Advanced Martial Artist

When weak creatures encountered the strong, their instinct was to shrink back and submit.

This instinct was etched into the genetic level of living beings, a natural mechanism for self-preservation.

Faced with the oppressive force in Huang Hai's gaze, Gao Wu instinctively wanted to submit as well. But he had awakened past-life wisdom, and he cultivated the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation day and night.

Though his mental strength was only eight points, his will was exceptionally powerful.

Whenever something unusual happened, Gao Wu instinctively recited the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation. All sorts of pressure on his mind dissipated along with it.

Gao Wu came to his senses as well. Huang Hai had used some secret technique to place immense pressure on his mind.

That old bastard is fucking rotten!

Gao Wu only vented in his heart. He lowered his eyes and avoided meeting Huang Hai's gaze. "Coach, this is a serious matter. I need to think it over carefully. I also need to discuss it with my family."

"Of course."

Huang Hai nodded slightly. He was somewhat surprised that his Eye-Gaze Technique had failed to intimidate Gao Wu.

A Warrior could use mental strength to circulate source energy and release mental pressure through the eyes. It was enough to crush an ordinary person's will and make them obey orders.

Gao Wu was only a minor Martial Artist, yet he had endured the Eye-Gaze Technique. His willpower truly was remarkable.

This was a school, with surveillance cameras everywhere. Gao Wu also had a retired Warrior in his family. Huang Hai could not exactly use force to make Gao Wu agree.

He said, "This Blood Dragon Agent is exceptionally suited to you. This is compatibility at the genetic level.

"Thirty doses of Blood Dragon Agent make up one course of treatment. They can bring earth-shaking changes to your body. As long as you participate in two matches, regardless of whether you win or lose, the remaining twenty doses of Blood Dragon Agent will be yours.

"If you win, there's also a ten-thousand-yuan bonus."

Now that Gao Wu had Song Mingyue as his backer, he did not think much of twenty doses of Blood Dragon Agent.

His ability to neutralize the Blood Dragon Agent's side effects relied entirely on the wonders of the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation. It had nothing to do with genetic compatibility.

Therefore, any Blood Dragon Agent would work for him. There was no need to care about Huang Hai's temptation.

"You are at the most critical stage right now. You absolutely cannot stop taking the medicine. I'm your coach. Would I really cheat you?"

Huang Hai paused, then added, "I can also get Diamond Strengthening Agent. With your talent, plus the Diamond Strengthening Agent, you can become a top-tier Martial Artist. By then, condensing source energy and becoming a Warrior will be as natural as water flowing into a channel.

"Think it over carefully... I truly think highly of you!"

At the end, Huang Hai even patted Gao Wu's shoulder with a solemn expression, offering encouragement.

After afternoon training ended, Gao Wu rode his bicycle to Yunhu Villa.

During dinner, Gao Wu repeated Huang Hai's words and asked Song Mingyue for advice. "What exactly does Huang Hai mean? Do you know Jinsheng Hotel?"

"Jinsheng Hotel is an upscale hotel. Underground, it hosts arena matches year-round. As far as I know, they are legitimate competitions that have received approval."

Song Mingyue knew a thing or two about Dongjiang's high-end establishments. She said, "The arena matches offer high prize money, and spectators place bets in private. As a result, the fights are very intense, and injuries or disabilities are common."

After thinking about it, she said, "There is considerable risk involved. The main issue is that we don't know what Huang Hai intends to do. You need to think carefully."

"Mm, mm." Gao Wu nodded repeatedly. He now cultivated with Song Mingyue every day, advancing rapidly. He could also mooch off Song Mingyue's specially supplied dinners and get ample nutrition.

As for actual combat experience, it was not that important. Song Mingyue did not have much real combat experience either, yet she could still easily defeat him in battle.

The main reason was that Song Mingyue's martial cultivation was profound, far surpassing his own. Her basic physical attributes were probably much stronger than his in every respect as well.

He still had enormous room for improvement in many areas. There was truly no need to participate in some arena matches just for Blood Dragon Agent.

There was another point: Huang Hai had used mental intimidation to scare him and insisted on dragging him into arena matches. It was utterly hateful! If Gao Wu could beat him, he truly wanted to smash that old bastard's head apart with one punch!

Still, Huang Hai had Diamond Strengthening Agent! Gao Wu really was a little tempted.

He could take that old bastard's benefits now, then deal with him once he became a Warrior. Wouldn't that be wonderfully satisfying?

"You should first register as an Advanced Martial Artist. An eighteen-year-old Advanced Martial Artist on record will be a great source of pride for the school. They will value you much more. The Special Affairs Bureau and the Public Security Bureau will both create separate files for you."

Song Mingyue said, "This will greatly benefit your safety. Even if Huang Hai has some scheme in mind, he would not dare act recklessly against an eighteen-year-old Advanced Martial Artist."

"I see. Then I'll go tomorrow." Gao Wu had not cared much about it before, but after Song Mingyue explained it, he realized there was more to it than met the eye.

"I can get Blood Dragon Agent too, though it will differ somewhat from the one you received."

Song Mingyue actually had better Blood Dragon Agent, but Gao Wu had suffered no negative effects after receiving the Blood Dragon Agent injections.

She was not sure whether Gao Wu's physique was special enough to completely resist the Blood Dragon Agent's side effects, or whether his physique happened to suit this particular Blood Dragon Agent.

Human genes were extremely complex, and every person's genes differed in subtle ways. The same medicine could produce different effects in different people.

Since Gao Wu had adapted to this Blood Dragon Agent and had already received one course of injections, she felt it would be best not to switch to another type midway through.

"I'll think about it." Gao Wu also felt a little embarrassed about troubling Song Mingyue.

The key was that Song Mingyue had made it very clear: different types of Blood Dragon Agent had many differences. Due to technical issues, imitation agents could vary enormously even between different batches.

There was another important problem. Imitation agents had greater side effects, but their effects were often stronger than those of the genuine product.

Since he could neutralize the side effects, naturally, the stronger the medicine's effects, the better. He also felt it would be best to get the Blood Dragon Agent from Huang Hai...

In any case, that old bastard had ill intentions. Gao Wu could take advantage of him with a clear conscience!

The next morning, Gao Wu deliberately took leave and went to the Tianwu Association.

The Tianwu Association was located in Tianhe Building in the city center, with its office area occupying two entire floors. Gao Wu had made an appointment the night before and used a QR code to pass the inspection at the entrance.

Upon entering, he saw a huge Shadow Wall bearing a line of golden characters: Martial Artists under heaven are one family.

The calligraphy was ancient and majestic, like towering mountains soaring into the sky, brimming with imposing force. It was said to have been personally written by Martial Emperor Qin Liuhe and contained the Martial Emperor's supreme secret teachings.

Gao Wu studied it carefully for a while but could not make out anything.

He was not disappointed. The calligraphy was only a copy to begin with, and who knew how many people had seen it while it sat here? If anyone could truly comprehend some secret art from it, it would have been put away long ago. How could it be his turn to study it?

There were more than twenty service windows in the lobby. Gao Wu found one to register, received a number, and went to sit in the waiting area.

Several rows of chairs were already occupied by quite a few people. Most were middle-aged people in their thirties or forties. Gao Wu, a teenager seated among them, stood out somewhat and drew many sidelong glances.

A sturdy middle-aged woman stared curiously at Gao Wu. Suddenly recalling something, she pointed at him and shouted, "Aren't you that... that Hot-Blooded Youth, Gao Sheng!"

Gao Wu was a little surprised too. The short video of him saving someone had received many views, but he only had that one viral work. In truth, it was difficult for people to remember him.

He had not expected someone to recognize him, and that made him somewhat happy. He nodded. "Hello, my name is Gao Wu."

"Young man, you're handsome. Handsomer than in the video." The middle-aged woman unabashedly squeezed Gao Wu's bicep. It felt exceptionally firm and tough beneath her hand, and surprise appeared on her face. "Your body-tempering technique is at a very high level. Are you here to take the Advanced Martial Artist assessment?"

"Mm-hm. I've made some progress recently, so I came to give it a try..." Though Gao Wu had no interest in the middle-aged auntie, he was a considerate person and could not simply let her words fall to the ground.

Fortunately, the middle-aged woman was called up soon afterward, and Gao Wu breathed a sigh of relief.

After another ten-odd minutes of waiting, the broadcast called Gao Wu's number.

He passed through the lobby and entered a spacious martial arts hall. More than twenty punching-force testing machines were arranged around it.

Following the instructions on his electronic number plate, Gao Wu walked to testing machine number fifteen.

Two staff members checked Gao Wu's identification and number plate, measured his height and weight, and then used facial recognition to confirm his identity.

Only after completing the procedures did they activate the punching-force testing machine and begin the test.

Gao Wu stepped before the punching target, took a deep breath, and threw steady, consecutive punches.

The punching target boomed with each impact. Gao Wu's youthful face drew the attention of many onlookers.

The thunderous blows drew even more attention. When people saw that each of Gao Wu's punches remained steadily above one thousand kilograms, they were both astonished and envious.

Most of the people present had come to take the low- or intermediate-level Martial Artist assessments.

The middle-aged woman who had chatted with Gao Wu earlier watched him with blazing enthusiasm. She too had passed the Advanced Martial Artist assessment, but she was nearly forty, while Gao Wu was only eighteen.

Though they were both Advanced Martial Artists, the gap between them was extraordinarily vast.

An eighteen-year-old Advanced Martial Artist was anything but ordinary! He was incredibly valuable!

The same test was repeated three times in total.

The two staff members gave Gao Wu an electronic score report and sent his results to the Public Security Bureau.

Once the Public Security Bureau's review was approved, Gao Wu would receive his official Advanced Martial Artist certificate. This certification would also be added to his official household registration file.

The process went smoothly, and Gao Wu was in a good mood. When he emerged from the lobby, that middle-aged woman stopped him again.

"Young brother,"

the middle-aged woman's fleshy face was filled with an enthusiastic smile. "You became an Advanced Martial Artist at such a young age. That's truly incredible. Are you free at noon? Big sister will treat you to a meal."

"Uh, that won't be necessary."

Just as Gao Wu was about to refuse, the middle-aged woman hurriedly said, "I'm Tie Ying from Tielong Martial Arts Hall. I have something good to discuss with you..."