It seemed as if he had walked for a long time before John Reed finally arrived in front of the strength testing stone. After about three breaths, he took a deep breath and threw a punch forward.

Everyone held their breath, eyes wide open, fully focused.

The testing steward’s gaze followed John Reed’s fist and landed on the strength testing stone.

With a loud bang, ripples spread across the surface of the stone, and in an instant, four digits appeared—3000.

“Hmm—?” The smile on the testing steward’s face froze instantly, his eyes filled with disbelief as he couldn’t help but rub them.

The first time, John Reed’s strength reached over nine hundred jin; the second time, it was as high as over two thousand three hundred jin. This time, even if John Reed’s punch had exceeded five digits, the steward wouldn’t have been too surprised, because with John Reed’s potential, stepping into the True Qi Realm and reaching over ten thousand jin of strength within a year was very possible.

However, a mere three thousand jin was enough to shock the steward, making it almost unbelievable and causing him to doubt his own eyes.

3000...

He wasn’t seeing things. After rubbing his eyes, the steward still saw the same number.

“John Reed, strength... th-three thousand jin, the limit of blood exchange.” The steward, stammering a bit, announced John Reed’s result.

“How is that possible?”

“Why only three thousand jin?”

“He hasn’t stepped into the True Qi Realm?”

“He’s only increased his strength by just over six hundred jin this year?”

...

The guests all cried out in surprise, the place erupting like a boiling pot.

The first year, his strength increased by over nine hundred jin; the second year, by over one thousand four hundred jin.

But in the third year, it was only just over six hundred jin.

Although John Reed’s result was the best among all the underage descendants of the Luo family, every guest still found it hard to believe.

Could John Reed’s bottleneck be the limit of body tempering?

Some guessed so, but it seemed too far-fetched.

At this moment, John Reed stood before the strength testing stone, the voices around him magnified countless times in his ears, eventually turning into a buzzing that drowned him out.

The world before his eyes began to spin.

But in John Reed’s heart, he was shouting: “I must break through the limits of the flesh, I must break through the limits of the flesh...!”

He clenched his fists tightly, his nails almost digging into his palms, his eyes flashing with a sharp light as he swept his gaze around.

That was the look of confidence.

The discussions around him instantly fell silent.

Standing before them was the most talented genius in the history of Pingyang County, both in physique and comprehension. Even if he faced setbacks, as long as he overcame this hurdle, his future achievements would still be limitless.

The doubt faded from the guests’ eyes as they stared at John Reed, watching him return to his place.

However, quite a few people’s gazes had changed compared to before.

Among the younger generation, Hugh Reed, Felix Reed... those with outstanding talent all showed a hint of secret delight in their eyes. If John Reed couldn’t step into the True Qi Realm soon, then they would have hope of surpassing him.

“Number forty-five, Jane Taylor!”

After John Reed, it was Jane Taylor’s turn. As the steward called her name, laughter immediately broke out.

Everyone remembered this short girl who, after two years of training, had only reached thirty jin of strength.

If John Reed’s talent had set a new record in Pingyang County’s history, then without a doubt, this little girl had set the lowest record.

Suddenly, the laughter stopped abruptly.

When Jane Taylor stepped out from the crowd, everyone was stunned: Was this... still the short girl from last year?

Now, Jane Taylor was tall and slender, and even compared to John Reed, she was not lacking in height.

Moreover, her skin was fair and delicate, and her petite figure had already begun to show subtle curves.

Short girl? Ugly duckling? These words could no longer describe her.

She was like a beautiful flower bud about to bloom, already showing the makings of a peerless beauty. In time, when she grew up, she would surely become a stunning beauty who could topple a kingdom.

Even Rachel Jackson, who was also considered a beauty among the younger generation, paled in comparison.

In the past, Rachel Jackson was the number one beauty among the younger generation, but from now on, she might have to settle for second place.

They say girls change a lot as they grow, but Jane Taylor was only eleven years old—not that old—and yet she had changed so much in just one year, which was truly astonishing.

In the crowd, Rachel Jackson felt rather uncomfortable. Now, even she was a little jealous of Jane Taylor’s looks.

She pouted slightly and thought to herself, “You may have become prettier, but your strength won’t increase. If you can’t succeed in cultivation, you’ll just be an ordinary person in the future—no matter how pretty you are, it’s useless...!”

As John Reed and Jane Taylor passed each other, Jane Taylor grabbed John Reed’s arm and said, “John Reed gege, don’t lose heart. Jane Taylor believes in you. You’ll definitely get through this hurdle. In the future, Jane Taylor still wants you to look after her...!”

A trace of warmth rose in John Reed’s heart. He smiled slightly and nodded.