Chapter 006: What I Value Is Your Future

Lu Zixun led Xiao Yang to the front of the punching power testing device.

Lu Zixun said, “Please stand outside the yellow line. Do not move or cross the line. Attack the punching pad in front of you with full force!”

Xiao Yang had already taken this test once at school, so he knew the procedure. He stood outside the yellow line, legs in a bow stance, right hand clenched into a fist, his feet tensed, power rising from the ground, waist twisting, hips rotating, and he launched a powerful punch.

He did not channel any internal energy, relying only on the explosive strength of his body as his fist thundered forward.

For martial artists, the assessment standards were a punching force of three hundred kilograms, speed of 12 meters per second, and reaction time of 0.1 seconds. Only by meeting these criteria could one sense inner energy and become a true martial artist.

Xiao Yang was already at the realm of sensing energy, and if he combined his internal energy with strength, his punching force would surely exceed three hundred kilograms by a wide margin. In just one month, he had gone from a failed candidate to a martial artist, which was already astonishing. If his punching force greatly surpassed the standard, it would be too shocking; thus, Xiao Yang chose to keep a low profile.

Bang—

The punching pad instantly recoiled backwards, then quickly bounced back. On the testing device, a number appeared: 326.37.

The big screen in the assessment room showed the same number.

326.37 kilograms—a full 26 kilograms above the assessment standard.

Seeing the numbers on the screen, Lu Zixun’s mouth hung open, her expression both shocked and delighted.

The three examiner martial artists widened their eyes simultaneously, staring incredulously at the number on the screen. A failed candidate had improved so much in just one month, far exceeding their expectations.

Outside the assessment room, the onlookers craned their necks, curiosity filling their eyes. Through the glass wall, they could see Xiao Yang taking the test, but due to the angle, they couldn’t see the numbers on the screen.

This only fueled their curiosity—they desperately wanted to know what punching force Xiao Yang had achieved.

Several seconds passed before the three examiners regained their composure. They gazed deeply at Xiao Yang, their impatience replaced by bright, expectant eyes.

If he truly passed the assessment, an eighteen-year-old martial artist would be a prodigy!

Their opinion of Xiao Yang changed completely. Of course, they were delighted to see a genius martial artist emerge among humanity, especially since this genius would be certified at their own Tiance Martial Arts Academy—a stroke of luck for them.

Though they felt joyful inside, they maintained an outward calm, their status demanding dignity.

Chief examiner Jiang Mu nodded slightly at Xiao Yang and said, “Proceed to the second item: the speed assessment.”

“Wow, he actually passed the punching force assessment!”

“This young man is remarkable—so young and already punching over three hundred kilograms!”

“Tsk tsk… I thought it was just a farce, but this is truly exciting. Are we witnessing the birth of a genius martial artist?”

“Genius martial artists usually come from super martial artist families or universities. If one appears in a martial arts academy assessment, it’s a rare event indeed. We’re lucky to witness this!”

…

Outside the assessment room, the crowd quickly deduced from Jiang Mu’s words that Xiao Yang had passed the punching force test. Their gazes were excited and full of curiosity.

Lu Zixun led Xiao Yang to the speed assessment area.

Two speed testing devices were set up in a straight line, ten meters apart. In front of Speed Tester No. 1 was a yellow line—the starting line for the speed test.

Lu Zixun looked at Xiao Yang, her eyes shining brightly. “Stand outside the yellow line. Dash forward as fast as you can. Once you pass the second tester, slow down and stop.”

Xiao Yang nodded slightly. Having taken the test before, he was familiar with the process.

The speed assessment did not measure top speed, but initial burst speed. So, no running start was allowed; the yellow line was the starting point, and once moving forward, he entered the speed testing zone.

He took a deep breath, his body poised like a leopard ready to spring, slightly crouched.

No internal energy, no use of Phantom Step—Xiao Yang relied solely on his bodily strength. With a powerful push of his legs, his body shot forward like a leopard.

Whoosh—

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Yang had dashed past the two speed testers, then slowed and stopped.

After calculation by the two testers, the screen displayed his speed: 13.28 meters per second.

Lu Zixun covered her mouth, eyes filled with shock and joy.

Xiao Yang’s speed exceeded the martial artist standard of 12 meters per second by 1.28 meters per second—just as his punching force had exceeded the standard.

The three examiners were equally delighted. With both punching force and speed above the minimum requirements, as long as his reaction time met the standard, he would definitely be able to sense inner energy—a true martial artist.

Smiles appeared on their faces as they recorded Xiao Yang’s results.

Chief examiner Jiang Mu said, “Excellent. Proceed to the third item: reaction assessment.”

Lu Zixun secretly gave Xiao Yang a thumbs-up.

Outside the assessment room, the spectators saw the examiners’ reactions and knew Xiao Yang had passed the speed assessment. When they heard Jiang Mu praise Xiao Yang as “excellent,” their curiosity grew—what kind of speed did Xiao Yang possess to earn praise from a fourth-rank martial artist like Jiang Mu?

At the Yuezhou branch of Tiance Martial Arts Academy, Jiang Mu was already a high-ranking figure. Even official martial artists might not catch his attention, yet now he was praising Xiao Yang, which was truly surprising.

Under the curious gazes of the crowd, Lu Zixun happily led Xiao Yang to the reaction assessment area.

Lu Zixun guided him into a ten-meter-diameter circle, in front of which was a row of machines capable of launching small balls.

Lu Zixun said, “During the reaction assessment, you may only move within the circle. The speed of the balls launched at you will gradually increase until one strikes you. The testing device will calculate your reaction speed.”

Xiao Yang nodded, took a deep breath, and said, “I’m ready. Let’s begin!”

Lu Zixun pressed the switch.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

Immediately, the machines launched small balls straight at Xiao Yang.

Having battled mutated humans and demonized black wolves in the super-dimensional world, Xiao Yang’s reactions had become extremely sharp through countless fights.

Again, he used no internal energy or Phantom Step.

He relied solely on his reflexes, moving and dodging within the ten-meter circle, avoiding ball after ball.

Time passed, and the balls launched from the machines came faster and in greater number.

Gradually, Xiao Yang’s dodging became strenuous.

Eventually, a ball struck him, and the machine automatically stopped.

The screen displayed Xiao Yang’s reaction speed: 0.08 seconds.

He had passed.

Lu Zixun looked at him with a joyful expression. To her, 0.08 seconds and 0.1 seconds were much the same—she only knew he had passed.

But the three examiners stared in amazement.

Among the three assessments, reaction was the hardest to pass.

Human reaction time has a limit, close to 0.1 seconds. To reach 0.1 seconds, one must surpass that limit.

This is not just a matter of physical strength, but also of mental strength.

The stronger the mind, the faster the reaction.

Many people meet the standards for punching force and speed, but fail at reaction, thus not qualifying as true martial artists.

Because the realm of martial artists is not merely about data—data only visually reflects their abilities.

The first realm for martial artists is called the energy-sensing realm.

Without energy-sensing, one is not truly a martial artist.

To cultivate energy-sensing, a strong body alone is not enough; a strong mind is also required.

Generations of martial artists have determined that only with punching force at three hundred kilograms, speed at 12 meters per second, and reaction time at 0.1 seconds can one sense energy.

All three are indispensable, and reaction at 0.1 seconds is the hardest to achieve.

As the most difficult requirement, when many martial artists first sense energy, their reaction is exactly 0.1 seconds; further improvement is exceedingly difficult.

But Xiao Yang not only met the standard—his reaction reached 0.08 seconds, 0.02 seconds above the benchmark.

This meant his mind was far stronger than ordinary martial artists.

The stronger the mind, the greater the comprehension, the faster the cultivation of skills and martial techniques, and the more important the mind becomes in advanced stages.

In short, the stronger the martial artist’s mind, the greater their potential.

Looking at the 0.08 second figure on the screen, the three examiners, despite trying to appear dignified, were deeply shaken, faces filled with ecstatic joy.

They regarded Xiao Yang as if he were a priceless treasure.

“Excellent!”

The three examiners stared at the screen for several seconds, then, coming to their senses, exclaimed praises in unison, their eyes brimming with approval for Xiao Yang.

Seeing their reaction, Lu Zixun was noticeably surprised. She looked at Xiao Yang, her eyes sparkling even brighter.

To receive simultaneous praise from three examiners showed Xiao Yang’s performance was truly outstanding.

Lu Zixun had already found Xiao Yang extremely agreeable; now her heart was stirred even more. But she knew that such a prodigy, a martial artist at eighteen, would have an unlimited future even among martial artists; as she was not a martial artist herself, she could not hope to match him, and could only admire him in secret.

Outside the assessment room, the crowd grew even larger. Hearing the three examiners shout “excellent” in unison, their eyes shone.

“He really passed?”

“Tsk tsk… An eighteen-year-old martial artist—has Yuezhou ever had one before?”

“Today is truly eye-opening! We’ve only heard of such prodigies before, but now we finally see one in the flesh!”

“A big figure is about to rise in Yuezhou! So young and already a martial artist—his achievements will be boundless!”

…

Outside, exclamations rang out—some amazed, some joyful, some excited, some moved.

Yuezhou City, in the Dragon Nation, was only a third-tier city with less than ten million people, and had never produced such a prodigy.

Now, they had witnessed one with their own eyes; as Yuezhou residents, they felt proud and elated, their spirits soaring.

With so many voices, even inside the assessment room, the exclamations outside could be heard.

Xiao Yang sighed inwardly: I neither used martial arts nor combined my force, I’ve kept as low a profile as possible, but I’m still too outstanding, drawing everyone’s attention and becoming the center of focus… Alas, what can I do!

Chief examiner Jiang Mu looked at Xiao Yang and said, “Xiao Yang, your reaction is so quick, which shows your mind is strong. You must have already achieved energy-sensing, correct?”

Xiao Yang nodded. “Yes.”

A reaction speed of 0.1 seconds was enough to sense energy; Xiao Yang’s 0.08 seconds, with such mental strength, made it unsurprising to the examiners that he had achieved energy-sensing.

Jiang Mu couldn’t help but praise, “At your age, meeting all three standards and barely achieving energy-sensing is already remarkable. But you’ve exceeded all three by a significant margin—even among first-rank martial artists, you are not weak. Well done, very well done!”

Xiao Yang wore a polite smile.

Jiang Mu continued, “Now, our academy will immediately prepare your martial artist certification card. Xiao Yang, please wait in the reception room; it will be ready soon.”

He instructed Lu Zixun, “Take Xiao Yang to the reception room and treat him well.”

Reception room.

Lu Zixun brewed a cup of Ziyang Longjing tea for Xiao Yang, placing it on the table before him.

Looking at Xiao Yang, Lu Zixun felt a bit awkward.

The first time she saw him, she thought he was a sunny, handsome young man, very pleasant to look at and warming to her heart.

Now, having witnessed him become an eighteen-year-old martial artist, she felt as though he radiated a dazzling light, making her only dare to admire him from afar. It was no longer merely warmth, but awe.

She set down the tea and stepped back, speaking softly, “Young Master Xiao Yang, I failed to recognize your greatness earlier and said some inappropriate things. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Xiao Yang looked up, still smiling warmly, “I didn’t mind; you needn’t worry about it.”

From his smile, Lu Zixun felt warmth again. She wanted to ask for his contact information to be friends, but, thinking of the gap between them, hesitated and ultimately said nothing.

In the reception room, Xiao Yang slowly sipped his tea, flipping through a martial arts magazine, while Lu Zixun stood nearby.

He invited her to sit, and the two fell silent, the atmosphere becoming quite peaceful.

After a while, Xiao Yang’s phone rang.

He answered, “Hello, Captain Zhuang.”

It was Zhuang Xueyi, a security captain at the Prosperity Group, Xiao Yang’s supervisor.

Zhuang Xueyi: “Xiao Yang, why didn’t you come to work today?”

Only then did Xiao Yang remember he had only taken one day off and should have gone to work today. But, after entering the super-dimensional world yesterday and becoming a martial artist, he was so excited that he forgot about work.

Xiao Yang replied, “Sorry, Captain Zhuang, something important came up today. I probably won’t work anymore; I’ll come by this afternoon to resign.”

Zhuang Xueyi: “What’s the matter with you? You just took a day off yesterday, and now you want to resign? What are you doing? Why resign out of the blue?”

Xiao Yang: “I’m taking the martial artist assessment!”

Zhuang Xueyi: “Hahaha… You failed the martial artist test last month, and now you’re taking it again? Do you think I’m stupid? Stop making things up—there’s a task short of manpower; get over here right now!”

Xiao Yang: “I’ll come this afternoon. Hanging up now.”

He ended the call.

Beside him, Lu Zixun stared wide-eyed, wanting to laugh but not daring.

Soon, the phone rang again.

It was still Zhuang Xueyi.

Xiao Yang hung up.

It rang again.

He turned off the phone.

…

About half an hour later, a man in his fifties, dressed in traditional attire, entered the reception room.

Lu Zixun immediately stood up, showing respectful demeanor. “Director.”

Xiao Yang also stood, surprised. “Director Yang Zhen?”

It was Yang Zhen, the director of the Yuezhou branch of Tiance Martial Arts Academy.

The academy’s website had Yang Zhen’s photo; Xiao Yang recognized him.

As the director of Tiance Martial Arts Academy in Yuezhou, Yang Zhen was one of the city’s top figures.

In Yuezhou, no one outranked Yang Zhen, and only a few could be considered his peers.

Such a prominent figure coming in person was a true surprise to Xiao Yang.

Yang Zhen smiled at Xiao Yang, then said to Lu Zixun, “You may leave.”

Lu Zixun withdrew.

“Sit.”

Yang Zhen invited Xiao Yang to sit, took out a martial artist card, and handed it to him. “This is your first-rank martial artist card!”

Xiao Yang sat upright, accepting the card with both hands.

On the card was his photo and identification; on the back, the words “Tiance Martial Arts Academy, First-rank Martial Artist” were printed, signifying official certification.

With this card, Xiao Yang could receive a monthly martial artist welfare of one hundred thousand yuan from the Dragon Nation.

He cherished the card and said, “It’s an honor to receive it from you personally.”

Yang Zhen smiled. “Yuezhou has never had an eighteen-year-old martial artist before. Someone like you, a prodigy, will surely surpass me in achievement. You are worth meeting in person. I also have some things to discuss with you.”

Xiao Yang said, “Please go ahead, Director.”

Yang Zhen became serious. “I want to recruit you as a member of Tiance Martial Arts Academy. The salary is one million yuan per month, and you’ll be admitted to Jiangnan Martial University as a special student. Your salary will increase with your cultivation. Do you agree?”

Xiao Yang was stunned by Yang Zhen’s words.

A million yuan per month?

Admittance as a special student to Jiangnan Martial University?

Salary increases with cultivation?

He was amazed.

Yang Zhen said, “Think it over carefully.”

Xiao Yang came to his senses and asked, “Am I worth that price?”

Yang Zhen nodded. “A genius with powerful mental strength, an eighteen-year-old energy-sensing martial artist—yes, you are worth it! I’m investing in your future and willing to pay ten times the salary of an ordinary martial artist.”

Xiao Yang pondered. Yang Zhen’s offer was indeed generous and showed great regard for him.

He considered his own value.

Without the Super-Dimensional Book, the offer would be tempting and highly attractive.

But with the Super-Dimensional Book, becoming a powerhouse was inevitable. Xiao Yang was confident he could become a legendary figure like Li Tiance, founder of Tiance Martial Arts Academy. By joining, the academy would surely benefit in the future.

Seeing Xiao Yang hesitate, Yang Zhen added, “Let me clarify the terms: as a first-rank martial artist, your monthly salary is one million; second-rank, two million; third-rank, three million.

Fourth-rank, ten million; fifth-rank, twenty million; sixth-rank, thirty million; seventh-rank, one hundred million; eighth-rank, two hundred million; ninth-rank, three hundred million!

Before reaching fourth-rank, Tiance Martial Arts Academy requires nothing from you. After becoming fourth-rank, the academy won’t restrict your freedom.

Only when the academy assigns tasks will you need to complete them, and the academy will pay you according to the task level. All other earnings are yours alone, unrelated to the academy.”

Yang Zhen folded his arms, looking at Xiao Yang. His straightforward character made everything clear, allowing Xiao Yang to weigh his options.

The super-dimensional world required money to sustain—more was always better.

The longer Xiao Yang stayed in the super-dimensional world, the greater his gains. Therefore, Yang Zhen’s high salary was very beneficial to him in the early stages.

He also needed such a force as a backing.

With such candor, Xiao Yang did not hesitate. “Director, to speak plainly, if the initial monthly salary can be raised to one hundred twenty thousand, I’ll join Tiance Martial Arts Academy.”

To sustain seven days in the super-dimensional world required one hundred eleven thousand one hundred yuan—one hundred thousand was a bit short. Thus, he asked for one hundred twenty thousand, which would allow a seven-day stay next time.

Yang Zhen didn’t even pause, extending his hand. “Deal. Welcome to Tiance Martial Arts Academy.”

Xiao Yang stood and shook his hand. “It’s my honor.”

Yang Zhen said, “Your salary for this month will soon be credited to your account. From now on, you are a special member of our academy and may train for free at any Tiance Martial Arts Academy. Now that you are one of us, let me explain the cultivation realms, grade divisions, privileges, and obligations of martial artists.”

Xiao Yang already knew some of this, but not all, so he replied seriously, “Please instruct me, Director.”