Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Hearing his father's voice, the young Xu Li hummed in response, and then the room fell silent.

………………

The next morning, before dawn, the young Xu Li quietly got dressed, went outside, picked up his basket and machete, and quietly left home.

Once outside his house, the boy finally let loose, leaping two or three meters in a single bound, like a tiger descending a mountain, heading towards the outskirts of the city.

"Young Master Xu, the assessment is today, and you're still going to chop firewood?"

"It's alright, Grandpa Niu, there's still plenty of time. It's good to stretch your muscles."

"This kid..."

The old man who went out to fetch water watched the departing boy, shook his head, and went about his business without saying anything more.

Along the way, people would greet the boy and say a few words, all advising him not to be late.

As the boy left the city, the entire town slowly came back to life. People got up, went to the fields, and went to work.

As the town recovers, the young men and women from many noble families who have stayed at the inn get up, go outside, and stretch their limbs.

………………

Without hesitation, the young Xu Li rushed to the outskirts of the city and then climbed along the mountain path. His movements were like those of a tiger unleashed, and his figure swayed as if a tiger were emerging from the mountains.

As he ran, the boy was slightly out of breath, but his muscles and bones were completely relaxed, and his expression became calm and peaceful.

Once he found a suitable dead tree, the boy adjusted his breathing rhythm and waited until he was in the best condition before drawing the wood-chopping knife he was carrying on his back. With an unprecedentedly focused expression, he swung the knife down.

As the machete swung down, slivers of light shimmered on its surface, making the originally simple and unadorned machete appear exceptionally sharp. With each strike, ten more followed, the heavy blades slicing through the dead wood, producing a continuous, rhythmic sound.

If a martial arts master were to see this, they would surely praise him. Although the boy's swordsmanship was ordinary, the flowing, natural charm had already laid a solid foundation. With the help of profound secret manuals, he would surely become a master swordsman in the future.

With each swing of the knife, the withered tree creaked and fell to the ground. Before long, a bundle of firewood as tall as a person had been tied up. The boy did not stop until he had chopped three bundles of firewood. At this time, a faint purple glow appeared on the horizon, a sign that the sun was about to rise.

The boy, carrying a wood-chopping knife, went straight to the top of the hill, sat cross-legged, cleared his mind of distractions, and at the moment when the sun leaped over the mountaintop and the energy of heaven and earth was exceptionally vibrant, he circulated his cultivation technique and swallowed a mouthful of energy to refine it.

Clearly, the boy's skills were not particularly advanced; in fact, they were only slightly better than those of ordinary people. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to seize this fleeting opportunity to improve himself.

After swallowing a mouthful of vital energy, the boy did not complain or blame others. He braced himself on the ground with his feet and leaped up like a tiger pouncing on people. He curled his fingers into tiger claws and unleashed a set of tiger claws with gusts of wind.

As the boy unleashed a set of claw techniques, his momentum grew stronger and stronger, as if a real tiger were unleashed. Claw shadows flew everywhere, and his figure leaped about, exuding a domineering aura that intimidated people.

After finishing a set of claw techniques, the boy was neither red-faced nor out of breath. He picked up the wood-chopping knife with his right foot and strode down the mountain like a tiger. He arrived at the place where he had previously placed the firewood, picked it up, and left.

………………

Back home, in the courtyard, Xu's father coughed as he continued weaving a small bamboo basket.

Although these bamboo baskets are not valuable, they add up over time and can become a source of income.

Xu Li put down the firewood and the machete, then moved a chair and sat down next to his father. The two talked while working on their tasks.

"You're back. Why did you gather so much firewood again?"

"It's alright, Dad. I'm used to doing it anyway."

"Oh! It's all my fault for dragging you down."

"Dad, what nonsense are you talking about? Mom will get angry again. Where are Mom and my little sister? Have they gone to work in the fields again?"

"No, you're going up the mountain to take the assessment today, so your mother is taking your sister to buy some meat."

"That's too much of a waste of money. I'd rather wait until next time I go into the mountains and hunt a couple of wild rabbits. It would be even better if I could find some wild deer or something."

"You kid..."

"Don't worry, Dad, I'm confident about this assessment."

"Don't push yourself. Your mother and I just want you to be safe and sound."

"I know."

Chapter 646 Assessment 2

When Xu's mother returned with the child, the house became even more lively.

During the meal, Xu's mother specially added a spoonful of lard and fried two chickens, giving one to Xu Li and the other to Xu's father.

Seeing his younger sister Xu Ling'er's longing yet silent expression, Xu Li smiled, cut the fried chicken in half, and put one half into his sister's bowl.

"Brother, I don't want it, you eat it. You still have to go up the mountain to participate in the assessment," Xu Ling'er said hurriedly.

Xu Li covered the bowl with one hand, put the last bite of the wild vegetable pancake into his mouth, and stood up, saying, "You eat it, your brother can't eat that much."

After saying that, he looked at Xu's father and mother and said, "Father, Mother, I'm going now."

Xu's mother looked at Xu Li with worry and tenderness, and said, "Li'er, don't worry. Your father, your sister, and I are waiting for you to come back."

Xu Li looked at his father and mother, who were both over thirty years old. Even with the wild game he brought back from time to time, they could not hide the silver hair at their temples.

"Father, Mother, wait for me to come back."

After saying that, Xu Li did not hesitate any longer, turned around and left the house.

………………

"Oh! This child, I don't know who he took after. He's suffered so much. If only he had been born into a wealthy family," said Xu's father.

Xu's mother rolled her eyes at him and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? No matter what, he is still my son."

Xu's father coughed a few times and said:

"Of course he is my son, Xu Laogen's son."

"This child is precocious from a young age, and he started walking earlier than other children."

"Moreover, he is very opinionated. He absolutely disagreed with the name I gave him when he was a child, and even changed his own sister's name. He also mastered the Tiger Saber technique, which I had almost forgotten about."

Lost in her husband's nagging, Mrs. Xu smiled upon hearing this and continued, "That's right! In the past, all the neighbors said that our Li'er was destined for greatness. Other people's children had to be beaten and scolded to endure the hardship of martial arts training, but Li'er never needed anyone to urge him."

“Father, Mother, and me too. I can endure hardship.” Xu Ling’er, who was only five or six years old, said from the side.

Mr. and Mrs. Xu smiled. Mrs. Xu stroked her hair and said, "Yes, and Ling'er is also a good child."

After Mrs. Xu took her daughter to wash up, Mr. Xu said in a low voice, "Li'er's Tiger Saber skills have reached that level, he must have seen tigers in the mountains. But he didn't say anything..."

………………

Xu Li left his house and headed straight for the east gate. At that moment, all his worries and unnecessary emotions were forgotten as he walked.

Upon arriving at the East Gate, one finds a large crowd, mostly people seeing off the departing party, along with onlookers. The bustling scene stretches as far as the eye can see.

"I heard that the Liu family from Kyoto has also sent people! Sigh! Aren't their family's secret martial arts skills enough? They also want to compete with us for opportunities."

Hearing people talking, Xu Li slowed down.

The Liu family of Kyoto is said to be related to that immortal who ascended to heaven, and it is said that the Liu family has been able to stand strong forever because of this.

"Although the Liu family's martial arts are good, they are said to have unavoidable flaws. There are even rumors that they are not as good as those on Mount Liulijin."

"That can't be right. That person is also a member of the Liu family. People around him used to receive divine skills, so why is the Liu family the opposite..."

"It is said, or rather, I have only heard, that the relationship between that person and the Liu family is just so-so."

"If the Liu family wants to continue its lineage, it needs to have enough divine skills to pass on. This time, it's probably also aiming for the martial arts taught by that immortal."

"Would those experts on the mountain agree?"

"They're surnamed Liu, after all. Even if we don't respect the monk, we should at least respect the Buddha. After all, there's a difference between master and servant."

"It's a pity we were born decades too late, and we have no chance to meet the immortals."

"Haha, with your aptitude, you'd probably be rejected even by immortals."

"You fart..."

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. If you pass the test, we'll all be fellow disciples from now on."

……

Outside the crowd, Xu Li glanced at the few rich kids, then turned and continued walking towards the city gate.

"The Ming Dynasty, the Marquis of Chengyi's residence, a world that seems real yet is not. It's a pity I'm too late; everything is already in the past. Liu Qingtian, Liu Ye! And who was that person who ascended to immortality?"

Putting aside his speculations, Xu Li leaped over the city gate and joined a crowd of young men and women heading towards the Glazed Golden Mountain.

At this moment, regardless of social status or wealth, everyone has only one identity: those who succeed join the Glazed Gold Mountain and change their fate against all odds, while those who fail can only slink away and seek another way out.

………………

Following the flow of people to the foot of Liuli Jinshan, at the entrance to the mountain path, under the majestic and imposing mountain gate, several men dressed in blue stood expressionless, holding giant swords.

Two monks with snow-white eyebrows and eyes stood quietly at the mountain gate.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out ahead. Although it quickly subsided, Xu Li still heard some of it and couldn't help but look up.

In the crowd, there was a boy who looked only eleven or twelve years old. He was wearing a cotton and linen short robe. His eyes and brows revealed a firm and resolute look. He was inconspicuous in the crowd, but after a few more glances, he had a unique style.

Xu Li understood that it was a kind of pride, confidence, and self-confidence that outsiders could not comprehend; he himself in his previous life had possessed the same temperament.

The next second, the boy turned to look at Xu Li, his expression momentarily stunned. Xu Li nodded slightly in response, knowing that the boy had already noticed him.

"Such a keen sense. Is this the divine power bestowed by the family's inherited skills? It's definitely different from the common stuff," Xu Li thought to himself.

"The time has come; examinees, ascend the mountain."

Upon hearing the sound, everyone rushed towards the mountain gate.

Xu Li firmly planted his feet to prevent himself from being swept away by the crowd. He couldn't afford to panic at this moment. The journey up the mountain wasn't smooth sailing, and he would be eliminated if he failed the test.

Sure enough, when Xu Li looked up, he saw that none of the wealthy and powerful scions in the crowd were in a hurry; only the peasants, like himself, were in a rush and making a mess of things.

This scene clearly displeased the monks at the mountain gate. Several burly men in blue robes, each wielding a giant sword, stomped their hands, and the scabbards slammed onto the ground with a loud bang, making everyone's ears ring.

After being stunned, the young men and women finally calmed down, bowed one by one, passed through the mountain gate, stepped onto the mountain path, and headed towards the summit.

Xu Li remained calm and composed, blending into the crowd as he ascended. Sure enough, after only a short while, on both sides of the dozens of steps, senior brothers and sisters from the previous generation grabbed one person at a time and began to interrogate them. Those who passed continued to advance, while those who failed were directly knocked off the mountain.

Xu Li calmly approached a senior brother with an expressionless face and bowed respectfully.

The cold-faced senior brother didn't expect anyone to come to him on their own initiative. Seeing Xu Li's reasonable and well-founded manner, he nodded in satisfaction and immediately began interrogating him.

Fortunately, Xu Li was prepared. He knew that the first test would be a basic examination of literary knowledge, so that he wouldn't be unable to read even the characters after arriving at the mountain. At least he could understand the secret manual.

Perhaps finding Xu Li's calm and unhurried demeanor agreeable, the senior brother asked him a lot more questions; Xu Li ignored the gloating glances around him, focused on answering, and said he didn't know if he really didn't know, answering based on his own understanding.

Finally, the senior brother was satisfied and gestured for Xu Li to continue forward. Before leaving, he slapped a token into Xu Li's arms.

After Xu Li thanked them, he turned and continued on his way. Behind him, a few scattered figures turned and went down the mountain; one or two others, like him, had been given a token.

Chapter 647 Assessment 3

Xu Li walked forward with the token in his hand, and when his fellow disciples saw him, they waved to signal him to continue.

Those who had been gloating earlier could only watch Xu Li's figure disappear into the distance, momentarily lost in thought, and inevitably ended up being reprimanded.

Having reached the halfway point of the mountain, Xu Li was not assessed again after all the written tests were over, which was clearly due to the token.

………………

Once they reached the halfway point, a senior disciple came up to check the tokens and then guided the newcomers to have their speed, agility, and constitution tested...

Those who pass through continue forward, and then their senior brothers and sisters test their skills and the depth of their martial arts.

Xu Li and a few others were intercepted on the way. Each of them was given a map and, according to the map, they were required to find something in the mountains and forests.

Furthermore, one must reach the summit within the allotted time; alternatively, one can choose to refuse and continue along the mountain path.

Xu Li immediately took the map and headed into the mountains. Along the way, he encountered various small traps and mechanisms, and was repeatedly caught off guard and covered in dust. Finally, he jumped over the jungle and reached the top of the mountain within the allotted time.

Upon reaching the mountaintop, Xu Li handed over the map and what he had found, finally letting out a sigh of relief as he looked towards the plaza at the summit.

Of the thousands of young men and women who were originally there, only a few hundred are standing here now.

Xu Li was slightly taken aback. He casually found a spot to stand and listened to the whispers around him. He then learned that the second half of the mountain path was not smooth sailing. Instead, they would have to go through a strange illusion. Everyone would see a different scene in the illusion. If they could not get out of the illusion within an incense stick's time, they would have to turn around and go down the mountain.

"I heard that a senior master from Mount Liuli traveled to the West and learned the techniques of Western sorcerers, and set up some kind of formation."

"Not only that, it is said that there are also exotic flowers and herbs picked from barbarian lands, which can make people lose their minds and fall into a dream world just by looking at them."

"I heard it was the work of a primordial spirit master from Mount Liulijin."

"I think they all are..."