H-How Much?

All the testers, including Jing Yuan, a Tier-Two Martial Artist, rose from their seats. Some didn't so much stand as spring up, while the muscular man in the tank top plopped straight down onto the floor.

Aisha couldn't help covering her mouth in shock.

A hint of astonishment showed in Lin Qingyan's clear eyes.

"F-Forty-one thousand, two hundred and thirty-two?!"

Someone's voice trembled, rising to a shrill pitch.

The whole room erupted.

"H-How much?!"

"Holy crap, did I see that right?!"

Someone rubbed their eyes and stared blankly. "Am I hallucinating?"

"His vitality is barely over ten, but his combat power's over forty thousand. What the hell, is he even human?"

"If he is, I'll eat my hat."

"The machine's definitely broken!"

Everyone in the testing hall looked utterly shocked, their gazes darting between the number on the Combat Power Tester and the boy standing in front of it.

The staff member's voice trembled just as much as everyone else's. "M-Maybe there's something wrong with the machine. Could you test again?"

Jiang Yuan nodded and threw another punch.

Everyone stared intently.

This time, Lin Qingyan watched with full attention, too.

When Jiang Yuan's seemingly ordinary punch struck the Combat Power Tester,

astonishment and shock appeared on the stunning face beneath her cap.

What incredible force control!

The force shifted five times in an instant—no, six—before concentrating at a single point and bursting outward like a pebble hitting the water!

His technique was every bit as good as her own, and his perfect control over his strength astonished Lin Qingyan even more.

Bang!

The deafening boom made most people's hearts give a nervous lurch.

"42,093."

The Combat Power Tester shuddered with a loud bang as the number flashed up. It was even higher than before.

Jiang Yuan wasn't surprised. On his way here, he'd evenly distributed the 20 free attribute points he'd gained from leveling up among his four attributes. His strength had increased, so the damage amplified from it was higher than it had been at Chongming Martial Arts Hall.

When they saw the number on the Combat Power Tester,

the entire hall fell silent. Everyone stared blankly, mouths agape, their jaws practically dropping to the floor. The sound of people drawing sharp breaths rose one after another.

The way everyone looked at Jiang Yuan changed. They stared at him like he was a monster.

Shock, terror, disbelief...

Some people's heads were practically buzzing. They stared at Jiang Yuan, their minds as oxygen-starved as if they'd lost the ability to think.

Jing Yuan clenched his scarred fist, eyes wide as he stared at the boy. A storm of emotions raged within him.

As a Tier-Two Martial Artist, his full-force strike could only reach a combat power of a little over twenty thousand.

And now, this high school boy standing before him—so young he was about the same age as Jing Yuan's daughter, young to an almost ridiculous degree—had already broken through his limits to become a Tier-One Martial Artist. That alone was enough to leave anyone speechless with shock.

Yet his combat power was a full two times Jing Yuan's!

Two times!

Just thinking about it made the man's scalp go numb.

Not far away, Lin Qingyan watched Jiang Yuan, her beautiful face turning serious.

At her current level, she couldn't reach forty thousand damage without using her second talent.

Looking at the handsome young man standing tall in the middle of the hall, Lin Qingyan couldn't make sense of it.

How had she never heard of someone like him in her previous life? Where had he come from?

After a long silence in the spacious testing hall, someone finally managed to choke out two words.

"Monster..."

What else could someone so young, yet possessed of such terrifying combat power, be?

The muscular man in the tank top was drenched in cold sweat. He huddled with his shoulders hunched, all his earlier bluster gone. He was terrified, praying that Jiang Yuan wouldn't notice him and would just forget everything he'd said earlier.

"Did I pass?" Jiang Yuan asked the staff member, who was still stunned.

She snapped out of it and hurriedly replied, "Y-You passed. You've reached Tier-One Martial Artist LV2."

"This is your Martial Artist Badge. Please take it."

Jiang Yuan took the badge. It felt nice in his hand, and its material looked like a cross between gold and jade.

"I'd also like to apply for the hundred-thousand-yuan subsidy, like she did."

Jiang Yuan said, glancing at Lin Qingyan. Their eyes met for a moment.

"N-No problem." The young staff member nodded furiously. "Please—"

"I'll handle it," Aisha said as she walked over.

"Sorry for the trouble."

Aisha looked at Jiang Yuan, her beautiful eyes sparkling. "A Tier-One Martial Artist with peak combat power over forty thousand, Jiang Yuan—you really gave me a shock. Now I understand why Yihan said that."

Peak combat power?

Jiang Yuan smiled but said nothing.

If he went all out, he'd probably scare quite a few people here so badly they'd wet themselves.

As they watched Aisha lead Jiang Yuan and Lin Qingyan away, the people left standing there remained stunned for a long time.

It took quite a while for them to recover from their stunned silence.

"That's just ridiculous."

"A high school student, a Tier-One Martial Artist with 20 vitality, and forty thousand damage." Someone could barely hold back a groan. "What level talent did he awaken?"

"Could he have gotten a legendary-class advancement?"

"But his profile says he's an Assassin..."

"He can't be an Assassin... Assassins don't have that kind of attack power."

"Exactly. If an Assassin with over forty thousand damage showed up beside you and hit you once, who could take that?"

"If he hit me now, it'd be like swatting a little kid. Once his vitality reaches a hundred, wouldn't he be able to fight a Tier-Three Martial Artist?"

"Hard to even imagine..."

"My daughter's taking the college entrance exam. If she can break through four vitality, I'll be over the moon if she gets into a Martial Arts University. Comparing people really is infuriating..."

"Why not consider that it might be your fault? Have you bought her supplements? Advanced martial arts techniques?"

"..."

"Jiang Yuan? Never heard of him. Where did he come from?"

"No idea. Anyway, this year's Martial Dao College Entrance Exam should be something to watch."