Chapter Fourteen: Running Away Upon Seeing Me

A "Level 6 Martial Artist" at such a young age is beyond mere pursuit; it is a description that no longer fits. Such individuals are the cream of the crop, gifted with extraordinary talent, and are, at the very least, among the top two students in any county-level school.

Yang Fan shut his mouth sheepishly; to say anything more would be to invite humiliation.

"Level 6?"

Zhao Rui smiled but remained silent. Instead, he picked up his phone and began browsing the web. At this moment, words were meaningless; if you couldn't keep up, you couldn't keep up, and arguing would only make one seem more insecure. But how could he possibly be insecure? With the system interface at his disposal, even a pig wouldn't be stuck at Level 6! There was simply no need to fret.

The handsome boy paused, surprised by Zhao Rui’s nonchalant demeanor. The corners of his mouth curled up into his habitual smile. "Interesting." After saying this, he fell silent and closed his eyes to rest.

Yang Fan rolled his eyes, turning his head away. He hated people who acted so conceited, but the guy was clearly in a league of his own, making it impossible to retort.

"Zhao Rui! Hou Ping! Zhang Lei..."

A staff member stuck their head out from the doorway and called into the corridor.

"Here!" Zhao Rui stood up and walked toward the door.

"Good luck!" Yang Fan cheered him on from behind.

Zhao Rui gave a grunt of acknowledgment and followed the staff member into the room. At the same time, the classmate sitting next to the handsome boy who had been chatting earlier also stood up and followed suit.

Martial arts testing is quite complex, involving a wide range of categories. It includes internal energy level assessments, physical fitness tests tailored to various martial arts, martial cultivation checks, and real-time reaction tests for combat techniques—a total of eighteen different examination items. By now, the development of martial arts has produced a mature and comprehensive grading system, capable of accurately reflecting a martial arts student's true, fundamental strength—not that of a life-or-death struggle, but rather their baseline proficiency. It is much like a base level in a game; if your physical fitness and combat techniques exceed a certain threshold, you have qualified. As for actual combat capability, that can only be determined through matches or life-or-death duels.

"Examinee, please stand before the tester and face the pendulum..."

Zhao Rui took a deep breath, channeled the breathing techniques of the 'Taihang Thirteen Palms,' and threw a punch. The large pendulum swung out with a dull thud. The numbers on the display jumped rapidly: 1000, 1500, 2000, finally settling at 2150.

2150 pounds of force—this far exceeded the striking power of the top boxers from his previous life. Converted, that was over a thousand pounds of force. And this was achieved without Zhao Rui even utilizing his internal energy. Having reached the mastery level in his martial arts, many acupoints related to his palm techniques were already cleared, allowing his internal energy to naturally enhance his physical functions. It was no surprise he could produce such force. This was one of the reasons why martial arts were so revered in this world; individual combat power was truly off the charts. Even if an ordinary person had a gun, a Level 5 martial artist could shift position in the blink of an eye and kill you with a small pebble before you could even pull the trigger. Those who practiced hard-body techniques could shatter a concrete wall with a single palm strike as easily as flipping their hand—not to mention those above Level 10 who could project their *Qi*. Of course, besides power, the life-prolonging benefits of certain martial arts were another reason for their popularity.

"Good!" The examiner read the value and gave him a 'Good' rating.

Zhao Rui shook his head. If it weren't for the fact that he had learned Cui Jian’s 'Taihang Thirteen Palms' through the interface, his own 'Cloud Hands Plucking Stars' technique would likely have only yielded between 1600 and 1800 pounds of force—barely passing! If only he could learn the 'Dragon-Subduing Palm' in the future. Zhao Rui mused to himself. He knew the 'Dragon-Subduing Palm' existed in this world, though he had never seen it and didn't know if it resembled the 'Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms' from his past life. Rumor had it that it was an astonishingly powerful palm technique; once mastered, challenging opponents of higher levels would be effortless.

"Next!"

As Zhao Rui stepped off the testing platform, the other candidates began their tests one by one. Zhao Rui watched two of them; their strength was similar to his, around 2000. Generally, 1800 was the passing threshold for a Level 5 martial artist, 2000 was considered 'Good,' and 2200 or more was required for 'Excellent.' After watching for a while, Zhao Rui lost interest and followed the guide to the next testing area.

Two hours later, the doors of the assessment center's main hall slowly opened, and Zhao Rui and the other candidates filed out. Yang Fan hurried over, asking with an expectant look, "Did you make it?"

Zhao Rui nodded with a smile.

"That's great! Let’s go, lunch is on me today!" Yang Fan said happily, as if he were the one who had just passed the Level 4 assessment.

"Didn't we agree that I would treat you?"

"I’m going to be counting on you to look out for me in the future! Come on, let's go!" Yang Fan chuckled and dragged Zhao Rui toward the exit.

"Hey, I'll be waiting for you at Level 6!"

Just then, the handsome boy from earlier held up his right hand in a 'six' gesture and gave Zhao Rui a provocative smile. After speaking, he and his classmate walked away, both with their hands in their pockets, looking as conceited as possible.

Yang Fan cursed at their backs, "Damn it, acting like a jerk will get you struck by lightning!"

"Alright, we don't even know them. Let him say what he wants. What do you want to eat?"

"There’s a new barbecue place that just opened; let's go there." Yang Fan laughed again and added, "When the college entrance exams are over, I'll take you to the Entertainment City!"

Entertainment City? Information about it instantly surfaced in Zhao Rui's mind. Thanks to the prosperity of martial arts in this world, some underground forces were far more rampant than in his previous life. The Entertainment City was a place run by these factions, dedicated to indulgence and pleasure—somewhat like the casinos in Macau, but with more variety and far fewer scruples.

"You haven't already been there, have you?" Zhao Rui gave Yang Fan a meaningful look.

"Heh, you bet! Let me tell you, the girls in there—tsk tsk—they're even prettier than Bai Xuening or Luo Min!"

"Hold it right there. Saying they're pretty is enough, no need for comparisons. I don't want you to get beaten up!"

"Heh, I heard they even have high-level martial artists as companions..."

"The prices are just a bit steep!"

Yang Fan spoke excitedly about what he had heard, and before long, they reached the parking lot.

"Damn it! Who’s the shameless prick that knocked over my motorcycle?" In the middle of his lively chatter, Yang Fan spotted his beloved bike lying on the ground and instantly flew into a rage.

"Oh, is that your bike? I was wondering why it looked so familiar!" Before Yang Fan could finish, the window of a Mercedes-Benz nearby rolled down. A boy with a hooked nose whistled at him and said with a mocking sneer.

"Damn..." Yang Fan muttered under his breath. He silently lifted his motorcycle and got on without another word.

"Let's go," Zhao Rui said. Seeing his reaction, he didn't ask further. He climbed onto the back seat, and the motorcycle roared to life, speeding out of the parking lot.

"Yang Fan, so gutless... don't forget to run next time you see me!" The hooked-nosed boy's arrogant voice trailed after them.