Head Instructor Wu Tong exercised his warrior privileges. He and Jiang Nian were both warriors, as well as mid-level managers of the Limits Dojo. In this era, giving powerful warriors sufficient authority was true fairness, because only they could stand against the demon beasts rampaging outside the Base Cities.
Without buying tickets, the two took Zhang Junbao aboard a train bound for Jiangnan City's main urban district.
Trains provided transportation between the main urban district and the Eight Satellite Cities.
Ordinary people had to book train tickets three days in advance, and the fares were expensive. As for traveling from one Base City to another... the fare was astronomical, far beyond what ordinary people could afford. Thus, Jiangnan City's two hundred million residents rarely had a chance to leave the Base City's confines in their entire lives.
On a street in the main urban district of Jiangnan Base City.
Zhang Junbao, Wu Tong, and Jiang Nian walked side by side.
"Junbao, what do you think of the main urban district?" Jiang Nian asked with a smile, gesturing around them.
Zhang Junbao looked around. It was his first time seeing modern high-rises with his own eyes. The district was indeed much more prosperous than Yangzhou City, and this was after the Grand Nirvana. He could not help feeling a little moved.
"Even humans, capable of creating such a flourishing civilization, have been driven by a bunch of demon beasts to huddle like turtles inside safe Base Cities?"
"Hahaha, yes. Human civilization is quite prosperous, but in the end, this world still has to be upheld by force. After all, there's no communicating through human civilization with a bunch of demon beasts driven purely by bestial instincts. We can only drive them back by force.
"That's why warriors are the greatest people of this era. They're all people who put their lives on the line to protect human civilization!"
Jiang Nian was similarly moved. Hadn't they trained warrior after warrior precisely to give humanity a little more fighting strength against the demon beasts?
At that moment, Wu Tong's phone rang. "Hello?"
"Wu Tong, how much longer until you get here with him?" The old man appeared on the screen.
"Uncle Bai, we'll be there within ten minutes," Wu Tong said with a smile.
"Good. I've even invited the supervisor. Don't let anything go wrong when the time comes," Uncle Bai said solemnly.
"The supervisor?" Wu Tong was startled.
As they spoke, Zhang Junbao spotted a vast compound ahead. Beyond its long silver-white perimeter wall stood a towering dark-blue skyscraper. Four enormous characters on the building were clearly visible from several miles away: Limits Dojo!
"This is the Limit General Hall, our Limits Dojo's headquarters in Jiangnan City," Jiang Nian said.
"There are so many powerful people here." Zhang Junbao sensed auras faintly emanating from all around him. Almost none were weaker than Luo Feng's.
"These are our Limits Dojo's internal troops. To be stationed here, they must have at least the strength of an advanced dojo trainee. If they meet the warrior standard, they become junior officers."
Jiang Nian explained.
"Come on, let's go in." Wu Tong led the two through the main gate.
"Let them through!"
A one-armed man with a scar on his face waved an order at the main gate. At once, all the soldiers stepped back. The force of their perfect unison made Zhang Junbao hold his breath.
The one-armed man glanced at Jiang Nian with a smile. "Oh, Old Wu and Old Jiang. What brought the two of you here together? You haven't been to headquarters in a while. Come by later and we brothers can have a few drinks."
"Definitely, definitely." Jiang Nian smiled and made the introduction. "Junbao, this is your senior. Call him Uncle Lu."
"Uncle Lu." Zhang Junbao could tell that Uncle Lu was a powerful warrior. Even with one arm severed, the aura faintly emanating from him was terrifying.
Yet someone of his strength was merely guarding the entrance at the Limit Hall headquarters.
"Good lad," one-armed Uncle Lu said with an approving nod.
"No time to chat. Uncle Bai is waiting for us. Talk later."
The three entered the hall, and Jiang Nian could not help sighing. "The man you just called Uncle Lu is a brother I went out into the world with back then, a brother in life and death I could entrust my back to! His arm was broken off by a single slap from a Black-furred Iron Ape, an ape-type monster."
Zhang Junbao listened quietly, feeling the cruelty of this era as well.
"We warriors of the Limit Hall are very united. Look, almost everyone going in and out of this building is a warrior."
"Almost all warriors?" Clearly, there were more warriors than Zhang Junbao had expected.
"Yes. Warrior Level warriors usually stay on the second through ninth floors, while War General Level warriors stay on the tenth through nineteenth floors."
Jiang Nian explained.
"Warriors are divided into Warrior Level, War General Level, and the extremely rare War God Level. Each level is further divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced stages. Warrior Level warriors are the most numerous. Many warriors never manage to break through and become war generals in their entire lives. Generally, warriors who have just passed the assessment are at Beginner Warrior Level."
Wu Tong continued.
"But your situation is a little unusual. Based on your punching force, you're a Beginner Warrior, but your speed has already reached the level of an Intermediate Warrior. As for your movement technique, we can't measure it.
"You should know that my captain, Luo Wenchong, is already an Advanced Warlord, but his movement technique has only just touched upon Perfect Level, and he still hasn't fully mastered it.
"Your talent is outstanding, but you must never grow arrogant. Every year, quite a few geniuses fall for all sorts of reasons. A genius who hasn't yet grown will always be just a genius, not a powerhouse!"
Wu Tong instructed him.
Zhang Junbao nodded. He understood that principle.
"But you don't need to worry too much. Once you cultivate Genetic Origin Energy, your strength will improve further. You might even reach War General Level soon. I've never seen talent like yours before.
"Above War General Level is War God Level. They truly are gods of war! Ordinary firearms can still injure Warrior Level warriors, but they're already hard-pressed to threaten those at War General Level. A War General Level warrior's speed and reflexes are enough to dodge them with ease. That's why War General Level warriors are already rare elites among warriors.
"As for War God Level warriors, even a hail of bullets can't hurt them. A single punch or kick from them can easily destroy an apartment building. Their destructive power is hard to imagine."
As Zhang Junbao listened to Wu Tong's explanation, he gained a general understanding of warriors' strength. War God Level was perhaps the level he had reached in his previous life. Because of the nature of the world, he had never been able to break through to the next stage.
"Instructor, what kind of existence lies above the Wargods?" Zhang Junbao asked.
"Above the Wargods, every one of them has the power to destroy heaven and earth. Even a nation must treat such power with caution. But there are far too few people like that. Even under the government of Huaxia Country, there are only two or three such invincible powerhouses."
Above the Wargods was a goal Zhang Junbao had set for himself. He knew very well that what was called the level above Wargods was only Planetary Level in the universe, without even the ability to protect oneself.
And now, he saw hope of breaking through the realm that had held him back for so long in his previous life.
"Work hard and become a War God Level warrior, Junbao! I believe you have the potential. You're the pride of our Yangzhou City!"
The three talked along the way, and Wu Tong and Jiang Nian also taught Zhang Junbao a great deal of common knowledge about warriors, allowing him to truly glimpse the wonders of their world.
Before long, the three arrived outside a detached, three-story villa. It occupied a sizable plot. From the second-floor balcony, a gray-haired old man called out, "Jiang Nian, come up quickly."
"Come on, follow me up."
Wu Tong and Jiang Nian led Zhang Junbao quickly into the villa.