Extra Test

"Come on, bring in the second group," Chen Wenlin called.

Before long, a batch of well-rested military soldiers quickly rose to their feet and gathered around Chen Wenlin.

"The purpose of these matches is mainly to assess the new Martial Artists' immediate combat ability. Therefore, both sides must stop at the proper point and must not truly deal lethal blows."

At this point, Chen Wenlin turned his gaze toward the new recruit group where Wang Yu stood and continued, "If you believe you can no longer fight, speak up and concede. That will end the extra test. Do not force yourselves."

The latter half of his words was clearly directed at the new recruit Martial Artists.

He then took out the roster and began arranging the matchups.

"Zhan Peng."

"Here!"

"You'll handle Hong Haoluo."

"Feng Shaohui will handle Zhang Qingbai."

"..."

Chen Wenlin called out names one by one until Wang Yu was matched last.

"Li Yuanbo will handle Wang Yu."

The moment those words fell, the expressions of the military soldiers turned strange.

Among them, a leopard-built man silently stepped forward.

"The Squad Leader has already reached the Body Tempering Sixth Great Perfection Realm. Sending him in as an opponent means there's actually someone among these new recruits who has also reached the Body Tempering Sixth Level!"

The soldiers exchanged glances. They knew one another inside and out, so they naturally understood Li Yuanbo's strength best. Even among them, he was one of the strongest.

They had not expected this time to give him a chance to step onto the field.

"Now this will be interesting." The soldiers who had not been selected sat off to the side, leisurely watching the coming matches.

Naturally, most of their attention was focused on the final matchup between Wang Yu and Li Yuanbo.

"That kid looks pretty young. How long do you think he can last against the Squad Leader?"

"Since they're both at the Body Tempering Sixth Level, he shouldn't be completely incapable. He should be able to block a few of the Squad Leader's punches."

"You think too highly of him. Even within the same Body Tempering Sixth Level, there are vast differences. I know the Squad Leader's combat power. If he gets serious, that young fellow probably won't even withstand two punches."

The soldiers all watched with the attitude of spectators enjoying a show.

For them, this extra test had another small purpose: to give these new recruits who did not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth a heavy blow right out of the gate.

They wanted them to understand that inside and outside the military were two different worlds, so they would recognize their own worth and not bring their habits from outside into the army, acting high and mighty and making themselves a laughingstock.

Wang Yu could sense many gazes falling upon him. Even the officer who had been leading them was carefully studying him, with a faint trace of anticipation in his eyes.

The two took their positions in one of the arenas. At the same time, some of the other matches had already begun.

The sounds of fists and palms cutting through the air rose and fell. Some were skilled with weapons and had been issued unsharpened swords and sabers, ensuring that they could bring their full martial strength to bear.

I wonder who is stronger, this guy or Master, Wang Yu thought as he sized up his opponent.

So far, he had only fought Sun Chengshan, a Martial Artist who had only recently entered the Body Tempering Sixth Level. As for the outcome, Wang Yu generally won by a landslide.

Occasionally, when he felt he ought to spare Master some face, he would go a little easier on him.

This match was only his second time fighting someone at the same realm, so he had too little information to judge just how strong his opponent was.

"What weapon do you want?" Li Yuanbo asked first.

"I practice fist and foot techniques." Wang Yu shook his head.

"Mm." Li Yuanbo nodded and slowly said, "Once you're ready, we can begin at any time."

"Alright, then here I come." Seeing him say so, Wang Yu did not stand on ceremony. His thigh muscles instantly exerted force, and he stomped down hard.

His speed exploded in the next instant as he charged straight at his opponent.

"Very fast. He's trained in leg techniques." Li Yuanbo saw at a glance that the rhythm and cadence of Wang Yu's footwork came from a movement technique.

He did not lower his guard. Immediately, he mobilized every ounce of muscular power, his body tightening along with it.

Especially his arms—the solid, massive muscles layered atop one another—as he threw a fierce punch toward the approaching Wang Yu.

That punch came at the exact moment Wang Yu was about to exert force and attack, forcing him to bend his arm to block it and take the blow.

Thud!

The punch carried considerable force, but Wang Yu promptly activated the Undying Bell Skill, shedding part of its power. The remaining force struck his arm and hurt a little, but he was not injured.

That punch should only have been a probe, Wang Yu thought.

Little did he know that Li Yuanbo had already used seventy to eighty percent of his strength. Seeing Wang Yu take that punch as though it were nothing, without even furrowing his brow, Li Yuanbo was shaken.

He was about to withdraw his fist when Wang Yu's hand flashed like lightning, grabbing his wrist in a single motion before following up with a punch.

"So fast!" Li Yuanbo could only barely catch the instant Wang Yu attacked and rely on instinct to parry.

The Body Tempering Method he mainly cultivated was called the Earth Flow Fist, a fist art that combined offense and defense and suited him extremely well.

He had already cultivated it to Great Perfection, and few people could break through his defenses.

Wang Yu's Shadowless Fist, meanwhile, excelled in its incomparably swift strikes. At the same Great Perfection Realm, his cultivated Shadowless Ghost Hand was even more unfathomable than ghosts and gods.

Relying on his rich combat experience, Li Yuanbo only managed to block the first two punches. The following string of punches, however, landed squarely on his body.

Though the Earth Flow Fist possessed an impressive body-hardening, tough qi effect, Wang Yu still beat him until his whole body ached, forcing him to stagger back.

"How is this possible?!" Li Yuanbo had never expected to fall into a disadvantage after merely one exchange.

Not only had this kid reached the Body Tempering Sixth Great Perfection Realm, but he also seemed to cultivate other techniques to assist him in battle.

Had this kid started cultivating while still in his mother's womb?

Li Yuanbo grumbled inwardly, but he had no time to think about anything else.

What the Shadowless Fist excelled at most was fighting with the wind at its back. Once Wang Yu gained a certain advantage, he could use his rapid strikes to suppress his opponent continuously, turning that advantage into victory.

After a while, a trace of conflict rose in Wang Yu's heart.

Li Yuanbo was indeed much stronger than Sun Chengshan, but he was not as strong as Wang Yu had imagined.

It gave him the feeling of, That's it?

His fist techniques were too straightforward. Though they balanced offense and defense, they could not achieve the same extreme excellence in any one aspect as the Shadowless Fist.

Most crucially, Li Yuanbo's Body Tempering Sixth Great Perfection Realm seemed inferior to Wang Yu's own Great Perfection.

The several techniques Wang Yu cultivated concurrently were only incomplete volumes, but the body-tempering effects they accumulated layer upon layer were usually not apparent.

Yet when compared against someone in the same realm, the accumulation of those subtle body-tempering effects became especially obvious.

Wang Yu's overall physical strength was nearly a whole tier above Li Yuanbo's!

That was truly outrageous. In every aspect—agility, speed, explosive power, and more—Li Yuanbo fell short of Wang Yu. Even in physical toughness and resistance to blows, which could be considered his strength, Li Yuanbo held little advantage.

As a result, even now, Wang Yu had not been forced to use his full strength, while this military soldier was already close to collapse.

The only thing worthy of praise was that Li Yuanbo's combat experience truly was abundant. This one match alone had broadened Wang Yu's horizons and taught him quite a lot.

His opponent could often predict Wang Yu's next move and, in those lightning-fast exchanges, respond as though it were his body's natural instinct.

It was precisely because of that exceptional combat experience that Li Yuanbo could appear to trade blows evenly with Wang Yu.

But even that could not erase the gap in combat power between him and Wang Yu.

It was like two boxers from different weight classes standing in the same ring.

With things like this, whether he won or lost depended entirely on Wang Yu's own wishes.

At this very moment, he was pondering what he should do next.

Should he lose inconspicuously, like an ordinary new recruit Martial Artist, hiding his brilliance and keeping a low profile?

Or should he go all out and crush his opponent with absolute strength, inevitably drawing everyone's attention and looking utterly cool and domineering?

Or should he win with apparent difficulty while still holding back, displaying just enough talent for the military to judge him worthy of cultivation without standing out too much? That would require some acting skill.