Chapter 5: Refreshed

“So boring!”

“They said there would be handsome guys here, but I haven't seen a single one!”

“Oh, heavens! Can you please grant me a handsome guy?!”

At the reception desk, a girl in her early twenties, with a bun hairstyle and a bit of baby fat, suddenly stood up, stretched her hands to the sky, and shouted.

As her voice faded, she caught a glimpse of a tall, upright figure walking into the Martial Arts Association.

This sudden change made the bun-haired girl quickly sit back down, secretly cursing herself.

Zhang Yu, Zhang Yu, how embarrassing, why are you acting crazy for no reason?

Thinking about what she had just done, and that a man had seen it, her ears turned red.

She lowered her head, not daring to look, but still adhered to her work ethics, speaking in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

“Hello, welcome to the Martial Artist Association, how can I help you?”

Hearing this, Bai Jing also came back to his senses.

“I want to get certified as a Martial Artist!” he replied indifferently.

“Certify as a Martial Artist? I’ll arrange it for you right away!”

The bun-haired girl was very efficient; she first contacted an examiner and then confirmed that the testing room was available.

After doing all this, she secretly cheered herself on.

It’s impolite to keep my head down, and by the sound of his voice, he seems handsome.

“I’ve already checked for you. You’ll need to wait about ten minutes before you can take the assessment. Please wait a moment.”

As she spoke, she secretly glanced up.

The next second, she froze.

The person was indeed handsome, but why was his face as red as a bubbling teapot?

Compared to his face, her blush was merely like a touch of rouge…

“Um, you can smile, you don’t have to hold it in. I actually don’t mind.”

Bai Jing: ???

“What?” he asked instinctively.

At this, the bun-haired receptionist quickly lowered her head and repeated in a soft voice.

“You can smile if you want. Holding it in isn’t good for your health; your face is all red…”

After a brief moment of dazed, Bai Jing also reacted.

This was a side effect of the nine Skin Forging. Before, his skin was bronze-like, and it wasn't noticeable when filled with life energy.

After the nine forges, his skin was already fair with a rosy glow.

After being filled with life energy, it was even more brilliantly red…

If he put on a long beard, he wouldn't even need makeup to play Guan Gong.

“No, this is me being radiant!!!” Bai Jing retorted.

Fortunately, at that moment, a burly man walked in from outside, shouting as he came.

“Who wants to be certified as a Martial Artist?”

Bai Jing quickly raised his hand to signal his presence.

“Follow me, I’ll take you there.”

The burly man walked ahead, and Bai Jing quickly followed.

“The assessment is very simple, divided into three parts: strength test, requiring a punch force of 1000 kilograms!”

“The second item is speed, with a passing line of 15 meters per second!”

“The third item is defense, which requires a cutting test with the fangs of a low-level beast, needing to last for three seconds or more to pass.”

The man was clearly not conducting the assessment for the first time, and as he led the way, he did not forget to brief Bai Jing again on the assessment process.

The two quickly entered a room behind the Martial Arts Association.

The man took out a form, and just as he was about to hand it to Bai Jing, he saw the unnaturally red face.

His brow furrowed, and he couldn't help but ask, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, just radiant!”

After several misunderstandings, Bai Jing had calmly accepted reality.

Hearing this, the man did not press further.

He was, however, contemplating in his mind.

He must severely punish the front desk later.

He had long heard that they liked to tease handsome boys; seeing it today, this was too malicious. Look at how they teased this innocent high school boy.

Deduct bonuses, definitely deduct bonuses.

Bai Jing quickly completed the form, and after the other party confirmed it was correct, he was led into a room.

The room layout was simple, with only a punch force machine several meters long and wide, and three meters high.

“You have three chances, and the middle value will be taken as your score,” the examiner reminded him.

“One time is enough.”

Bai Jing’s current punch force was at least several thousand.

A thousand kilograms of punch force put no pressure on him at all.

The examiner just smiled without speaking; he had seen many young people who liked to show off.

But often, such young people…

Boom!

A dull thud.

The numbers on the punch force machine rapidly climbed.

In the blink of an eye, it broke through a thousand kilograms, and it wasn't until it reached 5000 kilograms of punch force that the speed gradually slowed down.

“Damn, this young man.”

Watching the value gradually stabilize at 5530 kilograms of punch force, the examiner’s eyes widened.

As a staff member of the Martial Artist Association, he naturally knew more.

To achieve such a punch force in the Skin Forging Realm.

He must have undergone at least 6 Skin Forging, and his power exertion technique could reach 2 times.

This level of strength was already considered a Genius of the Old Martial Arts.

“Do I need to hit again?” Bai Jing asked, looking at the number.

“No need, young man, are you interested in…”

Just as the man was about to recruit him into the association, he suddenly remembered that this year’s conscription was about to begin, and the other party was clearly cannon fodder for this year.

There was no way to recruit him.

He had to give up the idea of recruiting him.

However, he felt a sense of regret.

Six Skin Forging!

Even among the millions of new recruits, he was among the few who could be counted on two hands.

“What a pity…” he sighed softly in his heart.

If it had been a few years earlier, there might have been room for maneuver.

Now, with conscription urgent, no one would dare to take the risk of recruiting an Old Martial Genius with limited potential.

As for the nine-figure loan, using it to exchange for an Old Martial Genius with limited potential was clearly even more inappropriate.

“I’m in great condition; I can continue the assessment.” Bai Jing felt his stamina.

After one punch, his stamina was replenished before his fist was even fully retracted.

Naturally, he didn't need to adjust his state.

What surprised Bai Jing was that the examiner directly waved his hand.

“What’s the point of assessing anymore? You’ve undergone multiple Skin Forging and have long surpassed Martial Artists of the same Realm. Continuing the assessment would just be a waste of time.”

“I’ll sign for you now.”

Bai Jing hadn’t expected it to be like this.

“Thank you!” he said gratefully.

The examiner waved his hand casually.

“No need to thank me. You can go to the front desk first to collect your Martial Artist supplies. Someone should be coming to pick you up to go to the Chuying Zone soon.”

“Your Martial Arts medal should be mailed to you within two or three days.”

The other party kindly explained the next steps.

After thanking him again, Bai Jing took the proof he had been given and returned to the front desk.

After presenting the proof for inspection, the girl couldn’t help but take a second look.

But she still quickly took out an item from under the counter.

It looked somewhat like a phone, a palm-sized black box.

“Sir, this is the portal to the Martial Arts Inner Net. You only need to complete fingerprint and iris authentication to log in to the Martial Artist Inner Net.”

“As a newcomer who has just become a Martial Artist, you can directly claim the Cultivation Technique for Muscle Forging and also receive a free combat technique on it.”

The bun-haired receptionist explained.

Under her guidance, he quickly completed the authentication.

Perhaps seeing Bai Jing complete the authentication, the bun-haired girl lowered her voice and said, “Little brother, do you want to add me as a friend?”

“I don’t play with strange girls!”

“Once we’re friends, we won’t be strangers anymore, there are surp…”

But this time, she didn't finish her sentence.

She was interrupted by a somewhat irritable voice.

“Zhang Yu!”

As this voice sounded, the bun-haired girl shivered, and Bai Jing took the opportunity to leave with the Martial Arts Inner Net portal.

Once he was gone, a bustling figure quickly walked over.

“You’re a staff member, not a Spirit Realm succubus! Look at how you’ve teased that innocent high school boy! Your bonus this month is gone!!!”

At first, she didn’t feel anything.

But upon hearing “bonus,” the bun-haired girl wanted to retort.

“You’re wrong, supervisor, he wasn’t blushing, he was radiant…”

“Listen to that ridiculous excuse you’re making, ‘radiant’! I’m deducting another month’s bonus from you!!!”

Bun-haired girl: ???