Yang Wu cried out in pain, naturally drawing plenty of eyes.
Many people had seen Luo Feng standing with them earlier, so they were paying close attention.
Bai Yang knew when to stop. Helping Yang Wu absorb the energy would take a long time, and this was enough for today.
Yang Wu was drenched in sweat. Though he was panting and looked utterly exhausted, his eyes shone with joy.
Not only was he uninjured and free of pain, he could feel that his body had undergone a complete transformation!
His stamina was also recovering extremely quickly. In any case, the practical test would begin soon, and he would find out the results then.
He quickly smiled at the questioning looks directed his way, assuring everyone that he was fine.
Bai Yang glanced at him and said with satisfaction, "Go take the combat test yourself in a bit. Be careful not to push yourself too hard, understand?"
Yang Wu was in awe of him and readily agreed. He promised to tell Bai Yang immediately if anything felt wrong with his body.
Seeing how sensible Yang Wu was, Bai Yang realized that some things didn't need explaining. He had helped the right person.
Luo Feng soon returned, and neither of them brought up what had happened.
They simply waited with the others before heading onward and officially entering the Wilderness Zone. They arrived at a small town completely enclosed by a wire fence.
The Martial Artist Combat Assessment tested them against the weakest H-Class Monsters, equivalent to the Beginner Warrior Level among martial artists.
The Iron-Haired Wild Boars, Shadow Cats, and Tiger Mastiffs were the enemies they would face in the Monster Town before them.
For Quasi-Martial Artists who hadn't obtained Genetic Origin Energy, the test still posed considerable danger.
That was why so many people failed each time, some even losing their lives.
As in previous years, the test would begin at 6:30 p.m. and last until 6:30 the following morning.
The more monsters they killed during that time, the more points they earned.
For proof, they had to cut off the left ear of every monster they killed.
Quasi-Martial Artists were forbidden from killing one another. Every examinee's movements were monitored, and anyone who broke the rules would be executed by firing squad!
Only those in the top 60 percent by points would qualify as martial artists.
In other words, about 1,009 of the 1,681 people would pass, while 672 would be eliminated.
Killing three monsters was usually enough to pass.
Their rankings would then be determined by how long they took to kill the monsters and how badly they were injured.
So once they had killed enough monsters, they could usually leave the town early.
If anyone was seriously wounded, they could press the distress button on their communication watch.
Someone would come to their aid immediately, but that would also end their test.
Once the group entered, most people quickly split up and went off to hunt their prey.
"Brother Yang, are you going to brave Monster Town on your own?" Luo Feng asked. He and Yang Wu stood beside the wall of a dilapidated little supermarket.
Yang Wu nodded solemnly. "Crazy, this Martial Artist Combat Assessment isn't just a test. More importantly, it's a way to train your courage! When you eventually enter a dangerous area alone, the dangers you face will be ten or a hundred times worse than this. If you need Crazy's help even in Monster Town, what will you do in the future?"
Luo Feng nodded. "That's true. Be careful, Brother Yang. Brother Bai Yang disappeared as soon as we came in, but I'm sure he'll be fine."
"Of course. Let's meet outside the town at dawn tomorrow." Yang Wu carefully scanned his surroundings, then shot off in a flash.
Luo Feng also darted away, quickly hiding in the shadows.
Bai Yang was wandering around the center of the town. After all, this was still part of the Wilderness Zone.
He had too many things he wanted to do. He couldn't waste time hiding, and being alone made things much easier.
With his strength, he reached the center of town in no time.
The Shadow Cat, which relied on speed among feline monsters; the Iron-Haired Wild Boar, which relied on its tremendous strength and defense; and the Tiger Mastiff, a canine monster with astonishing speed and strength—all of them were like paper-wrapped stakes before him. As he charged through the streets, he inevitably ran into a few.
A flash of sword light later, and all was quiet. He casually cut off their ears.
At that moment, plenty of people in the monitoring hall outside the town had witnessed the scene.
"How... how long?" a military officer asked, his voice hoarse.
"This Bai Yang took a total of... 3 minutes and 27 seconds from entering the town to killing five monsters, ensuring his qualification! His test is over!" the staff member assigned to Bai Yang's monitor said cautiously.
A burly man watched the screen and asked in a low voice, "What was the previous record?"
The staff member pulled up the historical records and read, "Two hours and twenty—"
"That's enough. We know," the officer and the burly man interrupted together, waving their hands. There was no need to hear the rest.
Wang Heng, the burly man, looked at his good friend and murmured, "Iron Monkey, how long did it take us back then?"
The officer waved impatiently. "Why are you comparing him to us? What's the point? Who is this guy?"
"No access!?"
That standard notification left both powerhouses silent in an instant.
"If we can't view his, let's watch someone else."
But the Quasi-Martial Artists around the town showed them what "normal performance" looked like.
The two men saw nothing impressive, even after they got bored enough to start drinking.
It wasn't until around eight that night that they finally found something interesting on screen 21.
"Micro-level movement!" Wang Heng's eyes lit up as he stared at Luo Feng, who was under attack from five Shadow Cats.
Luo Feng barely moved each time he dodged, yet he effortlessly avoided every Shadow Cat's attack with impeccable timing. His movements had the ease of a leisurely stroll, and Wang Heng was completely captivated!
Even many War General Level powerhouses couldn't manage Micro-level movement.
"To think his movement technique has reached the Micro-level. Unbelievable, unbelievable!" He drew a sharp breath. "He's only eighteen. Movement technique is different from physical fitness. Good talent can make someone physically strong. But movement technique requires experience accumulated through countless battles and a solid foundation before someone can gradually reach the Micro-level."
"How do you know he's eighteen?" The officer was startled. "Do you know him?"
"His name is Luo Feng. Damn it, the Limit Dojo recruited him early." Wang Heng spoke bitterly. "The Limit Dojo really lucked out. Luo Feng is only eighteen, and his physical fitness is excellent. I had no idea his movement technique was so impressive too! Micro-level at that age—imagine what he'll be like in the future!"
"What are you planning to do?" the officer asked with a laugh.
"What do you think? Recruit him!" Wang Heng of the Thunder Dojo glared. "Steal him away from them! The Limit Dojo probably hasn't realized how incredible this young man's movement technique is yet. I'll recruit him first! It's only money, right? Hmph! What luck, what luck. A kid this talented shows up this year. Compared to him, Wan Dong is nowhere close!"
Just then, the officer asked in puzzlement, "What about that Bai Yang from earlier? What kind of movement technique does he use?"
Wang Heng was taken aback too. "Pull up the footage of Bai Yang killing those monsters again. Put it on the big screen!"
The staff member immediately worked the controls and projected the footage of Bai Yang killing the monsters onto the main screen.
This time, everyone in the hall turned to look.
Before you continue