novelsite Chapter 59: Strength Test
Chapter 59: Strength Test
The next morning, Lin Yun went to the headquarters of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy alone.
The morning sun shone on the streets of Yangzhou, bathing the base city in a warm golden light. Lin Yun wore the black combat uniform he had seized from the HR Alliance warriors, his battle sword slung across his back, and twelve throwing knives tucked into his scabbard. This was the first time he had walked through the city in such attire during the day, drawing sidelong glances from passersby filled with awe and curiosity.
But he paid no attention to those stares. His mind was entirely focused on the upcoming assessment.
Lin Yun had called Wu Tong in advance, so as soon as he arrived at the entrance of the martial arts school, he saw Wu Tong already standing there waiting. The head instructor was wearing a crisp black uniform today, with the gold badge of the Extreme Martial Arts School pinned to his chest, and he looked exceptionally energetic.
There were many students coming and going at the entrance of the martial arts school. When they saw Wu Tong standing at the entrance waiting for someone, they couldn't help but take a few more glances. When they saw that Wu Tong was waiting for a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old, their faces showed surprise.
"Who is that? The head instructor is personally greeting them?"
"I don't recognize him. He looks so young. Could he be a junior colleague of some big shot?"
"Look at the knife on his back and the throwing knives at his waist, he doesn't look like an ordinary person."
Lin Yun ignored these comments and strode up to Wu Tong.
"Uncle Wu."
"Here you are." Wu Tong looked Lin Yun up and down, his eyes full of satisfaction. "Let's go, Supervisor Zhuge is already waiting."
The two walked into the martial arts gym side by side, passed through the lobby on the first floor, and took the elevator straight to the sixth floor.
In the elevator, Wu Tong couldn't help but confirm again: "Lin Yun, you said you've met all the points in the contract?"
"Uncle Wu, don't you still believe me?" Lin Yun asked with a smile.
"I believe you, of course I believe you!" Wu Tong patted him on the shoulder. "Let me tell you, after you called me, I immediately notified Supervisor Zhuge. He rushed over as soon as he heard about it, even more proactive than I was. So you absolutely can't let me down later."
"Don't worry, Uncle Wu." Lin Yun's lips curled up slightly. "Not only will we not let you down, but we'll actually surprise you."
"That's good!"
The elevator stopped on the sixth floor, the doors opened, and what came into view was the enormous training hall where Lin Yun had taken the preliminary martial arts assessment. However, there was no one else there today, only Zhuge Tao and an assistant.
Zhuge Tao is the manager of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy in Jiangnan Base City. He is in his forties, slightly overweight, and always wears a kind smile. But those who know him well know that he is decisive and efficient, never dragging his feet. He was able to rise to the managerial position in his forties not through connections, but through solid achievements.
"Supervisor." Lin Yun and Wu Tong bowed slightly.
"You're welcome." Zhuge Tao waved his hand with a smile, his gaze falling on Lin Yun, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. "Lin Yun, I'll now connect with the guild leader and conduct a simple check on you. If the check passes, we'll immediately report the information to headquarters. Then, they'll send someone over to review it. Once you pass the review, you can enter the elite training camp."
"Understood, supervisor."
The assistant beside him had already started operating the equipment, and a connection interface appeared on the large screen. A few seconds later, the screen lit up, and a middle-aged man in a white training uniform appeared on the screen.
Zhou Zhengyong, president of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy in Jiangnan Base City, is a War God-level expert, known as "Iron Hand." Lin Yun had seen him once before during the preliminary martial artist assessment, but it was only a fleeting glimpse in the crowd. Now, face-to-face through the screen, he could clearly feel the imposing aura emanating from this War God-level expert.
"Let's begin." Zhou Zhengyong's voice came from the screen, concise and powerful.
Lin Yun walked to the punching power testing machine and took a deep breath.
He didn't intend to reveal his full strength here. The elite training camp recruits potential geniuses, not already fully-fledged powerhouses. If he displayed god-like strength, he might be questioned—if he's already this strong, why is he even at the training camp? To compete with others for resources?
So what he needs to do is demonstrate "amazing potential," not "amazing strength."
Lin Yun got into position, adjusted his breathing, and then threw a punch.
"Bang!"
The punching target vibrated violently, and a series of numbers appeared on the screen of the testing machine—48500 kg.
Zhuge Tao's eyes lit up. Wu Tong's lips curled up slightly. Zhou Zhengyong on the screen remained expressionless, but his eyebrows twitched slightly.
48500 kg—that's the level of a seasoned, high-level warrior. Lin Yun, on the other hand, is only fifteen years old and has only been cultivating genetic energy for a few months.
"Not bad." Zhou Zhengyong's voice remained calm. "Continue."
Lin Yun nodded and assumed his stance again. This time, he activated the power-generating technique of the Ninefold Thunder Blade.
The first force surges from the soles of the feet, passing through the calves, thighs, waist, back, and shoulders, finally converging in the fist. The second force follows immediately, overlapping with the first. The third force is unleashed at the moment of the second burst, resulting in all four forces acting simultaneously on the fist.
"Bang!"
The sound was even deeper than before, and the vibration of the punching bag more than doubled. A new number appeared on the testing machine's screen—135685 kg.
The training hall fell silent for a moment.
Zhuge Tao's mouth gaped slightly, his eyes filled with disbelief. Although Wu Tong was somewhat prepared, he still gasped when he saw the number.
135685kg, this is the threshold for intermediate-level War God.
The one who threw that punch was a fifteen-year-old boy.
"Ninefold Thunder Blade, third level." Zhou Zhengyong's voice came from the screen, still calm, but speaking faster than before, "Four layers of power combined, 2.8 times the force. How long have you been practicing the Ninefold Thunder Blade?"
"More than three months," Lin Yun answered truthfully.
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the screen.
"Good." Zhou Zhengyong said only one word, but everyone present could hear the praise contained in that word.
Zhuge Tao took a deep breath to calm himself down, and then said, "Next, we'll test your nerve reaction speed and agility."
Lin Yun walked to the neural response testing machine and stood within the red circle. He had used this machine once four months ago, and at that time his score was 12 hits within 60 seconds without touching the red light, which was excellent.
This time, he needs to show even better results.
"Start." Zhuge Tao pressed the button.
The test machine's cannons spun rapidly, and dozens of muzzles simultaneously emitted streaks of red light. Red bullets shot in from all directions at astonishing speed.
Lin Yun made a move.
His steps were as light as a swallow, his body moving swiftly within the red circle, each dodge perfectly timed. Red bullets whizzed past him, some grazing his ears, some just past his side, but none struck him.
His movements were fluid and natural, without a single superfluous motion. This was the "Flowing Cloud Step" that Liu Xu had taught him, combined with his insights from practicing "Wind Spirit Movement" in the Panlong World. The combination of the two had brought his movements to a new level.
Ends in 60 seconds.
The numbers on the screen silenced everyone—Intermediate Warrior Level Test: Perfect Score. Advanced Warrior Level Test: Excellent. Movement Technique Rating: Subtle.
"A subtle movement technique..." Zhuge Tao murmured, his voice trembling slightly.
The Subtlety Level of movement technique is a realm that many warriors at the general level cannot reach in their entire lives. Yet Lin Yun, at the age of fifteen, had already achieved it.
On the screen, Zhou Zhengyong's lips curled up slightly.
"I'll contact headquarters right away." After saying this, the video call ended.
The training hall was quiet for a moment before Wu Tong spoke first.
"You little brat, is this the surprise you were talking about?" He patted Lin Yun's shoulder hard, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement. "This is simply astonishing! In three months, your punching power has improved from over 10,000 to over 48,000, you've mastered the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade to the third level, and your movement techniques are incredibly precise... Are you a monster?"
Lin Yun gave a wry smile: "Uncle Wu, could you please not call me a monster to my face?"
"I'll say it to your face, but I'll say it behind your back." Wu Tong laughed heartily.
Zhuge Tao smiled as well, looking at Lin Yun with admiration in his eyes: "Lin Yun, your progress is the fastest I've ever seen. You'll definitely get into the elite training camp."
"Thank you, supervisor."
The waiting time wasn't long. Less than ten minutes later, Zhuge Tao's communicator rang.
He quickly clicked on it, and the face of a middle-aged man appeared on the big screen. The man looked to be in his forties, with a stern face and sharp eyes. He was wearing a dark blue uniform with a gold badge pinned to his chest—the emblem of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy headquarters.
"Mr. Yang." Zhuge Tao bowed slightly, his tone respectful.
"Zhuge, I heard from Tieshou that a fifteen-year-old advanced warrior has appeared in your Jiangnan base city. He has cultivated the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade to the third level and his movement technique is extremely subtle. Is this true?" Yang Hui's voice was deep and powerful, carrying an undeniable authority.
"Mr. Yang, this is absolutely true." Zhuge Tao stepped aside so that the screen could illuminate Lin Yun. "His name is Lin Yun, and he's right next to me. We just finished testing him. His physical strength is 48500 kg, his Nine-Fold Thunder Blade power is 135685 kg, and his movement technique is at the Microscopic level."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the screen. Yang Hui's gaze fell on Lin Yun through the screen, as if he were scrutinizing something. Lin Yun met his gaze, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Alright." Yang Hui finally spoke, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "I'll report to the headmaster right away. At the latest, I'll come to pick him up myself tomorrow and take him to the Extreme Martial Arts Academy headquarters."
The video call ended.
Zhuge Tao turned around, looked at Lin Yun, and smiled sincerely: "Lin Yun, congratulations."
"Thank you for your support, supervisor and instructors." Lin Yun bowed slightly. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have improved so quickly."
"This is all thanks to your hard work." Zhuge Tao patted his shoulder, his tone becoming serious. "Don't let your guard down when you get to the elite training camp. There are countless geniuses there, and the competition is even fiercer. If you want to get more resources, you have to put in twice the effort. Remember, talent is just a stepping stone; what truly takes you further is hard work and perseverance."
"I will."
That evening, Lin Yun returned to Mingyue Residential Area and told his grandfather the news.
Lin Guodong sat on the sofa, holding a cup of hot tea, and remained silent for a long time. His eyes were a little red, but there was a smile on his lips.
"Go ahead," the old man finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse. "My grandson has made something of himself, and I'm so happy."
Lin Yun sat down next to his grandfather and took his hand: "Grandpa, I'll call you often. And with my abilities, I'll graduate very soon."
"Okay, okay." Lin Guodong nodded repeatedly, wiping the corner of his eye with his sleeve.
That evening, Lin Yun bid farewell to the Thunder Blade Squad and Luo Feng. Although he was reluctant to part, he also offered his heartfelt blessings.
The next morning around 10 a.m., Lin Yun arrived at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall on time.
A giant, saucer-shaped passenger plane, entirely a deep blue color, with a diameter of thirty to forty meters. The ethereal blue light reflected from its surface was mesmerizing.
Yang Hui stood beside the passenger plane, dressed in a dark blue uniform, his posture upright like a pine tree. Zhou Zhengyong stood next to him, the two talking in hushed tones.
Seeing Lin Yun approach, Yang Hui's gaze lingered on him for a moment before he nodded slightly.
"Lin Yun?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Get on the plane"
Lin Yun didn't ask any more questions and followed Yang Hui inside. The passenger plane rose silently and then turned into a blue streak of light, disappearing into the horizon.
On the plane, Yang Hui took a document out of his briefcase and handed it to Lin Yun.
"This is the student handbook for the elite training camp. Take a look," Yang Hui said. "The training camp is a five-year program, but if you are capable enough, you can graduate early. The fastest graduate in history took three years. I hope you can break that record."
Lin Yun opened the document and read it carefully.
The rules for trainees are short, but each one is very strict. Leaving the training camp without permission is prohibited, fighting within the training camp is prohibited, and leaking internal information of the training camp is prohibited... Violators will be penalized with points deductions or expelled.
"Once you arrive at the training camp, you can choose your own mentor," Yang Hui continued. "You're currently at the third level of the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade, with a power output of 2.8 times. This is considered average in the training camp. You can find a swordsmanship teacher, and the same goes for movement techniques. Many of the teachers in the training camp have reached the perfect level, and some have even reached the realm of intent. In addition, the training camp has a trial tower, a gravity chamber, and various training facilities, but their use is based on your ranking. The higher your ranking, the longer you can use them!"
Lin Yun listened attentively, memorizing all the information.
"In addition, there's a special reward in the training camp—Dragon Blood." A glint flashed in Yang Hui's eyes. "Every month, the training camp conducts a points ranking. If you rank first nine times in a row, you can get the Dragon Blood reward. Dragon Blood can greatly enhance a martial artist's physical attributes and even has a certain chance of activating hidden bloodline talents."
"Dragon blood..." Lin Yun's eyes lit up.
"With your current strength, as long as you take a little time to reflect, making it into the top fifty shouldn't be a problem." Yang Hui glanced at him. "But Dragon Blood isn't the end. There are many people stronger than you in the training camp. Some students have been in the training camp for four or five years, and most of the people in the top fifty have already reached the War God level. You have great talent, and you should be able to enter the top ten or even the top five in less than two years, but don't be arrogant."
"I won't," Lin Yun said.
The passenger plane flew through the clouds, and the city below gradually shrank until it disappeared from view.