“Mom, Dad, I’m heading to the ‘Extreme Hall’ in the city center. I probably won’t be back for lunch today,” Luo Feng said as he stood up after gulping down a large bowl of porridge and eating three flatbreads. “Wait for the good news. Once I pass the test, I’ll call you immediately.”

“I’ll definitely keep my phone with me,” Luo Hongguo laughed.

Luo Feng winked at his younger brother Luo Hua, who gave him a thumbs-up with a cheeky grin.

Early in the morning, Luo Feng left the South Riverside District, took Line 11 of the metro to ‘Zhong’an Road Station,’ and then transferred to Line 1, heading toward the city center of Yangzhou. After exiting the metro station, he walked for another ten minutes before arriving at the headquarters of the Extreme Martial Arts Gym in Yangzhou—‘Extreme Hall.’

“So, this is the famous Mingyue Community?” Luo Feng stood outside the entrance of a quiet residential area named ‘Mingyue Community,’ where the Extreme Hall was located.

At the entrance stood a row of six soldiers dressed in military uniforms, armed with live ammunition. Judging by their uniforms, it was clear these were military personnel, not police officers. One of the soldiers shouted at Luo Feng, “Sir, please step back. If you enter the yellow line zone, we have the authority to shoot you on sight!”

Mingyue Community was the base of operations for the Extreme Martial Arts Gym in Yangzhou City!

“They say only warriors and their families live here. Even the police can’t enter without permission,” Luo Feng thought in awe.

“Oh?”

Luo Feng handed over his ID and student card.

The ID and advanced student card were scanned on a handheld device, and information immediately appeared on the screen.

“Thank you, sir,” Luo Feng responded courteously.

The electric gates of the community automatically opened, and one of the soldiers holding an assault rifle stepped forward, accompanying Luo Feng. “Sir, I will escort you to the Extreme Hall. Please do not wander around once inside the community! You only have permission to enter the Extreme Hall, not the residential area for warriors’ families. If you violate the rules, even if I don’t act, the patrolling soldiers inside the community will,” the soldier said with a grin.

Indeed, the country and the Extreme Martial Arts Gym had a cooperative relationship. At least the core area of the gym was heavily protected.

---

“Sir, are you here for the quasi-warrior test?” A sweet-looking girl at the reception desk smiled. “Please take a seat over there. The test will start at 10 a.m., and you’ll be tested with the others.”

“Hm?” Luo Feng glanced around and saw three other people already seated in the small lounge area.

“Look over there—those villas are part of the benefits for warriors who join the Extreme Martial Arts Gym,” a young man in white clothes said excitedly. “Once you become a warrior and join the gym, you’re assigned a villa for free. You can live here for life. Just look at this environment, it’s so comfortable!”

Since no one knew each other, they didn’t engage in conversation.

As time passed, three more people arrived. Like the others, Luo Feng didn’t recognize them, but they all appeared older, likely over thirty, with one possibly in his forties.

Luo Feng was surprised when he noticed a lean, scar-faced man approaching him. “You’re here for the quasi-warrior test too?”

“It’s embarrassing to admit, but I tried last month and failed. My speed test came in at just 24.9 meters per second. Just a hair short of passing!” Yang Wu said helplessly. He had already passed the punching power and reflex tests, but his speed was his weak point.

“I’m sure you’ll pass this time, Yang,” Luo Feng encouraged with a smile.

The man speaking was a bearded, burly guy. Yang Wu immediately glared at him, “You’ve got nerve to talk, haven’t you failed the test twice? With your reflexes, you’ll probably need to train for another two or three years.”

The eight people in the room turned as a middle-aged man in loose training clothes appeared. “Follow me upstairs for the quasi-warrior test. Remember, behave yourselves. The head instructor’s old friend is visiting today, so don’t cause any trouble.”

“The head instructor’s friend?” Luo Feng thought to himself, curious.

They entered an elevator, and the man in the training clothes pressed ‘6.’

---

“They’re here, stop chatting,” said a middle-aged man with long hair. The group of over a dozen warriors in the training hall turned to look at Luo Feng and the others, making them feel nervous. Everyone knew that, apart from the staff, only warriors frequented the Extreme Hall.

“Prepare for the test,” ordered the long-haired man.

“One by one, bring me your ID,” said the warrior who had escorted them, collecting the IDs of the eight and handing them to the chief instructor, Wu Tong. He smiled and said, “Chief, we’ve got a decent turnout today—eight participants!”

Beep!

“The first one, Tong Guan,” the chief instructor said indifferently. “Start the punching test. You military types always like to take our tests—interesting.”

Even military personnel, or those with family traditions of martial arts, preferred to take the test at the Extreme Martial Arts Gym.

“Yes, sir.”

“Next, Luo Feng,” the chief instructor casually swiped the second ID through the machine and checked the detailed information. Surprised, he said, “Oh, 18 years old? Old Jiang, this one’s from your Yi’an district, right? When did such a talented youngster pop up?”

“Who knows if he’s got any real skill yet,” a chubby old man among the group of warriors joked with a sneer, “Maybe he’s just here for the experience.”

“Yes, Instructor,” Luo Feng responded loudly and stepped forward, walking confidently toward the punching test machine.

“Old Jiang seems quite confident,” the chief instructor, Wu Tong, said with a smile, but his gaze remained fixed on Luo Feng, as almost everyone present was watching Luo Feng, waiting for his assessment results.

With a punch thrown, Luo Feng's eyes glimmered with a hint of joy: “It feels great to throw a punch; I can really feel the force behind it.” He looked at the display screen—“1101 kg.”

“Not bad.” Immediately, many martial artists on-site praised him.

“Haha, this little guy Luo Feng really has strong practical abilities,” Instructor Jiang Nian laughed heartily, “He’s defeated three advanced students whose strength and speed aren’t any less than his, and he did it quite effortlessly!”

In his youth, he had fainted twice, significantly increasing his physical strength and speed. From that moment on, he had a plan to become a formidable martial artist! And being a formidable martial artist requires high practical abilities. Even though he hadn’t joined an extreme martial arts dojo during his youth, he had searched online for some basic sword techniques and footwork, gradually accumulating experience by practicing alone at home.

“He’s a good prospect. Hmm, you pass!” Chief Instructor Wu Tong casually swiped an ID card across the device. “Next, Bai Yang.”

“Not bad, crazy guy,” Yang Wu quietly marveled.

...

“Card!” Chief Instructor Wu Tong approached the speed testing device and switched it on.

Yang Wu took a deep breath.

“Yang, good luck!” Luo Feng gently patted Yang Wu’s shoulder.

Instructor Jiang Nian frowned at this scene. Yang Wu was also from the Yian District, but he had failed the speed test several times already.

Yang Wu stomped on the ground, producing a low rumble, and with powerful arm swings and forceful pushes, he quickly reached his speed limit. His face was twisted in a grimace, veins bulging on his forehead as he gritted his teeth and ran like mad. As he crossed the speed testing zone, he let out a suppressed roar!

He anxiously turned his head to look back, only to see Luo Feng giving him a thumbs up. At that moment, Yang Wu felt as if he had ascended to heaven.

Yang Wu kept running and looked at the display screen—“/s.”

“Hmm, pass!” Chief Instructor Wu Tong also smiled. “Next.”

Soon it was Luo Feng's turn.

“Crazy guy, good luck! We need to pass together for the martial arts practical assessment,” Yang Wu encouraged. Luo Feng smiled and nodded as he walked to the track, making slight adjustments to his breathing. He lightly bounced twice on the spot, contrasting with Yang Wu’s raw power, giving off a relaxed vibe.

With a burst of energy, Luo Feng shot forward like a leopard, moving incredibly fast and creating a gust of wind as he swept through the speed testing zone. It was visibly clear that Luo Feng's speed surpassed all the previous participants.

Luo Feng walked over to check the screen—

“Impressive speed, way above the passing line.” Chief Instructor Wu Tong smiled and nodded. “Last one, Tong Guan.”

After finishing the punching power and speed tests, one was eliminated from the punching power test, and two were eliminated from the speed test, leaving five candidates. The third assessment was the "Neural Reaction Speed Test."

This took place in a spacious room of about 100 square meters.

“First, Tong Guan.” Chief Instructor Wu Tong announced.

“Ding!” The switch was flipped.

“Remember, no matter what, don’t leave the circle. If you step outside the circle, you will be disqualified. If your body touches the red light, points will be deducted,” Chief Instructor Wu Tong explained before moving to the neural reaction testing machine, pressing several buttons to adjust the test's intensity. This intensity varied at many levels.

The highest level was for top martial artists to train.

“Beep— Beep—” The neural reaction testing machine’s large barrel began to spin, and dozens of gun barrels almost instantaneously fired beams of red light at varying speeds and erratic flight paths, shooting into the red circle.

“Poof! Poof!” Two hits in quick succession.

Time passed second by second.

“Woo—” After pressing the button, Chief Instructor Wu Tong slowed the machine’s barrel and stopped the rotation, revealing a wealth of data on the central screen.

“Just a little more.” The burly man with a scruffy beard gritted his teeth, shook his head, and stepped out of the red circle.

Luo Feng and Yang Wu exchanged a fist bump before stepping into the red circle.

“Remember, don’t step out of the circle. If you do, you’ll fail immediately, and points will be deducted for touching the red light,” Chief Instructor Wu Tong reiterated before pressing the red button.

The neural reaction testing machine’s barrel accelerated rapidly, quickly spinning at high speed. Almost instantaneously, dozens of gun barrels fired beams of red light, and rubber bullets flew out.

Luo Feng quickly dodged, while the observing martial artists began to discuss.

“He’s really fast; his body movements are excellent, and his fundamentals are solid. Look at his feet; they move like a cat’s paw. Each movement maintains his center of gravity, allowing him to change direction instantly. Such footwork... if he’s not a genius, then achieving such a solid foundation requires at least ten years of hard work.”

The physical quality of martial artists can be improved through training. However, footwork, swordplay, and other techniques are all reliant on experience. Simply having strong physical strength does not equate to high-level footwork.

“Within 60 seconds, he was hit 28 times, but did not touch the red light. Excellent!” Chief Instructor Wu Tong smiled, “Well done, Luo Feng. Congratulations! Once the official documents are issued and your information is registered in the public identity database, you will be a probationary martial artist!” Once the assessment is passed, a formal certificate is usually issued within seven days, and recorded in the public identity database.

He had finally become a probationary martial artist!

“Luo Feng, on August 1, there will be a practical martial arts assessment. We will gather in the Extreme Martial Arts Hall in the morning, and under the guidance of the instructors, join other probationary martial artists to hunt monsters outside the city of the human base! Once you pass the practical assessment, you will be a true martial artist,” Instructor Jiang Nian said with a smile.