Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

Zhang Mingyuan and Xu Feng stood side by side, having returned from outside at some point. They were looking at the two people in the center of the training ground, with Huang Hanyan and Qin Tianbao on one side behind them.

Zhang Mingyuan clapped his hands and walked over slowly: "Both of you junior brothers are quite skilled. Let's stop here. If we continue fighting, we might lose control and damage our relationship."

Upon hearing this, Li Yiping could only reluctantly withdraw her stance, wipe her sweat, and mutter, "I was just about to take down this kid, Senior Brother, your return is too timely."

As soon as he finished speaking, applause and murmurs rang out in the training ground. The disciples who had previously questioned Qin Heng's strength and realm all shut their mouths and dared not utter any more sarcastic remarks.

Qin Tianbao stood to the side with his arms crossed, only glancing indifferently at the martial arts arena. His gaze lingered on Qin Heng for less than half a breath before he looked away, his eyes showing no ripples whatsoever.

Xu Feng stood beside Zhang Mingyuan, and his gaze towards Qin Heng completely changed. It was no longer contempt, but replaced by a complex sense of approval.

Seeing Qin Heng looking in his direction, he surprisingly smiled and nodded at Qin Heng.

Upon seeing this, Qin Heng nodded slightly in return, his expression remaining calm. He did not change his usual attitude despite his third senior brother's sudden show of goodwill.

Just then, steady footsteps came from the main entrance of the martial arts school.

Everyone looked over at the sound and saw Mo Guangren slowly walking in from outside the gate, still carrying the chill of early winter. His brows were slightly furrowed, and his expression was much more solemn than usual.

He raised his hand and pressed it down, and the training ground instantly fell silent.

Then, Mo Guangren's gaze swept across the entire room like lightning, and he said in a deep voice:

"Zhang Mingyuan, Xu Feng, Huang Hanyan, Li Yiping, Qin Tianbao, and Qin Heng, you few come with me into the inner courtyard for this meeting. The rest of you, stay where you are and continue to practice your skills diligently in preparation for the martial arts examination. Do not discuss external affairs."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the inner courtyard, his steps steady and powerful.

The disciples in the academy all understood that something serious had happened, which is why only the inner disciples and instructors of the martial arts school were informed.

After a few chaotic words, everyone returned to their positions to continue practicing their stances and boxing.

The six people whose names were called followed Mo Guangren in silence into the inner courtyard and then into the front hall.

Mo Guangren sat down in the main chair, his gaze sweeping over the elite disciples present, and slowly began to speak.

"The fact that the Ming family colluded with the bandits is true." His voice was calm, revealing little emotion. "The garrison has publicly presented evidence provided by the first accusation from an insider of the Ming family. We have indeed caught river pirates in the port and intercepted three ships carrying smuggled goods."

He looked at Xu Feng and Zhang Mingyuan, "Inspector Chen, who previously intervened on behalf of the Ming family, has been transferred back because he interfered in local affairs without the sect's orders."

Xu Feng was about to say something more when Mo Guangren raised his hand to interrupt him: "Alright, stop talking. The county will make its own decision on this matter, and it can't be overturned by your words or his. You don't need to discuss it, and it's best not to get involved. There are too many parties involved, and you can't handle it."

His gaze swept across the hall, lingering for a moment on Qin Heng, Qin Tianbao, and Li Yiping: "The conflict between the five major families and the garrison has a long history and involves many aspects, even exceeding the sphere of influence of my Heyang County. Those who are not from aristocratic families should not get involved in the county's disputes, nor should they blindly take sides or place bets."

He glanced at Qin Heng, Qin Tianbao, and Li Yiping again, emphasizing, "At this critical juncture, focusing on your training within the martial arts school is the safest course of action. Those already holding positions in the five major families should seek alternative employment. The martial arts school will cover 50% of any losses incurred."

"Right now, you only need to focus on one important thing, and that is the martial arts examination." His tone became slightly more serious. "Pull your minds back and prepare with all your might. If you can pass the martial arts examination, you will have real academic honors. Not only will you enjoy tax reductions, but your social status will also naturally rise. Even for scions of large families, having an academic honor will significantly increase their standing within the family, giving them more confidence when inheriting property and managing family affairs in the future."

He paused, his gaze falling on Qin Heng, then sweeping over Li Yiping and Qin Tianbao: "Not to mention those of you without family connections. In this world, it's incredibly difficult for children from poor families to rise above their circumstances. Only the martial arts examination doesn't consider social status or background; it's all about skill. Once you pass, the gates to the prefectural city open, allowing you to study martial arts at the prefectural martial arts academy, and then take the martial arts examination to become a provincial-level martial arts scholar. You could say that the martial arts examination is the only chance to change your destiny!"

The hall was silent.

Xu Feng and Huang Hanyan lowered their eyes. They naturally understood the significance of fame and fortune to the family's children. Otherwise, they would not have come to the martial arts school to learn from Master Mo.

Upon hearing this, Qin Tianbao's eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp, strange light, and his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Fame and fortune were exactly what he wanted most.

He wanted to crush all the scions of noble families with his own fists, and make those who looked down on his background look up to him.

He wanted to free his mother from her lowly status as a prostitute, and he wanted to achieve great success and ask the court to grant her the title of Lady of the Imperial Decree!

He was determined to win the top spot in the martial arts examination.

Li Yiping clenched her fists, her eyes filled with genuine anticipation.

He came from an ordinary background, and martial arts was his only chance to rise above others.

Qin Heng lowered his eyes slightly, his fingertips twitched gently, but his expression remained calm, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Mo Guangren took in everyone's expressions and secretly weighed the situation in his mind:

Qin Tianbao is exceptionally talented. He entered the martial arts school and achieved the Ming Jin level in half a month, and the An Jin level in more than three months. Now, his martial arts level is close to the mastery of An Jin, and his fist technique is also not far from mastery. No one in the school can compare to him.

As long as I don't run into those few prodigies from aristocratic families beforehand, I should be almost certain to pass the martial arts exam in high school, and I might even be able to directly compete for the top spot.

Xu Feng's talent is second only to Qin Tianbao's. He has a solid foundation and is the most promising candidate for high school after Qin Tianbao. However, he is ultimately bound by family ties and is inevitably distracted.

Li Yiping is highly talented and skilled in martial arts, but she has always been fond of alcohol. In the past two years, she was also heartbroken by a love affair, which has greatly diminished her spirit. No one can say for sure how much of her strength she can bring to the martial arts arena.

Huang Hanyan is quite talented, but her mind is entirely focused on family conflicts. It's already a stroke of luck that she made it into the second tier of the rankings.

As for Qin Heng... his gaze lingered on Qin Heng for a moment longer.

This child has just broken through to the inner strength stage, so in terms of accumulated experience, he naturally cannot compare with others.

But when he fought Li Yiping today, his internal strength was so profound that he was in no way inferior, and his foundation was so solid that it was not like someone who had just broken through to the internal strength level.

If he could have a few more months to reflect, he might be able to surprise everyone. But there's not much hope for him in the martial arts exam this time. He can only treat it as a training experience and accumulate exam experience first.

"Alright, everyone disperse. Go back and do what you were doing. Remember what I said today." Mo Guangren slowly withdrew his gaze and waved his hand.

After bowing respectfully, all the disciples left the front hall one after another.