I just passed the imperial examination, what the heck is this "Celestial Official System"?

Beside the high platform.

The heads of the nine households sat on mahogany chairs, watching everyone hurriedly prepare.

Although the chief clerks were also included in the county examination, the chief clerks of the nine offices were assessed separately and were not mixed with ordinary officials.

Otherwise, it would be really unfair to someone with only an eighth-rank cultivation level end up like that.

This also goes against the original intention of the Great Zhou Dynasty to establish assessments and select talents.

"Lord Zheng, your luck isn't so good."

Qiu, the head of the torture chamber, smiled and looked at Zheng, the head of the torture chamber, who was resting with his eyes closed to the side.

Their final performance evaluation, besides being based on their own abilities, also largely depended on the performance of the government office they were in charge of.

If it were any other time...

Farmhouses might still be a viable option.

However, when it comes to fighting techniques, even the alchemy practitioners, who are least skilled in combat, might be a cut above the rest.

It's a sure thing that we'll be last.

Even if Zheng was very capable, he could not turn the tide.

"Lord Qiu, would you like to try your hand at magic with me later?"

Manager Zheng gave a lukewarm response.

Qiu, the steward, immediately froze.

After slaying several demonic beasts, everyone now knows that Zheng, the head of the farmhouse, is undoubtedly the most capable fighter among the nine heads of the farmhouse.

If he were to encounter Master Zheng, he would undoubtedly be defeated.

Master Qiu snorted coldly.

No more words.

He secretly hardened his heart.

He winked at the middle-aged man beside him.

I can't beat Zheng Yue.

However, Xingfang, under his command, was full of martial virtue, and he was determined to regain the face he had lost here by going to Nongfang.

In Qiu's mind, the image of the farmhouse's utter destruction had already appeared.

I couldn't help but smile.

......

......

Off the field.

The officials from the nine offices each formed a circle.

"You guys, pick the strongest one to challenge, use your Sharp Metal Technique directly, and just admit defeat when you've exhausted your spiritual energy. There's no shame in that."

Deputy Director Li made the arrangements.

He would use the young agricultural officials who had recently arrived to deplete the opponent's spiritual energy, and then have the stronger fighters in the farmhouse defeat them to gain points.

This is to ensure that the rural housing's performance does not fall to the bottom.

Song Li listened from the side.

If Deputy Chief Li knew about Lord Tian, ​​who was skilled in horse racing, he would surely consider him a close friend.

Under Vice Director Li's arrangement, he undoubtedly became a mid-level horse.

It can be used to exchange for a superior horse, or to defeat an inferior horse.

It can be described as the mainstay of rural housing.

Huo Zhun, who became a member of the Agricultural Guard at the same time as him, was considered a top-tier horse by Manager Li because he had broken through to the sixth level of Qi Gathering.

Just as Director Li was making the arrangements.

when!

A deafening gong resounded.

This signifies the official start of the assessment.

Eighteen arenas had already been set up in the courtyard.

I was puzzled before, but after Magistrate Sun explained the content of the assessment, I finally understood the purpose of the arena.

The rules for the contest are very simple.

Each of the nine households selects two people to become the champions, and the rest can challenge them.

Those who ultimately stand on the stage are the top eighteen.

The ranking of each party is then determined by the number of people from each of the nine branches out of the eighteen.

As expected by Manager Li.

As long as the farmhouse can defend its own arena, it is considered a victory.

Therefore, the two champions in the first round did not choose the strongest, but instead put up two newly recruited agricultural officials, intending to wear down the fighting strength of the other families first.

soon.

The arena was packed with people.

The battle of wits was in full swing.

"The chief clerk and deputy chief clerk are assessed separately. Our main target in this contest is also the ordinary alchemists, so there is always a possibility of a battle."

Huo Zhun analyzed as he read.

"I heard from the rumors that Magistrate Sun wants to form a demon-slaying team and is currently selecting manpower. Since the magistrate values ​​him, there will naturally be benefits. I have a friend in the alchemy room, and these days, people from the magistrate's mansion have taken at least seven or eight Gathering Essence Pills, and even some Concentrating Spirit Pills!"

"A Mind-Concentrating Pill?!"

Zhao Hui's eyes widened.

The other agricultural officials also showed expressions of excitement.

The Great Zhou Emperor and the Nine Venerables ended the chaos of the ancient Dao and redefined the realms of cultivation.

The eighth rank is also known as the Concentration Realm.

The so-called Concentration Pill, as the name suggests, is a spiritual pill used by cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Gathering to break through to the Concentration Realm. It is extremely valuable, and most deputy leaders do not have the financial means to afford it.

Generous!

Even her breathing became rapid.

For many demonic cultivators and even immortal cultivators, a single Mind-Concentrating Pill is enough to make them risk their lives.

In addition to the elixir, the other rooms also brought out many good things.

Song Li heard these messages.

A slight stirring in my heart.

Ever since breaking through to the fifth level of Qi Gathering, my spiritual energy has been like a bottomless pit, and my cultivation speed has slowed down considerably.

He found the root cause.

That is, the spiritual energy in Shannan County is not very strong. After reaching the fifth level of Qi Gathering, it is no longer enough to rely solely on daily hard work. One must use spiritual pills and spiritual energy to enhance one's spiritual energy.

In other words.

We're just too poor.

As they were talking.

Just a quarter of an hour later, the figures of the farmhouse cultivators disappeared from the eighteen arenas in the courtyard.

Although it was expected, it still made the hearts of the agricultural officials sink slightly.

This continued until half of the assessment period had elapsed.

Huo Zhun's appearance finally secured a victory, restoring some dignity to the farmhouse.

"Brother Huo, you're truly amazing! Your fireball technique is masterful!"

A cheer erupted from the audience.

Huo Zhun came from a prestigious family and used fireball magic, not the magic of agricultural cultivators.

After all, low-level agricultural cultivators mainly rely on spells like "Sweet Rain" and "Catalysis," and they don't really have much combat ability. The few agricultural cultivators who can fight are simply those who have also practiced combat spells from martial arts cultivation.

Huo Zhun was the latter.

Manager Li smiled and, seeing that it was almost time, turned to look at the other agricultural cultivators beside him, including Song Li: "Just do your best, there's no need to force yourself."

"Yes."

Song Li and the others nodded.

Each of them chose one side of the arena to enter the ring.

"Farmhouse, Song Li."

Song Li flipped onto the stage and bowed to the array cultivator in front of him.

"A farmhouse?"

The middle-aged array cultivator couldn't hide his contempt when he heard that the cultivator was a farmer.

Each of the nine major sects of the Great Zhou Dynasty has its own strengths and weaknesses, but when it comes to combat, the agricultural cultivators are almost undoubtedly at the bottom.

The middle-aged array cultivator looked around.

There were clearly cultivators from alchemy, talisman-making, and beast-taming sects on the eighteen arenas, yet Song Li chose himself almost without hesitation. Why?

He frowned slightly: "Why did you choose me, Brother Song?"

Song Li chuckled: "Because you are the slowest, brother."

"slow?"

The middle-aged array cultivator frowned even more deeply and let out a cold snort.

He was just about to mobilize his spiritual energy to set up an array, to teach this ignorant and arrogant peasant cultivator a lesson.

I just felt a blur before my eyes.

Accompanying this was a terrifying force emanating from the waist and abdomen.

Before they could even set up their formation, they felt a phantom image shoot towards them, and they were blasted off the arena like sandbags.

It fell heavily.

Dust flew everywhere.

Even after the middle-aged array cultivator fell to the ground, disbelief remained in his eyes as he stared wide-eyed at Song Li:

"What kind of magic is this?"

Song Li clasped his hands in a fist salute:

"Just a novice farmer."