Nobody told me this wasn't a game.

and……

The fact that Zuochang only has one territory actually reveals a lot of information.

The most important point is that Zuo Chang came from an ordinary background and probably didn't have any special talents.

He had no family support, no mentors, and probably hadn't even attended a training course. Otherwise, how could he have only reached the first realm?

He should participate in regular assessments rather than elite soldier assessments.

The aloof man sitting in the center of the examiners' seat is none other than the chief examiner, Lu Li.

He was displeased and said, "Let me introduce myself... never mind, no need for introductions. Sir, are you ready? The exam is about to begin."

Zuo Chang sensed his impatience, but unfortunately, he still didn't know the rules...

He coughed and asked, "How is this exam conducted?"

Bang!

Lu Li slammed his hand on the table, the loud noise silencing the entire examination hall.

It's obvious that his blood pressure is high.

He grinned, revealing a sinister smile: "Fighting. Combat. We've arranged ten sparring partners. You'll fight them, but you don't need to win. We'll score you based on your performance—if your score is above 85, you pass; if your score is below 85, you can participate in a 'skill demonstration.' If your skills are worth extra points, and your score reaches 85 after the extra points are added, you also pass. Understand?"

Zuo Chang nodded: "Understood."

"Count from one to ten, say a number."

"seven."

click -

The door opened, and a burly man with a weak complexion walked out from behind the door and stood in front of Zuo Chang: "I am sparring partner number seven, with a cultivation level of the fifth realm. Please, sir."

Chapter 30 A Little Bit Revealed

The rules for the elite soldier assessment are simple, but generally fair.

The examiners are selected only from fair and impartial individuals, and they are notified only one or two days before the exam, which basically eliminates the possibility of bribing examiners.

The observers from the adventure teams in the stands are actually a form of oversight.

This is what we all do for a living; who can we fool?

If an examiner shows excessive favoritism, their reputation will be ruined.

As for the training partner side—

There are ten sparring partners, and the partners are changed every match.

Ten minutes before the exam begins, the ten practice partners draw lots to determine their assigned numbers; the candidates then randomly call out their numbers on the spot, and whichever number they call out is their number, with no room for backing out.

The staff delivered wooden swords, and Zuo Chang and his sparring partner No. 7 each received one.

Zuo Changxin twirled his sword and looked up at his opponent.

People from the Fifth Realm are absolutely no match for them.

In the current situation, there's no need to worry too much. Go forward, fight for a while, and if you can get through, do so; don't think of any other solutions.

Zuo Chang glared, bent his knees, and launched an attack!

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

The wooden swords clashed twice, and the onlookers raised their eyebrows, giving Zuo Chang a more respectful look.

An expert will know if there is one as soon as he takes action.

Zuo Chang did not use any skills in his previous two sword strikes, but his movements were swift and his sword strikes were fierce. To say that he had the "aura of a grandmaster" would be an exaggeration, but at least he was skillful and not inferior.

The examiner, Lu Li, had his blood pressure return to normal.

He nodded to himself, thinking, "I thought they were here to cause trouble, but they did a good job, didn't they?"

In the stands.

"Brother Deer, ah—"

A woman with wispy bangs, long hair reaching her waist, and an extremely well-behaved appearance is holding a piece of candy, about to feed it to an extremely handsome man.

Someone turned to look and saw that the woman was wearing an adorable bunny ear hoodie, exuding a cute and charming aura.

She knelt on the man's thigh, half of her body leaning against him without any defense, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it was unclear.

It must have been unintentional!

The bunny ear hoodie has a pure and innocent look, with a face as beautiful as a lotus emerging from water, which makes people feel good about her.

How could someone like that be a seductive, cheap woman who's good at using her body?

This should be that...

It's that trendy "naturally innocent" thing that's been popular lately.

In contrast, the other woman beside the couple appeared to be very calculating.

She had a princess-cut hairstyle, willow-leaf eyebrows, and blood-red lips. Her long, narrow eyes were beautiful, but they gave off a sinister and unsettling feeling, making her seem less than upright.

The beauty mark under his left eye, in particular, makes him appear even more ruthless.

After observing for a while, the man asked softly, "Who is that?"

The person next to him whispered, "You don't recognize them? Shika Sei, Mayumi, and the bunny girl, Deer Morning!"

Oh!

It’s them!

"Little rabbit..."

Lu Zheng heard the whispers and looked somewhat uncomfortable.

He raised his hand and said, "Don't do that, I don't want to eat candy."

"Eat, eat."

The bunny girl is very tough.

She half-coaxed, half-forced, fed the candy to Lu Zheng, and asked with a smile, "Is it sweet?"

"Mmm...sweet."

Lu Zheng forced a smile, then quickly changed the subject, looking at Mayumi beside him and saying, "Mayumi, are you very interested in this examinee?"

Mayumi's expression remained unchanged: "No interest. In the end, this guy is an arrogant good-for-nothing who can't even pass the first realm."

The bunny girl frowned slightly: "Mahiko-nee, you're being too harsh. I think he fought quite well and has a lot of potential. We've all come from the same realm, how can you speak so ill of him and insult him like that?"

Mayumi glanced at her sideways, her face full of disdain: "Bunny Girl, I wasn't talking to you, can you shut up?"

Seeing that his two teammates were about to argue again, Lu Zheng quickly brought them water: "It's true that you're not good at the first realm, but this brother's performance is indeed not bad. Haha, when I was at the first realm, I wasn't as strong as him."

"Go!"

Bang.

With a flick of his wrist, the fifth-level sparring partner changed his sword stance so quickly that Zuo Chang couldn't parry.

His hand suddenly went empty, and the wooden sword flew out and landed to the side.

Zuo Chang was taken aback and said, "Senior's skills are profound, I admire you very much."

The sparring partner nodded slightly and affirmed, "Your skills are excellent, unlike those of someone in the first realm."

After the assessment, the examiners gave their scores.

The assessment of elite personnel is not about testing potential, but about testing ability. What they need are skilled talents who, after joining the team, will make the team even stronger.

Based on this criterion, the examiners gave scores—

Several examiners announced scores of 82, 75, and 80, all below 85.

One of the examiners revealed the score and said simply, "Young man, you're quite skilled, but I'm giving you zero points! I don't mean anything by it, I just think you're rushing things. Why did you participate in the elite soldier assessment at such a young age? Being an elite soldier isn't easy!"

All ten examiners revealed their scores. Zuo Chang did some mental calculations and discovered that his average score was only 81 points...

The elite soldier assessment seems destined to fail.

The chief examiner, Lu Li, crossed his fingers and said, "Candidate, please introduce yourself."

Zuo Chang asked, puzzled, "Is this really necessary?"

"Yes. You are very good and worth getting to know."

"...My name is Zuo Chang, Zuo as in left side and Chang as in prosperity. I just immigrated here a few days ago. As you can see, I am an adventurer from the first realm."

Lu Li slowly nodded and revealed his score:

84 points.

He looked at Zuo Chang and said, "Zuo, your passing score is 85, but I'm only giving you 84. This score is my recognition of your ability, and the missing point is my dissatisfaction with your cultivation level. With your skills, you are fully qualified to obtain the elite soldier certificate. Try to advance to the second realm and come back. At that time, no one will question you."

Zuo Chang wasn't in a hurry; he still had other methods.

All four of his blessings are max level and have powerful effects. If you just reveal one or two of them, passing the test will be a breeze.

As for whether or not to conceal one's talents...

It can only be said that Zuo Chang believed more in the saying, "Wealth and honor not returned to one's hometown is like wearing brocade at night."

He said, "Can I demonstrate my skills to make up for the shortfall?"

Showcasing skills?

Lu Li was slightly taken aback and asked curiously, "You have a skill worth showing off?"

"There is one."

"Interesting... Let's begin!"

Zuo Chang nodded and looked at the pale-faced sparring partner, Number Seven, standing to the side: "Senior, when we sparred earlier, I smelled a strong herbal odor. Are you injured?"

Training partner number seven is a straightforward person.