Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

Two months have passed in the blink of an eye, and inside the Guangchang Martial Arts School, the sound of students practicing martial arts still resounds.

That afternoon, two men dressed in the attire of the Canal Gang walked straight into the martial arts school, found Jiang Lan practicing his boxing in a corner of the training ground, and respectfully handed her a tightly sealed letter of recommendation.

Everyone looked on with curiosity, no one expected that the Canal Gang would send someone to deliver something to Jiang Lan, who was usually not very noticeable.

This letter of recommendation was not officially issued by the Canal Gang, but by Huo Yuanlong in his personal capacity, and a bright red and shiny official seal of the Prefectural Military Affairs Department was prominently displayed at the end of the letter.

The imprints are clear and strong, indicating genuine official military examination slots with no exaggeration!

The news quickly spread throughout the martial arts school. At the same time, the Guangchang Martial Arts School officially announced its own list of recommended candidates for the martial arts examination: Senior Brother Zhao Heng, who had been training hard for many years and had already entered the Eight Acupoints Realm, and Li Yan, who had recently accumulated strength and barely broken through to the Seven Acupoints Realm.

Eight acupoints and seven acupoints are both top-tier cultivation levels within the martial arts school. No disciple in the school disagreed with the two securing the recommendation quota. However, Jiang Lan, who was only at the five acupoints level, was also able to obtain the martial arts examination qualification, instantly becoming the biggest topic of conversation in the martial arts school. Doubtful and disdainful discussions arose one after another.

At this moment, on the bluestone steps next to the martial arts arena, Zhao Heng had just finished a round of training. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he heard that Jiang Lan, who was only at the fifth level of cultivation, had received the same martial arts recommendation as himself. He immediately sneered and stepped towards Jiang Lan.

He was born into poverty and changed his fate by practicing martial arts. Now he has reached the Eighth Acupoint Realm and holds a spot in the Martial Arts Examination. His arrogance can no longer be hidden. His eyes are full of condescending contempt when he looks at Jiang Lan.

"Jiang Lan, it's not that I'm trying to discourage you, but you need to think this through. The martial arts examination isn't just a friendly sparring match in a martial arts school; it's a rigorous selection process, a real, hard-fought battle."

Zhao Heng stood with his arms crossed, deliberately raising his voice to attract the surrounding disciples. "You're only at the peak of the fifth acupoint. Even if you manage to pass the preliminary test by luck with your recommendation letter, there are still the second and final tests, all of which are hard-fought real combat duels. You're simply not good enough for them. In the end, you'll just be a stepping stone for those experts, disgracing the Guangchang Martial Arts School!"

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly didactic: "In my opinion, you should learn from Zhou Ping, who is at the sixth level of the cultivation realm. Calm down and hone your skills for another year, improve your cultivation level, and then participate in the selection next year. It's important to know your own limitations. Don't be overly ambitious just because you have a little bit of luck. In the end, you'll only bring shame upon yourself."

These words were barbed, showing no regard for Jiang Lan. In his view, the difference in cultivation level was an insurmountable chasm, and for a martial artist with only five acupoints to participate in the martial arts examination was simply overestimating his abilities.

Li Yan, who was standing to the side, stepped forward slowly and nodded gently to Jiang Lan. He seemed to be offering well advice, but his words were full of pessimism: "Senior Brother Zhao Heng is right. Junior Brother Jiang, you are still too young. Although you have been cultivating, you still lack experience in large-scale battles, and your practical combat experience is far from sufficient."

"The martial arts arena is full of experts who show no mercy. We don't ask anything else of you, we just hope that you won't be reckless and get injured on the field, and that you can preserve your martial arts foundation."

The two sang in harmony, and the disciples watching around them echoed their sentiments.

The gazes directed at Jiang Lan were either sympathetic or mocking. Whispers reached her ears, all of them criticizing her: "She dares to take the martial arts exam with only five acupoints?" "She'll probably be knocked out in the first round." "She got a spot by using unorthodox methods; it's a complete waste."

Just as everyone was discussing and Jiang Lan was caught in controversy, a calm figure quickly stepped forward and stood beside Jiang Lan. It was Sun Gengsan, who had always been on good terms with him.

Sun Gengsan looked indignant, coldly glancing at Zhao Heng and Li Yan, and immediately spoke up in support of Jiang Lan: "The martial arts examination is about ultimate strength, not just the level of cultivation. The competition hasn't even started yet, and you two senior brothers are already so certain that Jiang Lan is no good. Isn't that a bit too arbitrary!"

He turned to look at Jiang Lan, his eyes full of certainty and support.

"Jiang Lan, you don't need to care about other people's gossip. You know your own strength. Now that you've secured a recommendation spot, it's your opportunity. Just focus on preparing for the battle. Your senior brother believes in you and will not let this opportunity go to waste!"

Sun Gengsan's words were like a warm current, providing Jiang Lan with one of the few supports amidst the skepticism of the audience.

Just then, Liu Changqing slowly walked out of the inner hall, his gaze sweeping over the gathered crowd, and said in a deep voice: "Disciples who have been recommended for the martial arts examination this time, come with me into the inner hall, I have important matters to discuss. Zhao Heng, Li Yan, and Jiang Lan, the three of you come together."

Upon hearing this, the three immediately followed their master into the inner hall, while the other disciples remained where they were, continuing their discussion.

Inside the main hall, the master sat in the main seat, his gaze first falling on Zhao Heng, his eyes full of respect and expectation, and his tone was particularly solemn: "Zhao Heng, you are the disciple with the highest cultivation level in my martial arts school. Your strength at the Eight Acupoints Realm is also considered outstanding in the preliminary martial arts examination of the prefecture city."

"You are going there as the number one hope of Guangchang Martial Arts School. Remember, during the competition, be steady and methodical, give full play to your strength, and strive to get a high ranking to bring glory to the school."

"If you can make it to the second round, the martial arts school will spare no effort to help you with your subsequent training. You must not let the school down."

Every word of Zhao Heng's instructions was carefully chosen, as if he wanted to tell him all the precautions, clearly placing all his hopes on him.

Turning to Li Yan, the master's tone softened slightly, but he still offered many words of advice: "Li Yan, you have just broken through to the seventh acupoint. The purpose of this trip is to gain experience. During the competition, pay close attention to your opponent's moves, cooperate with Zhao Heng, and do your best. Don't be too concerned about rankings."

Finally, the master's gaze fell on Jiang Lan, but his gaze was extremely indifferent: "Jiang Lan, your cultivation is still shallow. The Five Acupoints Realm has no advantage in the martial arts examination. This time, you don't need to think about competing. Just treat it as an opportunity to gain experience, see the atmosphere of the prefectural city's martial arts examination, watch the duels of top martial artists, and broaden your horizons."

"During the competition, act within your limits and never push yourself too hard. Safety first, and don't worry about anything else."

After giving their instructions, the three bowed and took their leave, exiting the inner hall.

As soon as he appeared, the martial arts school disciples waiting outside immediately surrounded him, all crowding around Zhao Heng with faces full of admiration and flattery.

Surrounded by the crowd, Zhao Heng grew increasingly smug, head held high and chest puffed out, his tone brimming with confidence: "Fellow disciples, rest assured, I will give it my all in this martial arts examination. If I can secure a ranking, I will be able to directly enter the Prefectural Military Affairs Department and receive a government salary. In the future, I will definitely remember the training I received from the martial arts school, and I will never forget you all!"

"Our senior brother is awesome!"

"Our senior brother is a master of eight acupoints; he's sure to win first place in this martial arts competition!"

"From now on, our senior brother will be a member of the public service, and our martial arts school will benefit from that!"

Amidst a chorus of compliments and praises, Zhao Heng, enjoying the adoration of the crowd, grew increasingly arrogant. He didn't even glance at Jiang Lan beside him, and left triumphantly surrounded by the throng.

Sun Gengsan looked at Zhao Heng's smug expression and couldn't help but snort. He turned to Jiang Lan and whispered, "He only got a recommendation spot, and he's already so arrogant. He's just been planted on a branch and thinks he's a phoenix. It's ridiculous."

After his rant, he patted Jiang Lan on the shoulder and gently comforted her, "Don't take Zhao Heng's words to heart. It's just a training experience. Even if you're not aiming for a ranking, going to the prefectural city to witness the grand spectacle of the martial arts examination and gain some practical experience is a good thing for you."