Assessment!

At the entrance of Huawei Ju.

As Lin Ye sized up these black-clad warriors, they were also appraising him, this young martial artist.

Even though they noticed the "High-tier Warrior" badge on his arm.

None of them showed the slightest disdain; instead, they nodded to him proactively.

There was killing intent, but no arrogance.

It immediately earned Lin Ye's goodwill.

Likewise, Lin Ye returned their nods with a smile.

After a brief greeting, they stood in place, as if waiting for their leader's orders.

A stern, murderous aura radiated from them, like a disciplined army.

"Qiqi, long time no see!"

At that moment, a tall, handsome man stepped forward, looking at Xu Qi, who seemed to want to hide behind Lin Ye, and said with a smile:

"Your big brother Chen Xuan isn't some terrifying monster or beast, no need to be that scared!"

Lin Ye: "..."

"I... wasn't hiding from you, just ate too much and was resting in the back for a bit." Xu Qi 'defended' herself.

Then, she blinked her bright eyes, glanced behind the Chen-named War God, and asked curiously: "Big brother Chen Xuan, where's the Dragon King?"

"Your Night Mercenary Group isn't just this many people, right?"

"Hahaha..., caught you, you're really sharp!" Chen Xuan laughed and praised, then said seriously:

"Your Uncle Dragon found traces of a large group of Beast General-level Iron Armored Dragons and some Silver Moon Giant Wolves in Area 7023. He's now leading some brothers to cooperate with an armored regiment under the Dark Eagle Army to wipe them out and eliminate the threat."

Chen Xuan looked at Xu Qi and spoke slowly.

"And you guys?"

Chen Xuan paused: "We'll rest up at the shelter base first, stock up on supplies, and head into the wilderness to meet up with them tomorrow.

Qiqi, you might have heard, we've been fighting our way here from the Southwest Fortress for over a month now..."

"Oh~ I see!" Xu Qi nodded, then asked: "I heard them talk about it. So, fighting and killing your way here, is there some secret mission?"

"Classified!" Chen Xuan glanced at Lin Ye and said.

Beside them, Lin Ye quietly took all this in, his brow twitching slightly.

Fighting all the way from the Southwest Fortress to Shan City—this Night Mercenary Group seemed even more terrifying than the rumors suggested.

But recalling that even their weakest members were Mid-tier War Generals, he instantly felt relieved.

A team this strong and well-coordinated, led by a War God, wouldn't be stopped by ordinary beast packs unless they deliberately provoked a powerful Lord Monster.

Chen Xuan also noticed Lin Ye's subtle change in expression and joked: "Little brother, meeting Qiqi here for a date today—are you trying to win her over?

But with your current strength, it doesn't seem like enough!"

As he spoke, Chen Xuan's gaze flicked over Lin Ye's martial artist badge, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Lin Ye: "..."

"Uncle Chen!

"Mr. Lin Ye invited me out today to discuss serious matters, not for a date!" Xu Qi blushed and retorted angrily, puffing her cheeks.

"Oh, right! Not a date for a date, but a secret rendezvous!" Chen Xuan pushed further, drawing laughter from the surrounding warriors.

"Hahaha!" x63.

"Alright, go have a good chat with your boyfriend. We need to get inside, eat, and rest well—these days of roughing it in the wild have worn us out."

With that, Chen Xuan and the large group of War General-level warriors filed noisily into the restaurant.

"That damn Uncle Chen, never see you again!" Xu Qi said, still fuming.

Watching the backs of the crowd of War General warriors, Lin Ye wore a thoughtful expression.

"Don't take it seriously, they're just joking!" Seeing Lin Ye's odd look, Xu Qi quickly spoke up.

Lin Ye shrugged: "I didn't take it seriously."

"Mm, then get some rest early and do well on the test tomorrow."

"No problem."

With that, the two parted ways...

Inside the shelter, all was silent.

Lin Ye walked against the hot night breeze back to his residence.

After a quick wash, he changed into a set of white training clothes and headed to the training hall.

He wanted to look up information about the Night Mercenary Group on the Warrior Forum, but was again told his permissions hadn't been upgraded yet.

A bitter smile crossed Lin Ye's face, and then he started a video call with Little Aunt Lin.

After confirming his sister's physical condition was normal, he felt much more at ease.

As long as he passed the assessment smoothly next, and then waited for the experts and medicine from Capital City to arrive, his sister's illness would no longer be a problem.

"Yueyue, soon you'll be able to stand..."

Closing the video feed, Lin Ye began a new round of cultivation.

Sitting cross-legged in the hall, he silently recited the Nine Splendor Art heart technique—

"Focus the mind and channel energy, empty the air within the body; emptiness is breakthrough, breakthrough breeds destruction, life is also illusion, illusion leads to clarity..."

"Gather the jade's flow, absorb heaven and earth!"

As each phrase of the incantation left his lips, Lin Ye quickly adjusted his internal state.

His breathing was calm, his mind clear and empty.

Five streams of will converged at the soles of his feet, his palms, and the crown of his head at the Baihui acupoint, beginning to absorb cosmic energy—

[Absorbing cosmic energy, Attribute Points +5]

[Absorbing cosmic energy, Attribute Points +5]

[Absorbing cosmic energy, Attribute Points +5]

As the electronic synthesized voices rang through his mind one after another, Lin Ye's cultivation of Gene Energy gradually entered a state of flow...

The next morning.

Lin Ye stood on the balcony, bathed in the morning breeze.

The sky's edge was tinged with deep blue, dawn about to break.

In the hazy night, only a few lingering stars remained before the coming daylight.

At the four corners of the shelter, searchlights that had worked through the night still tirelessly swept the open ground.

Teams of armed soldiers and martial artists patrolled without rest.

Lin Ye stretched, and a series of dull cracking sounds burst from his joints.

After a night of cultivation, Lin Ye felt his physique had strengthened considerably. He promptly called up the system interface—

[Name: Lin Ye (Mid-tier War General)]

[Attribute Points: 175]

[Body Technique: Microscopic Level (Proficiency 95/100)]

[Strength: 24,210 kg]

[Speed: 192.6 m/s]

[Spirit: Psychic Power (Primary War God)]

[Domain: Not Activated (Gray)]

[Avatar: Not Activated (Gray)]

[...]

Though the number of Attribute Points was far less than during his first cultivation of Gene Energy, Lin Ye accepted it willingly.

"System, continue Point Allocation!"

Without a second thought, he began allocating points.

Today's assessment was crucial—he had to unleash his peak state to secure a higher-tier contract.

Shwoosh!

A wave of cool, refreshing energy instantly enveloped his entire body, and a tingling numbness seeping from his bones made him want to cry out in pleasure.

"For this assessment, I'll give it my all!"

Lin Ye slowly inhaled the chilly morning breeze, suppressing the growing excitement in his heart, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Once the sensation of enhancement gradually faded, Lin Ye changed into a fitted white martial arts uniform and strode purposefully toward the Military District Martial Arts Hall...

Inside the Military District Martial Arts Hall.

In less than ten minutes, Lin Ye had already completed the strength and speed tests.

"Assessment concluded. Lin Ye's results are as follows:"

"Punch Force: 32,710 kg."

"Speed: 207.6 m/s."

A resonant voice rang out in the Training Hall.

A white-haired man in black robes, holding a blue folder, smiled slightly at Lin Ye. "You're the most talented young martial artist I've ever seen."

Lin Ye smiled modestly. "Thank you for the praise, Hall Master Xue. I'm just a latecomer with much to learn from a senior like you."

"Haha, your words please me, but your humility won't do."

The white-haired middle-aged man patted Lin Ye on the shoulder and said earnestly, "In this era of rampaging monsters and a dim future for humanity, humility is by no means a compliment."

"What you need to do is show off your strength and potential to the fullest, fight for every bit of resource allocation, and grow like mad!!"

"After all, those monsters won't hold back their attacks just because of your talent."

"What you need to do is grow from a prodigy into a powerhouse in the shortest time possible!"

"Mm, I understand!" Lin Ye's heart stirred at these words.

He nodded firmly, a resolute glint in his eyes. "I won't be humble anymore!!"

"Good, good. The lad is teachable!" Xue Zhan nodded in satisfaction once more.

"Of course. Don't forget who recruited Lin Ye."

Xu Qi raised a delicate brow and said with a grin.

Lin Ye looked at this young secretary as if watching a proud peacock.

Thanks everyone for the recommendation tickets. I'm also asking for your collections and continued reading!