Chapter 14: The Astonished Crowd

Did I hear wrong?

???

Almost everyone instantly rose to their feet, faces filled with disbelief.

The man in military uniform also wore a look of surprise, frowning as he gazed at Lu Jing, sizing him up, wondering what he was thinking.

At such a young age, his Blood Qi actually reached the standard of a Second‑Realm Martial Artist.

Terrifying!

After Zhou Xingwen stared for a moment, he didn't immediately announce the results but stepped forward to inspect the testing equipment.

After confirming the equipment was working normally, he somewhat embarrassedly said to Lu Jing, 'Sorry, could you trouble yourself to retest?'

Blood draw test results are usually very accurate; as long as the blood isn't contaminated, repeated tests give the same value.

But Lu Jing's figure is simply hard to accept, forcing Zhou Xingwen to suspect a mistake in the testing process.

Sure.

Lu Jing nodded and again cooperated with Zhou Xingwen to draw a drop of blood.

Blood Qi test complete, 25.36!

The second test result was identical to the first.

The hall fell into a brief silence.

It seems Lu Jing's score is genuine; this teenager's Blood Qi is truly terrifying!

Damn, there really is a Blood Qi value of a Second‑Realm Martial Artist!

This guy is too terrifying, right? At such a young age, to have this Blood Qi? Eighty percent likely from stacking Dan Medicine.

Some people looked at Lu Jing with envy, clearly unable to accept this fact.

They believed Lu Jing's Blood Qi came from consuming large amounts of Dan Medicine.

A burly middle‑aged man spoke sourly: 'There's still a combat power test later; we'll see if he passes—I think it's enough to be smug.'

Those nearby couldn't stand it and retorted: 'Even if he lacks the combat power of a Second‑Realm Martial Artist, he could still pass the First‑Realm passing line, which would already be far stronger than you.'

Look at you, balding, your kid is probably older than him—even a kid makes you sour, tsk tsk...

As soon as that was said, the middle‑aged man's old face reddened and he shut his mouth.

That's correct; even if Lu Jing's Blood Qi came from stacking Dan Medicine, his true strength is right here.

Even without knowing any power techniques, he could easily qualify as a First‑Realm Martial Artist, far stronger than those in their thirties still being assessed as official Martial Artists.

Moreover, he hasn't even made a move yet, so the outcome remains unknown.

At this point, after confirming Lu Jing's score, Zhou Xingwen's attitude became more proactive.

His tone unusually carried a hint of gentleness: 'This classmate, next is the punch power test; it mainly assesses muscle control and power delivery—just give it your all, don't be nervous.'

You can take a moment to prepare, no need to rush.

Seeing this, others felt a twinge of envy.

In the previous rounds of testing, Zhou Xingwen, rushing for time, went drinking with the man in military uniform, constantly urging everyone to hurry.

Now he's actually telling Lu Jing not to rush?

What a double standard!

Lu Jing nodded, 'I won't waste much time—just one punch will do.'

Zhou Xingwen blinked, then suddenly saw Lu Jing throw a punch.

The punch was extremely fast; he only saw an afterimage.

Meanwhile, the man in military uniform, intently watching Lu Jing, had his pupils contract sharply, yet no matter how focused he was, he still couldn't catch the punch's trajectory.

Bang!

The fist struck the tester, emitting a deafening blast.

Everyone's heart jolted with that explosive sound.

Afterward, their attention turned to the display.

In the next instant, everyone's breath caught.

Eyes widened, mouths slightly open, as if they'd seen something utterly terrifying.

Beep!

Punch power test, 7060kg!

7...... over seven thousand?!

Zhou Xingwen spoke haltingly, his mind roaring, unable to believe his own eyes.

Soon he reacted, steadied his emotions, and repeated it.

7060kg! Test passed!

Hiss......

One punch unleashed over seven thousand kilograms!

It was heavier than the force just exerted by the Third‑Realm Martial Artist in military uniform.

And it exceeded his by over three thousand kilograms!

It far surpassed the passing threshold required for a Second‑Realm Martial Artist!

The hall fell into dead silence again, only the sound of drawing in cold breaths.

The man in military uniform swallowed, his temples throbbing; the punch's shock was too great for him to accept at once.

Leng Yueyue's eyes widened as she gazed at Lu Jing, who was about her age, feeling as if she were dreaming.

Time seemed to hit pause; everyone's shock, astonishment, and disbelief were suppressed, fermenting, until they could no longer be contained......

Holy shit!

"Is this still a human?"

"Just now who said his combat power wasn't enough? This punch even a Third‑Realm Martial Artist couldn't block!"

"The hall was noisy, only Lu Jing's expression remained normal."

"He felt no surprise at this result at all."

"During the previous test at the Martial Hall, the result was almost the same."

"Only this time he performed a bit better."

"The burst of energy plus perfect control of the muscles through the Contemplation Method lets my every punch produce this effect, though my stamina consumption has doubled."

"Lu Jing sighed inwardly, realizing he still had great room for improvement."

"After quite a while, Zhou Xingwen finally came to his senses and continued leading Lu Jing in testing speed and evasion."

"The following tests were also not disappointing; Lu Jing seemed to have no weaknesses, each test far surpassing the passing line for a Second‑Realm Martial Artist."

"Congratulations, Lu Jing, you passed this evaluation with an excellent score!"

"Zhou Xingwen smiled and nodded, announcing Lu Jing's score."

"From now on, you are officially a first‑realm... no, you signed up for the First‑Realm Martial Artist examination, but your strength has already surpassed the Second Realm; this is the first time I've encountered such a situation..."

"Zhou Xingwen furrowed his brows; according to procedure he could only award Lu Jing the badge of a First‑Realm Martial Artist—could it be that they'd have to test him again for Second‑Realm Martial Artist?"

"The front‑desk staff didn't ask Lu Jing which realm he wanted to apply for, and on their own initiative submitted an application for him to take the First‑Realm Martial Artist examination."

"After all, given Lu Jing's age, who would expect a seventeen‑ or eighteen‑year‑old boy to possess the strength surpassing that of a Second‑Realm Martial Artist?"

"Lu Jing, I need to report this to the higher‑ups; later they'll directly award you the badge of a Second‑Realm Martial Artist—don't worry, our Martial Artists Association will never bury any talent!"

"Oh no, he's a genius!"

"Having said that, Zhou Xingwen let Lu Jing go home to wait for news; he said they'd notify him once the upper levels discussed and decided the result."

"Lu Jing felt somewhat helpless, but he could only accept it."

"When roughly will the result come out?"

"Lu Jing was about to ask for more details, but Zhou Xingwen grabbed Lu Jing's test data and ran out of the hall, disappearing in an instant."

"Even the military‑uniformed man he'd planned to drink with was forgotten."

"Ah… this…"

"Lu Jing gave a wry smile; he could only leave the Martial Artists Association for now."

"Just as he was about to walk out of the hall, a figure suddenly stepped in front of him."