Martial Artist Assessment

City center, Martial Arts Association.

Song Chen stood before the Martial Arts Association building, looking up at the thirty-story structure. This was the most prosperous area of Anning City, surrounded by towering skyscrapers with crowds bustling through the streets.

At this moment, a long line snaked out from the entrance, filled with martial artists waiting to handle various affairs.

Song Chen walked inside and found the information desk.

"Excuse me, where do I register for martial artist certification?"

The young woman at the desk glanced at him and handed over a form.

"Fill this out, pay the fee, then go to the third floor to queue. The quota for today is full; come back earlier tomorrow."

Song Chen took the form and scanned it briefly. Name, age, blood-qi value, martial arts rank, presence of supernatural abilities... just basic information.

He filled out the form, paid the five-hundred-dollar registration fee, and took the elevator to the third floor.

The third floor was a massive hall, packed with people. There were martial artists in combat gear, young people like him there for certification, and some family members who appeared to be there as spectators.

In the center of the hall stood several giant iron cages, each containing various Tier 1 exotic beasts: Mutated Wild Dogs, Mutant Wild Boars, Mutated Foxes...

Every beast paced restlessly within its cage, emitting low, guttural growls. Several examiners stood by the cages, notebooks in hand, recording observations with expressionless faces.

Song Chen walked to the certification window and handed in his form. Behind the window sat a middle-aged woman wearing glasses. She glanced at his form, and her brows furrowed.

"Blood-qi value 2.2? Lightning ability?"

She looked up, sizing Song Chen up. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

The woman pushed up her glasses. "Eighteen years old, 2.2 blood-qi, and you've awakened a lightning ability... which school are you from?"

"Third Martial Arts High School."

The woman's expression softened slightly. "Third High? I haven't heard of such a genius coming out of Third High."

She didn't press further, lowered her head to stamp the form, and handed him a numbered tag.

"Tomorrow at eight in the morning, bring this tag to the third floor for the practical assessment. Arrive half an hour early; an examiner will explain the rules."

Song Chen took the tag. "Thank you."

He turned to leave, but the woman suddenly called out to him, "Young man."

Song Chen looked back.

The woman watched him, her gaze somewhat complex.

"The practical assessment isn't a game. Every year, people die in those cages. You're very talented, and logically speaking, you should be fine, but I want to warn you: once you enter the cage, unless it's a matter of life and death, the examiners won't save you. Prepare well."

Song Chen nodded. "I understand."

He walked out of the Martial Arts Association building and stood at the entrance, watching the crowds on the street. The sun had begun to dip, and the light had turned soft.

Tomorrow, he would take his martial artist certification exam. Once he passed, he could openly leave the city to hunt exotic beasts and legitimately accumulate slaughter points.

Then, he looked up toward a distant direction—the base of the City Defense Force. Zhao Wei's grandfather was there.

Captain of the City Defense Force, don't blame me; if you must blame someone, blame yourself for failing to raise your grandson properly.

He clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it. No rush. One step at a time.

He turned and headed toward home.

Returning home, he pushed open the door. The house was still lively; those middle-aged women hadn't left yet and were chatting with his mother.

Li Xiuying's eyes lit up when she saw him return.

"Xiao Chen is back! Come and eat!"

Song Zhengye sat on the sofa, slowly sipping a cup of tea. His complexion was even better than it had been that morning; his face had a healthy flush, and even that old scar seemed to have faded slightly. He saw Song Chen's gaze and gave a slight nod.

Father and son said nothing, but both understood.

After the meal, the relatives finally dispersed. Li Xiuying hummed a tune while clearing the dishes, her mood exceptionally good. Song Zhengye sat on the sofa, watching the news on TV.

Song Chen walked over and sat beside him.

"Dad."

Song Zhengye glanced at him. "Something on your mind?"

Song Chen was silent for a moment. "I'm taking my martial artist certification exam tomorrow."

This was good news, but Song Zhengye sensed a heaviness in Song Chen's tone, so he probed, "And after you pass?"

"I will leave the city to hunt exotic beasts. My teacher is going to give me special training for the martial arts college entrance exam. This might take a while; I might not be back until right before the exam."

Li Xiuying was alarmed upon hearing this. "Xiao Chen, why go out now? It's dangerous outside the city."

Song Zhengye didn't speak, just stared at him for a long time. Then, he suddenly smiled. "Good. Like a man. A man should prioritize his career."

He stood up, walked to the cabinet, rummaged through the very back, and pulled out a worn-out iron box, handing it to Song Chen.

Song Chen opened it. Inside lay a martial artist badge, rusted and covered in grime, the characters on it blurred and illegible.

Song Zhengye explained from the side, "This was my martial artist badge from back in the day. It's been so many years, but I've kept it all this time."

He flipped the badge over, the back engraved with a few words: Ninth Battalion of Anning City Defense Force.

He patted Song Chen on the shoulder. "I went through the same thing back in the day. Poor, no connections, no background—I had to carve my own path one blade strike at a time. You're better than I was; you have a good teacher. I didn't have your luck when I was your age."

Song Chen gripped the badge, feeling its cold touch against his palm. "Dad..."

Song Zhengye waved a hand. "Say no more. Go take the exam tomorrow. Once you pass, do what you want to do. Don't worry about the family; I'll take care of things."

Song Chen looked at his father's face—the man who was once a high-spirited martial artist, the man who had silently shouldered the burden of their family after an exotic beast crippled his arm. Now, standing before him, he spoke the weightiest of words in the most indifferent of tones.

Song Chen nodded solemnly. "Dad, after this period is over, leave everything to me."

Song Zhengye looked at him and suddenly smiled. That smile held relief, pride, and a hint of something indescribable.

"Alright, I'll be waiting."

At 7:30 the next morning, Song Chen appeared at the entrance of the Martial Arts Association building right on time.

The morning sun spilled across the glass curtain wall, making the entire building look like a massive, glowing object. A long line had already formed at the entrance, filled with young people there to participate in the martial artist certification. Some paced back and forth nervously, some bowed their heads and muttered to themselves, and others had parents beside them, offering endless reminders.

Song Chen stood in the middle of the line, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure: Lin Qingxue.

She was standing not far ahead in the line, dressed in a white tracksuit with her long hair tied into a high ponytail, making her stand out in the morning light. A few young people stood beside her, appearing to be her classmates.

Song Chen hesitated for a moment before walking over and calling out, "Lin Qingxue."

He hadn't returned her blade yet, and he hadn't expected to run into her on this trip.

Lin Qingxue turned around, and upon seeing him, her eyes lit up. "Song Chen!"

She walked over quickly, a look of pleasant surprise on her face. "Why are you here? Are you here for the martial artist certification too? Has your blood-qi passed 1.0?"

Song Chen nodded. "Yeah. What about you?"

Lin Qingxue's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. "Hehe, my blood-qi value just broke through to 1.2. My dad said I should be able to pass the combat assessment, so he signed me up."

She looked Song Chen up and down, her eyes filled with concern.

"I heard about your field training outside the city. I heard you ran into an emergency and had to end it early. Are you alright? Were you hurt?"

Song Chen waved a hand. "I'm fine. Just a few minor scrapes; they've already healed."