The Sun was setting in the west. Lin Bai looked at the sky and realized that it was already late. Moreover, the light here was even dimmer than the outside. If it was any later, he would not be able to see the road clearly and would easily lose his way.
With his current strength, it was still dangerous to spend the night in the Misty Forest. Immediately, he stopped hesitating. He gathered the ingredients from the yak and walked towards the direction of the town.
The wild boar meat was extremely firm. Although it had a slightly pungent smell, after being roasted with a special method, it would become extremely fragrant whether it was frying or barbecuing. It would make one's appetite soar.
In addition, it could quickly replenish one's strength, and was extremely loved by the mercenaries.
Not to mention the yak, its entire body was full of treasures. Even its bones could be used. Lin Bai estimated that it could be sold for a lot of money, and this trip would definitely not be a loss.
At this moment, the Sun had not completely set. The afterglow of the sunset shone on the city wall, as if it was plated with a faint layer of golden light. The market was still bustling with activity, and there were endless hawking sounds.
"High-quality ink fox skin. Don't miss it when you pass by. It's the best material to make a Daoist robe!"
"Longevity tiger drunken bone wine. I guarantee that you'll want more!"
"Detox pills, strength pills, healing powder, and all kinds of pills are available. It's a must-have item for family and travel. The price is fair and honest."
As soon as Lin Bai placed the wild boar and yak ingredients on the table, someone came to inquire about the price. His skinning method was clean and complete. Soon, the transaction was concluded. Then, all the bones, horns, and other bits and pieces were bought too.
He earned a total of five thousand crystals.
With money on hand, Lin Bai did not panic. He went straight to the shop, wanting to buy a basic storage backpack. Not only was it convenient to carry, but it also did not take up a large area.
There were too few things that he could carry with his two hands. If he had a storage bag, he could hold even more prey.
However, the basic storage bag could only store very little things. If he could make do with it now, he could change to a higher-level one in the future. Even so, looking at the price behind it, Lin Bai couldn't help but click his tongue.
"It's so expensive. Why don't you go rob someone?"
It was only a beginner's item, yet it was already 7,000 to 8,000 crystals. The money he had earned just now was not enough. If it was a higher-level item like a storage ring, it would probably be an astronomical figure.
"Hello, it's a total of 6,000 crystals. After a discount, it'll be 5,400 crystals."
Just as Lin Bai felt that it was a pity, he suddenly heard the shop assistant next to him calculating the bill. He immediately asked in puzzlement, "Can I get a discount when I buy things?"
"Of course. He's an ordinary member of the Martial Arts Association. He can get a 10% discount. If he's a senior member, he can get a 40% discount!"
Lin Bai had a thoughtful expression on his face. He planned to go and join it too. After the discount, he could afford the basic storage bag. Moreover, he could save some money when he bought things in the future.
He hurriedly walked out of the shop and walked toward the Martial Arts Association. There were still many people taking the test. When Lin Bai walked over, there was already a long line.
"If you want to become a member of the Martial Arts Association, you need to take a test. You need to pay a registration fee of 3,000 crystals. If you pass, you can have it returned. If you fail, you will not be given a refund."
3,000 crystals was not too much, but it was not too little. The main reason was to prevent some people from trying to cheat their way through the test and wasting time and manpower.
"The test focuses on three aspects: strength, speed, and skills."
"That is, pure strength, speed, and skill. The content of the test will be randomly selected."
This was also to raise the threshold, to prevent those who had passed the test from informing others, and to prevent others from taking advantage of the situation.
Lin Bai paid the money without hesitation to register his name. With his current strength, passing the preliminary test shouldn't be a difficult task.
The others in the line didn't hesitate either. Soon, everyone picked their own test subjects.
"Those who have chosen number one, please follow me this way."
Soon, a few people dressed in blue walked out. Judging from their appearance, they should be the stewards. There was a faint pressure between their brows. They should be at the Xiantian state.
Lin Bai was number one. At the same time, more than a dozen people walked out from the large line and followed the stewards to the training ground of the association.
The place was extremely spacious. There were no other decorations as far as the eye could see. There were only dozens of targets a hundred meters away. Lin Bai already had a guess about the assessment content.
As expected, the steward said,
"The assessment subject is strength. At the same time, you have to control your accuracy. This is not an ordinary target but one made of the hardest black iron. What you have to do is to hit the bull's-eye and pierce through it!"
After the steward finished explaining the rules, he signalled everyone to start. What was handed to everyone was not a stone, but a dull wooden chip.
For a moment, everyone was dumbfounded. The wooden chip was light and not sharp. It would not even be able to scrape off the iron chips much less penetrate the black iron.
Immediately, someone shouted in dissatisfaction, "Are you asking us to use this to scrape some shillings? !"
Lin Bai, on the other hand, calmly picked up the piece of wood. The Octane Blast began to circulate on its own, and all the spiritual power in his body was poured into a few major acupuncture points on his wrist.
"Swish!"
The sound of a sharp blade cutting through the air rang in everyone's ears. At the same time, a small piece of wood pierced through the bull's-eye a hundred miles away, directly piercing through the bull's-eye.
The bull's-eye made of black iron instantly shattered into pieces.
Everyone was dumbfounded. They could not believe who it was. Black iron was the strongest material. It was difficult for ordinary weapons to penetrate it, let alone a small piece of wood.
Lin Bai had just put down his hand when he received everyone's enthusiastic gazes. The steward's eyes lit up and he said excitedly, "You call this scraping? !"
The others looked at each other speechlessly. After all, just because Lin Bai could do it, it did not mean that they could do it.
Lin Bai walked out of the examination room calmly and proceeded to the next examination. He did not notice the resentful gazes behind him.
Seeing that he could do it so easily, the crowd could not help but feel a little more hopeful. Perhaps it was not as difficult as they had imagined. However, when they really started to try it, they realized that they had been thinking too much.
The wooden piece was light. If the strength used was not enough, it would fall halfway. Even if the strength was enough, as there were no sharp edges and corners, being able to sink an inch or two into the bull's-eye was already the limit much less piercing the bull's-eye.
While everyone was grimacing in response, they were more and more impressed by Lin Bai's move just then. They did not know how he did it.
The strength test alone had already eliminated many people.
"Congratulations on passing the first test. Now it's the second test. I hope everyone can continue to work hard."
Lin Bai looked at the piece of paper in his hand. The word "Speed" was written on it.
Following the leader, they arrived in front of an empty hall. He could not help but wonder what this test would be like.