Tang Wen had just been wondering, 'That Black Armor General... with a voice that loud, is he using a Sound Technique or something?'
'I wonder if there are any Sound Techniques among the redeemable Cultivation Techniques in the Guard Battalion.'
'If there are, I have to learn one.'
The examiner was ruthlessly efficient, and the selection process moved at lightning speed.
Those who wanted another chance could have one.
But you had to at least lift the stone lock to your chest to be given the opportunity to try again with the next group.
Resting, however, was out of the question.
You either advanced on the spot or were immediately eliminated.
There was no third option.
Suddenly, someone up ahead failed the assessment and claimed he was sick.
The examiner sneered. "You're sick? Fine! Go tell that to a Silver Wolf. See if it's willing to wait until you're better before it eats you!"
"Get lost! Now!"
A girl ran out of the line, tears streaming through her fingers.
A few men chuckled, earning furious glares from the other women.
Most people, however, just watched her receding back and shook their heads.
Not everyone was cut out to be a Guard.
"Ninth row, all forward."
The assessment proceeded quickly. On the other two sides of the square, the selections for Patrolling Guards and City Guards had also begun.
These two were not tested separately; they started by running laps together.
At the end of each lap, someone would stamp their wrists.
One lap, one stamp. The test was mainly for endurance and perseverance.
"Tenth row, all forward!"
Tang Wen strode forward from the line and, following the examiner's commands, steadily lifted the stone lock three consecutive times.
After tallying the results, the head examiner reported loudly to the stage, "The strength assessment is complete. Of the 418 participants, 167 have passed. Twenty-five of them are women."
On the stage, the Black Armor General nodded slowly. "Hmph. For this Hunting Team selection, we only want powerful combatants, not weaklings who will drag us down. The Hunting Team only needs 45 people! Next, we'll test speed."
'The General felt a little helpless. Who wouldn't want to nurture all these young pups into capable individuals?'
'It wasn't that the camp didn't want to recruit more, but that a Martial Artist's growth required massive resources. The camp simply couldn't afford to support too many people.'
The speed test was a race.
While the other candidates ran around the perimeter of the square, those vying for the Hunting Team ran in the center.
A round trip was a distance of about 200 meters.
The first row of 20 people took their places on the track.
"Ready, run!"
Watching everyone shoot out like wild dogs off their leashes, Tang Wen frowned. 'A shuttle run?'
'I've never practiced this before.'
But the examiner didn't care whether you had practiced or not.
In the final group, there were only seven of them.
"Run!" the examiner ordered.
Tang Wen shot out, taking the lead.
This was the benefit of high Spiritual Power: his reactions were exceptionally fast.
Since he'd never done this kind of run before, he didn't dare hold back. He ducked his head, pumped his arms, and used at least seventy percent of his strength.
WHOOSH!
From the very first step, he left everyone else in the dust.
"Whose kid is that? How is he so fast?"
A Commander on the stage asked in surprise.
The other Commanders looked at each other, nonplussed.
The Black Armor General asked curiously, "What? Nobody knows him?"
"General, I know him. He's not from the Inner City. He's an interesting kid from the Outer City who makes a living gathering herbs and hunting. I was just planning to bring him under my command and train him properly." The speaker was none other than Commander Zhao, who had been guarding the Silver Wolf.
The others were not happy about that.
"Old Zhao, you see a promising sapling and you immediately try to poach him, you old rascal?"
"Exactly! I think this kid is perfect to practice Leg Skills with me!"
The other few Commanders didn't speak, watching with great interest as the three great Commanders of the Hunting Battalion bickered.
Before they could finish, Tang Wen slowed his pace and crossed the finish line as the examiner counted to eleven.
Pairs of eyes all around stared at him, some in shock, others in confusion, all curious as to where this guy had come from.
'Shit! I overdid it.'
Tang Wen smoothed his hair and, as usual, walked to a spot at the very back.
"My name is Zhang Lin. You're not from one of the Martial Arts Halls, are you?" a hulking man, over 1.9 meters tall, asked as he walked over.
"Yeah. Tang Wen, a Hunter from the Outer City."
"A Hunter? Impressive!" The big man gave him a thumbs-up.
The two didn't speak again as the examiner announced the results:
"After the strength and speed assessments, there are a total of 79 who have passed, including 17 women. The fastest was Tang Wen."
SWISH!
Tang Wen once again became the focus of everyone's attention.
The Black Armor General's voice rang out from the stage. "Tang Wen, step forward."
"Yes, Sir." Tang Wen turned and stepped out of the line.
"Don't be nervous. You're a Hunter by trade. Have you practiced martial arts?"
"Yes."
"What did you practice? Who taught you?"
"Brother Li, a blacksmith in the Outer City, taught me the Wind-breaking Blade. Elder Physician Li from the Inner City taught me the Health Maintenance Stance." He answered truthfully. The camp wasn't large, so there was no need to hide these things; anyone could find them out with a simple inquiry.
But upon hearing this, everyone's face filled with disbelief.
The Wind-breaking Blade and the Health Maintenance Stance?
How should one put it?
In the Martial Arts Halls, not even dogs would bother with them.
The Black Armor General, Commander Zhao, and the others exchanged glances, equally astonished.
The Wind-breaking Blade was just a Sword Skill used for killing enemies.
If one had to describe it, it was common, simple, practical, and easy to learn.
The most basic of the basics.
And the Health Maintenance Stance was even worse—a complete waste of time. Unless you were studying medicine, middle-aged, or injured, who would ever practice that!
Martial Artists also practiced Posture Stances, but they practiced the Horse Stance, a stance so powerful it could evoke the image of a warhorse.
The difference between the two was greater than the difference between a common peach pit and a hundred-year-old collector's walnut.
The Commanders on stage whispered among themselves. "It seems his speed is natural."
"Yes, it must be."
"Definitely. What could you possibly achieve with those two techniques?"
Hearing Tang Wen's explanation, the surrounding Martial Disciples relaxed considerably.
They all knew that the next assessment was combat ability.
With a background in such basic techniques, what kind of combat ability could Tang Wen possibly have?
The Black Armor General gestured for Tang Wen to return to the line.
"Next, you will have a one-hour break. After that, the combat assessment will begin. The content of the assessment: each person will fight two armored Guards simultaneously. Defeating your opponents means you win. The use of weapons is permitted."
"Can we wear Armor?" a Martial Disciple raised his hand.
"Of course not."
An hour passed quickly.
On the vast square, circles had been drawn with white lime to mark the combat assessment areas. There were fifteen in total.
Thirty Guards, clad in Iron Armor and wielding blades and spears, entered the field in pairs.
More Guards stood waiting in lines.
With 79 people left to be tested, a total of 158 Guards would be needed.
Although there were some differences in their strength, it wouldn't be too drastic.
Whether a candidate faced weaker or stronger opponents was entirely up to luck.
Tang Wen noticed that the examiners had changed.
Fifteen new examiners had appeared from nowhere, each one exuding a menacing aura, and stood before each of the fifteen circles.
The most eye-catching among them was a female examiner standing at circle number four.
She was half a head taller than the average male soldier, likely over 185 cm tall.
Not to mention her criminally stunning figure, her long, straight legs could rival those of a world-class supermodel.
Dressed in tight black attire, her pretty face was frosty, giving off an unapproachable air.
'Hmm, she's the first... no, the third beautiful woman I've seen since coming to the camp.'
'The first was Eldest Sister-in-law Li, the second was Elder Li's young wife. This examiner before me is the third.'
The first round of the selection began.
On the stage, the Black Armor General's voice boomed across the entire square:
"In this assessment, the person with the fastest time will be ranked first. The reward is 100 taels of silver, one Hundred-Refinements Weapon, and three opportunities to comprehend the Mountain-Opening Cannon Fist Visualization Image. The second-place winner will receive one Hundred-Refinements Weapon..."
Before he had even finished speaking, Tang Wen could clearly feel all the soon-to-be combatants clenching their fists and growing excited.
He too had keenly caught the key phrase: "Mountain-Opening Cannon Fist Visualization Image." 'What's that?'
'Mountain-Opening Cannon Fist?'
'That Fist Technique doesn't even sound legal.'
'It must be that Visualization Image that's getting everyone so excited.'
Tang Wen walked over to Zhang Lin and asked. The man replied excitedly, "The Mountain-Opening Cannon Fist! Its Explosive Force is peerless! General Zhou on the stage and all the great Commanders have practiced this Fist Technique. They only reached their current status after mastering it! The Visualization Image is the only way to practice this technique. Once you master it, splitting mountains and shattering rocks becomes as easy as taking a piss and making mud!"
As Zhang Lin spoke, spit flew from his mouth. Tang Wen took a slight step back and tilted his head away.
'Alright then!'
'Looks like I'll have to go all out.'