"Could something have happened?" Suddenly grabbed by someone, Chu Xun instinctively thought that the matter of killing Gui Ren had been discovered. His expression immediately changed, and with a forceful tug, his long fingernails shot out like daggers, gleaming with a metallic shine.
"Eh, is it a mimicry or a mutation?" The person standing to Chu Xun's left seemed somewhat surprised upon seeing the claws that shot out from his fingertips.
"Hmph, it could also be an element manifestation!" Upon hearing this, the person standing to Chu Xun's right snorted coldly, as if disagreeing.
"Get out of my way!" Trapped between two people and being discussed as if he were a commodity, Chu Xun's eyes immediately revealed a hint of coldness. With a sudden jerk, an immense force surged out from his body.
But to his shock, his powerful effort had no effect at all!
How could this be? He knew that his current strength had at least reached fifteen times that of a normal person. With all his might, he could overturn even two small cars, but such a terrifying force couldn't even budge the two people holding him. How strong were these two?
Moreover, what puzzled him even more was that the two people holding him felt completely different. The force from his left arm felt like it hit a mountain, unable to shake it at all. The force from his right arm, however, seemed to vanish like a mud cow sinking into the sea, swallowed up completely, soft and powerless.
Both sensations—like hitting a mountain and sinking into the sea—proved one thing: the strength of these two far exceeded his own!
"Haha, a magician, there's no way such strength is just element manifestation!" Although Chu Xun's strength didn't shake them, both of the men clearly felt the immense power Chu Xun possessed. The man on Chu Xun's left laughed heartily, his tone full of pride.
"Hmph, a laborer. Consider yourself lucky!" Hearing the laugh, the man on Chu Xun's right sneered again and let go of him.
Only then did Chu Xun truly get a good look at the two men.
The man on his right was a middle-aged man with a white complexion and no beard. His face was fair and scholarly, with a pair of glasses perched on his nose, looking like a typical teacher. But Chu Xun hadn't forgotten that it was this seemingly delicate middle-aged man who had blocked his full-strength attempt with ease...
In this world, you should never judge someone's true power by their appearance!
On Chu Xun's left, still holding his arm, was a burly man over two meters tall. The man's upper body was bare, and he wore only leather pants, showing off his large, muscular frame.
The man's muscles were defined and looked as though they were made of steel and stone, brimming with explosive power and a sense of oppressive force. Standing next to him, Chu Xun felt like he was beside an active volcano, with waves of pressure making it hard to breathe.
However, the burly man's face was filled with a grin, as if extremely pleased with himself. He bared his white teeth and said to Chu Xun, "Kid, you here for the special training at the Combat Skills Hall?"
"Yes, I'm here for the special training at the Combat Skills Hall." Seeing the man's smiling face, Chu Xun relaxed slightly, guessing the identities of the two men. He carefully asked, "May I ask, are you instructors from the Combat Skills Hall or Combat Tactics Hall?"
"That's right. I'm the big boss of the Combat Skills Hall, Chu Kuangren. From now on, just call me 'Master'!" Upon hearing Chu Xun's question, Chu Kuangren burst into laughter, slapping Chu Xun on the back.
Instantly, Chu Xun felt an indescribable force hit his back, causing a sharp pain in his chest, nearly making him spit blood.
This sent a chill down his spine. His body was far stronger than an average person's, yet he almost coughed up blood from this casual slap. If an ordinary person had received such a blow, wouldn't they be bleeding heavily and collapsing to the ground?
The thought made him shiver.
This bald brute was terrifying!
"Hmph, a brute. This kid has really had bad luck to be trained by you!" Clearly displeased with Chu Kuangren's smugness, the bespectacled man coldly snorted before turning and walking into the Combat Tactics Hall.
"..."
Hearing the man's parting words, Chu Xun felt a sense of unease stir within him.
"Hey, don't mind that magician. He's just jealous. Come on, let's go inside and talk!" Chu Kuangren grinned and then grabbed Chu Xun, pulling him towards the Combat Skills Hall.
"God..." Before Chu Xun could react, he felt a terrifying force come from his left arm, and in an instant, he lost his balance and was yanked off the ground, flying through the air like a kite.
By the time Chu Xun regained his senses, he realized that he had already been brought into the Combat Skills Hall.
The Combat Skills Hall was a large courtyard, and at this moment, Chu Xun was standing in the center of the training ground. Looking around, the training area covered at least 500 square meters—quite spacious. Around the courtyard were closed doors, their purpose unknown.
At that moment, Chu Xun suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left arm. He looked down and saw that his sleeve had been completely torn, exposing his pale arm. On that arm was a clear, purple bruise in the shape of a handprint, which was quite shocking to look at!
"Ha, sorry, got a bit too excited, couldn't control my strength!" Seeing the torn sleeve and the handprint on Chu Xun's arm, Chu Kuangren awkwardly scratched his shiny bald head and chuckled, "It's just that it's been a long time since anyone came for special training. The last group of kids had no perseverance and left after a couple of days. They'll never amount to much."
"God, with a tutor like you, it's no wonder they run away..." Looking at the empty Combat Skills Hall, Chu Xun couldn't help but feel speechless. This was his first time here, and it seemed quite different from what he had imagined...
Could it be that he was being scammed again?
"Cough, don't worry, I'll be more careful next time, and try not to hurt you," Chu Kuangren noticed Chu Xun's worries and hesitation. He cleared his throat and then, with a more serious expression, said, "Alright, let's get to the point. If you want to join the special training, I'll tell you upfront. The training here is very tough. If you don't have the courage to face the challenge, you can leave now."
"However, I can guarantee that during the training, I'll teach you everything I know. If you can make it through, your strength will experience a huge leap!" At this point, Chu Kuangren's face became even more serious. "This improvement won't just be in power and abilities, but more in your willpower. Trust me, this will impact your entire life!"
"I accept!" Seeing Chu Kuangren's serious expression, Chu Xun's face also grew serious, and he spoke with resolve.
"Good!" Hearing Chu Xun's response, Chu Kuangren suddenly burst into laughter, and with another slap on Chu Xun's back, he nearly knocked him off balance. Then, Chu Kuangren pulled him over to a desk, opened a small notebook on the table, and said, "Register your details here. Once you finish, you'll be an official student of the Combat Skills Hall."
"Yes, Master!" Chu Xun nodded and began writing his details in the small notebook.
"Chu Xun? You're from the Chu family?" Looking at the information in the notebook, Chu Kuangren suddenly burst into laughter. "I've hit the jackpot! Didn't expect you're from the main family. Looks like the education allowance is going up again!"
"Education allowance? What's that?" Hearing this, Chu Xun was slightly confused, thinking that he might have been tricked again.
"Ahem, well... never mind about that," Chu Kuangren awkwardly cleared his throat, realizing he had said too much.
The Combat Skills Hall and Combat Tactics Hall were initially established to improve the abilities of newly awakened powers and build a solid foundation for them. This was crucial for the city and even humanity as a whole, so every year, the two halls received special funding from Chu City and the highest council. The amount of funding depended on the number of talented students trained each year.
To avoid corruption, both halls had strict evaluation standards. Only students who passed their evaluations would be counted towards their performance and receive the special funding.
Chu City's funding was different; it was based on the students' progress and attendance, with additional incentives for noble students. However, due to the intense nature of the training, few nobles participated, preferring their own methods.
As for the commoner powers, they had the courage and will to endure the tough training, but their success rate wasn't high due to genetic and resource limitations. Their performance also couldn't match that of noble students.
This was also why bounty guilds thrived. Even dangerous tasks were worth the risk if the reward was big enough for these power-users desperate for resources.
"This kid's talent is impressive. His strength, physique, and ability are far beyond ordinary power-users. If properly trained, he could pass the special training. And when that happens..." Chu Kuangren's eyes gle