After scrubbing the pots and pans clean, Zhou Leng returned home to gather some training necessities and headed back to Xiaoru Village.
Huang was waiting at the village entrance.
Zhou Leng opened the plastic bag.
"Woof..." Huang's bark changed pitch as it bit into the mutton chop Zhou Leng handed over, crunching enthusiastically.
Zhou Leng observed carefully, indeed, Huang's bite force had increased.
For many years, Huang could only eat meat without chewing bones, but now it devoured the lamb bones like a robust pitbull, as if they were tender meat.
Besides the mutton chops, there were some lamb spine bones that Huang crushed into bone fragments with a few bites.
"Woof!" After finishing, Huang joyfully expressed its thanks to Zhou Leng, trampling its four legs wildly.
Zhou Leng patted Huang's head and looked up at Ruge Mountain.
"Let's head up the mountain!"
Once again entering the mysterious forest, once again training under the frost giant tree…
Frost Giant Tree, Xiaoru Village, Dragon Bay Community, forming a straight line.
Aside from these places, Zhou Leng went nowhere else.
Training, training, and more training, doing nothing else.
Each time he sensed improvement, Zhou Leng would throw a punch.
Continuous enhancements made Zhou Leng unable to stop.
For the first time, Zhou Leng realized that training could be so joyful.
Then, continue, continue, and continue!
…
July 13.
Clear skies.
First, realm.
Qi Blood Realm, Qi Nourishing Period.
Second, divine techniques.
1, Clan Divine Power: Seed of True Qi.
2, National Divine Techniques: Inheritance Continuation, Martial Arts Perception, United Strength, Medicinal Supplement.
Third, martial arts:
1, Inner Power: Mystic Tide Technique - Minor Achievement Ninth Heaven. +6
2, Fist Technique: Mountain Charging Fist - Mastery of the Fifth Heaven. +2
3, Palm Technique: Overlapping Waves Palm - Great Success Third Layer Heaven. +3
4, Leg Technique: Flying Cloud Leg - Mastery of the Seventh Heaven. +2
5, Stepping Technique: Eight Trigrams Step - Great Success First Layer Heaven. +2
6, Body Technique: Cloud Wandering Body Technique - Mastery of the Eighth Heaven. +1
Fourth, Four Wonders Body.
Qi: Mortal Qi.
Blood: Mortal Blood.
Body: Mortal Body.
Power: Mortal Power.
Fifth, Martial Arts Will.
No perception.
Sixth, Combat Awareness.
No perception.
Zhou Leng sat at his desk, looking at the martial arts diary in front of him.
It felt like a lifetime ago.
Just a week ago, he was troubled over his martial arts.
Now, not only was he fully recovered, but he was advancing quickly.
Just one step away from achieving great success with the Mystic Tide Technique.
What other surprises could the mysterious forest and frost giant tree bring?
Zhou Leng got up and headed to Li Linhan's house.
"Finished the Qi Nourishing Pills?" Li Linhan asked.
"Yes." Zhou Leng replied while eating the meat herbal cuisine.
"Good. The martial arts exam counts most in the college entrance exam, and you've grown quickly these days, you'll definitely get into the Martial Arts Academy." Li Linhan said.
Zhou Leng nodded and continued eating the meat herbal cuisine.
After eating a few pieces of meat, Zhou Leng picked up a piece of demon wolf meat and said, "This time's meat herbal cuisine..."
"Added some ingredients, the meat of an upper-rank magical beast in the Qi Blood Realm." Li Linhan said.
"Thank you, Uncle." Zhou Leng said quietly as he ate.
The stronger the magical beast meat, the more comprehensive its effects on humans.
This pot of upper-rank magical beast meat in the Qi Blood Realm is worth no less than five thousand, at least double the market price.
"Digest slowly, strengthen your whole body, and energies tomorrow morning to refine." Li Linhan explained the value of the upper-rank magical beast meat.
"Okay."
"Come on, I'll take you to the exam." Li Linhan said.
"The school is sending a car for Zhang Xinglie, and he will bring me along, both of us are at the Ruda exam venue." Zhou Leng said.
"Alright, then I won't go." Li Linhan said.
"Zhang Xinglie's aunt should be taking him." Zhou Leng snuck a glance at Li Linhan.
Li Linhan remained silent.
After a short time, Zhou Leng went downstairs with his backpack.
At the entrance of the community, there was a parked extended version of the Admire U8, black and shiny.
The rear window slid down, and Zhang Xinglie waved to Zhou Leng.
Beside Zhang Xinglie sat a middle-aged woman dressed in a red cheongsam.
"Good morning, Aunt." Zhou Leng first greeted Zhang Meiqin.
Zhang Meiqin's hair was fluffy and wavy, and her face was kind. Today, she dressed up a bit, looking even younger.
Zhang Meiqin looked Zhou Leng up and down and smiled, "Xiao Lie told me you recovered, and I didn't believe it. Now that I see you, my heart is finally at ease. Get in the car, you will definitely do well in the exam today. Why are you in a daze, sit in the front."
Zhang Meiqin suddenly looked at Zhang Xinglie.
Zhang Xinglie got off the car with a helpless look, and even Zhou Leng couldn't stop him.
The school driver glanced at Zhou Leng in surprise, then looked at Zhang Xinglie.
"Come on, get in the car." Zhang Meiqin waved to Zhou Leng with a smile.
Zhou Leng exchanged a helpless glance with Zhang Xinglie and walked to the spacious back seat.
Zhang Meiqin carefully looked at Zhou Leng, smiled, and said, "Good, truly healthy again. When I saw you a few months ago, oh, it broke my heart... By the way, did you bring everything? Check it now."
"Okay." Zhou Leng took out his schoolbag and showed the admission ticket, ID card, and other necessary examination items one by one.
"Good, truly a good child. Not like my Xiao Lie, careless enough to forget even the admission ticket, it was I who reminded him. By the way, did Uncle Li not come?"
"He had to work today, so I didn't let him come. However..." Zhou Leng glanced at Zhang Xinglie, who had turned his head, and said, "Knowing his personality, he should be visiting the examination venue."
"Indeed, that man is just a silent gourd." Saying this, Zhang Meiqin looked inside the community.
Zhou Leng and Zhang Xinglie exchanged a glance and both lowered their heads to hide their smiles.
Zhou Leng closed the door and the driver asked, "Shall we depart now?"
"Let's go." Zhang Meiqin's voice carried a trace of regret.
During the journey, the driver remained silent, while the three chatted and laughed as they headed toward the examination venue.
On a July morning, the sun was shining brightly.
The car stopped outside Martial Arts Dojo number three at Rucheng University.
Martial Guard police cars were positioned in various directions, with many people in police uniforms or camouflage patrolling.
On one side of the martial arts venue, a huge screen showed the grand National Assembly Hall.
Zhou Leng glanced at it and recognized it as the promotional video for the famous "Ancient Civilization Judgment Declaration".
In the last year of the technological era, the Demon Prison World, along with other worlds, attacked Blue Star, while the Demon Spirit World and other worlds strongly aided Blue Star.
Regrettably, Blue Star was defeated.
In the time of crisis, a powerful and mysterious unique being descended.
On the screen, at the center of the National Assembly Hall, stood a pure white luminous body, reaching a full ten meters, resembling a white oval gate with countless twisted white lights emanating from it.
Humanity still doesn't know the specifics of what lies within the light.
Some say it's the descent of God, others believe it's an immortal.
The United Nations named it the Civilization Judge.
It was this Civilization Judge that officially announced the news to save Blue Star's destiny.
The Dragon Country's Dadiwan Ruins have 16 engraved objects dating back about 8000 years, supplemented by the 6700-year-old Banpo Pottery Script objects and subsequent complete inheritance, showing civilization undying and meeting the "Ancient Civilization Protection" standards.
Thus, Blue Star entered a fifty-year "Ancient Civilization Protection", preventing the full invasion of Demon Purgatory army.
Due to the defeat, mysterious powers descended, erasing and locking many technological advancements, making it impossible for Blue Star to construct technological weapons again.
For survival, the United Nations voted and chose a new direction for civilization.
After extensive negotiation and debate, most countries united, crushing the conspiracy of a few, betting humanity's future on Dragon Country.
Subsequently, the United Nations announced the opening of a new path for Blue Star, Martial Arts Civilization.
Since then, the whole world began cultivating martial arts.
The martial exam also became the most important part of the high school exams.
"Goodbye, Auntie." Zhou Leng and Zhang Xinglie waved to Zhang Meiqin as they walked.
Nearby stood many women in cheongsams, and some little girls also wore cheongsams to cheer for their brothers and sisters.
As the two walked, some classmates from Eighth Middle School occasionally shouted "Senior Brother", then walked over.
Before long, a small group had formed around Zhang Xinglie.
Including some female students.
"Is he the Senior Brother from Eighth Middle School, that Zhang Xinglie?" a nearby student from another school whispered, curiously watching Zhang Xinglie.
"What a strong sense of oppression, just like the Lion King, no wonder he's the first in the physical exam."
"I wonder if he will take first in the martial exam too."
They reached outside the martial arts venue and took out their admission tickets.
"I'm heading to Zone 2 through Passage 2, what about you guys?" Zhang Xinglie said.
"I'm also in Zone 2!" a girl from Class 5 waved her admission ticket and looked at Zhang Xinglie, her eyes shining.
"I'm in Zone 4, I'll go first." Zhou Leng said.
"See you later." Zhang Xinglie replied.
Zhou Leng held his ID card and admission ticket, passed the check, and entered the martial arts venue via Passageway 4.
Exiting the passage, the enormous field stretched before him.
The martial arts venue was generally similar to old sports stadiums, with a stepped spectator area surrounding an oval field in the center.
But the martial arts venue was much larger than a sports stadium.
The field was divided into temporary large white cabins, each serving as an examination room.
At the entrance of each cabin, on either side, stood a person in camouflage gear, wearing headsets, their expression stern.
More and more students were gathering towards the cabins.
"Hahaha..."
Following the sound, Zhou Leng saw some students on the spectator stand, indistinguishable from which school, chasing and playing while wearing trendy outfits contrasting sharply with the school uniforms most students wore.
Zhou Leng checked his watch; it wasn't time to enter yet, so he began to recall the contents of the martial exam.
The first test is the total amount of True Qi, the second tests True Qi strength, and tomorrow's third test is on True Qi control.
Zhou Leng touched the dantian area on his abdomen.
Even with the same level of inner power, different cultivation techniques and individuals could lead to vastly different amounts of True Qi.
For example, Zhang Xinglie, practicing the Ten Directions Storm Technique, has a total True Qi exceeding that of an ordinary person in the same realm with the same technique by 50%.
However, Zhang Xinglie also has weaknesses; his excess True Qi amount and strength slightly hinder his control, but he remains an elite.
Previously, Zhou Leng tested his True Qi with the "Demonized True Qi Detector" at school, and thanks to the Mystic Tide Technique, its continuous and layered properties, his total True Qi was 10% more than martial artists in the same realm, ranking mid to upper level.
After cultivating under the Frost Giant Tree, Zhou Leng clearly felt the layered properties of his Mystic Tide Technique becoming stronger, theoretically increasing his True Qi by at least an additional 5%.
Before long, the martial arts venue's broadcast sounded.
"...In this bright summer sun, a new year of martial exams begins..."
"...We hope every examinee achieves excellent results..."