Chapter 74: Special Assessment

Chapter 74: Special Assessment

Fortunately, Chen Shouyi had arrived a day early.

By the second day, the hotel was packed with people from all over who had come to take the Martial Arts Apprentice Assessment.

Apart from going out to eat, Chen Shouyi hadn’t left his room these past two days, burying himself in practice.

Shell Woman, on the other hand, had indulged herself thoroughly. From the moment she opened her eyes in the morning until she fell asleep at night, her gaze never left the screen. Chen Shouyi was even starting to worry she might develop nearsightedness.

But considering her carefree days would soon come to an end, he decided to let her be.

As for the landlady’s daughter, she seemed to be deliberately avoiding him—he hadn’t seen her at all these past two days.

……

Nighttime.

Chen Shouyi closed his eyes, carefully sensing the exertion of muscles throughout his body.

Occasionally, he would slash through the air with his palm in place of a sword, producing a sharp "hiss."

By now, he had fully absorbed the combat experience of the Black-suited Man, particularly the way he utilized his body’s strength.

Though he was still far from reaching the level of effortless muscle control the Black-suited Man possessed, he had gained immense insight from the unfamiliar sword techniques and combat tricks he had never encountered before.

Over the past ten or so days of practice, he had gradually mastered these sword techniques, wielding them with increasing fluidity.

With this, the last missing piece of his Swordsmanship had finally been filled.

Focusing solely on precision and sincerity in swordsmanship was indeed effective, but it lacked adaptability.

In the past, Chen Shouyi had relied entirely on Thrusting Sword techniques in combat—it was all he knew, always straightforward and direct.

While it worked well in actual fights, his movements often felt rigid and inflexible, causing him to miss many opportunities.

For example, during intense battles, sometimes a simple flick of the sword would suffice, but due to his unfamiliarity with other techniques and lack of muscle memory, he would instinctively retreat to create distance and launch another thrust.

This not only reduced combat efficiency but also increased his own risk.

How skilled was he now? Chen Shouyi wasn’t sure. Since his encounter with the Black-suited Man, he hadn’t engaged in any real combat.

Nor had he found a suitable opponent to test himself against.

But on his Attribute Panel, his Swordsmanship level had already reached "Proficient (18)," rising by a full three points during this period.

The higher a skill’s level, the harder it becomes to improve—each point requires thousands, if not tens of thousands, of repetitions.

Gaining three points in just over ten days was nothing short of remarkable.

……

Early the next morning, Chen Shouyi left his briefcase in the room and closed the door.

He then knocked on the door across from his. "Going together, or are you heading out alone?"

Though the girl always seemed wary of him, as a man, Chen Shouyi felt he should at least show some courtesy.

The door opened quickly.

"Together!" Zhou Xue replied decisively.

She was already fully prepared, dressed in a gray-white cotton tracksuit, her hair slightly damp—likely from showering after her morning warm-up.

"It’s only seven now. Let’s grab breakfast first," Chen Shouyi said, checking the time. "We can walk there afterward to digest."

Leaving the hotel, the two entered a nearby breakfast shop.

……

"How can you eat so much?" Zhou Xue, who had been silent until now, couldn't hold back her question upon witnessing Chen Shouyi's astonishing appetite.

Seeing the girl had already finished her meal, Chen Shouyi wolfed down the seventh basket of steamed buns in a few bites, took a sip of soy milk, and said, "Eating more brings blessings!"

What a pig!

Zhou Xue muttered under her breath.

Chen Shouyi gulped down the rest of his soy milk in a few swigs. "Waiter, the bill!"

"Together?"

"Together!"

"That'll be eighty-five."

Chen Shouyi pulled out a hundred-yuan bill and took the change.

As they stepped out of the breakfast shop, Zhou Xue took out her wallet and said earnestly, "You still owe me three yuan and fifty cents from last time. Here, I’ll give you fifteen more."

"Forget it, my treat this time," Chen Shouyi said.

"No, why do you guys always do this?"

Faced with someone so stubborn, there was nothing he could do.

Chen Shouyi had no choice but to take her money.

About ten minutes later, the two arrived at the Martial Arts Assessment Center and were immediately taken aback.

The registration hall already had an incredibly long line, stretching all the way into the corridor.

At a glance, the queue was nearly a hundred meters long, with an estimated five to six hundred people.

And it wasn’t even 8 a.m. yet.

By the time Chen Shouyi and Zhou Xue joined the back of the line, within minutes, over a dozen more people had lined up behind them.

Today’s registration numbers would likely approach a thousand.

Could they really finish assessing everyone in a single day?

Chen Shouyi was starting to doubt it.

Time slowly passed until 8:30 a.m.

Just then, over twenty buses filed into the open area in front of the Martial Arts Assessment Center.

Soon, a man leaped out of one of the buses and strode toward them with steps that seemed to shrink the distance effortlessly.

The crowd stirred.

Chen Shouyi also grew slightly wary.

The man moved without restraint, advancing with the Basic Step of Martial Arts, covering four to five meters with each stride.

Chen Shouyi could manage the same, but compared to the man’s fluid, effortless grace, he still fell slightly short.

Without a doubt, this was another Martial Artist.

Soon, the man stood before the crowd and boomed in a thunderous voice, "Quiet, all of you!"

Cowed by his imposing aura, everyone immediately fell silent. The surroundings became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

A hint of satisfaction flashed across the Martial Artist’s face.

"Attention! Due to the unusually high number of examinees this time, arrangements have been adjusted. The assessment location has been temporarily changed. Everyone, board the buses now."

……

Chen Shouyi was completely baffled.

Where else could the assessment take place besides the Martial Arts Assessment Center?

Were they going to a neighboring city? But why take everyone there?

Confused or not, he had no choice but to follow the crowd onto the bus.

This time, Zhou Xue didn’t seem to mind sitting next to him.

Perhaps compared to strangers, he was at least somewhat familiar.

The bus soon departed.

Half an hour later, it gradually left the city, heading into increasingly remote areas before turning onto a winding mountain road.

Then, Chen Shouyi spotted a warning sign outside the window:

"Military Restricted Area, No Unauthorized Entry!"

Were they heading to a military zone?

A murmur of unrest spread through the bus as people began whispering.

Soon, they encountered soldiers standing guard ahead. The bus stopped briefly, seemingly to verify paperwork.

Not long after, the journey continued.

Scattered across the distant mountains and forests were military outposts, their barrels and machine guns bristling, a sight that inspired awe.

...

About two minutes later, the bus finally arrived at its destination.

Chen Shouyi followed the crowd as they filed out, surveying the surroundings.

The surrounding peaks were barren, clearly covered in poured concrete. A short distance away, about a dozen meters, stood a massive cave entrance, its width spanning a staggering 60 to 70 meters, reinforced with steel and concrete.

At this moment, several examiners exchanged whispers before the one who had spoken earlier stepped forward and announced loudly:

"Perhaps you’ve already guessed—ahead lies a hidden spatial gateway. This assessment will take place inside.

Of course, this spatial gateway has been explored multiple times and is considered quite safe. However, we cannot guarantee there is no danger. Acting on the principle of voluntary participation, if you do not wish to enter, please remain where you are. Be aware that your decision may affect your records."

The crowd erupted in murmurs.

"I withdraw!" A middle-aged man stepped forward with a composed expression. At his age, he already had a wife and children and had no desire to take risks.

"I withdraw too!"

One after another, people in the crowd chose to withdraw, though in the end, only a dozen or so stepped back.

Chen Shouyi glanced at Zhou Xue and noticed her expression was resolute, without the slightest hint of hesitation.

"Good. Now follow us inside. As for registration, you’ll complete it at the Martial Arts Assessment Center after passing the exam. Those who withdrew, stay where you are. Someone will record your information later."

Chen Shouyi, who had initially been worried about his identity, couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing this.