Breaking Records, Precious Rewards

"Testing strength measures striking force, without any tools. You can use any method or technique, any part of your body, to hit this area."

Mo Changfeng pointed to a dark gold plate in the middle of the door-frame-shaped instrument, its center already showing extensive wear.

"Alright."

Shi Yan nodded and stepped forward, a few thoughts flashing through his mind.

For a First-Order Warrior, the minimum qi-blood requirement was 10 calories, and the strength requirement was one thousand jin.

Based on the force he used to kill the dog demon, exceeding a thousand jin was no problem.

But what if he added the Southern Bright Blazing Fire?

The Martial Arts Examination was imminent, and he felt he should understand his own strength.

So... he threw a punch.

The fifth floor trembled slightly, specks of pure white flame drifting through the air.

On the instrument, a string of numbers rose: 6799

Then, unexpectedly, some of the pure white flames fell into the instrument, and the whole machine emitted a series of crackling sounds.

It caught fire.

"Uh..."

Shi Yan was stunned, then his face twisted with dismay.

Because the display screen was above his head, he hadn't even seen his score.

More importantly, this instrument looked like it was expensive.

"Curator Mo, about compensation... where is he?"

Shi Yan turned his head and found Mo Changfeng had vanished.

This...

He didn't know that Mo Changfeng had already reached the rooftop and made a phone call:

"Special Envoy Liu, I need to find the Hall Master. We've struck gold!"

"Curator Mo?"

He called out a few times, but no one answered.

Fortunately, the floor here was thick and the space spacious; the flame energy burned out without setting anything else alight.

The fire had barely died when Mo Changfeng appeared like a ghost.

"No need for compensation. I was planning to replace that machine anyway."

Mo Changfeng's face wore an indescribable expression, like a grandfather looking at his grandson with affection.

"Congratulations, your score is 6799."

Over six thousand!

Generally speaking, the force a First-Order Warrior could output was a hundred times their own qi-blood.

Shi Yan's force, by that logic, should have been around two thousand jin.

But the number he produced was triple that!

There was only one possibility for this situation: Shi Yan possessed an SSS-Class ability!

As everyone knew, an S-Class ability doubled the output, SS-Class doubled it twice, and SSS-Class tripled it.

Below that, the amplification was much smaller.

Judging by the way Shi Yan had thrown his punch, he probably hadn't pushed his ability to its limit.

That meant Shi Yan's SSS-Class ability was even more terrifying than others of the same grade!

Baiyun No. 1 High School, you've been hiding this deep...

"Thank you, Curator Mo."

Shi Yan felt a surge of joy; this number exceeded his expectations.

If he got his weapon, he wouldn't have to fear most demonic beasts in the examination grounds.

But after glancing at the scrapped machine beside him, he really couldn't bring himself to ask the Extreme Martial Arts Hall for a weapon.

Not even a Fine Steel weapon.

"Then, Curator Mo, about my Martial Artist Certificate..."

"Don't worry, I've already asked Xiao Wei to handle it for you."

Mo Changfeng smiled faintly, then raised his hand and swept it through the air. Three items materialized before him.

A long knife in its sheath, a blue-covered book, and a small glass bottle ten centimeters long and as thick as a thumb.

With a casual wave, the three items were pushed in front of Shi Yan.

"Hall Master Mo, this..."

"Of course, it's your reward." Mo Changfeng explained. "First, you've broken the Extreme Martial Arts Hall's record. Second, we sponsor the top students in this city every year. And third, outstanding students from financially struggling families are precisely the ones we support. You meet all the criteria."

Hearing this, Shi Yan knew it would be hard to refuse.

Besides, the purpose of his visit today was to obtain a weapon.

As for the burned instrument, he'd buy a new one to replace it once he had the money.

"Hm?"

The moment he grabbed the saber, Shi Yan felt his hand sink under the weight, nearly dropping it.

He had to remember—the numbers he'd just thrown out weren't a joke. A single saber actually gave him a sense of heaviness?

"A Tang Saber forged from Essence of Lava, 480 jin, B-class."

Mo Changfeng explained, enjoying the look of surprise on the genius's face.

"That book is Explosive Flame Eighteen Sabers, a B-class Martial Art. The small bottle is Intermediate Body Tempering Medicine. I originally wanted to give you a high-grade one, but regulations state that students before the Martial Arts Examination cannot take high-grade Body Tempering Medicine."

"This... isn't this too much?"

Shi Yan felt that this reward was far more valuable than he'd imagined.

Weapons and Martial Arts, like abilities, were divided into seven grades. The differences between grades were enormous, and high-grade items in these two categories were even rarer.

S-class abilities appeared every year, but S-class equipment and Martial Arts were incredibly scarce. For SS-class, the two categories combined didn't even reach double digits. As for SSS-class, there was no need to mention it—none existed.

B-class items, while not top-tier, were still extremely rare in the hands of a First-Order Warrior.

For example, B-class weapons were typically only owned by Fourth-Order Warriors.

B-class Martial Arts, in most cases, couldn't be afforded until reaching the Fourth Order.

As for the Body Tempering Medicine, it wasn't as rare as the first two categories, but it was mostly enjoyed by those with deep family resources.

Of course, the higher the grade of Body Tempering Medicine, the more violent its medicinal properties. Reckless consumption could easily damage one's foundation.

"Try activating your ability a little."

Mo Changfeng didn't explain further. Instead, he pointed at Shi Yan's right hand holding the saber.

Shi Yan's heart stirred, and he activated his ability as instructed.

White flames flickered out about an inch, and the next moment, he felt the saber become much lighter.

"This is the 'Lava Spirit Devouring Saber.' It's quite special—it devours the user's ability every day. But it's very practical and resistant to high temperatures, making it suitable for you. As for the weight, you'll figure it out yourself—it can change based on the ability you channel into it."

A flicker of barely perceptible shock passed through Mo Changfeng's eyes. This saber had been conquered in an instant?!

Fortunately, he hid it well, and Shi Yan didn't notice.

He then went on to explain the Martial Art to Shi Yan.

A full hour passed before Mo Changfeng called Shi Yan to go downstairs.

After Shi Yan left, he finally revealed a wry smile. "Hall Master, you're really generous. A treasure that could grow to S-class, and you just gave it away like that..."

When Shi Yan reached the first floor, it was already much emptier.

Mealtime had arrived, and many people had already left. Most of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall's counters had closed for the day.

The attendant Xiao Wei was still there. When she saw Shi Yan, she handed him his First-Order Warrior certificate and thoughtfully prepared a nice bag to hold the Martial Art book and the certificate.

"Until we meet again."

After putting the medicine into his pocket, Shi Yan took his leave.

Stepping out the main door, he noticed the sky had already darkened.

In the distance, some dim, sturdy buildings looked like the fangs of a giant beast.

Shi Yan walked toward the street ahead, as if stepping into the dark maw of a colossal monster.

Before long, the sky had turned completely black. The city's lights flickered on, like sharp swords piercing the darkness.

Shi Yan arrived at the entrance of his own residential complex.

Inside was the house left by his predecessor's parents. It wasn't big, but it was comfortable enough.

"Hm? Caution tape!"

Just as he reached the entrance, Shi Yan saw the caution tape stretched inside the complex, along with the flashing lights of a Monster Suppression Bureau vehicle.

Had a monster appeared here too?

As he was thinking, he saw a fully armed security guard approaching.

"A monster is roaming the complex. Non-residents are not allowed inside."

"Uncle Li, it's me." Shi Yan raised his student ID and waved it at the guard.

"Of course I know it's you. Tonight's special. Don't go out for no reason."

The guard naturally recognized Shi Yan, the orphan of the complex. After glancing at the flashing lights inside, he couldn't help but give the warning.

Shi Yan smiled and nodded, agreeing with the guard's words.

"Do I look like that kind of person?"