Martial Artist Standards

This world had an exceptionally clear classification for the strength of martial artists.

Since the revival of spiritual energy, Gene Martial Arts had held that the human body contained limitless potential.

As development continued, the martial path was divided into nine realms, corresponding to the nine Secret Treasury Gates within the human body.

The first Secret Treasury Gate was known as the Body Gate.

Once opened, one's physical strength would increase dramatically. Tearing apart tigers and leopards with bare hands would be no great feat. Only then could one be considered to have truly embarked upon the path of martial cultivation.

The second Secret Treasury Gate was called the Sinew and Bone Gate.

Upon reaching this realm, one's tendons would resemble drawn bows and one's bones alloy. The power one could unleash would be terrifying.

According to international martial artist standards, a First-order Martial Artist needed a minimum punching force of 1,000 kilograms and a speed of 30 meters per second. Only upon meeting these standards could one be called a martial artist.

Su Bei's previous test results had shown a peak punching force of 800 kilograms and a top speed of 17 meters per second. That was already considered outstanding among his peers, placing him within the ranks of Quasi-Martial Artists.

A Quasi-Martial Artist was, in essence, someone who had met the prerequisites for opening a Secret Treasury Gate.

Once he opened a Secret Treasury Gate, he could immediately become a registered martial artist, receive state subsidies, and enjoy endless martial arts benefits. He would directly join the most influential class of people.

It was precisely because of this status, combined with his excellent academic grades, that he had been admitted to True Martial University.

As one of the top ten martial arts institutions, it had a military background and limited enrollment slots across all of Sky Lake Base City. Being admitted there was enough to show Su Bei's excellence.

Su Bei's home was not far from the martial hall. After walking for less than ten minutes, he could see a massive building in the distance. Its entire structure was enclosed by an oval steel frame, covering an enormous area nearly ten times the size of a standard stadium from his previous life.

A huge logo hung above the building, depicting a person throwing a punch.

Beside it were four large characters: Wuji Martial Hall.

With the flourishing of martial arts, martial halls had naturally sprung up like mushrooms after rain, appearing almost everywhere.

Wuji Martial Hall was one of the best among them.

Backed by the Martial Artist Guild and endorsed by dozens of Legendary Experts, no amount of grandeur would have been excessive.

Once he became a true martial artist, Wuji Martial Hall would not only refund all his previous expenses but could even provide him with a job.

He checked in and entered the martial hall.

As usual, the martial hall was bustling with activity. People came and went, and muscular men and curvy women could be seen everywhere. Naturally, there was no shortage of handsome men and pretty girls as well.

Even so.

Su Bei's appearance still drew the attention of most people.

That naturally had much to do with his looks raising the local average by a considerable margin.

The other reason was, of course, the badge hanging on his chest.

A single star.

It represented the strength and status of a Senior Student.

Only Quasi-Martial Artists could obtain it. Since entering high school, Su Bei had trained at this martial hall, and he was now one of its Senior Students.

Sky Lake Base City was a second-tier base city with a population nearing ten million. Martial arts flourished there, and even most white-collar workers with average aptitude had the habit of working out.

Thus, while martial halls were not quite everywhere, there were still over a hundred of varying sizes.

Once the members were spread out, Wuji Martial Hall had only a few hundred Senior Students in total, and Su Bei was one of them.

Other than some older people with proper jobs, there were not no Senior Students around Su Bei's age—he simply crushed them in looks.

At the same time, because of his family circumstances, Su Bei also worked as a coach in the Basic Area during his spare time. It barely counted as a part-time job, earning him some living expenses for university.

"Brother Su!"

"Morning, Brother Su!"

"Brother Su, you're handsome again today!"

"Coach Su, when are you coming to teach a class in our Basic Area?"

"The girls in our Basic Area have been waiting with bated breath."

All along the way, people greeted him. Su Bei merely nodded in acknowledgment, and whenever anyone was overly enthusiastic, he brushed them off with, "Next time, for sure."

It was not that he was putting on a cold and aloof act. It was simply his nature. In this life, he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to cultivation, leaving his social circle unexpectedly simple and giving him few friends.

After passing through the Basic Area, Su Bei entered the Intermediate Area under everyone's envious gazes.

"Train harder! I'm definitely getting into the Intermediate Area this year!"

"The Intermediate Area requires at least the strength of a Quasi-Martial Artist, and the monthly membership fee alone is twenty thousand. If you're not a Quasi-Martial Artist, only the rich and powerful can afford to enter!"

"Ugh, money is secondary. But becoming a Quasi-Martial Artist is just too difficult..."

"You think everyone can be like Su Bei..."

"But have you noticed that Coach Su seems a little different today?"

"How is he different?"

"I can't put my finger on it. He just feels even more attractive..."

"...I think you just want his body."

The Intermediate Area.

Once he arrived there.

The number of people visibly decreased, and it was no longer as noisy as the Basic Area.

Only a few people were training in Gene Martial Arts under the guidance of instructors.

This was also an area Su Bei frequented. It was fully equipped, and all the equipment was newly developed.

Among them was a "Gravity Room" that Su Bei had only seen in movies and anime in his previous life. It was downright black technology, capable of adjusting gravity up to twenty times normal. It was enormously beneficial for cultivation.

It was said that it ran on the rare material known as Source Crystals, consuming quite a bit each time it was activated.

Of course, the price was equally daunting. A single use cost over one hundred thousand, far beyond what Su Bei could afford.

But today.

Su Bei had not come for those things.

He found a strength-testing machine in a corner.

The next moment.

Boom!

It was as though thunder had exploded!

The muscles across Su Bei's body surged like coiling dragons. His gaze was calm, his waist and thighs moved in unison, and his whole body became like a great bow. His fists blurred as they shot out, and every punch that struck the padded target of the machine produced a deafening bang!

At the same time, strings of numbers frantically appeared on the display.

1281 KG!

1297 KG!

1299 KG!

1298 KG!

Although Su Bei's face remained calm as he looked at the numbers on the machine, a storm had already risen in his heart!

Just one Marrow Cleansing Pill had increased his strength by a full thousand jin!

Forcefully suppressing the excitement in his heart, Su Bei headed to the speed-testing track. He stood at the starting line, and as the signal sounded, his body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. After reaching the finish line, Su Bei turned back to look.

3.18s

The speed-testing track was a standard one-hundred-meter track.

So... 31.4 m/s?

Su Bei's expression grew somewhat dazed as he looked at the data.

A punching force of 1,300 kilograms and a speed of 31.4 m/s.

He had met the minimum standards for a martial artist just like that?

Even among martial artists, such figures would definitely not make him weak!

And this was not even his full strength. Because his body had only just undergone marrow cleansing, his control over his power was still far from its peak!

There was still potential within his body waiting to be unearthed!

If he opened a Secret Treasury Gate with this level of strength, then once he successfully opened the Body Gate, his strength would increase to an incredibly exaggerated degree!

But at the thought of opening a Secret Treasury Gate, Su Bei's spirits deflated again.

Opening a Secret Treasury Gate was not something that could be accomplished through a surge of spiritual energy like in fantasy novels. It required a medium to work in tandem with it before the Secret Treasury Gates within the human body could be opened.

This medium was called a Mystic Treasure.

There were many kinds of Mystic Items, and their prices varied as well. Yet even the cheapest Secret Treasury Potion was beyond what he could currently afford.

However, if he achieved good results in this Martial Artist Assessment, the association would provide a Mystic Treasure for free.

And this Martial Artist Assessment was only one month away.

With his original strength of 800 kilograms, calling him cannon fodder might have been excessive, but it was true that he had almost no chance of achieving good results.

But now, perhaps he did have a chance.

With that thought, Su Bei calmed himself and began to train steadily, one move at a time.

He needed to familiarize himself with this "brand-new" body as quickly as possible and unearth all of his potential in preparation for the Martial Artist Assessment.