Give up, you can't win against me in terms of beauty

Early in the morning, Luo Zhe climbed out of bed, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and after finishing breakfast, set off for the Limit Dojo.

Although he had a Martial Arts Training Hall at home, and it was a spacious one hundred and fifty square meters, it felt quite empty.

This was because equipment to assist in cultivation was not cheap... especially instruments like the Punch Strength Tester, which remained a luxury for Luo Zhe at his current stage.

At least, until the startup funds from the Extreme Martial Arts Hall were deposited into his account, he remained a genuine pauper.

Checking the time, it was just past eight in the morning. Most people were still at home eating breakfast, so he only encountered a few elderly folks returning from their morning exercises along the way.

It wasn't until he entered the main hall of the dojo that he saw a fair number of people, all currently sitting in the small bar area off to the side of the lobby.

He swept his gaze over them, but seeing no familiar faces, he lost any desire to socialize. However, a lean young man in a blue tracksuit caught his attention; that sharp, youthful spirit was quite rare among martial artists of his age.

He subconsciously shook his head. He was only twenty-one himself; how could he act so old and weary? If he kept this up, how was he ever going to find a girlfriend?

He walked to the elevator bank and pressed the button; it didn't take long for the elevator to descend.

As the doors opened, he found two "acquaintances" inside: a pair of twin brothers he had met at a martial arts gathering a while back. The older brother was Yang Shu, and the younger was Yang Lin. Both were rookie martial artists who had passed the Martial Artist Combat Assessment on February 1st of this year, so they could barely be considered his seniors.

Yet, Luo Zhe always felt that the way they looked at him was filled with... sparks of hostility!?

"Yo, isn't this the rookie Luo Zhe? How come you're at the dojo so early today? It's rarely easy to catch a glimpse of you on a normal day," the older brother, Yang Shu, stepped out of the elevator first and teased him.

"That's for sure. You've been in the Bright Moon Residential Area for over half a month, and this is the first time, right!? You really are a rare guest."

The younger brother, Yang Lin, followed closely behind, but his tone was far less subtle than Yang Shu's; he might as well have had the word "annoyed" written across his face.

Don't let the polite facade of the martial artists at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall fool you; there were always private grievances beneath the surface. Especially among peers like Luo Zhe, Yang Shu, and Yang Lin, minor conflicts were inevitable.

Even though they had all become martial artists at the age of twenty-one, the twins hadn't been as lucky as Luo Zhe, who had been recruited into the dojo early by a supervisor.

Luck!

Yes, regarding Luo Zhe as a rookie who had been scouted in advance, the twins—who prided themselves on having entered the martial arts circle half a year earlier—did not believe for a second that their talent was inferior to his.

At the very least, they were elite talents who had increased their punch strength by 600 kilograms during their first session of cultivating Genetic Origin Energy. Furthermore, being twins gave them an inherent advantage in combat. With their current strength as Intermediate Warrior Level martial artists, they could even independently slay High-level Beast Soldier monsters if they teamed up!

If it weren't for the fact that Luo Zhe was lucky enough to know a big shot like the headquarters supervisor, how could he possibly have been recruited early!

Although he didn't know why these two were targeting him, it was clear their attitude toward him wasn't friendly. After all, one's appearance reflects one's heart; these two looked like ugly monsters, the perfect definition of dim-witted side characters in a third-rate novel, so it was only natural for them to stir up trouble for no reason.

However, adhering to a policy of "being kind to others," and being a newcomer, Luo Zhe didn't want to go head-to-head with them.

At the very least, he should let them get out of the elevator first; otherwise, if he accidentally didn't hold back and they got so angry they suffocated, he'd have to call an ambulance for them!

That would be such bad luck!

He stepped aside and chuckled, "You guys are pretty early yourselves."

"Isn't it because the Martial Artist Combat Assessment is next month? We have to spend a day or two doing some intensive training. After all, 'diligence makes up for a lack of talent' doesn't apply to everyone—who told me I was a genius!"

Damn it!

If the tiger doesn't show its claws, do you really think this master is on his deathbed!

Hearing this, the faces of Yang Shu and Yang Lin turned a deep, liver-red.

What "diligence makes up for a lack of talent"!? Wasn't this a blatant jab at them for coming to the dojo every single morning, implying they could only rely on extra training to compensate for their innate deficiencies!

"Sorry, you two, please move aside. I need to go up and 'lightly' warm up." Luo Zhe smiled as he stepped into the elevator.

He was truly sorry; ever since he was seven, he had never lost an argument. He didn't know what had gotten into these two brothers to dare provoke him to his face.

It was one thing to be ugly, but to be ugly and still act like a monster? That was just the behavior of a fool.

Initially, the younger brother, Yang Lin, was still unconvinced and wanted to say something, but he was held back by the older brother, Yang Shu.

Yang Shu still had some brains; he knew that continuing the argument wouldn't lead to a good outcome. After all, the big shots of the Bright Moon Residential Area had been intentionally trying to curry favor with the other party lately. If they jumped out now, they would only be treated as the nail that sticks out to be hammered down, serving as a convenient favor for the others.

Yang Shu suddenly remembered something, so before the elevator doors closed, he shouted from outside: "Luo Zhe, there's a Quasi-Martial Artist assessment at ten o'clock this morning on the sixth floor. If you have time, go take a look; you might even get a chance to see a real genius!"

Luo Zhe smiled without responding and pressed the button for the third floor.

In the entire dojo, only the third floor had small Martial Arts Training Halls. The testing equipment inside was complete, and the privacy was excellent.

Despite encountering such an unpleasant situation early in the morning, Luo Zhe didn't take it to heart at all.

However, Yang Shu's words did pique his interest. He hadn't expected the day of the Quasi-Martial Artist assessment to arrive so soon; it had been exactly a month since he had become a Quasi-Martial Artist himself.

He thought that since he wouldn't have anything to do after his own testing, he might as well go over and take a look to see which newcomers passed. Perhaps he could even join them for the Quasi-Martial Artist assessment later.

Watching the elevator doors close, the display showed the elevator steadily rising toward the third floor.

Yang Lin looked at his older brother, confused, and asked, "Brother, why did you pull me back just now? That guy didn't put us in his eyes at all! That bit about 'diligence makes up for a lack of talent' was clearly mocking us!"

Yang Shu looked at his foolish younger brother as if he were looking at an idiot and helplessly spread his hands: "So he doesn't put us in his eyes, what can you do about it? Attack him?"

Yang Lin actually nodded foolishly, "Even if his punch strength is higher than ours, we haven't been eating for nothing in the Wilderness Zone these past six months. If we team up to beat him, I doubt he'd have anything to say."

"Calling you a fool is an understatement!" Yang Shu slapped Yang Lin on the back of the head in annoyance. "No wonder Mom keeps complaining that she must have given all the brains to me when she was pregnant!"

"He is the hottest top seed in the residential area right now. If you dare to lay a hand on him, Wu Tong could drag a whole crowd to our house to arrest us tonight!"

"Just wait. Once he becomes an official martial artist, he'll have to enter the Wilderness Zone eventually. Once he's in the Wilderness Zone, Wu Tong won't be able to protect him." Yang Shu secretly clenched his fists; clearly, Luo Zhe's words had still stung him.

Hearing his brother's words, Yang Lin clapped his hands in agreement, "Right! When we meet him in the Wilderness Zone, we'll definitely give him a good beating! Let's see how arrogant he can be then!"

Upon reaching the third floor, Luo Zhe realized something.

At this hour, all three small Martial Arts Training Halls on the third floor had their doors wide open, yet they were completely empty; only the lights in the hallway remained persistently aglow, illuminating the entire corridor.

Casually selecting the nearest Martial Arts Training Hall on the right, Luo Zhe ducked inside, switched on all the room's lights, then closed the door, locked it, and drew the curtains. He then powered on the Punch Strength Tester and the speed testing device, warmed up on the spot, and loosened his joints.

Ever since returning from the main urban area, this was the first time Luo Zhe had tested his punch strength.

For the past half-month, aside from essential social obligations, Luo Zhe had devoted almost all his time to cultivation, practically turning into a shut-in. He was hoping to raise his physical fitness to the War General Level before the Martial Artist Combat Assessment, so as not to lose face for Instructor Tong Yang and Director Zhuge!