Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

November 21st, the first year of the Guangqi era.

In the winter month of Heyang City, the north wind whipped up snow, and the bluestone slabs on the drill ground in the west of the city were frozen solid. Banners stood in rows, all of which were torn and fluttered by the cold wind, making a rustling sound.

Today is the day the martial arts examination begins.

The open space outside was crowded with ordinary people who came to watch the spectacle. Despite the freezing cold, they came to stop and watch, eager to witness this martial arts competition that had attracted the attention of the entire city.

On both sides of the training ground, thousands of martial arts students stood in neat rows, each dressed in tight-fitting clothes, with upright posture and sharp eyes, waiting for the exam in the order of their registration.

Those who can stand here to take the test are all outstanding elite disciples from various martial arts schools.

On the platform to the north, seventeen examiners sat upright, surrounded by several scribes and clerks, all in a solemn and orderly manner.

On both sides of the platform, there were also elegant seats, where the local gentry, nobles and dignitaries of Heyang were seated. They were all important figures who were rarely seen in normal times.

At the very front of the crowd, two elderly women, wrapped in cotton-padded coats, were huddled together, rubbing their hands to keep warm.

Granny Tian clutched a copper hand warmer in her hand, her nose red from the cold but unable to hide the smugness on her face. She nudged Aunt Wang next to her with her elbow: "Auntie, just you wait and see, my Hui'er is definitely going to stand out in the martial arts competition this time. He's been training diligently with Master Liu for eight years, and he's already at the peak of Ming Jin! I wouldn't dare say how far he's gone, but among the younger generation in Yuhuowan, there's no one who can surpass him."

Aunt Wang gathered the cotton batting around her collar, breathed out a puff of hot air, and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Of course! Ah Hui is such a good child. He has reached the peak of Ming Jin at such a young age and is a well-known young man in our Yuhuo Bay. He will definitely have a bright future."

Granny Tian beamed with joy, her crow's feet crinkling at the corners of her eyes. Her gaze swept casually toward the west side of the drill ground, then her face suddenly froze, and she let out a soft gasp.

"Qin boy?"

Aunt Wang immediately turned her head and asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Aunt Hui?"

Granny Tian snapped out of her daze, curled her lip, and said with disdain, "It's nothing, Auntie. Guess who I saw? Qin Heng from the breakfast stall is here for the martial arts competition! Humph, back then he came to my house with Ting to borrow money. I didn't lend him any, and I don't know where he borrowed the money from. Later, he went to Songxuan Martial Arts School. I heard he's only been practicing martial arts for a little over half a year, and he dares to come and join this fun. Isn't he afraid of getting beaten up on stage!"

"That's right." Aunt Wang looked over and shook her head. "The martial arts exam isn't easy to pass. Without five or six years of hard work, you can't even get close to the threshold. This child looks decent, but he's a bit too impatient."

As soon as he finished speaking, three muffled drumbeats came from the drum tower next to the command platform.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The drumbeats were deep and thunderous, piercing through the howling cold wind and spreading throughout the entire training ground.

The previously noisy crowd instantly fell silent, and all eyes turned to the center of the reviewing stand.

The chief examiner, Deputy Garrison Commander Cheng Lie, slowly stood up, took a step forward, looked down at the crowd, and spoke in a loud, clear voice: "Gentlemen, today is the opening day of the martial arts examination in Heyang County in the first year of Guangqi. This martial arts examination is divided into two rounds. The first round is a test of strength, and the second round is a ring battle. Anyone who is fifteen years of age or older, has a clean background, and has no record of committing crimes is eligible to take the exam."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the thousands of martial arts students standing silently below the stage. "In the past, the first round of the martial arts examination mainly tested lifting stones and drawing bows, which only tested physical strength and had many limitations. Therefore, this year, the imperial court ordered a change in the rules. The first round will test the ability to break bricks, which tests both strength and the method of exerting force."

As he spoke, he pointed to the pile of iron sand bricks that had been prepared in the center of the training ground: "These iron sand bricks were all uniformly fired by the government, and their size, thickness, and hardness are completely consistent, eliminating any possibility of cheating. Each candidate will choose the number of layers of iron sand bricks they want to stack, and then punch them with a single fist. They will have a maximum of three punches, and only the best result will be counted. If all the selected layers are broken, the candidate will pass. The higher the number of layers, the higher the grade. If the bricks are not broken in one punch, no matter how many are broken, the candidate will fail that round."

hum!

As soon as he finished speaking, a low murmur arose from the audience. Many knowledgeable martial arts students nodded in approval, thinking that the rules had been changed very well. However, some disciples who were born with superhuman strength but were not good at exerting it had their faces darken instantly.

Cheng Lie raised his hand to quiet the room again: "The second round will still be a ring battle. Those who performed well in the first round will be drawn into pairs for a duel. The winners will advance, and the losers will be eliminated!"

After speaking, he glanced sideways at the water clock on the side of the command platform, waiting for the scale to be in place.

After waiting a moment, he suddenly roared, his voice echoing across the surrounding area:

"The auspicious time has arrived, let the examination begin!!!"

At Cheng Lie's command, teams of martial arts students lined up and walked to the center of the training ground, each selecting iron sand bricks to try and crack them to test their strength.

"The martial arts exam score is the sum of the two rounds of exams, and you must get a good score in the first round."

Qin Heng kept a close eye on the movements of the martial arts performers in the arena while secretly making plans in his mind.

Although you have three chances in the first round, there aren't many opportunities to try and fail. If you choose too many levels and fail them all, you'll be eliminated in the first round.

"In the first round of testing strength, the Ming Jin martial artist goes first!"

The official in charge of announcing the name shouted loudly, his voice piercing through the wind and snow, reaching everyone's ears clearly.

"First one, Simon Song!"

A short, stocky boy stepped forward, his face full of tension, his hands clenched tightly.

He strode to the pile of iron sand bricks, hesitated for a long time, then chose a piece of iron sand brick, placed it on the stone platform, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and swung his fist down.

"Crack!" The iron sand brick split in two.

"Ximen Song, Ding Xia!"

The boy let out a long sigh of relief and stepped back.

The next Mingjin candidates were mostly of similar skill level, with most only able to break one or two layers of iron sand bricks, and a few able to break three or four layers.

A few candidates were greedy and chose three iron sand bricks each time, but failed each time and were eliminated on the spot and asked to leave the examination room.

"Next up, Takai!"

Grandma Tian suddenly straightened up, almost dropping the hand warmer in her hand, and excitedly grabbed Aunt Wang's arm: "Here he comes! My Hui'er is on stage! Look!"

Tian Hui walked onto the field with his head held high and chest out. He first raised his chin in the direction of his mother outside the field, and then picked up five iron sand bricks without hesitation and stacked them neatly together.

Pose the horse stance, lower your waist, and gather your strength.

"drink!"

"Tian Hui, Class C!"

As soon as the announcer finished speaking, Granny Tian clapped her hands and shouted, "Good son! Well done!" She looked around triumphantly, and after Tian Hui walked out of the examination hall, the mother and son left straight away, their chins practically pointing to the sky.

Soon, all the martial arts students with the Ming Jin skill completed their tests and left the examination hall.

Next, it was the turn of the Dark Force martial arts students to take the stage. Among them were five elite Dark Force disciples from Songxuan Martial Arts School.

"Next up, Huang Hanyan!"