Heading to the Martial Arts Association, Certifying as a Level 1 Martial Artist

In the center of Xujiang City, a granite path offered a quiet escape from the bustling surroundings.

Li Ziyu walked slowly along the winding path.

As he walked, he continuously swung his arms, mimicking sword movements.

Once.

Twice.

Again.

After a moment.

Li Ziyu slowly stopped, reached behind him, drew his long saber, and suddenly swung it at the ground in front of him.

A whistling sound cut through the air. Li Ziyu's saber flashed in the air, creating an afterimage too fast for the average person to see. With a dong, it struck the stone ground.

Clang.

On the ground, paved entirely with granite, appeared a clear crack, a palm deep and two meters long.

Li Ziyu looked at the granite he had just cracked, his eyes lighting up.

"Open system panel."

Name: Li Ziyu. Realm: Level 1 Intermediate Martial Artist. Combat Skills: Gale Blade Technique, Intermediate Saber Technique, basic movement technique. System: Martial God System. Function: Can absorb all things to enhance Qi and Blood. Other functions await discovery by the host.

"I've really mastered the Gale Blade Technique!"

Li Ziyu felt a sense of accomplishment.

"Before learning the Gale Blade Technique, my full power strike could only break through a wall. But now, I can cleave a twenty-centimeter crack into incredibly hard granite. This power is at least fifty percent stronger than before!"

"And most importantly, the unparalleled speed of the Gale Blade Technique will be a huge help to my combat ability!"

Li Ziyu's expression was excited. He gripped his saber with one hand and swung it a few more times in the air.

The saber light flashed, whistling through the air.

However, he was about to reach the Martial Arts Association, so he didn't experiment further with the granite on the ground.

He noticed some elderly people practicing their morning exercises in the distance and almost took out his phone to call the police.

With his long saber slung over his back, Li Ziyu walked along the path for a while longer.

He rounded a few corners and merged onto the busy main road.

After walking for a short while.

Ahead, a skyscraper over ten stories high appeared, its entire surface covered in silver glass, giving it a futuristic feel.

At the very top of the building, the words "Xujiang City Martial Arts Association" were displayed in large characters.

It was only eight in the morning.

Inside the Martial Artist Building, many people were already entering and exiting the main entrance, some carrying various weapons, others dressed in suits and ties like white-collar professionals.

Li Ziyu noticed that although the martial artists' attire was mostly unremarkable, their expressions were usually aloof and serious.

When they reached the entrance, they didn't swipe cards; they went directly through the VIP passage.

Those dressed as elite white-collar professionals, however, had to queue obediently through the regular passage.

They would occasionally cast envious and respectful glances at the martial artists.

The difference in status was clear.

"Excuse me... Martial Artist? Are you here for...?"

As Li Ziyu was observing the architectural style of the Martial Arts Association building, a probing female voice sounded in his ear.

A tall, attractive woman in a professional outfit with black stockings was looking at him curiously.

Li Ziyu recognized her as a staff member of the Martial Arts Association from the work ID badge hanging on her chest.

"I'm here for my Level 1 Martial Artist certification," Li Ziyu replied with a smile.

"Ah, oh, sir, this way please, I'll take you."

The staff member in black stockings was momentarily stunned, then seemed to realize something and quickly led the way in front of Li Ziyu.

As they walked, she couldn't help but glance back and secretly assess Li Ziyu.

Li Ziyu didn't mind.

He was already used to being looked at when he was at the Precious Martial Pavilion. He figured it was because he was too young and they were curious.

And indeed, that was the case.

"Welcome, sir."

"This room is specifically for testing martial artists."

"There's still half an hour before the test begins, you can wait inside for a while."

Li Ziyu followed the black-clothed staff onto the elevator and arrived at the sixth floor.

After passing through a long corridor, they reached a room.

The black-clothed staff member stopped, pushed open the door for Li Ziyu, and said respectfully.

Li Ziyu nodded and pushed the door open.

Entering, he found himself in a spacious hall spanning several thousand square feet.

Currently, there were seven or eight other people in the hall who were there to participate in the test, waiting either sitting or standing.

In the center of the room, there was a Qi and Blood testing instrument similar to the one Li Ziyu had used at the Hongsu Martial Arts Hall, as well as a combat power testing post.

However, it looked newer and more advanced than the one at the Hongsu Martial Arts Hall.

Li Ziyu glanced at the time on his phone. There were still about twenty minutes before the test began.

According to what the black-clothed staff member had just said, the Martial Arts Association's Level 1 Martial Artist certification had two sessions per day, morning and afternoon, both starting at a unified time.

The morning session was at 8:30 AM, and the afternoon session was at 5:30 PM.

Li Ziyu found a seat and sat down, while also observing the other seven people participating in the test.

Sitting in the front row was a burly man wearing metal gauntlets on his hands, with a stern expression.

The burly man sat there, exuding an aura of an expert that people should not approach.

Everyone else kept their distance from him and occasionally cast looks of awe in his direction.

This must be a powerful martial artist, Li Ziyu thought, staring at the burly man's back.

About seven or eight meters away from the burly man, there was a girl who looked about the same age, also in high school.

The girl was wearing a simple white t-shirt on her upper body and light blue jeans on her lower body.

Her simple attire, combined with her perfect curves, gave her a striking appearance.

Coupled with her stunning face, even Li Ziyu couldn't help but look at her more than once.

This girl was much prettier than Xu Mengyao.

She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen so far.

As Li Ziyu was sizing up the girl, she was also secretly sizing him up.

Her eyes, as she looked at Li Ziyu, revealed a hint of curiosity.

After all, she thought she was quite young, but Li Ziyu looked even younger.

Was he also preparing to take the Martial Arts Examination?

She wondered what school he was from, what kind of genius he was.

The girl pondered silently.

It wasn't just the girl observing Li Ziyu.

When Li Ziyu entered, the burly man and the other few martial artists who had come to participate in the test all focused their attention on Li Ziyu.

Their eyes were filled with curiosity.

They seemed curious about Li Ziyu's age.

They couldn't believe someone so young would come to get certified as a martial artist.

Li Ziyu's gaze went past the girl and continued to scan, but he quickly looked away after observing for a short while.

Besides the burly man and the girl, everyone else present looked quite ordinary.

Thinking this, Li Ziyu closed his eyes to rest, waiting for the test to begin.

"Ah, the school beauty from No. 2 High, the genius girl Xia Lin is actually here?"

"She's also here to get certified as a Level 1 Martial Artist!"

Just then, the examination hall door was pushed open again.

Xu Mengyao and Bai Haoran walked in.

As soon as she entered, Xu Mengyao's gaze fell upon the black-haired girl inside the room. She gasped, covering her mouth, and her eyes showed admiration.

"Xia Lin is the genius of No. 2 High, and she's also one of the top three seeded players for the Xujiang City Martial Arts Examination!"

"It's said that in her school's Qi and Blood test, her initial Qi and Blood was 1.45! Not only is her Qi and Blood talent high, but she is also a genius in swordsmanship, having reached the intermediate level!"

"She's the idol of all the female students in our Xujiang City!"

Xu Mengyao said excitedly to Bai Haoran beside her, her voice full of emotion.

Bai Haoran's gaze also showed respect.

"I didn't expect Xia Lin to have reached the level of a Level 1 Martial Artist. It's not just Xia Lin in this test; that burly man sitting there is also an expert."

"Huh, that figure, why does it look so much like Li Ziyu?"