Chapter 5: Martial Arts Assessment

Zhongyang Street, covering an area of several hundred acres, the Luyang Mansion.

Just now in the classroom, in order to completely show off in front of the other martial arts students, he was able to hold on. However, after returning home, as soon as he opened a book, his eyelids became heavy with sleepiness

Today is the most important martial arts assessment at Luyang Prefecture! I have a family-secret special strength pill in hand, which will greatly enhance your strength after consumption, helping you leap over the dragon gate! Five taels of silver for one pill, buying it is not a loss, consuming it is not a deception

For example, the Rune System can deepen the understanding of the essence of martial arts

However, among the thousands of martial students in the ten martial arts academies of Luyang Prefecture, many are practicing basic martial skills, and even the scions of noble families are learning intermediate martial skills

Unlike certain individuals who possess limited abilities and are unable to master even basic martial skills, they suffer from delusions, actually believing they can gain admission to the only government office in Luyang Prefecture. It is truly akin to an ant trying to shake a tree, completely unaware of their own limitations

Opening the sacred text "The Elegy" and consulting the knowledge recorded within its "Vast Years" requires a price to be paid

Ye Fan's performance yesterday left them utterly astonished

The first day's assessment is for the Martial Arts Department

It is uncertain how great his chances are of being admitted to the Martial Arts Department of the government institution

Ye Fan jumped up from the desk, his expression somewhat flustered

When Ye Fan hurriedly arrived at the courtyard, the entire martial arts academy was surrounded by thousands of martial students and an even greater number of parents, relatives, and friends, making it impossible for water to leak through. The two imposing stone lions at the entrance of the courtyard were also crowded with people.

Ye Fan was somewhat surprised

Shang complained, "I told you long ago that each time you browse through 'Vast Years', it requires a significant amount of your mental energy. Unless absolutely necessary, do not use it lightly. Yesterday, you actually flipped through the book four times for that group of useless students in your class, exhausting your mental energy to a serious extent, and it took you most of the day to recover!"

... ...

Ye Fan collapsed onto the desk with a thud, falling into a deep and drowsy sleep

Ye Fan's heart was filled with bitterness

Zhao Xing approached with a mocking smile, swaggering confidently, his face full of disdain and arrogance, accompanied by Jiang Weiyun and a group of his followers.

Ye Fan vented his anger in class, left the Nancheng Martial Arts Academy, and returned to his old residence in Luyang City

The strength of Brother Xing is beyond doubt; he has already mastered the seventh form of the intermediate-level sword technique "Oblique Moon Thirteen Blade Method." Its power is extraordinarily fierce, capable of cleaving a large tree with a single strike, a feat that others cannot compare to

In the final class of the day, each time he opened the mysterious ancient book from the sea of consciousness, his mental energy was significantly depleted.

And in the courtyard of Luyang Prefecture, at the training ground.

Ye Fan hurriedly washed up, bought a steamed bun on the way to fill his stomach, and then rushed to the examination venue

His martial arts talent, in terms of mental strength, is less than half of that of others. No wonder he practices diligently every day; in martial arts, he still falls far behind others, and the gap is only widening.

Vendors selling secrets, fortune tellers traveling around, and hawkers calling out their wares create an incredibly lively atmosphere

He is about to participate in the martial arts department assessment

Shang shook his head and said: "You will not faint! After exhausting your mental energy, it will continue to deplete your vital essence. If your vital essence is consumed to the brink of exhaustion and death, it will then start to consume your lifespan, until your lifespan is completely depleted and your soul is scattered. So I warn you, do not overuse 'Martial God Tournament' and 'Vast Years', otherwise it will only lead to your quicker demise! I do not wish for you to die early and drag me down with you."

By pursuing studies in other departments, one can earn a considerable amount of wealth to be used for martial arts training

Oh, isn't this the renowned Ye Fan from our class

Although some speculate that Ye Fan employed insidious and cunning methods to secretly gather their weaknesses, no one dared to easily provoke Ye Fan before witnessing his true strength

Certainly, if the martial artist comes from a wealthy background and does not have to worry about finances for cultivation, they may choose not to apply to other departments and focus solely on the practice of martial arts

Didn’t I just rest a bit after getting home at noon? How did it suddenly turn into morning? ... Oh no, today is the joint examination of the Shiyuan Institute of Luyang, am I going to miss the exam time?!

He opened his eyes and saw that the sky outside was dimly bright, as if it were dawn

Esteemed candidates, this old master has traversed the vast expanse of the Azure Nation for several decades, possessing unparalleled strategies. Allow me to predict your fate and see which department you will be admitted to!

For example, in the alchemy department, one can use medicinal materials to assist in cultivation and also earn wealth

However, it does not matter; there is a report of grievances every other day

In the Divine Martial Continent, the strong are revered

Ye Fan immediately recalled that this was the voice of the mysterious ancient book "Shang" that had intruded into his mind

Ye Fan is very eager to know

Suddenly, Ye Fan awoke.

I won't talk to you anymore, I need to hurry to the examination hall, I must not be late

It is certainly boasting

It is uncertain how much time has passed

However, Zhao Xing and his group constantly bullied him, which made him extremely angry, prompting him to retaliate against them. Unfortunately, he accidentally flipped through the books a few more times, resulting in him falling into a deep sleep for an entire night

Any martial student from any martial arts academy in the Divine Martial Continent, wishing to advance to higher ranks such as Martial Respect, Martial Marquis, Martial King, or Martial Emperor, must take this course as a prerequisite

This is a small courtyard passed down through the Ye family, providing him with a stable place to settle in Luyang City. Although the walls and the house are quite dilapidated, both the interior and exterior are maintained in a very clean and tidy manner

Among the nine systems, the most important is the Martial Arts system

Although he was impressive yesterday, he is still that struggling yet capable little warrior

However, it is fortunate that he can at least perform the Martial God Tournament once

The joint examination of the Ten Institutes assesses a total of nine major disciplines, including the Martial Arts Department, the Rune Department, the Beast Taming Department, the Sacrificial Department, the Business Department, the Alchemy Department, the Artifact Refining Department, the Adventurer Department, and the City Lord Department

The assessment of martial arts is not merely about flipping through sacred texts or engaging in verbal sparring; it is essential to demonstrate genuine martial skills in front of the examiner

Soon, a small group of more than ten martial students from the same class gathered near Ye Fan, their eyes occasionally glancing at him, filled with trepidation, as they whispered cautiously among themselves.

Because it is one of the top ten junior martial arts academies in Luyang Prefecture, it is a joint examination for promotion to the Luyang Prefecture Academy

There are still some martial artists who have failed the assessment and were eliminated on the spot, leaving the examination area with dejected expressions and tears streaming down their faces.

The joint examination of the ten institutes will sequentially assess the nine major departments. With so many martial arts students, it cannot be completed in one day; the entire joint examination will take nearly a month to finish

The admission rate for the Martial Arts Department of Luyang Prefecture Academy is 1 in 12, which is extremely low, almost causing despair among the majority of martial arts students

Today, he is determined to use his true strength to strike a heavy blow against Ye Fan in the examination room, and to regain the prestige of being the top martial artist in the class

Upon returning home from the martial arts academy, Ye Fan sat at a desk by the window, took out an adventure book, and continued to immerse himself in his studies, seizing the opportunity to learn the knowledge of the nine major disciplines

By the way, if I exhaust my mental energy and excessively use the divine book, what consequences will there be? Will I faint on the spot?

Ye Fan was taken aback, "How did I sleep for so long?!"

Before long, he felt extremely fatigued and weary

Let's go and see how he is being assessed, and watch him embarrass himself

Of course, the other eight systems are also greatly beneficial for cultivation

Luyang City

At the entrance of the government office, a notice board is prominently displayed. Once the assessment results are released, they will be publicly announced on this notice board using bright red paper

The indifferent words of Shang: "The mental energy consumed to activate 'Martial God Combat' is far greater than that required to browse through 'Vast Years'. With your meager mental strength, you can probably only use 'Martial God Combat' once a day at most, and even then, you can only perform the most basic martial techniques during the 'combat'. If you recklessly use techniques above the beginner level or techniques from other systems, it will directly deplete your vital energy and even shorten your lifespan! You are only about a hundred years old, and you cannot afford to be reckless."

Ye Fan felt a deep sense of empathy for those martial artists who had been eliminated

Ye Fan said coldly

Such individuals who are dedicated to martial arts are referred to as true martial artists, single-minded and wholly devoted to the path of martial arts

Zhao Xing said fiercely, recalling the heavy blow he suffered yesterday, his heart was filled with hatred, and a fierce light flickered in his eyes

Ye Fan heard a familiar mocking voice and turned around to take a look

The several accompanying martial artists were not only flattering Zhao Xing profusely but also mocking him openly.

In order to cope with Wang Mei, Zhao Xing, Jiang Weiyun, and Cao Shanshan, he has read ancient texts four times in succession, exhausting all his mental energy

At this moment, a voice echoed calmly in his mind, "You have slept for an afternoon and a night; it is now the morning of the second day, and there is still ample time before your courtyard assessment."

Martial arts and the cultivation of books are very costly, involving the procurement of weapons, martial skill runes, body tempering herbs, and so forth

"Look quickly, it is Ye Fan!"

Hearing Shang's complaints, I couldn't help but smile wryly

Indeed, mere theoretical discussions and empty boasts are of no practical use whatsoever. Let us wait a moment, and we shall see the true test in the examination hall!

Zhao Xing has always been the top of the martial arts department in the class, and no one dares to challenge him in martial skills

The stools and coffee table are free of any dust

He does not want to either

Ye Fan was taken aback, "After losing my spiritual power, forcing myself to read will still consume my vitality and lifespan?"

A dense crowd of martial artists has formed dozens of long lines in the training ground, awaiting the assessment of the martial arts department

Although it is merely basic martial skills, there may still be a slight chance of passing the martial arts assessment of the Luyang Prefecture Academy.

Ye Fan suddenly thought of a crucial question: "Is my mental strength sufficient to activate 'Martial God Tournament', and how many times can I use it?"

Fortunately, everyone was very tense, and no one paid any extra attention to Ye Fan.

All the young martial artists appeared very tense and extremely serious, with many of them practicing their swordplay and murmuring incessantly, making the final preparations in a race against time

The top ten martial arts academies of Luyang Prefecture will publicly announce the results of thousands of young martial students in the joint examination of the ten academies, as well as some honorary titles obtained during the examination process

Ye Fan smiled faintly, completely indifferent to the mockery of several people

Martial arts symbolize the highest honor and represent the core orthodox power of humanity

Among thousands of candidates, ultimately, fewer than five hundred martial arts students were able to gain admission to Luyang Academy

Zhao Xing, what are you trying to do again? Is yesterday's embarrassment not enough for you?

At that time, if he embarrasses himself in the examination room, let us see what face he has left to meet others

Ye Fan sought out the instructor of the academy to collect his identity examination badge, and lined up in the training ground, awaiting the assessment for the Martial Arts Department

This caused those martial artists preparing for the assessment to turn pale with fear, their fingers gripping tightly until they turned white

Zhao Xing held his head high, thoroughly enjoying their flattery

Hmph, you are merely scheming and malicious, with a tongue that is sharp as a razor! Once faced with a real test, you will be like a grasshopper after autumn, unable to jump for long, destined only to await your demise

Yesterday, Ye Fan suddenly appeared and publicly exposed the flaws in his swordsmanship, marking the most embarrassing moment of his life

Shang nodded and said, "Of course. Do you think that flipping through such a thick ancient book doesn't consume energy?"

Therefore, the examination venue is not located in any martial arts academy, but rather set within the renowned government office of Luyang Prefecture. All candidates must go to the Luyang government office to take the exam

It is not uncommon to see the carriages of prominent families from Luyang Prefecture, and many young members of these noble families in the city will also participate in this assessment. The impact of this joint examination on the future of various families is undoubtedly profound

His martial arts have always been weak, ranking almost at the bottom among thousands of young candidates, with an even lower chance of passing the assessment, and his situation is not optimistic at all

Some martial students in the same class as Ye Fan, upon seeing him from a distance, could not help but exclaim in a low voice

Moreover, if one is lacking in martial arts, no matter how talented one may be in the other eight systems, the ultimate achievements will still be limited

Indeed, boasting is something anyone can do! It is only by competing with real skills in the examination room that we can discern who is merely pretending and who truly excels.

A large number of civilians are gathered at the nearby restaurants to watch the commotion, and the entire street is bustling with traffic

Because an ordinary martial artist has a lifespan of 100 years, while a martial honor has a lifespan of 150 years, and a martial marquis has a lifespan of 300 years... The stronger the individual, the longer the lifespan. Without sufficient lifespan, no matter how extraordinary the talent, it ultimately cannot surpass that of others.

Am I really that weak

Shang felt somewhat helpless, "The main issue is that your mental strength is too weak! Your mental strength is probably less than half of that of a warrior of the same rank, which is astonishingly weak. With your current level of power, it is very difficult for me to draw any replenishment from you. I really don't know how many tens of thousands of years I will have to spend in your sea of consciousness to restore my strength to its peak."

I possess a top-secret manual, which contains the insights and experiences of the top candidates from the martial arts department over the years during their examinations. Who is interested? It is only ten taels of silver

His martial skills are too weak; he needs to rely on the power of Shang to have any hope of passing this assessment and entering the only high-level mansion in Luyang Prefecture.

He said yesterday that he would come to the examination hall, and he really dares to participate in the assessment! He is only at the first level of martial arts, having mastered just a few basic martial techniques. With such meager strength, he is not even comparable to my little finger. Can he pass the martial arts assessment?