The Martial Examination Officially Begins!

After hearing Wang Chen's account, Lu Feng asked again, "Wuji Cult is taking in refugees so openly—aren't they afraid of the Imperial Court dealing with them?"

Wang Chen shook his head. "I don't know about that. I only know that Wuji Cult was originally a sect force from the inland regions, yet it has now spread to Beiyuan Prefecture. It seems their ambitions are far from small."

Lu Feng took a sip of tea and said indifferently, "Wuji Cult or Erji Cult, whatever. All I want now is to achieve a good result in tomorrow's Martial Examination."

"Mm, you're right! If you can make it into the top ten, not only will you bring honor to Qinglu County, but you can also secure yourself a good future." Wang Chen nodded in agreement.

The two chatted while observing the situation within the city, and before they knew it, evening had arrived.

After a simple dinner, Lu Feng returned to his room.

"Tomorrow, I'll be taking part in the Martial Examination. I wonder if there'll be any experts who can exchange a few moves with me."

Lu Feng stood with his arms folded, gazing out the window. The next moment, a leaf slowly drifted down from the tree outside.

The leaf was about thirty feet away from him. Seeing this, he raised his hand and struck out with his palm.

In an instant, the leaf was shattered into powder.

"Hehe, Internal energy projection truly is extraordinary!"

If that destructive force struck a person, it could absolutely kill them in a single blow.

Even Martial Artists and Martial Masters alike would find it difficult to withstand.

After testing the methods of the Grandmaster Realm, Lu Feng decided to turn in early so he could prepare for tomorrow's Martial Examination.

The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, Lu Feng woke up bright and early.

When he had finished washing up and stepped out of his room, he saw that Wang Chen was already waiting for him in the first-floor hall.

Lu Feng raised a hand in greeting. "Brother Wang, I didn't expect you to be up so early!"

Wang Chen merely nodded slightly before saying, "Let's go. We'll get something to eat first, then head to the Prefectural Yamen."

"Alright!"

The two had a simple breakfast before arriving at the gates of the Prefectural Yamen.

Yet upon reaching the place, they discovered that the entrance to the Prefectural Yamen was already packed to the brim.

Some were taking part in the Martial Examination, while an even greater number were accompanying them.

Wang Chen looked at him and said, "Lu Feng, it all depends on your performance now! Do your best!"

"Mm, I understand."

With that, Lu Feng turned and entered the Prefectural Yamen. After presenting his credentials, a Yamen Runner directed him to wait at the Martial Arts Arena for the subsequent trials.

The Great Yan Dynasty's Martial Examination was somewhat different from the martial examinations of his previous life. In his previous life, even those competing for the title of Top Martial Scholar had to take a written examination.

But the Great Yan Dynasty's Martial Examination tested only martial prowess and physical strength. As for the written examination, only after one passed and entered the Capital City would there be a basic test of literary ability.

Even that was merely going through the motions. As long as your martial strength was formidable, the Imperial Court would employ you heavily even if you could not read a single word.

Following the Yamen Runner's directions, Lu Feng arrived at the Prefectural Yamen's Martial Arts Arena. This was his second time here.

Outside the Martial Arts Arena stood row upon row of people taking part in the Martial Examination.

Lu Feng gave the place a quick look and discovered that ten Bronze Cauldrons had been set up in the Martial Arts Arena.

There were also ten lines, corresponding exactly to the ten cauldrons.

Those lined up to take the Martial Examination all had to lift a cauldron.

Seeing this, Lu Feng guessed that this was one stage of the Martial Examination.

Although the previous qualification assessment had already provided an initial test of martial strength, lifting the cauldron before him was a second assessment of one's power.

On the raised platform opposite the Martial Arts Arena sat four people: Prefect Xu, Miss Shangguan, and two high-ranking officials from the prefectural city.

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Having finished observing, Lu Feng chose a line and joined it.

While waiting in line, he saw quite a few Martial Examination participants unable to lift the Bronze Cauldron.

Those who could not raise the cauldron were immediately eliminated by the examiners.

Very soon, half an hour passed. Of the original thousand or so people in the Martial Arts Arena, only one-third remained.

As Lu Feng watched those who had been eliminated, he heard them seemingly complain about why Prefect Xu had suddenly changed the content of the Martial Examination.

Lu Feng was completely baffled by this. It was his first time taking the Martial Examination, so he did not understand how things had been done in the past.

From the complaints of those eliminated, it was clear that the Martial Examination had not been like this before.

This Bronze Cauldron seemed to have blocked many people who had been trying to muddle through.

At this moment, Lu Feng's line finally reached him.

He immediately handed his Martial Examination credentials to the examiner. After checking them, the man spoke.

"Lu Feng, correct? Next, you must lift this Bronze Cauldron above your head and hold it there for ten breaths. If you fail to do so, you will be deemed to have failed the assessment and eliminated immediately. Do you understand?"

Lu Feng nodded. "I understand."

"Mm, then let's begin!"

Having received the examiner's order, Lu Feng said no more. He strode straight onto the Martial Arts Arena and stopped before the Bronze Cauldron.

Studying the great cauldron before him, a measuring look appeared in his eyes.

Then he stretched out both hands, gripping the mouth of the cauldron with one and bracing its rim with the other. After drawing a deep breath, he exerted force with both arms and directly lifted the Bronze Cauldron.

At first, he had thought this great cauldron would be tremendously heavy, but once he got his hands on it, he found it was nothing much.

This Bronze Cauldron weighed no more than two thousand jin, while the strength of his physical body had already reached fifteen thousand jin.

Lifting a cauldron weighing two thousand jin was simply effortless.

As he raised the Bronze Cauldron over his head, the examiner began keeping time.

"One breath!"

"Two breaths!"

"Nine breaths!"

Although some people had passed the cauldron-lifting test before him, every one of them had worn an agonized expression while lifting it.

Yet Lu Feng looked utterly relaxed, as though what he held overhead was not a two-thousand-jin cauldron, but a wooden washbasin.

"Ten breaths are up. Congratulations, you've passed!" the examiner announced loudly.

Only then did Lu Feng slowly lower the great cauldron to the ground.

This air of lifting heavy weights as lightly as though they were nothing surprised not only the examiner, but also the other Martial Examination candidates.

Afterward, the examiner stamped a red seal onto his Martial Examination credential and said, "Lu Feng, there are still other Martial Examination contests to come. Go wait in the rest area on the right side of the Martial Arts Arena."

He accepted the credential, cupped his fists in salute, then turned and left the Martial Arts Arena.

With the first round of cauldron lifting concluded, only a little over two hundred people remained in the Martial Arts Arena's rest area.

In other words, only around one quarter of the candidates had passed the first round.

Such an elimination rate genuinely surprised him. Just then, the ten Bronze Cauldrons on the Martial Arts Arena were simultaneously carried away by the examiners.

Then, a middle-aged man dressed in Official Robes slowly stepped onto the Martial Arts Arena and called out loudly.

"All Martial Examination candidates who passed the first round, listen up. The second round begins now: martial arts sparring!"