"I've known for a while that Wei Wen and Luo Feng are talented. After all, they're geniuses who grasped micro-level movement at 18 and were recruited into our Hall ahead of schedule," Zhou Zhengyong remarked with feeling.
"While their mastery of micro-level movement is impressive, what surprises me even more is their skill with the Nine Stage Thunder Blade."
"But… how long has it even been since they started? Old Lu, since when did your teaching reach such a high level?"
Although Zhou Zhengyong found it hard to believe, once he collected himself, he couldn't hide his astonishment.
While both Wei Wen and Luo Feng's rapid progress was shocking, it was undoubtedly a good thing for him.
Wei Wen and Luo Feng were both peerless geniuses. Such prodigies were rare finds anywhere in the world!
With their current performance, there was absolutely no question about their qualification to enter the Elite Training Camp.
In other words, even if he recommended them to the headquarters' Elite Training Camp right now, his application would be approved!
The Elite Training Camp, also known among warriors as the 'God of War Preparatory Camp,' was a place where, barring any major issues, one was practically guaranteed to become a God of War—and not just an ordinary one, at that.
Of course, the headquarters would likely arrange assessments for them. Their final admission would depend on whether they could pass.
"Teaching… To be honest, I only taught them practical combat. Before I could even instruct them on the Nine Stage Thunder Blade, they had already broken through to a new level," Lu Gang said, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"I even feel somewhat redundant as a teacher."
"I have a vague sense that their sword techniques possess a refined simplicity…"
"It's a pity I couldn't fully perceive it; otherwise, my own Force Blade skills might have improved significantly."
"Is that so?" Zhou Zhengyong fell silent for a moment but didn't dwell on it. "First, record their video documentation. I'll recommend them for the Elite Training Camp later."
In his heart, Thunder God was the second most powerful figure in the world, surpassed only by Hong. Wei Wen and Luo Feng were merely rookies who had just come into contact with Nine Stage Thunder Blade.
Thunder God had been practicing the Nine Stage Thunder Blade for decades—how could their sword skills possibly be more sophisticated than his?
Even if that were somehow true, it wasn't his main concern. Zhou Zhengyong was more focused on their admission into the Elite Training Camp. After all, this was a performance metric for him and could bring direct benefits.
"No problem," Lu Gang nodded.
…
Wilderness Area.
"Old Zhou plans to recommend you two for the Elite Training Camp. Perform your punching techniques and let me record them on video," Lu Gang said to Wei Wen and Luo Feng.
This was essentially a simple video verification task.
With the discerning eyes of Lu Gang and Zhou Zhengyong, they could assess the proficiency of Wei Wen and Luo Feng's Nine Stage Thunder Blade by the acceleration behind their punches.
As for speed and nerve response, there was no need for separate tests. Their best performance was already demonstrated through their practice of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade.
Wei Wen and Luo Feng executed their punches in front of Lu Gang, demonstrating the second and first stages of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade, respectively.
Lu Gang recorded the session and later sent the video to Zhou Zhengyong.
After obtaining the video, Zhou Zhengyong contacted Yang Hui again.
"Iron Hand, what brings your call today?" Yang Hui said cheerfully. "Don't tell me it's about Wei Wen joining the Elite Training Camp again?"
"Yes, and no…" Zhou Zhengyong replied with a serious expression. "Old Yang, I'm sending you a video now. Take a good look."
"Wei Wen's comprehension is very high, but based on his previous performance, he truly wasn't qualified for the Elite Training Camp… Has he made significant progress recently?" Seeing Zhou Zhengyong's grave demeanor, Yang Hui curiously opened the video he had sent.
"Damn, you didn't edit this video, did you?" Yang Hui's face was a picture of disbelief.
"As everyone knows, videos can't be edited, so this is genuine!" Zhou Zhengyong joked.
"Most importantly, they only reached this state ten minutes ago."
"So this time, I'm not only recommending Wei Wen for the Elite Training Camp, but Luo Feng as well. What do you think?"
"With their performance, of course there's no issue," Yang Hui said seriously. "But you know how precious the spots in the Elite Training Camp are. I don't have the final say in this matter."
"I'll report their situation to Inspector Wang, the senior executive of the Elite Training Camp, shortly. I'll inform you as soon as I have any news."
"Thank you. I'll hang up now!" Zhou Zhengyong smiled.
Whether motivated by personal interest or otherwise, both Zhou Zhengyong and Yang Hui were genuinely invested in nurturing talented Chinese youths.
…
"Connect to Inspector Wang," Yang Hui issued a voice command to his communicator.
Beep… Beep…
"Hello!"
A deep, slightly hoarse voice answered.
"Greetings, Inspector!" Yang Hui immediately stood up, his attitude extremely respectful.
An Inspector!
Their status within the taijiquan was second only to its founder, Hong.
According to the Martial Hall's hierarchy, only those who had surpassed the God of War level could hold the position of Inspector.
In other words, every Inspector was a Planetary-level powerhouse, a existence beyond the God of War realm!
As for Wei Wen, perhaps he only needed to reach the intermediate God of War level before his spiritual master strength could break through to the Planetary level.
Breaking through to Planetary level was much easier for him than for Luo Feng, and he might achieve it more than two years earlier than Luo Feng did in the original timeline.
"Oh, Yang Hui, what do you need?" Inspector Wang's voice came through.
"This time, Zhou Zhengyong, the President of the Jiangnan Base City Martial Hall, discovered two peerless geniuses during his visit there. Here is some information about them," Yang Hui briefly explained.
"Let me give you a quick introduction. Both of them have been practicing the Nine Stage Thunder Blade for less than ten days and have already reached the first and second stages, respectively!"
"I believe that with their comprehension and rate of improvement, they qualify for the Elite Training Camp."
"Hiss—"
Inspector Wang was visibly shocked by Yang Hui's words.
Although he didn't practice the Nine Stage Thunder Blade himself, he was well aware of its difficulty.
Completing the first and second stages within ten days? If the Thunder God heard about this, he would definitely try to poach them. This alone was enough proof of their potential and comprehension.
"This year's quotas were filled long ago. China already requested an extra quota earlier this year. Logically, we shouldn't allocate more spots to China…" Inspector Wang fell silent for a moment.
"Very well. Let's give Wei Wen and Luo Feng a chance to take the B-level assessment at the end of August."
"As long as they maintain their current pace of progress, they will definitely pass the assessment. That should prevent excessive gossip from other countries."
There were only six base cities in all of China. With a population of over a billion, only one person was typically selected per year for the training camp!
China had already requested one extra quota this year. Adding two more would inevitably lead some to accuse Inspector Wang, being Chinese himself, of favoritism.
However, by arranging the more difficult B-level assessment, anyone who could pass it would effectively silence the critics.
After all, before gossiping, critics should first check if their own countries had any young warriors talented enough to pass the B-level assessment.
If they lacked such talent, then they should keep quiet.
Many of the selected geniuses couldn't even pass the B-level assessment within their first year. Otherwise, there wouldn't be dozens of students in the Elite Training Camp still stuck on the first floor of the Trial Tower.
While Wei Wen and Luo Feng were honing their combat experience and improving their strength daily in the wilderness area, they were also becoming a topic of conversation at the Extreme Martial Hall HQ.
After Yang Hui received a definitive reply from Inspector Wang, he relayed the news to Zhou Zhengyong: Wei Wen and Luo Feng had secured their spots and would participate in the B-level assessment at the end of August.
On a small helipad atop the Extreme Martial Hall HQ building in Jiangnan Base City, the President of the Martial Hall and his three Supervisors—the three giants of the Jiangnan Base City branch—stood waiting quietly.
"President, it's quite unusual for the headquarters to send an envoy this time. I wonder who the special envoy will be?" Zhuge Tao asked curiously.
Since the Great Nirvana period, the skies had become filled with numerous birds and monsters, making aircraft far from accessible to the average person.
The threat from aerial monsters was significant, requiring extraordinary resources for defense. Consequently, the cost of each passenger aircraft was astronomical, even surpassing that of an aircraft carrier from the pre-Great Nirvana era.
But this time, Inspector Wang had instructed them to wait on the rooftop of the Jiangnan Base City headquarters. This clearly indicated no ordinary aircraft was coming, and the visitor was certainly no ordinary figure.
"This time, I submitted the application for Wei Wen and Luo Feng to join the elite training camp. The headquarters' reply was brief and approved at lightning speed," Zhou Zhengyong said with a smile.
"It's obvious the headquarters attaches great importance to this matter. They said a special envoy would be sent today to conduct the review."
"Furthermore, having us wait here suggests the envoy is arriving on a special aircraft. The envoy this time is likely a powerhouse beyond the God of War level."
In Zhou Zhengyong's estimation, spots in the elite training camp were extremely precious, typically decided by figures at or above the God of War level within the general headquarters. The review process was usually simpler, often handled by a special envoy of God of War rank.
But this situation was exceptional. The reported performances of Wei Wen and Luo Feng were simply unbelievable. Mastering the first and second levels of the Nine-Level Thunder Sword in less than ten days? Even the Thunder God himself might not have managed that.
If all this were true, then Wei Wen and Luo Feng's comprehension ability was no less than that of the Thunder God. When Inspector Wang learned of this, even the Head of the Main Hall, Hong, was reportedly startled.
Hong and the Thunder God were brothers, and Hong was deeply aware of the Thunder God's talent. He was intensely curious about how these two could master the first and second levels of the Thunder Sword so rapidly.
Just as they were speculating about the envoy's identity, the air around them suddenly grew turbulent.
A stream of light appeared in the sky above the Extreme Martial Hall HQ almost in the blink of an eye. It rapidly decelerated, passed through the city's defense system, and descended slowly onto the rooftop of the headquarters building.
It was a triangular fighter aircraft. The light reflecting off its fuselage made everyone's hearts tremble. What shocked them most was the sheer value of this aircraft.
"A Universe-class smart fighter plane?" Zhou Zhengyong was instantly stunned.
For comparison, a half-price vial of Dragon Blood sold for 800 billion. The price of a Universe-class fighter plane was a staggering 15 times that of Dragon Blood—a cost measured in trillions!
Spending trillions on a fighter alone made it clear that the owner's status was at least beyond the God of War level, and not just an ordinary member of the Council of the God of War Palace.
Beep!
Before the fighter plane's hatch even opened, the four giants of the Extreme Martial Hall immediately moved to stand by the gangway, waiting respectfully.
As the cabin door opened, a blurry figure materialized in the air. It was the special envoy, clad in a black robe—a Black God Suit—and wearing a golden mask.
Since the mask covered the face, only the eyes, nose, and mouth were visible. But this alone was enough to confirm it was a woman.
There were few women who surpassed the God of War level; within the entire Extreme Martial Hall organization, there was likely only one.
She was the most loyal bodyguard of the Extreme Martial Hall Hall Master, Hong, and one of his three personal guards—Enchantress.
The actions of Hong's personal guards represented Hong's own will. Moreover, having followed Hong for so long, the strength of these three guards was slightly higher than the average strength of the five Inspectors of the Extreme Martial Hall Hall.
"Welcome, Enchantress!" Under Zhou Zhengyong's lead, the four giants of Jiangnan Base City bowed their heads.
The appearance of Enchantress, one of the Hall Master's three bodyguards, here clearly signified that Hong himself was involved. The rumor that Wei Wen and Luo Feng's performance had alarmed Hong seemed to be well-founded.
"Wei Wen and Luo Feng possess remarkable comprehension. This time, your Jiangnan Base City martial arts Martial Hall submitted their application for the elite training camp, and I am here to review it," Enchantress stated bluntly. "The Hall Master has sent me specifically to verify their information. There must be no discrepancies."
"Report to me all the intelligence you have gathered regarding Wei Wen and Luo Feng's strength, as well as their daily performances from the past."
"We have already compiled the information on Wei Wen and Luo Feng. Here are their files..." President Zhou Zhengyong promptly presented the printed documents.
A brief silence fell. After exchanging glances with Zhuge Tao and the others, Zhou Zhengyong waited quietly for Enchantress's assessment.
"Judging from these materials, Luo Feng is extremely diligent, talented, perceptive, and very rational," Enchantress remarked after a quick glance, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes.
"As for Wei Wen... if he had applied himself to training with this diligence earlier, he might very well have surpassed the God of War level by now. It's puzzling what he was doing during those past six years."
"I will contact Lu Gang immediately and have him bring them back as soon as possible," Zhou Zhengyong said promptly.
"No need. The Hall Master takes this matter very seriously. I will go to see them personally and immediately verify whether their mastery of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade is genuine!" Enchantress looked directly at Zhou Zhengyong and the others.
"Lu Gang took them to the wilderness area to hone their practical combat experience. They should still be there now," Zhou Zhengyong explained simply.
"As long as we know Lu Gang's location, we can find Wei Wen and Luo Feng."
Tracking down a God of War was straightforward through the shared system of the God of War Palace. Enchantress, being a council member of the God of War Palace, possessed even higher authority than Li Wei. She quickly pinpointed Lu Gang's location.
…
Enchantress took a step forward, returning to the Universe-class smart fighter plane, which then shot through the air at an astonishing speed.
"Pull up the satellite projection of Wei Wen and Luo Feng's current location," Enchantress ordered the fighter's AI.
"Acknowledged."
As the electronic voice faded, a three-dimensional projection materialized within the fighter plane's cabin. The live combat footage of Wei Wen and Luo Feng engaging monsters appeared on the light screen.
"Roar~~"
Enraged Tiger-Cat monsters were charging madly towards Wei Wen and Luo Feng. A large swarm of flying monsters also dove directly at them, threatening to engulf the duo like a tidal wave!
Yet, despite the frenzied onslaught, Wei Wen's movement skills had reached a level that could be called 'artistic'. Every step he took was exquisitely precise, and every shift, dodge, and sidestep of his body harmonized perfectly with the surrounding environment.
As for Luo Feng, empowered by his spiritual force, his movements could also be considered to have reached the Micro-level.
To most observers, there was no discernible difference in performance between Wei Wen and Luo Feng's body techniques and those who had truly reached the perfect, subtle level. The practical effect was identical.
…
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