My Cultivation Starting from Archery

...

The first Selected Point challenge swiftly concluded, and the results were subsequently announced.

Chen Sansi was, without a doubt, Class A.

Besides him, Cao Fan from the Imperial Army naturally also attained a Class A, as did Lu Shuhua, and there were others...

There were also a few whose cultivation was decent, but their leadership in commanding troops was too poor, such as Jie Sishu from Yan State, who possessed the Body of Innate Martial Saint, yet in this round, merely secured a Class C result, effectively eliminating half of the candidates.

"He really guessed it right,"

Wen Qiushi listened to the announced results in surprise, "That Chen guy truly managed to obtain a Class A in this round!"

"What's the use of that,"

Yin Hanwen's wounds burst open, his complexion deathly pale, "It's not as if this is the only challenge to be assessed."

Cao Fan looked towards the Martial Arts Arena, which was already being prepared for the second challenge, his gaze dark and foreboding.

After resting for half an hour,

The second Selected Point challenge, breaching the Formation, ensued.

Li Qianzong called out with a raised voice, declaring the rules, "Next, forty thousand troops will be drawn from the Eight Camps and deployed to set up a simplified Nine Palace Eight Diagram Formation in the Martial Arts Arena. Your aim is to enter the Formation and break out in the shortest time possible!"

"Has the sheer number of troops startled you?"

"Don't be afraid, this round primarily tests how you respond when surrounded by heavy forces, whether you can arrange troops in a formation and whether you can solve the Formation to find a way to survive. The soldiers in the Formation will mainly aim to capture you alive rather than take your life, and due to the large number of people, the highest cultivation within the Formation will merely be Bone Forging Perfection. There will be no one of the same Refining Internal realm as you. All you need to do is find the hidden way out of the Formation to break through."

"Those who rush out of the Nine Palace Eight Diagram Formation within the time it takes for one incense stick to burn will be considered Class A. The following will drop one rank for every additional half an incense stick they take. If you are captured alive, you will be directly eliminated from the assessment for Main General and may join the assessment for Deputy General next door. Of course, there is no need to feel disheartened. Whether through a moment of sudden insight or through meritorious deeds in the future, you still have the opportunity to become a Main General in your own right."

"The Formation is now ready; like before, I will call names to begin the challenge through the Formation!"

"Cui Yongping!"

"Roar—"

A Formation with tremendous momentum unfolded before everyone's eyes.

Banners flailed wildly, drums reverberated through the heavens.

If one were to look down from a high platform, it was clear that this Formation was like a live Eight Diagram pattern in motion. The rushing soldiers within it subtly conformed to the natural order of the universe, faintly capable of enhancing the soldiers' combat abilities!

What a marvelous Formation!

Only a marvelous Formation could yield such an effect.

This time, the examination was not held in a closed environment, and everyone could watch the assessment process of the previous Selected Spear General.

Because the Nine Palace Eight Diagram Formation was a living entity, constantly changing, let alone the fact that onlookers were not allowed to stand at a high vantage point, from a horizontal perspective, one could only see the first few rows, and with an eight-foot-tall Mystical Iron Shield blocking the view tightly, it was impossible to clearly make out what was happening deep inside. Prolonged observation could instead impart a sensation of oppression.

Once again taking the lead, Cui Yongping charged into the Formation on horseback.

About half an incense stick's time later, the result came through.

"Cui Yongping, captured alive, eliminated!"

"..."

After that, eight others entered the fray one after another. With half of them being eliminated and the highest grade amongst the rest being only Class B, there wasn't even a single Class A. This caused considerable alarm and trepidation among the candidates.

"Even Jie Sishu from Yan State, with a Body of Innate Martial Saint, only obtained a Class B!"

"It's as if the Formation consumes people; once inside, one cannot get out!"

"Last year's Selected Spear exam wasn't this Formation, was it?"

"Why is it so difficult this year..."

Even Lu Shuhua, Cao Fan, and Yan Changqing, those geniuses who were favored to win the competition, were all extremely tense. This was a formation for forty thousand people, and although it required only containment and not combat, it still presented an absolutely terrifying level of difficulty.

"Chen Sansi!"

Chen Sansi, who had been well prepared, walked to the front.

"This is the horse, this is the Weapon!"

This stage of the formation challenge was a race against time.

The better the horse, the greater the natural advantage one had.

Some from noble and general's families might even have a batch of Exotic Beast Warhorses.

To ensure fairness, everyone was prohibited from riding their own warhorses, and instead, they were issued horses by the Eight Camps.

The horse allocated to Chen Sansi was a black one, far inferior to Qian Xun, but still considered an excellent warhorse. After checking that there were no problems, he received an unsharpened reed-leaf long spear.

Everyone's information had already been recorded, and the Weapon they used was a matter of public record.

The reason for issuing unsharpened weapons was twofold: to increase difficulty and to prevent the Selected Spear Generals from getting bloodthirsty. These geniuses could easily kill two or three hundred people if given the chance.

After all, this was only an assessment. Casualties were hard to avoid, but it wouldn't do to completely disregard the lives of one's own people. Even in the previous formation challenge, there were experts at the Meridian Passage stage overseeing everything to prevent too many casualties.

Therefore, this stage used blunted weapons to minimize injuries, reminding generals to show mercy with their subordinates.

The Zhenyue Sword couldn't be brought in either.

Besides, such mystical weapons were the domain of Hua Jin Warriors, and their use would have introduced an element of unfairness.

Chen Sansi didn't really care; after breaking through to Refining Internal, he hadn't had time to practice either swordsmanship or saber technique. Even if he brought them along, it wouldn't make much difference.

He confirmed there were no issues with the horse, and on the surface, the Weapon seemed unproblematic too. But without live combat, he couldn't be sure if there were hidden defects, and he had no time to test it. Above the desk, the sandalwood incense used to measure time had been lit; every second that followed was precious. Time waits for no one!

"Begin!"

"Go!"

Chen Sansi spurred his horse into the battle formation, a man and his horse vanishing like they were diving into the maw of a gigantic beast, disappearing from sight.

The Nine Palace Eight Diagram Formation, also known as the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, was a formation invented over a thousand years ago, lost for over nine hundred years until Fang Qingyun successfully restored it and brought it into practical use just over a decade ago.

It was during that time that he earned his reputation as 'Phoenix'.

This formation was enigmatic and incredibly complex, and even if one understood the layout of the Nine Palace Eight Diagram, they still had to discern the true from the false. It was normal for several generals to be captured at the front.

Luckily, Chen Sansi had mastered this formation long ago.

If it were truly just an exercise, he believed he could break out of the encirclement quickly, definitely in less than the time it took for an incense stick to burn.

It's just that...

With his exceptional senses, how could he not notice the Princely Heir Cao Fan's constant, sinister gaze on him?

Plus, Tang Yingke had warned him beforehand, so he was well aware he might encounter trouble in this stage.

But until it actually happened, even if he spoke up, how could it be verified without the other party confessing?

"Well then, my path has always been fraught with challenges."
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Chen Sansi gripped the reed-leaf long spear in his hand, resolute and fearless, "If someone really means to trouble me, even a Weapon without an edge can kill!"