Starting from the pharmacy, he grew into a martial saint among men.

Chu Hong originally thought that the county government would take unified action and arrest all forces that colluded with the Wuyou Sect.

Unexpectedly, the county government suddenly took action and arrested Zhang Dawei and his son. The reason given was extremely flimsy, only saying that they were secretly transporting contraband and needed to be investigated.

However, the county government did not take any action against the other suspected forces in the county town.

At the same time, this move does not seem to have alerted the enemy.

Even the Hong Family Martial Arts School fell silent at this point, saying nothing more.

Of course, all of this was irrelevant to Chu Hong. His mission was complete, the Tianshui Escort Agency had been captured, and he had no further desires.

At this moment, he is preparing for the New Year with his parents, waiting for the New Year to arrive.

-----------------

Several days have passed since the Lunar New Year, and there are only twenty days left until the Martial Arts Examination.

A luxurious motorcade came from Qinglong Prefecture and slowly drove towards Yunxi County.

Magistrate Huang, accompanied by his trusted confidants and dressed in plain clothes, arrived thirty miles outside the county town and respectfully waited by the roadside.

Once the distinguished carriage came to a stop, Magistrate Huang bowed and climbed into the carriage.

The carriage moved steadily forward.

Inside, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood incense, and an elderly man of about sixty years old was resting with his eyes closed.

"May I ask, Your Excellency, why is this year's martial arts examination coming up so soon?" Magistrate Huang leaned forward and asked in a low voice.

The old man's eyes were slightly closed, and his tone was indifferent:

"This year's martial arts examination is quite different from previous years. As the chief examiner, I must come here in advance to make arrangements."

Magistrate Huang was startled upon hearing this.

Since the Holy Emperor ascended the throne, the selection of military officers has changed three times, and now there is another change.

Moreover, this change was made without any prior warning.

He asked quietly, "My lord, may I ask what arrangements need to be made? I will immediately dispatch troops to relieve your worries."

The old man shook his head and spoke softly:

"This year's martial arts competition will not test strength or have a ring, but it will select the true strongest."

"This..." Magistrate Huang was taken aback upon hearing this.

I can't figure out how to select the strongest fighters without setting up a competition arena.

It's important to know that the martial arts competition has undergone several changes, evolving from a scoring system that tested skills such as archery and horsemanship to the current assessment system that tests strength by lifting stones and determining true skill in a ring.

But what the adults were saying now left him completely bewildered.

Could it be that none of the previous contestants were truly strong?

The old man understood his thoughts, but instead of explaining in detail, he instructed:

"Give the order to deploy the Yunxi Army to surround several hills outside the city for use as training grounds for martial arts competitions."

"At the same time, spread the word that the martial arts competition is approaching, and any forces that dare to make any moves will be thoroughly dealt with afterwards."

He told Magistrate Huang that the enclosed hilltops must be thoroughly explored and the tools he had brought must be properly arranged.

However, all the monsters and beasts in the mountains below the level of Transformation Realm are not allowed to be killed; they must all be left to serve as a test for this martial arts examination.

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Huang felt a chill run down his spine and asked, trembling:

"Sir...isn't it too bloody to just throw those examinees into the mountains?"

"If those martial artists are defeated and slaughtered by the demonic beasts, it will be a tremendous loss for us!"

His statement was primarily for the benefit of those family members who had risen through the ranks solely through the use of elixirs but lacked practical combat skills.

If this approach is followed, those families will surely suffer heavy losses.

The old man's tone was calm, yet it contained boundless murderous intent:

"What the Holy Ruler wants is not those incompetent fools built up from piles of pills, but truly strong individuals who can emerge from mountains of corpses and seas of blood."

"You have no idea, the north is suffering defeat after defeat, and that's all because of those incompetent guys."

"This reform of martial arts is intended to completely rewrite this situation and forge true strongmen."

As he finished speaking, he seemed to remember something and sighed silently.

"The reform of martial arts will have far-reaching implications. In the future, it will be difficult for family members without real power to rise in rank."

His sigh was also a sigh for his own children.

In aristocratic families like theirs, which one doesn't have descendants who rose to prominence through the use of elixirs?

Every year during the martial arts examinations, families would spend a fortune to bribe examiners and rivals in order to secure a place in the examinations.

They then used their family connections to secure an official position, thus solidifying their family's foundation once again.

Originally, this action was not a big deal; for thousands of years, aristocratic families have always acted this way.

But the war in the north awakened the sage king.

Those incompetent fellows from powerful families turned into spineless cowards when faced with a major battle.

On the battlefield, it was not uncommon for a barbarian general to take on five or six of his own generals single-handedly.

The emperor was humiliated and immediately ordered a purge of these incompetent officials who were occupying positions without performing their duties. He also ordered an immediate reform of the martial arts system, addressing the problem at its root.

"This...this..." Magistrate Huang was utterly bewildered.

He immediately realized that this was not just a military science reform.

It was also a storm that swept through powerful and influential families.

He also knew that truly powerful martial artists were about to emerge.

New powerful families are about to emerge, and if the old families cannot keep up, they may collapse in an instant.

However, he could not stop this trend and could only follow the superior's wishes, first arranging the venue for the martial arts competition.

Meanwhile, on the official road from Qinglong Prefecture to Yunxi County, a group of five people were also riding horses at full speed.

The horses' hooves clattered, breaking through the cold wind.

"Chief Wei, it's getting dark and difficult to travel. The horses are also exhausted. Let's find a place to rest."

"If we go another mile, there's an inn where we can rest. Let's hold on for a little longer," said the leader surnamed Wei, his gaze serious.

As he gazed at Yunxi County drawing ever closer, his unease grew stronger.

-----------------

We are getting closer and closer to the martial arts.

Except for the two days of the Lunar New Year, Chu Hong was never idle.

He would go to the mansion every day to practice martial arts diligently.

As the fifty Qi and Blood Pills were consumed little by little, his progress was rapid.

At this moment, Chu Hong's internal energy circulated through his skin, making his entire body feel like iron.

He took out a short knife, placed it on his arm, and made a light slash.

The sharp blade did not cut the skin, leaving only a white mark on the arm.

Chu Hong finished his practice and stopped, then opened the panel again.

Heaven rewards diligence.

[Effect: Reflecting on all methods, diligent study and practice will surely yield results!]

【Hun Yuan Zhuang (Da Cheng) 2185/4000】

【Nine-Forged Fist (Mastery) 1752/4000】

【Swift Step (Minor Mastery) 1474/2000】

【Cold-light legs (Minor achievement) 135/2000】

【Void Palm (Beginner) 633/1000】

Iron Body Kung Fu (Beginner) 398/500

In the past ten days or so, he has focused a lot of his energy on the Iron Body Kung Fu, a body-strengthening exercise.

Although he was protected by silver silk armor, armor was still just armor, a tool, and far less convenient than his own strength.

Moreover, the silver silk armor only protects the vital parts of the upper body, but leaves the lower body, limbs, and head unprotected.

But practicing Iron Body Technique is different; the whole body becomes like iron, indestructible, representing a comprehensive improvement in physical defense.

When encountering an enemy's force, one can dissipate most of the incoming force without having to specifically mobilize one's own strength.

If you master the skill, you will be completely fearless even when faced with swords and blades.

Of course, Chu Hong is only at the beginner level now. Although he can block weapons, he is far from achieving that effect.

"There are only twenty days left until the martial arts exam. I'm sure I'll achieve some mastery of the Iron Body Technique."

Chu Hong estimated the current progress.

If you want to improve your strength again before the martial arts exam, besides mastering the Iron Body Technique to a minor level, the best thing to do is to master the Swift Wind Step.

At that time, relying on my agility, I will be invincible.

Those opponents of the same level would never be able to defeat him in the ring.

Even Zhou Mingrui, who also has an advantage in agility, would not be his match.

Chu Hong sat in a chair, drinking tea and making follow-up plans, when there was a rapid knocking at the gate of the mansion.

"Boss Chu, Boss Chu!"

"Quick! Come save the gang leader!"