Chapter 4: Fist Power Test

The next day.

Today was the fist power test. Chen Yan knew this was a tremendous opportunity, so he arrived at Xue Xiao early.

【Saint-Breaking Realm: Level One (2/3)】

【Break-Saint Fruit:

Strength: (54/100)

Blood (9/100)】

In his seat, Chen Yan reflected — he had told Wang Yang yesterday about the Red Glow he had produced.

And Wang Yang had only let out a sigh.

He knew what that sigh meant.

But he had the Holy Tree, so surely it could change something.

At this moment.

Students filed into the Classroom one after another. Class Head Teacher Wang Yang was already standing at the podium, waiting:

"Once Class One and Class Two finish, our class will begin the Fist Power Test. Anyone who passes the Fist Power Test will not only be eligible to take part in the subsequent True Martial Prize Money selection.

The school will also directly reward everyone fifteen hundred yuan."

The moment Wang Yang spoke, the whole class erupted in cheers.

"Don't get so happy so soon. Class One has already finished testing — only seven people passed in total." Wang Yang spoke again, and the cheers in the class died down.

"All these tests require long, accumulated effort. A single test will show exactly who has been slacking off and who has been working hard."

Wang Yang raised his voice. In the class, apart from a few scattered students, everyone else lowered their heads.

"Brother Hu, are you confident?"

In front of Chen Yan, Hu Yuan's Classmate asked Hu Yuan.

Hu Yuan was tall and broad, and his test results had always been quite good.

"One hundred sixty kilograms… naturally, no problem." Hu Yuan spoke with confidence. His body was strong, and he was among the very best in the class.

"Class Three, prepare to begin the Fist Power Test!"

From the broadcast came the voice of Principal Zhang Yue.

Wang Yang swept his hand, and the entire class left the Classroom and headed for the Training Room.

The Training Room was very spacious. The moment Chen Yan entered, he saw at a glance several lines of writing on the blackboard at the very front.

【Fist Power Results】

【First Place: Class One Yu Zhiwen, 563 kilograms】

【Second Place: Class Two Wang Yu, 385 kilograms】

【Fifth Place: Class Three Zhang Qingsi, 257 kilograms】

…………

The Class Three students instantly burst into a wave of surprised murmurs.

"Director Xia Dong has already taken Zhang Qingsi to test."

Wang Yang spoke:

"Zhang Qingsi has only just had his Awakening of Qi and Blood and isn't used to it yet. Once he adjusts, his fist power will only get stronger."

Chen Yan looked toward the First Place spot, his Mu Guang trembling.

Yu Zhiwen — 563 kilograms of Fist Power — had pulled far ahead of the second-place Wang Yu.

The key point: Yu Zhiwen was still a girl. Chen Yan had seen her around on normal days; she looked very gentle and refined. He hadn't expected her strength to be so terrifying.

A single punch like that could probably kill a cow.

As for the second-place Wang Yu, he had not undergone Awakening of Qi and Blood and walked the path of Horizontal Refinement.

To reach such terrifying Fist Power through raw Flesh strength alone, his natural constitution and punching Technique must both be formidable.

"Class Three, let's begin. Go in seat order."

In the Training Room, a Female Teacher stood in front of a machine taller than herself and spoke.

That was the Force Tester — one punch, and it would display the Fist Power.

Each person had three chances.

Soon, a student walked up to the Force Tester with a nervous look.

"Pay attention to your force." Wang Yang spoke.

"Okay, teacher." That Male Student took a deep Breath and threw a punch.

Bang—

The sensor at the very center of the Force Tester, wrapped in a soft membrane, trembled violently.

"Wang Xueyuan, one hundred thirty-five kilograms."

The Female Teacher recorded the result as she announced it. The Male Student named Wang Xueyuan's face darkened, and he walked away at once.

"Two more chances left." The Female Teacher spoke.

"Not testing again. The gap's a bit too big." Wang Xueyuan replied, lowering his head as he spoke dejectedly.

"Next." The Female Teacher offered no comfort either.

Chen Yan's seat wasn't toward the front, so he had to wait quite a while.

"Yu Cheng, one hundred twenty-four kilograms."

"Zhao Xi, one hundred thirty kilograms."

"Zhang Wei, best of three attempts one hundred fifty-eight kilograms — just a bit short."

………………

Testing fist power didn't take much time; nearly twenty people had been tested in no time.

"I told you all to work hard normally, and now you're crying—what's the point?" Class Head Teacher Wang Yang's expression darkened.

Some of the male students who had originally been very confident already had tears welling in their eyes.

Reality was a bit too far from what they had imagined in their heads.

Class Three's results were far worse than Class One and Class Two's; out of sixty students in the whole class, not a single one among the first third had passed.

"Hu Yuan." The Female Teacher spoke.

Hu Yuan, hearing his name, clenched his fist, a hint of nervousness surfacing in his eyes, and walked forward.

"Hu Yuan, remember to exert force properly!" Wang Yang urged—Hu Yuan was one of the few students he had higher hopes for.

At the same time, the other students also began to offer encouragement.

Yesterday, it was supposed to be Zhang Qingsi treating everyone to barbecue, but Hu Yuan paid the bill himself, and later even treated everyone to drinks, which caused Hu Yuan's reputation to grow rapidly.

"I can definitely do it!" Hu Yuan said in a low, firm voice, stepping up to the Force Tester; his nervousness faded, and his confidence returned.

His dad told him to curry favor with Zhang Qingsi, but who didn't want to rely on themselves?

Bang!

As the sensor trembled violently, a string of numbers appeared on the Force Tester's Monitoring Screen.

"One hundred fifty-seven kilograms, just a little short."

The Female Teacher spoke.

Hu Yuan's expression faltered slightly, and he quickly said:

"Teacher, a second try."

"Mm."

Hu Yuan took a deep breath and exerted force again.

Bang!

"Teacher, I…"

"Third try, Preparation."

Bang!

Hu Yuan returned to where his class was gathered with an extremely ugly expression; some classmates beside him exchanged glances, their feelings very complicated.

While making comforting gestures, a hint of mockery inevitably surfaced in the depths of their eyes.

One hundred fifty-nine kilograms—that was Hu Yuan's best result.

He was only one kilogram short of passing the test.

If he had been short by more, Hu Yuan wouldn't have felt so terrible, but a mere one-fifty had just flown away right before his eyes.

Hu Yuan sat dejectedly on the ground; Wang Yang's Sigh reached his ears, along with the Female Teacher's voice.

"Chen Yan."

"Good." The voice he disliked rang out—Hu Yuan wanted to witness the other person being Eliminated with his own eyes, but thinking of himself, he couldn't even be bothered to lift his head.

Tears involuntarily welled up in his eyes.

"Hu Yuan, you were just a little short—want to try one more time…"

A classmate's suggestion reached his ears; Hu Yuan was Stunned, falling into hesitation..

But thinking that he had almost passed, Hu Yuan still looked toward Wang Yang with hope and said:

"Wang Laoshi, I want to try one more—"

Bang!

The sound of a Fist striking the Force Tester rang out.

In an instant, a burst of cheers erupted throughout all of Class Three.

"Chen Yan, one hundred sixty-seven kilograms."

All thoughts inside Hu Yuan's Brain came to a halt; he stared blankly toward the front.

"Chen Yan, do you want to test a second time?" the Female Teacher asked Laughing, a hint of surprise and doubt surfacing in her eyes.

His way of exerting force clearly wasn't good, yet one punch landed and he passed the test.

That meant this student's own strength was very great.

"No need."

Chen Yan said with a smile:

"Passing the test is enough."

"Chen Yan, not bad!"

Even Class Head Teacher Wang Yang hadn't expected Chen Yan to pass—after all, Chen Yan had a one-year gap, and having been bedridden for a year, his physical functions were surely diminished.

Wang Yang gave a thumbs-up and patted Chen Yan's Shoulder:

"Go to the Classroom next door to collect your reward, after that you're free to do as you like."

Wang Yang, however, looked toward Hu Yuan—he had naturally heard what Hu Yuan had just said:

"No can do, Hu Yuan, three tries is the Xue Xiao rule."

"Huh?" Hu Yuan opened his Mouth wide, but in his peripheral vision saw Chen Yan walk past him, and his expression instantly grew even uglier.

In the Classroom next door, Principal Zhang Yue was sitting upright; he had naturally heard the sounds from the Training Room earlier.

"Chen Yan, Class Three, the reward for one-fifty—and the college entrance exam is only a few months away, work hard!"

Zhang Yue looked at Chen Yan with a smile; he also knew Chen Yan's situation, and was quite astonished by Chen Yan's performance at this moment.

Thinking of something, Zhang Yue continued:

"I wanted to tell you yesterday, Chen Yan—you threw a punch yesterday that produced a Red Glow; that is a sign of Awakening."

Chen Yan went quiet, and Zhang Yue continued:

"I think you probably failed, but it shows you tried hard enough—your talent just isn't there.

Your constitution is quite good. I think you'd do much better walking the path of Horizontal Refinement."

Chen Yan took the Red Packet, his expression shifting slightly. He now understood why Wang Yang had sighed.

Still, he was unwilling to give up.

He had the Po Sheng Realm; he felt there was still a chance.

Zhang Yue looked at Chen Yan. He was a man who'd been through it himself, so he naturally knew Chen Yan was unwilling to accept it.

But what good was being unwilling to accept it?

Better to switch tracks early, to earn results on another track sooner.

Still, he wouldn't say more—this was something Chen Yan had to figure out for himself.

…………

After collecting the prize money, Chen Yan went straight home.

Their family's Fried Noodle Shop wasn't far from Xue Xiao, and before long he heard a commotion.

"Why is it that when you pay others back, mine has to wait?"

"You think I'm easy to bully, Hu Zeyuan? Don't give me that 'we're family' talk—my sister's already dead."

"You don't dare go to the Qingshan Inner Perimeter, the shopfront's about to be gone—what are you going to earn money with later?"

"Good-for-nothing. Pfft!"

That was Hu Zeyuan's voice. Chen Yan saw passersby on the road stopping to watch the show. From the clothing shop next door, the proprietress was looking at him oddly.

Right after, Uncle Hu Zeyuan walked out of the shop with a cold expression.

Chen Yan's face chilled. Hadn't he just come to press for the debt yesterday?

Seeing Chen Yan, Hu Zeyuan was Stun. Without a word of greeting, he gave a 'hmph' and left directly.

"Dad, what's up?"

Chen Yan walked into the shop and saw Chen Yuhu sitting in a seat, looking somewhat dispirited.

"Hm?" Chen Yuhu was Stun. Seeing Chen Yan return, the dejection vanished from his face in an instant, and he asked strangely:

"Why are you back so early today?"

"Dad, how much do we still owe?" Chen Yan didn't answer, asking directly.

Chen Yuhu's expression shifted slightly. He waved his hand and said:

"A kid shouldn't worry about this. There's no way I'd let you carry any burden."

With a slap, Chen Yuhu saw a Red Packet Appear in Chen Yan's hand. Just as he was about to ask, he saw Chen Yan pull a few hundred-yuan bills from the Red Packet.

"Wh-where did you get so much money?"

Chen Yuhu blurted out in shock.

"I passed the Fist Power Test. Xue Xiao rewarded fifteen hundred." Chen Yan counted out the money, stuffed the remaining five hundred into the Red Packet, and handed it to Chen Yuhu:

"We owe their family a thousand, right?" Chen Yan asked.

"This…" Chen Yuhu was at a loss for words, but he still nodded.

"Is there an IOU?"

"Yes."

Chen Yan stuffed the thousand into his pocket and ran off directly, leaving Chen Yuhu standing dazed in the shop.

Looking at the Red Packet in his hand, Chen Yuhu gripped it tightly and slowly sat back down.

"Ha…"

He opened his Mouth and let out a Laughter.

"Hahaha." A complex Smile tangled across Chen Yuhu's face, a mixture of feelings.

"My Son really is something."

…………

Chen Yan ran out and saw Hu Zeyuan at the entrance of the Barbecue Shop, about to go in.

"The usual?" the Barbecue Shop owner laughed. Hu Zeyuan was about to answer when he saw Chen Yan rushing over, and he cast Chen Yan a sidelong glance.

"I'm here to pay back the money." Chen Yan ran up to Hu Zeyuan and took out the thousand yuan in his pocket.

"Pay back the money?" Hu Zeyuan Frowned, then laughed:

"I told you your family still had money."

Chen Yan said calmly:

"The IOU."

Hu Zeyuan was Stun, then said coldly:

"Is that any way to talk to me?"

"Then I won't pay it back." Chen Yan turned his head, paying Hu Zeyuan no heed at all.

"Wait!" Chen Yuhu—【correction: Hu Zeyuan】—gave a low shout, narrowed his eyes at Chen Yan, then took a Paper Note from his pocket.

Chen Yan looked at the handwriting on it. Hu Zeyuan carried it on him, clearly wanting his father to settle it today.

Chen Yan took back the IOU, handed the thousand yuan in his hand to Hu Zeyuan, and was about to leave.

"Hold on."

Hu Zeyuan said coldly:

"What if some of it's fake?"

He ran a single hand over the marks on the bills, very carefully.

Chen Yan, however, did not linger and left directly.

"You have to be my witness, okay? If any of it's fake, we'll look at it together!" Hu Zeyuan said to the Barbecue Shop owner beside him.

"That's enough, we're all family here." The shop owner couldn't stand watching any longer and offered a word of advice.

"Let me tell you, it's family you have to watch out for." Hu Zeyuan said as he checked, and only after confirming there was no counterfeit money did he tuck it into his pocket in a sour mood:

"Add a roast pig leg today."

As he was speaking, Hu Zeyuan saw his Son walking dejectedly along the roadside.

"Ahem!" Hu Zeyuan gave a dry cough, but found that his Son hadn't noticed him. He ran over, grabbed Hu Yuan's arm, and said:

"Why are you back so early this morning?"

The moment he finished speaking, he indeed saw Hu Yuan looking at him with a tearful face:

"Dad, I didn't pass the Fist Power Test."

Hu Zeyuan was Stun, and with a 'slap' struck Hu Yuan's Brain:

"How could you not pass? I feed you Flesh at every meal day in and day out, and you still didn't pass?"

"Dad… only two people in our class passed." Fear rose in Hu Yuan's eyes as he defended himself.

"Only two people." Hu Zeyuan's Color eased slightly:

"Which two?"

"Zhang Qingsi." Hu Yuan uttered two words.

"Mm." Hu Zeyuan's Color was no longer unpleasant. Since Zhang Qingsi had undergone the Awakening of Qi and Blood, he would certainly pass.

"Who else?"

But he saw Hu Yuan beside him wanting to speak yet holding back, his expression on his face incomparably complex.

Slap!

Hu Zeyuan struck Hu Yuan's Brain with a slap, glaring fiercely at his Son.

The Scream in Hu Yuan's eyes grew even stronger, and as if too ashamed to speak, he squeezed out two words.

"Chen Yan."

Hu Zeyuan nodded.

"Mm?"

His body froze, and he stood dumbfounded on the spot.