Martial Examination Begins

As Cheng Heng was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Wu Zhong calling for him from the inner courtyard. He hurried over at once.

The moment he entered the inner courtyard, he saw that the other disciples of the martial hall were all present, save for senior brother Zhou Qing.

Seeing Cheng Heng enter, Wu Zhong slowly rose from his reclining chair.

"Tomorrow is the day of the Martial Examination. Have you all made your preparations?"

The disciples standing nearby all answered in the affirmative.

Wu Zhong swept his gaze across them one by one, his eyes carrying a trace more sentiment before his tone turned solemn.

"The Martial Examination is your only chance to change your fate!"

"Though the world has not yet descended into great chaos, all manner of disorder has already begun to stir. Only by attaching yourselves to stronger powers will you be able to show your brilliance in the coming troubled times!"

With that, Wu Zhong turned his gaze toward Cheng Heng and Chen An, speaking more gently.

"For this Martial Examination, the two of you have the greatest hope of standing out. If you can enter one of the great sects in the prefectural city in the future, remember to lend a hand to your fellow disciples. Do not forget the bond between you!"

At those words, the other disciples looked toward Cheng Heng and Chen An with complicated expressions.

They knew full well that one of these junior brothers possessed superior bones, while the other had astonishing comprehension. Securing places in the top ten was likely as certain as nails driven into a board!

They could not help but feel envious. Who would not want to enter a great sect in the prefectural city and leap free of Gaoyang County's cage?

Cheng Heng and Chen An both tensed, hurriedly cupping their fists in agreement.

Wu Zhong nodded lightly. He had given the reminders that needed giving. As for whether they would remember the ties of incense and fire, that would no longer be his concern.

"I will not waste any more breath on nonsense."

"I gathered you here today to explain the subjects of the Martial Examination."

"The Martial Examination is divided into two major subjects. The first is strength."

"When strength is tested, the total weight of the stone locks you lift will be counted. You will have ten chances to lift stone locks. The higher your cumulative total, the higher your ranking!"

"This subject chiefly tests a martial artist's qi and blood. The stronger one's qi and blood, the greater one's strength, and the higher one's ranking."

"The second is actual combat."

"A martial artist does not train merely to look impressive. In the end, there is only one purpose—killing enemies!"

"In sparring and real combat, those of higher realms naturally hold an advantage, but what ultimately determines victory or defeat is how well one usually fights for one's life."

"Some people may have high realms, yet have never fought another person to the death. They may instead be inferior to those in lower realms."

"In this regard, you should all learn more from Cheng Heng. As far as I know, Cheng Heng has already weathered many battles. There should be quite a few Hidden Force martial artists who have died by your hand, should there not?"

At those words, the many disciples all turned to look at Cheng Heng. They had heard bits and pieces about this junior brother's exploits.

He had slain mountain bandits, crippled Wu Zhenyue, and killed the Li Family's young master two months ago. Along the way, this junior brother had already accumulated no small number of lives beneath his hands!

Zhou Qing did not dare show his face at the martial hall again. On the surface, it was because he was still recovering from his injuries, but the other disciples understood perfectly well—he was afraid of this junior brother, this star of slaughter!

"Enough. Go back early today and rest. Tomorrow, at the Martial Examination, you must show every ounce of your strength!"

Wu Zhong gave a heavy cough and shouted.

"Yes!"

The fifteenth day of the fourth month, Inner City of Gaoyang County.

The sky was clear for ten thousand miles, and the temperature was pleasant—a perfect day for the Martial Examination!

Before the square outside Gaoyang County's yamen, a sea of people had already gathered, packed three layers deep within and three layers deep without.

This was Gaoyang County's great event, held once every three years. In a place that valued the martial path so highly, naturally no one would miss such a grand occasion!

Those who achieved high ranks in the Martial Examination could not only travel to the prefectural city, but also be exempted from harsh taxes and miscellaneous levies. In an instant, they could rise from commoners into the upper class.

Thus, nearly everyone with some savings at home and unwilling to drift through life in obscurity practiced martial arts, all in hopes of joining the Martial Examination and changing their fate!

At the very front of the square sat the examiners sent from the prefectural city. Below them were the county magistrate, He County Magistrate, and many other officials responsible for the examination, seated on either side.

Around the square stood soldiers in armor, responsible for maintaining order. Each was spirited and imposing, with a cold and stern expression.

At the center of the square were the many candidates participating in this year's Martial Examination. They had long since been arranged into groups according to the positions drawn by lot.

At a glance, there were well over a hundred of them.

Among these hundred-plus people, Bright Force martial artists were as common as dogs, while Hidden Force martial artists walked everywhere.

Every one of them wore a taut expression, straining every muscle to earn a ranking in the Martial Examination.

Outside the square stood Gaoyang County's wealthy households, landowners, local tyrants, and people from martial halls.

Only at the very outermost edge stood the ordinary folk. To glimpse the scene inside, they had to climb buildings and ladders, ascending high to look down.

Even so, it could not dampen the people's enthusiasm in the slightest!

Among the several hundred participants in the Martial Examination, there were very few from the Outer City. Nearly all came from wealthy households and landowning families within the Inner City.

From the time they began practicing martial arts until they reached their current realms,

which of them had not eaten meat every day, taken medicinal pills for nourishment every few days, and trained tirelessly without pause? Only then could they qualify for the Martial Examination.

Yet among these several hundred people, fewer than one in ten would ultimately remain standing. This showed just how difficult martial training was!

Natural talent, money and provisions, cultivation methods, resources—not one of them could be lacking!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With three deafening cannon blasts, the Martial Examination officially began!

The chief examiner was broad and burly, dressed in an embroidered official robe. He slowly rose to his feet.

"Today's Martial Examination is to select talents for the nation. During the contests, all shall rely solely on their own strength!"

"Any who play favorites, cheat, commit fraud, or violate the law shall be dealt with under military law!"

His furious shout was full of force, echoing throughout the square.

"The Martial Examination begins!"

Following the chief examiner's announcement, the many officials below entered the grounds and formally began the examination.

The first subject tested that day was, as expected, Li Qi.

The rules of the examination matched what Wu Zhong had described. There were ten chances, and the total weight of the stone locks lifted would be the final result.

Cheng Heng was brimming with confidence in this contest.

His Tiger-Subduing Stance Art was already on the verge of reaching perfection. Combined with the Vajra Art he had diligently cultivated, both were supreme methods for strengthening qi and blood and increasing strength.

Therefore, Cheng Heng intended to secure a high ranking in this round, leaving himself some room to maneuver in the next round of actual combat.

By then, people had already begun testing their strength one after another.

In the open space stood stone locks ranging from fifty jin to five hundred jin, increasing by fifty jin each time, for a total of ten stone locks.

Because there were several hundred people participating in the Martial Examination, the candidates were divided into twenty groups, with fifteen people in each group.

Cheng Heng had drawn a relatively late position, so he began by observing the performances of the other candidates who took the stage.