9: Chapter 9 You've already reached the first rank?!

"Kid, are you rested up?"

Principal Liu Zhifeng stood up, brushed the dust off his body, and turned to look at Chen Mo, who was still dazed.

"Today's Hammer Fist training is over. In a while, I'm going to take Wang Jun to get his First-Grade Martial Artist certification. You wait for me at school, and I'll take you out to eat tonight."

"First-Grade Martial Artist?"

Chen Mo closed his system panel and looked up at Principal Liu Zhifeng.

"Principal Liu, by the way, what are the requirements for a First-Grade Martial Artist?"

During this time, Chen Mo had been immersed in Hammer Fist training, so he didn't have much understanding of the basic knowledge regarding martial artists.

"Vitality reaching 100 units, having one martial technique at the proficiency realm, and a combat power reaching 800."

Principal Liu Zhifeng knew that Chen Mo didn't understand these things, so he explained it casually.

"Then I... should be about there, right?"

Chen Mo scratched his head. His current vitality had reached 124.5, and his Hammer Fist was quite proficient.

As for the combat power required for a First-Grade Martial Artist... he should have reached that long ago.

"What did you say?"

Principal Liu Zhifeng froze, staring blankly at Chen Mo.

"Your vitality has reached 100 units?"

Principal Liu Zhifeng had absolutely no doubts regarding Chen Mo's proficiency in Hammer Fist and his combat power.

Currently, the only thing that could stop Chen Mo from successfully certifying as a First-Grade Martial Artist was his vitality.

After all, the power of a martial technique executed purely with the body versus one augmented by vitality was like heaven and earth.

Of course, a pure stats monster like Chen Mo didn't count.

"Yeah, I felt it five or six days ago, but I didn't know about these things at the time..."

Before Chen Mo could finish speaking, Principal Liu Zhifeng rushed over and grabbed his wrist.

"Let's go, come with me to get it tested!"

A few minutes later, Principal Liu Zhifeng stood in the school infirmary with a dazed look in his eyes. He couldn't believe that Chen Mo's vitality had broken through from zero to 100 units in just one month.

Normally, the vitality of the vast majority of Ascetic Martial Artists would break through to 100 units within the first three months of entering a martial arts academy.

Over the three years of high school, the total vitality of ninety percent of students remained below 18 units, but as long as one's vitality reached 10 units, they could easily enter some second-tier martial arts academies.

Twenty units was enough to enter a first-class martial arts academy. As for the lofty National Martial Arts University, that couldn't be decided by vitality amount alone.

Principal Liu Zhifeng had originally thought that having Wang Jun, a First-Grade Martial Artist with a fire-control talent, was already a stroke of great luck.

But who would have thought that the orphan he had taken in out of sympathy had touched the threshold of a First-Grade Martial Artist in just one short month.

"Kid, are you a monster?"

Principal Liu Zhifeng was stunned. Calculating at this speed, this kid could reach the realm of a Rank 4 Martial Artist in at most three or four years.

The normal graduation requirement for a martial arts academy was to reach a Rank 3 Martial Artist. This kid was already set to graduate successfully.

"It's not, is it? I think it's quite normal."

Chen Mo scratched his face. Seeing how surprised Principal Liu was, his own vitality growth rate didn't seem slow at all.

"Let's go, today I'll take you and Wang Jun together to get your First-Grade Martial Artist certifications."

"By the way, you haven't tried using vitality to augment your martial techniques and strength for such a long time, have you?"

Principal Liu Zhifeng wanted to say something else, but in the end, he dismissed his own thought.

"You have extremely high talent in martial techniques. I'll tell you about this on the way."

After saying this, Principal Liu Zhifeng pulled Chen Mo and walked toward the school gate.

At the school gate, a plain-looking teenager was leaning against a street lamp, holding a long saber.

"Let's go, get in the car."

Principal Liu Zhifeng waved at the teenager. The teenager glanced at Chen Mo and sat in the back seat.

Chen Mo looked at the somewhat dilapidated car in front of him, hesitated for a moment, but still chose to get in.

Creak...

The car tilted significantly the moment Chen Mo sat down, but Principal Liu Zhifeng didn't pay it any mind. He started the car, stepped on the gas, and it zoomed off.

Clatter-clatter!!

The right side of the car emitted blinding orange-red sparks, but Principal Liu Zhifeng didn't want to think about it anymore. At worst, he'd just fix the car later.

Sparks flew for over half an hour before the car finally stopped in front of a two-story building full of technological vibes.

The front door of the small building hung a sign with the words 'Martial Education Bureau'. It seemed that the martial artist certification would also take place at the Martial Education Bureau.

The first and second floors of the Martial Education Bureau were places for daily office work and administrative tasks, while the martial artist certification had to be done in the underground martial artist certification area.

The underground martial artist certification area was bustling with people, many of whom were teachers from New District martial arts high schools bringing students for certification.

In a world where everyone valued martial arts, there was never a shortage of geniuses.

Whether it was Talent-based Martial Artists or Ascetic Martial Artists, a large number of geniuses unique to their own systems would emerge from both.

"Luo City Third High School?"

"That martial arts high school in the Old District?"

The staff member in charge of registration couldn't help but feel surprised when they saw that the newcomers were students from the Old District.

"Not bad, Principal Liu, to be able to cultivate two talents under that kind of configuration!"

The staff member was a bit excited. Kids in the New District had all kinds of high-tech auxiliary equipment to use, but schools in the Old District didn't have such good treatment.

"Do you want me to help you cut the line? Including you all, there are five First-Grade Martial Artist certifications this afternoon."

Principal Liu Zhifeng glanced at the few people in the lounge not far away and ultimately shook his head.

"We'll just queue normally."

"Alright, both these kids are registered. Two Talent-based Martial Artists, right?"

The staff member nodded and handed two receipt slips to Principal Liu Zhifeng.

After thanking the staff member, Principal Liu Zhifeng brought Chen Mo and Wang Jun into the lounge.

In the lounge, a teenage boy and girl cast curious glances at Chen Mo and Wang Jun.

"Are you students from the Old District Third High School?"

The girl's expression was cold, but one could hear the goodwill and curiosity toward the two in her words.

"Yeah."

Wang Jun just nodded simply and didn't say a single extra word.

"That's right. Which school are you from?"

Chen Mo was different from Wang Jun; he was still quite curious about the New District.

"I'm from Luo City Experimental Martial Arts High School, Su Qingyue, Talent-based Martial Artist."

Su Qingyue seemed to want to smile at Chen Mo, but her facial muscles twitched twice, and she just couldn't manage to smile.

"Sorry, because of my talent, my control over my facial muscles is a bit..."

"It's fine."

Chen Mo smiled and didn't mind it.

"My name is Chen Mo, Luo City Third High School, Talent-based Martial Artist."

"Hmm, I can tell."

The teenager beside Su Qingyue chuckled, with obvious disdain in his eyes.

"Physical-system talents are the weakest batch; whether it's the early, middle, or late stages, they are not as good as the elemental system."

"However, for you to reach a First-Grade Martial Artist during the high school stage, it seems you are more suited to taking the path of an Ascetic Martial Artist."

"By the way, my name is Zhuo Jida, and my talent is Ion Control."

Chen Mo didn't know much about talents, nor did he know if Ion Control was strong or weak, so he simply nodded to indicate he understood.

However, Wang Jun and Principal Liu beside Chen Mo showed looks of surprise; it seemed that Ion Control was a very powerful talent.

"Is that Ion Control thing very powerful?"

Seeing that both of them seemed to have some understanding of this Ion Control, Chen Mo turned his head and asked.

"Very strong. You could say it's among the strongest batch of elemental system talents."

Wang Jun glanced at Zhuo Jida on the opposite sofa; it seemed this person was a strong opponent for him in the City-level Joint Exam.

"Oh..."

Chen Mo didn't say anything more and just waited quietly for the certification to begin.