A Long River Myth

It was the second day of October in the second year of Tianwu in Da Qi.

Just as dawn broke, the entrance to the general stores on Jinshui Street was already bustling with activity.

The neighbors got up early, gathered at the door, lit firecrackers together, and some even brought food.

"Our Xiao Hong will definitely succeed! Sister Cuihua and Uncle Fulin both look like he's destined for great fortune!"

"Exactly! Our Jinshui Street has been around for decades, it's bound to produce a martial arts master eventually. I dreamt last night that Brother Hong, instead of being a second-class martial arts performer, came back as a first-class one!"

"Get out of here! That's not how you flatter someone. Are you trying to bully our Hong'er? Isn't having a second-class martial arts student enough?"

Yao laughed and scolded the neighbors. Not long after, Li Hong walked out of the shop, and the neighbors formed an arch around the entrance.

The carriage sent by Jiang Tao from the Patrol Department was already waiting by the roadside.

The coachman beside the horse recognized Li Hong, dressed in a smart outfit, who was saying goodbye to his family and neighbors in the middle of the crowd.

"Vice Envoy Li, the inner city gates only open at the beginning of Chenshi (7-9 AM). You can still make it to the drill ground by noon. You can take a nap in the carriage..."

After welcoming Li Hong into the carriage, the driver gave him some ingratiating instructions.

Li Hong nodded, leaped into the spacious carriage, and took out two books from his bundle.

He slept well last night. He has broken through the innate barrier and his internal energy is abundant. He can rest for two hours.

The carriage traveled steadily on the stone-paved road.

Li Hong was leaning back, flipping through a book that Jiang Tao had sent a couple of days ago.

These past two days, Li Hong has been completely captivated by its content.

News was scarce in the outer city, and since he had only recently become a martial artist and his status was low, he naturally knew very little about it.

"This world should be called the Nine Lands World... Each land is a major continent, and there are a total of nine floating lands in this world..."

Li Hong flipped through the book, and even now, looking at it again, he still found it novel.

"What kind of world is it, composed of nine floating continents?"

The manuscript that Jiang Tao sent was clearly not sold in ordinary bookstores and had not been printed or published.

"...The Lingyun Sect occupies a strategic position on the floating continent of Lizhou, and can be considered a dominant force in the world..."

"But they are not the strongest force yet..."

"In the ordinary kingdoms of the floating continent of Lizhou, martial artists have reached the end of their cultivation path by reaching the peak of the Innate Realm, and very few can break through without joining a superior sect..."

"The realm beyond the Innate stage is Transformation of Qi, but even Transformation of Qi is not the end of martial arts... Are there rankings like the Grandmaster Ranking?"

As Li Hong idly flipped through his book, the carriage had already arrived at the inner city...

.........

The training ground of Muyang County is 300 zhang wide and is located on the west side of the city lord's mansion.

Autumn colors are in full bloom, and banners stand tall.

The martial arts examination, a prestigious event second only to the martial arts examination, is held four times a year, and the streets are already bustling with activity early in the morning.

Outside the training ground, there were thousands of onlookers, including many wealthy merchants and nobles.

The high platforms on both sides were filled with countless dignitaries from the inner city, and even some officials from the prefectural governor's office could be seen.

Such a dramatic event, where one could leap over the dragon gate overnight, has always influenced changes in the regional landscape.

Its level of attention is naturally unmatched.

Among the sixteen kingdoms that left the land, not only the Great Qi, but also the other kingdoms had always valued martial prowess and strength.

At its root, it is because first-class martial arts students can participate in the martial arts examination of the upper sects... The implications are much greater, signifying the influence of various countries on the current situation in Lizhou.

The training ground is divided into east and west sections.

Four arenas were set up in the west training ground, with large red characters in the center indicating A, B, C, and D to distinguish them.

The East Training Ground is smaller and is the area for the physical examination.

The martial arts examination is generally divided into two parts: strength and skill. Strength is tested first, followed by skill. The best performers compete in a dynamic competition to determine the first and second class martial arts students.

First-class martial arts students can directly participate in the martial arts examination and are exempt from taxation by 50% for life. Once they are selected, they are already famous figures in the county!

Although second-class martial arts students cannot directly participate in the triennial martial arts examination, their future is promising, as they are able to receive official honors without having to kneel before officials.

Outside the training ground, the martial artists waiting for the autumn examination were lined up in four rows according to the inner and outer city, with a number far exceeding that of previous years.

Among them are many martial arts students who had already obtained the status of second-class martial arts students in previous years.

The first three rows consisted of the elites from the major families and forces in the inner city. Although they were all dressed in close-fitting clothes, they were all dressed in luxurious attire.

The fourth column consists of martial artists from the outer city awaiting examination; their clothing clearly indicates the difference between the inner and outer city.

In this world where martial arts reign supreme, the powerful clans and various forces within the inner city monopolize the path to martial arts.

The number of people participating in the martial arts examination makes it clear that...

There are four trials every year, with only twenty martial arts students selected for each trial. The top three are awarded the title of first-class martial arts student.

The entire county has a population of over two million, and only twelve first-class martial arts students are produced each year.

Ninety percent of these resources came from the inner city, indicating that resources were firmly controlled by the upper levels.

A martial artist from humble beginnings wants to rise up? The competition is suffocating!

Li Hong stood calmly at the end of the fourth column. He had just been identified and was waiting for the drill ground to open.

There were quite a few people from the outer city standing in front of him, numbering over thirty.

Many of them were acquaintances.

However, compared to the powerful aura of the three rows of elites from the inner city, this was a different story.

Niu Xiaorui looked tense, and Huang Shan next to him was no longer as arrogant as before, his Adam's apple bobbing from time to time.

Even Liang Shifan, a second-class martial arts student who was taking the retest in the outer city, glanced at the queue next to him and occasionally avoided eye contact.

Whether there are wolves or tigers inside, there's no faking it at this moment.

In contrast, nearly 60% of the three queues in the inner city were second-class martial arts students from previous years.

Although the remaining participants were taking the martial arts exam for the first time, there were also quite a few aristocratic family servants among them.

Most of them were calm and collected, and they often chatted and laughed with each other.

Even those who didn't speak had a sharp look in their eyes, as if they were eager to try.

He never paid any attention to the people in the fourth row next to him; his mind was focused on the elites in the inner city whom he knew well.

Just by looking at the atmosphere, the winner is already decided!

Waaaaah~!

As the auspicious hour arrived, the high-pitched and sharp sound of bugles suddenly rang out in the training ground.

This amplified all the atmospheres several times over in an instant!

The guards in armor opened the gates of the training ground.

Several officials in official robes rose from the platform and announced the start of the autumn examination.

Splash!

Four rows of candidates for the autumn examination moved forward, heading towards the east side of the training ground.

The first round of assessments for the autumn exams is today—a true test of strength!

The four sunshades on the east side of the drill ground are particularly eye-catching.

The force test is not conducted by pulling a bow; each shed contains a special giant stone for measuring force.

"Two thousand five hundred pounds? My God!"

Not long after the exam started, the front of the crowd was already in an uproar, as if some outstanding students were unleashing astonishing power.

This prompted many candidates from outside the city to exclaim in surprise! Is this still an internal martial artist?

Funny?

"Hmph, just a servant of the Zhu family, what are you yelling about?"

Someone in the inner city queue shouted.

"Brother Chen, those young men from the outer city are inexperienced; please be gentle with them!"

"What, are you going to try and humiliate the Zhu family later?"

"Hehe, you can do it!"

............

Li Hong remained calm and composed, taking everything in without the slightest disturbance in his heart.

The fact that the inner city families' servants unleashed their full strength of 2,500 jin was somewhat beyond his expectations.

...It is much stronger than the average late-stage internal strength.

Generally speaking, being able to reach around 2,100 jin is already considered one of the best among martial artists in the late stage of the Outer City Inner Strength realm.

The root cause lies in the vast gap between martial arts and resources.

When Li Hongtong was in the late stage of internal strength development, his explosive power once approached 2,700 jin.

This is because he has the control panel with him, and every time he progresses, he is on the right path.

These differences, accumulated little by little, gradually compensated for the huge gap caused by insufficient resources and inferior martial arts skills.

From his early days as a martial arts practitioner until now, his martial arts skills have surpassed those of ordinary people at the same level.

After observing for a moment, Li Hong withdrew his gaze and secretly pondered: "If this is all the martial servants are capable of, then the only ones I should pay some attention to are the new generation of families in the inner city."

With his innate-level vision, he had already noticed several people...

Although it is not yet clear whether there are any martial artists at the Innate Realm in the inner city's ranks.

However, there are still a few who are close to achieving inner strength and roundness; it's hard to guarantee that some of them, like him, haven't practiced the "breath-concealing" technique...

To find out the specifics, we'll need to test it out on the skills field.

In short, none of the people present today, no matter who they are, can stop him from taking down this first-class martial arts student!

...........

"Fourth row, Liang Shifan, lift the fourth stone to meet the standard (2,100 jin), B up."

"Third row, Wang Zijing, lifted the third stone to the standard (2,300 jin), first class down."

.....

As Liang Shifan stepped out of the shaded area, his wrists ached, his arms were sore, and his knees were aching.

Wang Zijing, the candidate from the inner city who was traveling with him, looked relaxed and shook his head with a smile.

These people from outside the city are all trying to be strong in the skills test. If they get injured, wouldn't their afternoon skills test be a waste?

Of the four rows of people, only five remained.

Ahead of Li Hong were Niu Xiaorui and Huang Shan. Huang Shan had a solemn expression, his spirits lifted, and he wiped his face, a sudden surge of heroic spirit rising within him as he walked into the shaded pavilion.

"rise!"

Under the watchful eye of the minor official, he grabbed the No. 7 stone, which weighed two thousand catties, his arm veins bulging.

When the test stone was lifted off the ground, Huang Shan's face turned red and his teeth chattered, but he still couldn't get it above his knees, and his attempt failed.

Two thousand jin was still too much for him, so he had to switch to stone number eight. He finally lifted eighteen hundred jin with one arm over his knee and got a grade of C.

Huang Shan was panting heavily, feeling extremely frustrated.

"Striving for the C level... This means that he must advance all the way to the B level in the five skill tests before he will have a chance to be rated as a second-class martial arts student."

But that's almost impossible. With his skill test results across four arenas, he still needs to advance through the ranks from the lowest level arena.

With only five opportunities, how could he rise to the top two ranks among so many top players in the inner city?

When he came out, Li Hong saw that his arms were shaking, which was probably the limit of his strength.

Huangshan was like a plucked dog, his eyes dull and lifeless, knowing that his identity as a martial arts performer in the autumn examination was long gone.

It turns out he had been too arrogant; the cold result he received made his hands and feet feel a little chilly.

A surge of emotions welled up inside him. He had mocked others quite a bit in the past, and now that it was his turn, how could he become the laughingstock?

Soon, it was Li Hong's turn to enter the shed.

He knew the rules of the martial arts examination, especially regarding the test of strength in the second level.

If I win three matches and advance to the second-tier arena, my status as a second-class martial arts student will be secure.

However, he still needs to advance to the top-tier arena to have a chance to become a first-class martial arts student, and that is only a chance.

He glanced at the No. 3 stone (2,300 jin), picked it up, gritted his teeth, and looked like he was struggling.

The arm seemed to be swaying, but the force-measuring stone rose off the ground and gradually ascended.

The minor official beside him smiled, but gradually his expression turned serious.

Although the force-measuring stone in Li Hong's hand looked "precarious," it was already close to his knee.

He was momentarily lost in thought and quickly looked at the roster in his hand.

Boom!

Li Hong pretended to be a little exhausted, so he reached the standard by going over his knees and slammed the force-measuring stone heavily onto the ground.

The clerk stared wide-eyed in shock. How could a mere boy from the outer city lift the No. 3 stone over his knees with one arm?

"Fourth...Fourth row, Li Hong, with great effort, lifted the No. 3 stone to the standard (2300 jin), and was eliminated!"

The announcement of the end of the ceremony immediately caused a sensation among the already small number of people waiting to take the exam in the eastern training ground!

"Four columns, out of position A?"

Among the crowd, many candidates from the inner city had their eyes fixed on the four rows of strength-testing tents.

Then they stared at the figure that walked out, not so much shocked, but still quite surprised.

The sound, like waves, gradually traveled to the waiting area on the east side of the training ground.

Huang Shan stared at Li Hong as he emerged from the shaded pavilion, utterly stunned. His vision blurred, and his face contorted in shock: "Two thousand three hundred jin?"

Beside him, he had just been discussing with Niu Xiaorui and a few others how to teach Li Hong a lesson during the skills test.

But this message, which was transmitted, struck the four rows of people like a thunderclap!

Niu Xiaorui, standing nearby, was also dumbfounded: "Who? Did Li Hongjue the third stone?!"

In the center of the crowd, Liang Shifan felt a tremor in his heart. He was a second-class martial arts student, only at the second rank.

This shocking news left the group speechless as they exchanged bewildered glances, each discerning complex emotions in the other's expression.

"Perhaps... he just happened to be lucky; 2,300 jin and 2,100 jin are not actually that difficult to handle in actual combat!"

"Brother Liang, didn't you say that even if someone has great brute strength in the skills test, as long as the difference isn't significant enough, it's not impossible to deal with them?"

After the shock faded from their faces, Niu Xiaorui took a few deep breaths and whispered words of comfort to them.

"That's right! Are we afraid of him?"

Huang Shan felt as if a huge rock was lodged in his heart, but he could only nod in agreement.

Liang Shifan gave a bitter smile, shaking his head silently. What did these kids know...? They actually believed the words he had used to fool them.

He was an experienced person and knew the ins and outs of the force-measuring stone.

Let alone a difference of 200 pounds in strength, even a difference of 100 pounds would be a disadvantage in actual combat.

Unless one has mastered superior martial arts, this is a real difference.

......

After Li Hong finished testing his strength, he returned to the waiting area on the east side of the training ground.

It was already noon, and the gates of the training ground reopened. This morning, only the strength test was conducted.

After the lunch break, the skills test will begin in the afternoon.

The autumn exams will be over in three days.

The crowd was surging as people left the training ground.

Huang Shan, Niu Xiaorui, and other candidates from outside the city, though still maintaining a haughty demeanor, were secretly watching Li Hong from time to time.

Liang Shifan, having walked halfway through the training ground, anxiously stepped out of the ranks and faced the direction Li Hong was advancing.

"Brother Li, congratulations on achieving first place in the exam! Our previous disagreement was my fault!"

"This small apology is offered as a token of my remorse. I hope you will forgive my petty mistake, brother."

He held Li Hong back with his hands clasped, his attitude so humble that he had already taken out a hundred-tael silver note after speaking.

It was forcibly stuffed into Li Hong's hand, eliciting a helpless smile from Li Hong.

"Alright, Brother Liang, I would be impolite to refuse your kind offer."

Li Hong smiled knowingly. Why would he refuse something given away for free?

This action left Huang Shan and Niu Xiaorui, who were standing nearby, momentarily speechless with embarrassment...

...........