Divine Archer!

The agreement was that holding it for three breaths would count as passing.

However, Xie An held the stone lock for six breaths. Only when his waist and arms began to feel strained did he finally put the stone lock down.

He had significantly slowed his descent of the stone lock. Because it was so heavy, the moment it hit the ground, it still made a "bang" sound, and the ground itself trembled.

"Good! Good!"

Elder Tang exclaimed "good" twice in succession, showing his shock and joy.

If this were in the county town, lifting seven hundred jin wouldn't be much. But this was Wuqiao Town. Because it was remote, talented individuals within the Tiger Wolf Gate were unwilling to come to White Feather Hall.

This branch hall had always been short on talent.

Seeing Elder Tang's evaluation, Zhang Lin's worried heart finally relaxed. He had initially been concerned that Elder Tang would not approve of Xie An, which would implicate him.

Now that Elder Tang had spoken so highly, even if Xie An had some minor issues in the practical combat test, he figured Elder Tang wouldn't accuse him of favoritism.

Resettling himself in the grand tutor's chair, Elder Tang's mood visibly improved. "Have you practiced with weapons?"

Xie An didn't hide anything. "I've only practiced archery."

Elder Tang's expression grew somber.

By rights, the second part of the examination should have been practical combat. He should have had Tong Shan and Xie An spar to verify their combat skills.

Perhaps Elder Tang felt a pang of sympathy for Xie An's age and worried that Tong Shan might accidentally injure him during a spar. Thus, he decided testing the old man's archery skills wouldn't be a bad idea.

If his archery was good enough, it would be equivalent to practical combat.

"Since you haven't practiced with weapons, it wouldn't be fair to have you spar with Tong Shan, who specializes in saber techniques. Archery is equally important. What draw weight are you accustomed to?"

Xie An replied, "A two-stone bow is the most stable for me."

Xie An could lift seven hundred jin with one arm. According to the Great Qian Dynasty's measurements, a one-stone bow had a draw weight of two hundred jin. He could certainly draw a three-stone bow.

With both arms, he could even draw a four-stone bow.

However, archery wasn't about using the heaviest bow possible. If drawing the bow itself was strenuous, it could easily lead to excessive muscle contraction throughout the body, causing instability in the limbs and mind. This would be a major problem for aiming.

Xie An estimated that a two-stone bow was perfect for him, as it wouldn't affect his accuracy.

Elder Tang nodded. "Tong Shan, go fetch a two-stone bow."

"Yes, Elder."

Tong Shan entered the room and quickly returned with a heavy bow and a quiver containing five arrows, handing them both to Xie An.

Xie An thanked him and took the items. He gripped the bow handle with one hand and pulled the string with the other. It wasn't difficult; it felt just right.

Elder Tang pointed to a poplar tree outside the courtyard. "There are two small sparrows on the treetop, about a hundred meters from here. Give it a try."

"Yes."

Xie An readily agreed. He steadied his stance, facing the sparrows on the treetop. He drew an arrow from the quiver, nocked it, and slowly drew the bowstring to a full moon.

Drawing the bow required no effort. His arm muscles didn't need to contract excessively, which wouldn't affect his aim.

The next step was aiming.

A two-stone bow in the Great Qian Dynasty had a draw weight of four hundred jin. It could shoot 200 meters, but its power significantly decreased in the latter half of the trajectory. Coupled with gravity, the projectile dropped sharply, making aiming very difficult.

However, in the first hundred meters, the arrow traveled fastest, and the parabolic drop was not very pronounced, making aiming less challenging.

Elder Tang clearly understood these nuances, which was why he chose a hundred-meter range for the test.

Hitting a small target like a sparrow at a hundred meters would earn the title of Divine Archer even in the army. The archery test in the provincial Martial Examination only required shooting at a range of 120 to 130 meters.

Xie An knew that if he hit this small sparrow, the practical combat test would be passed. At that point, he would become an official in the Tiger Wolf Gate, embarking on a completely new chapter in his life.

His future prospects, success or failure... all depended on this next arrow.

The pressure was immense.

Xie An had to take it seriously. He took several deep breaths, pushing through the pressure to maintain his calm.

Xie An knew that many people who were quite capable in normal times often performed poorly under pressure because their mindset wasn't strong enough to handle it.

For example, many high school seniors in his previous life, who ranked at the top in mock exams, would fail miserably once they faced the college entrance examination.

The same applied to the imperial examinations in this life.

It was all because the pressure was too great. The outcome of the exam had too significant an impact on their future lives, causing candidates to become hesitant and indecisive.

In short, they overthought things.

Xie An told himself not to overthink it and just perform to the best of his ability. Even if he failed, he could at worst become an assistant official, or just lay low for a few more years. It wasn't the end of the world.

As the military strategist Sun Tzu said: "A general who knows how to defeat the enemy before fighting is invincible."

It was no wonder the Tiger Wolf Gate established the Examination Hall to conduct practical combat tests on-site. Besides verifying strength, it also served to test one's mindset.

Once he could accept the consequences of failure, Xie An was no longer hesitant or indecisive. All distracting thoughts were cleared from his mind. His eyes and heart were focused solely on the arrow in his hand and the bird on the treetop.

Soon, Xie An entered a state of near-perfect focus.

He waited for the two small sparrows to position themselves on the same straight line.

Shooting one was the same as shooting two.

"If I'm going to shoot, why not shoot two?"

This way, Elder Tang's appreciation for him would surely double.

The three people in the yard, seeing that Xie An hadn't shot yet, thought he was under too much pressure and wasn't confident about hitting the target. Zhang Lin couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat for Xie An.

Xie An, however, paid no mind to what others were thinking and patiently waited for the opportunity to arise.

Finally, the two little sparrows adjusted their positions and stood on the same straight line.

Now's the chance!

Xie An suddenly released the bowstring in his hand.

Twang!

As the bowstring snapped back with a piercing hum, the arrow shot out, whistling through the air towards the tips of the poplar trees outside the courtyard. The two sparrows, which had been chirping incessantly, abruptly fell silent, both pierced by a single arrow.

The arrow didn't stop after piercing the two little sparrows; instead, its momentum carried it forward, continuing its rapid flight before embedding itself with a "thud" into a branch at the very top of the tree.

The branch, as thick as a wrist, was pierced clean through. The impact shook the poplar tree violently, causing snow to fall in cascades.

Seeing this, Xie An finally lowered his bow, a satisfied smile gracing his face.

I withstood the pressure and performed to my expected level.

The other three people in the courtyard were all Guan-level Martial Artists. Their senses were sharp, and their eyesight extraordinary, so they naturally saw what was happening at the treetop.

Zhang Lin was shocked, and his gaze towards Xie An changed. He had initially thought this old man only possessed strength comparable to the Bronze Skin Realm, and that he could easily handle him after he joined the sect, perhaps even acting as a senior figure.

Now, he felt a little uneasy.

Tong Shan, on the other hand, nodded repeatedly at Xie An, showing his approval.

"Bravo!"

Elder Tang stood up again and cheered, "For the practical assessment, your archery is more than enough. Zhang Lin, you've recommended a Divine Archer to our Tiger Wolf Gate. Tong Shan, bring the roster."

Tong Shan produced the roster and a brush. Elder Tang took them and was about to dip the brush into the ink to write Xie An's name when he suddenly remembered something. "Right, I still don't know your name?"

Xie An glanced at Zhang Lin out of the corner of his eye, then leaned closer to Elder Tang. In a voice only Elder Tang could hear, he said, "My name is Xie An."

Elder Tang didn't inquire about Xie An's age or background. Upholding the Tiger Wolf Gate's fine tradition of recruiting talented individuals regardless of their origin or age, he immediately wrote Xie An's name on the roster. Below it, he added a line: "Attendant of White Feather Hall."

Then, Elder Tang had Tong Shan bring out a box of ink paste. "Press your handprint here on the roster. From this moment on, you are an attendant under our Tiger Wolf Gate."

"Yes, Elder Tang."

Xie An cupped his hands in a bow, then pressed his right thumb into the ink paste box, coating it in red pigment. He then found his name on the roster.

That line stood out prominently: Xie An (Attendant of White Feather Hall).

Xie An suppressed his surging emotions and pressed his finger down firmly.

He knew that from this day forward, his life had stepped onto a new level.