Quasi-Martial Artist Assessment

"Dad, Mom, I'm heading out. I have to go to the 'Extreme Martial Arts Hall' in the city center today to take the Quasi-Martial Artist Assessment. I won't be back for lunch."

After breakfast, Sett told his parents, "Keep your phones close. I'll call as soon as I pass."

"Don't worry. Mom will keep her phone close and wait for your good news," Jin Wenying said with a smile.

"I'm all set, too. I took the day off specially to wait for your good news," Xiahai said.

"I bet you just wanted to watch soap operas," Jin Wenying retorted.

"What's it to you?"

Sett left amid their bickering. He was already used to it.

After a two-hour drive, Sett arrived at the entrance to a quiet residential quarter. This was the Extreme Martial Arts Hall's headquarters in Yangzhou City. It housed not only the Extreme Dojo but also the residences of the hall's Martial Artists and their families.

"Sett, you're here." When Luo Feng spotted Sett, he walked over to him.

"Just as you'd expect from the Extreme Martial Arts Hall. Every Martial Artist gets a villa, and there are soldiers on guard at the entrance with live ammunition," Luo Feng continued. It showed just how much the nation valued its Martial Artists and their families.

"Yeah, the Extreme Martial Arts Hall really is impressive," Sett agreed.

"Gentlemen, this is Mingyue Residential Quarter. Please don't come any closer." A soldier stopped Luo Feng and Sett as they approached.

"Hello. We're advanced students at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, here to take the Quasi-Martial Artist Assessment," Luo Feng said.

They took out their IDs and advanced student cards and handed them over for inspection.

"Oh? Two eighteen-year-olds here to take the Quasi-Martial Artist Assessment. Very impressive. I hope you both pass today."

Then one of the soldiers led them into the residential quarter.

"Brother Yang, you're here too? Morning." After entering the Extreme Dojo, Sett spotted Yang Wu, the scar-faced man, and went over to greet him.

"Hey, don't remind me. Last time I took the assessment, my speed was 24.9 meters per second. I had the worst luck," Yang Wu said with a sigh. "Speaking of which, I'm surprised you two are taking the assessment so soon."

"I'm sure you'll pass this time, Brother Yang," Luo Feng said with a smile.

A man in a training uniform came over and said, "Everyone, follow me upstairs for the Quasi-Martial Artist Assessment."

The eight people taking the assessment brightened at his words and hurried after him.

"You eight, give me your IDs. Then I'll call out your names, and you'll take the punch-force test."

Before long, all eight had completed the punch-force test. Only one failed to meet the 900-kilogram standard and was eliminated on the spot.

Sett scored an impressive 1,260 kilograms, while Luo Feng managed 1,130. Their results drew gasps from the people there.

"You two are impressive!" said the chief instructor, Wu Tong.

Jiang Nian, the instructor standing beside Wu Tong, laughed. "I knew I'd picked the right people."

Next came the speed test. Sett noticed Yang Wu looked a little nervous. It was understandable: he'd failed this part several times, and last time he'd reached 24.9 meters per second—just barely short of passing.

"Don't worry, Brother Yang. You'll pass this time," Sett said, patting Yang Wu on the shoulder.

Yang Wu was 1.9 meters tall, and Sett was 1.85. Both were muscular, which helped make them good friends.

"Good luck, Brother Yang," Luo Feng added.

"Yeah. I'm definitely passing this time," Yang Wu said, quietly trying to give himself a pep talk.

Then Yang Wu was the first to take the speed test. He gave it everything he had, pushed off hard, his veins bulging as he raced toward the finish line.

"Not bad, Yang Wu. You finally passed this time," Jiang Nian said with a smile when Yang Wu finished.

Yang Wu turned to look at his result: 25.1 meters per second.

"Whew, that was close." Yang Wu wiped the cold sweat from his brow. "You two, give it your best, too."

Before long, it was Luo Feng and Sett's turn. Their abilities spoke for themselves, and both passed with results well above the Quasi-Martial Artist threshold.

One person had been eliminated during the punch-force test, leaving seven for the speed test. Afterward, two more were eliminated. Chief instructor Wu Tong led the five who remained to the Nerve Reaction Testing Room.

The Nerve Reaction Testing Room was much smaller. A large machine stood in the middle of the floor—the testing machine.

"Remember, you must stay inside this circle no matter what. If you leave it, you fail. You'll lose points if the red light hits you." After giving his instructions, chief instructor Wu Tong switched on the machine and set it to the Quasi-Martial Artist level.

The first man to go in frantically dodged the red beams fired from the machine's barrels. The beams came in every direction, making them very hard to avoid.

When the minute was up, the man had been hit sixty times. He failed and was eliminated on the spot.

"Just a little short," the man sighed as he came out.

Yang Wu went next. He dodged frantically for a minute and earned a passing score, which left him thrilled.

Luo Feng's result went without saying: he earned an excellent score. Sett, meanwhile, passed. His footwork was clearly a little lacking, but his greater strength made it easy for him to pass.

"We finally did it!" Luo Feng, Sett, and Yang Wu bumped fists, overjoyed.

Soon, the five participants had finished the test. Only Luo Feng, Sett, and Yang Wu earned passing or excellent scores. That meant that, out of the population of more than ten million in Yangzhou City, only three people from the Extreme Martial Arts Hall had passed the Quasi-Martial Artist Assessment.

The next step was the even more difficult and dangerous Martial Artist Combat Assessment, where death was a real possibility. It showed just how rare the talent needed to become a Martial Artist was—and how difficult the path could be.

"Congratulations, Luo Feng, Sett, and Yang Wu, on passing the Quasi-Martial Artist Assessment. The Martial Artist Combat Assessment will take place on the first of next month. Come to the Extreme Dojo that morning, and our instructors will take you to the outdoor base to hunt monsters.

"Once you pass the Martial Artist Assessment, you'll be true Martial Artists!" Jiang Nian said with a smile. "The three of you, come with me."

Then Jiang Nian led them to the training hall.

"These are three applications for the Martial Artist Combat Assessment. Once you take part, if a monster kills you during the assessment, the Extreme Martial Arts Hall won't be responsible." Jiang Nian took out three forms and placed them in front of the three.

"Of course, you don't need to worry too much. The death rate for the Martial Artist Combat Assessment is very low. But you still need to be careful. The rate of serious injuries is fairly high. The assessment is a real fight to the death against monsters."

The three signed their names without hesitation.

"By the way, look at the big screen. This is the Genetic Origin Energy cultivation method.

"Don't underestimate it. Martial Artists are powerful—able to split steel plates with their bare hands and even break the sound barrier—because of Genetic Origin Energy.

"Back when the RR Virus appeared, human antibodies caused our genes to improve. Once that improvement reached a certain level, our blood, bones, and muscles could absorb energy from the universe, continually increasing our strength. After absorbing enough, your bones will be harder than diamonds, and your internal organs will grow stronger, too.

"To achieve all this, you have to absorb the energy of the universe yourselves and fuse it into your cells. That becomes your power: Genetic Origin Energy."

Pointing at the screen, Jiang Nian continued, "The text on it describes the only way to cultivate Genetic Origin Energy anywhere on Earth—the Five Hearts Towards the Sky Cultivation Method!"

The method was simple, but ordinary people couldn't practice it because their genes hadn't improved enough. Only those who reached the Quasi-Martial Artist threshold could cultivate Genetic Origin Energy.

"For the next month, you can try cultivating Genetic Origin Energy. It'll give your strength a considerable boost." Jiang Nian was clearly in a good mood that day, and he explained all this to the three Quasi-Martial Artists.

After all, he was Luo Feng and Sett's instructor. The greater their achievements in the future, the more he stood to gain.

After reading about the Genetic Origin Energy cultivation method, the three left the Extreme Dojo.

All three were excited as they left Mingyue Residential Quarter.

"Honey, I finally passed! I'm sorry you've had to work so hard!" Yang Wu immediately called his wife. Before this, he'd been unemployed, and his wife had supported the whole family.

Now that Yang Wu had become a Martial Artist, he'd not only get to live in a big villa, but could also earn an incredible amount just by going out and hunting a single monster!

"Dad, I passed!" Luo Feng called his father next. Apparently, thanks to Sett's influence, Zhang Haobai hadn't been giving Luo Feng and Sett any trouble lately, so the trouble that had followed in the original course of events never happened.

After that, Luo Feng called his mother and younger brother, too.

Sett naturally called his parents with the good news as well.

After the three of them called their families to share the news, they saw that it was almost noon. With their arms around each other's shoulders, they headed to a restaurant to eat, drink, and brag. What could be better?