"Do you think he'll win?" someone asked, worry in their voice.
"Oh, he'll win," replied Gu Ce, smiling confidently as he brushed back his white hair. He picked up the wooden training sword in his hand, eyes fixed on his opponent.
Across from him stood a broad-shouldered man wielding a large, thick knife, nearly fit for real combat—much more imposing than Gu Ce's wooden sword. This was a martial arts competition, where participants could freely choose their weapons. But it was clear the opponent intended to use the advantage of his heavy knife to overpower Gu Ce.
A bit of a dirty move.
But, as Gu Ce thought to himself, he would still win.
The man stared at him with fierce determination, his sword glinting hungrily as he charged. Gu Ce calmly parried with his wooden sword, pushing him back.
"Come on!" the man shouted, slashing wildly again.
Gu Ce smirked, dodging skillfully rather than meeting him head-on. His weapon was at a disadvantage, so brute force wasn't an option. The man swung wildly, but Gu Ce's fluid footwork let him evade easily. Taking advantage of an opening, he slipped behind the man and gently placed his wooden sword against his opponent's neck.
"I...I lost," the man admitted, visibly defeated. Though he'd suspected it might end this way, he hadn't expected it to be so swift.
A round of applause erupted from the spectators.
"As expected of a 16-year-old senior martial arts student! Xiaoce, your movement is almost at martial artist standards, right?" someone exclaimed.
"Not quite there yet, Brother Wang," Gu Ce replied, smiling modestly as he returned the wooden sword. He hadn't even broken a sweat.
Brother Wang shook his head with a grin. "You're close. When are you planning to take the quasi-martial artist exam? I remember you were just a bit behind in strength last time, right?"
"I'll go for it early next month!" Gu Ce answered, smiling confidently.
Brother Wang's eyes widened, then he chuckled. "Very confident, huh? Alright, let's test you. If you actually become a quasi-martial artist at sixteen, you have to join my Thunder Martial Arts Academy! I'll make sure you get the best treatment. You could be the next War God!"
"Then I'll be counting on you, Brother Wang," Gu Ce said, smiling.
When they reached the testing area reserved for senior students, the others immediately stepped aside, recognizing Gu Ce and the supervisor accompanying him. Standing in front of the punching machine, Gu Ce took a deep breath, preparing himself.
"Bang!"
He struck the target with his right fist, and the display lit up: "923 kg!"
"Impressive!" Brother Wang exclaimed.
At just sixteen, Gu Ce had already reached a level most could only dream of.
Wang Heng silently thanked his luck that he'd recruited Gu Ce for Thunder Martial Arts Academy. Soon, he'd have something to boast about in front of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall!
Gu Ce would surely go on to greatness—at least as high as the God of War.
Wang Heng was already planning to send him to Thunder Academy's global headquarters after the combat assessment. He knew Gu Ce's greatest strength lay in his agility and reflexes.
"Keep going," Wang Heng urged eagerly. The last time Gu Ce had tested was a month ago, and he was eager to see his progress.
Gu Ce moved to the track.
Whoosh!
His form was so graceful and quick it seemed he was moving with the wind.
Wang Heng watched the screen in astonishment.
"29.9 m/s."
An incredible speed. Wang Heng recalled that a month ago, Gu Ce had recorded only 26.5 m/s—a three meters per second improvement in just one month.
The next test was for reaction speed.
Gu Ce stepped into a circular area lit with faint red light, and surrounding machines began firing rubber bullets at him. He gracefully dodged each one with fluid, controlled movements, evading every shot effortlessly.
"Micro-level precision! And only sixteen... I've wasted my life," Wang Heng thought to himself, astonished.
The final result was unsurprisingly excellent.
"Fantastic!" Wang Heng exclaimed, repeating "fantastic" multiple times, his delight evident.
"Brother Wang, how's that?" Gu Ce asked, grinning.
"Exceptional! There's no one in the entire Jiangnan base city with your talent," Wang Heng praised without hesitation. "Once you pass the combat assessment, I'll recommend you to the headquarters! Maybe the founder of our Thunder Martial Arts Academy, Thor himself, will take an interest in you."
Gu Ce nodded, well aware of the reputation of Thor, the God of Thunder.
"Prepare well for the combat assessment and let your family know," Wang Heng advised. "If you head to the global headquarters for elite training, you won't be back anytime soon."
"Thank you, Brother Wang!"
Although the Thunder Martial Arts Academy wasn't as prestigious as the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, Gu Ce understood that Thor and Hong, the founder of the Extreme Hall, were close allies. The gap in status didn't bother him; he was confident in his ability to surpass the apprentice level and reach planetary strength quickly.
After all, Gu Ce had a unique advantage.
Yes, Gu Ce was a time traveler.
He'd arrived in this world aware that it was the setting of Swallowed Star, and since then, he had rigorously trained, determined to be a powerful warrior and participate in future events, rather than merely being an observer or even falling to monsters.
Since his arrival, his body had not disappointed him.
In his first year as a martial arts student, he'd risen to senior level. Within another six months, he'd reached the apprentice level—a remarkable feat for anyone from Earth. And this was just the beginning.
The true secret of his strength lay in his "Six Eyes."
After reaching apprentice level, he had awakened this unique ability, somewhat resembling the famous Satoru's skill but with a different function. Here in the world of Swallowed Star, his Six Eyes allowed him to observe the universal laws of space itself. If the demon race was considered beloved by the laws of space, then Gu Ce was cherished even more.
With Six Eyes, Gu Ce had advanced learning abilities, 360-degree vision, and foresight into enemy movements—all without any adverse side effects.
Gu Ce suspected that as he grew stronger, the Six Eyes would bring even greater surprises. With this gift, reaching the level of a space master seemed inevitable.
With his experience from Earth and his natural talent, he felt confident he could eventually ascend to godhood, just like Hong.
After all, he was determined to become the strongest.