Moreover, her skin had become snow-white and delicate, and there was no trace of inferiority in her gaze—only a newfound confidence.

In short, after this sleep, Jane Taylor had undergone a tremendous transformation, like an ugly duckling turning into a swan.

When John Reed first saw Jane Taylor, he was momentarily stunned; she was completely different from the little girl he remembered.

“John Reed gege...!” However, the little girl was still just as attached to John Reed, clinging to his arm and looking up at him with admiration in her eyes.

December 12th, the day of the test arrived.

This year, there were even more guests than last year—at least twenty percent more. The seats around the martial arena were packed with visitors.

“John Reed cousin...!”

“John Reed younger cousin...!”

“John Reed older cousin...!”

“John Reed younger male cousin...!”

...

Just like last year, all the younger members of the family who saw John Reed, whether from the main branch or collateral relatives, greeted him proactively.

Although John Reed had spent most of the year in extreme training, which puzzled everyone, his reputation as a genius was deeply imprinted in their minds.

Even if he did strange things, in others’ eyes, it was still unfathomable and profound.

When all the younger family members had arrived at the martial arena, the test began. The first to take the stage was, as always, Eugene Reed.

The results came in: Eugene Reed’s strength was 1,872 jin, having achieved mastery in organ refinement.

This year, Eugene Reed had increased his strength by over 500 jin. Compared to last year’s growth, it was about 100 jin more. As martial artists progress, their strength increases more rapidly, so this was normal.

But sometimes the increase becomes smaller, which indicates the tester’s potential is declining and they are nearing a bottleneck.

A large number of subsequent tests followed. Compared to last year, everyone had made progress. At this stage of body tempering, unless someone’s aptitude was particularly poor, they generally wouldn’t encounter a bottleneck.

Soon, it was the seventeenth participant’s turn: Hugh Reed’s test.

He was the number two among the younger generation of the Luo family, and many guests paid special attention to his development.

Hugh Reed stepped up to the strength-testing stone and threw a punch. The result quickly appeared: 2,497 jin, with minor achievement in blood exchange.

Chapter 005: A New Prodigy

The result was quite impressive. Compared to last year, Hugh Reed had increased his strength by 708 jin.

If this trend continued, next year Hugh Reed’s cultivation might reach the True Qi stage, with his strength soaring above 5,000 jin.

At the head seat of the Luo family, the elder in gray robes, Franklin Reed, nodded slightly, very satisfied with Hugh Reed’s result.

When he was young, his results were very close to Hugh Reed’s. This meant that Hugh Reed had the hope of becoming, like him, a cultivator who achieved great success in the Dao Embryo stage.

The tests continued. After more than twenty people, another key figure appeared—the forty-third participant, Rachel Jackson.

Although she was a member of the Jiang family, which was affiliated with the Luo family, Rachel Jackson had shown remarkable talent in the past two years, no less than Hugh Reed.

Rachel Jackson walked up to the strength-testing stone and quickly tested her strength: 1,366 jin.

Many people exclaimed in surprise. This was only Rachel Jackson’s third test, but her strength was exactly the same as Eugene Reed’s after four tests, and nearly 100 jin higher than Hugh Reed at the same stage.

The head of the Jiang family was also present as a guest. At this moment, many Dao Embryo stage cultivators sent him congratulatory messages, eager to build a good relationship. With such a talented descendant, the Jiang family’s status in Pingyang County would surely rise, perhaps even becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Decades ago, the Luo, Su, and Wei families were on equal footing in Pingyang County. But ever since Nathaniel Reed emerged, the Luo family’s strength surpassed the other two.

If Nathaniel Reed hadn’t been injured by Howard Newman, damaging his foundation and halting his cultivation, the Su and Wei families might have been completely suppressed by the Luo family, dropping a tier in status and being excluded from the dominant powers of Pingyang County.

After Rachel Jackson’s test, everyone’s spirits were lifted.

For the guests who had come to observe, watching John Reed’s progress was their primary goal. Everyone knew that after Rachel Jackson, it would be John Reed’s turn.

“John Reed!” The test official called out the name with pride, looking around at the crowd with a sense of honor.

He was the first to know and witness the growth of the Luo family’s genius. Every time, he was the one to announce those astonishing, envy-inducing numbers, and this time was no exception. As a member of the Luo family, anyone would feel immense pride in having such a genius.

As the voice fell, John Reed stepped forward. Everyone shifted their gaze from Rachel Jackson to focus on him.

John Reed took a deep breath. This was the first time in his life he had felt pressure. For nine whole months, even the slumbering Jane Taylor had awakened, but he still hadn’t broken through his physical limit, remaining at 3,000 jin.

If the guests knew his strength was only 3,000 jin, they would probably be disappointed.

Of course, for many people, disappointment would only last a moment—after that, there might be a surprise. They just didn’t know it yet.

The distance between John Reed and the strength-testing stone was only about thirty meters, but to him, it felt incredibly far.