44: Chapter 44 Strength Test
The power test officially began.
The first to step up were the dozen or so Third-Rank Martial Artists, their bodies shimmering with a purple aura.
They were the top existence among this group of heaven's favorites, the true core.
The first to walk forward was a tall, sturdy young man with an honest face. He rotated his wrists and, without any superfluous words, simply threw a punch at the heavy dynamometer.
Bang!
A dull, heavy thud echoed.
On the huge screen above the dynamometer, the numbers jumped frantically before finally settling steadily at "815 kg"!
"Hiss..."
A chorus of sharp intakes of breath rose from the crowd.
"Holy crap! Starting off with a bang!"
“Iron Bull is as fierce as ever. With a punch like that, even an Armored Rhino would be beaten to death!”
"Is this the power of a Third-Rank Martial Artist? Too terrifying..."
On the high platform, the bald Chief Instructor, Thunderstorm, remained expressionless. However, on the light screen next to his hand, a small red mark appeared behind the name Iron Bull.
Next, the Third-Rank geniuses took the stage one after another.
830 kg!
850 kg!
Even that Cold young man named Cold casually struck a terrifying score of "910 kg," instantly setting the whole place abuzz!
These Cold numbers were like massive mountains, pressing heavily onto the hearts of the Second-Rank Martial Artists following behind.
The young men and women, who originally carried a hint of arrogance, now turned pale one by one, clearly realizing the chasm-like gap between themselves and the top geniuses.
Soon, it was the Shen City team's turn.
Lin Zhan rolled his shoulders and stepped forward.
He took a deep breath, mobilizing all the blood qi in his body. His aura rose steadily until, with a low growl, he exploded his late-stage Second-Rank power to its limit!
Bang!
"480 kg!"
A quite decent score.
Although it couldn't compare to those Third-Rank monsters, it was firmly in the upper tier among Second-Rank Martial Artists.
The instructor in charge of recording nodded and drew a small circle behind Lin Zhan's name.
Lin Zhan stepped down and nodded at Wang Pingan as a gesture of encouragement.
Then.
All eyes in the venue once again focused on Wang Pingan like searchlights.
Here he comes!
That god-level monster with a 96-point affinity!
Everyone's hearts were in their throats.
Countless people expected him to create another miracle, using equally shocking power to prove that his talent wasn't just for show.
Of course, even more people were standing with their arms crossed, malicious smiles on their faces, waiting to see him fall from his pedestal and be smashed to pieces.
"How much do you think he can hit?"
"I guess 450 at most. I've seen plenty of these lopsided geniuses; they cultivate fast in the early stages, but their foundation is hollow and their strength just isn't there."
"450? You think too highly of him! I think 400 would be good enough! He's just a pure cultivation vessel!"
A hint of undisguised contempt hung at the corner of Cold's mouth.
In his view, this farce was about to end.
Wang Pingan ignored all the surrounding voices.
He calmly walked up to the Cold dynamometer.
How much should he hit?
This was a technical task.
His current body was at the peak limit of the Second-Rank, with 499 blood qi. If he exploded with full force, plus his perfection-level power techniques, hitting over 600 kg would be child's play.
But that would be too shocking.
A god-level affinity plus god-level power wouldn't be called a genius; it would be called a freak, and he'd be taken away for dissection.
Hiding his brilliance was necessary.
But it couldn't be too low either.
Too low, and he'd solidify the title of "eye candy." While it would reduce attention, it would also lose him the resources and respect he deserved.
He had to find a balance.
A score that showed "decent talent" but also a "shallow foundation," full of "potential."
There it is.
Wang Pingan instantly locked onto a number in his mind.
He raised his fist.
Without winding up or roaring, he simply and ordinarily sent it toward the bullseye of the dynamometer.
Thud.
A dull sound that was completely inconsistent with his slight build.
Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the screen.
The numbers began to jump.
100... 200... 300...
The speed of the jumping slowed down noticeably.
400... 410... 420...
Finally, under the gaze of countless people—some expectant, some mocking—the number came to a shaky halt.
430 kg.
...
Dead silence.
A full three seconds of dead silence.
Followed by.
"Pfft!"
Someone couldn't help themselves and let out a laugh.
Then that suppressed, mocking laughter spread like a contagion, instantly sweeping across the entire square!
"Hahaha! I'm dying! 430 kg! That's it?"
"I fucking thought there'd be some surprise! After all that, this is the level? He's a huge step behind even Lin Zhan!"
"God-level affinity! And this is all the power he has? What a waste of such good talent! It's simply a travesty!"
"Useless! Eye candy! A pretty embroidered pillow that's good for nothing!"
"Scatter, scatter, there's nothing to see. A pure cultivation vessel; in the future, his fate is at most to provide Spirit Qi pills for the big shots."
Mockery, sneers, and undisguised disdain flooded in from all directions like a tide.
The young man named Cold simply shook his head slightly and turned away, losing any interest in sparing Wang Pingan another glance.
In his heart, the name Wang Pingan had been completely crossed out with a mark representing "trash."
A bystander not worth wasting another ounce of attention on.
However.
Just as everyone in the venue was immersed in their mockery and disdain for Wang Pingan.
No one noticed.
In the central monitoring room behind the high platform.
The bald Chief Instructor, Thunderstorm, who had been sitting steadily as if unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.
At this moment, his pupils suddenly contracted into dangerous pinpricks!
He stared fixedly at the split screen in front of him that only he could see.
What was displayed on the split screen wasn't that glaring final result of "430 kg."
It was a curve.
A curve representing the power output of Wang Pingan's punch, from the moment of exertion to hitting the target!
Other people's curves—even for top geniuses like Cold—would show more or less extremely subtle fluctuations and peaks due to the circulation of blood qi and muscle exertion.
But Wang Pingan's curve...
It was as smooth as a perfect straight line drawn on paper by the most precise instrument!
From zero to peak, then to the release of force, throughout the whole process, there wasn't a single shred of wasted energy!
The efficiency of his power utilization was one hundred percent!
"This level of control over power..."
Thunderstorm's burly frame trembled imperceptibly.
A storm a hundred times more violent than when he saw the "96 points" surged in his heart!
This kind of micro-level, practically perverted control—never mind a Second-Rank Martial Artist!
Even he himself, a battle-hardened Fifth-Rank General, wouldn't dare say he could do any better!
This kid...
There's definitely something about him!
That punch just now was not his limit at all!
He's hiding!
He's using a method no one else can understand to play the whole venue!
All tests concluded.
Thunderstorm slowly walked onto the high platform.
No expression could be seen on his face, which was full of ferocity.
He announced the end of the testing.
Then, his gaze, sharp as a knife, slowly swept across every person's face in the square.
"Testing complete!"
"I will now announce the dormitory allocation rules, as well as..."
"The 'Hell Rules' of our training camp!"
"Furthermore."
Thunderstorm's tone suddenly shifted.
"In my eyes, you are all just unweaned students, just children. Show as much of your strength as you have; there's no need to hide it."
"What the future of humanity needs are top-tier geniuses, not trash who only know how to be opportunistic."
His gaze moved slowly across the square.
Finally, it lingered meaningfully for a full three seconds on that somewhat lonely figure who had already been drowned out by the crowd's laughter.