Chapter 82: Effortless Success

Chapter 82: Effortless Success

As time passed, people continued to file in, and the number soon exceeded fifty. Women accounted for only about a quarter of the crowd, and the registration area quickly became packed.

As the clock neared ten, a group of men and women dressed in uniform attire pushed open the door and entered.

The group consisted of two men and one woman: a middle-aged man with a buzz cut and an imposing aura, a thin and serious young man, and a cold-faced young woman who appeared to be around thirty years old.

"It’s the notaries from the Martial Arts Notary Office," someone muttered under their breath.

Immediately, the previously noisy atmosphere fell into complete silence.

Chen Shouyi could clearly tell that these individuals were all Martial Artists. The middle-aged man with the buzz cut, who seemed to be the leader, moved with light, soundless steps, like a lazy yet dangerous leopard. Even Chen Shouyi felt a faint sense of pressure emanating from him.

This must be a Great Martial Artist!

The hierarchy of Martial Arts consisted of Martial Artist Apprentice, Martial Artist, and Great Martial Artist. A Great Martial Artist was already among the pinnacle of human strength as far as Chen Shouyi knew.

In truth, unless one belonged to the same circle, encounters with Martial Artists were rare, let alone Great Martial Artists.

Of course, even if ordinary people came across them, they wouldn’t recognize who they were.

"Director, it’s about time. Should we proceed?" The cold-faced young woman glanced at her wristwatch and asked the middle-aged man with the buzz cut.

The middle-aged man nodded. "Let’s begin."

Everyone immediately stood up.

The group followed the notaries through a passageway and soon entered a large hall at the back.

Inside, there was a professional running track, various strength-testing machines, and numerous other instruments.

"Since there are quite a few participants, we won’t waste time. We’ll start with the Punch Speed Test," the young male notary said, opening a folder containing a thick stack of files. He flipped through them and announced, "First up, Mo Xingyuan."

A staff member from the examination center quickly turned on the laser speed-measuring device before stepping back.

A young man in his late twenties stepped forward, took a deep breath, and suddenly threw a punch using the Lunge Thrust technique.

"205 meters per second—pass. Next, Lin Haoran."

...

The Lunge Thrust was the fastest technique among all Martial Arts moves, engaging the most muscles and delivering the most powerful attack. It was also the most representative technique.

With its unparalleled explosive force, it could often deal damage beyond imagination.

However, this technique was like the demonic path in novels.

Apart from its application in sword or spear techniques, few used the Lunge Thrust with bare fists. There was only one outcome: the person struck would be obliterated, and the attacker’s hand bones would shatter.

...

"Next, Chen Shouyi!" The notary couldn’t help but double-check. "You’re only seventeen?"

Chen Shouyi stepped forward and nodded. "Yes."

The notary glanced at him, then at his file, and his expression immediately turned displeased. "The Martial Apprentice Examination is a serious matter, not a game. While every apprentice is allowed to register, I hope you won’t waste societal resources. Train for a few more years before trying again. Next, Hu Yuting."

He had always disliked those who clearly lacked the strength but had no self-awareness, still coming to sign up—it was a complete waste of their time.

"Wait a minute!" Chen Shouyi felt a surge of irritation. "Age shouldn’t be the deciding factor here. How do you know I can’t do it? At least let me try."

"I’m not targeting you. This isn’t about age. If you’d passed the Martial Artist Apprentice exam years ago, I’d consider you a genius. But according to your records, you only passed it the day before yesterday—and you’re still a high school student."

A light chuckle rippled through the crowd.

Chen Shouyi opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. How could he argue? Should he blame himself for improving so quickly?

"It won’t take much time. Let him try," the middle-aged man with a buzz cut suddenly interjected.

Seeing the director speak up, the notary had no choice but to relent. "Fine, start quickly then. Don’t waste time."

Running into someone so rigid and serious left Chen Shouyi thoroughly frustrated.

Suppressing his annoyance, he stepped up to the speed-measuring line and took a moment to steady himself.

Then, like a specter, his foot shot forward. Power surged from his toes, amplifying as it traveled through his body like interlocking gears. By the time it reached his arm, it had transformed into a cannonball, his fist blurring into an afterimage as it tore through the air.

The punch was executed flawlessly, every ounce of his strength channeled into that single strike.

BOOM!

The air exploded like a bomb, a deafening shockwave sending gusts of wind whipping outward.

Everyone nearby instinctively took a step back.

"Th-Three hundred eighty-five meters per second!" The cold-faced young woman notary behind the speed-measuring device could no longer maintain her composure, her expression twisting in shock.

She couldn’t even come close to that speed. In fact, aside from the director—a Great Martial Artist—who among ordinary Martial Artists could achieve such a feat?

The crowd erupted into murmurs. Even the middle-aged man with a buzz cut couldn’t help but glance at Chen Shouyi. He had sensed this young man was strong, but he never expected to witness the emergence of a Flood Dragon!

......

"The Martial Artist Punch Speed Requirement is only 200 meters per second. This is nearly double that—how absurd! Is this some Senior Martial Artist here to show off?"

"That’s practically a monster. His punch was like an explosion—he literally shattered the air!"

Whispers spread through the crowd.

The young male notary stood dumbfounded. After a long pause, he finally snapped out of it and forced a self-deprecating laugh. "Seems my judgment was off. But I was just doing my job—no hard feelings. Passed! Next up, Hu Yuting."

Chen Shouyi had already moved on. As the notary said, it wasn’t personal—anyone would’ve doubted him. He gave a slight smile and stepped aside.

"Damn, kid, you’re insane! With strength like that, you could’ve become a Martial Artist ages ago. Were you just holding back and never took the test?"

"If I could’ve passed, I would’ve. My strength improves fast, but my Swordsmanship held me back. That’s why I never took it before," Chen Shouyi replied with a helpless chuckle.

It was the explanation he’d prepared—the most plausible one.

"No wonder!" The crowd immediately understood.

Some people were just naturally gifted when it came to increasing their strength.

Especially for children from Martial Artist families, their superior genes and even innate divine power mean that even without pursuing the Martial Arts path or undergoing any training, their strength as adults far surpasses that of ordinary people. This individual was likely no exception.

Next came the speed test.

"On your marks, get set—bang!"

As the signal gun fired, Chen Shouyi immediately pushed off the ground with explosive force. The sheer power caused the rubberized track to emit a faint wisp of smoke, accompanied by a foul odor. Each stride carried him five to six meters forward, his legs moving so swiftly they blurred like afterimages. In the blink of an eye, he had already crossed the finish line.

"4.65 seconds—pass!"

Chen Shouyi shook his head. He had never practiced sprinting, and his running technique was far from refined. With proper training, he estimated he could easily break 4.5 seconds. If he still had his wind-control ability, he might even reach the three-second mark. His Strength and Agility were both 3.5 times that of an average person, and the biggest obstacle to his speed was wind resistance. If that resistance were reduced, his speed would skyrocket.

Then came the piercing small balls test—the stage with the highest failure rate.

The requirement was to simultaneously deal with seven irregular iron balls, each the size of a pinky finger, without missing a single one or striking air, all while maintaining focus for a full minute. Many candidates stumbled here. Not only did it demand solid Basic Skills, sharp Reaction Speed, and strategic planning, but it also severely tested one's mental fortitude. The slightest nervousness or lapse in concentration could lead to failure.

But for Chen Shouyi, who had trained under threefold gravity, this test was effortless.

By now, all the other examinees were utterly stunned, and even the notaries couldn't help but glance at Chen Shouyi repeatedly.

It wasn’t until the final Strength test that everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. Though his strength far exceeded the Martial Artist standard, at least it wasn’t by an overwhelming margin.

By 11:30 AM, the Martial Apprentice Examination had concluded, with only a 20% pass rate. Many had fallen just short of the standard—a slightly better performance could have secured their success, but nerves or bad luck led to their failure.

Of course, for someone like Chen Shouyi, even on his worst day, passing was a breeze.

"The list of successful candidates will be posted on the Hedong City Martial Arts official website. The next phase, the Combat Test, will take place in five days at the Martial Artist Club. For further details, please check the official website."