The Upcoming County Town Grand Competition

During these few days in Linhe Village, the threshold of his home was nearly worn down by the matchmakers.

Chen Qinglin, also greatly troubled by this, instructed his parents not to agree to any marriage arrangements. Right now, the most important thing for him was to focus on martial arts training.

These past few days, he had concentrated on archery, while his fist techniques and sword art had seen no substantial breakthroughs.

[Chen Qinglin]

Lifespan: 14/56

Realm: Body Tempering Third Layer

Skills: Archery (Perfection 1/10000), Iron Wire Fist (Proficient 431/500), Iron Sword Art (Familiar 85/200)

With archery reaching perfection, techniques like Chain Arrows, Curving Arrow, and Double Eagle Arrow came effortlessly to Chen Qinglin's hands.

Tiger meat nourished Blood Qi and strengthened bones and sinews, possessing many wonderful uses. His hands now had eight to nine hundred jin of strength, and he was not far from Body Tempering Fourth Level.

As for Fourth Senior Brother and Fifth Senior Brother, based on their usual training performance, their Iron Wire Fist was at most at the Familiar level. Fifth Senior Brother trained day and night, yet his sword art had only reached Familiar.

As for Fourth Senior Brother, the affairs of the Martial Arts School had taken up part of his energy, and his sword art was not much higher—also at the Familiar level.

Third Senior Sister had Familiar-level fist techniques and Proficient-level sword art. Moreover, her family was fairly well-off in the town, and Master had said she was not far from Body Tempering Sixth Level.

It seemed Fourth Senior Brother's chances with his love were getting further and further away!

Eldest Senior Brother Xie Jingjiang had not been met yet; his specific strength was unknown. Second Senior Brother Jiang Zhong had joined earlier, and both his fist techniques and sword art had already reached the Proficient level.

Previously, Jiang Zhong had escorted the Zhou Family Merchant Caravan to the county town. He should probably be back by now...

"Qingyan Town has arrived." A voice by his ear interrupted Chen Qinglin's thoughts. Lifting his eyes, he saw the city gate.

"Uncle Liu Da, thank you very much!"

"What are you saying? It was no trouble at all."

Paying the fare, Chen Qinglin carried his large bundle back to his residence in town. Thinking about how grain and silver were occasionally lost on this street, keeping these things here didn't seem very safe.

It seemed he would need to be careful these days. Recalling some people he had glimpsed on his way back, tonight was bound to be a sleepless night.

In the dead of night, under the cover of darkness, a furtive figure, tiptoeing so lightly that his steps were almost inaudible, stealthily crept to the courtyard wall.

Like a nimble cat, he silently slipped into the yard. Before he could take two steps, a miserable scream rang out: "Ahhh!!"

Looking down, he had stepped on a trap. Cursing inwardly, he shut his mouth and was about to flee.

Then he heard a voice from the courtyard gate: "How about it, Brother Qingshi? I told you there would be some reckless little thief coming tonight."

Seeing the two men, the petty thief pulled out a knife, intending to threaten them. Chen Qinglin closed the distance in three strides and, with a single hand-chop, knocked the thief unconscious, cutting his plan short!

The next morning, he escorted the petty thief to the Town Guard. He told Chen Qingshi to train in the courtyard for the next few days, while Chen Qinglin himself took a jar of Tiger Bone Wine to the Martial Arts School.

During the days he was away, Chen Qingshi had finally sensed his Blood Qi and entered the Body Tempering Realm. He had also been accepted as a disciple by Xie Feng, and was just waiting for the formal apprenticeship ceremony.

Seeing Xie Feng, he was speaking with a young man. The man had broad shoulders, a tall and straight posture, sword-like brows and starry eyes, carrying an innate heroic bearing.

"Master, I'm back." Chen Qinglin entered and bowed to Xie Feng.

"You're back. Nothing happened in the village, I hope?"

"Nothing major, Master. Your disciple has already taken care of it."

"That's good."

Saying this, Xie Feng pulled the man beside him and introduced him to Chen Qinglin: "This is your Eldest Senior Brother, Xie Jingjiang. Jingjiang was in the county before, so you two haven't met."

"Junior Brother, I am your Eldest Senior Brother, Xie Jingjiang."

Before Xie Feng could finish the introduction, Xie Jingjiang introduced himself.

"I heard Father has taken on a new disciple with excellent talent. That must be you, Junior Brother."

"You flatter me, Senior Brother. Senior Brother is already at Body Tempering Ninth Level. It shouldn't be long before you break through to the Inner Qi Realm. How can your junior brother compare?"

"Alas, though it's only a step away, I don't know when I'll be able to break through."

Perhaps having seen a wider world, Xie Jingjiang did not rest on his laurels with this meager cultivation. This level of cultivation might allow one to dominate a town, but it was truly just a frog at the bottom of a well.

Perhaps only those at Qingfeng Mountain, where his little sister was—people whose names were renowned even in Daxuan—could be called true geniuses.

The Body Tempering Realm only qualified one to be an Outer Sect Disciple. Only by breaking through to the Inner Qi Realm before the age of twenty could one become an Inner Disciple.

If only he could enter a Martial Dao Sect. Then perhaps his path in martial arts could go further.

The two chatted for a few more moments, and then Chen Qinglin said to Xie Feng:

"Master, this disciple hunted that tiger, took its bones, and brewed some wine with herbs added. I've brought it especially for Master to taste." As he spoke, he handed over the wine jar in his hand.

"Junior Brother came in a hurry this time. I'll make up for it later, Senior Brother." With Chen Qingshi's breakthrough to the Body Tempering Realm, Chen Qinglin wanted the two of them to move into the Martial Arts School, and then treat the senior and junior brothers to a big meal.

"What are you saying? Senior Brother accepts your kind intention." Xie Jingjiang waved his hand, then said, "How about this: in a few days, when all the senior and junior brothers are here, Senior Brother will treat you to a meal. Junior Brother must come."

"When Senior Brother invites, how would I dare not come?"

"..."

Xie Feng watched the harmonious scene between his disciples, his heart filled with comfort.

He called the two of them aside and said, "Train hard in martial arts. At the year-end competition, with the two of you here, our school might climb a few more ranks. That way, we can get more training resources."

"Master, what's the year-end competition?" Chen Qinglin had been there for a while but hadn't heard of this yet.

"The year-end competition is a martial arts contest held in Dingyuan County to divide the training resources among the county's martial arts schools."

"The competition is split into two rounds. The first round is a match between disciples who have trained for less than a year, testing the school's teaching ability and the disciples' talent."

"Now that you've become a Martial Artist, the Town Guard has already come to register you."

"The second round is a match between disciples at the Body Tempering Realm, testing the school's foundation."

"The school's ranking determines the amount of training resources it receives for the next year."

"At year's end, people from the sects come to watch. If a disciple shows exceptional talent, they can enter Qingfeng Mountain to cultivate," Xie Feng explained.

"When a school nurtures an outstanding disciple who enters a sect, the school receives rewards from the sect. And the disciple gets to develop in a better place."

"What's the standard for entering a sect, Master?"

"Breaking through to Body Tempering Seventh Level before the age of sixteen."

"Having a chance to break through to the Inner Qi Realm before twenty, and you can enter Qingfeng Mountain."

Xie Feng then told Chen Qinglin a bunch of common knowledge about martial arts and the structure of the Great Xuan Kingdom before letting him go train.

Chen Qinglin now had a rough outline of the Great Xuan Kingdom.

The Great Xuan Kingdom was divided into fourteen prefectures, with three great sects within its borders: Qingfeng Mountain, Cloud Show Valley, and the Overlord Saber Sect. All were Eighth-Rank Sects, with Spirit Aperture Realm Martial Artists among their ranks.

However, none of the three great sects had more than five Spirit Aperture Realm Martial Artists; otherwise, they would be Seventh-Rank Sects.

The imperial family possessed all under heaven. Emperor Taizu of Yan had secured the realm with the help of the three great sects, thus setting aside nine prefectures and allowing the Three Sects to recruit disciples within them.

The other five prefectures were directly controlled by the imperial family, while the three great sects also bore the responsibility of protecting the land and its people.

Sect disciples often punished evil and promoted good, maintained the people's welfare, and captured criminals wanted by the authorities.

Chen Qinglin was in Cangzhou, which, along with the two prefectures of Yunzhou and Youzhou, fell within Qingfeng Mountain's domain. As a result, most Martial Artists from these three prefectures joined Qingfeng Mountain.

Just like Xie Feng's daughter, Xie Jingyun, who had entered it, allowing Xie Feng to break through to the Inner Qi Realm.