First Round

Liu Yan covered her mouth. The image of the thin, silent, shy young Hunter buying chicks, overlapped heavily with the martial artist figure before her, who drew a hard bow like a full moon. Her heart trembled, as if a lifetime had passed.

Xiao Li's expression remained unchanged, but the hands clasped behind his back tightened silently, and a sharp glint flashed deep in his eyes. He didn't want a second Li He...

On the other side, the wrinkles on Xu Dian's face smoothed out, and he broke into an undisguised smile of surprise.

Cui Hao's display was not just about strength, but also a steady, skillful touch, far exceeding his lowest expectations.

"Good! Good!" Qian Zhendong applauded, his tone complex. "Brother Xu, your academy is truly a place where dragons lie hidden and tigers crouch! Next year's martial arts examination, it seems we will have two stars shining brightly!"

If a martial arts academy could send out two Martial Xiucai at the same time, its reputation would soar.

He Fulin looked at Xu Dian with complicated eyes, his tone sour yet probing. "Brother Xu, you're not being fair! Besides Xiao Li, you've been hiding such an uncarved piece of jade? You've kept it from us for so long!"

Xu Dian stroked his beard, his smile slightly restrained. "Brother He, you flatter me. This child's aptitude when he joined was indeed below average, only his perseverance was passable. After two months of hard work, he barely managed to step into the Mortal Martial threshold before the deadline."

"His performance today is entirely due to his own diligence, and… perhaps a bit of luck."

Hearing this, the envy in the eyes of Qian and He indeed faded a little.

Below-average aptitude… that was an invisible ceiling.

The further one progressed in the martial path, the greater the impact of aptitude on breaking through major bottlenecks, especially the chasm between Clear Force and Dark Force.

Someone with below-average aptitude was almost certainly destined to be stuck before Dark Force, with Clear Force perhaps being their endpoint.

And for academies like theirs, what was truly scarce was never Mortal Martial or even Clear Force, but seedlings with the potential to glimpse Dark Force, those who could become the true pillars and signs of their academies in the future.

Once he understood this, Xu Dian's surprise quickly subsided, and he returned to his usual composed demeanor.

On the examination grounds.

Whoosh—Bang!

Cui Hao released his fingers. The bowstring, tensed to its limit, snapped back with terrifying kinetic energy, emitting a sharp whistling sound through the air and a dull thudding impact. The entire bow vibrated violently.

One time was enough.

Drawing a four-stone bow once held far more weight than drawing a three-stone bow multiple times.

With this feat alone, his ranking had firmly surpassed Xiao Li.

But the subtle "pause" he introduced when drawing the bow cleverly obscured his true strength, making him seem not overly astonishing while still ensuring a sufficient advantage.

Buzzing discussions erupted from the sidelines, surprised by Cui Hao.

In the distance, Zhu Gui's eyes flashed. He quickly pulled over his niece, Hu Zhi, and asked in a low voice, "Zhi'er, tell me honestly, what is Cui Hao's cultivation level??"

Hu Zhi replied truthfully, "Mortal Martial Great Accomplishment."

"Mortal Martial Great Accomplishment, four-stone bow…" Zhu Gui stroked his goatee, rapidly calculating. "He's still young. If we invest heavily in medicinal baths to temper him, he might not necessarily be unable to reach Perfection, or even strive for Clear Force…"

Thinking of this, Zhu Gui lowered his voice and said to Hu Zhi, "Your cousin is just coming of age and is not yet married. Go and ask Cui Hao if he's willing to become a live-in son-in-law to my Zhu family. If he agrees, my Zhu family will cover all his martial arts expenses!"

Hu Zhi was stunned. "Uncle, didn't you say before that you wanted to take in a scholarly scholar as a live-in son-in-law to uphold our family's image?"

"Martial Xiucai is also a scholar!" Zhu Gui glared. "Hurry up! If this works out, I'll handle your father. If not… I can't guarantee I won't accidentally let slip about your monthly allowance of three taels of silver."

Thinking of her father's miserly nature, who guarded his copper coins more closely than his life and kept the key on his person day and night, Hu Zhi's scalp tingled. She could only nod helplessly, "…I'll try."

The examination continued.

The four-stone bow area was not Cui Hao's sole display. Several others stepped forward to try, with two performing particularly impressively.

One was an elite from the Sihai Martial Arts Academy, Mortal Martial Perfection, who calmly drew it once.

The other was the young master of the Qingyuan City Shao family, who possessed natural divine strength. He roared and drew the four-stone bow three consecutive times, causing an uproar throughout the venue and stealing the spotlight.

Cui Hao watched from below, his mind already calculating.

'Those with better results than me are fewer than ten. The first round is stable. The second round is actual combat sparring. As long as I don't encounter those few top-tier individuals, or desperate fugitives who fight with their lives, and perform normally, passing the preliminary exam should be no problem.'

His gaze swept towards the Clear Force candidate area.

Sun Cheng had just drawn the six-stone bow three times, a decent performance. However, in the Clear Force group, which was full of strong competitors, he could only be considered upper-middle. If he didn't have a standout performance in the second round, it would be difficult to rank among the top.

At noon, the drum sounded again, and the first round of strength testing concluded.

The crowd began to move. As Cui Hao squeezed out of the crowd, he was stopped by a middle-aged man in sturdy clothing with an enthusiastic and capable smile.

The man cupped his hands. "Young Master Cui, I am Zhou Er, a guard from the Yuanjian Escort Agency. Your strength is astonishing, and your future is promising! Are you interested in joining our agency as a bodyguard? The monthly salary is eight taels, plus three bags of Qi and Blood Powder!"

Wang Nian was in the early Mortal Martial stage and received a monthly salary of two taels as a guard at the Zhang family, with no medicinal powder.

This disparity in treatment directly reflected the value of strength and potential.

Cui Hao's heart stirred. These conditions were indeed generous. He cupped his hands in return, his tone polite yet reserved. "Brother Zhou, you honor me. This is a significant matter, please allow me a few days to consider before I reply."

"Of course!" Zhou Er's smile didn't diminish. "Brother Cui, you can come to the Yuanjian Escort Agency west of the city to find me anytime! I await your good news!"

As soon as Zhou Er left, several stewards from wealthy merchants squeezed forward. Their words were earnest, and their offers were tempting, all aiming to have him "hang his name" and provide sponsorship, hoping to invest in a future "Martial Xiucai."

Cui Hao maintained a humble yet distant smile, politely declining each offer. His words were tactful, causing no embarrassment, yet were watertight.

Compared to these sponsorships, the monthly three taels from the Hu Family Flower Shop, though seemingly meager, required little in return and was thus purer and safer.

"Cui Hao!"

A familiar female voice came from behind. Cui Hao turned, and it was Hu Zhi.

"Manager Hu." Cui Hao clasped his fists.

"Good performance," Hu Zhi walked forward, her gaze sweeping over his face, and she lowered her voice. "My uncle wants to take you as his son-in-law. You don't have to give me face; refuse him directly if you don't want to agree."

"Zhi'er! Why are you turning your elbow outwards?" Zhu Gui appeared from somewhere, first glaring at his niece, then plastering a smile on his face towards Cui Hao, cupping his fists. "Young Brother Cui, I am Zhu Gui, owner of the Yuntong Pawnshop."

"Your heroic display on stage just now was truly admirable! I have a young daughter, gentle in nature, who has just come of age and is not yet married. If Young Brother Cui doesn't mind, I am willing to take you as my son-in-law and fully support your martial arts cultivation! How about it?"

Cui Hao maintained his proper smile, cupping his fists. "Steward Zhu's kind offer, Cui accepts with gratitude. However, I am already married and dare not delay your esteemed daughter."

"Already married?" Zhu Gui's smile froze. According to the laws of Da'an, a wife could not be divorced without cause, and her status was protected by law. His calculations instantly fell through, and he couldn't hide his disappointment, murmuring, "What a pity, what a pity..."

Shaking his head, he turned and left with a sense of dejection.

Seeing her uncle walk away, Hu Zhi seemed to relax, her tone becoming lighter. "Cui Hao, many people are saying now that you'll definitely get a good ranking."

Cui Hao clasped his fists again. "Thank you for your kind words, Manager Hu, and thank you for your sponsorship."

"It's a shame, cultivation supplies have increased significantly recently. Both Qi and Blood Powder and Qi and Blood Pills have become much more expensive," Hu Zhi changed the subject, a hint of helplessness on her face. "On my end... with a monthly quota of three taels, I can't give you more."

"Manager Hu speaks too highly," Cui Hao clasped his fists. "Three taels is already very precious to me."

Hu Zhi nodded slightly and left first.

As soon as Hu Zhi left, Sun Cheng, who had been waiting nearby, strode forward and playfully punched Cui Hao's shoulder with a not-so-light force. "You sly dog, Cui Hao! You've been hiding your strength! You even fooled me! A four-stone bow! You're something else!"

"Junior Brother Cui," Xu Liqing approached, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration. "You truly gave us a big surprise today."

"Senior Sister Xu flatters me," Cui Hao clasped his fists, not showing a trace of pride. "It's just that my condition was good today, and my strength flowed smoothly."

"Condition?" Xu Liqing shook her head, her tone firm. "Mastery of Mortal Martial, drawing a four-stone bow, this is definitely not something that can be dismissed with the word 'condition'. If you hold steady in the practical combat this afternoon, you will surely secure a spot for resources."

As soon as she finished speaking, a voice with a hint of a smile and seven parts deliberate closeness chimed in, "Junior Sister Xu is right. It seems that Hongzhan Martial School will have another talented individual for the martial arts examination next year. Truly a cause for celebration."

The newcomer was dressed in a brocade outfit, with a handsome face and a smile on his lips. It was Fang Hai, the young master of the Fang family's martial arts school.

His family's inherited "Wind and Cloud Palm" technique was quite renowned among the younger generation in Qingyuan City.

Xu Liqing's expression instantly turned cold, as if covered in a layer of frost. She averted her gaze and did not respond.