Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

Bang!

A fist wrapped in a glove struck heavily between Wang Chen's crossed arms.

Though blocked by the arm guards, the overwhelming impact still pierced through, forcing Wang Chen to slide backward involuntarily.

His feet scraped harshly against the floor, the scent of burning friction almost tangible.

He retreated until he was nearly at the edge of the arena before stabilizing himself.

But this was just the beginning of the test.

The B-tier War Professional pursued relentlessly, raising his leg to sweep ferociously toward Wang Chen's neck. A barrage of strikes, like a violent storm, left no room for respite.

Wang Chen raised his arms to shield his vital parts, gritting through the brutal impact of his opponent's whip-like kick.

After enduring two consecutive blows, he defended while retreating, dodging the B-tier War Professional's follow-up attacks with agile footwork, avoiding direct confrontation.

From the perspective of the B-tier War Professional overseeing the test, Wang Chen was clearly trying to stall for time, waiting for the allotted duration to expire.

This was something he absolutely refused to allow!

At the next moment, the B-tier War Professional let out a deep, guttural shout, his already burly physique suddenly swelling further. Muscles bulged like mountains, transforming him instantly into a human-shaped Fiend.

Tiger Leap Strike!

In that instant, Wang Chen felt as though he were being hunted by a Tabby Tiger.

His gaze tightened as he stepped back half a pace, bowing his body like a drawn bow, arms poised like arrows. Instead of evading, he launched a double punch straight at the charging B-tier War Professional.

At that moment, the airborne B-tier War Professional extended his arms, preparing to grapple and pin Wang Chen, unaware that Wang Chen's punches would arrive faster, striking simultaneously at his face and chest.

Bam! Bam!

The formidable B-tier War Professional was abruptly halted mid-action; before he could close his arms, Wang Chen swiftly shifted his position, darting to his right-hand side in an instant.

The B-tier War Professional landed on the ground, his eyes flashing with a hint of frustration.

Serving as a certification examiner for the War Professional Association, he had tested thousands upon thousands of candidates, possessing an unparalleled wealth of combat experience.

Initially, this B-tier War Professional had only used fifty percent of his strength.

After all, Wang Chen was applying for C-tier certification, and going all out would clearly be unfair.

Yet the B-tier War Professional wanted to give the nineteen-year-old Wang Chen a lesson—an understanding that aiming for the skies was unrealistic.

While his power was restrained, his technique did not waver in seriousness.

But to his utter astonishment, not only did Wang Chen fail to learn a lesson, but he also hit back at his pride.

While Wang Chen's punches just now didn't injure the B-tier War Professional, they had wounded his dignity.

Frustrated, he immediately intensified his strikes, increasing both the power and frequency of his attacks. Blows cascaded endlessly, like a furious tiger, stronger than ever before.

Wang Chen took a few strikes and couldn't bear it for long, dodging rapidly while fending off attacks, now purely on the defensive with no chance to counter.

To any observer, his circumstances looked incredibly perilous—like a tiny, shaky boat in a raging storm. Yet no matter how turbulent the waves raised by the B-tier War Professional became, Wang Chen always managed to narrowly avoid catastrophe.

The B-tier War Professional started to feel that Wang Chen was like a slippery eel, darting and weaving around the arena, evading his attacks time and again, preventing the unleashed power from landing effectively.

Despite his wealth of experience, the B-tier War Professional attempted to corner and trap Wang Chen, but it seemed as if Wang Chen possessed a premonition-like ability, effortlessly dodging every combat trap laid before him.

After more than ten exchanges, this battle-hardened B-tier War Professional actually started to sense fatigue.

Have I really grown old?

He couldn't deny that he had passed his peak as a War Professional, unable to break through to the next tier, leaving his current capabilities far inferior to his younger self's.

But right now, his opponent was only a nineteen-year-old youth!

Deflated, the B-tier War Professional's fighting spirit dampened considerably, causing his attack rhythm to slow visibly.

By the final second, he stopped his movements entirely, clasped his arms, and looked at Wang Chen with a complex expression.

"Congratulations."

His voice came almost in unison with the exam's ending signal.

"Thank you for your guidance."

Wang Chen politely bowed toward his opponent.

The B-tier War Professional waved as if intending to speak further but ultimately swallowed his words.

Without a doubt, the young man before him possessed unparalleled Martial Arts talent. If he didn't fall prematurely, his future was destined to be extraordinarily bright.

And he, ultimately, wasn't even qualified to serve as a stumbling block on Wang Chen's path forward!

This realization left the B-tier War Professional dispirited.

Still, no matter the thoughts swirling in his mind, they had no bearing on Wang Chen.

Having passed the combat test, and following verification by the monitoring system to confirm the authenticity of his results, Wang Chen officially received his War Professional badge.

He had officially become a registered C-tier War Professional of the Empire!

This certification instantly elevated Wang Chen's citizen privileges by two levels, granting access to higher-grade resources and the ability to explore more areas within the Star Sea network.

These immediate advantages were just the beginning; the hidden perks and benefits were far greater.

With his brand-new War Professional badge in hand, Wang Chen headed to the fitness assessment center to meet Ming Mei, who had just completed her physical exam.

"Look, here's my new data!"

Ming Mei cheerfully showed off her fitness data sheet to Wang Chen, which displayed a composite score of 14.6!

While this score wasn't outstanding for people her age, it exceeded the 10.0 minimum requirement for the First Gene Enhancement.

Most importantly, before she started learning the Spirit Snake Body Refining Technique, her data had been less than 8.0!

Now it had nearly doubled.

The doubling of data represented an exponential increase in physical strength!

Calling it a complete transformation wasn't an exaggeration.

"Not bad,"

Wang Chen nodded. "Now let's proceed with your gene enhancement."

"Huh?"

Ming Mei was completely unprepared mentally. "So... so soon?"

Wang Chen smiled. "Your data already meets the criteria. There's no reason to delay. Completing your First Gene Enhancement will allow your training to advance to the next stage."

Comprehensive changes in physique must be reflected in Body Skill practice, tailoring adjustments to align with the actual physical condition.

Currently, Ming Mei had only learned the basics of the Spirit Snake Body Refining Technique. The subsequent sections were far more complex, with higher physical requirements making gene enhancement essential.

Ming Mei was easily convinced.

At the gene center of the First Military Academy, Ming Mei successfully underwent her First Gene Enhancement.

Since Ming Mei had limited savings, most of the costs were covered by Wang Chen.

Once again, this emptied Wang Chen's account.

But clearly, this wasn't a major issue!

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First update delivered.