The dormitory.
His chance encounter with Mu En during the day had raised Xiao Zi's vigilance several notches. After returning, he specifically reminded Dai Huabin not to give anything away in how he addressed him, nor to act too respectfully.
For example, they would now take turns cleaning the dormitory, so their behavior would look normal to outsiders and no one would wonder which of them was the lackey.
There were still a few days before classes began. Just as Xiao Zi was considering what to do, a voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
A ghostly blue virtual figure appeared, barely a meter forty tall, with two pointed horns on her head and eyes that, for some reason, were filled with blood-red light.
Seeing her, Xiao Zi exclaimed, "Babata!"
With her name called out immediately, Babata deflated a little, the blood-red light gradually fading from her eyes. "I was going to give you a scare, but since you still recognize me, I'll let it slide!"
As the intelligent lifeform at Luo Feng's side, she had lost her job after her master became a Void True God. Now that she finally had a chance to work again, she naturally had to seize it.
After hearing Babata's explanation, Xiao Zi seemed to understand. "So you're going to be following me from now on?"
Babata snorted. "I'm not your lackey! Master only sent me here to make communication easier. From now on, I'll relay any news from Swallowed Star!"
Luo Feng had met Babata back when he was at the Planetary Level, but only after becoming an Immortal Expert had he gained her formal recognition and been called her master. Xiao Zi had no intention of taking anything that belonged to Luo Feng. Being able to stay in contact with him was more than enough.
He listened humbly. "What do you need me to do?"
Babata wasted no words and opened a spatial passage. "Master said you should take the Martial Artist Assessment first and obtain Swallowed Star's basic cultivation method."
"There's no time to lose. Let's go now!"
Unsure how time flowed between the two worlds, Xiao Zi gave Dai Huabin a few instructions, then stepped into the passage and headed to Swallowed Star.
Huaxia Country.
Jiangnan City.
Yi'an District.
The azure sky resembled an enormous piece of jade. The blazing midsummer sun hung high above, bringing scorching heat and warmth to the earth.
Ever since Luo Feng became a Void True God, Earthlings had revered him as Earth's Progenitor, constantly offering worship and paying homage. Every city had a gigantic statue of him. Jiangnan City was the most famous among them, as it was Luo Feng's hometown.
Having been here before, Xiao Zi knew his way around. Under Babata's guidance, he boarded a vehicle from the Limit Martial Arts School and headed to its branch for the assessment.
Upon entering the martial arts school, he found people registering on both the lawns and the roads. Keeping his eyes straight ahead, Xiao Zi followed the route Babata marked out and headed directly to the teaching building.
Rumble-
A low roar surged through the air as a new-model Aston Martin sped over, trailing bursts of exhaust along the way.
At the sight, some people wanted to step forward and stop it, but after seeing the emblem on the car, they lowered their banners and stilled their drums, not daring to approach.
Before the formal Martial Artist Assessment, there was also a Quasi-Martial Artist test.
"But considering your circumstances, Master skipped that part. In other words, you're already a Martial Artist. Once you pass the next assessment, you'll be assigned a detached villa, plus a base salary of twenty thousand Huaxia Currency a month!" Babata explained enthusiastically.
Earthlings now lived much better lives than they had when monsters ran rampant, and prices had fallen somewhat. Even so, a detached villa still cost over a hundred million Huaxia Currency.
When he arrived at the training hall, people who had passed the punching strength and speed tests were already waiting there, including the man who had arrived in the Aston Martin sports car.
A staff member brought out contracts. "These are application agreements for the Martial Artist Combat Assessment. If you're killed by a monster during the assessment, the Limit Martial Arts School bears no responsibility. Of course, the likelihood of that is very low."
Everyone took a contract, looked it over, and signed their names without hesitation.
The staff member continued, "Due to special circumstances, this assessment will be held slightly earlier. I'll give each of you a copy of the Gene Origin Energy Cultivation Method. Study it carefully after you return. Tomorrow, the Limit Martial Arts School will send vehicles to take you to the assessment site."
Just as everyone was about to disperse, someone suddenly spoke up. "Wait. We all passed the Quasi-Warrior Assessment to stand here. This person just appeared out of nowhere. Is he a Martial Artist too?"
The speaker was the man who had arrived in the Aston Martin. Xiao Zi asked politely, "My name is Li Lezi. May I ask your name?"
Ignoring the outstretched hand, the man kept both hands in his pockets, his manner arrogant. "Luo Xiaowei, of the Luo Family."
Babata tapped away at her keyboard, searching frantically on the screen, and quickly identified him. "He's a descendant of Luo Yanchang, Master's eighth-generation descendant!"
Understanding dawned on Xiao Zi. He withdrew his hand as though nothing had happened and said nothing.
The staff member stepped forward to explain. "We have orders from above to keep this Martial Artist's identity confidential for now. If you have questions, Mr. Luo, perhaps you could ask someone else?"
"You... hmph!" Unable to get the answer he wanted, Luo Xiaowei stormed off in a rage.
Babata appeared and warned him, "He doesn't look willing to let this go. Don't go out today. Stay at the Limit Martial Arts School!"
Xiao Zi nodded. "That's what I was thinking too."
Classes at Shrek would begin soon. It was better not to let fresh branches grow from the knot, but to finish the Martial Artist Assessment and return as soon as possible.
Mingyue Residential Area.
With Luo Feng's backing, Xiao Zi moved into the Mingyue Residential Area without trouble and took out his newly acquired cultivation method to examine it.
According to Swallowed Star, there was only one way to cultivate gene origin energy: the Five Hearts Toward Heaven Cultivation Method. Anyone whose physical fitness met the requirements for a Martial Artist could practice it.
Having been a mage in his previous life, Xiao Zi was somewhat lacking in strength. This was also why Luo Feng had skipped the assessment for him. Punching strength and speed could be improved later; for now, actual combat took priority.
The first step of the Five Hearts Toward Heaven Cultivation Method was sensing. Following the method's instructions, Xiao Zi held the Five Hearts Facing the Sky posture, gradually steadying his breathing and calming his mind.
As he sought to sense the energy, he also replaced his previous cultivation method, incorporating it into the newly acquired Five Hearts Toward Heaven Cultivation Method.
A warm current flowed in through his eight extraordinary meridians. This was cosmic energy. Compared with the Douluo World, the energy in Swallowed Star was undoubtedly purer; a single day of cultivation here was worth several days there.
At the same time, another invisible force emanated from his mind, allowing him to control objects at will. Put simply, he could move things without touching them.
"That's spiritual force," Babata reminded him.
Compared with ordinary Martial Artists, Spiritual Force Masters could fight opponents above their level and kill without a trace. If a comparison had to be made, they were much like Mental-Type Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent.
This Martial Artist Combat Assessment had been arranged in great haste. After cultivating for one night and gaining an initial grasp of the Five Hearts Toward Heaven Cultivation Method, Xiao Zi found that the day of the assessment had already arrived.
Before actual combat began, Martial Artists needed to choose a suitable weapon, both to kill monsters and to cut off their ears for the tally.
Xiao Zi had twin martial souls. The Golden Horned Beast was not particularly suitable here, so he chose his second martial soul, the Destruction Scepter, as his weapon.