Surviving in the chaos of battle, I'm grinding for proficiency.

Li Chuan was taken aback for a moment, then cupped his hands and said:

"Thank you, Master."

"Go ahead and prepare well for the martial arts exam. There might still be a chance," Liang Xingzhou encouraged.

Watching Li Chuan's departing figure, he shook his head secretly.

That's what they say, but passing the imperial examination for military officers is easier said than done.

……

The next day, at the drill ground.

The sun hangs high in the sky, illuminating all things and bringing them to life.

Below the vast training ground, thousands of strong men were arranged according to their respective factions.

They were all energetic and vigorous, with sharp eyes.

Those who can stand here are all elite disciples from various martial arts schools and families.

On the platform, fifteen examiners sat.

All around, seated were the leaders of various major forces.

It is evident that the people of Anning County place great importance on martial arts.

A moment later, a gentle breeze stirred up the yellow sand.

The examiner stood up, took a step forward, and looked down at the crowd:

"The martial arts test is divided into two rounds. The first round is lifting stones, with the stones ranging from 100 jin to 1200 jin."

The heavier the lift, the higher the ranking; each person has two chances!

"The second round is a ring battle. Each person draws a number, and those with the same number fight against each other. The winner advances."

"Those who rank in the top fifty based on the combined scores of the two rounds will be awarded the title of Martial Arts Scholar."

The examiner scanned the crowd below the stage with eyes as sharp as a hawk's:

"On the training ground, everyone must rely on their own abilities and bear the consequences of their own actions. However, anyone found cheating will be dealt with according to military law and will be severely punished without exception!"

After speaking, the chief examiner turned around and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect to the county magistrate, who held a high position.

Only after the magistrate nodded did he raise his head toward the clerk holding the gong.

Upon receiving instructions, the minor official immediately struck a gong and shouted loudly:

"Exam begins!"

As the clerk announced the results, disciples from various factions stepped forward in order to undergo the first round of assessment: lifting stones!

In the Songfeng Martial Arts School group, Luo Zheng stood beside Li Chuan and whispered:

"The number of participants in the martial arts exam this year has increased again, with a total of 873 Ming Jin and 156 An Jin. It will probably be a bit more difficult than last year."

Li Chuan looked toward the center of the training ground, where rows of stone blocks of varying weights were neatly arranged on the platform.

A steady stream of disciples stepped forward to try lifting the stone.

However, most Ming Jin practitioners only dare to hover around 200-300 jin.

Only a few strong individuals dare to choose a 400-pound stone block, but even they are few and far between.

Li Chuan examined the stone pier closely; its surface was greenish-blue, and it was narrow at the top and square at the bottom.

Near the top center, two holes were dug for gripping.

It is also figuratively called "double ears".

What they had to do was to hold their ears closed and lift the stone block from their feet to their chests.

If you persist for three breaths, you will have succeeded.

"This is different from the barbell in my previous life. It's not as easy to exert force, and I'm afraid I'll lose a lot of strength. No wonder so much internal strength can only lift a stone block weighing about 200 jin." Li Chuan said thoughtfully.

Disciples with hidden strength, aside from the lethality of their internal force, also possess significantly greater physical strength than those with visible strength.

On average, they can lift stone blocks weighing four or five hundred kilograms.

Songfeng Martial Arts School was located slightly ahead, so they arrived at their place quickly.

Liang Xingzhou sat in the back and nodded to the crowd in encouragement.

The Mingjin disciples went up first to lift the stone, and none of them showed fear in their eyes, only excitement.

After all, they all knew that Ming Jin was just there to make a show of things.

There is no risk of failing the exam.

Most people are just accumulating experience so that they can calmly deal with challenges when they break through their hidden strength.

After the Ming Jin disciples finished speaking, they went to the nine An Jin disciples of the martial arts school.

"Lin Zhe, 500 jin!"

Lin Zhe scratched his head and retreated somewhat awkwardly.

This result is considered poor among those with internal strength.

"Jiang Ting, 600 jin!"

Jiang Ting pursed her lips, but knowing her own limitations, she didn't say anything and went downstairs.

"Luo Zheng, 700 jin!"

Luo Zheng retreated dejectedly to Li Chuan's side and sighed:

"It looks like things are going badly again this year."

Li Chuan comforted him:

"There's a second round."

Luo Zheng shook his head: "Let's hope so!"

"Huang Zheng, 500 jin!"

"Qian Bu, 600 jin!"

Before long, only Qin Feng and Li Chuan remained on the field.

Qin Feng smiled at Li Chuan:

"Junior Brother Li, let me go first, so you can broaden your horizons."

After saying that, Qin Feng strode onto the stage.

The crowd waiting below perked up, eager to see just how strong this genius disciple of Songfeng Martial Arts School really was.

Qin Feng casually strode over the 600-pound and 700-pound stone blocks.

He paused briefly in front of the 800-pound stone, then took another step forward and stood directly in front of the 900-pound stone block.

"oh!"

A commotion arose among the disciples of Songfeng Martial Arts School.

No one expected Qin Feng to be so skilled and daring, directly challenging a 900-pound stone pillar.

It is important to know that the first time you lift the stone, you have the most strength and the greatest chance of success.

By the second time, he had exhausted a lot of energy and didn't have many chances left.

Therefore, the first choice is especially important, as it directly affects the outcome of the test.

Many people choose the "safest" option to ensure a minimum performance level.

"Senior Brother Qin chose 900 jin, doesn't that mean he thinks it's the safest bet?"

It was unclear which disciple spoke, but everyone immediately fell silent.

The tallest one in front, Luo Zheng, weighed 700 jin.

Qin Feng's time in the museum was less than half that of Luo Zheng, yet he had already surpassed him by a considerable margin.

Is this... what genius is?

Qin Feng stood in front of the stone pier, took a deep breath, then squatted down and clasped his hands around the two sides of the stone pier.

"Drink!" Qin Feng roared, his arms suddenly rising up.

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, he lifted the stone block inch by inch to his chest, held it for three breaths, and then slowly put it down!

"Qin Feng, nine hundred jin!"

A chorus of gasps erupted from the audience.

Qin Feng smiled faintly, seemingly enjoying the moment.

But instead of stepping off the stage, he took another step forward and stopped in front of the heavy stone block.

"Senior Brother Qin is going to challenge himself to weigh 1,000 jin!"

Qin Feng repeated his previous actions, attempting to lift the heavy stone block weighing a thousand pounds in one go.

But this time things didn't go as he hoped. He could only lift the stone block an inch before it couldn't support him any longer.

With a loud "bang!", the stone block slammed heavily onto the ground, creating a deep crater in the mud!

This shows how heavy the stone pier was!

"The thousand-pound stone block is still too difficult. Even Senior Brother Qin failed the challenge..." The disciples below the stage seemed a little regretful.

However, everyone knew that with his talent, climbing higher would be a piece of cake.

As expected, even the county magistrate on the high platform cast an approving glance at him for the first time.

Qin Feng bowed respectfully to the county magistrate from afar before stepping down from the platform.

At this point, only Li Chuan from Songfeng Martial Arts School had not yet mentioned the stone.

After being shocked by Qin Feng, the others had lost all hope for Li Chuan.

After all, he had inferior physical constitution and hadn't been able to break through to the Dark Force realm for very long.

Even his widely circulated "high comprehension" is at most comparable to Luo Zheng's.

Qin Feng stood not far away, watching Li Chuan's figure, and shook his head.

What good is high comprehension if you lack innate talent? Innate constitution is the most important thing on the path of martial arts.

Even though he often went out to drink and attend banquets.

But if you put a little effort into martial arts, you can reach a height that Li Chuan can't reach!

Li Chuan, who was being watched by many eyes, remained calm and composed.

He simply walked straight onto the stage and stepped forward.

Finally, to everyone's astonishment, he slowly stopped in front of the heavy stone block.