Chapter 38 - Martial Arts Test
A quiet testing site.
Yun Wei turned to Yang Xie and Nangong Ya.
"Are you sure you don't want to test again? You still have three chances, right?"
Both of them shook their heads.
"Alright then, let's move on to the second testing site," Yun Wei said as she collected the test data sheets from Yang Xie and Nangong Ya.
Yun Wei led Yang Xie to the next location.
"Fei Lao, wake up!" Yun Wei shouted, but the old man lying on the table didn't react right away. She had to shout a few more times before he stirred.
The old man stretched and yawned, rubbing his eyes.
"Little Yun Wei, why are you looking for me, an old man? Aren't you supposed to be at the registration office? You woke me from my sweet dream!" Fei Lao complained as he slowly sat up.
Yun Wei smiled awkwardly. "Sorry to disturb you, Fei Lao, but two testers want to take their tests. I had no choice but to wake you up."
"Testers? Has someone already broken through to the warrior level so soon?" Fei Lao immediately perked up, his drowsiness forgotten. After all, he was the one in charge of overseeing these two tests.
"Where are they? Where are the testers? Let me take a look," he said, looking around eagerly.
"Fei Lao, who is behind you?" Yun Wei asked, glancing at the old man now fully awake.
Fei Lao turned around, realizing he had been too hasty. "Oh, they're here. We want to test," Yang Xie called out, stepping forward.
"Not bad. Let me see the strength data sheet!" Fei Lao said, his voice filled with enthusiasm.
Yun Wei quickly handed over the data sheets.
Fei Lao took them and scrutinized the details. "Nangong Ya, the highest weight is 1314kg—impressive! This suggests she's at least at the second stage of warrior strength. To reach this level in just half a month is extraordinary talent."
He turned to Yang Xie. "And you, the highest weight is 908kg—still very good, and you're very close to reaching the second stage of the warrior."
Fei Lao nodded in satisfaction. "This is impressive data."
Then, his expression grew more serious. "Are you both warriors who have achieved the perfect Zhoutian?"
"Yes, we have," Nangong Ya answered confidently, with Yang Xie nodding beside her.
"To have gone from no martial skills to becoming warriors in such a short period—your talent is truly remarkable. Are you both above A-level talent? I heard there's an S-level talent this year in our city. Is that one of you?"
The mention of an S-level talent caught Fei Lao's attention.
Nangong Ya smiled. "Yes, I am the S-level talent, Nangong Ya."
Fei Lao's eyes widened. "Ah, it's you, little girl. You're quite remarkable. But I must ask—what's your relationship with Nangong Batian?"
"You know my father?"
"Of course, I know him. Nangong Batian is a legendary figure. I know him, but he may not know me, hahaha."
Fei Lao's praise for Nangong Batian was obvious, and it made Nangong Ya even more proud of her family background.
"Nangong girl, what martial arts do you practice? Show me," Fei Lao asked eagerly.
"Mr. Fei, right here?" Nangong Ya asked.
Fei Lao nodded. "Yes, this is the second testing site. That open space is where you should demonstrate. I need to see how well you've mastered your martial arts."
"Understood," Nangong Ya replied and walked toward the open space. She drew a whip from her waist and spoke up. "Mr. Fei, I practice the Qingling Whip and Zhenwu Fist. I will demonstrate the Qingling Whip now."
As Nangong Ya began, the long whip in her hands seemed to come alive, moving like a spiritual snake through the air.
Snap!
The sound of the whip echoed with a sharp crack, accompanied by a burst of sonic booms.
"Impressive!" Fei Lao exclaimed. "This girl has mastered the Qingling Whip. There's even a hint of murderous intent in her strikes—it's clear she's had real combat experience. The Nangong family has another phoenix among them."
Yun Wei, who had no martial arts background but was influenced by the Warrior Association, could still recognize the skill in Nangong Ya's demonstration. "She's truly a genius to have reached this level in such a short time."
Yang Xie observed silently. He was struggling with the idea of performing well, especially after all the praise Nangong Ya had received. Could he perform well under the same scrutiny?
"Next, I'll demonstrate the Zhenwu Fist," Nangong Ya said as she switched techniques.
Fei Lao couldn't stop praising her. "Mastery of both the Qingling Whip and the Zhenwu Fist, truly amazing, amazing!"
After watching her demonstration, Fei Lao quickly made a note on her data sheet: "Master of Qingling Whip Technique and Zhenwu Fist."
The final evaluation was clear: "Strength assessed as a perfect Zhoutian warrior, second stage. A genius-level talent."
Seeing the evaluation on her sheet, Nangong Ya was pleased. She already knew what the result would be, but it still made her happy to see it in writing.
"Yang Xie, it's your turn," Fei Lao said, turning his attention to the next tester.
Yang Xie, feeling the weight of the moment, unsheathed his sword and stepped onto the testing ground.
He began to perform the Bloody Sword technique. However, Yang Xie had intentionally suppressed his martial arts proficiency, which made his movements seem strange and awkward.
Yun Wei, ever observant, noticed something off about his performance. So did Fei Lao, a seasoned examiner.
Fei Lao, who had been watching in silence, couldn't hold back any longer. "Stop pretending, kid. If you can't perform properly, I'll get you some help. Nangong girl, go up and practice with him."
Nangong Ya had been annoyed by Yang Xie's underperformance for a while. With a swift motion, she took out her whip and launched an attack.
"Let's see how well you can perform now!" she said, her tone teasing.
Yang Xie, caught off guard, couldn't help but think to himself: This is bad!