Drug-Powered Talent

Uncle Qin looked up at his words, smiled, and nodded. "Alright, then we'll start with the first test!" Although Uncle Qin wore a smile, paired with his face full of fleshy jowls, it looked utterly out of place.

For some reason, Jiang Liu wanted to laugh, but fortunately, he held it in. Was it because he had seen too many villainous faces like this in his previous life? Jiang Liu thought.

Following Uncle Qin's instructions, Jiang Liu came before a machine covered in mechanisms. Uncle Qin introduced it, saying, "This tests your speed and reaction ability. You must not circulate your energy during the test. Lin Hai, come help activate it."

"You'll stand here in a moment. Run over there as fast as you can, while dodging the stones fired at you. The time it takes you to reach the end determines your speed grade, while the number of stones you dodge determines your reaction-speed grade!" Uncle Qin said.

"Lin Hai, get ready!" Uncle Qin said as he walked to the hourglass, preparing to call the start.

Jiang Liu stood there, focusing his mind and calming his breath, emptying his head. Then he heard a shout by his ear: "Run!" He immediately pushed off with his feet and dashed forward like a leopard. The instant he started, a stone shot through the air at his forehead!

Jiang Liu instinctively tilted his head aside and dodged it, continuing forward. Then three more stones came at him from above, the middle, and below. Jiang Liu had no choice but to pause and dodge to the side before continuing to run!

The farther he ran, the more stones came flying at him. In the end, they filled the sky and covered the earth, leaving him no way to avoid them. Jiang Liu could only grit his teeth and endure the hits as he finished the course, arriving at the end panting heavily and squatting there.

Though the entire test route was not long, only several dozen meters or so, it had taken every ounce of Jiang Liu's strength to deal with it.

"Alright, rest for a while. We'll proceed to the next test soon," Uncle Qin said after stopping the hourglass.

"Here, read this manual of fist technique essentials made specifically for testing. Let's see how much you can memorize and how long it takes you," Uncle Qin said, taking out a booklet and handing it to Jiang Liu.

Jiang Liu accepted the fist technique manual, took a deep breath, and began reading. Uncle Qin immediately started another hourglass.

Ding! Jiang Liu finished flipping through the fist technique manual! The Auxiliary System had indeed reacted.

Auxiliary System

Name: Jiang Liu

Realm: Body Refinement (Skin Tempering)

Fierce Tiger Fist (Beginner 17/100)

Alchemy (Beginner 30/100)

Basic Fist Technique (Not Yet Initiated 0/10)

Jiang Liu pretended to continue reading it several more times, then began practicing according to the basic fist technique forms.

After finishing the demonstration, ding! Basic Fist Technique (1/10). He felt his entire body relax considerably. Basic Fist Technique should be used to regulate the body's functions, Jiang Liu thought.

Seeing that Jiang Liu could perform the entire set of Basic Fist Technique, Uncle Qin nodded in satisfaction and stopped the hourglass.

"Alright. Jiang Liu, come here." Uncle Qin took out the sheet recording the detailed results and handed it to Jiang Liu, then explained, "Your running speed and reaction speed are average, placing you in the middle tier."

"It may also be because you're still growing. Your food intake was insufficient before, so after recuperating for a while, you should improve. But your comprehension is excellent, placing you in the highest tier. You learn and remember martial arts manuals very quickly, don't you?"

Jiang Liu nodded. "Yes, Uncle Qin!"

Uncle Qin nodded approvingly and said nothing more. He turned to Lin Hai. "Jiang Liu's talent for comprehension is very good. His physical foundation is just a little weak. He isn't even sixteen yet, so it can be restored through medicinal supplements and conditioning later. He is worth cultivating vigorously and observing."

"Alright, Uncle Qin! I'll take Jiang Liu next door for another test!" Lin Hai said with a nod.

Jiang Liu followed Lin Hai to the third room. This room was clearly much smaller than the second one. The moment he entered, a rich medicinal scent rushed at his face.

Several people inside were busy at work. Some were brewing medicine, some tending the fire, and some mixing ingredients. All of them were Fallen Blossom Gang members dressed in blue.

In a corner sat a physician wearing a long robe, reading a medical book. Lin Hai stepped forward and said, "Uncle Hai, I've brought someone to you."

Uncle Hai looked up, saw Lin Hai, and snapped irritably, "What kind of talk is that? What do you mean, you've brought someone to me? I'm not short of people here. You come here every day to take advantage of me—be careful, or I'll tell the hall master to skin you!"

Looking slightly embarrassed, Lin Hai said, "Uncle Hai, I really did bring someone for you. He's here for testing—Jiang Liu. He just arrived today."

Hearing this, Uncle Hai turned his head and noticed a boy of fifteen or sixteen standing there. "Your name is Jiang Liu? How did the previous tests go?"

With a respectful expression, Jiang Liu said, "Greetings, Uncle Hai. These are the results from the previous tests. Please take a look!"

Uncle Hai took the sheet and glanced over it. "Your talent isn't bad. Then let's begin!" He turned and shouted at a gang member brewing medicine on the other side, "Er Gou, do we have any Blood Activating Concoction ready? If so, bring over a bowl."

Hearing Uncle Hai call him, Er Gou hurriedly picked up a pot of the medicine that had finished brewing, filled a bowl, and carried it over. Handing it to Jiang Liu, he kindly said, "Careful, it's hot. It was just brewed."

Jiang Liu carefully accepted it, blew on it, and was about to drink it in one gulp. "Wait!" Uncle Hai shouted. He then took out an hourglass from a corner, started it, and said, "You may begin."

Hearing that, Jiang Liu hurriedly drank the concoction in one breath. At once, he felt a wave of heat spread from his lungs and organs, his blood and qi surging throughout his body. The medicinal potency felt even fiercer than the accompanying concoction for Fierce Tiger Fist.

The herbs inside should have been older than the ones he had bought before, and there were likely more varieties as well.

He hurriedly assumed a stance and began practicing the Fierce Tiger Fist according to its forms. After finishing one round, he felt that he could continue with a second. Even after the second round, the medicinal power still had not run out, so he followed with a third. Only then did he suppress his churning blood and qi, finish the technique, and stand to the side.

When Uncle Hai saw Jiang Liu perform the fist technique three times in succession, his eyes lit up. He turned and shouted at Er Gou, "Er Gou, bring another bowl!"

Er Gou quickly carried over another bowl of concoction. Jiang Liu promptly took it and looked at Uncle Hai. Uncle Hai said, "Try this bowl too!"

Jiang Liu drank the concoction in one gulp. An even fiercer surge of blood and qi rose within him than before. He hurriedly continued practicing Fierce Tiger Fist, this time performing it four times in succession before stopping.

Seeing this, Uncle Hai extended his fingers and placed them on Jiang Liu's wrist, carefully sensing the state of his blood and qi. He asked, "Kid Jiang, do you absorb the medicinal potency of concoctions very easily?"

Jiang Liu answered, "I'm not very sure either. I haven't drunk concoctions many times in total—I couldn't afford them. Anyway, every time I drink one, I have to practice fist techniques immediately. Otherwise, it feels like my whole body is about to explode, and it's unbearably painful. Is there something different about me?"

"Haha! Kid, don't fail to recognize the good fortune you're sitting in. I've practiced medicine for so many years, yet I've encountered very few constitutions like yours that absorb concoctions so readily."

"Normally, after drinking a concoction, it takes around half an hour before its effects slowly emerge. And even then, it cannot all be absorbed. Usually, after one round of fist practice, it has no more effect; at most, one can practice two rounds. Yet you performed three rounds in a row, and afterward even four!" Uncle Hai said happily.

After saying that, Uncle Hai took the sheet recording Jiang Liu's test results. He wrote on it: Drug-receptive constitution, cultivate with emphasis! After writing, he handed it to Lin Hai. "Alright, you two can leave now! Don't hinder my work."

Lin Hai took the sheet and shamelessly sidled up beside Uncle Hai. "Uncle Hai, could you perhaps..."

Before Lin Hai could finish, Uncle Hai roared, "Scram! Stop coming here to fleece me!"

Lin Hai smiled awkwardly. "Alright then, Uncle Hai, you get back to work. I'll come visit you again next time!" With that, he led Jiang Liu out the door.