Chapter 19: Testing New Strength

(A/N: Some readers have asked me why I named the characters in English and not Chinese names since the story is in China.

I did so because it's hard to come up with Chinese names; I can't even remember the full names sometimes, which is why I will keep it like that for some time and some location names to make it easier for both me and the readers.)

*******

After eating, Luke headed back to his room after saying good night to his mother.

"I should take a good shower before going to bed," Luke thought to himself.

He walked into his room and undressed, grabbing a fresh towel from the towel closet.

The warm water cascaded over his tired body, washing away the day's exhaustion.

As the steam enveloped the bathroom, Luke felt a sense of relaxation wash over him, preparing him for a restful night's sleep.

Luke can't wait to start adventuring outside the wilderness.

The Supreme Dojo should also open its doors soon to recruit new students.

Luke knew that he needed to be in top physical and mental shape if he wanted to be accepted into the prestigious martial arts school.

The shower not only cleansed his body but also cleared his mind, allowing him to focus on his goals for tomorrow.

After taking a shower and removing the sweat from his body, Luke felt refreshed and slept like a baby.

The next day, Luke left for the testing center.

The testing center that was close to him was in the mid-level district inside Yang Zhou City.

So Luke had to leave the low-level district where he lived and make his way to the bustling mid-level district.

As he walked towards the center, Luke couldn't help but feel a mix of nerves and excitement.

He really wanted to test his Spirit master's strength since he couldn't know how strong he was right now.

The system status bar shows that his spirit master was on the Intermediate of the Warrior Apprentice Stage, but it doesn't show how much stronger he was in the Intermediate Warrior Apprentice Stage.

As he arrived at the testing center, he gazed at a giant building made of glass and steel. The sunlight reflected off its sleek exterior, giving it an almost ethereal glow.

Luke took a deep breath and stepped inside.

"Welcome, dear guest," a voice greeted him as he entered.

Luke turned to see a receptionist sitting behind a polished desk.

She smiled warmly, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"Please proceed to the registration counter there to check for your information before proceeding," she said, gesturing towards a line of eager individuals like Luke waiting to be tested.

Luke nodded gratefully and joined the queue, his heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

After some time, it was Luke's turn to step up to the registration counter.

The receptionist handed him a clipboard with a form to fill out, asking for basic information and previous experience.

Like cultivation, age, or which school or work he does.

Luke did not have to do that because he was a regular here, but he lost his identification paper for this place, and he can't remember where he lost it.

The previous Luke memory didn't help him either, which is why Luke had to make another one.

As Luke filled in the details, he couldn't help but glance around the room, noticing the diverse range of people waiting alongside him.

Some were fidgeting anxiously, while others seemed calm and composed.

The atmosphere was charged with anticipation.

"Dear sir, your ID," the receptionist said. Luke handed her his ID.

After checking that nothing was wrong, the receptionist handed his ID back and said,

"You can proceed to the third floor. I hope you enjoy your time, sir."

Luke thanked her and made his way towards the elevator, his mind racing with anticipation for what lay ahead.

The third floor was a couple of hundred meters long and wide, a large training center.

At this time, there were a couple dozen people.

He took a deep breath and walked towards the bustling activity, noticing the various training stations set up around the floor.

The sound of weights clanking and trainers giving instructions filled the air, creating an atmosphere of determination and focus.

"Crazy*"

"Hey, come Crazy."

As he entered the large training center, some familiar faces warmly greeted him.

"Brother Shaun, Brother Derek, Sister Eda" Luke happily shouted back.

As he looked at these people, his heart warmed.

These few dozen people were all over 20 years of age.

Of course, some of them were elites members of the 'Extreme Dojo' and other Dojos.

In total, there were over a hundred of them because the Warriors always wanted to train together and push each other to their limits.

They always come here to test their skills and train.

Yes, this place wasn't only to test warrior strengths but also to train.

So most of the people here were members of dojos or low leveled warriors, with some students who came here because the school's graduation ceremony was taking place soon and it was time to choose their path.

The only people who would come to the training center are those who are poor and without anywhere else to train.

The rich people all have their own individual training centers.

So──

Almost all of these people live in cheap rental homes.

Since they are all categorized as poor people, they naturally formed a clique.

Not all warriors are rich, even if they join a dojo, military or go solo, as the resources to cultivate aren't cheap.

Even if they make a lot of money, they all spend it or save it for other resources.

Luke nickname of 'Crazy' came from the time when he consecutively challenged and was beaten to death by other warriors, but he still continued to challenge them because he enjoyed the thrill of the fight.

The other members of the clique, although initially confused by Luke's masochistic tendencies, eventually came to understand that he was crazy.

No one would like to be beaten daily by others.

"I wonder how much my strength improved from the last time I was here."

Luke walked towards the 'Fist Strength Tester Machine' at the corner of the training hall, where there were two of them side by side.

Whether you were a beginner, intermediate, or elite member, you had to test the strength of your punch.

Even the test to become a 'Warrior' has strength* tests.

(All strength tests refer to fist strength.)

Luke took in a deep breath and completely relaxed his body.

Suddenly, his gaze concentrated.

His body tensed, like a lazy lion getting ready for action. His spine tensed like a bow string. His feet supported his waist, which strengthened Luke's right fist. His punch was like a cannonball, shooting across an arc──

[DA]

Luke's fist smashed against the machine.

The machine shook violently.

Soon enough, a number appeared on the machine's screen── "110 kg"

"Not bad, crazy. Got past the 100 kg milestone" A man with a height taller than 1.9 meters who was a bit lean, yet buff laughed and clapped.

This buff man had a savage scar on his face.

"Brother Shaun" Luke laughed, "when compared to you, this is nothing.

Brother Shaun, could you help me turn on the 'Speed Tester Machine'?"

"Brother Shaun, named Shaun Sean, is currently ranked top three within the elite members in the 'Extreme Dojo'. If it wasn't for his speed, he would've cleared the 'Warrior Preliminary Exams' a long time ago.

For an elite member to become a Warrior.

He has to pass two exams──

The first exam is the 'Warrior Fitness' exam, or the Prospective Warrior exam. Once you pass that, you have proved that your fitness level has reached the standard of a 'warrior'. At this time, you have become a 'Prospective Warrior'.

The second exam is a 'Warrior Combat' exam.

Just having the body fitness doesn't grant you the privilege of becoming a warrior. Only by defeating an actual monster in an actual fight will you be able to achieve the title of 'Warrior'.

For Luke, it was still too early to think about that test, as he was still a Warrior Apprentice and had just decided to join a dojo.

When he reaches the 1-Star Warrior Stage, he will be eligible to participate in the Warrior Combat exam.

Until then, Luke has to try to join the 'Extreme Dojo as a member.'

Which he needs to prove that he was at least a Warrior Apprentice.

"Testing speed? Alright."Shaun laughed as he walked towards the machine and turned it on.

[KA]

The machine turned on and lit up.

Luke adjusted his breathing and stood on the track, which was 60 meters long. Close to the speed-testing machine was a speed-testing region.

Luke exploded forwards!

[WHOOSH]

In a blink of an eye, Luke has accelerated to his maximum speed. His feet pedaled with strength, increasing his sprinting power.

His body was like an arrow, leaving a bow and flying across the runway, bringing along with him a gust of wind. Luke flew past the speed-testing region. After that, he naturally slowed down and stopped.

"How fast?" Luke laughed as he walked towards the machine.

"Heh, crazy, looks like you improved since last time. Not bad, not bad" Shaun praised, with a face of astonishment, looked at the number displayed on the speed testing machine, "Come look for yourself"

Luke looked over to the machine and the number displayed was── "9.1 m/s"