Chapter Twenty: Two Masters of Subtlety

A vast contingent of 1,680 prospective martial artists, led by soldiers, marched for a full half-hour before finally reaching the outskirts of a small town. By then, dusk had already fallen and the sun had slipped beneath the horizon.

From inside the town came a cacophony of unnerving howls and roars, sending chills down the spine. The perimeter of the town was encircled by barbed wire, and squads of armed soldiers patrolled vigilantly.

“Hurry up—the number of beasts inside isn’t sufficient. Bring in 1,200 Iron-Tusk Boars, 300 Shadowcats, and 500 Tiger Mastiffs,” came a command from within the town. It wasn’t long before convoys of heavy-duty trucks rolled into sight, each one reverberating with furious roars from their cargo.

Every truck bore cages, and within each cage was a monstrous beast. Their furious cries made many of the prospective martial artists—especially those who had never killed a monster before—quake in fear.

Luo Yuan, observing the scene, felt a surge of excitement. With enough strength, even these terrifying creatures were reduced to mere playthings and livestock awaiting slaughter at the hands of humans.

“Everyone.”

A commanding voice rang out, reaching every ear. All heads turned to see an officer standing atop the dilapidated roof of a three-story building within the town, addressing the assembled crowd. “This combat assessment will follow the established rules. It begins precisely at 6:30 tonight and ends at 6:30 tomorrow morning.”

“The more beasts you slay, the more points you earn. For every beast you kill, cut off its left ear as proof.”

“Remember, internecine fighting among the participants is strictly forbidden. Your every move will be monitored. Any violator will be summarily executed!”

“Of the 1,680 of you here, the top sixty percent by score will qualify as martial artists. The bottom forty percent will fail and must await the next assessment.” The officer’s tone grew steely. “So, out of 1,680, only 1,008 will succeed. The other 672 will be eliminated!”

“Let me remind you: generally, killing three beasts is enough to pass. If you only kill two, you’ll have to rely on luck.” The officer’s voice boomed over the crowd. “In the event of a tie, ranking will depend on how quickly you completed your kills and the extent of your injuries. Therefore, once you’ve reached a certain number of kills, leave the town as soon as possible.”

“Remember: if you’re seriously injured, you can press the distress button on your communication watch. You’ll be rescued immediately—but that will also mean your assessment is over.”

“All prospective martial artists, proceed into Beast Town.” With a wave of his hand, the officer gave the signal.

The 1,680 candidates surged forward like a tidal wave, swiftly flooding into the town.

“Close the gates!” the officer commanded.

With a thunderous clang, the single gate slammed shut.

The martial artist combat assessment had officially begun!

Upon entering Beast Town, Luo Yuan did not rush to hunt monsters. Instead, as was his habit, he roamed about collecting attribute orbs. Though the orbs were all of low grade, he didn’t mind; quantity could become quality. Even when confronted by attacking monsters, he would either dodge with ease or dispatch them with a casual strike, as effortlessly as slicing vegetables.

He was well aware that every move he made was under surveillance. Not wishing to arouse suspicion among the higher-ups, he only displayed the speed of an advanced warrior—ample for his purposes. After all, he had risen from advanced warrior to mid-level general in just over two months without any precious resources to explain the feat.

Meanwhile, in a room within one of the buildings, an officer sat drinking with a burly man. On the wall, a large screen displayed the ongoing carnage within the town, the images constantly shifting. Suddenly, Luo Yuan’s figure appeared on-screen.

“What’s this kid doing? Instead of hunting monsters, he’s running around like a madman. That speed—my god, that’s advanced warrior speed! And that evasive movement—it’s already at the Subtle level! What kind of monstrous talent is this?” the burly man exclaimed, leaping to his feet.

“Zoom in on him,” he urged eagerly.

The camera zoomed in, and Luo Yuan’s handsome face filled the screen. He looked utterly at ease, almost as if he were merely sightseeing.

“Wait, isn’t that the genius recruited by Zhuge? He’s only eighteen, if I recall correctly,” said the burly man, searching his memory.

“How do you know he’s eighteen?” the officer asked, startled. “You know him?”

“His name’s Luo Yuan. Damn, the Extreme Martial Hall snatched him up early,” the man replied bitterly. “What luck they have! At just eighteen, Luo Yuan’s physique is already at advanced warrior level, but his movement techniques are even more astonishing—Subtle level at his age! If he keeps this up, who knows what he’ll accomplish?”

“Hey, look at this one—this kid is impressive too!” the officer interjected.

“Did it switch?” The officer immediately picked up the phone and ordered, “Lock onto the candidate just captured by Camera 21. Track him.”

“Understood,” came a crisp reply over the line.

The burly man, Wang Heng, eyed his companion suspiciously. “Iron Monkey, what exactly did you spot just now?”

“Old Wang, you’ll see in a moment,” the officer replied with a mysterious smile.

Soon, the screen replayed the earlier footage: five dark shadows relentlessly attacking a single candidate. The five shadows were all H-class Shadowcats, and the targeted youth wielded a hexagonal shield and a Bloodshade Blade. He was young—none other than Luo Feng.

“Hm?” Wang Heng’s eyes sparkled.

“That speed—Subtle level again! Damn, two Subtle-level talents. Where on earth did Extreme Martial Hall find such prodigies? Looks like our Thunder Martial Hall will be overshadowed by them for a long time to come!” Wang Heng slumped in his chair, his gaze unfocused.

“What? That kid’s from Extreme Martial Hall too?” the officer exclaimed in disbelief.

“No way!” Wang Heng slammed the table. “We can’t let Extreme Martial Hall scoop up all the talent! Lucky I came here with you to drink and caught this on the monitor.”

“What are you planning?” the officer asked, amused.

“What else? Poach them!” Wang Heng glared. “We’ll steal them right from under their noses! Extreme Martial Hall probably hasn’t even realized how incredible these two’s movement skills are. I’ll get to them first! Money talks! What a stroke of luck—such extraordinary talents emerging this year. Compared to them, Wan Dong is utterly outclassed.”

The officer chuckled.

“Iron Monkey, make sure to give me copies of the footage of those two later,” Wang Heng requested.

“No problem. Consider it done,” the officer replied with a smile.

P.S. Esteemed readers, please consider tipping, voting, and adding to your favorites. Luo Yuan humbly thanks you all.