Chapter 42: Test

"I am Zhong Nan! The captain of the Awakened Guard Team. Time is precious, so the test will start from the right, one by one," the man said as he walked, with a team member closely following, holding a large piece of the red beetle's shell.

Chu Yunsheng carefully observed him. He was slightly taller, with a robust build, wearing a black coat. He moved with the speed and intensity of a storm, exuding a sense of efficiency.

Zhong Nan stopped in front of the five of them and said solemnly, "Everyone, today is just a preliminary test. First, we need to confirm everyone's status as Awakened and assess your abilities. In the future, I will revise and provide appropriate treatment based on your true strength during battles."

Seeing no objections, Zhong Nan revealed the red beetle's shell behind him and explained, "Everyone's energy is precious, so the test will be simple. Please use your abilities as you would in a normal combat situation, but only attack this shell once. Based on the damage to the shell, we will make a preliminary judgment."

Chu Yunsheng had already learned from others that these Awakened warriors did not easily break through the red beetle's defense layer with a single strike like he did. They often needed to attack multiple times to achieve this.

Zhong Nan's method, using just a piece of the red beetle's shell, allowed the testers to conserve energy while still providing a rough estimate of their strength based on a single attack.

The test took place on the truck, with people everywhere below, leaving no empty space. The other team members stood up and gathered at the front of the truck, some even sitting on the hood.

The first to be tested was Yao Xiang, who had been the most enthusiastic.

Two team members held the ends of the shell firmly. Yao Xiang twisted his body in a strange manner, leaving Chu Yunsheng speechless. With a loud "Yo-hai," he unleashed a wheel-like ring of fire from his palm, striking the red beetle's shell heavily. The two team members involuntarily took half a step back, steadying themselves.

Under the light of the headlights, a deep slash mark was clearly visible on the shell. Yao Xiang was satisfied with the result and said happily to Zhong Nan, "Captain, what do you think of this move?"

Zhong Nan nodded and said to the girl responsible for recording, "Passed!"

The captain's indifferent reaction deflated Yao Xiang, but he could only stand aside helplessly.

Next was Ding Yan. Chu Yunsheng thought his ability was similar to the one he had killed, Si Mei, both using pistols to unleash their powers. According to Teacher Zhang Zicheng, this ability would be a key focus of their research, aiming to enable ordinary firearms to use some form of dark energy to combat the bugs.

Ding Yan's bullet burned a visible large hole in the shell but did not penetrate. Zhong Nan still said, "Passed!"

Next was Yu Xiaohai, but there was a problem. His energy was already depleted, and he could no longer shoot ice arrows. Chu Yunsheng hesitated for a moment, then pulled the somewhat embarrassed Yu Xiaohai aside and said, "His energy is already used up, so he can't be tested right now."

Yu Xiaohai nodded, confirming the situation.

Zhong Nan frowned, about to speak, but the team members sitting on the hood, who had already suspected Chu Yunsheng of lying, started to laugh sarcastically under Qin Heng's instigation, saying:

"If you're afraid to be tested, just get off! This isn't a place for freeloaders!"

"How easy do you think it is to let them go? At least..."

"Bragging about handling six bugs, and now you're too scared to be tested, you're already wilting!"

...

Chu Yunsheng was instantly furious. He hadn't offended them, so why were they targeting him? Were they brain-dead?

He didn't realize that these team members, having gained extraordinary abilities after awakening, had become increasingly arrogant and domineering. As their status rose, they became more and more disrespectful to others, often insulting and even physically assaulting them. The victims dared not speak out.

Chu Yunsheng's claim of handling six bugs was seen as ridiculous and a target for ridicule.

Chu Yunsheng's face turned cold, and he swiftly drew the Qianbi Sword. In an instant, he slashed, thrust, and slashed again, completing three strikes in one fluid motion. Under the headlights, it was as if three red flashes had appeared. Before anyone could react, Chu Yunsheng had sheathed his sword.

Even Captain Zhong Nan of the Awakened Guard Team couldn't clearly see the three strikes. He didn't sense any energy fluctuations from Chu Yunsheng.

Chu Yunsheng indeed hadn't used any energy. The Qianbi Sword could cut through anything, especially the already dead red beetle's shell, without needing energy.

He pointed at the shell and coldly said to Qin Heng and the others, "Anyone who dares to speak out of turn will meet the same fate as this shell!"

Qin Heng and the others, still mesmerized by his elegant sword movements, suddenly saw the shell crack into four pieces, with the middle two segments slowly sliding down!

Thud, thud. The two pieces hit the ground with a dull thud, like hammers striking their hearts!

What kind of power was this!?

To instantly sever the supposedly steel-hard beetle shell without using any energy, at a speed they couldn't see!?

Was this still the supposedly indestructible red beetle shell?

Qin Heng and the others, who had been laughing arrogantly, now stared at each other in shock, their mouths agape!

Captain Zhong Nan was first surprised, then overjoyed. He thought, "This person's combat strength is unprecedented. The Awakened Guard Team will greatly benefit from his joining!"

He had always turned a blind eye to Qin Heng and the others, as they were somewhat arrogant but didn't overly disrupt the team. However, he didn't want to lose a potential expert because of them. His face turned cold, and he shouted at Qin Heng and the others, "Come over and apologize to this gentleman!"

Chu Yunsheng wasn't interested in this charade and said coldly, "No need, Captain Zhong. I only hope you can make sure they don't provoke me again! I'm joining your team for mutual benefit, and I hope we can work together well. Also, my friend's energy is indeed depleted. Believe it or not, that's my explanation!"

Zhong Nan chuckled dryly and said seriously, "With your abilities, we fully believe in your friend. I hope we can work together well!"

Seeing Zhong Nan's straightforward response, Chu Yunsheng couldn't maintain his stern expression. After all, they would be working together for some time. He pointed to Lin Shuiyao and said, "Besides her, we have no one else to arrange. Please have someone handle her registration."

The so-called registration was handled by the girl on Bus No. 1 who recorded personnel changes, as some team members often requested replacements for various reasons.

Zhong Nan nodded and said, "Rest assured, we will take care of it." He then pointed to the girl recording and added, "If you need to arrange anyone else in the future, just find the responsible person, Tongtong. As long as it's within your quota, there won't be any problems."

Chu Yunsheng hummed in acknowledgment and said nothing more. The car had already stopped for a long time, and the crowd was all bunched up, with no one knowing what was happening ahead, causing much speculation.

Zhong Nan looked worriedly ahead, called over a team member, and said to Chu Yunsheng, "This is Qian Dede. He will temporarily be in charge of you and your friends. Introduce yourselves, and I have to leave for a moment."

With that, Zhong Nan hurriedly left. Chu Yunsheng took out a cigarette, took a deep puff, and observed the team leader named Qian Dede.

He was a young man in his early twenties, likely a student at Dongshen University, with squinting eyes and a sly smile.

Qian Dede extended his right hand and said with a grin, "Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Qian Dede, you can call me Xiao Qian."