Supreme Martial Venerable: Starting with the White Ape Cloak Hammer skill point allocation

June 7th.

As usual, Zhou Yuan got up at dawn to practice his boxing, wash up, and eat.

Today is the day the Wuke County Examination begins.

Zhuo Changyu also got up early and prepared a sumptuous meal for Zhou Yuan.

She helped Zhou Yuan change into a new, stylish outfit and personally tied the belt around his waist.

"Yuan-ge, don't put too much pressure on yourself. It's okay if you don't pass the exam. We're already doing very well."

Zhuo Changyu said.

"Um."

Zhou Yuan nodded. "After the county exam, whether we pass or fail, let's get married."

Zhuo Changyu's face flushed red to the roots of his ears, and he nodded, suppressing his embarrassment.

She escorted Zhou Yuan to the alley entrance, and only reluctantly turned back home after he disappeared from sight.

Zhou Yuan walked steadily toward the Martial Temple, and along the way, he could see martial arts examinees dressed similarly to him everywhere.

Those people were mostly in groups of three or five, and most of them either rode tall, fine horses or traveled in luxurious carriages.

Very few people walked to the examination venue.

The saying goes, "The poor study literature, the rich practice martial arts." Most people who persist in practicing martial arts come from relatively well-off families.

Even if a martial arts student from a humble background is qualified to participate in the martial arts examination, he has already received financial assistance from wealthy families.

Martial arts training requires a lot of money. Meat and medicine are essential, but if you spend a lot of money, where will you get the strength to practice martial arts?

Even Zhou Yuan, the amount of silver he has spent to get to where he is today is equivalent to the entire fortune of a small wealthy man.

Even if one spends countless amounts of money and effort to have the opportunity to stand in the examination hall, only one in a hundred will actually pass.

Most test takers are just joining in the fun and gaining some experience.

Zhou Yuan arrived at the Martial Temple, verified his identity, and entered the square, shutting out the noise from those accompanying examinees and the vendors.

The square inside the Martial Temple is now used as the examination ground for the county examination, and the examiners sit on the platform in the examination ground.

The martial arts examinees on the field had already lined up according to their place of origin and numbers, a dense, dark mass of heads.

Zhou Yuan found his place and stood still, adjusting his breathing while observing the candidates on the field.

The age range of these candidates is extremely wide, ranging from teenagers to those in their forties and fifties.

What they had in common was that they were all tall and strong, with bulging muscles and a fierce aura.

Zhou Yuan knew that among these people were many seasoned test-takers who had taken the exam multiple times.

Although they are not very talented, they are experienced and can be quite troublesome if you encounter them.

Having seen countless impoverished people in the outer city who lacked food and clothing, Zhou Yuan felt a strong sense of alienation upon suddenly seeing so many martial arts practitioners.

In this martial arts world, powerful families and clans possess not only martial arts techniques, but also money and power.

He wanted a life of plenty and a voice, and he was determined to get Wu Ke!

Just as Zhou Yuan was observing the examinees, his vision suddenly went black, and two figures stopped in front of him.

"Zhou Yuan, I didn't expect you to actually dare to participate in the martial arts exam."

A cold, mocking voice said, "I heard you've gotten mixed up with that old good-for-nothing Li Lin. Even if two good-for-nothings get mixed up, they won't be able to turn things around."

You'd better pray you don't run into me in the actual fight later, or I'll definitely cripple you.

"Brother Yuan, even if he's lucky enough not to run into you, if I do, I'll still cripple him for you."

The other person said with a smile.

Zhou Yuan merely glanced at them before closing his eyes to rest, his expression blank.

Seeing this, Yuan Qingfeng and Qin Wu were furious.

If they weren't in the exam hall, they would have wanted to cripple Zhou Yuan right now.

"A peasant is a peasant; he can't be served in a respectable manner."

Qin Wu sneered, "He's already incredibly lucky to have even gotten into this exam hall, but that's all. What makes him think he can compete with us?"

Qin Wu pulled Yuan Qingfeng away. In his eyes, Zhou Yuan was just an eyesore, a vermin that he would simply stomp on if he encountered him.

A moment later, the dull sound of drums echoed across the training ground.

Then came the sound of synchronized footsteps.

Squads of fully armed city guards ran into the drill ground from all directions, stood in place on all four sides, and slammed their long spears heavily on the ground.

"roar!"

They shouted in unison, their voices striking the hearts of every examinee like heavy hammer blows, instantly tightening their already tense nerves even further.

After the city guards shouted loudly.

The chief examiner on the platform slowly rose and walked to the front of the stage with a gait that resembled a bow.

His sharp gaze swept across the entire audience. "Our Great Qi Dynasty has been passed down for hundreds of years and still stands proudly in the world today, all thanks to the military examination system for selecting officials."

Today, the martial arts examination in Gaoshan County begins. You must not be careless or negligent. Showcase all your knowledge to the fullest extent possible. Only by passing can you have lived up to your hard work.

He loudly announced the examination rules, such as no favoritism or cheating, and that physical violence was unforgivable and that candidates would be responsible for their own lives.

Finally, he raised his voice, his words booming like thunder.

"Time's up, exam begins!"

A gong sounded throughout the venue, and immediately, neatly dressed clerks began to announce names.

Zhou Yuan also followed the team to the center of the training ground and watched as the candidates in front began to lift the tripod.

Ten bronze tripods are lined up in a row, ranging in size from one hundred jin to one thousand jin.

The standard for the county examination was to lift the tripod above one's head and hold it for ten breaths to be considered valid.

The shape of the ding is wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. It has only two small handles that can be gripped. When it is carried over the head, the center of gravity shifts and it is very easy to shake.

Therefore, to lift it up, you need to have a certain level of strength in your waist, back, legs, and grip.

To lift a 100-pound cauldron, one needs at least 120 pounds of strength.

The rules for calculating the results of the county examination were very simple: if a candidate could lift a 300-jin (150 kg) tripod, the clerk would draw a circle with a vermilion pen after the candidate's name.

For every additional 100 jin lifted, one more red circle is added.

Those weighing less than 300 jin do not have a red circle.

This name has "gone viral".

The final rankings were determined by the number of red circles obtained, with the top fifty being awarded the title of "Martial Arts Scholar".

"With so many candidates, it's impossible to know how many red circles are needed to get into the top fifty, so we have to give it our all in each of the three rounds of competition."

Zhou Yuan secretly conserved his energy and prepared for battle.

The world is full of heroes, and even the most outstanding people struggle to make a living. What right does he have to be arrogant and careless, and play the game of hiding his talents?

Although he received Li Lin's full support during this period, practicing diligently day and night with additional nutrition and medicine, he only managed to master the White Ape Tongbei Fist. His progress on the White Ape Cloak Hammer was minimal, and he was still quite far from achieving perfection.

Compared to those veterans who have been immersed in the Flesh Refining Realm for many years, he has no advantage in strength.

As each candidate took the stage, Zhou Yuan also saw several familiar faces.

Cheng Jiuhe, He Yuguang, Luo Rongrong and others took the stage one after another.

Cheng Jiuhe lifted the 800-jin bronze cauldron and received six red circles.

He Yuguang lifted the 700-jin bronze cauldron and received five red circles.

Luo Rongrong only lifted 500 jin and got three red circles in front of her.

Based on past experience, you need to get more than five red circles in the first round to have a chance of winning; otherwise, unless you have exceptional practical skills, your chances of winning are very slim.

He Yuguang and Luo Rongrong were already outstanding individuals in the blacksmith shop, yet they still managed to achieve such results, which shows how difficult the martial arts exam was.

Zhou Yuan witnessed firsthand how many people couldn't even lift a 300-pound cauldron. If you couldn't "break out" in the first round, it was equivalent to being eliminated.

Soon, the clerk called out Zhou Yuan's name.

He tightened the belt around his waist and walked steadily onto the stage step by step.

…………