The Assessment Begins

"It really has been a long time. Where have you been all these years? You were already in the Brute Force Realm a few years ago; what stage of the True Martial Realm are you at now?" Facing Wen Liang, Lian Yunbi did not swoon like the other girls, but instead asked in a casual tone.

Wen Liang seemed accustomed to Lian Yunbi's way of speaking. He didn't mind at all, simply smiling gently to reveal his snow-white teeth. "What stage of the True Martial Realm? You think breaking through to the True Martial Realm is that easy! I hit a bottleneck a few years ago, and a senior in my family told me that to break through, I had to go out and gain experience. So, I spent a few years training abroad and only just rushed back in time for the Martial Child Assessment."

"With you back, doesn't that mean the rest of us have no hope of competing for first place in the Martial Child Assessment?" Lian Yunbi sighed. As she spoke, she glanced at Zhang He, but Zhang He was focused on his own breathing, not even looking at the conversation. Lian Yunbi couldn't help but feel a surge of annoyance. This man!

Wen Liang raised an eyebrow and laughed heartily. "First place in the Martial Child Test? Do you value that so much? To us, aren't these things just empty titles? If you care that much, I'll just let you have it. Actually, I've already joined the True Martial Academy as an outer disciple. With a little more effort, I can become an inner disciple. I don't need to participate in the Martial Child Assessment at all. I only came to show support for our Mengyin City, to let others know that we have talent here, so those examiners don't look down on us."

There was a faint air of arrogance in Wen Liang's voice as he spoke.

Zhang He lifted his eyes, unable to hide his surprise. The True Martial Academy? It seemed Wen Liang had a powerful backer to be able to enter the True Martial Academy directly as an outer disciple.

"Stop acting so full of yourself. Do you think Mengyin City has no other geniuses besides you?" Lian Yunbi sneered dismissively. "As for you, the True Martial Academy is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Be careful you don't get beaten into a pig's head with that arrogant attitude of yours." She was clearly very displeased with his tone.

"Haha." Wen Liang didn't mind her words, just chuckled. "You're still the same. Alright, I have some business to attend to inside, so I won't chat with you for now. After the Martial Child Assessment, I'll pay a visit to your father and mother." With that, Wen Liang departed with graceful, dashing strides.

"What a frog in a well. What's so rare about the True Martial Realm? Zhang He is in the True Martial Realm now too!" Fatty Tang watched Wen Liang leave and couldn't help but sneer. Damn it, so what if he's handsome? Coming here to show off!

Lian Yunbi was stunned upon hearing this. She looked at Zhang He in disbelief, exclaiming, "You're also in the True Martial Realm? When did this happen?" The way she looked at Zhang He was as if she were examining a monster.

"Just recently, I was lucky enough to break through," Zhang He said, rubbing his nose. He looked at Lian Yunbi and smiled slightly. "Actually, you've reached the True Martial Realm too, haven't you?"

"Hehe, another True Martial Realm expert. Let's see if Wen Liang can keep acting so smug now!" Lian Yunbi laughed. "I only broke through because someone helped me. It seems there are at least three True Martial Realm experts this time. This Martial Child Assessment is going to be interesting."

The True Martial Realm was not uniform; there were differences in strength.

Just as Zhang He was about to speak, he suddenly felt something and looked to the side. In the crowd not far away, Zhao Feng was staring at him with a malicious expression. When he saw Zhang He looking back, a provocative glint flashed in his eyes.

"What a moron!" Zhang He thought with disdain, turning his head away. This guy was as annoying as a fly.

Seeing Zhang He turn away so dismissively, Zhao Feng's face turned livid. "Bastard! Just you wait. You were lucky last time, but after the Martial Child Assessment is over, I'll settle the score with you!" After thinking it over, Zhao Feng had concluded that Zhao Lei's death had nothing to do with Zhang He. He believed Zhao Lei had likely been killed by that so-called friend he had seen on the street while chasing Zhang He.

Therefore, Zhao Feng didn't take Zhang He seriously at all. However, because of Zhao Lei's death, Zhao Feng had been confined to his home for six days, nearly driving him mad, and he had pinned that grudge on Zhang He as well.

"Consider yourself lucky that you still have a chance to participate in the Martial Child Assessment!" Zhao Feng spat bitterly.

On the edge of the plaza stood a grand hall. The entrance was heavily guarded by a large number of soldiers.

After Wen Liang displayed a waist token, the soldiers cleared the way to let him in.

"Haha, Wen Liang, you're already a disciple of the True Martial Academy; why are you interested in participating in this Martial Child Assessment?" As soon as Wen Liang entered, a hearty laugh echoed through the hall. A burly, imposing middle-aged man with a jade belt around his waist walked out slowly. He had thick eyebrows and large eyes; though dressed in scholarly robes, he exuded an aura of iron and blood. Every movement he made gave off a sense of superiority. Following behind him were the City Lord of Mengyin, the Dean of the Martial Child Academy, Zhao Wencai, and several imposing men who appeared to be his personal guards.

"Greetings, Prince Qu. Greetings, City Lord and Dean Zhao." Wen Liang bowed, then pulled an exquisite yellow beast-skin scroll from his robes and handed it to the man with the jade belt. "Prince Qu, this is the Imperial Edict I brought from the True Martial Academy."

Prince Qu's expression shifted slightly. He took the scroll, opened it, and exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "The top three finishers of each city's Martial Child Assessment can participate in the True Martial Academy's entrance exam?"

"Yes. Originally, this scroll was meant to be issued to the Western Chu Kingdom. But since I was passing by, I brought it along," Wen Liang said with a faint smile.

"Excellent! This is a golden opportunity! If the talents of our Western Chu Kingdom can enter the True Martial Academy, they will become pillars of the nation capable of handling great responsibilities!" Prince Qu couldn't hide his excitement. He looked at the scroll as if it were a beloved treasure.

The City Lord of Mengyin, standing to the side, had a slightly changed expression. He looked at Wen Liang and said, "In that case, won't our Mengyin City waste one of its spots? You're sure to take first place in this assessment, so we'll only have two spots left." Since Wen Liang was already a disciple of the True Martial Academy, his participation would only waste a quota.

"City Lord, rest assured. I am only participating in the Martial Child Assessment to make a gesture; I will not occupy a spot. When the time comes, you can simply exclude me and select the top three from the remaining candidates," Wen Liang laughed.

"That would be perfect. If that's the case, Mengyin City will have hit the jackpot. If any of them can enter the True Martial Academy, it will be a great honor for our city!" The City Lord's face beamed. He couldn't help but be invested; if several disciples of the True Martial Academy emerged from his jurisdiction, he would have performed a great service and might even be promoted!

"Haha, Wen Liang is also a student of our Martial Child Academy. Your ability to enter the True Martial Academy is an honor for us as well," Zhao Wencai said with a smile.

Wen Liang smiled noncommittally. He suddenly remembered something and asked, "Dean Zhao, are there any talented students in our Martial Child Academy recently?"

"Talented students? Who could compare to you? Haha, though the little girl from the Lian family is quite good; she reached the Brute Force Realm earlier," Zhao Wencai thought for a moment and said with a chuckle.

Wen Liang smiled, recalling Lian Yunbi's beautiful face, and felt a sudden warmth in his heart. She had grown even more beautiful over the years. Sigh, it's a pity that I am already a disciple of the True Martial Academy; my fate with her has come to an end.

"Hehe, don't underestimate that little girl. She is a descendant of the Fire Qilin bloodline. She might just shine brilliantly in this Martial Child Assessment," Prince Qu said with a meaningful smile.

Wen Liang's heart skipped a beat. If she could participate in the True Martial Academy's exam and manage to get in...

"Alright, it's getting late. Let's get the testing started. As planned, we will divide into three groups and proceed simultaneously. Dean Zhao, you will need to go down and make the arrangements yourself," Prince Qu waved his hand.

Zhao Wencai agreed eagerly and immediately went to arrange the three groups.

"This Martial Child Assessment uses a gauntlet format. Participants must wear special armor and enter the test tunnels. Inside, there are nine basic puppets. The further you go, the stronger they become. If you can safely pass all nine puppets, your performance in the Martial Child Assessment will be considered excellent, and you will be eligible to serve as a centurion in the army. The more puppets you pass, the better your results."

"Now, follow the numbers on your tokens and prepare for the assessment. Be cautious during the test; while the puppets won't kill you, they will certainly make you feel the pain." The person announcing the rules laughed maliciously.

The Martial Children below were instantly excited. The Martial Child Assessment had begun!

"I wonder what these puppets are all about." Zhang He looked at the three tunnel entrances in the distance. The assessment had repurposed three existing water channels in the plaza, sealing them off to create the gauntlet. He was curious how the puppets moved. Were they like the wooden dummy formation of the Shaolin Temple?

At this moment, the Martial Children with the first tokens put on their armor and entered the tunnels. Dull thuds echoed from within, and those outside stood on their tiptoes, peering in, hoping to see what was happening.

In less than half a cup of tea, a Martial Child with vacant eyes was dragged out. He had no serious injuries, but his face was bruised and swollen.

"What's it like inside? What's going on?"

"Tell us quickly, is it hard to pass?"

A group of people crowded around to ask. The Martial Child looked around blankly, then reacted, tears streaming down his face. "They... they hit hard. It... it hurts so much! I only made it to the fourth puppet before I was beaten out." The crowd gasped in horror as they watched him sob uncontrollably.

Just then, another Martial Child came out, equally bruised and battered. The crowd swarmed him.

"I made it to the fourth one before I was knocked down..." the boy said dejectedly.

A glimmer of light flashed in Zhang He's eyes. These two are both at the fourth stage of the Force Martial Realm, the Skin Tempering Realm. They both made it to the fourth puppet. Does that mean the ten puppets correspond to different cultivation levels? If so, wouldn't the last puppet have the strength of the Brute Force Realm?

"Next, Zhang He." At that moment, the examiner in charge of calling numbers shouted Zhang He's name.