Chapter 56: Qigong Martial Arts
"The final evaluation will be based on match format. It's not about win or loss—what matters is the quality of your performance. So get ready for that!"
Within Group B, opponents of similar strength were paired up, and each fought using weapons like wooden swords, staffs, or wooden tonfas—anything wooden was allowed.
From what I could see, there weren’t many fighters who looked particularly strong. As I wondered who my opponent would be, my number was called.
"B-186! Step forward!"
Walking toward the center of the room, a single woman approached me from across the way. Looks like she’s my opponent.
I thought it might be awkward fighting a woman, but something about the reactions around me felt off.
The whole arena buzzed with whispers. The woman up close had long black hair tied back, sharp features, and a calm expression—but there was something unnatural about her presence.
"Wang! I’ll fight barehanded. Don’t hold back—come at me!"
Ah… so this is Wang Xinyi—the leader of the Vermilion Bird…! I activated my鉴定 (Judgment) and checked her stats.
Monk Lv64
HP 646/646
MP 120/120
Strength 580
Defense 328
Magic Defense 210
Agility 1382
Dexterity 87
Intelligence 66
Luck 68
【Class Skills】
Martial Arts Rank A
Healing Arts Rank C
Qigong Martial Arts Rank B
【Skills】 【Magic】
Agility (VI) Healing Magic (III)
Enhancement Magic (VII)
Damn… she’s strong… Three class skills, and her stat growth blows away anything I’ve seen from using my class board. Is it really just raw talent?
She didn’t even pick up a weapon—just assumed a stance. Then I guess I should—
"Gojo! I’ll fight barehanded too!"
Wang smirked slightly, stepping forward. The distance closed in an instant!! According to Shimizu-san’s intel, Wang was a master of Xingyi Quan, a famed Chinese Martial Arts style—but with such a huge stat gap, taking a hit shouldn’t even hurt much... I thought, and braced myself for Wang’s punch.
Wang’s fist sank straight into my arm!!
—Ow!! A pain beyond imagination shot through my arm! What the hell is this? This tearing, grinding damage inside?!
Looking closely at Wang, who’d stepped back a pace, I saw a faint aura shimmering around his body... Could this be “Qigong”?
Most likely, he’s using an application of Enhancement Magic to generate that Qigong aura. I’ve only ever used Enhancement Magic to strengthen my body, but if I keep improving my Qigong Martial Arts, maybe I’ll be able to do the same someday?
Wang kicked off the ground and closed the distance in a flash, raining down punches and kicks with no wasted motion at all!!
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When I first saw this guy, he moved exactly like the man who’d smashed the tester device—same motion (………………………). He’d adjusted it slightly to be a bit stronger… but only someone with overwhelming skill could pull that off!
And now that I’m actually facing him, I can feel it—this unnerving, crushing presence. He’s clearly holding back his power.
You can’t hide from a real fight. Even without fully mastering Qigong Martial Arts, he’s still deflecting my attacks with pinpoint precision.
A real rarity—even among the “Vermilion Bird” ranks, someone this strong is rare!! Damn, this guy’s actually interesting!!
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Wang (Wan) keeps pressing me on the defensive, raining down attacks without giving me a second to breathe! Whenever I barely lose my balance, he doesn’t miss the opening—immediately following up with a powerful strike. At that instant—my aura flares up violently!!
I feel I need to guard properly—crossing both arms in defense. The next moment—
“Enough!! That’s enough already!”
The examiner calls the match. The arena buzzes with murmurs.
“Man, Wang (Wan) is seriously insane—he’s too fast to even track with the eyes!”
“That Japanese guy was on the defensive the whole time. Poor guy….”
“Still, just standing till the end was impressive enough, right?”
People are talking all kinds of things… but will this be enough to pass? I’m starting to worry.
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“How was it, Wang (Wan)?”
It was Sister Liu Zuhao who spoke to him.
“Feels like it’s been ages since I got this excited. That guy… he’s not even using his full strength yet…”
“Then it’s settled. He’s in! We need stronger fighters for the hunt against the Leader.”
In the end, three people—including Gojo—passed the recruitment trial that day and were set to join the search for the Leader the next day.