The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

In another direction, towards the palace gate.

Dian Wei, who wasn't on duty today, also signed up.

He stood in the northwest corner of the circle, separated from Xu Chu by hundreds of people.

He didn't look at Xu Chu, nor at anyone else. He just kept his head down, slowly moving his large hands to his knuckles, making a cracking sound.

He had two short halberds tucked behind his waist. They were his most handy weapons in his previous life. In this life, he had made two new ones. Although they were not as heavy as the pair of iron halberds from his previous life, the familiar weight in his hands still made him feel at ease.

Li Yuanfang is not in the entertainment industry.

He did not register.

It wasn't that he dared not, but his position dictated that he couldn't stand in the sunlight. His identity as a secret agent was kept secret, and apart from the core members of the guard camp and a few top leaders, no one knew what he looked like.

He was currently hiding in a large locust tree on the outskirts of the training ground, using the dense foliage for cover, his gaze sweeping across the entire area like that of a hawk.

Zhou Xing's task for him was simple: during today's competition, he had to record the names, units, martial arts styles, and personality traits of everyone who performed exceptionally well.

He held a charcoal pencil and a small piece of parchment in his hand, ready to take shorthand notes at any time.

Zhan Zhao stood at the outermost edge of the circle, his arms crossed over his chest, a three-foot-long sword hanging at his waist.

His stance appears casual and relaxed, like that of an ordinary guard who has come to watch the excitement. However, upon closer inspection, one will notice that his toes are slightly turned outward, his knees are slightly bent, and his center of gravity is firmly on the balls of his feet. This posture allows him to react instantly to any attack from any direction.

He was a light-body skill instructor with a fifth-grade cultivation level, which placed him in the upper-middle range among the contestants. He was neither conspicuous nor at a disadvantage.

The gong sounded.

The melee begins.

The scene of thousands of people attacking at the same time can only be described in four words.

The earth is shaking and the mountains are shaking.

The roars, the clash of weapons, and the thuds of bodies hitting the ground mingled together, shaking the flags around the drill ground.

Amidst the flying dust, the first group of eliminated people fell like wheat being harvested. Some were knocked down by their opponents, some were trampled by the crowd and couldn't get up, and some were simply caught in the melee of four or five people and were sent flying without even seeing their opponents.

The people from the Imperial Hospital were so busy that they barely had time to breathe. Stretchers were constantly going in and out, and one wounded person after another was carried off the field.

Xu Chu made his move.

He didn't take the initiative; he simply walked steadily forward through the crowd.

His steps were slow, but each step was extremely steady, like a human bulldozer.

Two people pounced on him from the side at the same time. Without even turning his head, he grabbed and pulled with his left hand and hooked and pulled with his right foot. Before the two people could react, they found themselves lying on the muddy ground outside the circle.

This move doesn't even qualify as a technique; it's pure brute force.

On the high platform, Zhou Jing's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Your Majesty, please look at that centurion on the east side." He pointed in Xu Chu's direction. "The two who attacked him just now were a fourth-rank banner officer from the Imperial Guard and a third-rank bodyguard. His move just now..."

"It's not a technique," Zhou Qian continued, a look of interest in his eyes. "It's pure physical strength. He didn't activate his qi and blood, or even use internal energy."

"Indeed." Zhou Jing stroked his beard and nodded. "This young man's wrist was extremely steady when he caught the opponent, and his control over his own strength has reached a state of perfection. Ordinary third-rank martial artists would either be too hard to deflect the force and injure their opponent, or too soft and leave an opening. His catch and release, though seemingly rough, did not even leave a bruise on the opponent. This skill of controlling the force with ease—this old minister dares to assert that his true cultivation level is far beyond the third rank."

Zhou Qian leaned forward slightly, his gaze lingering on Xu Chu for a while, a playful smile appearing on his lips: "Interesting."

At the other end of the training ground, Dian Wei was also advancing.

His approach to advancement was completely different from Xu Chu's.

Xu Chu was a bulldozer, and Dian Wei was a stone roller. They weren't fast, but after they rolled over, a whole bunch of people fell behind them.

His two short halberds moved with incredible speed, and with each strike, a person flew out of the circle.

However, he was very measured in his attacks, always avoiding vital points with the tip of his halberd, only injuring the skin and flesh without damaging the bones and tendons, and his force was just right.

His expression remained unchanged from beginning to end; it was an almost wooden focus, as if the area around him was not a chaotic battle involving thousands of people, but a deserted place, and he was simply practicing the basic halberd technique that he had practiced countless times in his previous life.

The guards on the sidelines were whispering among themselves.

"Who is that?"

"The one from the palace gate, his surname is Dian."

"It only looks like a third-grade character, how can it be so powerful?"

Zhan Zhao also weaved through the crowd.

Instead of directly overwhelming Xu Chu and Dian Wei, he used his lightness skill to move nimbly through the gaps in the chaotic crowd.

He never drew his sword, only using the scabbard to strike his opponent's joints and pressure points, retreating immediately after each strike, never lingering in battle.

His light-footed movements were extremely fast and light, like a blurry shadow in the flying dust. Someone tried to stop him, but before they could even reach out, they were struck on the back of the knee, their legs buckled, and they knelt on one knee.

Someone tried to chase him, but before they could even take a step, he had already circled around to within three steps of them.

Qin Wu's gaze followed Zhan Zhao, his brows furrowing slightly. He turned to look at Sima Lie, the Minister of War sitting beside him: "This man's steps subtly conform to the Nine Palaces, his center of gravity low yet not floating. Only a direct disciple of Grand Tutor Kong's 'Wind-Riding Steps' possesses such skill. When did such a figure emerge among the light-footedness instructors of the Imperial Guard?"

Before Sima Lie could answer, Grand Tutor Kong Yan suddenly spoke up: "Although this person's footwork is exquisite, its core is not the 'Wind-Riding Steps,' but rather a more ancient and unsophisticated inheritance of lightness skills."

"His foundation is extremely solid, but it seems to have been deliberately polished, with all the sharp edges smoothed out, and his lineage is not discernible."

He twirled his prayer beads, his gaze sweeping lightly over Zhan Zhao, his tone unhurried, "To be able to cultivate lightness skills to this level with only a third-rank cultivation, he must also possess hidden strength."

"It seems there are quite a few promising talents hidden among the Imperial Guards this year."

Zhou Qian's interest grew, and he turned to look at Yuwen Lie on the other side, "Grand Protector Yuwen, if your Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review see suitable candidates, you may speak up. According to the rules of the Imperial Guards Competition, each government office can request candidates on the spot, and I will not stop you."

Yuwen Lie bowed slightly and smiled elegantly, "Your Majesty is wise. I have my eye on the one who uses the short halberd."

He gestured with his chin toward Dian Wei, "Although that man's moves are simple, his foundation is exceptionally solid, and he strikes with great restraint. He is a rare and steady person. The Ministry of Justice is in dire need of such an execution expert."

He paused, smiled at Qin Wu, his tone gentle yet sharp, "Of course, if Commander Qin is also interested, I am willing to yield. After all, the Zhenwu Division is a life-or-death job, and it needs capable fighters even more than the Ministry of Justice."

Qin Wu gave him a cold look, then looked away and said indifferently, "That man's halberd technique is too fierce and lacks flexibility, which is not in line with the style of the Zhenwu Division."

The implication was that he refused to compete with Yuwen Lie for the man, and it was also a veiled sarcasm, implying that the Zhenwu Division looked down on people who relied on brute force.

"Incompatible?" Yuwen Lie chuckled and shook his head as if he had heard an amusing joke, and said no more.

Han Chong added gloatingly, "Commander Qin has high standards and doesn't think much of the people he looks down on. But I think that guy surnamed Dian is quite good. His stance is as stable as if he's rooted to the ground. He's a good prospect for the battlefield. I'll ask him later if he'd like to join the Tiger Guard."

"Is the Marquis of Han's residence short of guards?" Chen Jing finally found an opportunity to retaliate, and sneered, "I think someone with good lightness skills would be more suitable for you. Marquis of Han, you run fast, so your guards need to be fast too."

Upon hearing this, the crowd on the platform burst into laughter.

Han Chong blushed and was about to lash out when he saw Zhou Qian also laughing, so he swallowed back the words he was about to say.

After two hours of fierce fighting, only 120 people remained in the circle.

The preliminary selection has ended.

Xu Chu, Dian Wei, and Zhan Zhao are all shortlisted.

The preliminary rounds will begin in the afternoon, selecting the top ten from 120 participants.

No one noticed that on the large locust tree outside the training ground, a piece of parchment had been folded into a small roll and stuffed into a hole in the tree.

What no one noticed was that among the lunches delivered by the Imperial Household Department's kitchen, one dish, placed in the most inconspicuous position, was sent to the Ninth Prince's side hall. Tucked into the bottom of the food box was a slip of paper, on which every noteworthy person from the morning's preliminary selection was written in tiny, dense handwriting.

Zhou Xing sat cross-legged by the window, picking at the rice in his bowl while unfolding the note.

The contents of the note did not disappoint him.

Xu Chu's amazing performance not only stunned the entire audience, but also successfully aroused the interest of the important figures on the high platform.

Grand Commandant Zhou Jing noticed his physical strength and his masterful control, while the verbal exchange between Yuwen Lie and Qin Wu revealed the subtle relationship between the two, where the grudges between them had not yet been resolved.

The real value lies in the details displayed on these high platforms, because they signify that Xu Chu's "emergence" has achieved its intended effect.

He neither revealed his true cultivation level nor failed to generate enough attention within the core of power.

After reading the note, he gently folded it and lit it over the candle flame.

The ashes fell silently onto the soil in the flowerpot, and after he stirred them with a twig, they were gone without a trace.

He glanced in the direction of the martial arts arena, where the faint sound of the gong signaling the start of the afternoon competition could be heard.

His chopsticks paused in his rice bowl for a moment, then he picked up a piece of braised pork, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.

The sound of drums and gongs from the Imperial Guards' grand competition echoed high in the sky, while the small window of his side hall remained as quiet as ever.

The afternoon sun slanted in through the window, falling on the ground and illuminating the faint smile on his lips.