194: Zhoucheng Martial Arts Academy
Walking and stopping.
Black hair dyed red, brocade clothes stained with blood.
Chu Qing finally stood at the entrance of the Zhou City Martial Academy.
This Zhou City Martial Academy was clearly several times, even more than ten times, larger than the one in Shiji County.
The academy's walls were as tall as the county's city walls.
The massive gate was tightly shut.
Outside, a dozen or so people stood sparsely.
Some, like Chu Qing, were covered in blood.
Others only had snowflakes on them.
To Chu Qing's surprise, he didn't see Nangong.
"Where's Nangong?"
Chu Qing was curious.
At this moment:
In the distance, the wind and snow parted, and a woman's graceful figure appeared.
This woman was Nangong.
She held a blood-stained longsword, and there was blood on her, even wounds, making her look quite disheveled.
She looked around, and upon seeing Qing Ge, a glimmer of light appeared in her eyes, then she jogged over: "Qing Ge, you were attacked too?"
Chu Qing nodded.
Nangong breathed a sigh of relief, saying: "I thought I was the only one attacked."
As she spoke, she observed The Crowd.
At the same time:
Chu Qing was also observing The Crowd.
He noticed that those who had been attacked all had an untamed aura between their brows.
Although they wore brocade clothes,
their skin was dark and rough.
It was clear they hadn't taken good care of themselves.
Unlike the Young Master of a Prominent Family.
Moreover:
Some of the brocade-clad youths were quite dismissive of them.
"Is it because of their different status that they were attacked?"
He couldn't understand, then asked Nangong: "Do you know the identity of the people who attacked you?"
Nangong was silent.
Chu Qing was silent.
A moment later, Nangong, carrying a mix of fragrant and bloody scents, leaned in and whispered to him:
"I joined an organization."
"As a result, because my Aptitude is good, some people in the organization want me dead."
"If I hadn't cultivated Perfected Gold Tendons, I might have truly died this time."
Chu Qing nodded.
At this moment:
The wind and snow had lessened significantly.
One minute... ten minutes... the Martial Academy gate opened.
A Martial Instructor walked out from within.
He looked around at The Crowd, his gaze lingering on Chu Qing, Nangong, and the other blood-stained individuals, then nodded and said:
"Everyone, you are all the elites of Prefecture City."
"To be able to enter the Zhou City Martial Academy this time, you must have paid a huge price."
The Crowd was silent.
The Martial Instructor continued: "Although you have letters of recommendation, and even obtained admission quotas,"
"to truly enter the academy, you still need to pass a test!"
Chu Qing and the others remained silent.
The Martial Instructor took a deep breath and said coldly:
"First test: those with Perfected Gold Tendons, step forward."
Whoosh!
Chu Qing, Nangong, and others stepped forward.
Only three or five people did not move.
Chu Qing glanced over and noticed that they were all stained with blood.
These people did not look like Aristocratic Descendants, nor were they from Wu Fort, they should be of humble origins.
It was normal for them not to have cultivated complete Golden Tendons.
The Martial Instructor said expressionlessly: "Those who haven't cultivated complete Golden Tendons are eliminated!"
As soon as these words were spoken, one of the eliminated girls said discontentedly: "We also have letters of recommendation."
"I even won eight consecutive championships in Prefecture City."
"We just didn't have enough resources, which is why we haven't cultivated complete Golden Tendons."
"As long as we have resources, we can cultivate them completely within a month at most."
The Martial Instructor said coldly: "It's been nine months since you entered the Martial Academy in March."
"If you could cultivate complete Golden Tendons, you would have done so long ago!"
"They are like you, why could they cultivate them completely?"
The girl was silent.
The Martial Instructor continued: "If you can't, you can't; no excuses!"
The girl gritted her teeth and said: "Are all the students in Zhou City Martial Academy cultivating complete Golden Tendons?"
The Martial Instructor shook his head.
The girl said defiantly: "Why not?"
The Martial Instructor said coldly: "There is no why, blame your humble origins, for not being born in Zhou City!"
The girl stomped her foot in anger, turned around, and left.
The other two looked at each other and actually left with the girl, braving the wind and snow.
The Martial Instructor watched their retreating figures, sighing inwardly.
He actually wanted these three to enter the Martial Academy.
Because those covered in blood were all people who had offended others.
The fact that they could still come here alive after offending some powerful forces was already quite remarkable.
As long as resources kept up, their future achievements would be immeasurable.
However... the Martial Instructor took a deep breath and said loudly:
"Second: those who have cultivated Golden Bone, step forward."
Of the remaining dozen or so people, including Chu Qing and Nangong, only half stepped forward.
The Martial Instructor waved at the rest and said: "You are eliminated!"
Some were unconvinced.
They growled: "We don't have top-tier Secret Inheritance and resources, it's normal that we can't cultivate Golden Bone."
"Give us a chance, and we will definitely cultivate it."
However, the Martial Instructor didn't even look at them, turning instead to Chu Qing and the others and saying: "You, follow me!"
Chu Qing turned his head and glanced at the eliminated people.
He remembered their faces; if he encountered them in the future, perhaps he could use this opportunity to build connections.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
He and Nangong followed at the very end, passing through the massive academy gate.
Creak!
Boom!
The large, copper-studded gate closed.
The people outside were silent.
They stood in the wind and snow for a long time before reluctantly leaving.
They had truly paid a great price to come to Zhou City.
The result:
They didn't even get inside the Martial Academy gate.
They were unwilling.
But they were also helpless.
At this moment:
Only seven people had entered the Martial Academy.
Among the seven, only Chu Qing and Nangong had blood on them.
The others' brocade clothes were clean.
The Martial Instructor secretly observed The Crowd, his gaze lingering longest on Chu Qing and Nangong.
Soon:
Chu Qing and the other seven were led to a training ground.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The Martial Instructor clapped his hands and said:
"Soon, students with Perfected Gold Tendons and around thirty Golden Bone will test you."
"As long as you can last thirty seconds against them, you pass."
Chu Qing suddenly said: "If we pass, can we enter the Martial Academy?"
The Martial Instructor was silent for a moment, then said: "This month, the Martial Academy has only opened four quotas."
"Three of you must be eliminated!"
As soon as these words were spoken, several clean-clad youths and maidens looked at Chu Qing and Nangong.
They showed disdain and hostility.
There were two types of people who could reach the Martial Academy gate: one type had good background and status.
The other type were lucky individuals with strong actual strength.
Ordinary lucky individuals, even if they stubbornly came to the Zhou City Martial Academy, would encounter ambushes.
Ultimately, regardless of winning or losing, they would be stained with blood.
Although Chu Qing and Nangong wore brocade clothes.
They were stained with blood.
It was obvious their background and status were ordinary.
Clatter!
A brocade-clad youth threw a box on the ground and said:
"Inside are two thousand taels of Black Gold banknotes!"
"You two, take them; don't come to the Martial Academy again."
Chu Qing smiled without speaking.
Nangong rolled her eyes.
The Martial Instructor coughed and said:
"In ten minutes, your opponents will arrive."
"If I were you, I would take Secret medicine, adjust my state, and prepare for the challenge!"
The several brocade-clad youths and maidens stopped paying attention to Chu Qing.
They took Secret medicine and adjusted their state.
Nangong sat cross-legged in the snow, took a deep breath, and said: "Qing Ge... you should prepare too!"
Chu Qing nodded.
His previous opponents, though higher in Realm than him,
their tendons and bones quality was far inferior to his.
This time, the Martial Academy had found opponents with tendons and bones quality similar to his.
He should be serious.
"It's just... I already have over seventy Black Gold Bone."
"The Zhou City Martial Academy bringing in someone with thirty Golden Bone doesn't seem to pose a threat to me!"