Chongming Martial Arts Hall, Combat Power Test, Sudden Change in the Sky!

After his aunt's family left for work and school.

Jiang Yuan got dressed and left the house, planning to find a martial arts hall to test his current combat power before buying some ferocious beast meat.

Chongming Martial Arts Hall was a small martial arts hall located in an alley.

Xu Yihan, dressed in loose training clothes and standing barefoot in the dojo, held an Alloy Spear as she closed her eyes to contemplate her martial arts techniques. Hearing a sound from the entrance, she opened her eyes.

Carrying her spear, she walked to the front desk and saw a teenage boy standing there.

"What is it?"

Hearing the pleasant yet cool female voice, Jiang Yuan turned to look.

He saw Xu Yihan, her dark hair tied into a high ponytail. She looked spirited and heroic, yet still strikingly beautiful.

He was slightly stunned. He had not expected the owner of this small martial arts hall to be a young beauty in her twenties.

"I want to test my combat power..."

So he wasn't here to become a disciple...

Xu Yihan felt a little disappointed.

Ever since her father, Xu Chongming, had entered the Abyss and never returned, she had inherited this martial arts hall. Since she was not good at socializing, nearly half a year had passed without her recruiting a single disciple. At this rate, the hall would probably have to close before long.

Looking at the handsome young man before her, Xu Yihan thought, Another kid who just awakened and came to test his skill damage...

There were quite a few people like that.

"Come with me."

Xu Yihan spoke coldly and turned to walk inside.

Xu Yihan led Jiang Yuan to a machine.

"This is the Combat Power Detector. You can strike it with all your strength, and it will accurately measure your current combat power."

"The testing fee is five hundred yuan."

After saying that, Xu Yihan walked away and returned to the empty training hall to continue contemplating her spear techniques, leaving Jiang Yuan standing alone before the Combat Power Tester.

She was currently a Tier-Two Martial Artist, LV18, and had changed class to a Lancer. She hoped to reach Tier Three soon. Perhaps then she would finally be able to recruit someone.

"Hoo..."

Jiang Yuan slowly exhaled, his eyes blazing as he stared at the Combat Power Tester before him.

He shifted his right leg back half a step and drew back his right fist, gathering momentum. His muscles trembled slightly as his blood and qi surged.

His essence, qi, and spirit reached their peak.

Then... he threw a punch!

Bang!

A dull thud rang out.

Xu Yihan turned to look, a trace of surprise appearing on her pretty face.

That sound... why did it seem a little off?

She turned her head.

673... 6730?!!

Xu Yihan's expression froze in an instant.

Jiang Yuan looked at the number on the Combat Power Tester and nodded lightly.

Combat power, or damage, was generally ten times one's strength.

Excluding the amplification from martial techniques and strength-type talents, a Tier-One LV1 Martial Artist with a blood and qi value of 10 and the ordinary Warrior class would have strength around 100, and the combat power they could unleash would be roughly between 1,000 and 2,000.

This punch was already equivalent to three times that of an ordinary Tier-One LV1 Martial Artist!

If word got out, it would probably leave countless people dumbstruck!

Let's see how much the force application technique can amplify it, Jiang Yuan thought.

He raised his hand. His fist was covered in dense blood and qi, which then transformed into a faint layer of Crimson Ripple over its surface. He punched the Combat Power Tester.

Boom!

The Combat Power Tester shook violently, and another number appeared.

10672.

The damage had directly broken ten thousand.

"The amplification is nearly 50%."

Jiang Yuan nodded slightly.

And this was still far from his full strength!

If he used the skills from the [Martial God] class, the damage should increase another five to ten times...

Just as he planned to test his full strength again.

Clang.

A crisp metallic sound came from behind him.

Jiang Yuan turned around.

Xu Yihan stood there with her mouth slightly open, staring blankly at the number on the Combat Power Tester. Her dropped Alloy Spear lay by her feet.

"O-Over ten thousand damage?"

"How is that possible..."

That damage had already far surpassed the limit of a Tier-One Martial Artist and reached the range of a Tier-Two Martial Artist!!

Her first thought was that the machine was broken.

But she had used the Combat Power Tester herself that morning. It could not possibly have malfunctioned.

Then there was only one explanation...

This handsome, slender, poorly dressed high school student before her had genuinely dealt over ten thousand damage!!

It was simply unimaginable!!

"How did you do that?"

Looking at Jiang Yuan, she could not help pressing him. "What's your blood and qi value? Has it broken ten? What martial technique do you cultivate? What about your awakened talent? Is it strength-type? What class did you change to?"

Jiang Yuan frowned, completely confused.

This is my privacy. Why should I tell you?

Could this woman be pretty but mentally ill? No wonder nobody comes to this martial arts hall.

"Um... I have things to do, so I'll be leaving." Jiang Yuan wanted to get away quickly and avoid getting tangled up with her.

A genius!

He was absolutely a genius!

Xu Yihan's eyes shone as excitement surged within her. She absolutely could not let such a promising prospect get away.

Seeing Jiang Yuan about to slip off, she immediately panicked.

"W-Wait!"

Her figure flashed, and Xu Yihan appeared before Jiang Yuan, reaching for his arm with incredible speed.

Jiang Yuan's brows furrowed and his face darkened. At the critical moment, he dodged her grab and swiftly counterattacked. Twisting at the waist, he launched a heavy upward punch covered in Crimson Ripple at Xu Yihan's chin.

Xu Yihan's eyes lit up.

"A perfect counterattack!"

"He even has such combat awareness!"

She grew even more excited!

She reached out and caught Jiang Yuan's heavy punch. The gale stirred by the impact exploded outward, becoming a spiraling gust that spread from their bodies and made the surrounding weapons hum.

Jiang Yuan frowned. "What exactly do you want?"

He did not sense any killing intent. Otherwise, this would have been his first deadly battle after awakening [Martial God]. Even if she was a Tier-Two Martial Artist, he did not think he would lose.

Xu Yihan held Jiang Yuan's fist, her pretty face flushed as she panted heavily and said excitedly, "Y-You should come here..."

Jiang Yuan froze, his expression turning strange.

Oh no.

I ran into a female pervert.

"Hoo..."

Xu Yihan's face drew close to Jiang Yuan's. A magnolia-like fragrance drifted toward him, making his heart race.

She's after my body.

Damn it.

Looking at that flawless, snow-white face and those plump, glossy Sakura lips so close to him, Jiang Yuan resignedly closed his eyes.

Come on!

You female beast!

"Come join our guild!"

"..."

"Huh?"

Jiang Yuan opened his eyes in confusion and met Xu Yihan's expectant, excited gaze.

"A guild?"

"That's right! The Blood Rose Guild."

Xu Yihan said.

At first, she had wanted Jiang Yuan to join the martial arts hall as a disciple. But after personally experiencing his actual combat power, she changed her mind.

Someone capable of such damage had most likely already become a Tier-One Martial Artist. He absolutely possessed a rare talent, and one focused entirely on damage.

More importantly, he was young. His room for growth was enormous!

Xu Yihan said, "You haven't joined a guild yet, right?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head.

"Our guild doesn't have many members right now, and we're lacking a damage-focused attacker. If you're willing to join, you'll receive a monthly subsidy of fifty thousand yuan. Equipment obtained from killing ferocious beasts will be distributed according to need, while gold and materials will be converted into their corresponding value. You'll also be able to use our martial arts hall's training equipment for free."

Jiang Yuan was a little tempted upon hearing that.

Fifty thousand a month, plus free use of training equipment...

Martial arts halls generally had Gravity Chambers, where cultivation was twice as effective with half the effort. Outsiders who wanted to use them usually had to pay thirty thousand yuan per hour.

"If I join, do I need to sign a long-term contract?"

"You can sign either a long-term contract or a short-term contract."

"That sounds pretty good."

Xu Yihan's face brightened. "So you agree?"

"But there's a problem."

"?"

"My blood and qi hasn't broken ten yet. I haven't become a Tier-One Martial Artist, so I can't enter Abyss dungeons yet." Jiang Yuan said awkwardly.

Xu Yihan froze.

Then her eyes widened, and she cried out in disbelief, "Y-You said what?"

"You haven't even reached Tier One yet?!!"

Seeing Jiang Yuan nod, she sucked in a cold breath. Her expression was utterly shaken as stormy waves surged through her heart.

Not even LV1, yet his damage exceeded ten thousand...

What kind of monster was this?!

"So let's talk about this after I become a Tier-One Martial Artist."

"I-I'll speak to our guild leader later. Let's exchange contact information first. My name is Xu Yihan. What's yours?"

"Jiang Yuan."

Xu Yihan murmured his name, and the two exchanged contact details.

After leaving the martial arts hall.

Jiang Yuan headed straight for the ferocious beast market. He spent all his savings on a large amount of ferocious beast meat, had it cooked, and arranged for it to be delivered.

In addition, he bought a Tier-One potion worth ten thousand yuan. It could replenish blood and qi and restore vital essence.

After making those purchases, Jiang Yuan's savings were completely exhausted.

"The poor pursue knowledge, the rich pursue martial arts. This really burns through money." Jiang Yuan sighed, his heart aching.

"But this much ferocious beast meat should last me a few days."

Once his blood and qi broke ten and he became a Tier-One Martial Artist, he could enter the Abyss to make money.

Sitting on the Sky Rail home.

[Beep, you have a new message.]

Guan Xiaoxiao: Come out!

Jiang Yuan: What for?

Guan Xiaoxiao: Duel!

A trace of nostalgia appeared in Jiang Yuan's eyes.

Ten years ago, Guan Xiaoxiao's home had been near Jiang Yuan's, and their families had been close, visiting each other often. But later, Guan Xiaoxiao's father rose in level, and her mother's potion business grew larger, so they moved to the wealthy district in the city. Jiang Yuan's parents also left their hometown due to work transfers, while Jiang Yuan moved in with his aunt for school. The two families gradually stopped seeing each other as often.

Jiang Yuan thought for a moment before replying, "Time and place?"

Guan Xiaoxiao replied quickly. "Nine tonight, Apricot Blossom Park."

Jiang Yuan: Sure.

Just as he finished replying, the entire Sky Rail suddenly shook violently in an abnormal manner.

"Warning! Warning!"

Jiang Yuan raised his head in alarm.

The alarms all lit up red with a buzzing sound, and the passengers panicked.

"What's going on?"

"An earthquake?"

Jiang Yuan suddenly sensed something and looked out the window, his pupils shrinking.

In the clear, cloudless sky, a pitch-black fissure appeared, as though the heavens had split open. Cracks spread outward from it, radiating an ominous aura.

"What... is that?" An office worker went pale.

Boom—!

A terrifying shockwave surged from the fissure, cracking half the sky. Like a tidal storm, the shockwave tore through the clouds and bore down on the city below with the force to destroy everything.

Every hair on Jiang Yuan's body stood on end as an indescribable sense of danger flooded his heart.

On another Sky Rail train, a blue-haired woman with her eyes covered by a strip of black satin stared out the window in shock. "What the hell! What's going on?"

Just as she was about to remove the black satin, the middle-aged woman beside her stopped her.

"Don't do anything rash."

At the same time.

Several figures appeared above the city.

Liu He, the principal of Martial Arts High School, was among them, but he could only stand in the back row. At the front stood an elderly man with snow-white hair, leaning on a saber and radiating terrifying pressure.

"Get lost!"

The old man's furious roar boomed like heavenly thunder, forcibly blocking the shockwave descending from the sky!

Yet the collision between the two forces of vibration still had a considerable impact on the city.

The Sky Rail trains in the air shook violently. Cracks spread across the glass, which could withstand missiles, while passengers screamed in panic and clutched tightly at whatever was within reach.

Jiang Yuan stared fixedly at the sky.

What... was that thing?