Quasi-Martial Artist Assessment

"You only get one chance. Come on." The middle-aged man didn't waste any time. He walked over to the punching target and gestured for Xu Qing to begin.

"Go ahead, Xiao Qing," Xu Gang said.

Xu Qing stepped up to the punching target. Under the middle-aged man's watchful gaze, he raised his hands and clenched them into fists.

His stance is so sloppy. He's completely untrained. Forget 900 kilograms—he probably can't even hit 100, the middle-aged man thought.

The next moment, Xu Qing punched the target squarely.

The target trembled slightly. The middle-aged man raised his brows and looked at the display, surprised. "He passed!"

A number appeared on the screen: 923 kg.

The strength requirement was 900 kilograms, so Xu Qing had clearly passed.

That's strange. Is this kid really that strong? the middle-aged man wondered. No matter how he looked at Xu Qing, he didn't seem like someone who could manage it.

Still, the result was right there. He had no reason to doubt it, and the machine was definitely working properly.

"Next is the speed test," the middle-aged man said.

Beep!

Xu Qing sprinted from the starting line like an athlete running a fifty-meter dash. His running form, however, was anything but standard. It was obvious he'd never trained.

When he crossed the finish line, the middle-aged man looked at the display. "That's strange. He passed again."

Xu Qing's speed was 25.5 meters per second.

The requirement was 25 meters per second, so Xu Qing had just barely made it.

Xu Gang watched from the side, feeling puzzled. Hadn't Xu Xin said Xu Qing had already reached the standard for a High-level Fighter? Why had his test results only just met the requirements?

It couldn't be that Xu Qing was deliberately hiding his strength, could it? Most people couldn't pull off something like that.

Did my sister lie to me? That doesn't make sense. Did she tell Xiao Qing to hide his strength? Xu Gang wondered, unsure.

Could she really have fooled me? No, when we get home, I have to ask her and get this straight. The more Xu Gang thought about it, the more something felt off. He had to ask her.

"You... did well. You passed both the strength and speed tests. Next is the test of your nervous system's reaction speed. This is the hardest one, so be prepared for the possibility of failing," the middle-aged man told Xu Qing.

"Okay," Xu Qing replied with a nod.

Just like last time, Xu Qing stood inside a circle more than three meters across. He had to dodge rubber bullets flying at him from every direction while staying within the circle.

"Get ready. Begin!" The middle-aged man pressed the button, and countless rubber bullets flew toward Xu Qing.

Before coming today, Xu Xin had already told Xu Qing to put on an average showing. Passing the Quasi-Martial Artist Assessment was all he needed to do.

So Xu Qing deliberately let the rubber bullets hit him. He just had to avoid touching the red boundary.

A minute passed, and the rubber bullets stopped.

The middle-aged man wore a puzzled expression. Why did Xu Qing's tests feel so wrong to him? He'd felt that way during all three of them. There was something strange about it, but he couldn't say exactly what.

At any rate, he felt deeply uncomfortable.

"Um, sir, did I pass?" Xu Qing asked as he stepped out and looked at the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man came back to his senses and nodded. "You were hit forty times in one minute and didn't touch the red boundary. You passed."

"Congratulations, Xiao Qing. From now on, you're a Quasi-Martial Artist," Xu Gang said with a smile.

"Kid, you've passed the Quasi-Martial Artist Assessment. But the next step is the real test: the combat assessment. You'll have to fight real monsters, and your life will be in danger."

"Only after you pass the combat assessment can you become a full-fledged Warrior," the middle-aged man said.

Xu Qing nodded.

"All right. I'll enter your information into the system first. Wait here for a moment. After that, you'll need to sign an application contract for the Martial Artist Combat Assessment," the middle-aged man said, then went over to a computer and started working.

When the middle-aged man saw Xu Qing's personal information, he was surprised. "You're only seventeen?"

A seventeen-year-old Quasi-Martial Artist was impressive. He could be considered a genius.

And judging by his performance, he had a lot of potential. With a little nurturing, he might unleash astonishing abilities.

"Xu Qing, right? Would you like to join the Limit Martial Arts Hall?" the middle-aged man asked after a moment's thought.

Although Xu Qing was part of the Xu Family and was more likely to join the Underground Alliance if he became a Warrior, there was no harm in trying to poach him.

Xu Qing scratched his head. "I don't know. I still have to go to university."

At Xu Qing's answer, the middle-aged man looked at him as if he were joking. He was already a Quasi-Martial Artist and would soon become a Warrior, yet he was telling him he still wanted to go to university?

"Then why do you want to become a Warrior?" the middle-aged man asked.

"Warriors can kill monsters. Sister Xin said I have to wait until I'm older before I can go kill monsters, so for now, I'll just become a Warrior," Xu Qing replied.

The middle-aged man was left reeling. So Xu Qing wanted to become a Warrior first, then go to university, and only after that go kill monsters?

Wasn't that getting things backward? Once you became a Warrior, what did you need university for? Shouldn't you focus on training and getting stronger?

Once you were strong enough, killing monsters would come naturally. How could you kill monsters without strength?

Of course, cultivation should come first.

"What's going on with you people?" The middle-aged man looked at Xu Gang, his gaze sharp. He couldn't believe the Xu Family didn't understand even this much.

A genius was right in front of them, and they weren't even going to appreciate him?

Under the middle-aged man's gaze, Xu Gang felt immense pressure. He gave an awkward smile. "He only listens to his sister. The rest of us don't get a say."

Xu Gang passed the buck. It wasn't as if he was wrong.

"Which university are you attending?" The middle-aged man couldn't very well interfere in someone else's family affairs, so he changed the subject.

"Jiangnan University," Xu Qing told him.

"Jiangnan University? You must have excellent grades," the middle-aged man said, surprised. Jiangnan University was one of the best universities in Jiangnan Base City.

It was also in the city center, not far from the Limit General Hall in their city center.

"How about this? Join the Limit Martial Arts Hall. You can train here on weekends and keep going to university on the other days. That way, neither has to interfere with the other. What do you think?" the middle-aged man suggested.

He valued talent and still wanted Xu Qing to join the Limit Martial Arts Hall, where he could receive better training.

"Xiao Qing is still a Quasi-Martial Artist. According to the rules, only Warriors can be invited," Xu Gang said.

The middle-aged man glanced at him. "That's usually the case, but there are exceptions. Geniuses can be treated differently. Take him, for example. He's a seventeen-year-old Quasi-Martial Artist. I'd call him a genius. With the right training, he could become a powerful Warrior."

"The Limit Martial Arts Hall needs geniuses more than anything."