Chapter 50: Celebrate for My China!

The East Sea Martial Arts Association.

Standing at the main entrance, Wang Teng gazed at the towering building before him with a sense of wonder.

It was an octagonal, spire-like high-rise with a very distinctive and highly recognizable exterior.

From a distance, amidst the many surrounding buildings, this octagonal tower was undoubtedly the first thing one would notice.

At this moment, people were coming and going in front of the building, with many entering and exiting.

As Wang Teng scanned the crowd, he could faintly sense an extraordinary aura emanating from these people...

"Most of these people are martial artists!" he thought with a start, inwardly confirming his suspicion.

Seeing so many martial artists for the first time, Wang Teng felt a slight sense of nervousness.

He took a deep breath, and only after exhaling did he begin walking toward the building.

As Wang Teng stepped inside, pairs of eyes swept toward him, landing on him with expressions of surprise and scrutiny.

However, they could not see his actual face!

Because he was wearing an Ultraman mask...

The gazes of the crowd were somewhat strange. It wasn't unheard of for people to wear masks when coming to the Martial Arts Association for certification.

After all, everyone has secrets, and some simply do not wish to expose themselves.

But seeing someone wear such a bizarre Ultraman mask was a first.

*Is this guy here to be a comedian?*

Fortunately, they knew that no one dared to cause trouble at the Martial Arts Association.

Furthermore, from the aura Wang Teng was intentionally releasing...

It was confirmed: he was indeed a martial artist!

Therefore, no matter how eccentric he was, no one was bored enough to go looking for trouble.

"Hello, I am here to apply for a martial arts certificate," Wang Teng said to a staff member at the front desk.

The staff member looked up, saw the Ultraman face, and her expression became indescribably strange.

She fought back a laugh and nodded seriously. "Alright, please follow me."

Under her guidance, Wang Teng arrived outside a room.

"Please go in. Just operate the machine according to the instructions on the wall. If there are no issues, the system will record your identity, and your martial arts certificate will be generated in less than ten minutes," the staff member explained, gesturing toward the entrance.

Wang Teng nodded.

After he entered the room, the staff member closed the door.

He scanned the room and saw a machine placed against the wall, looking somewhat like a bank's self-service kiosk.

A sense of familiarity welled up within him.

And right next to that kiosk sat a machine that looked like a sleep pod from a science fiction movie.

Wang Teng had used a physique tester at the Polestar Martial Arts Hall, and this machine looked far more complex than the one there.

However, he knew this was also a physique tester, specifically designed to test the constitution of martial artists.

A martial artist's physique undergoes significant changes compared to a martial apprentice, making the testing process much more complicated.

The cost of this machine was at least tens of millions, more than ten times more expensive than the tester for martial apprentices.

Wang Teng removed the Ultraman mask.

Following the procedure, he first approached the kiosk and placed his ID card in the sensing area.

"Please register your fingerprints and iris!"

Hearing the prompt, Wang Teng pressed all ten fingers against the two palm prints in front of him while aligning his gaze with the camera directly ahead.

"Fingerprint registration complete!"

"Beep, iris scan complete!"

"Verifying identity..."

After about three minutes, the prompt sounded again.

"Identity confirmed—Wang Teng, age seventeen, Chinese citizen, no criminal record, clean identity... complies with Article 108 of the Martial Artist Regulations. Verification successful!"

"Please enter the physique tester to undergo testing!"

Even though he knew his identity was in order, Wang Teng was still a bit nervous. Only upon hearing the successful verification prompt did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.

He then stepped into the physique tester.

The pod doors slowly closed, performing a full-body scan.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Wang Teng felt as if a pair of invisible hands were stroking him from head to toe.

At the same time, he felt his Primordial Core vibrate slightly; the Primordial Force inside was stimulated and became somewhat restless.

...

The testing ended quickly, and the prompt sounded.

"Testing complete!"

"Wang Teng, congratulations on becoming a martial artist!"

"The martial arts certificate is being generated. Please wait a moment."

...

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Martial Arts Association building, a black sedan slowly pulled up, and a man with hair like steel spikes stepped out.

It was none other than Fu Tiandao, the Master of the Polestar Martial Arts Hall.

A middle-aged man with a refined and elegant temperament approached him, smiling. "Old Fu, you are truly hard to invite. I've asked you several times, and you've finally agreed to come."

"The martial arts hall is busy; I can't easily slip away," Fu Tiandao said succinctly.

"Oh, you!" The elegant man said helplessly, pointing a finger at him mockingly.

"Didn't you say you had prepared some high-quality Otherworld Jade Dragon Tea? Stop stalling and lead the way!" Fu Tiandao said, glancing sideways at the elegant man.

"Go, go, go. It's been ready for a long time; I was just waiting for you." The elegant man laughed, gesturing for him to follow as he led the way into the building.

As soon as the two departed, the surrounding crowd erupted in chatter.

"Is that Fu Tiandao, the Master of the East Sea branch of the Polestar Martial Arts Hall?"

"Seeing him in person is even better than hearing about him; his aura is truly powerful!"

"Is there even a question? Look at his strength. To be able to represent the Polestar Martial Arts Hall and preside over a major city like East Sea, his power must be formidable!"

"Who is that other elegant man? He actually managed to invite Fu Tiandao!"

"Idiot, that's President Qin Hanxuan, the head of the East Sea branch of the Martial Arts Association!"

"My goodness, I truly had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai. I didn't even recognize a real powerhouse standing right in front of me."

"He's a big shot too..."

The discussions were endless. Even long after Fu Tiandao and the other man had walked away, the crowd continued to talk animatedly about them.

Although their deeds were well known, as iconic figures of East Sea, the local people's admiration for them never waned.

...

While conversing, Fu Tiandao and Qin Hanxuan took the elevator to the top floor of the building, arriving at Qin Hanxuan's office.

Upon entering the office, a floor-to-ceiling window spanning the entire wall came into view.

It was located directly facing the main entrance.

From here, one could overlook the entirety of East Sea, providing a sense of looking down upon all the mountains.

A tea table was placed by the window.

"Sit!" Qin Hanxuan said casually.

"This place of yours is not bad!" Fu Tiandao walked to the window, looking down at the bustling traffic below, and remarked calmly.

Qin Hanxuan sat down and began brewing tea with natural, effortless grace, as a light tea fragrance drifted through the air.

He said, "Sigh, it's lonely at the top. Working here every day doesn't feel particularly great."

"Pretentious!" Fu Tiandao sneered.

"You... you really can't say anything nice. Drink tea, just drink tea!" Qin Hanxuan said helplessly, pouring him a cup.

Fu Tiandao sat down, took a sip from the teacup, and opened his eyes. "Truly excellent tea!"

"Of course. I had to swallow my pride and smooth-talk the Governor just to get this tea," Qin Hanxuan said proudly.

"How is Governor Jiang doing now?" Fu Tiandao raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Last time we met, Governor Jiang was preparing to break through to the War General level," Qin Hanxuan's expression turned solemn.

"Oh? Is he confident?" Fu Tiandao's expression shifted, and he asked hurriedly.

"According to him, he has at least a sixty percent chance," Qin Hanxuan said.

"Sixty percent is a bit low! Why not wait a little longer?" Fu Tiandao took a breath and frowned.

"I heard that Governor Li of Jinlin entered the War General level half a month ago!" Qin Hanxuan suddenly dropped a bombshell.

"What! Truly?" Fu Tiandao stood up abruptly.

"Sit down, sit down. Of course it's true. Do you think I'd speak without basis?" Qin Hanxuan rolled his eyes.

"We have gained another War General. A celebration for our Huaxia!" Fu Tiandao's eyes shone with excitement.

"It deserves a celebration," Qin Hanxuan nodded.

"It's just that Governor Jiang is too impulsive. How can he act so driven by emotion?" Fu Tiandao turned back to the topic, appearing somewhat worried.

"You know as well as I do that those two have been arch-rivals since their university days. They've been competing their whole lives. How could Governor Jiang swallow such an insult?" Qin Hanxuan said with a bitter smile.

"It really is like that!" Fu Tiandao also felt helpless.

"I only hope Governor Jiang can successfully pass this hurdle. When he does, East Sea will have another War General..."