Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

Chapter 109: Chapter 108: Martial Array

A wave of astonishment swept through the stands, yet the examiner remained expressionless, as if he had expected this all along. He announced for the second group to prepare.

The second group of candidates entered. Heeding the warning from the group before them, they were far more cautious, advancing slowly and prepared for the worst.

However, once the Martial Array activated, the flurry of staves was like an impenetrable wall, a raging tempest, relentlessly attacking from all directions.

The defenders of the array coordinated flawlessly. Their offense and defense were one, leaving no openings.

After a desperate struggle, only two from this group finally managed to break through, each of them injured and looking miserable.

The mood in the training ground grew increasingly tense.

This year’s pass rate was terrifyingly low.

’That Hou San at the inn was telling the truth.’

Chen Shouheng observed the Martial Array with focused attention, his brow furrowed slightly.

In his Spiritual Sense’s perception, the eighteen men’s footwork, the linking of their staff techniques, and the flow of their qi felt more like an extremely sophisticated battle formation.

’Unless one has Spirit Realm Cultivation to break it by force, or finds the method to dismantle the array, it’s... very difficult.’

"Group Seven! From Tiger Subduing Martial Arts Hall, Qian Laibao, Chen Shouheng... From Zhuifeng Martial Arts Hall... Zuo Hong, Liu Ruoyi! Enter the array!"

The examiner announced the names.

It was finally their turn.

Chen Shouheng took a deep breath and stepped into the array through the Shocking Gate.

The moment he stepped inside, the scene before his eyes seemed to change abruptly.

Shadows of staves pressed in from all sides like mountains, and the whistling wind they generated stung his face.

A powerful sense of pressure instantly enveloped his entire body.

He immediately stabilized his Heart Spirit and refused to advance rashly. Swinging his fists into a defensive stance, he used Tiger Subduing Fist to protect himself. The wind from his punches howled as he parried each incoming staff.

Soon, a pained grunt came from Qian Laibao to his front-left, followed by the dull thud of a staff striking flesh.

Immediately after, he saw Qian Laibao get unceremoniously tossed out of the array by one of the burly defenders.

"Be careful!"

Chen Shouheng yelled out a warning.

But before the words had even left his mouth, a heavy grunt came from Shi Zhongjian on the right flank. He had struggled to block a few blows, but ultimately, two fists are no match for four hands. A staff swept the back of his knee, causing him to stagger and fall, and he too was swiftly cleared out.

Seeing this, the expressions of the four from Zhuifeng Martial Arts Hall changed drastically.

Zuo Hong gritted his teeth and shouted, "We can’t all be wiped out! We’ll get our junior sister out first! Brothers, clear a path!"

Before his words had faded, the other three from Zhuifeng Martial Arts Hall, as if by unspoken agreement, roared in unison.

They unleashed their internal qi and blood without reserve, disregarding their own safety as they charged and struck at one side of the array like mad tigers.

This sudden, all-out burst actually managed to tear a tiny gap in the impenetrable wall of staves!

"Junior Sister! Go!"

Zuo Hong slapped away a long staff that was smashing toward his junior sister, Liu Ruoyi.

Liu Ruoyi’s Body Technique was nimble. She seized the fleeting opportunity, darting through the gap like a butterfly flitting among flowers, and successfully broke through to the outside edge of the array.

However, because of their reckless charge, Zuo Hong and his three companions were instantly swarmed by even more of the array’s defenders.

A storm of blows rained down on them, and they were quickly struck down one by one and cleared from the array.

Meanwhile, their all-out assault had indirectly drawn much of the pressure away from Chen Shouheng on the other side.

Chen Shouheng felt the pressure on him suddenly lighten.

The opportunity was not to be missed!

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he no longer hesitated.

His Tiger Subduing Fist Intent erupted.

The qi and blood in his body surged like a mighty river, and his Inner Qi billowed.

He thrust his fists forward. An immense force erupted, instantly blasting away the several long staves blocking his path. The defenders holding them felt a sharp numbness jolt through their arms and staggered back, their eyes wide with shock.

His figure moved like lightning. Seizing the brief moment of stagnation and the resulting gap, he shot through with incredible speed.

One right after the other, he and Liu Ruoyi broke completely free of the Martial Array at almost the same instant.

Huuu...

The moment he broke out of the array, the suffocating pressure from the storm of staves behind him vanished.

"You have impressive skills, Sir."

Liu Ruoyi studied Chen Shouheng for a moment, her large, captivating eyes shimmering.

"You flatter me, Miss Liu. It was all thanks to the help of your senior brothers."

Chen Shouheng slowly let out a long breath, his own aura fluctuating slightly before quickly settling.

Liu Ruoyi went over to her senior brothers who had been thrown out of the array.

In the instant that Chen Shouheng unleashed his qi and blood, rushing out of the Martial Array like a flash of lightning...

...on the Commander’s Platform, a barely perceptible glint of light flashed in the eyes of the Governor, who had until now remained impassive.

His seated figure seemed to lean forward for an instant, and an invisible yet immense Divine Sense quietly swept over Chen Shouheng on the field below.

The corners of the Governor’s mouth slowly curved into a faint yet meaningful smile. ’Spirit Realm? And he even knows to hide his true abilities... It seems my Liyang will have a Martial Advanced Scholar next year.’

Of course, Chen Shouheng knew nothing of the events on the Commander’s Platform. He hurried over to Qian Laibao and Shi Zhongjian.

By now, the two had been carried to the side by the Training Ground Constables and were grimacing in pain as they rubbed their sore spots.

"Brother Qian, Brother Shi, how are your injuries?"

Chen Shouheng asked as he drew closer, his gaze sweeping over their bruises.

"Hiss... Damn it, these army bastards are ruthless! It hurts like hell..."

Qian Laibao said, rubbing his red, swollen shoulders and back, "But I’m alright. They’re just surface wounds. No broken bones, and no internal injuries."

The eighteen Martial Masters defending the array clearly had excellent control. Though their blows were heavy, they avoided vital points, aiming to repel rather than seriously injure.

Shi Zhongjian silently shook his head, indicating that he too was fine.

But his furrowed brow and the unconcealable disappointment in his eyes told a different story. His voice was low. "Junior Brother Chen, congratulations... you passed again."

His tone held sincere envy, but also a trace of indescribable bitterness.

He paused, his gaze turning to the Martial Array. His eyes dimmed, and his voice dropped even lower. "This year’s County Examination... it’s too difficult. If it’s going to be this hard every year from now on... I... I’m afraid my journey through the Imperial Examinations is truly hopeless."

Chen Shouheng comforted him, "Brother Shi, don’t be discouraged. The difficulty of the Martial Array in this year’s County Examination increased sharply, so no one was prepared. Very few people passed. This must be the first time it’s been like this. In the future, people will surely study it and figure out countermeasures, or the Government Office might adjust it. A single failure means nothing. You can always try again next year."

Just then, Qian Laibao winced and chimed in, his tone exaggerated and dripping with his usual rich-boy flair, "Ouch... Zhongjian, you have to stay strong! Sometimes I really envy you. You have no choice but to succeed! Unlike me... if I fail the Martial Examination, I’ll have no choice but to go home and inherit my father’s three silk shops, two inns, a pawnshop, and two thousand acres of land..."

Shi Zhongjian gave a bitter smile and fell silent.

「The sun began to set.」

Soon, the examination was over.

Everyone gathered together to wait for the results.

Although most of them already knew their fate, they still waited for the official announcement.

After a while, the County Captain took the stage again, holding a roster, his expression solemn.

"Silence!"

He commanded in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below. "This year’s Liyang County Examination for the title of Martial Scholar is now concluded. I will now announce the names of the successful candidates!"

His voice boomed as he began to call out the names one by one.

With every name that was called, a wave of envious or congratulatory whispers rippled through the crowd. The candidates whose names were announced could hardly contain their excitement, puffing out their chests with pride.

"From Lishui County, Yue Feng!"

"From Songjiang County, Jiang Cheng!"

"From Ping County, Zhang Yuan!"

"From Qingshui County, Liu Ruoyi!"

"From Jingshan County, Chen Shouheng!"

...