Warrior Practical Examination

On the night of July 31, at the Panshan Residential District's warrior villa. Since night had only just fallen, the sky was still somewhat bright and had not yet grown completely dark. The streetlights in the residential district had come on right on schedule, their light mingling with the fading daylight in a dazzling, almost dreamlike way.

Ji Yun tested his physical fitness one last time, then practiced several sets of spear techniques.

After thrusting out the final move, the Return Horse Spear—a tribute to the great martial artist, the late Yu Chenghui—Ji Yun put Wind Lifter back on its stand, sat cross-legged on the floor, and gradually steadied his breathing.

"My spear technique really has become much lighter and more incisive. That isn't just because I switched to Wind Lifter. Ultimately, it's because I understand what path I should take."

Over the past month, Luo Hong's family had moved from the Limit Dojo's residential district in Kyoto's main urban area to Panshan Residential District. As a result, Ji Yun and Luo Yue had been seeing each other fairly often. The girl was a little mischievous, though, and he still had no idea whether she had any particular feelings for him.

"But Uncle Luo's intentions are obvious. He's been hinting at it all the time."

Ji Yun's physical fitness had not changed much over the past month. His punching power and speed had improved only slightly, but after adapting to his strength and reexamining how he channeled it, he had made some decent progress.

When an ordinary person threw a punch with all their strength, setting aside how effectively they mobilized their whole body and assuming they exerted ten units of force, certain specialized methods of exertion could add several more layers of power. That was the essence of a force-generation method.

The method Ji Yun had worked out for himself involved using only six or seven layers of force at first, holding some in reserve, then following up immediately with another five or six. This let his punching power reach 1.2 times its original level, carrying him across the threshold into the Low-Level War General rank. He was no weakling even among Low-Level War Generals.

"I've used up all the progress I'd built up. Without going through combat, there's no room left to improve. Tomorrow's practical examination is a good opportunity to see how sparring against people differs from killing monsters."

"The practical examination is tomorrow. My abilities are enough that I don't need to fear it, but I should still rest up and be prepared."

Ji Yun left the third floor and went into his bedroom to rest.

On the afternoon of August 1, Ji Yun drove alone to the train station and took a train to the examination site.

Although Ji Shan had wanted to go with him, Ji Yun didn't want to attract too much attention, so he insisted that Ji Shan go teach at the dojo instead.

"Ka-chunk, ka-chunk..." The sound of the train moving along the tracks was faint, but the carriage was filled with noise. It was a fully enclosed carriage, with no windows or other way to see outside. At that moment, a person appeared on the large screen in every carriage.

A large number of Quasi-Warriors sat inside.

"Quasi-Warriors, future Martial Artists, I'm here on behalf of the HR Alliance." A middle-aged man was speaking live on the carriage's screen. "I'm sure you've all heard of the HR Alliance! The world's most powerful organization, the wealthiest organization, and the organization with the most Martial Artists! You're probably also familiar with our other name—the Underground Alliance!"

The Quasi-Warriors in the carriage gradually quieted down.

Ji Yun looked up at the screen as well. Although he had already joined the Limit Dojo, that didn't stop him from listening.

"The Underground Alliance is certainly quick to buy materials, though."

Before the Great Nirvana Period, countries like America and the nations of Europe had powerful families behind them that controlled certain political parties. Families such as the Morgan Family, the Rockefeller Family, and the Onassis Family...

Back then, these families controlled an enormous share of the world's wealth!

But when the Great Nirvana Period arrived, monster attacks wiped out many small countries, while the major powers were all struggling to look after themselves. Governments with military forces gained unprecedented control. At that point, some of the world's ancient and powerful families grew concerned that government armies would suppress them. So they joined forces and established the HR Alliance, also known as the Human Rights Alliance.

"Human Rights Alliance" was a nice-sounding name. In reality, it was an alliance formed to consolidate the power of these super-families. Martial Artists called it the "Underground Alliance."

"Our alliance wields enormous influence all over the world! Join us and become one of our own. Whether you're in America, the European Union, or any other region, you'll enjoy the highest level of service."

The middle-aged man went on and on, spraying spittle as he spoke. Ji Yun grew impatient, closed his eyes, and adjusted his state of mind.

Ten minutes later, another person suddenly appeared on the screen. He had a stern face and graying hair, and was clearly burdened by many worries. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm the deputy director of the Security Bureau in Kyoto Base City. My surname is Wang. Here in Huaxia Nation, there's no doubt that the government and military are the most powerful forces! Join the government and the military, and wherever you are in Huaxia Nation, you'll receive the best support."

"The military..." Ji Yun's lips curved slightly. "As children of Huaxia, we have no doubt that the military deserves our respect. But joining the military comes with too many restrictions. I don't like that."

"Still, when I have the ability, I should do what I can to support it." Ji Yun nodded to himself, agreeing with Director Liu's words.

As children of Huaxia, they ought to serve their country and make it strong. Now that their homeland was in danger, even an ordinary man in ancient times could have shown such resolve, let alone a Martial Artist.

"Hey, little brother, did you come alone?" a voice suddenly asked from beside him.

Ji Yun opened his eyes and looked toward the speaker.

The voice came from one of the three people sitting across from him. All three looked rather fierce, and one had a gash on his bare arm that looked particularly nasty.

Ji Yun nodded and answered, "Yes." That was all the response he gave before closing his eyes again and ignoring the three.

"Big brother, he..." one of them began.

"Don't make trouble. Let's talk after we pass the examination," said the man who had spoken earlier. He was clearly levelheaded and the leader of the three.

Hearing this, Ji Yun opened his eyes and took a look at the man. He seemed fairly capable and had a good eye for people.

When the leader saw Ji Yun looking at him, he smiled and said nothing more.

Before long,

"Quasi-Warriors, the train is about to arrive at the station. Please get ready to disembark," announced the carriage's loudspeakers. The train gradually slowed to a stop.

The doors opened, and the Quasi-Warriors got off one after another.

Soon, the immense crowd of Quasi-Warriors entered a large military camp. It covered an enormous area, and around its perimeter stood all kinds of heavy weapons. Numerous artillery barrels pointed beyond the camp, while soldiers held an assortment of fine weapons.

The three who had spoken to Ji Yun earlier stood more than ten meters behind him. One of them said, "Big brother, that kid brushed you off on the train. He doesn't look particularly strong, so he probably isn't much of a fighter. Should we teach him a lesson during the examination—?"

"Don't start trouble," their big brother warned again. "Our goal is to pass the examination. Don't make needless trouble. We don't know how strong that guy is, so don't provoke him."

"Caw, caw!"

A harsh cry echoed across the sky. Ji Yun looked up and saw a flock of flying monster beasts pass overhead in the distance.

By three in the afternoon, the Quasi-Warriors were mostly ready. Just then,

"Everyone—"

A loud voice reached every Quasi-Warrior's ears. "Welcome to the Jinnan Military Region in Kyoto Base City. This time, the Warrior Practical Examination for all 2,020 of you will be held here in Jinnan. I hope most of you pass, and I hope every one of you makes it through this practical examination alive!"

"Alive?" Some of the Quasi-Warriors stirred uneasily.

"Didn't you know? Although people don't often die during the Quasi-Warrior Assessment, there's still a certain death rate. The risk of being injured or disabled is even higher," a companion explained.

"I believe you're all prepared," the loud voice continued.

"Next, Quasi-Warriors whose names are called should come forward to collect their Combat Suits and weapons."

The first name: "Wang Chuanxing."

"Wu Lei."

"Xu Zhu."

Before long, Ji Yun heard his own name and collected the equipment he had requested.

A 105-kilogram Gale Spear, the most common model. A Combat Suit, combat boots, a Communication Watch, a backpack, and other equipment.

Ji Yun hadn't asked for a shield, which left the officer handing out the equipment puzzled. At the Quasi-Warrior stage, a shield could provide quite a bit of protection.

On the plaza, all 2,020 Martial Artists received weapons suited to their body sizes and specifications. Every one of them would use cold weapons! That was a requirement of the Warrior Practical Examination; firearms were prohibited. Once everything had been handed out, everyone returned to their quarters to change into their Combat Suits, combat boots, and the rest.

"Haha, this is my first time wearing one of these. A real Combat Suit really is something else," an excited young man said. "This suit should protect me from getting crushed or scraped up. As long as a monster doesn't hit me in a vital spot, it should keep me safe."

"A-Yun, A-Yun, where are you?" someone called from inside the military camp.

Ji Yun followed the voice and saw that it was Luo Hong.

"So Dad didn't insist on coming to see me because he asked Uncle Luo to come help instead."

Ji Yun hurried over to Luo Hong. "Uncle Luo."

"I asked you to come over because I want you to meet the people in charge of the various factions in Kyoto Base City. Get familiar with them. You might need their help someday."

"You know, these people are all outstanding High-Level War Generals. They're about as strong as your father."

As he spoke, Luo Hong led Ji Yun over.

There were four middle-aged men in the room and three young men about Ji Yun's age, each standing behind one of the older men.

"Well, Brother Luo, you went out and came back with someone?" one of the men joked. He had a somewhat effeminate air about him.

Although Luo Hong wasn't as strong as these men and had retired after being injured, he was still a High-Level War General. He certainly didn't need to act timid around them.

Luo Hong rolled his eyes. "He's my future son-in-law. How could I not bring him over?"

The room burst into laughter. One of the men said, "Future son-in-law? Everyone knows how protective you are of your daughter, Luo Hong. I've heard you've disciplined every boy at her school who tried to make a move. What kind of guy could you possibly approve of?"

"Kid, where are you from? How'd you manage to win over this doting father?"

The room erupted in laughter again.

Ji Yun felt awkward. He rubbed his nose and said, "My father is Ji Shan."

"Oh, I get it now. You're the son of Mountain, Ji Shan. Luo Hong and your father are sworn brothers. The two of them were already well-known back then."

"Kid Ji, you're pretty young, aren't you? Coming for the assessment at your age makes you a genius. Luo Hong really does only make a move when there's something in it for him," one man said with a laugh.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Luo Hong beckoned to him. "Go on, get out of here! I chose my own son-in-law. What's it to you?"

After a burst of laughter, the room fell quiet.

"Ji Yun?" "I'm Xia Jiang."

The young man standing behind the somewhat effeminate man spoke up suddenly.

"Ji Yun." The young man said, "Do you have the guts to compete with me? In tonight's Warrior Practical Examination, let's see which of us gets the most points!" There was a glint in the young man's eyes, as if he were looking at the most delicious food in the world, filled with longing.

"First place?"

"Why would I compete with you over that?"

"So you're only brave enough to become some big shot's son-in-law."

"Believe what you want. I'm not interested in competing. But if you want to test yourself against me, meet me at the center of town at four in the morning." Ji Yun glanced at the young man and said no more.

"Good! Young people ought to have some energy," the effeminate man said with a smile.

"But keep it to a point. No killing. Just a sparring match, understood?"

Time passed quickly, and the sun was about to set. The bright sky suddenly darkened.

Led by the Martial Artists, the 2,020 people walked for more than twenty minutes before reaching the outskirts of a small town. This was where the Warrior Practical Examination would take place, and where the fates of roughly two thousand Quasi-Warriors would be changed. Pass, and they'd have a chance to rise to the top. Fail, and they'd have to wait for the next examination. Or they might be injured—or die.

Before they even entered the town, the Quasi-Warriors could hear the low growls of monster beasts inside. That alone was enough to make those with poor nerves tremble.

Luo Hong, standing beside Ji Yun as his future father-in-law, smiled faintly. "Good physical fitness and good spear technique don't necessarily mean you can kill monsters! Some people see blood or face death and can't bring out even a tenth of their strength. This Warrior Practical Examination is mainly meant to toughen your nerves. You have to get used to fighting monsters to the death. Don't hesitate or show mercy."

"I understand," Ji Yun replied.

"Mm... These are all the weakest H-Class Monsters, equivalent to Beginner Warrior Level Martial Artists," Luo Hong explained. "Their weakness is that they have very little intelligence. But they're bloodthirsty, frenzied, and extremely aggressive. That's why Quasi-Warriors always end up dead or disabled in every practical examination."

"You're strong enough that passing won't be a problem. Still, I hope you get used to killing and use this to hone yourself."

"That's exactly what I intend to do. Don't worry, Uncle Luo."

"Mm. I'm not worried about you, but be careful all the same."

"Everyone."

The loud voice reached the ears of every Quasi-Warrior. Ji Yun and the others looked up and saw an officer standing on the roof of a dilapidated three-story building inside the town, addressing them. "This practical examination will follow the usual rules! It will begin promptly at 6:30 tonight and end at 6:30 tomorrow morning!"

"The more monsters you kill, the more points you'll earn. For every monster you kill, cut off its left ear as proof."

"Remember, Quasi-Warriors are forbidden to kill one another. Your every move is being monitored. Anyone who breaks the rules will be shot on the spot!"

"Of the 2,020 Quasi-Warriors here, the top 60 percent by points will earn the qualifications of a Martial Artist! The bottom 40 percent will fail and have to wait until the next Warrior Practical Examination." The officer's voice grew cold. "In other words, 1,212 of you will pass, while 808 will be eliminated!"

"One more thing: usually, killing three monsters is enough to pass. If you kill only two, you'll have to rely on luck." The officer's voice rang in everyone's ears. "If scores are tied, rankings will be determined by the time it took to kill the monsters and the injuries sustained. So once you've killed enough monsters, get out of the town as soon as you can."

"Remember, if you're seriously injured, press the distress button on your Communication Watch. Someone will come to your rescue immediately... But that will also mark the end of your Warrior Practical Examination." The officer leaped down.

With a few bounds, the officer cleared the town's edge and called out, "The examination begins! All Quasi-Warriors, move out!"

Once all the Quasi-Warriors had entered, the perimeter was rapidly locked down. The Warrior Practical Examination had officially begun.