Inside, Chen Xia saw a punching power tester, a running track, and a Virtual Room.
After Chen Xia entered, a staff member came to stand beside him and asked,
"Chen Xia?"
"Mm!" He nodded.
"Twenty-eight years old..." The examiner was a man. He frowned as he looked over Chen Xia's information on the file in his hand.
According to his records, Chen Xia had graduated from college as a fourth-stage Ningyuan. Six years had passed since then, and the odds of him breaking through five stages to become a warrior in that time were slim.
The further one progressed, the harder it became. Many talented people graduated as eighth-stage Ningyuan warriors. Add in a little support from their families, and those who were going to advance to warrior status had done so long ago.
Graduating as only a fourth-stage Ningyuan warrior clearly meant his family hadn't been able to help much; he'd relied entirely on himself. By all logic and practical reasoning, Chen Xia had almost no chance of becoming a warrior.
Looked like he was just here to join the crowd, same as everyone else... Honestly, he was fed up with this.
The test was free once every two years, so all sorts of oddballs came by to take advantage of it.
But these tests were based on real, verifiable data. There was no way to cheat your way through, and he'd seen plenty of people like this.
Huh?... The examiner noticed that Chen Xia's employer was the Patrol Inspection Office. His expression softened a little, and he became more courteous. Pointing to the punching power tester nearby, he smiled and said, "Three punches. Each one has to hit 1,000 kilograms or more to pass. No need to rush. Take a moment to get ready, and do your best."
"Okay!"
Chen Xia nodded. He'd tested himself before, so this wouldn't be difficult for him.
He planted his feet, fixed his gaze on the punching target, took a deep breath, then swiftly swung his right fist.
He landed three punches.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
His movements flowed smoothly, his punches swift as they hammered the target like phantom blows.
"1,042 kilograms!" "1,044 kilograms!" "1,056 kilograms!"
After the impacts, three figures appeared on the display. Since it was a testing board, it retained five results, and Chen Xia's three scores were clear as day on the list.
Seeing that he'd met the standard, Chen Xia lowered his fist, unsurprised. Still, excitement surged inside him. He'd passed the first test; two more, and he'd become a warrior.
He might have passed with ease, but in reality, plenty of people fought with everything they had and still couldn't reach that score.
It was an honor.
The honor of a warrior—and a watershed in life.
Before coming, Chen Xia had done his homework and learned about some of the requirements for becoming a warrior.
Becoming a warrior usually required passing three tests:
Punching power, speed, and movement. Punching power had to reach 1,000 kilograms, speed had to reach 25 meters per second, and the movement test required passing the Virtual Room challenge.
A warrior's physical attributes also included vitality, Qi and Blood Value, bone density, and the like. But the test judged everything by practical ability; the rest didn't matter.
Strictly speaking, Chen Xia had already exceeded the requirement in the first test by several dozen kilograms.
He'd been taking medicine and practicing Seven Injuries Fist lately, which was why he'd improved so quickly.
If he managed to develop the power of Seven Injuries Fist, theoretically, his performance would be even better. Its destructive power would nearly double, too.
"..." When Chen Xia's results appeared, the staff member's expression shifted, surprise flashing through his eyes.
He'd seen plenty of people fall just short of the required score, get stuck there for years, and look utterly unwilling to accept it. Based on Chen Xia's records, he shouldn't have performed this well. Had he been quietly building up his strength all this time? And his score even exceeded the requirement. He'd passed the warrior test long ago; he was simply late in coming.
"Congratulations, you passed the first test!" the staff member said with a smile. He picked up a pen, marked a ✓ beside Chen Xia's name on the list, and uploaded the recording of the test to the Martial Warrior Alliance's internal network.
"Next is the speed test!"
The staff member pointed to the running track in the distance. He even led Chen Xia over to it himself and explained the rules.
After confirming he understood, Chen Xia began the test.
He warmed up briefly in place, then got into a starting stance. The next second—
Whoosh! Chen Xia shot forward like an arrow loosed from its string. His legs burst into motion, and he sprang away like a leopard in the jungle that had spotted its prey.
Soon, the hundred-meter track test was over.
His speed was 25.5 meters per second!
This score reflected a person's strength: the faster the speed, the greater the strength.
Chen Xia wasn't bad in this regard either; he was just a little above the Grade 1 warrior standard.
Last came the movement test. The staff member led Chen Xia into the Virtual Room. Once Chen Xia was ready, the staff member behind him closed the door and pressed a button on the wall.
In an instant, a virtual 4D beam of light spread throughout the room. The hundred-square-meter floor and the surrounding walls transformed into high-definition screens, reflecting countless beams of light that formed a holographic projection of arrows.
One arrow after another came flying from the distance at two-second intervals, moving faster and faster. Chen Xia darted back and forth, dodging them.
According to the test standards, he could be hit no more than three times in one minute. Any more, and he'd fail.
Chen Xia focused completely on dodging the arrows flying at him from every direction. He held out for a minute, and only one arrow grazed the edge of his clothes because he hadn't quite adjusted to the setting. He dodged all the others perfectly.
When time was up, an electronic voice announced that he'd passed.
When Chen Xia turned around, the male staff member behind him looked astonished.
Generally, even Grade 1 warriors needed three attempts to barely pass the movement test. Chen Xia had passed on his first try, and had hardly been hit at all. That was no mean feat.
"Mr. Chen, congratulations! From this moment on, you're a Grade 1 warrior!"
"I'll upload your data and issue your warrior certificate and badge shortly. Also, according to the rules of the Martial Warrior Alliance, passing the Grade 1 warrior test earns you a Martial Dao Diligence Bonus of 50,000 yuan! We'll send that to you as well."
"Thank you, then," Chen Xia said with a smile.
"Not at all. It's my job, Mr. Chen. Please come with me!"
Chen Xia followed the staff member to take care of some paperwork. It didn't take long, though. These days, the entire test was recorded, making the process efficient and leaving no possibility of cheating.
With the one-stop service, the staff member soon got everything taken care of.
But when he came to find Chen Xia, who was sitting in the lobby, another middle-aged man had joined him.
The middle-aged man took out a red warrior certificate and said, "Mr. Chen, this is your Grade 1 warrior certificate and warrior badge. Please take them. Also, the bonus should have reached your account."
"From this moment on, Mr. Chen, you're a member of the Martial Dao Alliance. Becoming a Grade 1 warrior is cause for celebration. Congratulations! Oh, here's my card. My name is Shen Lu, and I'm a review supervisor in the Examination Department. If you ever want to join a Mercenary Group, work part-time, or take on Alliance missions, feel free to contact me. I know people in many Mercenary Groups and can introduce you anytime. And if you need any materials, the Martial Dao Alliance can provide them at the best prices."
Chen Xia took the warrior certificate. It was a small red booklet. Inside were the Federation Country's National Emblem, the Martial Dao Alliance's seal, and his name and photograph.
At the same time, messages kept coming in on his phone and electronic watch.
Besides the 50,000 yuan transferred by the Martial Dao Alliance, there was also an official congratulatory message celebrating his promotion to Grade 1 warrior, along with a flood of other notifications.
The badge in his hand was round and made of copper. It bore the combined flags of the Various Countries, symbolizing the unity of the Federation. The copper badge fit neatly over his palm. A golden Five-pointed Star was engraved on the National Emblem, with Chen Xia's name beneath it.
This was Chen Xia's Grade 1 warrior badge.
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