After being exiled for eighteen years, the prince returned to the capital as a veritable immortal.

The military examination.

Like the civil service examination, it also implemented a three-tiered selection system.

That is, the preliminary examination, the provincial examination, and the metropolitan examination.

The three-tiered selection process was held at the county, prefectural, and capital levels, respectively.

The selected talents were respectively called martial arts students, martial arts graduates, and martial arts scholars.

The top scorers in the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination, and the subsequent palace examination were respectively called the Martial Scholar, the Martial Grand Scholar, and the Martial Champion.

The top three candidates in the provincial examinations will go to the capital to participate in the metropolitan examination.

Once you win the martial arts exam, you can rise above the ordinary and be appointed as a general or a marquis.

The imperial court also used this opportunity to win over people from the martial arts world and to select generals for the army.

……

The next day.

The training ground.

A massive crowd of martial artists had gathered, making it impossible to move.

The martial artists participating in the martial arts examination were all eager to try their skills and were secretly gathering their strength.

Those who came to watch and enjoy the spectacle greeted each other and exchanged pleasantries.

"Oh, congratulations, Brother Zhou! It's been a year since we last met, and you've already reached the peak of the fourth rank?"

"Brother Sun! Fortunately, fortunately, thanks to His Highness Prince Yi's guidance, we were able to see through the fog!"

"Thanks to Your Highness's guidance, I have made great progress in my studies."

"Your Highness's guidance is truly insightful and will benefit us for a lifetime."

"Yes, Your Highness is truly a divine being!"

"Your Highness Prince Yi is truly a blessing to the warriors of Liangzhou, and a blessing to the entire world!"

……

The warriors couldn't stop talking about Prince Yi, praising him unanimously.

Having presided over the martial arts examinations for many years, Zhou Yihui would comment on each candidate.

His guidance always hits the nail on the head, benefiting the other party immensely.

Many martial artists have seen their cultivation advance by leaps and bounds as a result.

This is why even martial arts practitioners who don't participate in the martial arts examinations turn out in droves to come and watch.

Prince Yi's comments are insightful and beneficial to spiritual practice.

"Look, Wu Yi of the Drunken Sword Sect is here again, trying to get His Highness's guidance."

A scholar in blue robes, with a sturdy build like a pine tree and a languid gait, swayed and squeezed his way to the front of the crowd.

People pointed and whispered about him:

"This guy clearly has the ability to break into the top three, but he keeps holding back his score to compete for the rankings, and he's ranked fourth every year."

"It's obvious that he doesn't want to be in the top three and go to the capital for the imperial examination."

"Wu Yi, the Drunken Swordsman, is a half-step Golden Core cultivator, comparable to a fifth-rank expert. He'll definitely be among the top three in the capital's imperial examination!"

"He participates in the competition every year, just to trick His Highness into giving him guidance."

Upon hearing the slander, Wu Yi, the Drunken Swordsman, not only didn't get angry, but instead chuckled.

If it weren't for the guidance of Prince Yi, how could he have risen from a third-rank swordsman to his current level so quickly?

"What guidance from Your Highness, what insightful advice? The only way to improve martial arts is through cultivation!"

"Tch, flattery!"

Disdainful sneers rang out from the crowd.

The man who had just spoken blushed and fell silent.

Perhaps what they envied and flattered was simply the supreme imperial power of the grandson of the emperor.

Even though Miss Butterfly doesn't understand cultivation, she still makes insightful and eloquent comments.

"Nonsense! His Highness Prince Yi's guidance was absolutely enlightening and thought-provoking!"

The one who refuted him was tall and strong, like an iron tower, with a pair of iron fists like a sieve.

He clenched his fists together and said:

"I am Wu Meng, the Iron Fist, and last year I was ranked last on the second list."

"With Your Highness's guidance, my skills have greatly improved. Today, I vow to win the title of Martial Arts Champion!"

"Then, I will represent Liangzhou in the capital to win the title of Martial Arts Champion, as a way to thank His Highness for his guidance!"

As he spoke, his breath filled the air, making everyone feel almost suffocated.

Those who participated in last year's martial arts examination and had some impression of Wu Meng were already speechless with shock.

Iron Fist Wu Meng, in just one year, actually went from the third-grade Qi Refining Realm to the peak of the fourth-grade Foundation Establishment Realm.

"By sheer luck, I barely made it to the fifth rank." Wu Meng grinned.

Fifth Rank?

A Grandmaster of the Golden Core stage!

His Highness Prince Yi's guidance truly turns the rotten into the miraculous.

All eyes were fixed intently on the main seat of the arena.

"Tch, the martial arts examination is quite competitive this year."

A sneer rang out again, "Wu Zhuangshi, don't bite off more than you can chew."

Many martial artists in the crowd nodded to each other.

Even Wu Meng, the Iron Fist, couldn't help but look a little serious.

Everyone has already noticed.

Hidden among the crowd were many unfamiliar experts, whose auras were frighteningly powerful.

Such a powerful individual is a rare sight, one that has been seen only once in many years.

Today, they appeared in droves, like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

Could it be that a genius has suddenly emerged from Liangzhou and will sweep the top three spots on this year's martial arts examination?

Heaven truly has eyes!

His Highness Prince Yi loved his people like his own children, and now Heaven has finally rewarded him.

All eyes turned to the martial arts arena in the center of the arena.

On the high platform.

His Highness Prince Yi sat upright before a long table, wearing a black python robe and a white jade belt. His imperial majesty commanded respect.

A purple ribbon tied around a snow-white long dress, and the Butterfly Maiden stood by her side like a celestial maiden.

Fully armored, with a sword at his waist, Si Xuan stood behind Zhou Yi, never leaving his side.

With his hawk-like eyes scanning the crowd, he would occasionally call over the soldiers behind him and whisper a few instructions.

The soldiers, having received their orders, led a group of men and hid in various corners of the training ground.

The area around the training ground.

Cavalrymen mount their horses, infantrymen brandish their rifles...

All the soldiers in Liangzhou were sharpening their weapons and preparing for battle.

Hiss—is someone up to something?

There was a commotion in the crowd.

The timid ones quietly retreated to the periphery of the crowd.

In contrast to Si Xuan's solemn expression, Zhou Yi glanced at the martial artists in the arena and a happy smile appeared on his face.

Presiding over the provincial martial arts examination and watching different schools of martial arts compete on the same stage was a welcome break from the monotonous training.

Most of the martial artists who took to the stage were Foundation Establishment cultivators of the third rank.

Occasionally, a cultivator at the early stage of the Golden Core realm appears, a rare sight indeed, with a high probability of winning the top prizes in the provincial, metropolitan, and even the highest-ranking martial arts competitions.

A Golden Core cultivator is qualified to be the leader of a small sect; if they enter the army, they can serve as a vanguard or lieutenant general.

Winning all three titles in a row is not difficult.

When Zhou Yi was five years old, he might have been willing to spar with a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Now, hehe...

He still found it fascinating to watch low-level players compete.

That was because he drew on the strengths of many schools of thought, broadened his understanding of cultivation, and thus benefited his comprehension of the Dao of Heaven and Earth.

Of course, there was another purpose for presiding over the martial arts examination this year.

—We await the arrival of the Mahayana sect to rescue the kidnapped Feng Qing.

Although he was only Feng Jiyuan's nephew, Zhou Yi would still do his best to rescue him.

Repaying kindness is Zhou Yi's principle.

Standing beside Zhou Yi, Hu Die smiled and occasionally leaned down to talk to him.

His Highness rarely enjoys the scenery with such a pleasant mood, as he spends all his time studying martial arts.

Her Highness's happiness made her genuinely happy.

Three poles in the sun.

With the big exams yet to begin, the crowd is understandably anxious.

Many eyes were constantly drawn to the entrance of the martial arts arena, hoping that the written test papers would be brought in soon.

The imperial court established the military examination to select talented individuals for martial arts training.

Initially, there was no competition stage for the exam.

Instead, it was divided into two steps: a written test and a martial arts test.

Early civil service examinations were divided into three parts: policy essays, military strategy, and current affairs.

The martial arts test assesses skills in horsemanship, archery, swordsmanship, weightlifting, and other subjects.

The scores from both subjects are added together, and the ranking is based on the overall score.

Empress Wu watched one edition and found it extremely boring and tedious.

With a wave of his hand, he changed the martial arts test into a ring competition.

The written test was simplified to memorizing selected passages from the "Military Classic".

The specific content was to be memorized and printed directly onto the examination paper by the Ministry of Personnel.

The examination papers were delivered to the examination venue on the day of the examination by examiners appointed by the imperial court.

Invigilators, who also invigilate both the written and martial arts examinations.

"coming!"

"coming……"

As the sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, a commotion arose among the crowd.

More than a hundred fast riders, raising a cloud of dust, rushed into the training ground.

Leading the procession was a fiery red, half-demon horse, and the rider on it wore a crimson palace robe as fiery as evening clouds.

Her skin was like solidified cream, her eyebrows like dark ink, and her waist was so slender it could be grasped in one hand. Her upper body was like rippling spring waves, and her lower body was round like jade.

"Ji Yu!"

"Isn't this Ji Yu, the eunuch who serves Emperor Wu personally?"