Three men and one woman; Lu Yuan walked past them.
He approached the Fist Strength Machine.
The machine was not much different from the punching post used in fighting practice, only larger and much sturdier.
There was a display screen attached to the back of the machine, displaying the number—122.23kg.
He didn't know whether the group before him had forgotten to clear it or had intentionally left it there.
"First-grade Fist Strength standard: 60kg
Second-grade Fist Strength standard: 80kg
Third-grade Fist Strength standard: 100kg
Fourth-grade Fist Strength standard: 120kg
..."
A table of Fist Strength standards corresponding to different Martial Arts grades was posted next to the machine. It was just like what Lu Yuan had found on the Internet, except that the term "amateur" was omitted.
The modification was probably made to make it look more appealing and serve as indirect motivation.
One hundred... 100 kg shouldn't be too hard...
A Fist Strength of 100 kg was the minimum standard to pass the test for becoming an official disciple of the Origin Martial Arts Hall. This was also the basic target Lu Yuan had set for himself.
He took position in front of the machine. Gazing at the indentation where the center of the Fist Strength Machine was supposed to get hit, Lu Yuan's eyes became sharper. Taking a deep breath, Lu Yuan followed the most powerful movement in the Basic Fist Skill and punched hard.
BAM!
The Fist Strength Machine made a dull noise but didn't move an inch. Its sturdy structure was designed to absorb shocks and sounds.
Lu Yuan raised his head to look at the quickly transitioning numbers on the display screen at the back of the machine. As soon as the digit '1' popped up, he relaxed completely.
He was definitely over a hundred.
Soon the complete figure jumped out—173.56kg!
Over 170 kg!
Lu Yuan was slightly taken aback, but quickly collected himself.
A figure that was unexpected yet reasonable.
After all, his Strength attribute was a whole two points higher than that of ordinary people, and he could easily bench press over 130 kg.
Lu Yuan thought for a moment and tried two more punches. The results were 168.33kg and 162.76kg respectively. Each punch seemed less effective than the previous one.
The first punch was indeed the best.
I had just trained for over an hour before the test, so I was already a bit worn out. I was also slightly affected by the injuries on my ribs and back. If I were in perfect condition, I guess I could have consistently hit over 170 kg...
The standard Fist Strength for a sixth-grade amateur Martial Artist is 170 kg!
Does this mean that I have reached the sixth-grade level already?
Although it was the Fist Strength value he had punched out himself, seeing the results in front of him, Lu Yuan still found it somewhat unbelievable.
I'll look up the specific evaluation standards and benefits of being a sixth-grade amateur later.
Now, I need to pass the test for becoming an official disciple first!
After a brief excitement, Lu Yuan calmed himself down. Without wasting any time, he cleared the data on the Fist Strength Machine and quickly left the training room.
There was only half an hour left before the martial hall staff would break for lunch at eleven. He needed to hurry to finish the task.
"Next week, I'm going to get my fourth-grade certificate from the Martial Arts Association," one young man declared. "The next time I see that guy with the surname Lei, I'll slap the certificate on his face. We'll see if he dares to brag in front of me again!"
"Ming Yu is awesome!" another chimed in. "That Lei guy probably hasn't even reached the second grade. Your fourth-grade certificate alone is enough to make him kneel and call you 'daddy'."
"The strength-testing machines of the martial hall and the Martial Arts Association are different," a third person cautioned. "The results they give might vary. To be safe, you should practice more and aim to pass the test in one attempt. The registration process takes days."
The short-haired young man, Ming Yu, who had just finished his Fist Strength test and seemed in good spirits, smiled and replied casually, "Don't worry, did you think I wouldn't consider that? I'll focus on strength training in the next few days to possibly increase my Fist Strength a bit more. As long as I perform steadily... a little discrepancy in the numbers won't affect me."
Saying so, the short-haired young man walked to the bench press, lay down, and grasped the barbell on the rack, starting to exert his strength...
The barbell on the rack remained motionless.
"Hmm?"
The short-haired youth paused for a second, got up to check the weight of the barbell, and quickly shouted, "Who jacked this up to 130 kg?"
Only a few of them were in the training room this morning. He had previously set the weight for his bench press to 80 kg. It was now somehow 130 kg.
His companions shrugged their shoulders and shook their heads, all innocently indicating it wasn't their doing.
"I guess I have to reset it…" the short-haired youth frowned discontentedly. But this wasn't a big deal; he grumbled a bit and let it go.
However, at this point, one of the girls in the group spoke up, "It must have been that guy who came in while we were playing with the Fist Strength Machine. I saw him training here for quite some time..."
"The student?"
The short-haired youth thought for a moment and indeed recalled the person: a tall and skinny lad, dressed in an entry-level Martial Arts uniform, with a face like a pretty boy's.
"Yes." The girl pointed in the direction of the Fist Strength Machine and asserted, "When he saw us coming, he went to play with the Fist Strength Machine."
"Probably him then..." the short-haired youth nodded. He didn't say anything else and began to adjust the weight.
He took off the extra barbell plates one by one from the rack, mumbling as he did, "This is crazy, who would load it this heavy... can it even be lifted..."
Wait a minute, something's not right!
The short-haired youth suddenly stopped, looking fixedly at the barbell plate in his hand as an idea flashed across his mind.
"How is that possible? Impossible…" he muttered.
This guess popped up and was immediately dismissed by him. He continued to unload the barbell plates, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere, his eyes flickering as if deep in thought.
After removing the last barbell plate, the short-haired youth lay back down on the bench press. After trying twice to lift the 80 kg weight, the short-haired youth abruptly stopped and sprang up from the bench.
"I must be crazy, how could this be?!" he exclaimed. As he said this, he quickly moved towards the Fist Strength Machine.
"Ming Yu, what are you doing? Going for another test?" his companion shouted after him, but the short-haired youth paid no heed.
He quickly arrived at the Fist Strength Machine and glanced at the display panel, unsurprised to see it had been reset. Then, he quickly tapped a few buttons on the screen.
"View... historical data..."
When the numbers finally popped up in front of the short-haired youth, his pupils contracted sharply. He jolted violently as if he had been punched straight in the face. He stared blankly at the data on it, not blinking.
After a long while, a profanity slowly erupted from his mouth.
"Son of a...!"
"After filling out the application form, find your coach to sign it, hand it back to us, and we will arrange the assessment for you within a week..."
At the reception desk of the Martial Arts Hall, the same girl who had guided Lu Yuan around was now patiently explaining the process of applying for the official disciple test.
Lu Yuan, who was halfway through his application form, stopped writing when he heard this.
Had he heard incorrectly?
"I need the coach's signature? And I have to wait another week?"
"Yes." The girl nodded, explaining, "That's the process. Before the test, you have to obtain your coach's approval. Only when your coach thinks you are capable of taking the test can you apply. And this test isn't just for you. It's done in batches every week, arranged by the Martial Arts Hall…"
"Alright."
Lu Yuan seemed a bit deflated. The enthusiasm that had ignited in his heart after measuring his Fist Strength seemed to have been doused with a bucket of cold water.
He had initially thought he could get everything done today.
He didn't expect to have to wait another week.
Well, a week it is then.
Lu Yuan quickly finished filling out the application form in his hand. After confirming it was correct, the receptionist kindly reminded him, "There's some time before we close for lunch. Go quickly and get your coach to sign it. If you hand in the form before we close, you won't have to make another trip this afternoon."