Eternal Life: I Have the Favor System

Chapter 519: Chapter 222: Imperial Martial Arts Examination, Three Rounds of Despair

Mo Lei said, his feelings mixed.

When they first met Chu Lingguang in Yunchuan City, they all saw him as a burden. They never expected that after only about a year, his power had grown so profound that the four of them could no longer fathom it.

"A new generation of talent always surpasses the last. We should be happy that our Fifth Brother has grown stronger than us."

Mo Shan said sincerely.

"Eldest Brother is right. Fifth Brother is our role model."

Mo Zheng nodded.

"Here’s to Fifth Brother passing the exam and winning it all!"

Mo Lei chimed in.

"We believe in you, Fifth Brother!"

the four of them said in unison.

"You flatter me, my four sworn brothers. But rest assured, I will not let you down."

Chu Lingguang said, cupping his hands in a salute to the four of them.

The sincerity of Mo Shan and his brothers was palpable to Chu Lingguang. They had faced life and death together in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, forging a bond of trust deeper than that of blood relatives. They were closer than brothers.

"Come, let’s go pay our respects to Master Guo."

Mo Shan and his brothers then approached Guo Wei. As Chu Lingguang’s sworn brothers, Guo Wei was their elder. Furthermore, Guo Wei was a True Martial Realm expert and had recently been named a Grandmaster. Even members of the Royal Family and Relatives like Du Juan had to treat him with the utmost respect.

So when the four of them came over, they knelt before Guo Wei and said in unison, "We pay our respects to you, Master Guo!"

"Please, rise quickly, my good men."

Guo Wei rushed to help them to their feet. Although Mo Shan and his brothers were not as powerful as him and might be stuck at the Qi Sea Perfection realm forever, they were loyal, righteous, and bold. Guo Wei was happy that Chu Lingguang had such sworn brothers and had always held them in high regard.

"Master Guo, how is Young Master Guo doing?"

Mo Shan asked after they had risen.

"He’s... He’s doing all right."

Guo Wei said, his smile stiff.

Chu Lingguang sensed something was amiss. "Master," he asked, "you’ve been reluctant to talk about Senior Brother Guo for the past few days. Is he still imprisoned at Wolf Valley Pass? Has the Court still not agreed to release him?"

When he had seen Guo Wei arrive alone, Chu Lingguang had immediately asked about Guo Xiaotian’s condition. However, Guo Wei told him to focus on the Martial Arts Examination and that he would tell him everything after the competition ended.

Chu Lingguang had a bad feeling back then, but there was nothing he could do if Guo Wei refused to talk. Now that Mo Shan had broached the subject, Chu Lingguang seized the opportunity to get a clear answer.

"Tian’s situation is complicated. We must give the Court more time."

Guo Wei explained.

"Our Lord instructed us when we came that if you need any help, Master Guo, you have only to ask."

Mo Shan added.

Apparently, Mr. Du was aware of Guo Wei’s predicament and was waiting for him to ask for help.

"Eldest Brother, if Mr. Du can get my senior brother out of Wolf Valley Pass, I will pledge my complete loyalty to him."

Chu Lingguang, hearing the underlying meaning, said solemnly.

He had already repaid his debt of gratitude to Guo Wei, but even with the debt settled, the bond between master and disciple remained. Even without the reward of Favor Points, Chu Lingguang was willing to help Guo Wei reunite with his son.

"You misunderstand, Fifth Brother. You caught the Spiritual Monkey for our Lord and restored the Crown Prince to health. If our Lord could free Young Master Guo on his own, he certainly wouldn’t hesitate."

Mo Shan said earnestly.

"Master, if you need anything, please just tell us!"

Chu Lingguang thought that made sense and turned to Guo Wei.

Guo Wei looked grateful. "I appreciate Mr. Du’s kind intentions, but Tian’s case has wide-reaching implications. I’ve learned from the Court that there are only two ways for him to regain his freedom. Either we wait for the Court to expose the traitor in their ranks, or we successfully capture Xie Xiaohuan."

"This..."

The others were at a loss.

"Master, once the Martial Arts Examination is over, we’ll go to the Turkic lands together. I refuse to believe Xie Xiaohuan can hide inside the Andre Mansion forever."

Chu Lingguang said after a moment of thought.

’Waiting for the Court to find the traitor could take forever. It looks like capturing Xie Xiaohuan and handing him over to the Court is the only way for Guo Xiaotian to regain his freedom.’

"Good disciple, let’s discuss this later. You should hurry and get to the Martial Arts Examination!"

Guo Wei said, his face filled with relief and pride.

"Yes. My four elder brothers, please wait here with my master for my triumphant return."

Chu Lingguang said, saluting the group with cupped hands.

"All right. We’ll be waiting for your good news."

All five of them were filled with hope for Chu Lingguang. Afterward, Chu Lingguang and Du Juan entered the examination grounds together.

Inside the examination grounds, most of the candidates were already in position.

The Martial Arts Examination consisted of four stages—the Daoist Examination, Provincial Examination, Imperial Examination, and Palace Examination—each with different content.

The Daoist Examination tested Basic Techniques.

It focused primarily on the Qiao Pass, Mounted Archery, and the Lance, supplemented by the four Martial Arts disciplines of saber, spear, staff, and fist. A candidate’s comprehensive score across these subjects determined if they could become a Martial Scholar.

The Provincial Examination, on the other hand, tested one’s Dragon Elephant, Qi Sea, and Bloodline Power. While it still included the four disciplines of saber, spear, staff, and fist, performance in each was inextricably linked to the strength of these three powers. Ultimately, it selected those who had successfully managed the Opening the Dantian and Qi Sea, awakened their Dragon Elephant, or even activated Bloodline Divine Abilities, allowing them to become a Martial Arts Scholar.

As for the Imperial Examination and the Palace Examination, their purpose was to select an even more outstanding group of elites from among the Martial Arts Scholars. The tests in these two stages moved beyond the scope of contests involving sabers, spears, staves, and fists. Strength was no longer judged by ordinary hand-to-hand combat.

Instead, candidates were thrown into a training ground to face the well-trained Black Armored Army head-on. Each person had to defeat twenty members of the Black Armored Army within a set time limit. Those who failed were eliminated, while the victors advanced to the next round, continuing until the final Hui Yuan was chosen.