The beginning of talent

After her words fell, a chorus of mocking voices erupted all around.

"What? Did I hear correctly? Even a useless person dares to sign up for martial arts?"

"Does Helian Weiwei's brain have a problem? Was she rejected by the son of the world for marriage?"

"She's really setting herself up for failure, hehe..."

The steward glanced at Helian Weiwei with hesitation in his tone. "Come with me," he said, turning around and leading the way into the Phoenix Tower.

The test was not held indoors but next to an antique pavilion. On the stone table inside the pavilion, there lay a row of "scrap iron." A crane-haired old man sat on a rocking chair with his eyes closed. As Helian Weiwei entered, he didn't lift his eyelids but spoke in a calm tone, "Everything is on the stone table. The race will last half an hour. You can examine and manipulate the objects."

Since morning until now, not a single promising candidate had been seen, and the old man appeared visibly disappointed. Even the next tester failed to pique his interest.

Helian Weiwei glanced at the "scrap iron" on the stone table, her eyes gleaming with a subtle intensity, as if something had crossed her mind.

Yuan Hao observed her curiously. What had gotten into her? Why was she suddenly so excited?

Helian Weiwei simply smiled and strolled towards the stone table, unhurried and even a little lazy in her demeanor.

This made the steward furrow his brows deeply.

The old man remained unperturbed. After all, it was rare for someone to succeed within half an hour.

Alas, he had been overly whimsical to hold this gathering in the first place...

Finally, Helian Weiwei made a move!

Like a skilled conductor, she waved her long sleeves, first tying her long hair into a neat ponytail. Then, rolling up her sleeves, she lowered her eyes, disassembling with her left hand and assembling with her right.

Her fingers were incredibly nimble and rhythmic, as if they were playing with the "scrap iron" in her hands.

Click!

Once she finished one disassembly, she picked up the next piece of "scrap iron" without haste.

The old man's expression remained unchanged, but to the steward's surprise, he opened his eyes and focused his gaze on Helian Weiwei.

Helian Weiwei interlocked her hands, casually cracked her knuckles, and inquired with a calm voice, "If I win, will I receive the 100,000 taels of silver?"

"Huh?" The steward was taken aback by her question and couldn't react immediately.

Helian Weiwei frowned and paused her movements. "No bonus? Then what am I supposed to do with these things?"

"Continue!" The old man spoke in a deep voice, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Helian Weiwei. "Girl, let me see how fast you can be."

Helian Weiwei curved her thin lips and smiled. "Then let's start with the silver."

"Silver? What silver?" The old man, who had finally discovered a talented candidate, found himself tangled up in discussions about silver. His beard twitched anxiously.

The embarrassed steward chimed in, "It's the prize money from the Phoenix Tower this time. Whoever wins will receive it. I'll go prepare."

"Girl, did you hear that? Can you continue now?" The old man's eyes shone with anticipation, eager to confirm that his earlier impression was not a figment of his imagination.

"Yes," Helian Weiwei replied, stretching her neck gracefully.

This time, she lacked the laziness she displayed before. Her sharp Dan Feng eyes raised, and her fingers tapped on the "scrap iron," diligently reassembling the pieces.

Little did anyone know that for her, disassembling and assembling weapons was a common occurrence. In the 21st century, she did it every day. She hadn't expected that such activities existed even in ancient times. How could Helian Weiwei resist the temptation to participate?

Click!

The second disassembly was also completed, swiftly connecting with the first.

The steward's eyes widened as he glanced at the old man.

The old man gripped his teacup, pressing it against the rocking chair with one hand, as if he wanted to stand up...

Click... Click!

The third disassembly!

The steward straightened his neck, brimming with excitement.

Helian Weiwei remained unfazed by her surroundings. Her hand speed was incredibly fast, almost blindingly so. It was as if her movements were too swift to be captured by the blink of an eye.

At that moment, the steward couldn't help but notice how exquisitely slender and beautiful her hands were. White and distinct, they didn't seem like hands disassembling but rather hands playing a captivating melody. Tugging and pushing, the crisp clicking sound resonated in the air.

Iron pieces were neatly arranged on the stone table.

The old man stood up entirely, his shocked expression changing rapidly.

Ten years ago, he had taken in a talented inner disciple in Murong Wang's Mansion, the most promising candidate he had encountered in so many years. Yet, even that kid Murong Changfeng couldn't complete the disassembly of more than three pieces.

But this girl...

Nine disassemblies!

All completed!?

The old man took a deep breath, picked up his teacup, intending to take a sip to calm himself from the astonishment. However, as he raised the cup, his hand trembled, and his mouth hung agape. He stared intently at Helian Weiwei, as if he had discovered a treasure of unparalleled value.

How many years had it been?

How many years had passed since someone had connected so many disassembled pieces in half an hour?

And she even transformed these fragments into the Nine-Curved Silver Snake!

It had been at least ten years, no, even a century since he had witnessed such a prodigious talent!

The old man could already envision the stunning martial cultivator this girl would become in the near future. The mere thought of it brought a smile to his face, filled with unprecedented excitement. "Girl, I have made up my mind. I will take you as my apprentice!"

Helian Weiwei held the long whip in her hand, and upon hearing the news, she didn't utter a word. Her face remained composed, concealing any trace of joy or anger.

However, the steward, standing by her side, glanced at her in surprise. Seeing her motionless, he assumed she was overwhelmed with happiness and spoke quickly, "Tu Lao hasn't taken in apprentices for more than ten years. But this time, he has expressed interest. Young lady, you are truly blessed. If you become his disciple under Tu Lao's name, you will be on the same level as Murong Shizi. Your future prospects will be boundless."

The old man stroked his beard, waving his hand with a smile.

Yet, what he didn't anticipate was Helian Weiwei's response. She uttered a single sentence, rejecting his offer: "I refuse."