203: Chapter 23: One Shot Clears the Level!

She quickly stepped out from behind her workstation and took the lead, saying, "Mr. Qin, please follow me.

The assessment grounds for Third-Rank Martial Artists are on the third floor of the association. I will take you there."

"Much obliged."

Qin Yan followed Tang Jing through a side corridor of the first-floor lobby and took the internal elevator directly to the third floor.

This floor was much quieter than the lobby; the corridor was lined with rooms bearing various signs.

Tang Jing led Qin Yan to a large metal door labeled '[Third-Rank] Strength Certification and Assessment Room'.

"Mr. Qin, inside is the combat assessment area for Third-Rank Martial Artists.

According to the procedure, you need to enter alone and battle an assessment puppet set by the association.

You will pass by either defeating it or reaching the assessment standards. I will wait outside for your good news."

Tang Jing introduced the process, her tone carrying a hint of encouragement.

Qin Yan nodded without saying much and reached out to push open the heavy metal door.

Behind the door was an extremely spacious room, over eight meters high.

In the very center of the room stood a humanoid puppet, pitch-black and gleaming with a cold metallic light.

Its design was simple, with rigid lines.

It was similar in model to the assessment puppets Qin Yan had seen during his high school Monthly Exams and even the national Martial Arts College Entrance Examination.

However, it was larger, and the details were more precise, clearly indicating a higher grade.

Qin Yan walked to the control console on one side of the room and swiped his ID card over the sensor area.

"Beep—Identity verified. Candidate: Qin Yan. Applied assessment level: Third-Rank Martial Artist Combat Comprehensive Evaluation.

Please enter the designated area. The assessment will begin after a ten-second countdown."

A cold, synthesized electronic voice echoed through the room.

Simultaneously, two points of crimson light suddenly flared in the eyes of the black metal puppet in the center of the room.

It was as if a slumbering beast had been awakened, locking onto Qin Yan as he stepped into the room.

Qin Yan calmly walked to a spot about twenty meters opposite the puppet and stood still.

He unwrapped the cloth covering his long spear and set it aside.

The long spear was exposed to the air, its tip glinting with a cold light.

[Ten, nine, eight...]

The countdown began.

Qin Yan took a deep breath, his gaze becoming focused and calm.

[Three, two, one! Assessment begin!]

The moment the electronic voice finished, the crimson light in the black puppet's eyes intensified!

Without any preparatory movement, its right leg slammed against the ground.

Its heavy body erupted with speed inconsistent with its size, carrying a dull wind pressure as it charged fiercely toward Qin Yan!

During the sprint, its metal-cast right fist was already clenched, carrying immense force as it punched directly at Qin Yan's face!

Its prowess had shockingly reached the level of a standard third grade early stage martial artist.

For an ordinary martial artist who had just broken through to the third rank and lacked combat experience, it would be a significant threat.

However, in Qin Yan's eyes, the trajectory, speed, and even the power level contained in this punch were as clear as the lines on his palm.

"Too slow... and the power is weak."

Facing this oncoming ferocious punch, Qin Yan didn't even use Spear Light or Spear Aura.

He simply swung the long spear in his hand to the side, then exerted force with his wrist, and the spear shaft swept out horizontally with a whistling sound!

It wasn't a thrust, it was a sweep!

And he used the middle section of the spear shaft!

"Clang—!!!"

The black puppet's forward momentum came to a screeching halt!

Its massive frame shuddered, and it was actually lifted off its feet by this single strike, flying backward!

It barely managed to adjust its posture in mid-air, but upon landing, it still stumbled back seven or eight steps with heavy thuds.

It only managed to stabilize itself after its back slammed into the specially reinforced wall, leaving a trail of deep footprints in the floor.

The red light in the puppet's eyes flickered rapidly a few times, as if it were performing a quick data analysis and re-evaluating his strength.

After about two or three seconds, the red light in its eyes finally stabilized.

The mechanical electronic voice sounded again, but it seemed to have a nearly imperceptible "glitch" compared to before:

[Assessment result: Pass.]

[Congratulations to Challenger Qin Yan for successfully passing the Third-Rank Martial Artist assessment. Assessment ended.]

After speaking, the red light in the puppet's eyes quickly dimmed, returning to its initial static state.

[Assessment result: Pass.]

Qin Yan withdrew his spear, slightly stunned.

"That's... it?" He blinked, feeling that it was unexpectedly simple, perhaps even... a bit of a joke?

He just blocked one move and performed one sweep, and that counted as passing?

In fact, Qin Yan had overlooked a crucial point—this wasn't the Magic Capital, but Linhai City.

A small coastal city where both the economy and martial arts development were relatively ordinary.

Here, a Third-Rank Martial Artist was already a backbone force.

Most of them achieved it through years of bitter cultivation and resource accumulation.

They only made the difficult breakthrough after the age of thirty or even forty, so their talent and combat power were generally limited.

The standard for this assessment puppet set by the Martial Arts Association was based on the average level of local, ordinary Third-Rank Martial Artists.

Being able to head-on repel or even defeat this puppet already proved that one possessed the recognized Third-Rank strength in Linhai City.

Someone like Qin Yan, only eighteen years old and from a Top-tier Martial Arts University.

With a foundation so solid it was terrifying and a true combat power far exceeding the standard template for his rank, he clearly exceeded the routine evaluation scope of the local assessment system.

Qin Yan shook his head and thought no more about it.

He re-wrapped his long spear with the cloth, took his ID card, and turned to walk out of the assessment room.

Outside, when Tang Jing saw Qin Yan come out so quickly, she was startled, subconsciously thinking there had been a problem or he had failed.

After all, for a Third-Rank assessment, even if one could pass, it usually required a fierce battle.

"Mr. Qin, your... assessment is over?" Tang Jing asked nervously.

"Yes, I passed." Qin Yan nodded.

"Passed?!" Tang Jing couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, her gaze toward Qin Yan becoming even more reverent.

It hadn't even been five minutes, and he had easily passed the Third-Rank assessment!

This strength was likely far from being as simple as an ordinary third grade early stage!

She didn't dare to be the least bit negligent and hurriedly said, "Alright, Mr. Qin, I will take you down to process it right away!"

Just as Qin Yan followed Tang Jing back to the first-floor lobby to prepare for his member information registration.

The surveillance footage and real-time data of Qin Yan's "effortless" strike in the assessment room.

Had already appeared through the internal network on the desk of the Vice Chairman of the Linhai City Martial Arts Association—Wang Meng.

Inside the meeting room.

Wang Meng was about forty years old, with a burly build and a profound aura. He was a martial artist at the third grade late stage, already a top-tier combat force in Linhai City.

At this moment, he was intently looking at the information transmitted to the screen.

When he saw Qin Yan use just an ordinary spear flick to send the assessment puppet flying into the wall, Wang Meng suddenly sat up straight, an expression of disbelief appearing on his rugged face.

"This power..."

As a third grade late stage, his discernment was naturally not poor.

He could naturally see that the youth had not used his full strength at all,