Chương 43: Supreme Grade-A Aptitude! A Body That Evolves—Like the Founding Emperor of Great Qian!

A Body That Evolves—Like the Founding Emperor of Great Qian!

"Old Iron Bull, you…" Wang Shan lowered his voice, murderous intent blazing in his eyes as he glared at Sun Tiexin. He looked ready to tear him apart alive. This old bastard was too shameless! The three of them had agreed long ago that this year's spot would go to Yu Yi. To secure it, Wang Shan had even paid twenty taels of pure gold. And yet… Sun Tiexin had taken the money without objection, only to bring up Su Zhe in front of Li Shanyun now. Wasn't this making him lose both the prize and the payment? Infuriating!

Absolutely infuriating! Sun Tiexin ignored Wang Shan entirely and looked only at Li Shanyun.

"Sixteen years old. Has cultivated for less than three months. And already capable of forging a third-rank mortal weapon!" A collective gasp swept through the reception hall. Every face was filled with disbelief. Such terrifying talent in the Dao of Smithing was unheard of. Su Zhe had only joined the inner ranks of the Ironsmith Gang a short time ago and hadn't yet had the chance to fully reveal his abilities.

The disciples of the Artisan Hall already knew he was a once-in-a-generation genius—he could even forge second-rank mortal weapons. But artisans were different from warriors. They obsessed over craft, not fame. So Su Zhe's reputation had never spread. Even they had no idea he could forge third-rank weapons. That revelation shocked them as well. In an instant, the hall erupted into a kaleidoscope of emotions—shock, envy, disbelief, suspicion. A perfect portrait of human nature.

"Oh? There's such a talent here?" Li Shanyun's beautiful eyes widened.

"Sword-casting Manor may have four great branches, but among all arts, martial cultivation is the foundation and smithing is supreme. Such smithing talent is rarer than even Grade-A bone aptitude." She turned to Sun Tiexin.

"Hall Master Sun, who is this person? May I meet him?" Sun Tiexin grinned so wide it nearly reached his ears. Hooked. He had held this in for seven whole days, waiting for this exact moment to show off.

"Su Zhe, step forward!" Su Zhe rose and bowed respectfully.

"This disciple, Su Zhe, greets Lady Li." Dressed in fine robes, poised and composed, he stood out immediately. Li Shanyun's expression changed the moment she saw him.

"This child's physique and bone structure… extraordinary…" Without hesitation, she raised a hand and circulated her inner force, using a mysterious technique to probe the major acupoints across Su Zhe's body. After a long while, she withdrew her energy. Her mouth fell open. Her sharp voice rang through the hall.

"This… this is Supreme Grade-A aptitude!" The words struck like a divine weapon crashing into the room. Everyone froze. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Grade-A… And not just Grade-A. The very peak of Grade-A.

"Lady Li… could there be some mistake?" Yang Dingtian was dumbfounded. He wanted to ask if she had misread it. But the words died in his throat. Li Shanyun's status was too high. Offending her would have dire consequences. He frowned deeply.

"I examined his bones myself before. He was only Lower Grade-B. It's only been three months—how could he have become Supreme Grade-A?"

"Did I make a mistake?"

"No… impossible."

"At the time, he clearly possessed the beast-mark Strength of an Ox. I checked multiple times. I may not always distinguish the finer differences within Grade-A, but there's no way I'd confuse Grade-B with Grade-A!" Yang Dingtian's calm composure finally cracked. He had spent decades ruling the Ironsmith Gang and examined thousands of disciples. His bone-reading technique wasn't perfect. But never—not once—had he mistaken a Grade-A talent for Grade-B. Li Shanyun's brows furrowed even deeper.

But she trusted her own judgment.

"His aptitude is definitely Supreme Grade-A."

"And… perhaps even beyond an ordinary Supreme Grade-A."

"My martial talent is average, but I've studied medicine extensively and devoted myself to the hidden mysteries of the human body."

"My bone-reading is not wrong." As her words fell, every member of the Ironsmith Gang stared at Su Zhe. Their expressions were complicated. Envy. Shock. Jealousy. Awe. Confusion. Every emotion imaginable.

"Hahaha! I knew it!" Xiao Xunhuan burst into laughter.

"How could Junior Brother be merely Lower Grade-B? I knew he was monstrous!"

"Shut up." Guo Ju locked Xiao Xunhuan in a chokehold before he could continue. Guo Ju's aptitude was Upper Grade-B, inferior to Xiao Xunhuan's. But he was grounded, steady, and perfectly suited to the Savage Bull Art, which earned him direct disciple status. For a while, he had felt close to Su Zhe. Both of them had been "ordinary" in talent, relying on effort. But now— His junior brother was Supreme Grade-A? Guo Ju felt a bitter taste in his mouth. So in the end… The clown had been himself.

Yu Yi stood there in a daze. He had never imagined his brother Su would have even better aptitude than himself. Under Wang Shan's guidance, Yu Yi had always believed his own talent was the best in the Ironsmith Gang. He had been proud of that. But now he realized— Su Zhe wasn't just an unparalleled genius in smithing. His natural talent was also the strongest in the entire gang. Yu Yi opened his mouth, wanting to say something. But his throat had gone dry. No words came.

"No! Impossible!" Wang Shan shook his head violently.

"He was clearly Lower Grade-B! How could he suddenly become Supreme Grade-A? I was there that day—I saw it myself!" The dread in his heart grew heavier and heavier. The moment Li Shanyun spoke, it felt like he had fallen into an abyss. Sun Tiexin had planned this from the start. If Su Zhe really could forge third-rank mortal weapons… And now his aptitude surpassed even Yu Yi's… Then that Sword-casting Manor slot— No matter what tricks Wang Shan used, there was no way he could take it for Yu Yi.

He refused to accept it. Li Shanyun studied Su Zhe carefully. Su Zhe, meanwhile, put on a look of confusion and surprise, as if this was the first time he'd heard of his own extraordinary talent. Master is playing a long game. I cannot afford to lose this Sword-casting Manor opportunity. I killed Yellow Scar, Mad Shark, and Huang Yuan. I obtained the Flood Dragon Diving Art. Once that comes to light, Wang Shan will want me dead. If I enter Sword-casting Manor, I'll have backing.

If Wang Shan wants to touch me, he'll have to think twice. His thoughts raced. For others, Sword-casting Manor was a blessing. An opportunity. For Su Zhe— It was a life-saving talisman. With his current strength, he was still no match for Wang Shan. Unless he could drag him into a fight underwater, he would almost certainly die. That was why he had already filled all four Divine Apertures with his best equipment: The Forgemaster Hammer. The Tiger Roar Killing Blade. The Flood Dragon Silk Scroll.

The Demon Scale Inner Armor. Every piece was top-tier. Which meant— At this moment, Su Zhe's talent and potential were at their absolute peak. He had been waiting for Li Shanyun to examine him. Usually, he hid his strength to preserve trump cards. Today, he revealed it to gain even greater ones. Su Zhe knew exactly which mattered more.

"I understand now!" Li Shanyun suddenly snapped her fingers, eyes shining.

"This is Adaptive Bone Physique!" Everyone stared blankly.

"A body with Adaptive Bone Physique is incredibly rare. As the person grows, their bone aptitude evolves with them!"

"According to Sword-casting Manor's records…"

"In all of history, only one person ever possessed this physique." She paused dramatically.

"The founder of the Great Qian Dynasty— Emperor Gaozu." Silence. Utter silence. Adaptive Bone Physique? Like Emperor Gaozu?! That was absurd. The Chronicles of Emperor Gaozu recorded: Born into poverty, his bones were weak, and he lacked the talent for martial cultivation. During the chaos of war, he became an orphan and entered a temple as a monk. Yet after joining the army as an adult, his martial talent suddenly emerged, and his aptitude became extraordinary. Many had read this passage.

Everyone assumed the one who had examined Gaozu's bones simply lacked skill. That his talent had been overlooked. But now, hearing Li Shanyun's explanation— The Ironsmith Gang finally understood. There truly existed people whose very aptitude could evolve. This was called Adaptive Bone Physique. Emperor Gaozu had possessed it. And now— So did Su Zhe. Everyone looked at Su Zhe again. But this time, there was no longer just shock in their eyes. There was reverence. As if looking at a god.

The last man with this physique had ended an age of war and founded an empire. Then what about Su Zhe? Could he become the next Emperor Gaozu? The thought was terrifying. Su Zhe slowly exhaled, steadying himself. Even with his composure, he nearly broke character. Me? Riding on the coattails of Emperor Gaozu? That's… a little embarrassing. He had expected people to be shocked. Originally, he intended to guide the narrative toward Yang Dingtian's flawed bone-reading technique.

Instead— This girl from Sword-casting Manor had become his strongest hype-woman. Adaptive Bone Physique. Honestly… Compared to that, his own system was far more ridiculous.