The Examination!

The sky gradually brightened as dawn broke.

Mo Yun drew back his fists and stood upright, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Xiao Liu and the others came over together.

"Old Mo! Working as hard as ever!" Xiao Liu rubbed his eyes, still looking a little sleepy.

He walked up to Mo Yun and asked seriously, "Today's the Guard Examination. Aren't you nervous?"

"I'm fine. Not particularly nervous." Mo Yun smiled and shook his head.

"Uh..." Xiao Liu thought about it and realized that made sense. With Mo Yun's strength, wouldn't passing the examination be as easy as reaching out and grabbing something?

"Give it your best, Old Mo!"

Xiao Liu gently patted Mo Yun's shoulder. "Hope your Guard Examination goes smoothly, and you take your first step toward becoming a Martial Saint!"

"Brother Mo, may your banner fly victorious!" Han Tang smiled and cupped his hands.

"Brother Mo, we'll be waiting for your triumphant return!" Tie Zhu gave an honest, good-natured smile.

"Do your best." Luo Shan rarely spoke. His tone was as icy as ever, but a hint of encouragement flashed in his eyes.

"Brother Mo, you're so strong. You can definitely do it!" Zhang Qiang clenched his fists.

Standing at the back, Tang Yin hesitated before adding, "Mo Yun, cut right through them!"

They had great confidence in Mo Yun. After all, they knew he had long since become a bright force Martial Artist.

"Thank you." As Mo Yun looked at these companions he had spent every day with for the past two months, warmth welled up in his heart.

"Old Mo, after today, we'll be people from two different worlds." Something seemed to occur to Xiao Liu, and he suddenly grew wistful.

He had not thought much of it before, but now that the day had actually arrived, a jumble of emotions churned inside him.

Once Mo Yun became a guard, he would be freed from slave status and gain a certain standing in the Mountain Manor, drawing a clear line between him and servants like them.

Suddenly, Xiao Liu felt at a loss, unsure how he should interact with Mo Yun in the future.

The others came to the same realization. They looked at Mo Yun with complicated expressions, not knowing what to say.

Even Han Tang and Luo Shan, the most talented among them, would need six months to become bright force Martial Artists, let alone the others.

With Mo Yun's monstrous rate of progress, who knew what level he would reach in half a year? The gap would only become more terrifying.

Mo Yun guessed what they were thinking. He gave each of them a light punch and said in exasperation:

"What are you all thinking? We've lived under the same roof for so long. We're brothers! We'll get along just like we always have. Stop overthinking everything and worrying about this and that!"

Since coming to Crouching Tiger Manor, Mo Yun had spent more time with them than anyone else. They all got along well, so naturally, he had grown attached to them.

In his previous life, they would have been his roommates.

Of course, Mo Yun felt that their names alone guaranteed they would accomplish something in the future. They certainly would not remain ordinary people.

One look at those names told him they carried tremendous fortune. Ordinary people could never bear their weight!

"We're brothers, and we'll get along just like we always have?" Hearing Mo Yun say this, they could not help feeling touched, and their expressions relaxed a little.

"Give it your best, Old Mo. Hope your Guard Examination goes smoothly, and you take your first step toward becoming a Martial Saint!" One by one, they offered him their well-wishes.

Time passed, and before long, it was almost seven in the morning.

Mo Yun headed toward the administrative office of the Servants' Court, where the Guard Examination would be held.

The others waved goodbye to Mo Yun and headed for the Spirit Herb Garden as usual.

Before long, Mo Yun arrived at the Servants' Court's administrative office. With an elderly servant's guidance, he found the examination venue.

It was a spacious courtyard, somewhat smaller than the training grounds. Neatly laid bluestone slabs covered the ground, and various training apparatus stood around its edges. At a glance, it was clearly a place dedicated to examinations.

Quite a few people were already standing in the courtyard.

Mo Yun swept his gaze over them. There were about twelve, all looking vigorous and alert. Clearly, they had come prepared.

Most of these people were veterans who had spent several years at the Mountain Manor. A new servant like Mo Yun, who had only arrived a little over two months ago, was a first.

"So many people?"

Mo Yun was a little surprised.

He had assumed there would not be many servants taking the Guard Examination, yet there were actually twelve.

"Brother, is this your first time taking the examination?" A round-faced young man beside him leaned over and asked in a low voice.

"Yes." Mo Yun nodded.

"I thought so. You looked unfamiliar." The round-faced young man grinned. "I'm Liu Zhuang. I've been at the Mountain Manor for five years, and this is my third time taking the examination."

"Your third time?" Mo Yun was taken aback.

"That's right." Liu Zhuang sighed. "I wasn't selected the first two times. If I don't make it this time, I'll have to wait another year."

"Is it that difficult?" Mo Yun's brows furrowed slightly.

"You bet!" Liu Zhuang lowered his voice.

"There are only so many guard positions. They only recruit a few people each time. Taking five this time already counts as a lot."

"Let me tell you..."

When their conversation ended, Mo Yun nodded thoughtfully.

Only then did he learn that even reaching the required cultivation level did not guarantee selection as a guard. There was still competition.

The number of guard positions depended on demand and varied with each examination. Recruiting five this time was already on the high side.

Of course, there were not usually this many candidates either. Normally, only three or four people took the examination, and one or two would be selected.

Mo Yun felt a little pressure.

Still, he did not think it would be much of a problem.

My mid-stage bright force cultivation should be enough!

Seeing Mo Yun fall silent, Liu Zhuang patted his shoulder and reassured him, "Don't worry too much. You look pretty young. If you're here to take the examination, you've already crossed the threshold. Try a few more times, and you'll get your chance eventually."

"Thank you." Mo Yun smiled without saying more.

As the two were talking, a booming voice rang out from the depths of the courtyard.

"Silence!"

Everyone turned in unison toward the voice.

A bald, burly man emerged from the depths of the courtyard. A savage scar stretched across his face from his left eyebrow to the right corner of his mouth, making him look ferocious.

He wore a fitted black martial outfit, with a thick-backed saber hanging at his waist. He strode with a tiger's vigor, and an invisible sense of pressure swept toward them.

"This is Lord Qin Hu, a First-Class Guard. He's overseeing this examination," Liu Zhuang introduced him in a quiet voice.

Mo Yun nodded, his gaze settling on Qin Hu.

He could sense that this man was somewhat weaker than Commander Li, but he was probably also a hidden force expert.

Qin Hu walked to the center of the courtyard, his gaze sweeping over everyone present like lightning.

"Is everyone here?" His voice was low and hoarse, like sandpaper scraping wood.

"Everyone's here!" a servant who looked like a steward hurriedly replied.

Qin Hu nodded and declared:

"You all know the rules, don't you? I'll explain them again, so no one can claim I didn't make them clear."

"The examination has three rounds: Stance Training, fist techniques, and actual combat."

"First round, Stance Training. You'll hold the Tiger-Crouching Stance to test your endurance and stability. Hold it for one incense stick's burning time, and you pass. Fail to last that long, and you're eliminated immediately."

"Second round, fist techniques. You'll perform the Tiger-Crouching Fist to test your moves and your use of force energy. I'll personally judge whether you meet the standard."

"Third round, actual combat. You'll draw lots to fight each other, testing your combat ability."

"Your performance across all three rounds will be assessed, and five of you will be selected for the Guard Team."

Qin Hu paused, sweeping his gaze across their faces, then asked coldly, "Did everyone understand?"

"Understood!" they replied in unison.

"Good. Then the first round, Stance Training, begins now!"

Qin Hu waved his large hand, and the steward-like servant immediately brought over a stick of incense, lit it, and set it in the incense burner.

"Everyone, take your stance!"

At Qin Hu's command, everyone moved into position together and began holding the Tiger-Crouching Stance.

Mo Yun took a deep breath, set his feet shoulder-width apart, and bent his knees slightly. He lowered his shoulders and elbows, drew in his chest, straightened his back, and sank his whole body down.

He had already reached minor proficiency in the Tiger-Crouching Stance. Holding it came as naturally as eating or drinking.

An aura as steady as a mountain slowly emanated from him.

Qin Hu's gaze swept over the candidates, lingering on Mo Yun a moment longer. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

This kid...