Bai Yang headed out at once, planning to test his strength using the school's equipment.
Only objective, measurable data could provide a meaningful comparison.
It was the morning of July 2. Luo Feng should have awakened his Spiritual Force by now, letting him challenge opponents two or even three levels above him with throwing knives.
Though Bai Yang was confident, he figured he would have to give it everything he had to beat him. He needed a clearer understanding of his own strength.
Summer vacation had already begun, and most of the students had gone home.
Before long, he arrived at the Elite Class's private training ground. The place was nearly deserted.
He swiped his card with practiced ease, switched on the Punch Strength Tester, and slammed his fist into the target with all his strength.
The numbers on the display flickered, then quickly settled at "6,214 kg."
Bai Yang sucked in a sharp breath. That much?!
During the Quasi-Warrior Assessment yesterday, he had controlled his strength and let himself get carried away, deliberately edging out Luo Feng.
Even so, he had used about eighty percent of his total strength. His power had been around 1,300 kg.
Yet in just one night, his strength had increased nearly fivefold!
After all, there was roughly a twofold difference between each Apprentice Rank.
He had gone from Beginner Warrior to Advanced Warrior, so he should have become about four times stronger.
He wouldn't have been too surprised if he could hit around 5,000 kg.
What he hadn't expected was a score of 6,214 kg!
He wasn't even that far from the 8,000 kg required for Junior War General.
Excited, Bai Yang immediately went to the machine beside it and started the speed test.
After a round of testing, his speed came out to 81 m/s!
He was even closer to the 90 m/s required for War General Level!
He was delighted, but there was no need to take the nerve-response test again.
It was the least useful of all the tests. If they measured him by the standards for an Advanced Warrior, he would get perfect dodges with no mistakes, no matter how they tested him. It wouldn't mean much.
As soon as he finished his tests, the equipment's internal program sent his results to Principal Wei.
Becoming a War God was every warrior's goal. Even Kyoto First Military Academy strove to send students to the War God Camp and make them War Gods.
By comparison, the odds of a student at Jiangnan First Military Academy reaching Junior War General before graduation were practically one in a thousand. The rest would have to wait until they entered the Wilderness Zone, then train for at least a decade before they had any chance of succeeding.
Before Luo Feng, the Fire Hammer Squad had been among the elite of ordinary people. Only its captain was a Mid-Level War General; most of the others were Advanced Warriors.
Any nineteen-year-old who reached Advanced Warrior strength on the very first day of training in Genetic Origin Energy would leave anyone who heard about it stunned.
Aside from Luo Feng, the strongest person in all of Jiangnan Base City had probably been Guo Hai, a twenty-one-year-old Mid-Level War General.
How could Principal Wei not be moved by news like this?
He had assumed Bai Yang was simply gifted at techniques and footwork, with an innate talent for understanding them.
He hadn't expected him to have such a gift for cultivating Genetic Origin Energy, too.
Though his old friend Lu Ting had snatched Bai Yang away right under his nose, Bai Yang would inevitably reveal his strength at the practical assessment on August 1.
Would Old Lu's original offer still be enough?
If Limit Dojo and Thunder Dojo really wanted to poach him, the Mount Hua name might not be enough to win him over.
Thinking of the excitement that would come, Principal Wei smiled without a word.
He directly erased Bai Yang's test results from the records and used his authority to block anyone else from accessing them.
From then on, he alone would know about the boy's future test results.
"If Bai Yang really wants to tell anyone, he'll tell Girl Mei himself. I'll just pretend I don't know. Hahaha."
Bai Yang left the training ground in high spirits.
The results of one night's training had been astonishing. The next few days probably wouldn't be as effective as the first, but there was no doubt he had entered a period of rapid growth.
Just then, his phone chimed. He took it out and saw a message from Principal Wei.
Whether to share his results was up to him.
Bai Yang had known this might happen when he chose to test himself at school.
Lu Ting and Mei Xiaqing had just done him a huge favor.
Others might have thought it was a small thing, but he knew how important it really was.
He wasn't afraid to reveal some of his strength. There was no real reason to hide it.
It could also raise his standing in Mount Hua's eyes, which was a good thing.
Bai Yang sent Mei Xiaqing a photo of his results.
Sure enough, moments later, a string of astonished replies came from the other end.
Bai Yang asked, "Sister Mei, how would you rank my current strength worldwide?"
Mei Xiaqing was clearly stunned by his message. It took her a long while to reply. "That's hard to say. I can only tell you that you're among the best in Huaxia Nation."
Bai Yang raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced. He pressed her: "Are there still lots of people my age who are stronger than me?"
Mei Xiaqing replied, "I said it's hard to judge because there's no way to compare. Do you know about Spirit Readers?"
"I do. Those guys can level up on the spot in the early stages. They really don't play fair."
Mei Xiaqing didn't dwell on his odd phrasing. She continued, "Besides them, have you heard of Hongning Base City and Thor Base City?"
Bai Yang's interest was piqued. "I've heard of them. What about those places?"
"Those two cities are respectively the headquarters of Limit Dojo and Thunder Dojo.
"They're both said to contain prehistoric ruins. Their resources and atmosphere are different from those in ordinary countries.
"You could say they're Base Cities made up entirely of warriors. People there start training at a very young age, and they account for most of the warriors in the world.
"No faction can get a clear picture of what goes on there—not even Mount Hua.
"So, if you're comparing yourself with people in countries around the world, you're definitely among the best. But when it comes to humanity as a whole, I can't say."
Bai Yang finally understood. That made sense.
Mei Xiaqing might have been overly cautious, always assuming the worst of her opponents.
Even if the later events suggested the other two Base Cities weren't all that impressive, it was never a bad idea to be cautious about the unknown.
Bai Yang didn't press the subject. He chatted with her for a little longer.
Sister Mei said that once he finished the practical assessment, Lu Ting would definitely sign a new contract with him. She told him to have faith in Mount Hua.
Bai Yang agreed, of course. He had a good impression of both of them, and he owed them that much.
He was just about to put his phone away when another message came in.
He couldn't help wondering. That was a rare occurrence.
Bai Yang picked up his phone and glanced at the screen. His heart suddenly lurched.
His cousin, Bai Sheng!
He had finally arrived in Jiangnan Base City!
Bai Sheng messaged him, "Xiaoyang, where are you right now?"
Thinking of all the things his cousin had done in the past, Bai Yang decided to be honest. "Brother Sheng, I'm out right now. I'll be back at the dorm soon."
"All right. We'll wait for you there."
We?
Bai Yang was confused. Who else could there be?
Before you continue