Chapter 3: Job Interview and Martial Arts Test

"As a security guard for the Emperor Garden, the safety of the homeowner's life and property is always the top priority. To ensure this, we require all applicants to possess certain physical abilities. Therefore, we will conduct a series of tests on each of you." The middle-aged man in charge of the Emperor Garden security recruitment spoke in a refined manner.

Others may not know, but Grayson recognized this man.

His boss had specifically mentioned this person before. While he was indeed the head of the security team, he also held another identity as a retired instructor from a special forces unit, with formidable strength.

As each applicant underwent their tests, at least two-thirds of them were eliminated. Now, it was Grayson's turn.

"You're Grayson?" The middle-aged man glanced at Grayson in surprise. He had heard that someone was coming to interview, and he was slightly displeased. However, to his surprise, even though Grayson appeared somewhat weak and wore glasses, the years of special forces experience in the middle-aged man told him that Grayson gave off an unusual sense of danger.

This feeling was strange, almost like a sixth sense, but it was very accurate. The middle-aged man, originally planning to turn away, stopped in his tracks and decided to observe Grayson carefully.

The first test was for strength, with a special note that no martial arts techniques were allowed.

Grayson stood firmly in front of the strength tester, lightly moved his arms, and then threw a punch.

"530"

A large red digital number appeared on the tester, causing everyone to gasp in astonishment.

This strength tester was different from the type that measured in pounds; it used a unit of jin1 (Chinese weight measurement). In other words, Grayson's punch had a force of 530 jin.

Grayson had learned martial arts from his grandfather since he was young, passed down through the family for battlefield tactics. His style was domineering and ruthless, with powerful strikes. His grandfather had always warned him not to fight unless absolutely necessary, and if he did, there would be no mercy.

Next was the speed test. This wasn't Grayson's strongest point, but he still managed to achieve an impressive record of 5.4 meters per second.

The final test was to spar with the instructor.

"Wait a moment, I need to change clothes." Grayson called for a pause. Wearing a casual suit wasn't ideal for a fight.

The middle-aged man nodded. Indeed, Grayson couldn't fight properly in a suit.

A moment later, Grayson returned shirtless and wearing black training pants.

Everyone was stunned. Grayson's muscles were modestly toned but exuded explosive power, and when he wore clothes, he appeared relatively lean, the most understated kind of muscle.

"Is the floor okay?" Grayson suddenly asked before starting. After all, if he used his true strength, the hardwood floor here wouldn't withstand the shockwaves from his energy.

The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows slightly and then nodded.

"Whooo~~"

Grayson exhaled a long breath, and a faint red mist emerged from his mouth. Everyone clearly heard a crackling sound, and Grayson's entire body expanded by a noticeable amount.

The middle-aged man was astonished. He didn't know the name of this martial technique, but he had once heard an elder mention that any martial art focusing on refining physical strength could, once it reached a certain level, cause the practitioner's body to appear normal but secretly possess explosive power.

It was said that at its peak, such martial arts could transform a person into a giant over three or four meters tall.

The middle-aged man was certain that the faint red mist Grayson exhaled contained a trace of blood energy. This was a side effect of not having fully mastered the technique yet.

"Post-heaven realm? At such a young age? Is it body refining or bone refining?" The middle-aged man's expression was uncertain, but he didn't stop the match. He wanted to see how strong this young man named Grayson truly was.

At the same time, both participants launched into action.

Grayson stomped his feet, and his body shot forward like an arrow from a bow. The floor beneath his feet cracked like spider webs, radiating outward from his stance.

This was the Breaking Army style's "Bowstring Step," known for its speed and simplicity.

The other participant clearly wasn't weak either. As Grayson moved, he didn't retreat but instead advanced, stepping forward and using a single hand to deflect Grayson's momentum, borrowing strength to fight back.

"You think breaking my momentum is that easy? Try my Thousand-Jin Force!" Grayson shouted, his body suddenly bursting with power.

The Thousand-Jin Force was another technique from the Breaking Army style. It resembled the Thousand-Jin Drop, but its application and effectiveness were far more sophisticated.

The other person seemed to anticipate this move, so he raised both hands and pressed toward Grayson's chest, targeting two pressure points.

"Trying to strike my pressure points? See my Thousand-Jin Force!" Grayson moved into a bow stance, gathering his strength. Anyone with some skill in martial arts could see that Grayson was preparing to unleash his full power.

Sure enough, as the thought crossed his mind, Grayson's body trembled slightly, and then he pushed both palms forward.

"Crack… Boom…"

The referee barely had time to dodge. He sidestepped and absorbed most of the force, but the remaining energy slammed into his arm and sent him flying out.

Unlike ordinary matches, the force from the Thousand-Jin was propelled upward at an angle using the legs and amplified with the arms, creating a curve in the attack. This caused the referee to be launched in a parabolic trajectory.

This eased the middle-aged man's nerves. His body relaxed.

"Good job, you've got some real skills." The referee slowly got up, wiped the blood from his mouth, and smiled wryly.

Both he and the middle-aged man knew that even though the attack from the Thousand-Jin Force sent the opponent flying in a parabolic arc, this didn't mean the technique lacked power.

On the contrary, this move was the most powerful kind of attack.

Because when the Thousand-Jin Force hit, the opponent would be left in a state of weakness for about 1.5 seconds due to the force, even if they were of equal strength.

For an ordinary person, 1.5 seconds wasn't much. But for a martial artist, especially someone at the post-heaven realm, that 1.5 seconds could be enough to deliver a fatal blow.

The middle-aged man guessed that the real killing blow came when Grayson's opponent would be crushed from the air to the ground after the parabolic arc.