The Martial Saint rose to power starting as a substitute bridegroom.

Just as he turned around, he felt a gust of wind rush towards him, followed by a fist the size of a sandbag appearing in front of him with a thud.

In the chaos, Meng Ren could only duck to dodge, but his opponent was not about to give up and immediately delivered a fierce whip kick to his shoulder and neck.

call--

Meng Ren's cultivation level was not low, but unfortunately he was at a disadvantage in the first move, and was restrained in every subsequent move.

He felt bitter inside. His opponent's punches and kicks were fierce and seemed to be no weaker than his own, yet he still resorted to sneak attacks.

That's a lack of martial ethics!

If it were a head-on confrontation, he was confident he could defeat his opponent, even if it came down to a battle of sheer physical strength.

But the other party was unwilling to give him a chance.

He hurriedly crossed his arms to withstand the opponent's whip kick, but before he could catch his breath, he was punched in the chest.

Bang!

It felt as if a galloping stag had struck his chest. Meng Ren felt a tightness in his chest, as if his internal organs had been displaced, followed by a bone-chilling cold that seeped into his body.

Thump! Thump! Thump...

He staggered back seven or eight steps before regaining his balance.

Meng Ren looked at the other person in disbelief, his face like a god of death under the pale moonlight.

"It's you?!"

To my utter surprise, Li Yuan, whom I had personally visited and given seventy silver dollars, had ambushed me and delivered a fierce blow.

He exhaled a string of cold air, his hand on his chest, his face deathly pale.

The biting cold in my chest continued to spread, and my limbs gradually became icy cold.

Li Yuan was not about to let the opportunity slip by. Under the opponent's surprised gaze, he immediately pushed off with his feet, his figure turning into a black shadow as he rushed forward and unleashed a barrage of attacks on the opponent's chest.

Bang! Bang! Bang! ...

The incessant sounds were like a dense chorus of war drums.

Meng Ren's body involuntarily kept moving backward.

He tried to defend himself, but found that his legs were gradually stiffening and all his movements were more than a beat slower.

Until Li Yuan's "Flying Dragon Throws Horn" strike hit his temple.

bang——

A dull thud was followed by the cracking sound of bones shattering into dust.

His body flew several meters away as if struck by lightning, crashing to the ground like a dead dog.

Li Yuan stepped forward a few paces.

Meng Ren's face turned deathly pale, then flushed red, his eyes bulged, blood flooded his throat, and only two icy breaths escaped from his nostrils.

His body twitched a few times, and then he stopped breathing.

After searching through Meng Ren's clothes, Li Yuan found a money pouch and a small green bottle sewn into a hidden pocket of his clothes.

Xiao Peiyuan Dan?

Li Yuan's eyes lit up. "It really is a case of getting exactly what you need."

He destroyed the places on the corpses where the Xuan Sha cold energy had penetrated, making sure there were no traces left, before throwing the two corpses into the river.

......

......

......

June 7th.

Today is the first day of the entrance exams at Wuhan University of Science and Technology.

Before dawn, a fire was lit in the kitchen of the small courtyard in Wutong Lane.

Lan Jie got out of bed quietly, afraid of waking Li Yuan, who had been practicing martial arts until late at night.

She deftly grabbed a silver perch, rinsed it clean with water, placed it on the cutting board, and slapped it with the back of her knife, stunning the fish.

Wherever the blade passed, the fish scales fell off in a flurry, and in just a few breaths, the fish scales were completely scraped off.

呲!

With a flick and a slit, the fish's belly was opened. Lan Jie'er skillfully removed the internal organs, then the fish bones, and finally even the fish bones.

Whoosh!

Then, I washed the fish two or three times until it was completely clean.

Heat oil in a wok, then add chopped scallions, garlic cloves, ginger slices, and other ingredients.

Stab it!

The silver-striped perch burrowed into the oil, its skin turning golden brown, and then Lan Jie flipped it over.

Add water, then add the prepared goji berries, ginseng slices, and other medicinal herbs, and simmer over low heat.

Soon, the rich aroma of fish mixed with the fragrance of herbs filled the courtyard.

Lan-jie carefully added firewood to the stove, her little face flushed.

When Li Yuan woke up, a warm fish soup and rice dish were already laid out on the table.

After they finished eating, Lan helped Li Yuan tie up his luggage. Her lips moved slightly, and after a long while with her head down, she finally managed to utter, "Brother Yuan, good luck!"

Li Yuan reached out and stroked her cheek, his smiling eyes filled with warmth. "Don't worry, Lan-jie, wait for my good news."

After saying that, he mounted his horse and galloped towards Qingniu Town.

squeak-

The courtyard gate opened, and Zhou Yanqiu, wearing an old overcoat, walked out, staring blankly at Li Yuan's back.

He had been awake for a while.

Having participated in numerous civil service examinations, he naturally knew he couldn't put pressure on Li Yuan.

Therefore, he kept secretly watching from inside the window and did not come out to see her off.

"I hope that this time, Yuanzi will have a bright future!"

On the other side, Li Yuan spurred his horse and, just as the sun rose above the horizon, pushed open the gates of the Green Ox Martial Arts Society.

In the front yard, several servants and maids had just gotten up and were busy with their respective tasks.

Upon seeing Li Yuan enter, they all stopped and greeted him respectfully.

Good morning, Young Master Li!

Good morning, Young Master Li!

Everyone knows what day it is today. If this person passes the exam, he will become a superior person.

Li Yuan nodded slightly in response to the crowd.

We walked all the way to the backyard.

As usual, he walked to his spot, took off his shirt, and began his warm-up exercises.

It took about half an incense stick's time for the other disciples to arrive one after another.

The scene suddenly became lively.

"I heard that this year's martial arts examination will be overseen by the foreign affairs elder of the Guicang Alliance. That should be good, there shouldn't be any underhanded dealings."

"I heard from Senior Brother Yang that Senior Brother Lu Qing has a very good chance this year. If that's the case, our martial arts club can finally hold its head high."

The discussions were filled with excitement, nervousness, and anticipation.

More and more disciples gathered in the courtyard, and Qi Xiuyuan and Chen Ting also arrived.

Lu Qing arrived a little late. He had specially dressed in a silk outfit today, which made him look even more upright and attracted everyone's attention as soon as he appeared.

The noise in the room also subsided.

Chen Ting frowned slightly, but only for a moment before forcing a smile and nodding slightly to Lu Qing.

Qi Xiuyuan slumped against the wall, his teeth clenched around his lips. When he looked up again, he had to put on a smile. "Junior Brother Lu is here."

There's no way around it; no matter what, Lu Qing is the most promising member of the Qingniu Martial Arts Society.

They also wanted to ease the awkwardness and tension that had been building up.

Lu Qing glanced at the two of them lightly, but didn't say anything. Instead, her gaze fell on Li Yuan, who was practicing his martial arts.

Without realizing it, a slight smirk appeared on his lips, and a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.

At this moment, not many people are still persisting in practicing their skills, and Li Yuan is one of them.

His fellow disciples were used to his diligence, and no one accused him of trying to gain attention.

But I didn't have much hope for him either.

After all, in terms of talent, he was far inferior to Lu Qing, and in terms of experience, he was far inferior to Yang Cheng.

By all accounts, he doesn't seem like someone who could make the list of high school graduates.

Li Yuan glanced at the rising sun on the horizon, slowly finished his practice, and exhaled a long breath.

It was almost time, so he wiped the fine sweat from his body, picked up his shirt from the rack, and put it on.

【Azure Dragon Entangling Silk Technique: 150/200】

I heard soft footsteps beside my ear.

Lin Zhong and Yang Cheng also came in.

Yang Cheng's gaze swept over everyone, and he nodded slightly with a smile on his face.

Lin Chong cleared his throat, put his hands behind his back, and said, "Today is the preliminary round of the Martial Arts Examination. Victory and defeat are common in war, but the Green Ox Martial Arts Society cannot lose face. Everyone, give it your best!"

One sentence resonated deeply with all the disciples.

"Set off!"

Lin Zhong waved his hand, leading everyone toward the martial arts exam venue.

Li Yuan followed behind the group, pondering to himself.

In the past, today's preliminary rounds would have been a test of strength; tomorrow's main event would have been the ring match.

In the preliminary rounds, whether it's drawing a hard bow or lifting a stone weight, what's being tested is simply strength.

This is to screen out weaker competitors in advance, so as to minimize the risk of serious injuries or fatalities during the ring competition.

But this year, with elders from the Guicang Alliance in charge, it's hard to say what the preliminary rounds will be like, or if they will be different from previous years.

However, one thing is certain: the essence remains the same despite all the changes.

This is a fair exchange.

As long as you have the skills, there's nothing to worry about.

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

An hour later, the members of the Qingniu Martial Arts Society arrived at the martial arts examination site.

Flags fluttered like a forest in the square of Wumiao Street in Linjiang City.

Passing the martial arts exam and obtaining the title of martial arts master not only reduces taxes and grants privileges that are difficult for ordinary people to attain, but also provides the opportunity to continue learning martial arts at the prestigious Guicang Alliance.

Becoming a disciple of the Guicang Alliance is not just a simple leap from obscurity to success; it's a meteoric rise to power, and the entire family will share in the glory.

Take Qian Feng of the Qian family, for example. A simple trip back to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors was enough to have the heads of powerful families in the city personally greet him, and even the highest-ranking official in the city, the county magistrate, had to fawn over him and clear the way.

Therefore, this martial arts examination became the biggest event of the year in the entire city, attracting everyone's attention.

The prominent families and gentry were particularly interested in which to associate with in the future.

Ordinary people fantasize about whose son, born into poverty, achieves a remarkable turnaround. Although such stories mostly only appear in folk tales, people still enjoy them immensely.

On the high platform directly north of Xuanwu Square, even the county magistrate, Liu Zhenshan, could only sit in the second seat, along with several representatives of powerful and influential families.

There were three empty seats for the examiners in the center.

On both sides of the platform, several minor officials were busy at their posts, preparing for the martial arts examination.

In the center of the square were the martial arts students who were participating in this year's martial arts examination. They had already taken their seats according to their different camp numbers and were waiting for the examination to begin.

From above, it looked like a huge, dark mass, with no fewer than a thousand people.

The eligibility requirement for the martial arts exam is that applicants must be under 35 years old; otherwise, the number of applicants would be much higher.

The square was surrounded by the seats reserved for the powerful and wealthy families of Linjiang City, leaving ordinary people with no chance to even enter and watch the game.

"There are a lot of martial arts actors taking the exam this year."

In the stands where the Xie family was located, Xie Wanyi looked around and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Beside her stood a man in his fifties, dressed in a dark scholar's robe, with sharp eyes, a clean-shaven beard, and a refined and cultured demeanor. His hair was slicked back and polished.

"Most of these people are just here for the fun of it," the man said expressionlessly.

This man was Xie Yu, the head of the Xie family and Xie Wanyi's second uncle.

"...Li Yuan?" Xie Wanyi suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd and murmured.

Once, on Huaiyin Street, when Li Yuan defeated the rat demon, she was among the group of women he had rescued.

However, she remained unconscious due to extreme fright throughout the entire ordeal. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Li Yuan's back, and the first thing she heard was that Li Yuan had saved her.

As for the process during that period, that remains unknown.

However, this person was too arrogant and narrow-minded, like a frog in a well, with shallow knowledge, and actually refused his best friend Song Ziwei's invitation.

The invitation from the Song family was something many people would rush to accept, yet he shortsightedly refused it!

Xie Yu smiled. "Saw someone you know?"

Xie Wanyi nodded, her expression somewhat excited. "He actually went to the martial arts exam stage without saying a word... I wonder if he'll achieve any results later..."

Xie Yu asked, "What realm?"

"Hmm, it seems like about a month ago, he was still at the Ming Jin level. A few days ago, I heard he broke through to the An Jin level, but I'm not too sure."

Xie Yu chuckled and shook his head. "It's unlikely. Even if it's internal strength, the breakthrough time is too short, and ultimately, it won't be able to reach the final competition stage."

Xie Wanyi gave an "oh" and looked at Li Yuan's back with a complicated expression.

A genius like Xiao Yichen will eventually grow into a great figure like Qian Feng, someone unattainable.

If we could support Li Yuan, who comes from humble beginnings... it would be a worthwhile business deal.

This can be considered as repaying Li Yuan for saving his life.

"Uncle, would you like to see him?" she asked tentatively in a low voice.

"Heh, there's no need for that."

The Xie family is one of the four major families in Linjiang, and Xie Yu is the real person in charge of the business alliance. Naturally, there is no need for him to condescend to meet him.

If you really want to win them over, you can just send any steward from your household.

dong dong dong...

The earth-shaking sound of drums rang out, and only then did the three examiners appear on the high platform.

In the center stands a vigorous middle-aged man with prominent temples, dressed in a blue long robe, exuding an air of refinement in every gesture.

On the left was a handsome young man with a cold and stern face, sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. He attracted the attention of all the female disciples below the stage as soon as he appeared.

On the right was a stunningly beautiful woman with a graceful figure. She was serious but exuded charm, and many male disciples' eyes were fixed on her.

As soon as the three appeared, the usually aloof county magistrate and a group of officials quickly stood up and bowed with clasped hands.

The representatives of wealthy and powerful families bowed deeply, their faces filled with unparalleled reverence.

The middle-aged man, the chief examiner, announced at the outset: "I am the Foreign Affairs Manager of the Guizang Alliance, 120 years old this year, and I have presided over countless martial arts examinations!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it was full of energy and delivered comfortably to everyone's ears in the room.

Even more shocking is that he's 120 years old?

She looks to be only in her forties.

Could it be that there really is some kind of immortality technique, or that one's lifespan can be extended by cultivating to a certain level?

The chief examiner ignored the whispers below and continued, "This year's martial arts examination is to select the most talented individuals. On the examination floor, true ability will prevail! Any act of favoritism, cheating, or falsification will result in the disqualification of all scores, and the individual will be permanently banned from participating in the martial arts examination again!"

The entire audience fell silent.

The examiner continued, "Now, the preliminary rounds begin!"

Hundreds of soldiers moved six "copper walls," each several meters wide, to the six central areas.

Next, the official in charge of the examination began to announce: "This year, there are a total of 1,189 candidates. They have been divided into six groups by drawing lots. Numbers 1 to 200 are in one group, numbers 201 to 400 are in another group, and so on. Now, please have your accompanying persons return to the stands, and each candidate will come up to draw lots in turn!"