Practical Examination

Two days later, Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan's family moved into Mingyue Residential Quarter. Their villas stood right next to each other, side by side.

The afternoon sky was clear and blue, the sun bright, and a gentle breeze stirred the trees. Beneath the dappled shade along a lush, tree-lined path, Ji Xuan pushed Ji Han along as she and Chen Daolin chatted and laughed together.

Seeing her younger sister smile more and more each day filled Ji Xuan with contentment.

It felt as if time had turned back to when her sister's legs were still fine, and the three of them could play together without a care in the world. Ever since the car accident, an invisible gloom had hung over their family. Ji Xuan had sworn then that she would do everything she could to help her sister stand again, live a healthy life, and find happiness.

That was what drove her to keep striving.

Every day, apart from spending time with her family, she trained and cultivated Genetic Origin Energy. She never let up for even a moment.

Chen Daolin spent even more time training, often staying at the training hall in the martial arts hall or in his own training room. Most of the time, it was hard to catch sight of him.

Time flew by, and soon August 1 arrived—the day Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan would take the Martial Artist Practical Examination.

"Chuk-chuk~ chuk-chuk~" The train, carrying a large number of Quasi-Martial Artists taking the practical examination, rumbled along the tracks. In the carriage, Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan sat with the other examinees. Some chatted, some rested with their eyes closed, and others watched the large screen on the carriage wall. Representatives of various forces from around the world advertised their organizations and recruited martial artists.

The world was currently divided into five major powers: Huaxia, Soviet Russia, America, India, and the European Union. Besides these five, three other superpowers—the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, the Thunder Martial Arts Hall, and the HR Alliance—held influence throughout the human world.

The HR Alliance was also known as the Underground Alliance. It had been formed during the Great Nirvana Period by a coalition of several ancient and powerful families. It claimed to be the world's most powerful and wealthiest organization, with more martial artists than any other group.

The train stopped at the military camp in the Northern Military Region of Jiangnan Base City, and a steady stream of martial artists poured out. They looked around at the scenery and began to talk.

"Awwooo~ Roar~"

"Ribbit~ Ribbit~"

The sounds of monsters could be heard from far away. Monsters roamed the ground and flew through the sky outside the camp, filling the area as far as the eye could see. The camp was heavily guarded, with light and heavy weapons of every kind stationed everywhere, along with large numbers of fully armed soldiers.

Humans could only live inside Base Cities. Only martial artists could venture into the wilderness and fight powerful monsters alone.

"Where's Zhuge Qing?" After getting off the train, Chen Daolin had headed off with Ji Xuan. They were supposed to meet Zhuge Qing at the military camp's railway station, as arranged, but after searching for a while, Chen Daolin still couldn't see her.

"Let's look inside," Ji Xuan suggested.

Chen Daolin frowned. That young lady really was a handful. He only hoped they could get through the examination safely and smoothly. Afterward, he never wanted to deal with such a willful girl again.

The military camp covered a vast area and was crowded and lively. Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan searched for a long time before spotting Zhuge Qing in a corner, laughing and chatting with a handsome young man.

"Miss Zhuge." Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan walked over.

Zhuge Qing had actually spotted them long ago but had deliberately pretended not to notice. Now, when she heard Chen Daolin call out, an impatient look crossed her face. "Just do your own thing. I don't need you looking after me. I can protect myself." She hated the people her father assigned to her. They always treated her like a child who would never grow up.

"Qingqing, who are these two?" the handsome young man asked curiously.

"Oh, Lei Ge, they're the people my father assigned to protect me during the examination," Zhuge Qing replied carelessly.

She deliberately left out the fact that Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan had been specially recruited as geniuses. In fact, among the more than a thousand examinees, only four had been recruited in advance by the Thunder Martial Arts Hall and the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.

"Oh." The young man immediately lost interest in Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan. With a perfunctory smile, he said, "I'm Han Lei. With me here, Qingqing will be fine. You two can leave."

Chen Daolin ignored him and addressed Zhuge Qing directly. "Miss Zhuge, the practical examination is dangerous. You won't be safe on your own."

If not for the favor he owed Director Zhuge Tao over those fifty million, Chen Daolin wouldn't have wanted anything to do with such a willful girl.

Han Lei was a little displeased by Chen Daolin's words. The other man had completely ignored him. Han Lei was one of the rising stars of the Thunder Martial Arts Hall in Jiangnan Base City, yet some nobody from who-knows-where was treating him as if he didn't exist.

"I'll explain everything to my father when I get back. You can go. I'll be fine with Lei Ge." Zhuge Qing folded her arms across her chest, making it clear she had no intention of cooperating. Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan could only look at each other helplessly.

What could they do with a willful kid who seemed to be going through a rebellious phase? After quickly discussing it, Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan could only decide to follow behind Zhuge Qing throughout the practical examination and protect her.

We've actually turned into babysitters. Chen Daolin glared at Zhuge Qing and Han Lei as they walked ahead, chatting and laughing. Ji Xuan, meanwhile, remained composed and quietly walked beside him.

After dinner and a short rest, nearly two thousand martial artists from all over gathered on the military camp's square that afternoon to collect their weapons and equipment. The supplies included weapons, combat uniforms, boots, and Communication Watches. Chen Daolin received a spear nearly two meters long and weighing over a hundred kilograms, while Ji Xuan received a blade and a shield.

Ever since he was a child in his previous life, Chen Daolin had loved playing with spears and clubs. That hadn't changed in this life.

The first time he held a spear, the joy he felt deep inside made him fall in love with the weapon at once.

Many of the other martial artists also carried blades and shields. This setup allowed them to fight flexibly and defend as well as attack, making it the most common loadout for martial artists in the wilderness.

Zhuge Qing received a sword, while Han Lei took a sword and shield.

Escorted by soldiers, the thousand-plus examinees spent half an hour reaching the outskirts of a small town at dusk. An iron fence surrounded the town, and a large number of troops guarded the outside. The roars of all kinds of monsters came from within.

"The practical examination will begin at 6:30 tonight and end promptly at 6:30 tomorrow morning. You will have twelve hours to fight..."

"Of the 1,882 Quasi-Martial Artists here, the top 60 percent by points will qualify as martial artists! The bottom 40 percent will fail and have to wait for the next Martial Artist Practical Examination..."

"Fighting among yourselves is prohibited..."

After the military announced the examination rules, the martial artists flooded into the town.

As the Quasi-Martial Artists, including Chen Daolin and his group, set out, Director Zhuge Tao sat in a second-floor meeting room in a quiet courtyard at the camp, drinking tea and chatting with a burly man in dark purple combat armor.

"Zhuge Tao, both your Extreme Martial Arts Hall and our Thunder Martial Arts Hall specially recruited two people in advance for this practical examination. I wonder which side will perform better," the burly man said with a hearty laugh. "I also heard your daughter's taking part. You didn't make those two geniuses follow her around to protect her, did you? That would be just like you."

"Wang Heng, you don't need to worry about how I do things," Zhuge Tao replied with a faint smile. "I heard that Han Shan, the president of the Jiangnan General Hall of your Thunder Martial Arts Hall, sent his son too. I hear he's quite talented, yet he's not one of the two geniuses. I'm surprised President Han was willing to leave his own son off the special recruitment list."

How could Wang Heng not hear Zhuge Tao's jab at Han Lei's talent? He snorted. "Our Thunder Martial Arts Hall always handles things fairly. We're nothing like people from your Extreme Martial Arts Hall, who abuse their authority and scheme behind everyone's backs."

"None of us has it easy. There's a president above us and a whole crowd competing below. One careless mistake, and we could be pushed out of our positions," Zhuge Tao said with a sudden sigh.

Someone like Zhuge Tao, a senior figure at a martial arts hall who had cultivated for years but reached only the "Advanced Warlord" level, had little hope of moving up unless he had the potential to become a God of War.

As one of the most influential figures at the Extreme Main Hall in the vast Jiangnan Base City, second only to the president, Zhuge Tao's director position was coveted by many. That was one reason he worked so hard to recruit talent and cultivate his own circle of supporters.

"Hm?" After the two had chatted for a while, the burly Wang Heng suddenly received some news and laughed. "The practical examination has started. Well, I won't keep you. I'm going to have a drink with a friend."

Not long after Wang Heng left, the large screen on the wall beside Zhuge Tao, who had been quietly drinking his tea, suddenly lit up, showing a clear image of the town's interior.

"Let's see if we can find any new talent in there this time." Zhuge Tao set down his teacup and watched with keen interest.

After watching for a while, Zhuge Tao suddenly focused on one of the cameras. He took a closer look and frowned. "Why is Qingqing with Han Lei again?"

On the screen, four figures came into view on a dilapidated, desolate street. Among them were Han Lei and the others.