Quasi-Warrior Assessment (Part 2)

On the other side of the assessment area stood a machine over three meters tall.

In front of it was a Punch Target. This was the device used to test a warrior's punching force.

Having noticed the commotion from the speed test, the trainees waiting in line for their assessments voluntarily moved aside from the tester and let Xia Zhi go first.

Standing before the Punch Target, Jiang Tao swiped Xia Zhi's citizen card. The tester issued an Electronic Synthesized Voice.

"Candidate Xia Zhi, please strike the Punch Target with full force ten times. Each punch must have a force of no less than 1,000 kilograms. Otherwise, the assessment will be failed."

Punching force was not a fixed value. It was directly related to a warrior's physical strength and method of exerting force.

Even with the same thousand kilograms of strength, the punching force produced by an untrained ordinary person and a professional boxer would be vastly different!

Moreover, there was an even greater difference between a desperate, full-power strike and being able to deliver that level of force with every consecutive punch.

The minimum physical requirement for a warrior was a punching force of 1,000 kilograms.

The Quasi-Warrior Assessment required ten consecutive punches, with every punch exceeding the standard, in order to qualify.

Standing before the Punch Target, Xia Zhi took a deep breath.

His upright body sank as his center of gravity lowered. Centered around his waist and hips, powerful force rose from beneath his feet, and his spine suddenly arched like a giant python.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Driven by the immense power, the tendons throughout his body trembled, producing sounds like the vibration of a bowstring after an arrow had been fired.

A powerful force surged through his arm. His fist flashed like lightning, striking the Punch Target with a bang at a speed too fast for ordinary people to see.

The tester's Punch Target was struck so hard that it nearly became parallel to the floor.

Then came a continuous series of collisions between fists and the Punch Target.

Bang, bang, bang bang bang.

"3,168 kilograms, 3,089 kilograms, 3,212 kilograms..."

"Ten punching force tests completed. Average punching force: 3,128 kilograms. Assessment passed. Candidate Xia Zhi's evaluation: Excellent."

The tester's Electronic Synthesized Voice rang out, and the surrounding crowd erupted once more.

"What happened here?" Li Qiang, who had just completed the Neural Reaction Speed Test, saw this scene as soon as he stepped out of the testing room.

He had been overjoyed at passing the assessment and finally becoming a Quasi-Warrior, but when he saw Xia Zhi surrounded by people in front of the Punch Force Tester, a shadow crept into his heart.

"What did that trash kid do?"

"His speed is so fast, and his punching force is that strong too? This Xia Zhi is incredible."

"He's definitely a genius, a super genius. I've never heard of such an impressive result in a Quasi-Warrior Assessment."

Several older trainees who prided themselves on their experience spoke to those around them.

"That trash-collecting kid Xia Zhi got 48.2 meters per second in the speed test? And 3,128 kilograms of punching force?"

"How is it possible! That's already mid-level Warrior level physical fitness. It's only been a few days—how is that possible?"

Hearing the discussions around him, Li Qiang's mouth fell open. His Triangular Eyes stared fixedly at Xia Zhi within the crowd, his face filled with disbelief.

At that moment, a group of people entered through the hall entrance and stood behind the crowd, watching the scene in the assessment area.

Among them was a man in his fifties wearing a Tang suit, his hair slightly gray. He studied Xia Zhi at the center of the crowd with interest.

"Old Xiang, your branch has produced some fine results this time. You've found a good prospect," the man in the Tang suit said with a smile to the person accompanying him.

Though his tone was mild, the imposing aura of someone in authority still emanated from him.

"Supervisor, you're too kind. This wouldn't have been possible without the support of headquarters."

A scar-faced man in his thirties standing beside the man in the Tang suit replied with a smile.

The way he unconsciously kept his body slightly bent revealed the heartfelt respect he held for the man beside him. Excited by the praise, even the scar on his face had reddened somewhat.

Anyone familiar with the martial arts school would have been shocked to see this.

Because the scar-faced man was Xiang Zhonghua, the branch director of the Limitless Martial Arts School in Yangzhou City.

Usually, his cold temperament, combined with the somewhat vicious scar on his face, was enough to make even the most unruly trainees behave as meekly as kittens in front of him.

Yet now, the normally cold branch director revealed such a side of himself before the man in the Tang suit, making it clear that this was an extraordinary figure.

"I've inspected several assessment sites and didn't expect to find such a good prospect here. Take this young man for another Neural Reaction Speed Test. Once it's over, I'll meet him personally."

The man in the Tang suit spoke to the branch director beside him.

"Yes, Supervisor. I'll make the arrangements right away."

Never before had the Supervisor spoken to him in such a tone. Excitement surged through his heart as he finished speaking and headed toward Xia Zhi in the crowd.

"Alright, continue the assessment." The branch director entered the crowd and called loudly to the trainees who were still discussing things.

"Yes, Branch Director."

"Move aside, the Branch Director is here."

The moment the surrounding people saw their branch director, they immediately scattered. The instructors resumed directing order, and the assessment continued.

Taking Xia Zhi's score sheet and giving it a glance, the branch director smiled at him. "Trainee Xia Zhi, your performance in the assessment was excellent."

"Next, I'll take you for the Neural Reaction Speed Test. After the assessment, come with me. Someone wants to meet you."

Hearing the branch director's words, Xia Zhi's heart stirred.

It seemed that, just as the instructor had said, his performance had drawn the attention of an important figure from the martial arts school.

"Alright, Branch Director."

With that, he followed him toward the neural reaction testing room. As he passed Li Qiang, Li Qiang was still staring at him with a stunned, incredulous expression.

Xia Zhi said coldly, "Move."

Still in a daze, Li Qiang heard the commanding tone. Before his mind could react, his body had already involuntarily moved aside.

Once he came to his senses, he watched Xia Zhi follow the branch director toward the neural reaction testing room. Li Qiang's face darkened, filled with anger at Xia Zhi's commanding tone.

I should've crippled him back then. How did this trash kid's strength improve so quickly? No, once the assessment is over, I need to tell Young Master Wei first.

Inside the neural reaction testing room, Xia Zhi was the only one being assessed. Several staff members were preparing the testing equipment.

The branch director stood to the side. Once the staff signaled that they were ready, he said to Xia Zhi, "Alright, stand in the circle now."

"Once the test begins, remember that you must not touch the red light around the edge of the circle. Otherwise, you'll be judged to have failed."

Xia Zhi nodded without saying anything.

He walked straight to the circle in the center of the room and took his position.

When the testing room's switch was turned on, hazy red light shot out from the edge of the circle, making it seem as if he were enclosed within a red curtain.

Four tall machines stood on the floor outside the circle. Before each machine were numerous protruding gun barrels—dozens in total.

"3, 2, 1. Test begins!"

At the command, the dozens of gun barrels on the testing machines began charging and spinning wildly.

In an instant, dozens of barrels fired streaks of red light—red rubber bullets.

The bullets fired from the dozens of barrels varied in speed and came in chaotic patterns, shooting toward Xia Zhi in the circle.

His eyes fixed ahead, Xia Zhi's body began to dart rapidly. His footwork changed with extreme speed, carrying him through the gaps between the incoming bullets.

As time passed, the bullets flew faster and faster. Ordinary people could no longer distinguish their sequence, seeing only a flood of red light pouring toward him.

On the large display screen outside the testing room, a clear image showed the scene inside.

Several trainees and instructors observing the assessment stared at the image on the screen.

"As expected of a genius. His speed and punching force are both so strong, and his body's reaction speed is incredible too. It's almost been thirty seconds, right? Not a single bullet has touched him."

"Look, his center of gravity is incredibly stable with every dodge. He can change direction instantly."

"You can't master footwork like that without ten years of hard training. I have no idea how he developed it at only eighteen."

Watching Xia Zhi undergo the test, the instructors and trainees outside discussed it among themselves.

Li Qiang, meanwhile, was watching with cold sweat streaming down his back. He stomped his foot and quickly left the hall.

"After awakening as a Mind Controller, my brain's processing ability has improved tremendously. This feeling of sensing everything and controlling everything is amazing."

As he dodged the incoming bullets, mental waves emanating from his Sea of consciousness allowed him to sense everything around him.

The moment each bullet left its barrel, he already understood its trajectory, speed, and other information, allowing him to quickly choose how to evade it.

As time passed, Xia Zhi felt as though he had a heavenly eye. His control over his surroundings allowed his body to naturally make the most appropriate adjustments.

He even felt that he could close his eyes right now and evade everything through perception alone.

He became intoxicated by the feeling.

In his previous life, in order to improve his martial cultivation and experience life-and-death training,

Xia Zhi had once worked as a mercenary and gone to war-torn regions to fight.

Even when dodging a hail of bullets on the battlefield, he had never felt as exhilarated as he did now.

Yes, exhilarated!

"Wuu—"

As the testing equipment made a sound, the rotating barrels of the neural reaction tester gradually slowed before finally coming to a stop.

A long string of numbers appeared on the machine's screen.

"Within 60 seconds, hit 0 times. Did not touch the red light around the circle."

"Evaluation: Advanced Warrior level, Excellent."

Seeing the result, the branch director could not suppress his smile. The scar that was already reddened on his face became even redder.

"Come on, Xia Zhi. Come with me to meet the Supervisor."

"The person meeting you this time is the Supervisor of our martial arts school's Jiangnan Base City headquarters."

"You must seize this opportunity. Be more respectful when you speak later. He's one of the three giants of the entire Jiangnan City Limitless Martial Arts School," the branch director instructed.

"I'll keep that in mind, Branch Director." Xia Zhi nodded.

Next should be the contract signing. I wonder what kind of contract this Supervisor, one of the three giants, will offer me?

Yesterday was the first day this novel went premium. I had already prepared myself to write with no readers, but I didn't expect readers to leave enthusiastic comments, encouragement, and help point out setting issues. Thank you, everyone. This is my first work, and once again, thank you for your recommendation votes. Your encouragement and votes have greatly inspired me.

I didn't sleep well last night. I kept checking to see whether there were comments and recommendation votes, haha. I got up early this morning to rush out a chapter, and there will be another one tonight. If you like this book, please add it to your bookshelf!

I won't disappoint everyone.