Chapter 26 – Sixth Rank

Lu Yuan brushed past three men and one woman.

He walked up to the boxing power machine.

The boxing power machine was similar to the boxing stance used for training, but it was much larger and sturdier.

There was a display screen on the back of the machine, showing a number: 122.23kg.

It was unclear whether the previous group had forgotten to clear it or left it there on purpose.

A chart listing the martial arts rank standards for boxing power was posted next to the machine:

First rank power standard: 60kg

Second rank power standard: 80kg

Third rank power standard: 100kg

Fourth rank power standard: 120kg

The chart matched what Lu Yuan had found online, except it omitted the word “amateur.”

Perhaps this was to make it look more impressive and to serve as a form of indirect motivation.

“One hundred… One hundred shouldn’t be too hard.”

A boxing power of 100kg was the minimum requirement to pass the official disciple assessment at the Yuan Martial Arts Gym.

This was also the basic goal Lu Yuan had set for himself.

He positioned himself in front of the boxing power machine.

Focusing on the central impact area of the machine, Lu Yuan’s gaze sharpened.

He took a deep breath.

Following the most effective move from the basic fist technique, Lu Yuan threw a powerful punch.

“Bang!”

The machine emitted a muffled sound, without moving an inch, its construction absorbing shock and sound remarkably well.

Lu Yuan looked up at the rapidly changing numbers on the display screen behind the machine.

When the leading digit ‘1’ appeared, he felt completely relieved.

It had definitely surpassed 100kg.

Soon, the full number appeared – 173.56kg!

Over 170 kilograms!

Lu Yuan felt a slight shock but quickly calmed down.

An unexpected yet reasonable number.

After all, his strength attribute was two points higher than the average person’s, and he could easily bench press over 130kg.

Thinking for a moment, Lu Yuan decided to punch twice more.

The results were 168.33kg and 162.76kg.

Each punch was slightly weaker than the last.

It turns out the first punch was indeed his best.

“Before the test, I had already trained for over an hour, so I was pretty exhausted. The injuries on my ribs and back also had some impact. If I were in perfect condition, I think I could consistently hit 170.”

The standard boxing power for an amateur sixth rank martial artist was 170 kilograms!

Did that mean he had already reached the sixth rank level?

Even though Lu Yuan had personally punched those numbers, it still felt a bit unbelievable to him.

“I’ll have to look up the specific assessment standards and benefits for an amateur sixth rank later.”

“But for now, I need to pass the official disciple assessment!”

After a brief moment of excitement, Lu Yuan calmed himself.

Without wasting any time, he cleared the numbers off the boxing power machine and quickly left the training room.

There was still a little over half an hour before the martial arts gym staff went off duty at noon, so he needed to hurry to get things done.

“Next week, I’ll go to the Martial Arts Association to get my fourth rank certificate.

When I see that guy with the surname Lei, I’ll slap the certificate right in his face and see if he dares to act arrogant around me again!”

“Ming Yu, you’re impressive! Lei probably hasn’t even reached the second rank yet. Your fourth rank certificate will definitely make him take notice.”

“The boxing power machines at the gym are different from those at the Martial Arts Association. The results might vary.

To be safe, you should train more and aim to pass in one go. You have to wait several days just to register for the test.”

“Don’t worry, you think I wouldn’t consider that?”

The short-haired youth, who had just finished testing his boxing power and was in a good mood, smiled and replied casually, “I’ll focus on strengthening my three core power exercises over the next few days. My boxing power might even increase a bit more.

As long as I perform steadily, those slight variations in measurement won’t affect me.”

Saying this, the short-haired youth walked over to the bench press rack and lay down.

Gripping the barbell, he began to lift.

The barbell didn’t budge.

“Huh?”

The short-haired youth was puzzled. He got up to check the weight on the barbell and quickly shouted, “Who added weights to make it 130?”

There were only a few people in the training room that morning.

He had set the bench press to 80 earlier, but now it was 130.

His companions either shrugged or shook their heads, all indicating innocently that it wasn’t them.

“Have to recalibrate it.”

The short-haired youth frowned in dissatisfaction.

But it wasn’t a big deal, so he just grumbled a bit and let it go.

At that moment, one of the girls in the group spoke up, “It must have been the guy who came in while we were playing with the boxing power machine. I saw him practicing here for quite a while.”

“The student?”

The short-haired youth thought for a moment and did recall seeing someone.

A tall, skinny student, wearing a beginner’s martial arts uniform, with a somewhat pale face.

“Yes.”

The girl pointed towards the boxing power machine and said confidently, “When he saw us coming, he went over to play with the boxing power machine.”

“Then it was probably him.”

The short-haired youth nodded and didn’t say anything further. He began to recalibrate the weights.

He removed the extra weight plates from the barbell one by one, muttering as he did so, “What’s wrong with him, adding so much weight… can anyone even lift this?”

Wait, something’s off!

The short-haired youth suddenly stopped and stared at the weight plate in his hand, a thought crossing his mind.

“How could it be? Impossible.”

He immediately dismissed the idea as soon as it came to him.

He continued removing the weight plates, but he seemed distracted, his eyes flickering as if he was thinking about something.

After removing the last weight plate, the short-haired youth lay back down on the bench press.

He tried lifting the 80kg weight twice before suddenly stopping and standing up abruptly.

“I must be crazy, how could that be possible?!”

Though he said this, he quickly walked towards the boxing power machine.

“Ming Yu, what are you doing? Testing again?”

His companions called out to him, but the short-haired youth ignored them.

He swiftly approached the boxing power machine, glanced at the display screen, and saw that it was reset to zero, which didn’t surprise him.

He quickly tapped a few buttons on the screen.

“Check historical data.”

When the numbers finally appeared in front of the short-haired youth…

The short-haired youth’s pupils suddenly contracted sharply, and his whole body shook violently as if he had been punched in the face.

He stared dumbfounded at the data on the screen, not blinking.

After a moment, he slowly uttered a curse.

“Shit!”

“After filling out the application form, go find your teaching coach for a signature. Once you return it to us, we’ll arrange your assessment within a week.”

At the martial arts gym’s front desk, the same girl who had previously guided Lu Yuan was now patiently explaining the process for applying for the official disciple assessment.

Lu Yuan, halfway through filling out the form, paused and looked up, as if doubting what he had just heard.

“I need to get the coach’s signature? And wait another week?”

“Yes.”

The girl nodded and explained, “That’s the process. Before the assessment, you must first get the coach’s approval. The coach needs to believe you have the capability to participate in the assessment before you can apply. Also, the assessment is not conducted individually; it’s organized weekly by the gym.”

“Alright.”

Lu Yuan felt a bit deflated; the excitement he had felt after testing his boxing power was doused by this news like a bucket of cold water.

He had originally hoped to get everything done today.

Didn’t expect to have to wait another week.

Fine, a week it is.

Lu Yuan quickly finished filling out the application form. After confirming it was correct, the girl at the front desk kindly reminded him.

“There’s still some time before noon. Hurry and get your coach’s signature. If you submit the form before they leave for lunch, you won’t have to come back in the afternoon.”