition adopted a selection duel system.
This means that a selection must first be conducted within one's own side, and then a draw will be held at the two-country exchange meeting.
In other words, the registration and the token in hand only allowed Liang Yue to obtain an entry qualification. If he wanted to be officially confirmed as a contestant, he would have to undergo at least one selection.
As for the specific time of the internal selection, he would have to wait for notification…
Liang Yue had no objection to this.
It's a national-level competition, so it's appropriate to be meticulous…
After rejecting the official accommodation arrangements and reporting his home address, he directly bid farewell and left.
…