I have the face of a great demon.

Seeing the chaos on the field, Chief Shi had no choice but to step forward and take charge.

He looked around, cleared his throat, called out the thirty people who had performed best in the assessment, had them stand to one side, and then addressed the crowd:

"Gentlemen, the assessment is now complete. These thirty brave warriors are now brothers of our Ling Shui Gang."

"As for the rest of the heroes, although you were unable to enter my Ling River, your courage and strength are equally admirable. I hope we can meet again in the future."

After saying this, he bowed slightly to show his apology, while those who were not selected, though unwilling, could only leave dejectedly.

However, Liu Xingchen was not among these thirty people, which surprised many.

Liu Xingchen knew that his move was too strange. Even if he were to do it again, he was not confident that he could lift the stone lock again, let alone throw it into the air.

In fact, he didn't understand what was going on either. Just like how he killed all the men in black with a single sword strike in front of the cliff, this happened inexplicably and was completely beyond his control.

He felt as if he had gained some extraordinary ability during his time travel, but it was sometimes effective and sometimes not, just like Duan Yu's Six Meridian Divine Sword, which he didn't know when it would be able to unleash its power and was completely beyond his control.

This strange situation put him in an awkward position because he couldn't do what he wanted.

Perhaps not joining the Ling Shui Gang was the best choice for him.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Tiezhu became extremely anxious, his eyes widening like copper bells, and he rolled up his sleeves, ready to demand an explanation for him.

"Why? Brother Xingchen clearly won, so why can't he join the gang?"

Seeing this, Liu Xingchen quickly restrained Tie Zhu's impulse, shook his head, and signaled him to calm down.

Just then, Chief Shi took the initiative to speak: "Brave Liu, may we come inside for a chat?"

It seems the gang leader has something important to say to him.

After a moment's thought, Liu Xingchen nodded in agreement and walked into the inner hall with Chief Shi.

Tie Zhu tried to follow, but was stopped by the gang members. In his anxiety, he shouted, "Liu Xingchen is my elder brother, we are together!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xingchen turned around and was surprised to find that he had gained a follower on this trip. He felt that his trip had not been in vain, so he asked the gang leader to let him come along.

Liu Xingchen and Tie Zhu followed Gang Leader Shi into the inner hall, where gang members served them tea. After taking a few sips, they got straight to the point.

"Brave Liu, please don't mind that we were unable to recruit you into our gang earlier. It's just that our gang is too small to accommodate someone as great as you."

"Chief Shi, you flatter me. I am indeed unqualified to join your gang. I couldn't possibly lift that stone lock. I just don't know why it became lighter. Chief Shi, you are very knowledgeable; could you please enlighten me?"

Liu Xingchen did not hide the fact that he was weak, and was honest with him, hoping to get a clue from the old man in front of him and solve the mystery of why his skills were sometimes effective and sometimes not.

Chief Shi was quite straightforward and said directly, "Brother Liu, there's no need to be so modest. In my opinion, you might be a prodigy in cultivating internal energy, which is why I didn't ask you to condescend to work here."

"Practicing internal energy? What do you mean by that?"

Master Shi recounted the story in detail:

"The martial arts in this world are divided into external styles and internal styles."

"We, the Lingshui Gang, are just villagers from the mountains. We have nothing but strength. All we can do is practice external martial arts, just to improve our health and have some ability to protect ourselves."

"But internal martial arts are more powerful. Those who practice internal martial arts are not necessarily tall and strong. They may even look very thin and weak, and their hands may seem to have little strength. But when they exert their power, their strength far surpasses that of us who practice external martial arts."

"I once saw a master of internal martial arts. He simply placed his palm lightly on someone's body. I didn't see him exert any force. He released his internal energy, and the opponent was sent flying far away as if hit by a ferocious wild boar."

"Internal martial arts are so amazing!" Tie Zhu exclaimed, his eyes sparkling.

This is the skill he's always dreamed of; it's so cool.

Liu Xingchen scratched his head, looking completely bewildered: "Does the gang leader think I used internal energy just now? But I've never practiced martial arts, and I don't know anything about internal energy?"

These words greatly surprised Chief Gu. Liu Xingchen's performance just now resembled internal energy, and when he released his energy, he could unleash power far exceeding his own.

After pondering for a moment, Chief Shi offered a new idea:

"If you really haven't practiced internal energy cultivation, Liu Zhuangshi, I think you might be naturally suited to it."

"Just like Tie Zhu, he was born with superhuman strength. He didn't need to train deliberately; he could unleash amazing power without even realizing it."

I don't need to practice deliberately; I can unleash my internal energy effortlessly.

Liu Xingchen thought this explanation made some sense, saying that this must be the reason why his skills were sometimes effective and sometimes not.

Because he hadn't fully mastered it yet; he had only used it unintentionally.

Tie Zhu exclaimed in amazement, "Wow, Brother Xingchen's internal energy is so powerful even when he doesn't use it. If he really puts in the effort to practice, he'll be able to fly to the heavens!"

Chief Shi nodded and said, "That's right, that's why I haven't recruited the new Liu Zhuangshi into our gang. I can't hold back this future martial arts master! Haha..."

"I see." Liu Xingchen looked at Chief Shi gratefully, cupped his hands, and said, "Then, Chief Shi, may I ask where I should go to learn internal martial arts?"

"North."

"North?"

"That's right. Our Lingshui Town is just a rural place, and no major sect is willing to set up camp here."

"Only by heading north to Lingzhou, three hundred miles away, can we find a major sect that teaches superior martial arts."

"Thank you very much, Chief Shi!" With Chief Shi's guidance, Liu Xingchen decided to go to Lingzhou, join a major sect, and cultivate superior martial arts.

Tie Zhu was also attracted by the superior martial arts described by Chief Shi and wanted to go to Lingzhou with Liu Xingchen.

This greatly annoyed Chief Shi. He shouldn't have boasted so much, ruining such a promising talent.

He tried to persuade them to no avail, and could only watch as Tie Zhu and Liu Xingchen left together.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Shi Yong sighed:

"One is born with superhuman strength, and the other is born with a talent for internal energy cultivation. They are a perfect match. I hope to see the day when they become a force to be reckoned with in the martial arts world."

They left the Ling Shui Gang's territory before noon.

Tie Zhu was eager to go to Lingzhou, and Liu Xingchen also felt that there was no time to lose. He immediately took Tie Zhu back to the inn, ordered a meal and had a hearty meal, and then checked out.

I found a horse-drawn carriage at the entrance of town. The driver was a middle-aged man with a full beard.

Hearing that they were going to Lingzhou, which was 300 miles away, he initially shook his head and said he wouldn't go. But after Liu Xingchen took out a heavy silver ingot, he stopped talking and pulled the two of them along, heading straight for Lingzhou.

No sooner had Liu Xingchen left than a group of men in white emerged from the mountains and entered Lingshui Town.