Dawn of a New Era

"He has the innate ability to control the wind!" Lu Shouhu said with a smile at this moment.

"No wonder!"

The crowd was abuzz with chatter.

"I see!" Wang Lie overheard nearby, and suddenly felt a bit relieved.

With the ability to control the wind, one can greatly reduce air resistance and the effects of ascending air currents while running, naturally breaking speed limits and continuously improving.

However, this is only useful for escaping, not much for enhancing combat.

There are quite a few people with innate abilities, most of them on Earth, but they are just some tricks to fool people.

True combat strength relies on the Martial Artist's tirelessly refined body and the sword in hand.

He thought bitterly to himself.

...

The next test is for testing reaction ability.

The examiner asked Chen Shouyi to stand in front of a huge machine full of holes, with considerable distance between each hole, about one meter apart, and a full five meters between the holes on the far left and right. There were as many as ten holes.

"Mr. Chen, this machine will fire rubber bullets later, the firing speed is equivalent to that of a regular handgun bullet. The test requires that within half a minute, you block as many bullets as possible!" the examiner said politely.

"I understand!" The rules were clear, and Chen Shouyi nodded and said.

Soon, he stood ten meters away.

With the word 'start', the bullets began to fire.

At first, the frequency wasn't high, almost one bullet per second, but the firing positions were different.

Chen Shouyi easily sidestepped and deflected them with his sword.

But gradually, the speed became faster and faster, from one bullet per second to two per second, four per second... after ten seconds, it had become five per second, and his figure to an ordinary person's eyes gradually became a blur.

After twenty seconds, the bullets were already ten per second.

His figure moved like a phantom, drifting and dodging, bullets either deflected, shot down, or cut in half with a sword, each taken on.

At this point, Chen Shouyi began to feel quite strenuous, the bullets weren't fast, he could completely react, but the range was somewhat large.

Sometimes, bullets in front and behind were a full five meters apart, and once a bullet was sliced into two, the body had to swiftly return, if even a little slow, bullets would be missed.

Of course, he could also use his will to halt the bullets.

But that would be cheating.

Chen Shouyi disdained doing so.

Finally, the first bullet slipped through, and as the shooting speed continued to accelerate, the number of missed bullets increased, by the end of thirty seconds, he stopped, gasping for breath, drenched in sweat, steam rising!

The Martial Arts examiner immediately ran to the board a hundred meters away and began counting the missed bullets.

Soon the result was announced:

"25 bullets!"

The Martial Artist crowd buzzed again!

"Is this score good or bad?" Zhang Miaomiao asked Zhu Xueqing next to her, puzzled.

Bai Xiaoling also looked over upon hearing this.

"Of course it's good, as long as you miss no more than one hundred and fifty, that's the passing line for a Martial Artist, missing twenty-five bullets is almost at the level of a Peak Martial Artist!" Zhu Xueqing said with a smile.

This test is the most intuitive way to see a Martial Artist's overall strength.

The Martial Artist Assessment Center, unlike other lower-level assessment centers, is open to Martial Artists, and any Martial Artist with interest can come by anytime to test their strength.

Among all the Martial Artists in the Capital City, only five, including Ye Zong, can exceed this score.

Zhang Miaomiao and Bai Xiaoling both breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Not far away, Wang Lie also gradually relaxed, and started chatting with Lao Hu next to him: "Youngsters these days are more impressive, much stronger than you!"

"Why involve me, I'm just coasting along, have long lost ambition." Lao Hu didn't take the bait, snorted lightly: "I think you're just jealous, they have the luck and the courage. If it were me, even if facing a heavily injured Demigod, I probably wouldn't dare to step forward!"

"Me, jealous, what do I have to be jealous of!" Wang Lie snorted and said.

...

Soon, the archery test began again on the field.

Both of them immediately turned their gaze ahead.

Since Chen Shouyi didn't bring a bow and arrow, the assessment site provided a war bow of the same poundage.

After adapting for ten minutes, the assessment began.

...

Chen Shouyi stood at the marked line, looking at the row of ten targets, small as soccer balls, more than a hundred meters away.

He finally couldn't remain calm, and couldn't help but ask the examiner:

"Is this the hundred and fifty-meter target?"

He always relied on his intuition for shooting, within a hundred meters it was fine, beyond that there was no accuracy to speak of.

"Yes, Mr. Chen, the Martial Artist Archery Assessment requires a hundred and fifty-meter target, and next, high-speed moving targets!" the examiner said politely, and then seemed to notice something, cautiously asked: "How about you practice a bit more to adapt to the war bow?"

Adapt to what?

He already controlled every muscle in his body with precision, the war bow was calibrated, no much difference from his own, and with the ten minutes of practice earlier, he had become extremely accustomed to the war bow.

"Forget it, let's begin!"

Hoping luck is on my side today!

Chen Shouyi drew an arrow, took a deep breath, and fiercely drew the bow and shot.

"Bang!"

In the next instant, the target blew out a big hole between the three and two rings.

The distant crowd murmured and began whispering.

Every Martial Artist, from the Martial Artist Apprentice, to Martial Artist, to Great Martial Artist, to Martial Artist, had long trained in archery for seven or eight years, or as long as ten years, already well-practiced.

Especially with such a fixed target indoors, not every arrow hit the ten rings, but they rarely shot such low ring counts.

Chen Shouyi remained expressionless, continuing to draw the bow.

Bang bang bang...

When the result was about to be announced, the Martial Arts examiner, hesitating as if he had eaten something unpleasant, finally said loudly.

"28 rings, not qualified!"

Among them, one arrow missed the target in an embarrassing way.

Chen Shouyi's face turned black.

In hindsight, he should have found a seasoned archery teacher to start from the basics and practice step by step, instead of trying to push himself like a fool and arrogantly thinking he could manage. Truly, self-conceit can be deadly!

...

"He's still too young, probably hasn't practiced much with a bow. If he dedicated one or two years to practice, he'd likely pass!" Wang Lie couldn't help but grin, feeling refreshed and at ease seeing the other embarrassed, as if the morning's annoyance had dissipated.

"Indeed, it's quite lacking. Way too one-sided, and doesn't match his actual strength." Lao Hu said frankly, "I've never seen a Martial Artist hit such low scores; even an apprentice could do better!"

Bai Xiaoling listened to the conversation not far away, clenching her fists, her face turning pale with anger!

The Martial Artists in the Capital City are really too much!

So rude!

Even someone like Xiao Bai knows that Chief Advisor Chen's scores are a bit lackluster.

But do you know how hard and diligent Chief Advisor Chen has worked?

Motivated by a burst of impulse, disregarding her fear of the Martial Artists, she shouted at the two of them:

"Chief Advisor Chen just arrived in the Capital City yesterday and took two days by train. He came for the test today; isn't it normal to be off his game? Don't talk nonsense when you don't know the whole story!"

Wang Lie and Lao Hu exchanged glances, their faces a bit embarrassed; they hadn't expected to encounter such an ardent female fan of the opponent.

Lao Hu couldn't help wanting to argue back, but Wang Lie quickly pulled his sleeve at the side.

With twenty years of rich experience in sparring with his wife, he knew better than to argue with women. You never win, and you'd end up embarrassed. No way could you hit them; the best solution is to keep quiet.

Lao Hu was pulled back to reality, feeling a chill of fear.

The two quickly forced a polite but awkward smile and soon hid in the crowd's corner.

They let out a long sigh.

Looking back at Chen Shouyi, they finally noticed his handsome features.

"Damn it, even the pretty boys deserve to die!"

"What's the use of a Martial Artist being so handsome?"

The two exchanged a glance, seemingly seeing the same thoughts in each other's eyes.

...

Several assessors and notaries quickly discussed among themselves.

According to regulations, if a single section isn't passed in the Martial Artist assessment, then the overall assessment is considered a failure.

However, Chen Shouyi's performance in the previous sections was too remarkable, and since this assessment was more of a formality, it was soon announced to continue.

Listening to the murmurs from afar, Chen Shouyi simmered inside, his face darkening.

The staff soon made preparations.

The moving target was a high-speed disc launched by a machine, moving at sixty meters per second.

Still, the distance was one hundred and fifty meters.

...

Ten seconds later, Chen Shouyi had shot all forty arrows from two quivers.

Several notaries briefly discussed the results quietly, then quickly announced:

"Hit rate of 32.5%, not qualified, assessment complete, results passed!"

None of the Martial Artists were surprised by this result; with such tremendous strength, aside from the weakness in archery, he was nearly at the peak Martial Artist level, passing was only natural.

But Chen Shouyi felt stifled; his face lost entirely this time!

He originally planned to use the Giant Transformation.

Unfortunately, there wasn't any chance, nor was there any blind Martial Artist to come out and selflessly cooperate with him in showing off; the entire assessment was uneventful and devoid of any waves, he couldn't just transform to show off without reason!

Not a minor anymore, as an eighteen-year-old adult, it would be too childish.

Too frustrating!

Chen Shouyi put down the war bow, picked up his sword, and prepared to leave.

Zhang Miaomiao, Bai Xiaoling, and Zhu Xueqing immediately came to console him.

"It's okay; it's just a poor state. A bit more practice, and it'll get better!" Bai Xiaoling said, looking at Chen Shouyi's distressed expression, feeling pained as if she wanted to hug his waist and lean against his chest, comforting him properly.

"Yes, this assessment wasn't fair at all; it's no big deal!" Zhang Miaomiao quickly added softly, taking out a handkerchief: "You're sweating a lot; let me wipe it off for you."

Seeing her genuine goodwill, Chen Shouyi couldn't bear to push her away.

He let her tiptoe, her chest gently brushing against his as she meticulously wiped the sweat from his face.

Smelling the rich feminine scent on the handkerchief, he couldn't help but sneeze.

Bai Xiaoling watched Zhang Miaomiao's actions, eyes secretly burning with anger, silently cursing her for being shameless, taking advantage of Chen Shouyi, seeing him sneeze, she quickly feigned concern, holding Chen Shouyi's arm: "Ah, Chief Advisor, did you catch a cold?"

"No!" Chen Shouyi replied.

Zhu Xueqing stood on the side.

A Martial Artist, she was squeezed to the side by two ordinary women, unable to join the conversation, and a cold? With his peak Martial Artist physique, could he even catch a cold?

After a while, she finally found an opportunity to speak: "Actually, if you use the Giant's natural ability, those unconvinced Martial Artists will naturally be convinced!"

"To me, it's just vanity, meaningless. This assessment showed me my weaknesses!" Chen Shouyi said, showing a carefree attitude.

...

The distant Martial Artists hadn't left yet, watching Chen Shouyi on the road surrounded by women, receiving endless comfort.

It was like a punch to the gut.

In their hearts, they silently spat in disgust numerous times!

A plain-looking young Martial Artist watched Zhu Xueqing from afar, her face slightly flushed, eyes seemingly glued to Chen Shouyi, his fantasy of a goddess shattered and heartbroken, he whispered sourly:

"Usually, I find Zhu Xueqing quite aloof; why's she acting like an ordinary woman now?"

Hearing this, another Martial Artist couldn't help but glance at him.

Why is she aloof with you, don't you have a clue?

If you're pursuing a demigod female or a female Martial Artist, your chances are a bit higher, but you're aiming for a beautiful female Martial Artist, where's your confidence coming from?

So he chuckled twice:

"Hehe!"

PS: Almost two chapters' worth of words, did my best.