Time flies like an arrow; two months slipped by in the blink of an eye, and the national Martial Examination was held as scheduled. This time, thanks to the court's extensive promotion, almost every martial artist in the entire Shu Yun Kingdom participated—from members of minor sects to scions of noble families—all vying fiercely. After all, the temptation of the number one position in the Martial Examination was simply too immense...

To become the Town Guardian General, allegedly commanding tens of thousands of troops, was a genuine position of substantial power—a force any sect or noble family hoped to control...

This situation led to an unprecedented fervor surrounding the Martial Examination, with over ten thousand participants registering. Eventually, due to the sheer volume of entrants, Luo Xiaofeng was forced to announce a prerequisite: anyone who had not reached the Martial Master realm was disqualified, causing the numbers to plummet drastically...

Even so, more than four hundred people remained eligible. This figure greatly surprised Luo Xiaofeng. One must remember that in the army, a Martial Master could hold a mid-level officer position, and these were all young people under the age of thirty—how vast was their potential?

Do not be misled by the fact that Ye Jingyu could contend with a Martial Master after only a few months of cultivation; this was solely due to the incredible power of his cultivation technique. For the average person, even dedicating their entire life might only see them reach the Martial Master realm at best. The leap between Martial Master and Innate Martial Master was a critical watershed. Cross it, and you were a true master; fail to do so, and, regretfully, you were merely considered a capable hand...

If a person began learning martial arts from childhood, barring accident, they should reach the Martial Disciple realm by age twenty. Take Qin Minglong, whom Ye Jingyu had slain previously; despite years spent mastering martial techniques, he had only attained the Martial Disciple realm...

To break through to the Martial Master realm required not only profound cultivation manuals but also a certain level of innate talent. Otherwise, it might take well into one's thirties to achieve it. Yet, here were over four hundred young talents under thirty who had already reached this level. This alone attested to the exceptional martial talent of these four hundred-plus individuals, suggesting many were highly likely to achieve the Innate realm...

Of course, it was not impossible that some individuals over thirty years old had masqueraded as youngsters (For complete novel reading, please visit .1.(1.m.Wenxue.net), but such occurrences would surely be few. From this metric alone, one could glimpse the enormous hidden strength of martial artists residing among the populace, further solidifying Luo Xiaofeng's plan to utilize someone else's sword...

In November, the Shu Yun Kingdom, located in the southern region of the Dou Hun Continent, did not experience much biting cold. The trees remained vibrant green, showing no sign of winter's bleakness...

It could almost be described as eternal spring...

The Martial Examination was held in Yun Jing, beginning with the preliminary rounds. Naturally, such a grand preliminary stage would not resemble modern combat tournaments where participants challenged each other round by round; Luo Xiaofeng had his own strategic calculations...

Since the goal of crowning the Martial Champion was to establish authority, occasions for asserting that dominance were necessary. Therefore, the first preliminary round immediately divided the four hundred-plus participants into ten groups, with over forty individuals in each. Only the top performer from each group would advance to the subsequent finals...

Eliminating over three hundred people in a single preliminary round was a shocking measure. However, considering the rank of General bestowed upon the eventual Martial Champion, if that individual, now a military commander, did not display some ruthless capability, how could they possibly suppress their own soldiers?

The first preliminary round was arguably the most arduous contest. After all, even if you were an Innate Martial Master, or perhaps even a Grandmaster, one could not rule out the possibility of being targeted simultaneously by forty-plus experts, all at the Martial Master level or higher. Achieving victory under such conditions would be exceptionally difficult...

This rule, while seemingly brutal, also revealed the inherent majesty expected of a great general: if you wish to stand above the masses, then bring forth your true abilities...

Ye Jingyu had no complaints regarding these regulations. The vital energy within his body had entirely transformed into a peculiar, potent force, one that continuously nourished his physical form, granting him the sensation that he possessed the strength to contend even with a Grandmaster...

However, the true Qi flowing through his meridians remained Post-Heaven True Qi. In the eyes of others, he was merely an inconsequential Martial Master, making it highly unlikely he would become the primary target...

As for his status as a Soul Master, he had not left the Third Young Master’s residence for two months. How many people would still remember that fact? Even if they did recall it, why would they ever believe a noble Soul Master would condescend to participate in such a common Martial Examination? In the Shu Yun Kingdom, even the final Martial Champion’s status likely paled in comparison to that of a Soul Master...

Of course, none of this mattered right now. What mattered was that today was the day the esteemed Young Master Ye would compete. The winter sun always rose late, but this did not dampen Ye Jingyu's spirits. Brimming with vigor, he set out with Xiao Linzi, accompanying Luo Ruofeng...

The group draw results were out. Regardless of fairness, it held little importance for the contestants, as there could only be one Martial Champion. To secure the ultimate victory, one must overcome every obstacle and defeat every opponent...

Including Ye Jingyu, there were a total of six participants associated with Luo Ruofeng’s side who were competing, each placed in a different group. While this arrangement was disadvantageous, it at least prevented them from engaging in fratricide. According to Luo Ruofeng’s hopes, if three of them managed to advance to the second round, he would have managed to save face before his father king...

Deep down, however, he was reluctant for Ye Jingyu to claim the final victory. That position carried a near-certain death sentence, and despite Ye Jingyu’s powerful self-confidence, Luo Ruofeng wished him to avoid any harm...

He knew, though, that the competition was rich with masters this time. While Ye Jingyu surpassed the average Martial Master, securing the top spot would still be somewhat challenging. Reaching the finals would be considered quite an achievement, so Luo Ruofeng did not dwell too much on it...

The competition venue was a royal hunting ground just outside Yun Jing City. Upon arrival, Luo Ruofeng and his entourage found the area already swarming with people—martial artists and common folk alike—all eager to witness the spectacle. However, the imperial guards sworn to the Sovereign had already sealed off the hunting ground; only the contestants and a few individuals of high standing were permitted entry...

This was, after all, the Martial Examination, not some street performance...

The preliminaries comprised ten matches in total, two per day, spanning five days. Ye Jingyu drew the very first match. When he arrived with Luo Ruofeng, he found that a massive circular arena stage had been erected, large enough that even with over forty contestants simultaneously participating, it would not feel cramped...