Chapter 50: The Ferocity of the Tiger, the Curator's Astonishment!

In a single assessment match, Chen Jie astonishingly earned 326 points of Martial Merit. Just two days ago, after returning from the "other world," he had only 120 points left. Over the past couple of days, he had been training hard, gaining a mere one point per hour—an incredibly low efficiency in earning Martial Merit. Yet now, from just one match, his Martial Merit skyrocketed by 326 points.

Chen Jie took a deep breath, trying to calm his excited heart. He was right: to gain Martial Merit more efficiently, one must fight! Training in boxing was only the foundation; the core lay in the battle itself.

In just two minutes and thirty-five seconds, Chen Jie forcefully knocked out Luo Qiang, the top featherweight contender at the Elite Martial Arts Academy’s recruitment test match. Everyone around was stunned by the scene.

Xu Dachi, the temporary referee on the ring, was completely dumbfounded. Fortunately, he called the match off just in time, stepping in front of Chen Jie. Otherwise, he genuinely feared Luo Qiang might have been beaten to death.

Xu Dachi hurried to Luo Qiang’s side and bent down to check him. Luo Qiang had fainted. Thankfully, he had only lost consciousness due to the brutal assault and exhaustion.

Though both fighters wore protective gear, Chen Jie’s explosive power was overwhelming, delivering such forceful blows that Luo Qiang suffered serious injuries.

“That guy’s offense was insanely fierce! He just completely broke Brother Qiang,” someone murmured.

“Crazy! Look at how long he attacked without even taking a breath—his stamina is incredible!”

“Is this guy here to learn boxing or to challenge the whole academy?”

“Notice how his attacks seem chaotic, but somehow they flow smoothly!”

“A savage! This kid joining our Elite Martial Arts Academy means another powerhouse added to our ranks!”

The onlookers couldn’t help but voice their amazement.

Nearby, the academy’s headmaster, Wang Chuxiong, was equally shocked. He took a deep breath, sizing Chen Jie up from head to toe.

This was beyond impressive.

If Chen Jie had mastered sanda with refined offense and defense and a well-conditioned physique, and then KO’d Luo Qiang with a two-level advantage, Wang Chuxiong might not have been so surprised. But just now, Chen Jie seemed to have no practical combat skills at all.

He relied solely on brute force and wildly unstructured fierce attacks to utterly shatter Luo Qiang in one fell swoop. That was truly remarkable!

In less than fifteen seconds, Chen Jie unleashed more than thirty consecutive kicks, the assault’s tempo fierce and chaotic. His explosive power, endurance, offensive awareness, and reaction speed were all extraordinary.

His relentless chain kicks were particularly astonishing. Normally, professional fighters must pause to breathe and adjust their rhythm after a few seconds of continuous kicks.

But Chen Jie had kept up his kicking assault for over fifteen seconds without a single break.

Did he not need to breathe?

Wang Chuxiong was stunned. This guy was like a ferocious tiger.

The hall fell silent. Both longtime academy members and prospective recruits were taken aback by Chen Jie’s ferocity.

After Xu Dachi pressed the acupressure point on Luo Qiang’s philtrum and Luo Qiang regained consciousness, Xu walked to the center of the ring, raised Chen Jie’s hand, and declared, “Assessment passed!”

Upon hearing the result, the academy members began whispering among themselves.

“This kid’s skill is pretty good, but the domestic sanda scene in the super-welterweight division is fierce. It won’t be easy for him to make a name for himself.”

“If this newcomer is this strong already, once he gets real combat experience, his fighting power will skyrocket!”

* * *

Applause erupted.

Wang Chuxiong led the clapping. Soon, everyone in the training hall followed suit.

Wang Chuxiong climbed onto the ring, smiling as he said, “Chen Jie, very well done. Welcome to our Elite Martial Arts Academy!”

“Though your practical experience isn’t abundant, your talent is exceptional. You’re well-suited for boxing, with outstanding control and anticipation!”

“To be honest, your performance truly surprised me!”

He then personally removed Chen Jie’s gloves and added, “I am Wang Chuxiong, headmaster of the Hengyang branch of the Elite Martial Arts Academy. Welcome aboard.”

Chen Jie nodded, smiling silently, still savoring the joy of gaining 326 points of Martial Merit.

Though the fierce assault had drained much energy, he felt his stamina was abundant, far from exhaustion. The effects of his medicinal baths and supplements had kicked in, boosting his endurance far beyond that of ordinary people.

Moreover, Chen Jie gained a faint insight into the strategy of ring combat.

Such a fierce and overwhelming destructive offensive style works brilliantly as long as one’s strength and speed can suppress the opponent. If one seizes the opportunity, a single decisive wave can utterly crush the adversary.

“Young man! Your offensive awareness is good, and your explosive power is fierce!” said bald coach Xu Dachi, patting Chen Jie on the shoulder with a smile. “You used to practice forms, right?”

“Your explosive power is brutal, and your attack tempo is fast. If I hadn’t stopped the fight a few seconds earlier, Luo Qiang would probably have been crippled.”

“I guarantee that if you train in real combat for a year, you will definitely place in the super-welterweight division at the Xiangnan Sanda King Championship!”

Wang Chuxiong then addressed everyone nearby. “Alright, everyone, disperse. The rest of the recruitment assessments will continue this afternoon.”

“Less than two months remain until the Xiangnan Sanda King Championship. Work hard and aim for good results!”

Turning to Chen Jie, he said, “Chen Jie, come with me to my office. Let’s have a talk.”

Chen Jie nodded and followed Wang Chuxiong to the office.

The Elite Martial Arts Academy had a well-structured management system. Typically, the headmaster didn’t handle recruitment matters personally. Only students with special potential or great chances of turning professional attracted his direct attention.

In the office, Wang Chuxiong warmly brewed a cup of tea for Chen Jie.

“Chen Jie, once again, welcome to our Elite Martial Arts Academy. Do you have any special requests?”

Chen Jie thought for a moment, then smiled and said, “Ah—headmaster, actually, I came here just to improve my practical fighting skills. I don’t have any other demands.”

His sole purpose in joining was to develop real combat ability and to earn more Martial Merit.

The tuition fee—eight thousand per year—was acceptable to him.

Most importantly, he valued freedom above all.

As for becoming a professional boxer, Chen Jie hadn’t really considered it. Though he knew professional fighters earned well—if they made a name for themselves, their appearance fees and prize money were substantial.

Take, for example, Zhang Lei, the country’s top professional boxer nicknamed “The Big Bang.” He could earn eight million dollars from a single match.

The world’s top professional boxing champions could earn over a hundred million dollars per bout—like money-printing machines.

Chen Jie wasn’t particularly concerned with such prize money or fees. What he truly wanted was to accumulate more Martial Merit.

With enough Martial Merit, he could travel freely between the two worlds, bring whatever he wished, and live without worry.

Since selling a few wild ginseng roots for nine million, Chen Jie’s attitude toward money had changed greatly.

What he really sought was to strengthen himself.

Wang Chuxiong nodded, growing ever more impressed with Chen Jie.