I am a high-level martial arts master.

In late autumn, the weather is gradually turning cooler!

A cold wind swept across the training ground, stirring up some dust and withered leaves.

Inside the Azure Dragon Gang's training ground, a massive roller was driven deep into the ground!

The entire roller is more than a person tall and about three feet three inches and three-tenths of an inch wide!

It is made of locust wood, and even with knives and axes, ordinary people would find it difficult to tear apart the hard wood.

But at this moment, more than a dozen fist marks have appeared on its surface!

These fist marks vary in depth and size, and were made by different people!

This was the Azure Dragon Gang's end-of-month test, where they used their fists to strike a rolling log!

Those who enter the realm of martial arts are at the Body Refinement stage.

A powerful blow can leave a three-inch fist mark on this locust tree.

The test for the Azure Dragon Gang is that, except for the first month after joining the gang, the fist imprints made each month must be at least one point deeper than the previous month!

If you cannot do this, it means either you are lax in your practice or your aptitude is too poor.

There's no need to wait for the teaching exam six months later; they don't even need to be low-level gang members anymore, they can directly join the ranks of menial servants.

Therefore, after only six months of testing, the gang members were divided into three classes.

Those who fail the monthly teaching exam will be reduced to menial servants! One tael of silver per month!

Those who fail the six-month teaching exam will become low-level members of the gang! Their slave status will be revoked, and they will receive three taels of silver per month!

Those who successfully enter the country within six months will have their slave status revoked and become official members of the gang, starting with a monthly stipend of 10 taels of silver!

The scene was packed with people, with hundreds of gang members gathered around the roller, forming a dense, dark mass.

After the test, all members who passed the end-of-month teaching exam were allowed to go home for a day off.

But whether they haven't taken the test yet or have already been tested, everyone wants to see how their colleagues did.

After all, the entire test took no more than half an hour.

They also want to see how they rank among those around them this month!

At the scene, a young man dressed in a black outfit with red stripes suddenly inhaled, using his strength to rise from the ground and drive his arms with his waist and back.

"ha!!!"

With a loud shout, his boots, embroidered with cloud patterns, left light footprints in the soil beneath his feet.

The boy swung his right arm out with tremendous force, slamming it into the wooden stake in front of him!

"Thump—"

A dull thud echoed from the wooden stake, drowning out the whispers in the crowd!

Wood chips flew everywhere!

A brand new fist mark was left on the wooden stake.

Releasing his grip, the boy looked at the gently cracked crater in front of him, a smug look appearing in his eyes.

Beside him, a menial worker who kept track of individual performance called out names loudly:

"Li Xi, joined the gang in 34 days, and his insight is profound!"

Before the words were even finished, an overwhelming burst of gasps and murmurs erupted from the surrounding area:

"Hiss... three points! And it's only been a month!"

"He's already so proficient in just one month; he'll probably be able to enter the country soon!"

"Sigh, they are from the Li family after all; their talent is beyond our reach!"

"Bullshit! See that pill he usually takes? One pill is enough for three days of arduous training. What talent? He's just relying on me!"

……

There was much discussion around, with some expressing amazement and others disdain.

These comments flooded into Li Xi's ears like a tidal wave, but they were nothing more than the barking of the weak.

"So what if you have a powerful backer? You still need someone to rely on. A bunch of peasants who climbed up from the bottom have been trying for almost half a year and still haven't reached the Body Refinement Realm. They're not on my level."

Li Xi thought to himself, not only not annoyed by the comments, but also unable to hide his pride.

Those present were all weaklings, and the words of the weak are worthless; all the insults were praise for his strength!

He listened to the surrounding chatter with a cold smile, but the next moment, his expression turned serious.

The crowd suddenly fell silent, and he and the surrounding gang members bowed and said, "Greetings, Instructor Feng!"

Before him, the burly Feng Yue appeared out of nowhere, staring at the fist marks on the wooden stake and nodding in satisfaction.

"Not bad, this is impressive for the first month. They should be able to crack the top 3 on the newcomer list!"

The so-called Newcomer Ranking is set up by the guild to encourage its members!

After the end-of-month exams, each member's scores will be ranked from top to bottom based on their progress in the previous month!

As Feng Yue said, the person who gets the highest score will be rewarded with a Body Tempering Pill!

"Top 3? I want first place in the monthly exam! Among these followers, who can achieve such profound understanding in just one month?"

Li Xi appeared respectful, but inwardly he was unconvinced.

For the sake of the younger generation competition in six months, we must be determined to obtain this Body Tempering Pill!

The young man didn't show it on his face, but smiled and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Instructor!"

After saying that, Li Xi crossed his arms and walked to the side, ready to watch the performances of others and enjoy the thrill of crushing his peers!

"Next up, Wang Xian!"

"Coming! Coming!" The servant's shouts drew Li Xi's attention.

Then Wang Xian, a fellow student, stepped out from the crowd and, just like the others before him, mustered all his strength and punched out with his right fist!

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, a fist print about half an inch long appeared on the wooden stake in front of them!

"Wang Xian, three months into his membership, has achieved six-tenths of his original skill! That's an improvement of three points!"

As the servants called out the names, the scene remained calm, completely devoid of the commotion that had arisen when facing Li Xishi.

Although both showed a three-point improvement compared to the previous month, the locust wood became increasingly brittle compared to the martial artist's body as the game progressed!

Therefore, when recording grades, the corresponding number of months is always subtracted.

An improvement of 3 points - after 3 months in the group, equals 0 points, which is considered average!

Sensing the indifference around him, Wang Xian didn't care. He chuckled and turned to disappear into the crowd!

"Zhao Yan, you've only been in the gang for two months, but your understanding is already profound! You've improved by two points!"

"Sun Dai..."

"Shao Zhuo..."

Soon, one gang member after another came forward like a bustling traffic jam, leaving a dense array of fist marks on the wooden stake.

These fist marks, some an inch deep and others only half an inch shallow, only provided Li Xi with amusement.

"Even though they were first last month, their progress wasn't quite as good as mine. This Body Tempering Pill is mine!"

As time went by, the noise was gradually replaced by dullness.

Although the gang members present did not leave, they gradually began to gossip.

"Hey, by the way, did you guys see that genius from last month?"

"Genius? Which one?"

"It's that Ye Li. I haven't seen him at the training ground for about half a month."

"Didn't I hear his attribute was 'exceptionally quick-witted,' and that he mastered the Azure Dragon Force in one go, so much so that even the instructor couldn't resist giving him extra training?"

"Who knows? Maybe their natural talent was too poor, so they just gave up."

"Tsk tsk, what a pity for that comprehension. It seems even good vocabulary can't compensate for a weak foundation..."

……

Hearing the surrounding discussions, Zhao Yanwang Xian, standing in the crowd, frowned:

Wang Xian shouted, "Hey, you lot, stop gossiping! Brother Ye isn't stopping training, he's just not at the training ground!"

"Not at the training ground?" People around looked on.

Zhao Yan chimed in from the side:

"With so many people watching every day, and people constantly asking for advice, wouldn't you be annoyed? He just found a secluded place to cultivate!"

"Why hasn't he come yet? Is he too scared to come?"

Amidst the discussion, Li Xi, who had been watching the scene unfold, suddenly realized: 'Ye Li? I almost forgot about him!'

"This country bumpkin gets up earlier than the rooster and goes to bed later than the dog every day. He's born to be a workaholic. I wonder what his achievements are?"

"Could it be true, as others say, that my innate talent is too poor, and that's why I'm too afraid to come?"

Li Xi wondered what was going on and couldn't help but become curious about Ye Li's results!

But as time went on, Ye Li never appeared again, and the number of gang members being tested on site dwindled.

"Tang Jian, on the 31st day of joining the gang, you will get two points!"

As the servants called out their names, Tang Jian exhaled, a hint of joy appearing on his face as he looked at the fist imprint before him.

His diligent study and practice since he started learning have paid off; it seems likely that he will reach the Body Refinement Realm within six months!

"Okay, time's up!"

After Tang Jian's results were entered, Feng Yue said, "Don't gather here anymore. Go home and rest for a day. Go back to the gang before midnight tomorrow!"

"etc--"