Singlehandedly - Chapter 38

Chapter 39: You Either Run or You Die

“Bench Press weight 189 KG!!”

“189 KG, that’s terrifying. He can lift 3 of me!!!”

“Monster!”

“Sick!”

“How did Tang Hong train?!”

A huge group of trainees who entered the camp gathered around the electronic bench press for the strength test. They all either stared with their eyes wide open or their mouths wide open.

Transcendents were mysterious, powerful, and rare. But no one knew exactly how strong they were.

One could only guess.

The fifth seed in front of them, Tang Hong, had tremendously prominent arm muscles. The outline of his bulky muscles was apparent before their eyes.

Extreme visual impact!

Tang Hong’s arm muscles, which looked like it had gone through vigorous training, had everyone’s undivided attention.

It didn’t look abrupt, the angles were rounded and rather aesthetic.

People might be secretly amazed at the bulging muscles of those muscle men in gyms, but they would not be so shocked. Tang Hong’s toned muscles were of the golden ratio, plump and well-coordinated.

“Gulp”

Female trainees who had finished testing their willpower gazed at Tang Hong’s arms, unconsciously swallowing their saliva.

There were also bolder female trainees who gently licked their lips.

Hu!

Tang Hong exhaled hardly, shook his head, and smiled as he looked around. “I haven’t practiced for a few days, it’s embarrassing.”

Everyone: “???”

See what he was saying… He was indeed a seed trainee, extraordinary… The former were the thoughts of the male trainees. The latter were the thoughts of the female trainees. No one present had seen the scene of resisting the gods.

Tang Hong has seen it, hence he was calm, hence he was not proud of it.

He looked at the grading criteria of the strength test:

Bench press 40KG was a Pass. Bench press 60KG was Ordinary. Bench press 80KG was Good.

Bench press 100KG was Excellent. Any higher than that would be graded as Excellent.

It should be to prevent particularly outstanding trainees from getting a higher grade.

“We are done with the strength test.”

“Next is speed.”

He was certain that his strength and speed would surpass Xiao Ziyun.

But the physical fitness assessment was divided into five major areas.

‘Strength’: Nil.

‘Speed’: Nil.

‘Endurance’: The ability to overcome fatigue and work long hours .

‘Agility’: Range of joint movement, the ability to stretch muscle ligaments.

‘Flexibility’: The ability to change body position, movement, physical aptitude and ability to orientate.

The five elements complement each other to make up physical qualities. Tang Hong’s endurance was fair, and he barely passed Agility and Flexibility.

For example, the measurement methods of Agility were standing forward bending and back bending. These areas were not Tang Hong’s expertise, he felt that the strength test was the simplest and most reasonable.

When the entry tests ended, it was almost midnight.

The detailed grades, as well as everyone’s rank, still had to be organized.

The special training camp compiled a form and submitted it to the headquarters of the Yellow River Organization, which then recorded and approved it before everything was considered settled, and came up with the ranking results.

“Very good!”

Niu Hechuan appeared again. “The first special training test will be conducted tomorrow. That’s all for today. Everyone, stand here until dawn, then go back.”

Did they really have to stand until dawn?

Everyone’s expressions were bitter.

Guo Bojun also secretly complained: “You probably have some misunderstanding about ‘That’s all for today!’”

“Staying up late is bad for your body.”

Someone stood out and shouted.

“Eh?” Niu Hechuan stared at her sternly for a long while. “That one serving of Transcendent food at noon every day should be enough to make up for it. Standing until dawn is to adjust your body clock. Not many gods appear during daytime.”

“The special training camp aims to minimize stress for everyone.”

“We wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

“But to become Transcendent, one must have patience. In order to resist the gods, it’s not rare to have to squat and watch for the whole day. So, it’s better to adapt to it in advance… Of course, it’s very impressive that we have more than 20 Transcendents here. Most people can only become full members!”

“Tomorrow will be the first special training!”

“The day after tomorrow, you will be divided into six groups led by six instructors!”

So it was to adjust their body clock. After Niu Hechuan explained clearly, no one said anything.

He could have said so earlier.

Jiang Lulu stopped complaining as well. “Take it as staying up late to cultivate. The more cultivation the merrier.”

“Adjust the biological clock.”

Tang Hong took a deep breath.

Soon.

Dawn approached.

Chief instructor Niu Hechuan, who had been standing in front of everyone, shouted. “Dismissed! Everyone go back and get some rest!”

…

The second day in camp at noon.

Tang Hong pondered as he ate: “Willpower and physical fitness cannot differ too much.”

Transcendent food tasted unique and was considered gourmet food.

Chief Instructor Niu Hechuan appeared at the entrance of the restaurant on time, and led all the trainees to the basement level of the fourth building.

“Stand in line!”

“Xiao Ziyun! Tang Hong! Jiang Lulu! Those names that I have read out, go to the beginning of the track now!”

‘So what if your voice is loud?’ Jiang Lulu rubbed her ears unhappily as she stumbled and stood at the starting point of the huge running track.

Xiao Ziyun and Tang Hong stood there.

This was a special track mimicking dirt floor with gravel. The usual synthetic rubber track was pure paradise compared to it.

One round around the track was roughly 800 meters. It should be a training track specially prepared for preparatory-level Transcendental.

The outer and inner ring track were surrounded by steel guardrails.

On top, a huge tempered glass was erected with steel bars to form a structure similar to a skylight.

“Hua Yu!”

“Li Yuqi!”

Gradually, the Chief Instructor Niu Hechuan finally stopped reading out names. The starting point of the running track was crowded with a black mass of trainees.

There were people on both the left and right sides, rubbing shoulders with each other!

There were nearly a hundred people!

Nobody understood. The track could only accommodate about 30 people widthwise. How were so many people supposed to run and compete against each other? There was no way to run at their fastest speed.

Click!

The outer steel guardrail of the track slammed shut!

“Close the door and let the dogs out!”

Niu Hechuan continued to roar. The crowd wanted to laugh, but didn’t dare to laugh.

However.

When the trainees finally looked clearly inside the dark passage on the inner side of the track, there were pairs of fierce, green eyes, blood-stained teeth, pointed mouths, and bloodthirsty intent that could not be concealed.

One by one, their minds went blank and they fell into panic.

Suppressed screams, the sound of breathing, and the whispers interspersed with curses. Everyone’s expressions changed completely.

They didn’t dare to laugh earlier, now, they were unable to laugh!

The corners of Xiao Ziyun’s mouth twitched as he secretly gritted his teeth.

“These… these are real wolves. Neither the old nor the young will be cheated!” Jiang Lulu could not help but whisper, her face was pale.

“You…”

“You call them dogs.”

Even Tang Hong, who had always remained calm, was filled with disbelief. He looked at the sturdy and strong Niu Hechuan outside the steel guardrails.

Will there be bloodshed the first time they enter the camp for special training?

Niu Hechuan appeared very stern. He shouted. “Given that today is the first special training test, I decided to reduce the difficulty and let you have a head start of ten seconds… the first ten people to complete a lap will be rewarded Transcendent points. The Transcendent points, which are recognized by the major institutions can be exchanged for all resources in the Transcendent world and modern society!”

“You either run!”

“Or you die!”

The steel railings rose a little.

Countdown to ten seconds.

Begin.

Chapter 38: Shocked Exclamations

Two hours passed.

The willpower test had sped up and it was finally the female trainees’ turn.

“Listen up!”

Niu Hechuan’s copper bell-like eyes showed a hint of impatience. “Everyone, neaten your hair.”

“When you enter the laboratory, you must show the epaulettes for the willpower test. That’s the name code on your shoulders.”

“Otherwise, the results would be rendered invalid.”

“And you will have to take the test again.”

There were less female trainees than male, only slightly more than a hundred.

They were mostly young or middle-aged females.

A young female like Jiang Lulu seemed to stand out from the crowd. There was no way to hide her youthfulness.

She was fifth in line.

There were four others before her.

“Willpower test.”

Jiang Lulu had always been curious about this. How did they measure the specific intensity of something intangible like willpower?

It was so interesting.

When she entered the laboratory, she must observe carefully.

“Go in.”

Soon it was Jiang Lulu’s turn. The chief instructor Niu Hechuan instructed her to enter in a serious tone of voice and a blank expression on his face.

“╭(╯^╰)╮”

Jiang Lulu levitated right away. She turned her head and flicked her red hair back. Like wind, she turned the back of her head to Niu Hechuan.

Niu Hechuan nodded secretly to himself.

She was extremely courageous and had a temper. He liked stubborn trainees like her.

That’s right…

Only trainees like her…

He could set his mind at ease when fighting and scolding them. There was no need to worry about crushing their self-confidence, and there was less to worry about. They would presumably be able to withstand high-intensity special training too.

Glancing at Jiang Lulu’s shoulder, Niu Hechuan committed her name to his memory: Jiang Lulu.

Swoosh!

After entering the laboratory and listening to the tester’s routine explanation, Jiang Lulu jumped onto the circular stage.

“What is that?”

Her eyes were shining as she stared at the box.

No one, except Tang Hong, had seen a god before.

“I wish to open the box.”

With that thought, Jiang Lulu bounced past the light-colored area all the way to the golden area. That was when her expression became slightly serious.

She felt inexplicably oppressed.

Something whispered sacred syllables in her ear!

Most people were afraid of, unaccepting of and unwilling to get near to the unknown. But Jiang Lulu was different. The girl’s curiosity began to swell infinitely and she immediately clenched her small fist.

She took a step forward.

She actually stepped into the golden red inner circle area!

“Attackkkkk!”

“I, Jiang Lulu, am going to counterattack today!”

After many more steps forward, she couldn’t walk anymore. Deep regret immediately appeared in her big black eyes.

The truth was that Jiang Lulu had watched too many western fantasy movies. She subconsciously thought that the box was a treasure protected by an evil dragon.

On other side of the circular stage.

The staff members looked up in shock. “The sixth person to reach golden red? It turns out to be a female?”

“She is only eight steps away!”

“This special training camp is interesting. There are six trainees who reached the golden red zone. Three are just a few steps away from the box. The ones who are just a few steps away from the box are closer to being Transcendent than the others.”

Perhaps.

Before graduation.

All three would be able to break the limit of willpower.

One should know that a few years ago, if even just one Transcendent was born here before the completion of each special training camp, it was already a joyous event worth celebrating.

And now.

As the current Transcendents became more aware of the mystery of willpower, with the refining and wide application of divine objects, as the training methods became more and more standardized and effective, breaking the limit of willpower or even becoming Transcendents before graduation was no longer such a monumental occurrence.

As long as the willpower reaches the standard, the special training camp would provide resources to help one become a Transcendent.

“The average level for this batch is pretty high.”

After testing the willpower of all the trainees who entered the camp, the testers were exhausted. They simply leaned against the circular stage to chat.

What did the golden red color symbolize? It symbolized the advantage of entering the camp.

Some people made full use of the opportunity, others did not.

No matter how excellent the golden red candidate was, there were always those who did well later on and rose up. After all, there was no step-by-step method to improve willpower. For those with high potential, it was never too late to start.

“Yeah, this is not a cultivation type online game.”

“There were two golden reds in the last session. They probably watched too many online movies. They thought that getting to golden red was equivalent to having extraordinary aptitude. Furthermore, they were complacent and kept saying that one day of training for a golden red was equivalent to three days for the rest. What kind of rubbish theory is that?”

“Don’t talk about those two. They didn’t end well. In the end, they almost didn’t graduate.”

A tester waved his hand, then turned around and looked at the box in the middle of the circular stage. He sat down. The box contained remnants of a regular god. The god was dead but they were still not qualified to move it.

They could only wait for the instructor to arrive.

At this moment.

Someone said, “The top three in the willpower test in this year are Xiao Ziyun, Tang Hong, and Jiang Lulu. The first two willpower scores are only slightly different. It seems that the result of this entry test is very interesting. Which one do you prefer?”

“Tang Hong. I’m envious of all his muscles.”

“The first place has been decided.” Someone next to him interrupted, “Xiao Ziyun has been honing his willpower since the beginning of the spring last year. Do you really think Xiao Ziyun is sickly and weak? Are the consultants in Guangnan so careless?”

——

The willpower test took a total of four hours and thirty minutes.

Compared with the golden box on the circular stage, the physical test was easier to understand. There was nothing strange about it.

Simply put.

The physical fitness assessment was easily understandable by all. There was no confusion.

It was clear at a glance who was stronger in which aspect and who had higher ratings. This simple comparison of quantitative data made it easier for people to understand why they lost and why they won.

“Flexibility.”

The top seed Xiao Ziyun held a measuring instrument expressionlessly to test the range of motion of the joints.

He had practiced for more than a year for this moment!

He expected to break the limit of willpower in three months. After that, with external help, he would spend another three months breaking the limit of the human body!

At this moment.

His fingers bent backwards to form a strange arc, likewise his elbows and knees. Ordinary people with higher flexibility could not exercise vigorously, but this does not include Xiao Ziyun, who was about to become Transcendent.

His estimate for himself: He would become a Transcendent before the end of the year.

“Tang Hong.”

“I hope you won’t disappoint me.” Xiao Ziyun seemed indifferent on the surface, but he was quite ambitious.

He looked at the test results of endurance. Tang Hong had finished the test. An unknown person was waiting in line. Xiao Ziyun retracted his gaze and concentrated on his own test.

“It’s my turn.”

Guo Bojun took a deep breath and stepped forward.

There was a rectangular step in front of them. A total of ten people were performing the monotonous movement of going up and down the steps at the same time. They continued this for three minutes and before their pulses were measured.

“What is mine?”

Guo Bojun stared at the simple instrument for measuring pulse rate.

The number jumped between 81 and 83.

“Damn it.”

“The standard for Excellent is within 55. The standard for good is within 75.” Guo Bojun immediately understood that he was only a little short of achieving a good standard for endurance.

He didn’t want to compete for ranking.

He couldn’t even if he wanted to.

But there was still a trace of annoyance in his heart.

“Haha, good.” Qian Xinxing’s low laughter sounded next to him. He was breathing hard as if venting.

Chief instructor Niu Hechuan used Qian Xinxing as a sacrificial lamb in front of 300 people to induce their awe and fear on the first day of camp. Qian Xinxing had been completely disgraced.

He stared at Guo Bojun. “Brother Jun, your result is not good.”

“It’s passable.”

Guo Bojun squeezed out a sorrowful smile and shook his head imperceptibly.

Qian Xinxing looked up to him and followed his lead. He seemed to have changed overnight.

Could the blow be too much?

As he was thinking about it, he heard surprised shouts from nearby!

“Tang Hong.”

Guo Bojun stood on tiptoe and looked over. He faintly heard shocked exclamations of Tang Hong’s name from the crowd.