"Madman, you're unbelievable too. You actually killed 36!"
"If I hadn't been practicing my movement technique in there, I probably could've killed several times more—maybe even a hundred or so. But reaching his number would still be tough. There's always someone better out there. I can't afford to slack off in my training."
Luo Feng said with a heartfelt sigh.
With Fang Yi's hundreds of kills, he had firmly claimed first place among the Quasi-Martial Artists taking the assessment.
Everyone who submitted their results afterward had killed two-digit numbers at most.
No one had reached three digits.
Wan Dong of the Thunder Dojo submitted 51 monster ears, with Luo Feng's 36 coming right after.
Though both of them had submitted impressive numbers, Fang Yi's terrifying total made theirs look far less remarkable.
Afterward,
Fang Yi washed up and changed into his usual clothes.
As soon as he stepped outside, Luo Feng came to find him, accompanied by another officer with a thick beard.
"Fang Yi."
"Then let's go."
Fang Yi's sudden response startled both Luo Feng and the bearded officer. It seemed he already knew why they had come looking for him.
The bearded officer smiled. "Looks like you've figured it out, too. Your performance in this assessment was so outstanding that both of you have caught someone's eye."
"Come on. The Thunder Hall's director has been waiting for you for ages. He can't wait to meet you."
Luo Feng was taken aback. The man had only said that someone wanted to see him and Fang Yi. He hadn't expected that someone to be the director of the Thunder Hall.
After all, the Thunder Dojo was one of the four major powers in Jiangnan Base City.
Then,
the bearded officer led them to a lounge.
As they entered, a burly man sitting across the room abruptly opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on Fang Yi and Luo Feng.
When he saw them come in, the man hurriedly introduced himself with a smile. "My name's Wang Heng. I'm the director of the Thunder Hall. Come, sit down."
Luo Feng was taken aback by the man's enthusiasm and felt a little ill at ease.
Fang Yi calmly took a seat to one side. Luo Feng quickly nodded to Wang Heng and sat down beside Fang Yi.
Once they were seated, Wang Heng cheerfully explained their current situation.
Then his expression turned serious. "You two have exceptional talent, and I admire you. You're both destined for a bright future!"
"So I'd like to invite you to join the Thunder Dojo!"
Wang Heng had barely finished speaking when Fang Yi spoke up before Luo Feng could even think of what to say.
"No, thank you. I've already signed with the Limit Dojo. Once I've made up my mind about something, I don't change it. I appreciate the offer."
Fang Yi's face, wrapped in Black Satin, remained calm.
He clearly turned down Wang Heng's attempt to recruit him.
After all, Wu Tong had already made him a promise, and after training for a while longer, he would meet the requirements and head straight to the War God Preparatory Camp. That was where his real training would begin.
It would also be the first step on his journey into the universe.
The Thunder Dojo wasn't weak, but the Limit Dojo was closer to where he lived.
Besides, Fang Yi didn't want to break a promise he had already made. That was simply the kind of person he was.
Wang Heng's expression darkened. If Fang Yi had only said he'd signed a contract, Wang Heng could have offered to pay the termination fee and used that to open negotiations.
But Fang Yi had made it clear that this was simply how he chose to conduct himself. He had turned Wang Heng down as politely as he could.
If Wang Heng tried to force the issue now, he would only come across as unreasonable.
Still unwilling to give up, he made one last offer, partly for Luo Feng's benefit as well.
"We can pay the contract termination fee. And if you two join us, I can arrange Special Training Contracts through the Thunder Dojo's Global Headquarters..."
He even gave them examples of the contracts, listing several talented Martial Artists who had received them.
Luo Feng, who had been sitting quietly to one side, was stunned.
The Special Training Contract was no ordinary offer.
"Think it over. We'll give you the best terms possible!"
Wang Heng had put forward the limit of what he could offer.
His eager gaze shifted from Fang Yi to Luo Feng. The former had already made his position clear, so Luo Feng was the only one he could still hope to persuade.
But after thinking it over,
Luo Feng bowed slightly. "I'm sorry. I appreciate the Thunder Dojo's offer, but I've already joined the Limit Dojo. I haven't considered switching. I'm truly sorry."
Wang Heng froze.
He was practically petrified.
He hadn't expected both men to turn him down.
His offer had been more than enticing. He could understand Fang Yi refusing, given the extraordinary abilities he had displayed. The Limit Dojo must have made a substantial investment in him.
But Luo Feng had refused, too.
Was the Limit Dojo really that appealing?
Wang Heng let out a quiet sigh but didn't press them.
"Fine. The Thunder Dojo's doors will always be open to you. If you change your mind, feel free to come find me!"
Fang Yi stood up and nodded to him. "We'll be going, then."
"Mr. Wang, thank you. We'll be on our way too." Luo Feng quickly stood up and bowed.
"Fine. I won't try to persuade you any further. Remember, if you ever change your mind, you can come to me anytime!"
After Wang Heng finished speaking, both men gave him a polite nod and turned to leave the lounge.
As soon as they left,
the helpless look on Wang Heng's face vanished. He called for his subordinates outside and told them to bring in the Martial Artist named Wan Dong.
After briefly discussing the Thunder Dojo's current situation, Wang Heng looked seriously at Wan Dong.
"You're still behind Fang Yi and Luo Feng. I hope you'll take the path of a Martial Artist seriously and surpass Luo Feng one day!"
"And Fang Yi, too, along with all your other rivals. Become a new War God!"
The Martial Artist assessment had come to an end.
August 2.
Fang Yi and the others returned to the Bright Moon Residential District in Yangzhou.
After some brief conversation on the way, Fang Yi returned to his villa, ate a simple dinner, then logged into the Limit Home website.
At the top of the huge screen,
a long, conspicuous string of digits immediately caught his eye.
"Wu Tong already sent me the 30 million in startup funds he promised... But there's no rush to use it."
Thirty million seemed like a lot, but it was actually pitifully little.
After all, if a Martial Artist wanted the best equipment available at this stage, even a billion would only be a starting point. Compared to that, 30 million was only tempting to a newly qualified Martial Artist.
But Fang Yi knew that training in martial arts was a money pit.
"One hundred million wouldn't even amount to a hair in the world of Swallowed Star. If I want to become a top Martial Artist, I need to set my sights much higher. And money is only one part of it. Contribution points matter, too."
"What I need to do next is hunt constantly, make money, and earn plenty of contribution points. I have to use the best of everything. I absolutely can't shortchange myself."
Some special equipment and items
required not only enormous sums of money, but also a large number of contribution points.
The simplest way to earn contribution points
was to hunt monsters.
Fang Yi then opened the online store.
In an instant, a huge assortment of Guidance Techniques, movement manuals, weapon manuals, firearms, and melee weapons appeared before him.
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