Inside the wooden shed at the training ground.
Wang Jin looked at Jiang Ning with great surprise.
"Superior bone structure?" Yu Yuan, the master of the Shenwei Martial School, who was standing nearby, also turned his head abruptly upon hearing these words.
Jiang Ning was slightly surprised as well.
So, my bone structure has already become superior?
But it's not surprising.
Whether it was the nearly demonic white dragon fish or the Leopard Fetus Body Transformation Pill, both were powerful medicines that enhanced one's bone structure.
The innate bone structure could be altered through later cultivation.
Now, having only reached a superior level wasn't strange.
Above superior, there were still higher levels, such as supreme and beyond.
Jiang Ning thought to himself.
Wang Jin retracted his right hand. "No wonder your progress has been so remarkable. Transforming from ordinary to superior bone structure you must have come across some incredible treasures these past few months!"
"Master is right. I've been quite lucky these past few months," Jiang Ning nodded, openly admitting it.
At this moment, the others around them looked at Jiang Ning with envy.
In the first four realms of martial arts, bone structure played a dominant role.
With a strong bone structure, the growth of vital energy would be rapid, allowing one to quickly advance to the ninth rank.
After the ninth rank, the efficiency of refining the skin, muscles, and bones would be exceptionally high.
Each step would far surpass the speed of ordinary martial artists.
This way, one could reach the Internal Strengthening Realm within the golden period of less than twenty years, refining the internal organs and enhancing bodily functions, thus gaining the foundation to continue on the martial path.
Therefore, the importance of bone structure in martial arts was undeniable.
This was why masters recruiting disciples placed such great emphasis on bone structure.
Without exceptional bone structure, it was nearly impossible for an ordinary person to stand out in martial arts.
No matter how hard one worked or how diligent they were, without fortune and opportunity, it was impossible to rise above the rest.
The golden period for martial training was less than twenty years. As one aged, their physical condition and vital energy would inevitably decline.
Once the body entered a state of decline, without great fortune or opportunity, one could only lament their fate.
For this reason, hard work alone was not enough to stand out.
Only by surpassing the four external refinement realms and beginning internal refinement could one extend their physical capabilities, increase their lifespan, and continue on the martial path.
Inside the wooden shed.
"Damn it!" Zhao Hu thought to himself, his heart burning with jealousy. "Who knows how many treasures Shen Congyun gave this kid to transform his bone structure into a superior level?"
Beside him, Yu Yuan, the master of the Shenwei Martial School, also showed a rare look of envy.
"Superior bone structure even better than mine. Your disciple has an unlimited future!"
Hearing Yu Yuan's words, Wang Jin couldn't help but laugh heartily, his face filled with pride.
Being praised by others didn't make him as happy, given his status.
But Yu Yuan was different.
As the master of the Shenwei Martial School, Yu Yuan had been his equal in the past, a rival of the same caliber.
Moreover, like him, Yu Yuan was also a martial schoolmaster who trained disciples.
Naturally, Yu Yuan's praise was particularly satisfying.
At this moment.
Silence
A voice, like rolling waves, spread from the highest platform of the training ground.
In an instant.
The dust on the ground trembled slightly, and everyone on the training ground fell silent, turning their shocked gazes toward the high platform.
Hong Minghu had risen from his seat.
His eyes swept across the crowd, and he spoke slowly, "The first stage of the assessment is over. The second stage is an arena battle!"
"Do you see them?" As he spoke, Hong Minghu pointed to the three large arenas in the southeast corner of the training ground.
He continued, "Each arena will have ten participants. Five will be eliminated, and the remaining five will join the Inspection Office. Other than that, there are no restrictions!"
With these words, Hong Minghu slowly sat back down.
At this moment, the most surprised person wasn't the crowd below but Gongsun Yu, the Third Elder of the Medicine King Valley, who was standing beside Hong Minghu.
"Hong Minghu possesses such astonishing inner energy?!"
Hong Minghu gave him a faint smile. "Still thinking about fighting me?"
"Brother Hong, you jest!" Gongsun Yu immediately smiled. "Attacking a government official would be an act of rebellion, wouldn't it?"
"You know better!" Hong Minghu glanced at Gongsun Yu indifferently, then turned his gaze to the training ground.
On the training ground.
The crowd was abuzz with surprise.
"So casual?" Yu Yuan murmured in surprise.
"Indeed, very casual," Wang Jin nodded in agreement.
Then he added, "But I've heard that Hong Minghu is known for his unconventional methods. This fits his style."
Yu Yuan continued, "From the looks of it, you can bring people into the Inspection Office. As long as you have a strong expert to protect you, the chances of passing the assessment increase significantly."
"Exactly," Wang Jin nodded slightly.
He then looked at Jiang Ning and the others.
"Do you all understand the rules?"
"We do!" Zhou Xing was the first to respond.
Jiang Ning and the other two also nodded.
Wang Jin said, "Later, the four of you can go up to the arena together and support each other."
"If you have the strength, you can help the others," Wang Jin added, looking at Zhou Xing and Jiang Ning.
Two eighth-rank martial artists were already among the top participants in the assessment, aside from the students from the Martial Academy in Dongling City.
In Wang Jin's view, if Jiang Ning and Zhou Xing were willing to lend a hand, the other two would have no trouble passing the arena battle.
Zhou Xing immediately nodded.
"Even without Master's reminder, I would have done so. As fellow disciples, we should help each other."
"Right, Junior Brother Jiang?" Zhou Xing looked at Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning smiled noncommittally and said, "Senior Brother Zhou makes a good point."
At this moment.
Yu Yuan suddenly spoke, "Master Wang, my disciples will take the lead and go up to the arena."
With these words, the disciples from the Shenwei Martial School, who were in the same wooden shed, stood up and headed toward the arena.
"Junior Brother Jiang, shall we go as well?" Zhou Xing asked Jiang Ning.
"Alright," Jiang Ning nodded.
A moment later.
Jiang Ning and the others arrived at the foot of the southeast arena.
At this point, the three arenas had already begun.
Each arena had ten participants engaged in fierce combat.
"Junior Brother Jiang, eliminating five out of ten shouldn't be too difficult. How about we team up later?" Zhou Xing observed the situation in the arena and then turned to Jiang Ning.
"Sure," Jiang Ning nodded.
At this moment.
Zhao Hu suddenly spoke, "Senior Brother Zhou Xing, I've made arrangements with others, so I won't be joining you in the arena."
Without waiting for Zhou Xing's response, Zhao Hu hurried away.
Zhou Xing watched Zhao Hu's retreating figure and shook his head.
"Fine. Since Senior Brother Zhao Hu has his concerns, let him go."
As he said this, Zhou Xing's gaze briefly flickered toward Jiang Ning.
He had witnessed the small conflict between Zhao Hu and Jiang Ning earlier and understood Zhao Hu's concerns.
Zhao Hu was worried that if he shared the arena with Jiang Ning, Jiang Ning might secretly attack him and knock him off the arena.
In Zhou Xing's view, such concerns were reasonable.
After all, this opportunity was like leaping through the dragon gate for someone like Zhao Hu, who came from an ordinary background.
If he missed it, he would lose his chance to rise above his current station.
Meanwhile.
Jiang Ning watched Zhao Hu's hurried departure.
"He runs fast," Jiang Ning thought to himself.
If they had been in the same arena, he wouldn't have minded using some underhanded tactics to send Zhao Hu off the stage.
But now that Zhao Hu had left, the matter would have to be put aside for the time being.
Soon.
One of the arenas concluded.
Five people were knocked off the arena, leaving only five standing, signifying that these five had become members of the Inspection Office.
Seeing these five, the crowd below looked on with envy.
At the same time.
Near the arena, where the Martial Academy students were gathered.
"Brother Liu, shall we go up?" A young man with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, holding a gold-inlaid sword, asked Liu Sansheng.
"No," Liu Sansheng shook his head.
"Why?" the young man asked.
Liu Sansheng replied, "Because He Jinyun is going up."
Hearing this name, the young man gasped.
"He Jinyun is going up already? Then we should wait!"
The young man's tone immediately showed hesitation.
Liu Sansheng nodded slightly. "He Jinyun is known for his natural divine strength. There's no need for me to clash with him head-on now."
"Brother Liu is right," another young man beside him said. "With natural divine strength, He Jinyun has an overwhelming advantage at the eighth rank. But that advantage won't last forever. Brother Liu doesn't need to compete with him at this stage."
"Compete with me? Are you worthy?" A cold snort came from behind.
They turned to see a sallow-skinned man walking toward them, and their expressions immediately turned wary.
This man was He Jinyun, the one known for his natural divine strength.
He was also hailed as the strongest eighth-rank martial artist among the Martial Academy students here.
Hearing He Jinyun's mocking tone, Liu Sansheng's expression darkened.
"He Jinyun, don't be so arrogant."
"Arrogant? What are you going to do about it?" Jinyun bared his yellow teeth in a grin. "I can't stand people like you. If you have a problem with me, come up to the arena and fight me fair and square!"
With these words, He Jinyun brushed past them and headed toward an empty arena.
Watching He Jinyun's retreating figure, Liu Sansheng's face turned pale.
He knew that even though he had reached the eighth rank, the Divine Strength Realm, and had some reputation in the Martial Academy, it was largely due to his age.
In terms of talent and potential, he was no match for He Jinyun.
He was approaching thirty, while He Jinyun was only in his early twenties.
In terms of strength, both were at the eighth rank, but He Jinyun, despite having just entered this realm, far surpassed him due to his natural divine strength.
In terms of status?
The Liu family was just an ordinary family in Dongling City, having only recently established themselves there.
The He family, on the other hand, was a fourth-rank aristocratic family. Even as a declining noble house, it far surpassed the Liu family.
Even though He Jinyun was the youngest son of the current generation of the He family, compared to Liu Sansheng, the eldest son of the Liu family, He Jinyun could step on his face, and Liu Sansheng's father would still have to apologize.
Meanwhile.
Seeing that one of the arenas had been vacated.
Zhou Xing immediately said, "Junior Brother Jiang, let's go up together!"
"Not yet, let's wait a bit longer," Jiang Ning raised his hand to stop Zhou Xing's eagerness.
"Why?" Zhou Xing looked at Jiang Ning in surprise.
Jiang Ning turned his gaze toward the commotion in the distance.
The conversation among the Martial Academy students had reached his ears thanks to his keen hearing.
The Martial Academy students were the group he had been paying the most attention to today.
Coming from Dongling City, these students had orthodox backgrounds and deep resources.
They were either from prestigious families or possessed extraordinary talent.
Their resources and perspectives far surpassed those of the so-called prodigies in Luoshui County.
Therefore, it was no surprise that their strength far exceeded that of the so-called prodigies in Luoshui County.
In Luoshui County, an eighth-rank martial artist like Shi Xiaoyuan could control the entire Green Snake Gang, which showed that the overall martial strength of the county wasn't particularly high.
In such a situation, even prodigies like Zhou Xing, who was willing to go all out for the opportunity to join the Inspection Office, would likely cap out at the eighth rank.
Dongling City, however, was different. As a prefectural city, not a county town, the families that could establish themselves there had far greater wealth and influence than those in the county.
Their resources and connections were also far superior.
Thus, it was natural that Dongling City had far more powerful martial artists than the county.
In Jiang Ning's view, it wouldn't be surprising if a seventh-rank martial artist emerged from this group of Martial Academy students.
Given this, he had paid special attention to the conversations among the Martial Academy students and had overheard Liu Sansheng's remarks.
The name He Jinyun was now firmly etched in his mind.
Because of those four words.
Natural Divine Strength!
Thinking of this, Jiang Ning said, "Senior Brother Zhou Xing, the Martial Academy students are about to go up. Why don't we observe them first?"
"Martial Academy students?" Zhou Xing was startled but quickly composed himself.
"Alright," Zhou Xing nodded. "Let's listen to Junior Brother Jiang and see what these Martial Academy students are capable of."
A few moments later.
Several people had just stepped onto the arena.
In the next instant.
Boom Boom Boom
Five figures leaped from the crowd, crossing several meters in the air and landing on the arena.
"Are these five the Martial Academy students Junior Brother Jiang mentioned?" Zhou Xing asked in a low voice.
"Yes," Jiang Ning nodded.
Zhou Xing said, "They don't look like much, especially that sallow-skinned guy. He doesn't look like a martial artist at all more like a sickly ghost!"
Jiang Ning shook his head. "Senior Brother Zhou, appearances can be deceiving."
At this moment, Jiang Ning's gaze swept over the five figures.
He only knew that among these five, there was likely an eighth-rank prodigy, one known for his natural divine strength.
But he wasn't sure which one it was.
After all, he had only heard the voice earlier and hadn't seen the person.
Just then.
The sallow-skinned He Jinyun said to the referee, "Hurry up! Once you're done checking, don't waste time. The sun is scorching."
It's him!
Hearing this voice, Jiang Ning immediately identified He Jinyun.
The voice matched, confirming that this was the natural divine strength prodigy Liu Sansheng had mentioned.
Jiang Ning took another look at He Jinyun and thought to himself.
He doesn't look the part!
This appearance and build, yet he possesses natural divine strength?
At this moment.
The referee in the arena wasn't bothered by He Jinyun's impatience.
"Young Master He, we can't rush. We have to verify everyone's identity."
"Fine, hurry up! I want to get back and rest," He Jinyun said lazily.
"Of course, Young Master He," the referee replied.
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