Xu Feng, unsurprisingly, also excelled in the speed test, achieving a good score.
After completing the tests for punching power and speed, two people were eliminated in the punching power test, and five in the speed test.
Now only six people remained to participate in the third test: the 'Nerve Response Speed Assessment'.
"Follow me," the instructor said, leading a group of Martial Artists and the remaining five candidates to the 'Nerve Response Test Room', which was connected to the training hall.
This was a spacious room, about a hundred square meters in size.
Compared to the previous, massive training hall, the Nerve Response Test Room was noticeably smaller.
A large, expensive piece of equipment stood on the floor. At the front of the machine were several openings, resembling the barrels of a six-barreled Gatling gun.
However, there were far more of these openings than a Gatling gun would have, with dozens in total.
"First, Wang Defa," the chief instructor announced.
"Next, Xu Feng."
Xu Feng immediately walked to the front of the testing machine's gun ports, into a circle with a diameter of three meters and six decimeters.
"Click!" The switch was flipped.
The edge of the three-meter-six-decimeter-diameter circle immediately emitted a hazy red light upwards.
For a time, the test subjects within the circle were enveloped as if by a hazy red curtain.
"Remember, no matter what, you cannot leave the circle. Once you leave the circle, it's a failure. Touching the red light will result in point deductions."
The instructor finished speaking and walked over to the Nerve Response Test Room, pressing several buttons to adjust the test's intensity.
There were many levels of intensity. The most basic was for intermediate students, while the highest level... was used by the top experts among Martial Artists for testing and training.
"Begin!" The instructor pressed a red button.
"BeepBeep"
The huge cannon mouth of the Nerve Response Test Room began to rotate, and dozens of gun barrels in the cannon mouth almost instantly emitted streaks of red light.
The speeds varied, and the flight paths weren't even parallel; they were very chaotic, quickly shooting into the red circle.
"So fast?" Xu Feng couldn't help but be surprised.
Xu Feng stared intently at the cannon barrels that were firing red light.
Attempting to predict the trajectory of the projectiles.
Staring at the rapidly fired bullets, Xu Feng seemed to have awakened something within himself, his mind rapidly calculating their positions.
He dodged left and right, up and down, back and forth, and repeatedly avoided the rubber bullets.
It was as if he could predict their movements, always managing to evade the few that were too fast for him to calculate in time.
"Almost there! Almost there! If I can just hold out for another fifteen seconds, I'll pass perfectly." The thought had barely crossed Xu Feng's mind when three bullets shot out in front of him, crossing paths, leaving him with almost no room to dodge.
"I have to dodge them! I have to! I absolutely must!" Xu Feng gritted his teeth, focusing completely. He had no other thoughts; his only goal was to avoid the bullets in front of him.
In that instant, Xu Feng seemed to have broken through his limit. His mind went blank, and his entire body relaxed. With just a few slight twists, he evaded the immediate danger.
Gradually, he seemed to be completely immersed in this feeling of unavoidable danger, even forgetting about the test.
"Amazing. I didn't expect this kid's nerve response to improve so much. It seems he's touched the threshold of the Subtle Realm."
"This kid actually achieved a breakthrough in the Subtle Realm Movement Technique during the assessment!"
It was just a hint of it before, but now it was the real deal.
"Damn, is this what a genius looks like?"
The surrounding instructors and students participating in the assessment were stunned by Xu Feng's situation.
At this moment, Xu Feng, amidst the "hail of bullets," didn't seem to be taking an assessment anymore, but rather dancing.
Sometimes he would take large strides to avoid the attacks, and other times he was like dancing on a knife's edge.
He meticulously controlled his body, using the slightest margins to dodge the seemingly unavoidable rubber bullets.
"Whoosh!"
The one-minute test period ended quickly.
The Nerve Response Test Room's gun turret stopped spinning, and Xu Feng reluctantly snapped out of the "epiphany" he'd been in.
Only then did he realize that the state he was in was probably what was described in the books as the Subtle Realm Movement Technique.
Of course, he knew he'd only brushed the threshold of the Subtle Realm, and was still some distance away from fully entering it.
"60 seconds, hit 20 times, didn't touch the red light, excellent."
With the Subtle Realm Movement Technique, he could have reduced the number of hits to under 15.
But, his body was too big and long, increasing his surface area...
"Xu Feng, congratulations on passing the Provisional Martial Artist assessment!"
"Once the official documents are issued and your information is entered into the citizen ID system, you'll be a Provisional Martial Artist!"
Passing the assessment usually means you'll receive your official certificate within seven days, and it will be recorded in your citizen ID information.
"Xu Feng, the Martial Artist combat assessment is on August 1st," the instructor said with a smile.
"You'll gather at the Limit Martial Arts Academy in the morning. Under the guidance of the instructors, you'll go with other Provisional Martial Artists to hunt monsters outside the human base city!"
"Once you pass the combat assessment, you'll be a true Martial Artist. Right." Saying this, the instructor walked to the keyboard and quickly pressed some keys. Soon, a transparent giant screen appeared on the wall of the training hall, displaying an article.
It was titled Gene Yuan Energy Cultivation Method.
"Hmm," Xu Feng couldn't help but hold his breath.
The reason why Martial Artists are so strong, and why some top-tier Martial Artists can move at speeds exceeding the speed of sound, even able to slice through steel plates several meters thick... Of course, Xu Feng and the others' current strength is a far cry from those legendary powerhouses.
Why are Martial Artists so strong? It's all thanks to Gene Yuan Energy!
"During the Great Nirvana Era, humanity was infected with the RR Virus, which led to the development of antibodies. This resulted in a natural alteration and optimization of the body's genes," the instructor explained with a smile. "When the genetic optimization reaches a certain level, one can absorb subtle energies from the universe and integrate them into every cell. During this process, the genes are optimized, and the bones, cells, blood, internal organs, skin, etc., will continually evolve and improve."
"Your bones can become ten or even a hundred times harder than diamond. Your internal organs become so powerful that you can hold your breath underwater for half an hour, or even longer."
"All of this depends on your ability to absorb energy from the universe and integrate it into each cell, becoming your own energy. This is what we call Gene Yuan Energy."
The instructor pointed to the article on the screen: "This is the method for cultivating Gene Yuan Energy. The Five Hearts Towards Heaven Cultivation Method is also the only method for cultivating Gene Yuan Energy on the entire Earth."
Xu Feng immediately focused on the article.
Gene Yuan Energy: Humanity's reliance for gene optimization and evolution.
"So, that's how it is." Xu Feng understood after carefully examining the original text.
Ordinary people cannot cultivate it because their genetic optimization is insufficient. Generally, when one reaches a punching force of 900 kilograms, a speed of 25 meters per second, and a nerve response speed that meets the Provisional Martial Artist standards, their genetic optimization is almost at the qualifying line. Ninety percent of Provisional Martial Artists can begin cultivating Gene Yuan Energy.
"You three can begin trying to cultivate Gene Yuan Energy in the next three months," the instructor said with a smile. "As for the most precious Guiding Techniques, you can only obtain those once you become a Martial Artist and join an organization like Limit Martial Arts Academy or the military."
There's only one method in the world to cultivate Gene Yuan Energy.
However, there are tens of millions of Guiding Techniques worldwide. Practicing different Guiding Techniques can significantly affect the speed of cultivating Gene Yuan Energy, even by dozens of times. Guiding Techniques are the most valuable asset for various organizations.
"Yeah." Xu Feng nodded excitedly.
"Congratulations, Xu Feng!" The other students walked over as well.
"Brother Xu Feng, I didn't expect your movement technique to be so powerful. You even had an epiphany during the assessment. Tsk tsk, Subtle Realm Movement Technique. Can you teach me later?"
"We'll talk about it later, later!" After all, they were all graduates from the same batch, so Xu Feng couldn't be too cold and could only force a smile.
Soon, the instructor instructed the other branch masters to arrange the subsequent signing matters.
"My name is Wang Defa, and I'm from the Jiangnan Limit Martial Arts Academy!"
"I'm Wang Duoyu, from the Tomato District Limit Martial Arts Academy!"
At the entrance of Mingyue residential area, Wang Defa shook hands with Wang Duoyu and Xu Feng. "Nice to meet you!"
Xu Feng also smiled, saying: "I'm Xu Feng, from the Yian District Limit Martial Arts Academy."
"Young Xu Feng became a Martial Artist just after turning eighteen. You definitely have a bright future," Wang Duoyu said with a smile. "It's fate that the three of us passed the assessment together today. How about I treat us to a celebration at a hotel?"
Xu Feng said, "Sorry, I have something to take care of. I really don't have time today. Perhaps some other day?"
"Alright then! What about you, Wang Defa?" Wang Duoyu looked disappointed at Wang Defa.
Actually, Wang Duoyu didn't care much about Wang Defa. The person he truly wanted to befriend was Xu Feng, the young man who had become a Martial Artist at eighteen!
"Brother Duoyu, I promised my family that I'd go home immediately after the assessment to report the good news." Wang Defa also declined.
"Alright, maybe we can get together some other time!"
Wang Duoyu wasn't too disappointed that he couldn't make plans.
With that, Wang Defa and Wang Duoyu said goodbye to Xu Feng and returned to Yian District together, then went their separate ways home.
(End of chapter)