Making you a son-in-law is not about making you conquer the world.

"Is there a legitimate channel?" Lin Ping asked.

Since this special spot is publicly available, it cannot be a purely clandestine transaction.

Even if there are many inside stories, there should be proper channels.

“There is such a thing as a saying, but…” Xia Yeran glanced at Lin Ping and finally shook her head.

It was precisely because this channel was so legitimate that he felt Lin Ping was incompetent.

"Does the Prince not trust my abilities?" Lin Ping said with a wry smile, speechless at having left such a bad impression on the other party.

Xia Yeran repeatedly explained that even if she really thought Lin Ping was no good, she should at least make things clear.

"At this moment, a fighting arena has been set up outside the Ministry of Rites. All ambitious young people from all over the world are welcome to come up and try their luck. The one who lasts until the end will be qualified to participate in the martial arts examination."

"A ring match? A gauntlet?" Lin Ping roughly understood the format of the competition and was well aware of the inside story behind it.

The one who persists until the end is qualified; what seems like a fair competition is actually full of shady dealings.

No wonder Xia Yeran said she could help him get a spot; the format of this competition is entirely up to the Ministry of Rites.

"Having a way is better than having no way. I want to give it a try," Lin Ping said seriously.

“I’ll go with you; maybe we can even get some talking.” If Lin Ping wasn’t afraid of difficulties, Xia Yeran had no reason to back down.

Lin Ping shook his head and said, "Your appearance will only expose my identity. If Your Highness can go to the Ministry of Justice to do more to help, I will be extremely grateful."

His biggest worry wasn't himself, but the safety of Zhou Xiyin and the others.

Xia Yeran is, after all, a prince. With him keeping an eye on things, the Ministry of Justice can't afford to abuse torture.

After nodding, Xia Yeran left, and Lin Ping headed straight for the Ministry of Rites.

He kept his fists clenched the whole way, and the bones in his fingers kept popping like beans.

Anger is one aspect, and a lack of self-confidence is another.

Before last night, he was truly a useless piece of trash, completely incapable of winning in a one-on-one fight.

Now that he has obtained Jiang Hongling's internal energy, his blood is boiling and he seems to have inexhaustible strength.

He didn't know what this power meant, whether he could use it at will, or whether he could defeat the enemy.

It's like a baby who has received a huge treasure. Although the gold and silver are within easy reach, he has no power to move them out and can only watch helplessly.

He needs to calm down and properly digest this energy. It would be best if he practiced the martial arts manual left behind by Jiang Hongling, which might have a multiplier effect on digesting the energy.

But he really didn't have time; after today, the Ministry of Rites would finalize the quota.

At that time, Lin Ping would not be qualified to participate in the martial arts examination, let alone become the top martial arts scholar and prove himself in front of the emperor, nor would he be able to rescue Zhou Xiyin and the others.

As Lin Ping was thinking, he arrived at the entrance of the Ministry of Rites. Sure enough, there was a huge arena with a burly, dark-skinned man facing off against a thin, small man.

Thousands of spectators surrounded the arena, watching intently as the events unfolded.

The burly, dark-skinned man was bare-chested and unarmed.

The thin man, wielding a dagger, moved swiftly around his opponent.

Bang!

With a muffled thud, just as the thin man was about to make a move, he was struck in the chest by the opponent's heavy fist. His body flew like a piece of paper outside the arena, and he spat out two mouthfuls of blood.

"Big Black wins!"

An official from the Ministry of Rites struck a gong and shouted loudly.

Beside the entrance, there was an eight-immortal table with teacups on it. A middle-aged man with a stern face was sipping tea sparingly, completely unconcerned about the outcome of the competition, or perhaps he had already anticipated it.

This person's name is Ren Yan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and also the proctor for this examination.

"Big Black won again, this is the 36th time."

"Sigh... who can argue with that? I doubt anyone can beat him."

"It's all for nothing. He alone kept all the heroes of the world out of the door. He must have some skill."

Faced with Dahei's massive muscles, everyone couldn't help but feel intimidated. Even those with great ambitions dared not step onto the stage to demonstrate their skills.

"Does he win purely through speed and strength?" Lin Ping had already come down from the stage and was carefully observing the big black man.

This man was unarmed, relying entirely on his powerful fists, and he won every time with a single blow, which speaks volumes about his strength. No wonder no one dared to challenge him further.

As time ticked by, Lin Ping grew increasingly anxious. If no one else made a move, the spot would fall into Da Hei's hands, but he lacked confidence in his ability to win.

If you were to break a bone, it would be a huge loss.

"Could it be that all the experts in the Wu Kingdom have died?" Lin Ping wondered.

Although Dahei's strength is not bad, he is still far inferior to Lin Xiaomei, a master swordsman.

But nowadays, those who take the stage are all brave men, not real masters. No wonder the big black list is dominated by them.

After careful consideration, Lin Ping roughly understood.

Although this special spot is precious, it is not as substantial as the title of a martial arts graduate.

If he truly possessed the ability, he would probably have become a martial arts graduate long ago.

In other words, these were all those who failed the martial arts examination.

Most martial arts masters like Lin Xiaomei belong to established schools and sects, and disdain serving as officials in the imperial court, so they naturally wouldn't make a move.

"Is there anyone who wants to come up and fight me?" Big Black stomped his foot, causing the entire arena to shake, his fierce eyes seeming to be able to devour people.

The spectators involuntarily took a few steps back, their courage completely shattered, let alone the thought of going on stage to compete.

"I come!"

Just as Lin Ping was about to make a move, a handsome young man in flowing white robes walked up slowly with steady steps.

This person had a face as white as powder and slender fingers, so thin that he could barely hold a willow-leaf sword, which was a stark contrast to Big Black.

Through his left eye, Lin Ping even noticed that the hand holding the sword was trembling, not from fear, but from exhaustion.

Ordinary readers might not think that way. They would assume that any handsome young man in white robes is either a scholar or a chivalrous swordsman.

The fact that this person had a sword confirmed his identity as a chivalrous swordsman.

"I hope you don't get killed by a single punch." Lin Ping shook his head calmly, his hands clasped behind his back, having already prepared bone-setting pills for him.

"Sword energy can injure people?" Big Black suddenly took a few steps back, his face filled with panic as he spoke.

The changes on the stage shocked everyone. Although they did not see the so-called sword energy, they did see Dahei retreating repeatedly.

"What the hell?" Lin Ping asked in confusion. He also didn't see the so-called sword energy, so he quickly activated his left and right eye abilities.

Perhaps he underestimated the Jade-Faced Young Master's strength; some people just like to keep a low profile.

"Yeah!"

Big Black swung his fists and charged forward with big strides. Faced with the sharp eyes of the Jade-Faced Young Master, his steps became somewhat unsteady.

"I'll fight you to the death!" Big Black said as if facing a formidable enemy.

"Is it really that powerful?" Lin Ping was even more puzzled.

Throughout the entire ordeal, the Jade-Faced Young Master never made a move; it was only Big Black who was filled with fear.

puff!

The longsword pierced through Dahei's shoulder, and bright red blood flowed continuously along the blade before finally falling to the ground.

"Thank you for sparing my life, hero!" Dahei endured the pain and knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

The grace of not killing? In other words, the Jade-Faced Young Master had already shown mercy; otherwise, Big Black would be a corpse.

This was even more shocking than Dahei's outright surrender. The crowd below the arena was stunned, all looking at the Jade-Faced Young Master with eyes of admiration.

Big Black, who had been defeated in a row, was defeated so easily!

They couldn't even see the Jade-Faced Young Master's moves, which further proved how fast he could draw his sword.

Before a winner could be determined, the head constable from the Ministry of Rites approached the arena and respectfully asked the handsome young man:

"May I ask your name, sir?"

"My surname is Ao, and my given name is Li Gei," the handsome young man replied with gentle elegance.

"Young Master Aoli has won the competition and earned a spot in the martial arts examination!" the head constable announced loudly, banging on a gong.

Lin Ping, who was deep in thought, was suddenly startled by the name. Based on his years of experience, anyone with such a name was not a good person.

Moreover, he could see through Jiang Hongling's moves with his eyes, let alone a mere handsome young man. He was certain that this person hadn't made a move at all; it was Dahei who had deliberately run into him.

It's also possible that his imposing aura disrupted Dahei's judgment, ultimately causing him to deliberately run into the sword.

Lin Ping still believes that the two of them are putting on an act.

The competition is not yet completely over, and it is rather hasty for the head constable to announce that this person has the spot. Even the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who was sitting to the side sipping tea, remained silent.

There must be something fishy about this.

"Wait!" Lin Ping shouted.

“Since it’s a tournament, you have to beat all the challengers to win. Aoli only beat Dahei, so it doesn’t seem like he deserves the spot,” Lin Ping explained.

Everyone understands the logic, but the thousands of spectators below the stage were so shocked by Aoli's strength that they no longer had the courage to go up and challenge him. If Aoli hadn't held back this time, someone might have died.

The constable glared angrily at Lin Ping, but couldn't find a single reason to refute him.

The Left Vice Minister of Rites put down his teacup and gave the head constable a wink.

The head constable took a few steps back and handed the ring back to Ollie.

"Swords have no eyes, and now I am fighting bare-handed. Is there anyone willing to come up and fight?" Ollie asked contemptuously, his words full of disdain.

In everyone's eyes, sheathing his longsword was a sign of confidence; even unarmed, no one could match him.

Only Lin Ping knew that he was exhausted. His arms were stiff from wearing his uniform for so long that he had no strength to hold the long sword.

"I am not very talented, but I would like to give it a try." Lin Ping once again surprised everyone with his words.

Thousands of eyes turned to look at them.

Although he was tall and slender, he was somewhat thin and was completely wrapped in a wide robe, making him look more like a high-ranking official than a martial artist.

However, after last night's ordeal, Lin Ping was covered in dust and his robe had many holes, making him look more like a beggar who had picked up clothes.

"Hahaha, even a beggar wants to fight Young Master Ao."

“Young Master Ao is a master who defeated Big Black with a single sword strike. He could kill you, a beggar, with just one finger.”

"Even if you want to become famous, you have to choose your opponents carefully. If you really anger Young Master Ao, you deserve to be killed."

Upon seeing Lin Ping's actions, everyone burst into laughter.