Northern Military Region

After Jiang Nian had arranged a place for Chen Hao to stay, he left to go out. Chen Hao figured Jiang Nian was probably going to catch up with Uncle Lu, so he didn't give it much thought.

He didn't continue training. After taking a shower, he lay down on the bed and went over the day's events, feeling a little dazed.

From training his Gene Energy that morning to meeting Zhuge Tao in the main city district, joining the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, and facing the Warrior Combat Assessment tomorrow—there had been a lot to do, and everything had gone smoothly. So smoothly that even he could hardly believe it.

He'd better get some rest and save his energy for tomorrow's Practical Assessment. He couldn't afford to be careless; failing would make him a laughingstock.

On May 10, 2056, Chen Hao woke up after a full night's sleep. He checked his watch; it was just past five. Then he got up, put on his shorts, and began practicing his movement technique in the room.

The room Jiang Nian had arranged for him was spacious, so it wouldn't hinder his movements at all. Besides, even if the space had been cramped, it wouldn't have mattered. His micro-level Basic Movement Technique let him move with ease.

After practicing at top speed for over half an hour, he had worked up a light sweat and stopped.

He went to the washroom, rinsed off, got dressed, and left his room. Then he went to Jiang Nian's door and knocked. Knock, knock.

"Who is it? Wait a moment." Jiang Nian's deep voice came from inside.

"Hall Master, it's me, Chen Hao!" Chen Hao felt a little helpless. It was obvious Jiang Nian hadn't gotten up yet.

"Oh, Chen Hao. Hang on, I'll be right there." Jiang Nian had clearly drunk quite a lot the night before, so he'd gotten up a little late.

Still, with the physique of an Advanced Warrior, he wasn't likely to be hungover. Jiang Nian quickly got dressed and opened the door. Looking at Chen Hao, he teased, "Didn't sleep well last night? Why are you up so early? Feeling a little excited?"

"No, I slept pretty well. I'm just used to getting up around five in the morning," Chen Hao replied honestly.

"All right. Let me wash my face, then we'll go have breakfast. After that, we'll wait at the supervisor's house." Jiang Nian smiled and said no more.

After breakfast, the two of them sat for a little while, then headed to the supervisor's home. A few minutes later, they arrived at Zhuge Tao's house.

"Good morning, Uncle Bai!"

"Good morning, Uncle Bai!"

Jiang Nian and Chen Hao greeted Uncle Bai, who was exercising.

"You're here early." Uncle Bai smiled in response, then said to Chen Hao, "Did you sleep well last night? Were you so excited you couldn't sleep? Today's assessment shouldn't be difficult for you, so don't be nervous. Go on in and sit for a while."

"Thank you for the reminder. I understand. I won't be nervous." Chen Hao was grateful for Uncle Bai's advice.

More than an hour later, Zhuge Tao came out.

"Good morning, Supervisor."

"Good morning, Supervisor."

Seeing Chen Hao and Jiang Nian, Zhuge Tao nodded to them. "Let's go to the Northern Military Region."

At the entrance to the Northern Military Region in Jiangnan Base City, the guards verified Zhuge Tao's identity and immediately let them through.

Chen Hao looked at the enormous military camp sprawling over a vast area, full of curiosity. He was especially struck by the many heavy weapons outside the camp, their gun barrels aimed outward. It was his first time seeing anything like this. Soldiers carrying loaded firearms were everywhere inside the camp, too.

From time to time, they could hear the roars of some monsters beyond the perimeter. Still, none of the monsters dared approach the camp.

Chen Hao's heart tightened. This world really is full of danger. Even the lowest-ranked H-class Monsters are more dangerous than the beasts on Earth in my previous life.

"What do you think? In a little while, you'll be facing those monsters in your Practical Assessment. Don't let your legs go weak."

Chen Hao steadied himself. "Don't worry, Supervisor. I won't let you down. I'm determined to become a Martial Artist."

"Good. A Martial Artist must have the resolve to press forward fearlessly." Zhuge Tao was pleased with Chen Hao's answer.

"Ha ha ha! Zhuge, you're here! Is this the genius who'll be taking the solo Practical Assessment today? If you're using special authorization for him, his talent must be extraordinary." Just then, a burly man in dark purple battle gear walked toward them. A stern-faced man was walking beside him.

"Oh, Wang Heng, you came in person?" Zhuge Tao was a little surprised to see the man in purple. Then he turned and exchanged pleasantries with the stern-faced man. "Director Liu, sorry to trouble you. This is Chen Hao, a student of our Martial Hall who'll be taking the Practical Assessment today."

"Supervisor Zhuge, there's no need to be so formal. We're all helping the country cultivate talent. Of course the Security Bureau should give its full support." Director Liu forced a stiff smile. Despite what he said, he still felt a little annoyed.

"Are you Chen Hao? Would you be interested in joining our Thunderclap Martial Arts Hall? With your talent, our Chief Hall Master might even take you as his disciple. We'll cover the penalty for breaking your contract." Wang Heng looked reckless, but he immediately dangled the prospect of being taken on as Thunder God's disciple to entice Chen Hao.

"Wang Heng, don't go too far. Chen Hao is one of ours at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall. With talent like his, our Martial Hall will definitely send him to the Global Elite Training Camp." Zhuge Tao's expression darkened when he saw Wang Heng poaching someone right in front of him.

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Supervisor Wang. I'm doing well at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, and Supervisor Zhuge has treated me very well. I have no plans to join another organization right now." Wang Heng's offer didn't sway Chen Hao; he rejected it without hesitation.

"Chen Hao, don't think about anything else. First, pass the Warrior Combat Assessment." Zhuge Tao's expression eased at Chen Hao's response, and he reminded him to focus on the assessment.

Watching Chen Hao turn him down, Wang Heng sighed inwardly.

The previous afternoon, after hanging up the phone, he had used his authority to investigate. Although the Martial Halls kept information from one another, each had its own channels for gathering news.

After learning the details of Chen Hao's background, Wang Heng understood why Zhuge Tao had used his special authorization to let Chen Hao take the Warrior Combat Assessment. It was practically like getting a Spiritual Thought Master for free.

The fact that Zhuge Tao had used special authorization available only at the supervisor level told him that it would be very difficult to poach Chen Hao from the Extreme Martial Arts Hall. Still, he had wanted to give it a try.

Unfortunately, Chen Hao had turned him down without hesitation. "Once again, you people at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall have lucked out. All the promising recruits end up with you."

Seeing that Wang Heng had stopped trying to poach Chen Hao, Zhuge Tao's expression returned to normal. "It was just luck. Someone like Chen Hao is a rare case; you might not see one in ten years. There's no need to envy us. We're short on time, so let's get the Practical Assessment underway."

Zhuge Tao didn't want to keep dwelling on the matter. "Chen Hao, go choose your weapon, protective suit, and shield. Make sure they suit you. Your safety depends on it."