Free Web NovelChapter 481: Chapter 211: Grade A+ Upper Grade, Government Soldiers Charge
The first day of the examination was only for announcing everyone’s scores; no rankings were given.
In the end, out of more than a thousand examinees, only twenty percent were eliminated. These were people whose Breathing Techniques weren’t advanced enough to awaken Dragon Elephant Power, whose natural aptitude was genuinely poor, or who lacked the support of other resources. Their Qi Power growth had long since hit a bottleneck, leaving them unable to even break three wooden stakes.
A small minority, of course, were examinees who had entered the Provincial Examination right after passing the Daoist Examination. Their cultivation time had been short, the Breathing Techniques they practiced weren’t sufficiently advanced, and they normally couldn’t afford to eat things like Demon Beast Meat. As a result, their Qi Power failed to meet the standard. They would need several more years of cultivation before they could distinguish themselves.
「The next morning.」
The crowd gathered once more at the site of the Martial Arts Examination.
"I will now announce the rules, regulations, and scoring criteria for the second round: the Fist Technique assessment."
Feng Junyi announced loudly.
After rattling off a list of regulations, he moved on to the scoring criteria. "You will be in groups of ten and fight bare-handed against Government Soldiers. The longer you last inside the encirclement and the more soldiers you knock down, the higher your score.
If you try to coast by without engaging the Government Soldiers, your score will be zero even if you remain inside the encirclement, and you will be disqualified from the next round.
Furthermore, if multiple examinees remain in the circle after all the Government Soldiers have been knocked down, the assessment will continue until only one is left standing.
Therefore, your final score will be determined by the time you last within the circle and the number of Government Soldiers and fellow examinees you defeat."
"WHOA!"
...
The entire field erupted into chaos the moment Feng Junyi finished announcing the rules.
"Why did they change everything?"
"It wasn’t like this last time!"
"Last time, the highest score went to whoever broke out of the encirclement the fastest."
"It’s a total reversal! How are we supposed to game the system now?"
"They’re clearly trying to make us have a bloody brawl with the Government Soldiers! Those men are on the battlefield year-round. Even if their Qi Power is weaker than ours, how are we supposed to match their combat experience?"
"We have to take down the Government Soldiers and then turn on our own."
"’Our own’? We’re all competitors. The higher-ups made this rule to stop us from forming alliances."
Many of the examinees complained bitterly.
When Wang Chao first took the examination, the rules hadn’t been as detailed as they were now. The main metric was the time taken to break out of the encirclement, and Wang Chao had always been able to use tricks to pass.
Nowadays, the Martial Arts Examination was increasingly strict, with more and more regulations. The rules were updated almost every year, making it progressively harder to pass.
For some, failing once meant they would fail time and time again.
But this time, the rules were completely reversed, making the trial crueler than ever before and catching many examinees off guard.
However, Wang Chao, sitting beside Chu Lingguang, let out a small sigh of relief.
For years, he had been the chief bailiff at the County Yamen, living a life of comfort and privilege with few opportunities for a head-on fight. It was only after he joined Yang Shaorong that he began to train rigorously in the military camp.
In previous years, he feared he would have been eliminated in the second round.
Fortunately, his Qi Power had increased significantly, and he had military training. Even with the rules turned on their head, this second round wouldn’t be a problem for him.
"Perfect. A chance to show everyone just how hard Master Hu’s fists are."
Hei Hu, on the other hand, was cracking his knuckles in anticipation. He loved a good brawl. Back on Wine Street, he had once led his gang of underlings in a direct charge against a rival faction.
While it wasn’t as bloody as a real battlefield, Hei Hu always had a blast.
’There’s one more rule than there was in the academy examination,’ Chu Lingguang thought to himself.
During the final round at the academy, he, Yan Chengdu, and the few others who made it that far had to survive until the end against a squad of Imperial Guards.
Back then, they were allowed to choose their own weapons.
Now, they had to fight bare-handed.
Furthermore, after defeating all the Government Soldiers, they also had to eliminate any other examinees left in the circle. The system was far crueler than the one at the academy.
’But the Martial Arts Examination has always been like this.’
’For many, passing the exam is like a carp leaping over the dragon gate. It’s only natural for the rules to be harsh.’
"Examinees, take your positions."
"Qi Shiwei..."
Before the crowd could dwell on it, the second round of the examination began.
Ten-man groups competed simultaneously.
The vast, sandy field was divided into five combat circles. With fifty people participating at a time, the more than eight hundred examinees could all be tested and have their results within a day.
Once the examinees entered, the Government Soldiers took their positions. These men had been transferred from other regions, and just like the examinees, their physical conditioning and strength levels varied greatly.
The examinees hoped to pass and become Martial Arts Scholars to secure an official post, while the Government Soldiers hoped their performance would earn them the recognition of their superiors and a better assignment within the army.
There were dark horses among them as well.
In previous years, there had always been one or two astonishingly gifted Government Soldiers who had held back during their regular service, waiting for an opportunity like this to make a stunning debut.
Most of these soldiers came from impoverished backgrounds. Their families had no silver taels to support them in learning Fist Techniques or practicing martial arts, so their only path to success was to enlist.
In the military camps, they learned Fist Techniques and Breathing Techniques.
Outside of actual combat, they had few chances to demonstrate their abilities. Most remained obscure, though a small number might distinguish themselves during training drills and earn their superiors’ favor.
But not every soldier got such an opportunity. For most, just getting the chance to compete against the examinees was an achievement they had poured all their efforts into. To distinguish themselves further here was far more difficult than one might imagine.
Yet, nothing was absolute.
There were always a few incredibly gifted individuals who, after years of holding back, would utterly defeat a host of examinees at the Martial Arts Examination and receive a meteoric promotion.
Some were even recommended by their superiors to be discharged from military service so they could participate in the Martial Arts Examination just like the other candidates.
「On the sandy field.」
Fifty examinees took their positions.
Fifty Government Soldiers, transferred from other regions, entered next and faced off against the examinees in their respective circles.
"Begin!"
As the examiner gave the signal, the visiting Government Soldiers let out a roar. "KILL! KILL! KILL!"
They charged the examinees as if they were on a real battlefield. They had trained painstakingly, often enduring hunger and hardship, while these examinees, should they pass, would become their direct superiors.
They refused to accept it.
Why should people who lived comfortable lives get to boss them around later?
So every soldier fought with all their might, wishing they could throw every single examinee out of the circles. They fought to prove their own worth and to vent their indignation.
Unfortunately, despite their rich combat experience, the cultivation resources they normally received were far inferior to those of most examinees. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been forced to enlist in the army instead of taking the path of the Martial Arts Examination.
In Qi Shiwei’s combat circle.
His Fist Force thundered as he knocked three Government Soldiers out of the circle within ten exchanges. He then engaged two more in a chaotic brawl.
Thanks to his presence, the other examinees in his circle faced less pressure. However, the Martial Arts Examination rules were clear: they had to defeat Government Soldiers to earn a score.
Thus, the remaining candidates scrambled to attack the soldiers, some even ganging up two-on-one.
A short while later.
All ten Government Soldiers had been knocked out of the circle by Qi Shiwei’s group. Six examinees remained.
"Take this!"
Qi Shiwei launched an attack on the strongest of the other five. The remaining four immediately fell into a chaotic melee.
In the end, Qi Shiwei was the last one standing.
He had personally defeated four Government Soldiers and three fellow examinees, earning first place in his group.
A quarter of an hour later.
It was Hei Hu’s turn.
His blood pumping with excitement, Hei Hu took the offensive, quickly felling three Government Soldiers. He then realized that besides himself, only three other examinees remained in the circle.
He couldn’t resist taunting them. "Why don’t you three just come at me together!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the three of them swarmed him.
Outside the fighting circle, Guo Wei’s face turned as black as charcoal.
A short while later.
The three examinees who had ganged up on Hei Hu were knocked down one by one. Hei Hu, now sporting a bruised and swollen face, walked over to Guo Wei. Although he had taken first place in his group, he had paid the price for his showboating.
Seeing his battered appearance, Guo Wei could only let out a soft sigh, not wanting to say a single word.
(Thank you to Carefree Divine Venerable for the continuous tips! I’m sorry, I wanted to write more but couldn’t manage it. I’ll release an extra Chapter tomorrow and try to write a longer one.)
