Jiangnan Base City.
In a Warrior Residential Area, beneath a detached villa.
"Bang!"
Su Zhe slammed his fist into the strength tester. Seeing the number appear on the screen, he smiled with satisfaction.
5,060 kilograms!
During the Martial Artist Combat Assessment, Su Zhe's punch strength had only just reached 2,000 kilograms, barely touching the threshold for an Intermediate Warrior. Yet in just a few short days, he had already become an Advanced Warrior—and not one who had only just crossed the threshold, either!
He owed this kind of progress to the incredible power of the Blacklight Virus.
Based on Su Zhe's estimate, devouring each Junior Soldier-Level Beast could increase his strength by around 1–100 kilograms. An Intermediate Beast Soldier could increase it by around 1–200 kilograms.
Different kinds of beasts provided different amounts of improvement.
A weak beast with a small build, like a Shadow Cat, only gave him a modest boost.
As Su Zhe grew stronger, devouring weak beasts became less effective. Eventually, those weak beasts would probably be good for nothing but serving as blood bags—or might not even be worth that.
"Xiao Zhe, your rate of improvement..."
Nearby, a usually stern, middle-aged man stared at the scene in utter shock.
He was Su Zhe's father, Su Yongyi, a High-Level War General.
"You've got the makings of a War God... No, a councilor!"
Su Yongyi said excitedly.
He knew that Su Zhe had passed the Quasi-Martial Artist Combat Assessment just last month. At the time, he had been hunting in the Wilderness Zone and hadn't been able to come back to witness it in person. But from their later calls, he'd learned that Su Zhe had gained just over a thousand kilograms of strength the first time he practiced the Five-Heart-to-Heaven Technique.
That kind of result wasn't good. It was merely average. Taking Su Zhe's age into account, he had some chance of becoming a War God, but not much.
Su Yongyi had thought that since Su Zhe lacked much talent for cultivation, he could train alongside him and, after becoming a War General, perhaps join an HR Alliance family and enjoy a life of wealth and luxury. He hadn't expected Su Zhe's strength to improve at such an astonishing rate!
He had gone to watch Su Zhe's Martial Artist Combat Assessment a few days ago, but Su Zhe's strength hadn't been anything like this then, either.
It made no sense. What was going on?
Su Yongyi had a few suspicions. Su Zhe must have stumbled upon some opportunity—or perhaps...
"Xiao Zhe, have you awakened your Psychic Power?"
Su Yongyi asked.
Awakening Psychic Power and becoming a Psychic could also increase one's physical strength. It was no secret to powerful martial artists.
"Huh?"
Su Zhe looked bewildered. What Psychic Power?
Seeing the knowing look on Su Yongyi's face, Su Zhe had a feeling that he'd misunderstood something.
"I haven't awakened Psychic Power," Su Zhe said quickly.
"Really?"
Su Yongyi eyed him skeptically.
If Su Zhe hadn't awakened Psychic Power, what explained his rapid improvement?
Had he found some rare natural treasure?
Well, that brat was pretty lucky.
Su Yongyi sighed inwardly. He'd been a martial artist for so many years and had barely ever seen any rare natural treasures.
"Of course."
Su Zhe patted his chest and nodded. He wasn't lying. He really hadn't awakened any Psychic Power.
"Then..." Su Yongyi started, but suddenly realized something. "Wait... Did you go to the Wilderness Zone behind my back?"
"..."
Crap, he'd been found out.
Su Zhe felt awkward. He'd promised Su Yongyi that his father would personally take him on his first trip to the Wilderness Zone. Now Su Yongyi had caught him red-handed. Why did it feel like he'd been caught cheating?
"...Forget it."
When Su Zhe said nothing, Su Yongyi sighed.
His son had grown up and had his own ideas and secrets now.
"Did you enter the Wilderness Zone alone, or did you join another martial artist team?" Su Yongyi asked.
"Alone."
Su Zhe hesitated, but decided to tell the truth.
"Alone? You weren't hurt, were you?" Su Yongyi asked with concern.
"No." Su Zhe shook his head. "I just went to County 0231. There weren't any powerful beasts there."
"That's good." Su Yongyi let out a sigh of relief.
He knew County 0231. It was close to a military base and home to large numbers of Soldier-Level Beasts. Beast Generals were rare there, though he didn't know that a juvenile Black-Crowned Golden Eagle lived there.
If he'd known about the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle, there was no way Su Yongyi would have let Su Zhe go there alone.
Even as an adult, a Black-Crowned Golden Eagle was only an Intermediate Beast General at most, or perhaps an Advanced Beast General at the very highest. It was no match for those Lord-level Monsters, but it was still a huge threat to ordinary martial artists!
An adult Black-Crowned Golden Eagle could reach a full-speed sprint that even a High-Level War God would struggle to catch.
Only a Psychic could match a Black-Crowned Golden Eagle in speed.
"Since you've already been to the Wilderness Zone and made it back in one piece, it's time I gave you this."
Su Yongyi clapped his hands, took a large box from behind him, and opened it.
Su Zhe took a closer look. Inside was a brand-new Series 6 Combat Suit, a Series 6 War Blade, and a matching Communication Watch... Basically, it had everything a typical High-Level War General needed.
"These things should be enough for you until you reach the War God level."
"And here's a card. There's a hundred million Huaxia Currency on it."
Su Yongyi said, "Xiao Zhe, you haven't chosen a faction to join yet. Why not join the Extreme Martial Arts Hall? I know one of its managers. I should be able to help you get a good contract."
"Or would you rather join the HR Alliance? They offer more resources, but they also impose greater restrictions on your freedom."
"Either is fine," Su Zhe said.
It made no difference to Su Zhe which faction he joined.
He genuinely didn't think he'd spend much time at the Apprentice Level. He might not even stay at the Planetary Level for long.
So restrictions on his freedom didn't matter at all. Once he broke through to the Planetary Level and became a councilor, would those people still dare to restrict him?
They probably wouldn't even know how they'd died.
"Then the Extreme Martial Arts Hall it is."
Su Yongyi was a member of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall himself, so naturally he preferred that Su Zhe join it.
The rest was simple.
As a High-Level War General, Su Yongyi hadn't held any position at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, but he was still fairly well-known there. Before long, a manager from the Extreme Martial Arts Hall arrived in person, and Su Zhe officially signed a contract and joined.
In return, Su Zhe received two hundred million Huaxia Currency in start-up funds, along with the right to buy his first manual at half price.
Before you continue