Warrior Practical Examination

On the night of July 31st, in the warrior villa of Panshan Residential District. Because it had just turned dark, the sky was still somewhat bright, not yet fully settled into night, while the streetlights in the district lit up on schedule. The two lights interwove, creating a uniquely dazzling and winding effect.

Ji Yun tested his physical fitness for the last time and practiced several spear techniques.

After thrusting out the final move—Return Horse Spear (a small tribute to the martial arts master Yu Chenghui)—Ji Yun placed Wind Lifter back on the rack, sat cross-legged on the ground, and gradually steadied his breathing.

"My spear techniques have indeed become much lighter and sharper. This isn't just because I switched to Wind Lifter; at the root, it's because I've understood exactly what path I should take."

Over the past month, Luo Hong's family had moved from the Limit Dojo residential area in Kyoto's main city to this Panshan Residential District. So Ji Yun and Luo Yue saw each other fairly often. But that girl was mischievous and unpredictable; he still didn't know if she had any intentions or not.

"Still, Uncle Luo's meaning is already very clear. He keeps hinting at me all day."

During this month, Ji Yun's physical fitness hadn't changed much. His punch force and speed had only improved slightly. But after adapting to his strength and re-exploring his force transmission paths, he had gained some decent insights.

When an ordinary person throws a full-force punch, regardless of how well they mobilize their whole body's power, assume it's ten percent force. Some special force transmission methods can add several layers of force on top of that—that's what force transmission is.

The force transmission Ji Yun had figured out himself allowed him to first use only sixty to seventy percent of his strength, leaving some leeway, then immediately follow up with another fifty to sixty percent. This way, his punch force could reach 1.2 times his original power, pushing his punch force past the threshold of a Low-Level War General, and he wasn't even weak among Low-Level War Generals.

"My accumulation has been completely consumed. If I don't experience combat, there's no room for improvement. Tomorrow's practical examination is an opportunity—let's see what the difference is between sparring with people and killing monsters."

"Tomorrow is the practical examination. Even though my abilities mean I don't fear the test, I still need to conserve my energy and be fully prepared."

Ji Yun came out from the third floor, entered his bedroom, and prepared to rest.

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

Although Ji Shan wanted to go with Ji Yun, Ji Yun didn't want to cause too much of a stir, so he asked Ji Shan to go teach at the dojo instead.

"Chug—chug—" The friction sound of the train speeding along was very faint, but inside the train car, it was a noisy scene. The car was completely sealed, with no windows to see outside. In each car, a person's image appeared on the large screen.

Inside the car, many Quasi-Warriors sat.

"Dear Quasi-Warriors, future warriors, I come from the HR Alliance." A middle-aged man's speech was being broadcast live on the car's large screen. "I believe you've all heard of the HR Alliance! The most powerful group in the world, the wealthiest group, the group with the most warriors! You're probably also familiar with the HR Alliance's other name—the Underground Alliance!"

The Quasi-Warriors in the car gradually quieted down.

Ji Yun also looked up at the screen. Even though he had already joined the Limit Dojo, that didn't stop him from watching.

"Still, this Underground Alliance is quick to collect materials."

Back before the Great Nirvana period, in places like America and European countries, powerful families controlled some political parties behind the scenes. These families, like the Morgan family, the Rockefeller family, the Onassis family, and so on...

These families once controlled a huge portion of the world's massive wealth!

But when the Great Nirvana period arrived, under the monster attacks, many small nations perished, and even the major countries could barely take care of themselves. The governments that had armies experienced unprecedented control. At that time, some ancient and powerful families around the world, fearing they would be suppressed by government forces, joined hands and formed the HR Alliance—the Human Rights Alliance.

The Human Rights Alliance, a nice-sounding name. In reality, it was an alliance to consolidate the power of these super-families. Warriors called it the 'Underground Alliance.'

"Our alliance has immense influence all over the world! Join us, become one of us. Even if you go to America, to the European Union, to other regions, you'll enjoy the highest level of service."

Listening to this middle-aged man talk endlessly, Ji Yun grew a bit impatient. He closed his eyes and adjusted his state slightly.

After ten minutes, another person suddenly appeared on the screen. This person had a stern face and graying hair, clearly someone who worried and thought a lot. "Let me introduce myself. I am the deputy director of the Kyoto Base City Security Bureau. My surname is Wang. In our Huaxia Nation, the power of the government and military is undoubtedly the strongest! Join the government, join the military. No matter where you are in Huaxia, you will receive the best support."

"The military," Ji Yun lightly curled the corner of his mouth. "As a child of Huaxia, the military is undoubtedly worthy of respect. But joining the military comes with too many restrictions. I don't really like it."

"Still, I'll do my best to support them when I can," Ji Yun nodded to himself, agreeing with Director Liu's words.

As a child of Huaxia, one should serve the country and strive for strength. Now that the motherland is in trouble, even an ordinary man in ancient times could have great resolve, let alone a warrior of today.

"Little brother, did you come alone?" A voice suddenly came from beside him.

Ji Yun opened his eyes and looked toward the source of the sound.

The voice came from one of three people sitting in the seats opposite him. The three all looked quite fierce. One of them had a scar on his bare arm that was somewhat hideous.

Ji Yun nodded and replied, "Yes," as a brief response. Then he closed his eyes again, ignoring the three.

"Boss, he—" one of the three said.

"Don't cause trouble. Let's wait until we pass the exam," said the owner of the voice from earlier. Clearly, this man was calm and was the leader of the three.

Hearing this, Ji Yun opened his eyes and looked at the man. This guy had some ability—he was good at reading people.

Seeing Ji Yun look at him, the leader smiled but said nothing more.

Soon after, "Dear Quasi-Warriors, the train is about to enter the station. Please prepare to disembark." A voice came from the speakers in the car. The train gradually slowed down until it stopped.

The doors opened, and the Quasi-Warriors quickly got off.

Soon, the massive crowd of Quasi-Warriors entered a large military camp. The camp covered a vast area. Especially around the perimeter, large amounts of heavy thermal weapons were visible everywhere. Cannon muzzles were aimed outside the camp. Many soldiers held various sophisticated weapons.

The three who had spoken to Ji Yun earlier stood about ten meters behind him. One of them said, "Boss, that kid brushed off your face on the train. He doesn't look strong, so he probably isn't powerful. How about we—during the exam—"

"Don't cause trouble," the boss of the three warned again. "Our goal is to pass the exam. Don't stir up unnecessary trouble. We don't know this person's depth. Don't provoke him."

"Caw, caw,"

Some harsh cries echoed in the sky. Ji Yun looked up and saw a flock of bird-type monsters passing by in the distance.

At 3 PM, the Quasi-Warriors were mostly ready. Then—

"Everyone—"

A loud voice reached every Quasi-Warrior's ears. "Welcome to the Jinnan Military Region of Kyoto Base City. This time, the Warrior Practical Examination for you 2020 people will be held here in Jinnan. I hope most of you will pass the exam, and I also hope all of you will survive this practical examination!"

"Survive?" A stir ran through the Quasi-Warriors.

"Haven't you heard? This Quasi-Warrior exam isn't likely to kill you, but there's still a mortality rate, and the chance of injury or disability isn't low either," the companion beside him explained.

"I trust everyone is ready." The loud voice rang out again.

"Next, those whose names are called, come forward to receive your Combat Suit and weapon."

First: "Wang Chuanxing."

"Wu Lei."

"Xu Zhu."

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

A 105-kilogram Gale Spear, the most standard model. A set of Combat Suit and combat boots. Also a Communication Watch, backpack, and other accessories.

But Ji Yun didn't take a shield, which left the officer distributing the items puzzled. At the Quasi-Warrior stage, a shield could provide considerable protection.

On the plaza, all 2,020 Warriors were assigned weapons of various specifications suited to their body sizes and personal requests. Every single one used cold weapons! This was a requirement of the Warrior Practical Examination—the use of hot weapons was prohibited. After the distribution, everyone returned to their resting places to change into their Combat Suits and boots.

"Haha, this is my first time wearing this outfit. The real Combat Suit really is different," a young man said excitedly. "At the very least, this suit can keep me from getting crushed or scraped. As long as a monster doesn't hit a vital spot, it can block the damage."

"A Yun, where's A Yun?" A shout came from inside the military camp.

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

"So Dad didn't insist on coming himself—he sent Uncle Luo instead."

Ji Yun quickly walked over to Luo Hong. Reaching his side, he said, "Uncle Luo."

"I called you over to introduce you to the heads of the various factions in our Kyoto Base City. Get your face known first—you might need to ask them for help someday."

"You should know, these people are all top-tier High-Level War Generals, no different from your father."

Luo Hong spoke as he led Ji Yun forward.

In the room were four middle-aged men, along with three young people about Ji Yun's age, each standing behind them.

"Oh, Brother Luo, how come you step out and bring someone back?" one man with a somewhat effeminate demeanor teased.

Though Luo Hong wasn't as strong as these men and had stepped down due to injury, he was still a High-Level War General, so he wasn't about to cower before them.

Luo Hong rolled his eyes and said, "This is my future son-in-law. Of course I'd bring him along."

The room burst into laughter. One of them said, "Future son-in-law? Everyone knows you keep a tight leash on your daughter, Luo Hong. I've heard you've taught every boy at her school who tried anything a lesson. What man could catch your eye?"

"Kid, where are you from? How'd you win over this daughter-obsessed man?"

The room erupted in laughter again.

Ji Yun felt a bit awkward and rubbed his nose, saying, "My father is Ji Shan."

"Oh, no wonder. So you're the son of Mountain Ji Shan. Luo Hong and your father were brothers in life and death. Back in the day, the two of them had quite a reputation."

"Kid Ji, you're not that old, are you? Coming for the exam so young—you're a genius. Luo Hong never does anything without gain," another man chuckled.

"Watch your mouth," Luo Hong waved dismissively. "Get out of here. I chose my own son-in-law. What's it to you?"

After another round of laughter, the room quieted down.

"Ji Yun?" "I am Xia Jiang."

The young man behind the effeminate man suddenly spoke up.

"Ji Yun," the young man said, opening his mouth. "Do you have the guts to compete? In tonight's Warrior Practical Examination, who among us can take first place in points?" A glint of light shone in this gloomy young man's eyes, as if he'd spotted the most delicious food, filled with craving.

"First place?"

"Why would I compete with you over that?"

"Looks like you're just some big shot's son-in-law, with no guts."

"Say what you will. I'm not interested in the competition. But if you want to spar, meet me in the town center at four in the morning." Ji Yun glanced at the young man and said no more.

"Good, good. Young people should have some spirit," the effeminate man said with a smile.

"But keep it within bounds. No killing, just sparring. Understood?"

Time passed quickly. The sun was about to set, and the once-bright sky suddenly grew dim.

Led by the various Warriors, the 2,020 people walked for over twenty minutes before reaching the outskirts of a small town. This was the location of the Warrior Practical Examination, and also the place where the fates of these two thousand or so Quasi-Warriors would change. Succeed, and they'd have a chance to rise. Fail, and they'd have to wait for the next time. Or die or be injured.

Before even entering the town, the Quasi-Warriors could hear the low, guttural roars of monsters within. Just that was enough to make some with weak mental fortitude tremble.

Standing beside Ji Yun, his future father-in-law Luo Hong said with a faint smile, "Good physical fitness and good spear skills don't mean you can kill monsters! Some people, the moment they see blood or face life and death, can't even bring out one-tenth of their full strength. So this Warrior Practical Examination is mainly to temper your mentality. You need to adapt to life-and-death combat with monsters. Don't be soft-hearted."

"I understand," Ji Yun replied.

"Mm... these monsters are all the weakest H-Class Monsters. Equivalent to the 'Junior Warrior' level among Warriors," Luo Hong said. "Their weakness is that they have very low intelligence. But their advantage is that they're bloodthirsty and crazy, full of aggression and killing instinct. So every Practical Examination, there are always Quasi-Warriors who die or get crippled."

"With your strength, passing the exam is no problem at all. But I hope you can get used to killing and temper yourself."

"I was thinking the same thing. Don't worry, Uncle Luo."

"Mm, I'm not worried about you, but still—be careful in everything."

"Everyone."

A resounding voice reached the ears of every Quasi-Warrior. Ji Yun and all the other Quasi-Warriors looked up to see an officer standing on the roof of a dilapidated three-story building inside the town, addressing them all. "This practical examination follows the same rules as always! It starts promptly at 6:30 PM tonight and ends at 6:30 AM tomorrow morning."

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

"Remember, Quasi-Warriors are forbidden from harming each other. All your actions are under surveillance. Violators will be executed on the spot!"

"Among you 2,020 Quasi-Warriors, the top 60% in points will earn the title of Warrior! The bottom 40% are considered failures and must wait for the next Warrior Practical Examination." The officer's voice turned cold. "In other words, out of 2,020 of you, 1,212 will pass. 808 will be eliminated!"

"Let me give you a heads-up: generally, killing three monsters is enough to pass. If you only kill two, you'll have to rely on luck." The officer's voice rang clearly in everyone's ears. "When scores are tied, rankings will be determined by the time taken to kill the monsters and the severity of injuries sustained. So, once you've killed a certain number of monsters, leave the town as early as possible."

"Remember, if you're severely injured, you can press the emergency button on your communication watch. Someone will rescue you immediately... but at that moment, your Warrior Practical Examination ends." The officer leaped.

With a few bounds, he was out of the town and announced loudly, "The examination begins. All Quasi-Warriors, move out."

Once all the Quasi-Warriors had entered, the outer perimeter tightened sharply. The Warrior Practical Examination had officially begun.

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