Chapter 3: Quasi‑Warrior Assessment

"A detached villa? A base salary of twenty thousand?"

Listening to the bald middle‑aged man's words, Luo Feng's face showed a look of surprise.

The testing scene just now with Zhou Yang and Luo Feng happened to be seen by Jiang Thousand Years, an instructor at this Jixian Wuguan, and he also took the opportunity to extend an olive branch to the two.

According to what the other side said, as long as they agree to join the Jixian Wuguan after passing the Quasi‑Warrior Assessment, they can obtain residence rights to a detached villa and a base salary of at least twenty thousand.

One should know that in the land‑scarce Jiangnan Base City, a detached villa, even a modest one, is worth two to three hundred million or more.

Although it cannot be sold, a family being able to live in a detached villa instead of several people cramped into a few dozen square meters of low‑rent housing is undeniably a huge attraction for Luo Feng.

Compared with him, Zhou Yang beside him remained much calmer, after all he already lived in the Mingyue Residential Complex.

The elevator went straight up to the sixth floor; when the doors opened, a massive training hall came into view.

"Believe it, Brother Yang, you'll definitely pass this time."

It should be noted that Luo Feng himself is a cultivation maniac and has earned the nickname "Madman."

However, his original martial talent was mediocre, and he had basically never set foot in this Martial Arts Academy before.

Zhou Yang and Luo Feng both stood up to greet them.

The Quasi‑Martial Artist Assessment began at ten o'clock, and Zhou Yang and Luo Feng sat in the lounge, chatting casually while waiting quietly.

But Zhou Yang's cultivation paid no heed to this; he was truly training to the death!

The training hall gathered a dozen or so people, among them the instructor Jiang Thousand Years whom Zhou Yang and Luo Feng knew.

Soon the date arrived: July 1st.

Luo Feng smiled and asked.

Around eight o'clock, they finally saw Luo Feng, dressed in loose training clothes, walking over from afar.

Thus, the two cultivation fanatics strained against each other daily, spending almost the entire day immersed in the Yi'an District Jixian Wuguan.

The person was Yang Wu, a friend Luo Feng had met in the Yi'an District Jixian Wuguan.

"Yangzi, be honest—did you take some medicine?"

It is said that some elixirs circulate on the dark web; after consumption they can quickly boost a person's physical condition in a short time.

At present, it seems Zhou Yang fits that title better.

Today Zhou Yang did not go to the Yi'an District Jixian Wuguan, because today is the monthly Quasi‑Warrior Assessment day.

"Quasi‑Martial Artist Assessment must be passed!"

But this time it really put Zhou Yang in a bind.

"Everyone, follow me upstairs and immediately undergo the Quasi‑Martial Artist Assessment. Remember, be disciplined upstairs; today an old friend of our Yangzhou Cheng chief instructor has arrived, so don't cause trouble."

At that moment, Chief Instructor Wu Tong said coolly, and someone immediately went to calibrate the punch‑force testing device.

Luo Feng feared that his good brother might lose his mind and chose such an unwise method.

Zhou Yang lives in the Mingyue Residential Complex, so he naturally recognized the person as the Hall Master of the Jixian Wuguan, the chief instructor of Yangzhou Cheng, a battle‑general‑rank Warrior, Wu Tong.

Later, not only would recuperating waste time, but it could also leave serious hidden ailments that would hinder future advancement.

That's equivalent to trading one's future for current cultivation progress; no matter how you look at it, it's not worth it.

And Zhou Yang didn't just take blows for nothing; through countless duels and sparring with Luo Feng, his own combat skills have noticeably improved.

Jiang Thousand Years merely gave a light glance, a faint smug expression appearing on his face: "If you're jealous, just say so; we won't compare ourselves with you."

The lean man Yang Wu scratched his head and laughed weakly:

After using this elixir, a person's potential is greatly reduced, and subsequent progress becomes exceedingly difficult.

One must admit that Luo Feng truly lives up to being a protagonist of a great world; his comprehension of combat is downright abnormal.

"Yangzi, you're still the best; you don't even need to leave the residential complex to go to the main hall!"

"A‑Feng, over here!"

Zhou Yang waved forcefully, and Luo Feng, seeing it, quickly ran over.

There was nothing more to say; they just unleashed full combat power and went for it!

It should be noted that for Warrior cultivation, finding an opponent of comparable strength is extremely rare.

He knew this himself, but the dozen or so Warriors beside him were not so convinced.

By this calculation, whenever Luo Feng finished one training set, Zhou Yang could complete one and a half, or even two sets.

"Prepare for the test!"

No wonder he was once able to take on three opponents single‑handedly and easily beat Zhang Haobai and two other senior trainees.

"First is the punch‑force test. First up, Tong Guan!"

Yang Wu said this while sighing, clearly still lingering over the previous test results.

Every early morning Luo Feng would call them to the Martial Arts Academy, and besides basic training they often engaged in some combat practice.

"No rush. By the way, you're preparing to join the Quasi‑Martial Artist Assessment on July 1st, right? I'll be there then."

Since Zhou Yang's crossing, to strengthen his bond with Luo Feng he has constantly been training at the Yi'an District Jixian Wuguan, so this was still his first time seeing Wu Tong in person.

Luo Feng's dream of entering the military academy has been shattered, and instead he has poured all his energy into martial cultivation.

As Wu Tong's voice rang out, a burly man with a full beard stepped forward, his eyes suddenly wide, left hand shielding his face, right fist tracing an arc before slamming into the massive punching target.

No matter how heavy his punches or kicks, this brother could easily take them, just like an ordinary person.

Everyone, including Zhou Yang and Luo Feng, responded respectfully, then followed the middle‑aged man into the elevator.

Luo Feng smiled and offered a comforting word.

"Instructor, I need to discuss this with my family, and we haven't passed the Quasi‑Martial Artist Assessment yet; there's still the subsequent combat assessment."

The punching bag quivered slightly, and the screen of the punch‑force tester immediately displayed the number—'986 kg'.

Zhou Yang and Luo Feng turned their heads, and a lean man with a fierce scar across his face walked over: "You're also here for the Quasi‑Martial Artist Assessment?"

To draw an analogy, it's like everyone running a three‑kilometre race; at the start you must hold back the pace so that the latter half has enough stamina.

The chief instructor casually swiped the second ID card over the device, glanced at the detailed identity records, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise:

When the deadline approached, finally a familiar face appeared.

"Ha ha, luck, luck."

In the first few rounds of sparring, Luo Feng still held back a bit, but gradually he realized that his brother was truly tough to beat!

Hearing Luo Feng's words, Zhou Yang felt a slight surge of emotion; it seemed his half‑year of courting finally bore fruit—Luo Feng truly regarded him as a friend.

The assessment site, the main base of all Jixian Wuguan in Yangzhou Cheng—the Extreme Hall—was located right inside the Mingyue Residential Complex where he lived!

One rather plump elder sneered, "Maybe he's just here to see the world, with no real strength."

"Yes!"

Hearing Luo Feng's words, Zhou Yang laughed heartily:

"Ha ha, A Feng, don't be jealous. With your ability, you'll breeze through the Quasi‑Warrior Assessment, and then join Jixian Wuguan directly—won't a villa be yours? Maybe we'll even become neighbors!"

Although their physical conditions were almost equal, when it came to fighting, Zhou Yang was the one who only got hit.

After hearing Zhou Yang's assurance, Luo Feng finally nodded, relieved.

Looking at the grand, standalone villas in Mingyue, Luo Feng's eyes were filled with great yearning.

However, such elixirs often carry risks; they work by stimulating the body and squeezing out its potential to accelerate cultivation progress.

Early in the morning, Zhou Yang waited at the complex entrance.

Even more infuriating, each time he seemed completely drained, he would lie on the floor, rest ten minutes, and instantly become as lively as a dragon.

The three continued chatting for a few sentences, and before long a middle‑aged man in loose training robes arrived at their rest area.

Especially since this opponent could take hits without injury—that's even rarer!

Through round after round of battles, Luo Feng was completely exhilarated!

He felt that since stepping onto the path of martial cultivation, this was the first time he could fight freely, truly experiencing a thrilling, unbridled sensation.

"Ha, Luo Feng, Zhou Yang!" a resonant voice called out.

Luo Feng gave a faint smile at the words, but his face showed an even more resolute expression.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yang, the kid, launched himself at a hundred‑meter sprint speed, charging until he collapsed on the ground, unable to get up.

With Zhou Yang leading the way, the two soon arrived at the Extreme Hall in the center of Mingyue.

In that mix of pain and joy, ten days passed in a flash.

"Don't worry, A Feng, I have a rare talent! We won't be doing any kill‑the‑chicken‑to‑get‑the‑egg stuff."

"The person's here, stop chatting."

He flipped through casually and exclaimed in surprise:

"There's another one here, Zhou Yang, also eighteen—are all the geniuses crowded together!"

He glanced around; the hall held another ten or so people, likely formal Warriors of Jixian Wuguan.

A middle‑aged man with loose long hair addressed the ten or so people in the hall with a command.

"Should be fine, right? It's a bit embarrassing to say, but I already came for a test last month. Unfortunately, when measuring speed I only reached 24.9 m/s—just that little short—so it really frustrated me!"

The two had similar physical qualities; although Zhou Yang lagged far behind Luo Feng in combat technique, he possessed a huge advantage—his toughness!

After finishing their daily basic training, the two began constantly sparring with each other.

More people kept arriving around them, but the two didn't know any of them.

It should be noted that early‑stage Warrior cultivation focuses on bodily strengthening; at this stage everyone proceeds step by step, preferring to go slower rather than over‑exert, lest they accidentally damage muscles or bones.

During one break, Luo Feng couldn't help but ask this question.

"Ha ha, this year our Yian District Martial Arts Academy produced you two little prodigies; my contribution points are about to rise again, and I can't wait to see the envious faces of those old comrades."

"Brother Yang?"

"Alright, next, Luo Feng."

"Brother Yang, how's the preparation going, are you confident?"

Since their interview with Jiang Thousand Years, the chief instructor of Yian District Jixian Wuguan, Zhou Yang and Luo Feng have become even more diligent.

Speaking, he called out to Luo Feng, "Luo Feng, show us a good move and let these senior elders see the strength of our Yian District trainees!"

The nearby instructor Jiang Thousand Years couldn't help but grin with satisfaction.

Even though I can't beat Luo Feng in a fight, after seeing Zhou Yang's unrestrained way of draining his stamina, Luo Feng was also shocked, his mouth gaping open.

In response, Jiang Thousand Years showed no displeasure, and said cheerfully:

"Huh, eighteen years old? Old Jiang, is this from your Yian District? When did such a gifted youngster appear?"

Huh, eighteen years old? Lao Jiang, this is from your Yian District, right? Since when did such a gifted youngster pop up?

Luo Feng stepped forward and answered loudly, then walked toward the punch‑force testing machine.

Luo Feng stepped forward a step, answered loudly, and then walked toward the punch-force testing machine.

(End of Chapter)