I haven't seen Zhang Junbao's strength firsthand yet. This is a good chance to let him show what he can do in front of the captain, Chief Instructor Wu Tong thought.
Wu Tong's captain, Luo Wenchong, was also watching Zhang Junbao with anticipation. He had only paid attention to Zhang Junbao before because of Wu Tong's recommendation. If he really was as Jiang Nian had described, Luo Wenchong wouldn't mind giving him a hand.
For Luo Wenchong, making small investments in young martial artist geniuses was a good habit. After all, no one knew what might happen in the Wilderness Zone. Befriending a genius might bring unexpected rewards someday.
Of course, all of this depended on Zhang Junbao being a genuine genius.
Zhang Junbao stood before the punching target and took a deep breath. He stepped his feet apart, planting them as firmly as if they had taken root in the ground.
The feet were the source of strength. If one's footing was unsteady, even the greatest strength would be difficult to bring to bear.
Power surged from the soles of his feet. After being compressed in his calves, it was amplified again through his waist and hips. His spine then curved slightly, like a powerful bow drawn taut. The force traveled through his entire body to his arm, each segment linked to the next, until all the strength in his body became one.
With a bang, Zhang Junbao's body snapped taut like the string of a powerful bow, and his fist was the arrow nocked and ready to fly. It shot out like a streak and slammed viciously into the punching target with a boom.
After throwing the punch, a hint of delight appeared in Zhang Junbao's eyes. After a few fights, I've basically gotten the hang of what my body can do. Whether I'm exerting force or throwing a punch, it all feels wonderfully smooth and satisfying. The muscles throughout my body are working together better, too.
He glanced at the display.
"1376 kg!!!"
"This..."
Everyone present was stunned by the punching force Zhang Junbao had produced. Even Jiang Nian, who had seen Zhang Junbao's strength before, was no exception. It clearly hadn't been like this yesterday, so why had his strength grown so quickly?
The punching force required to pass the Quasi-Warrior Assessment was 900 kg. Zhang Junbao's output far exceeded that requirement and was approaching the level of an Intermediate Warrior.
"Good!"
Jiang Nian praised him, and many of the martial artists present immediately joined in.
Chief Instructor Wu Tong rubbed his chin and nodded. "Not bad, young man. Your feet stayed firmly rooted to the ground when you punched, and you didn't lose your center of gravity. You also brought most of the muscles in your body into that punch, yet it was very smooth. You have excellent control over your body!
"Some martial artists pursue extreme power at all costs, caring only about throwing the strongest punch they can. They might hit harder that way, but they lose their center of gravity. If you can't control your center of gravity while fighting a monster to the death, that's suicide!
"Good, very good!"
Wu Tong was unstinting with his praise. At the same time, he wanted to show his captain the strength of the genius martial artist in his jurisdiction.
Luo Wenchong nodded. Although Zhang Junbao's punching force was nothing much in his eyes, his control was truly astonishing. Even Luo Wenchong himself, with the advantage of being a spirit reader, had only reached that level a few years ago.
Talent mattered most to martial artists. Although hard work was crucial, without comprehension and talent, hard work alone could not make someone truly strong.
"Hahaha, this kid Zhang Junbao is very capable in actual combat," Instructor Jiang Nian laughed loudly. "He defeated five advanced students all by himself, and even scared one of them into wetting himself on the spot! The whole thing took less than half a minute. Absolutely clean and decisive!"
Jiang Nian didn't forget to advertise Zhang Junbao's record, earning himself plenty of face in front of a group of old friends!
Hearing Jiang Nian and Wu Tong's praise, Zhang Junbao felt a rush of satisfaction. How many years had it been since he had felt this excitement? Once, in his pursuit of the pinnacle of martial arts, he could only work hard in silence, alone.
But in this era, countless martial artists walked ahead of him, giving him the ambition to pursue and surpass them once more, until he became the strongest.
In his youth, he had challenged his own limits step by step in just this way, ultimately becoming the greatest in the martial world. Now that he had set out on his journey again, the fighting spirit in Zhang Junbao's heart was set ablaze at this moment!
The ten people soon completed the punching force test. Those who dared come here to be tested generally had genuine ability, and their strength was certainly not lacking. One unlucky fellow, however, was too nervous to perform well and only managed "895 kg." He was just 5 kg short of the requirement and could have passed if he had been in slightly better form.
Punching force was Yang Wu's strong suit. He scored 956 kg, just enough to edge out Tong Guan.
"Junbao, well done! That punching force of yours really has my admiration!" Yang Wu praised him, patting Zhang Junbao on the shoulder.
"You weren't bad yourself, Brother Yang! Much better than that Tong Guan!"
"That's true, but speed is my weak point in the next test. Speed was where I failed last time."
"Next, the speed test. One at a time. Yang Wu, you're first," Chief Instructor Wu Tong instructed.
Yang Wu took a deep breath and walked up to the test track.
"Brother Yang, you can do it!"
Zhang Junbao also knew that Yang Wu wasn't fast enough. He went behind Yang Wu and pressed twice on his back. Yang Wu suddenly felt as though his body had become considerably lighter.
"Get ready!"
Without giving Yang Wu time to think, Wu Tong gave the order. Yang Wu began preparing, adjusting his breathing.
Yang Wu's feet thudded against the ground. With powerful swings of his arms and forceful pushes from his legs, he quickly accelerated to his limit. His face twisted, the veins on his forehead throbbed, and he gritted his teeth as he ran madly. As he ran through the speed test zone, he even let out a muffled growl!
I have to pass! Yang Wu roared inwardly as he came to a stop.
He turned to look, his heart in his throat. When he saw Zhang Junbao smiling and giving him a thumbs-up, he felt as though he had been lifted straight into heaven.
"Hahaha, Yang Wu, it looks like your hard work has finally paid off. You actually made the cut," Jiang Nian said with a hearty laugh from the side.
Yang Wu was also from his branch, and his passing the assessment brought Jiang Nian face as well. It looked like he would not only gain a genius in Zhang Junbao this time, but also pick up Yang Wu. Jiang Nian felt thoroughly pleased.
Yang Wu ran over excitedly to take a look-"252 ms," just enough to pass.
"That was close!" Yang Wu glanced gratefully at Zhang Junbao. Although he didn't know what Zhang Junbao had done just now, without that press on his back, he might have failed at the speed test again.
Zhang Junbao smiled at him but said nothing. He had just opened the meridians in Yang Wu's back that connected to his legs. With his blood and qi flowing freely, his speed had naturally increased.
Zhang Junbao had discovered that although modern martial artists were physically stronger than those of the past, their control over their meridians was not much better. These martial arts school students only trained their bodies and had almost no control over their meridians.
The students passed the test one after another, and soon it was Zhang Junbao's turn.
"Zhang Junbao," Chief Instructor Wu Tong called.
"Junbao, you can do it! We're going to take the Martial Artist Combat Assessment together!"
Yang Wu encouraged him, though he wasn't worried when he thought of Zhang Junbao's miraculous methods.
Zhang Junbao stepped onto the track and adjusted his breathing slightly. Unlike Yang Wu, who relied on brute force, Zhang Junbao gave the impression that his whole being had blended into nature.
Whoosh!!!
Zhang Junbao became a phantom, moving at an astonishing speed. Like a bolt of lightning tearing across the track, he reached the finish line in an instant.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that he was considerably faster than the people before him!
The onlookers let out cries of astonishment, and even the dozen or so martial artists were no exception.