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

Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze turned to another light screen.

At the edge of a cliff, Zhou Mingrui was surrounded by five examinees, unable to move forward or backward.

Beside him lay another examinee who had been knocked to the ground.

"Ha, Zhou Mingrui, you'd better hand over your identity token obediently, or we won't let you off the hook."

They were originally two separate groups, but since they knew each other, there was no infighting after their chance encounter.

Just as they were about to leave, they suddenly bumped into Zhou Mingrui, who was alone.

They immediately had the idea of ​​bullying the weak and forcibly taking the cards.

One of the brothers was a bit impatient and launched a rash attack before he was ready. He was knocked to the ground after only a couple of moves.

Now only the five of them remain to surround them.

"You think you can control me just because you have more people?" Zhou Mingrui said calmly, his hands behind his back, showing no fear.

"Then let me see your strength!"

Before he could finish speaking, he made a sudden move.

"Let's attack together and take him down!"

In an instant, the five of them moved in unison, their swords flashing and fists and palms clashing as they launched a coordinated attack.

The wind howled along the cliffside.

The five candidates surrounded Zhou Mingrui, each with a fierce expression and brimming with strength, determined to trap him completely.

They were numerous and confident of victory.

However, Zhou Mingrui's agility was superb. Although he was slightly inferior to Chu Hong, he was still at the top level in this year's martial arts competition.

He was unarmed and showed no sign of panic. As he moved about, the five men couldn't catch a trace of him.

"Bang!"

With palm strikes, in just two or three rounds, one person groaned and fell to the ground, losing his fighting ability.

Upon seeing this, the remaining four people all felt a chill and their expressions instantly turned serious.

The leader saw that the five of them were attacking together but couldn't touch Zhou Mingrui's clothes at all, and immediately thought of retreating.

He knew that if the stalemate continued, he would only be defeated one by one by his opponent using his agility and skills, and eliminated from the game.

Thinking of this, he hurriedly shouted in a deep voice, "Zhou Mingrui, how about we concede defeat, call a truce, and retreat?"

Zhou Mingrui's eyes were cold as he strode closer to the man, his tone revealing fierce determination:

"In a battle of martial arts, there's no reason to call a truce halfway. If you defeat me, you can leave in peace!"

"If you are no match for them, then leave your identity token and withdraw from the martial arts program!"

Upon hearing this, the remaining four people lost all hope.

But they didn't want to fight Zhou Mingrui head-on, and the leader gave a low shout:

"We'll split up and meet back at the usual spot!"

The four immediately scattered and fled, each choosing a direction to disappear into the dark, dense forest.

However, their movement skills were utterly insignificant compared to Zhou Mingrui's.

Zhou Mingrui moved like a ghost, completing the pursuit, interception, and subjugation of the enemy in one swift motion.

In just a short while, all four of them were knocked to the ground.

Zhou Mingrui calmly took the identity tags of the six people and also put some dry food and water into his pocket.

Outside the mountain training ground, a light screen displayed the entire battle.

The martial artists were deeply moved and their blood boiled as they watched, unable to stop praising the spectacle.

"Look, this is what martial arts should be like: head-on confrontation, letting strength decide the outcome—this is the true spirit of a martial artist!"

"Zhou Mingrui fought six opponents alone and won decisively—that was truly exhilarating!"

"Look at Zhou Mingrui, and then look at Chu Hong, they are worlds apart."

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd immediately split into two camps, arguing endlessly.

"Zhou Mingrui's ability is his own, and Chu Hong's cunning is also his own skill. What's there to compare and belittle?"

"Strategy? Then what's the point of him coming to the martial arts department? The martial arts department selects martial arts talents, not those who rely on fists and feet but on drugs. Even if he wins first place, I won't accept it."

"Hahaha, just wait and see, Zhou Mingrui will definitely crush Chu Hong easily and make him unable to use any more underhanded tricks."

Most of the people present were martial artists, and what they admired most was the spirit of fighting head-on.

Zhou Mingrui swept aside his opponents with his superior strength, naturally winning the approval of most people.

Chu Hong used medicinal powder to scheme, avoiding direct combat. Although he also gained a lot, he was ultimately despised by them and had few supporters.

On the high platform, Xiong Zhen quietly observed Zhou Mingrui's skills and nodded secretly.

"This lad is promising; he has potential. After he passes the martial arts exam, we can send someone to make contact with him. If he can be recruited into the Sky Patrol Division, he will surely become a capable officer."

"Who knows, once he reaches the Transformation Realm, he might even make it onto the Human Ranking."

Magistrate Huang quickly bowed and wrote it down.

Xiong Zhen's gaze then swept over Chu Hong, and he added:

"Chu Hong is a meticulous man who knows how to make good use of external things. I can get to know him better afterward."

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

Outside the cave, Chu Hong was completely unaware that Zhou Mingrui had already pulled off a stunning counterattack.

He remained seated by the fire, quietly awaiting the next group of distinguished guests drawn by the aroma of meat.

However, people like Wang Ping were always few and far between. Although several groups of people came, most of them turned away warily without even tasting Chu Hong's meat.

Only two groups of people were taken back into the cave by Chu Hong, and in total, only eight people were knocked unconscious.

Chu Hong carefully observed the departing examinee who was on guard.

They were not from aristocratic families or martial arts schools, but rather well-traveled and knowledgeable martial artists who had long been out in the world.

As expected, experienced martial artists would not fall for Chu Hong's moves.

Seeing this, Chu Hong wondered if he should change the location and carry out his plan.

Suddenly, two people came around from the side and back of the cave.

Chu Hong's heart skipped a beat. If they discovered the people inside the cave, wouldn't they be exposed?

But by then it was already dark, with only a few faint lights.

The entrance to the cave was even darker, and one would not be able to detect any activity inside unless they looked specifically.

Chu Hong used the same words to lure the two of them over.

Seeing the two pass by the cave entrance without any apparent abnormality, Chu Hong breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, a series of deafening snores came from inside the cave.

It was exceptionally clear in this quiet mountain forest.

The newcomer was startled and peered into the cave, his expression immediately changing drastically.

"Run!"

Before the words were even finished, the two dared not linger for a moment and fled in a flash.

He kept warning people as he ran:

"Chu Hong has poisoned several examinees, including Wang Ping and Wu Wen. Everyone must be careful!"

The shouts pierced through the silent mountains and forests, carrying far and wide.

The birds and beasts in the mountains were all startled and scattered in all directions.

Those candidates who were nearby quickly concealed their presence and retreated to a safe distance.

Chu Hong held the freshly sliced ​​venison in his hand. He never imagined that his plan would be exposed in this way.

He did not pursue them.

Listening to the snoring sounds inside the cave, I felt rather helpless.

On the training ground outside the mountain, everyone watched as Chu Hong's scheme was exposed, and they immediately felt schadenfreude.

"Now he's been exposed. Let's see how he tries to use such methods now."

"Chu Hong has the strength to back it up. At worst, he can just do what Zhou Mingrui did and forcibly take it from us."

"Ha, if he really had that kind of power, would he still resort to such underhanded tactics?"

"Have you forgotten that Chu Hong and Zhou Mingrui fought a month ago, and their strengths were evenly matched?"

The crowd chimed in with their opinions, but most still didn't quite believe that Chu Hong could be a match for Zhou Mingrui.

Xiong Zhen leaned back in his chair, observing Chu Hong on the light screen with a hint of interest.

He pondered what Chu Hong would do next and how he would deal with this situation.

Chu Hong didn't have any particular thoughts.

Using grilled meat as bait was simply a way to save effort.

No matter how much he gains, it's all worth it for him.

He picked up a burning piece of firewood and, amidst the flickering flames, stepped into the cave.

In the dim light, the eight drugged people lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious, creating an eerie scene.

This time, Chu Hong left no room for future trouble. Before everyone woke up, he removed their identity tags one by one.

Chu Hong was clear-headed; now that the plan had been exposed, someone would likely come.

If there are too many attackers and he is unable to fight them off, he will have to retreat. In that case, everything he has done will be for someone else's benefit.

Since that's the case, it would only cause more trouble. It would be better to put away the identity token as soon as possible and be safer.

He quickly counted the items and found thirteen identity tags on the eight people.

Such a harvest can only be described as abundant.

Just then, a majestic announcement rang out once again from the sky:

"Wang Ping, Wu Wen... a total of eight people, eliminated!"