Zhang Qiang

The two entered the Warrior Building. Jiang Yan took the Evergreen Green Plant from the black bag, broke off half, and handed it to Chen An.

"Use this for now; we'll settle up later. As for the leftover materials in the bag, take them upstairs and sell them for me."

Chen An shot Jiang Yan a grateful look, said nothing, and hauled the big black bag upstairs.

Jiang Yan gazed at the remaining half of the Evergreen Green Plant in his hand, carefully wrapping it in a cloth.

Uncle Wang had been wounded on the battlefield, left with lingering aftereffects. Knowing the Evergreen Green Plant's restorative properties, Jiang Yan's first thought was to give it to him.

Luckily, the plant was large enough; otherwise, he couldn't have sold half to Chen Sheng.

First floor.

Jiang Yan followed the signs to the talent testing area.

In the spacious venue, clusters of martial artists gathered to test their talents.

Punch force testers, weighted training gear, speed test machines... an array of instruments for assessing physiques lined the space.

Everyone's talents differed—some focused on defense, others on speed, and a few had peculiar abilities. Over the years, the Warrior Building had refined its testing equipment to be comprehensive, capable of accurately grading any talent.

At a punch force tester, a woman in a fitted professional suit prompted a student with a youthful face:

"Your talent leans toward strength amplification. I need to test the threshold of that amplification. First, strike the tester without using your talent. Don't try to slack off for a higher score—the instrument will precisely detect whether you've used full force."

"Okay."

The female staffer stepped back. The student mounted the tester, aimed at the marked bullseye, shouted, and threw a full-force right punch.

Boom!

All bark, no bite—the tester didn't budge, but the screen above flashed a number.

800kg

Jiang Yan watched, musing: "800kg is about Late Body Tempering Stage. This guy's probably a senior who just awakened."

"Now use your talent and strike again."

The female staffer called out from outside the tester.

Jiang Yan stopped paying attention and queued up at the registration desk.

The line was short—awakened martial artists weren't exactly common.

Soon, it was Jiang Yan's turn.

"Show your ID card."

"What's your talent related to?"

"Physical fitness."

"Which aspect?"

"Uh... all aspects."

Jiang Yan thought for a moment and answered honestly. He wasn't lying—his talent was indeed comprehensive, with 100% amplification for defense and 40% for other stats, easily qualifying as all-around.

"Huh?"

The registrar adjusted his glasses, giving Jiang Yan a surprised glance. But only for a moment—he looked away and said flatly:

"You'd better not exaggerate your talent for a better rating. The instruments here can accurately detect lies."

Many martial artists inflated their talents for higher ratings; clearly, he took Jiang Yan for one of those opportunists.

"Then guess if I'm lying?"

Jiang Yan smiled at the staffer, meeting his gaze without flinching.

A chill ran down the staffer's spine, a fleeting sense of being stared down by a wild beast. Having worked in the field for years, he belatedly realized he'd misspoken and quickly backtracked:

"Sorry, I was a bit harsh just now. Please follow the other staff for testing."

Sometimes, a simple apology saves a lot of unnecessary trouble—humility works the same way.

Jiang Yan didn't dwell on it. After registering, a woman led him to the tests.

At the punch force tester.

Two people stood ahead of Jiang Yan, so he waited.

The one currently testing was a burly man, his fierce, battle-hardened aura suggesting extensive experience in the Wilderness.

He wasn't testing his talent—just checking how much his strength had increased after a breakthrough, or indulging a peculiar hobby.

The man bellowed, his deep voice seeming to shake the entire hall.

His fist roared like a tiger or dragon, landing on the bullseye with overwhelming force.

The tester shuddered violently, the display screen above jumping rapidly. Many turned to look at the commotion.

1306

2306

8069

The final number stopped at 9000 kg.

Below the Innate realm, physical strength was what mattered most.

For Body Tempering warriors, without factoring in talent, their punching power generally fell below 1000 kg.

Blood Coagulation warriors, however, saw a further leap in their physique, with the upper limit of punching power in this realm typically hovering around the kg mark.

And this big man, without using his talent, had 9000 kg of strength, meaning he was at least at the Blood Condensation Perfection level.

And indeed, that was the case—Baldie had just broken through to Blood Condensation Perfection not long ago, and had rushed straight from the Wilderness to test his punching power, unable to wait.

It was a small hobby of his, really—this big man loved the way a bunch of freshly awakened youngsters looked at him with that mix of shock and admiration.

It was the kind of thing—

An old bird playing the rookie, bored and showing off.

"Zhang Qiang, why are you here testing again?" a staff member, who seemed familiar with the big man, walked up and struck up a conversation.

"Ah, just got an itch, wanted to throw a few punches."

"Hahaha, I think you're just here to flex your muscles," the staff member laughed, not hiding his teasing.

The big man named Zhang Qiang didn't get annoyed. He rubbed his bald head and laughed heartily: "Hahaha, no way. Come out for drinks tonight?"

"Forget it, I can't outdrink you."

The big man stepped down from the punching power testing device, satisfied as he watched the stunned students behind him staring at the string of numbers on the screen. He patted one of their shoulders approvingly:

"Kid, train hard. I believe you'll surpass me one day."

"Heavenly Bodhisattva, coming back from killing Fierce Beasts and showing off feels way too good! I've gotta add an extra hour tonight!" the big man thought to himself.

As Zhang Qiang passed by Jiang Yan, he casually patted his shoulder too, winking at him:

"Youngster, keep it up. Who knows, you might be the next Zhang Qiang~"

Jiang Yan was thoughtful, not really bothered by the big man's familiarity—he just found it amusing.

He smiled politely, not dampening the big man's spirits: "I look forward to the day I surpass you, senior."

"Hahaha, got some spine! I, Zhang Qiang, like people with ambition like you. Come out for a few drinks tonight? Afterward, I'll take you to experience what a real man should enjoy."

Zhang Qiang extended another invitation for drinks to an outsider.

The staff members present all chuckled. This scene played out almost every month. Zhang Qiang's personality had made him a familiar face in the Warrior Building—everyone knew him.

Jiang Yan politely declined: "I'll pass. I'm not good with alcohol."

Zhang Qiang didn't take it to heart. He walked to the back, found a chair, sat down, crossed his legs, and watched the young warriors test their talents.

Until Jiang Yan stepped onto the punching power testing device under his gaze.