Strength Bearing Festival [II]

"A year of bitter training has finally led to this day."

"Today, I will become the Hammer Holder. No one is going to take that from me!"

"Heh, you lot want to compete with me? Don't become the Hammer Holder only to find you can't even lift the hammer. I, for one, can deadlift three hundred kilograms."

Hearing this, the younger generation couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement, all of them rubbing their palms and rolling up their sleeves.

Clearly, they were all looking forward to the upcoming Strength Bearing Festival.

The Strength Bearing Festival is a unique tradition of the Hu Clan's Ancestral Rite. While other traditions have been abolished to varying degrees due to the changing times, this one alone has been preserved, continuing for hundreds of years to this day.

The Strength Bearing Festival can be seen as a test of one's own strength.

Those who perform well receive monetary rewards.

Becoming the Hammer Holder grants even greater benefits, along with a series of support.

Whether starting a business or pursuing a career in officialdom, everything will be smooth sailing.

Beyond that, there is even a chance to come into contact with that kind of power...

Therefore, the benefits of becoming the Hammer Holder are unimaginable.

Precisely because of this, the young people of the Hu Family are extremely enthusiastic and eager to participate in this Strength Bearing Festival.

Hu Long's memories do not contain much information regarding this.

Perhaps his memories are incomplete, or perhaps the original owner's aptitude was too poor to ever achieve a high ranking.

Regarding the matter of Secret Martial Artists, for reasons unknown, the main family has no intention of publicizing it. Thus, many of the Hu Family's branch members are only informed about Secret Martial Artists after being selected.

However, upon learning of the existence of Secret Martial Artists, Hu Long understood that this was a test—an assessment to see if one possessed the necessary aptitude.

Thinking of this, a strange glint appeared in his eyes.

Soon, everyone arrived at the open space outside the ancestral hall.

Dozens of stone locks of varying sizes were neatly arranged on the ground.

From left to right, each stone lock had a different weight engraved on its surface: fifty jin, one hundred jin, one hundred and fifty jin... increasing sequentially, with each one fifty jin heavier than the last.

These stone locks were the very implements required for the Strength Bearing Festival.

"Those who meet the age requirement and wish to participate, stand over here."

After the clan leader, Hu Zhenkui, spoke, the Hu Clan members who met the age requirement stepped forward one after another, excluding those with physical disabilities who were truly unable to participate.

"I'll go give it a try too!"

At this moment, Hu Long suddenly spoke up.

The original owner was only twenty-one, which indeed met the rules.

"No, your body hasn't fully recovered yet. What if you get hurt..."

Hearing Hu Long's words, He Yanling didn't even think twice before preparing to refuse.

"It's fine, my body has recovered quite well, there shouldn't be any issues."

Hu Long smiled.

"That's right, if Little Long wants to try, let him try."

Hu Chengwen interjected.

He had naturally observed the changes in Hu Long over this period.

If nothing else, his physique had become significantly more robust.

Perhaps he really could be selected by the main family.

It was for this reason that he had called him back before the Ancestral Rite and taken the opportunity to talk to him, pointing out the importance of the event.

It seemed the other party had truly taken his words to heart.

He Yanling, standing to the side, was unaware of this.

Because they were out in public and the head of the household had spoken, and having seen that Hu Long's physique had indeed grown much stronger over these past few days.

Though reluctant, He Yanling did not refute him further.

"Be careful, don't push yourself; if you can't do it, just give up."

After saying this, He Yanling shot a glare at Hu Chengwen standing nearby.

To this, Hu Chengwen could only pretend he hadn't seen it.

"Go on, do your best."

He said.

"Good luck!"

Hu Zhao raised her fist, making a cheering gesture toward Hu Long.

She was not participating, not because she didn't want to.

But because she was already twenty-six years old, exceeding the age limit for the Strength Bearing Festival.

Regarding this.

Hu Long simply nodded, saying nothing more.

Soon.

All the participants walked out.

There were 102 people in total.

Among them were both men and women.

The rules of the Strength Bearing Festival were simple; it did not require one to lift a stone lock over their head, as that difficulty was too high.

Moreover, if one were to lose their grip or strength, it would be extremely dangerous, and a moment of carelessness could result in someone being crushed.

According to records, such instances were not rare in the past.

As time passed.

The rules for this Ancestral Rite were changed.

For the sake of safety, all that was required was to lift the stone lock off the ground, past the knees, and hold it for ten seconds to qualify.

Subsequently.

Everyone lined up to perform the lift.

Beyond that, a hundred-jin stone lock was worth one hundred thousand, a one-hundred-fifty-jin stone lock was worth one hundred fifty thousand, and so on.

For every heavier stone lock lifted, the monetary reward increased by fifty thousand.

After all, not every member of the Hu Clan was as wealthy as Hu Long's family.

They could not afford to be indifferent.

Furthermore, the money was only secondary; it was said that lifting heavier stone locks would grant even greater benefits.

This made everyone exert their full strength, desperate to lift heavier stone locks.

The hundred-jin stone lock was not particularly heavy, and basically, everyone passed.

As for the second, one-hundred-fifty-jin stone lock, although heavy, it was not difficult to hold for ten seconds.

Excluding a few individuals with thin builds and little strength, almost everyone could manage it.

Then came the two-hundred, two-hundred-fifty, and three-hundred-jin locks.

As the weight increased, the number of people capable of lifting them naturally decreased.

By the three-hundred-jin stone lock, only thirteen people could complete the task.

Lifting a stone lock was different from deadlifting in a gym.

The points of exertion between the two were fundamentally different.

Perhaps a fitness enthusiast who had trained for a long time could deadlift two hundred kilograms.

But wanting to lift a three-hundred-jin stone lock was very difficult to achieve.

Precisely because of this, the number of people eliminated at this stage was the highest.

The remaining Hu Clan members were basically all extremely robust, with muscular physiques.

However, among them, two individuals were particularly striking.

A chubby boy and a young man with a buzz cut.

Compared to the other clansmen, their physiques were inferior, even to the only female among them.

Yet, the two of them performed the stone lock lift with extreme ease.

"The prospects are good this year; there are actually over a dozen people who reached three hundred jin. Sister Li, what do you think is the maximum weight that will be lifted today?"

At this moment, from within the crowd where the Hu Clan main family was stationed.

A man with dark skin and thin lips spoke up.

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the group of Hu Clan members, a look of keen interest appearing in his eyes.

Hu Li was a woman with thick arms, solid muscles, a topknot, and a cold, stern expression.

What drew the most attention were the grayish-white patterns etched across the skin of her exposed arms.

Upon hearing this.

She crossed her arms and cast a glance at the crowd queuing for the Strength Bearing Festival.

She merely shook her head slightly.

"It's hard to say, but I've heard there's a little one with extraordinary talent this time; there might be a surprise in store."

"I've heard of that little one, too."

The dark-skinned man's gaze landed on a chubby little boy amidst the crowd.

"With aptitude like that, he's likely already been handpicked; today's Strength Bearing Festival is just a formality."

By the end of his sentence, a hint of envy had crept into his tone.

Although he was already considered a member of the main family and had stepped into a world unreachable by ordinary people.

He still could not compare to such a person.

Because people like that were true geniuses.

They started from a higher point than him, and as long as they didn't die young, they could go much further.

Thinking of this, his gaze involuntarily drifted to Hu Li's back.

The existence of the person before him was proof enough.

He had lifted a four-hundred-jin stone lock at his peak, while she had lifted an eight-hundred-jin stone lock back then.

If one really calculated it, she had entered the main family later than him, yet her strength had long since surpassed his.

This was proof that better aptitude could not be compensated for by hard work alone.

Just then, a low exclamation erupted from the crowd.