A Long River Myth

"Boss, how difficult is this martial arts exam compared to the imperial martial arts examination?"

Li Hongguan noticed that Liu Ming was unusually talkative, so he took the opportunity to learn more about him from this patrol inspector.

I remember that Shi Liang also went to participate in the martial arts exam today; I learned about it from him before.

The status of martial arts performers was also divided into two categories.

Liu Ming is at least a mid-to-upper-level figure in the outer city, and his knowledge is definitely far superior to Shi Liang's.

"The imperial military examination?"

To everyone's surprise, Liu Ming seemed to be chuckling as he shook his head and said with a smile, "Who told you that the martial arts examination was organized by the imperial court?"

Upon hearing this, several inspectors nearby couldn't help but chuckle and laughed.

Li Hong was filled with doubt. Could it be that the martial arts examination had nothing to do with the imperial court?

His mind raced as he quickly recalled the term "martial arts examination," but it seemed he had never actually associated it with the imperial court.

Is it because he, as a time traveler, has had preconceived notions... a subconscious association that has been ingrained all along?

Wang Hu swallowed the fried dough stick in his mouth, patted him on the shoulder, and smiled gently:

"Brother, the martial arts exam is the martial arts exam, and the imperial court is the imperial court. The martial arts examination is related to the imperial court, but this martial arts exam..."

"Although our Great Qi occupies nine prefectures and forty-five counties, it is only one of the dozen or so vassal states within the territory of the Upper Dynasty."

"Upper Sect?" Li Hong was suddenly shocked; this was yet another unfamiliar term.

Liu Ming could see his confusion and ignorance, so he tapped the wooden table lightly with his fingers, speaking as kindly as if telling a story to a child:

"You ask me, how has my Great Qi, located in the heart of Lizhou, surrounded by powerful enemies, managed to stand for eight hundred years?"

"Of the eight continents under heaven, the Lingyun Sect is a powerful force, nestled in this land of hundreds of prefectures. The other countries are merely a result of the sect's laziness in managing worldly affairs."

what?

A deep shock appeared in Li Hong's eyes; this was one of the few things he knew about outside of Muyang County.

So the sects in this martial arts world are this powerful?

In the eyes of this Shangzong, the Great Qi, a nation with tens of millions of people, was nothing more than one of a dozen puppet states that helped him rule the secular world.

Wang Hu grinned and added, "The Upper Sect dominates the land and commands all countries to hold martial arts examinations every three years."

As the two men explained, Li Hong's heart was filled with waves of excitement!

The martial arts exam was actually mainly set up for the Lingyun Upper Sect to select talents!

If that's the case... it seems the path of martial arts in this world is far more complex than what he has seen so far!

Li Hong suppressed his shock and immediately realized that he was only at the late stage of the External Strength realm, yet he could unleash nearly a thousand catties of force.

After inner strength comes the innate realm, and after the innate realm there should be other realms... If one doesn't enter a superior sect, it seems there will be an insurmountable gap on the path of martial arts in the future, right?

Otherwise, if the upper sect doesn't intervene too much in the secular world, how can it suppress the forces of many countries within the territory?

He couldn't help but ask with a hint of longing, "Boss Liu, can I join a top sect just by participating in the martial arts exam?"

"Hmph...you're thinking quite a lot..."

Liu Ming shook his head and chuckled. Although he knew Li Hong had some talent, it was not so easy for him to join a senior sect.

"Our sect has always been one that only the most outstanding talents are accepted and only the most extraordinary geniuses are recruited; this has been the case for thousands of years."

He said leisurely, "In our Great Qi, only the top scorers in the martial arts examinations of each prefecture can directly enter the Yunxiao Martial Academy of the upper sect... Others still need to go through layers of selection before they have any chance."

Liu Ming had something else to say but didn't.

...Every three years, countless factions have been embroiled in bloodshed over the battle for that armor.

This is all because the top-tier spots are so precious... If one could directly enter the Cloud Soaring Martial Academy of the upper sect, it would be more than just a matter of wealth and honor.

However, Liu Ming did not want to elaborate on the storms and trials that had already passed them by, which were now far removed from their lives and high above the clouds.

He reassured Li Hongdao:

"As long as you have participated in the martial arts examination, you have the basic qualifications to be appointed as an official or general in our Great Qi. Only a very small number of people can go to the upper sects; that is not our path."

Beside him, an inspector also smiled and said:

"Brother Li, you should focus on getting a second-class martial arts student status first, and then we can talk about the future once you have enough money to get into the inner city!"

Li Honghuan looked at his colleagues, speechless with surprise for a long time.

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

Today, Li Hong finished his mission at the patrol and inspection department in the afternoon.

He changed his clothes, his heart filled with urgency, and hurried toward the martial arts hall.

Half a day had already been wasted, and I hadn't been able to practice martial arts.

After receiving information about the Upper Sect and the Martial Arts Examination that morning, Li Hong felt an even greater sense of urgency.

This world... is definitely not that simple.

A great deal of information can be gleaned from its power structure!

This place... a sect can actually govern more than a dozen countries. The path of martial arts must be unfathomably deep.

Therefore, he cannot afford to waste even a single moment of his time.

"I was originally planning to play it safe for a while, but now it seems I need to take the genius route to have a chance to stand out!"

"The martial arts examination is held every three years. It will be held in early spring next year, and there are still six months left... If you miss it, you will have to wait another three years."

Li Hong had already begun to secretly plan in his heart that the Upper Sect, which dominated Litu, would inevitably be an obstacle that could not be bypassed on the path of martial arts.

In that case...we must plan ahead to avoid being rushed.

Moreover, he was well aware of the difference between his current understanding of "genius" and his own.

Perhaps in the eyes of that so-called superior sect, the number of cases is countless, and he needs to keep his guard up even tighter.

.........

Not long after, in the West Courtyard.

As soon as Li Hong stepped inside, he sensed that something was wrong.

The large courtyard, where the disciples usually practice martial arts with great enthusiasm, was now quiet in twos and threes, either resting or sitting.

He Song, who usually patrols and supervises, has also disappeared.

Yang Chen was darting quickly through the crowd of disciples when he turned his head and saw Li Hong enter. He immediately rushed over in a panic.

"Brother Hong, something's happened!"

"Huh? What happened?"

Li Hong looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Shi Liang... Senior Brother Shi went to participate in the martial arts examination this morning, and... he was injured!"

Upon hearing this, Li Hong took a deep breath, his eyes widening slightly: "What happened? Do you know the details?"

"I heard from the senior students in the back hall that during the third round of the martial arts examination, Senior Brother Shi was severely injured by an inner-city examinee!"

Yang Chen spoke very quickly, one sentence after another.

The martial arts competition was not like a friendly sparring match, although there were rules about stopping short of a duel.

But Li Hong also knew a little about it. Martial arts were not like writing poetry and painting, where one could simply pick up a pen and talk about thousands of troops on paper.

It's a real fight, a punch and a kick, to determine who's superior.

This was originally a fair examination used by the imperial court to select martial arts talents. If too many restrictions are set, it will restrict the candidates' abilities.

Instead, it will prevent you from achieving your ultimate goal of acquiring true talent.

Therefore, despite the strict supervision of the judges, it is not uncommon for many candidates to be injured during the martial arts examinations every year.

Martial arts selections, especially when significant interests are involved, have always been this brutal.

Li Hong frowned and asked in a deep voice, "How badly is Senior Brother Shi injured? Do you know where he is now?"

"He is being treated at Chongqing Medical Center. The head instructor and Instructor He have already gone there, but the extent of his injuries is still unknown."

Yang Chen's lips trembled slightly, and his brows furrowed deeply.

These days, thanks to Shi Liang's reputation in the West Courtyard, his invisible "status" has been elevated, since outsiders see him as someone from the same circle.

Therefore, some of his former disciples who were unwilling to pay attention to him now come to associate with him.

He was genuinely anxious.

"Come on! You're coming with me!"

Li Hong didn't go any further into the courtyard, and instead pulled Yang Chen along as they hurried towards the Chongqing Medical Clinic.

Shi Liang... he's not a bad person. The past few months of getting along have been quite helpful to his martial arts journey.

This is a good friend; he couldn't possibly ignore someone in trouble.

...........