Start with push-ups to gain experience

Fang Cheng paused for half a second.

Seeing this, the masked man dared not delay and quickly advised:
"As you can see, this isn't a suitable place to continue fighting. If we keep going, the special search team's reinforcements will be locking onto this spot soon."

"Once we are surrounded by the main force, our true identities will be completely exposed, and then we will have no way to escape."

"I'm just an ordinary candidate who came to take the physical fitness test."

Fang Cheng's eyes were indifferent. He took a step forward with his right foot, crushing a piece of withered branch.
"I'm not afraid of being exposed. The people who should be afraid are guys like you who sneak into the exam hall in the middle of the night with ulterior motives."

Upon hearing this, the masked man's lips, hidden behind his mask, twitched violently.

He used his bare hands to beat the bio-armor until it was completely depleted of energy and almost destroyed.

The entire forest was almost plowed into ruins by the opponent's brute force.

This monster actually calls itself an "ordinary examinee"?
If this counts as a regular candidate, then wouldn't he be a useless person who doesn't even qualify to take the Special Search Team exam?

But the masked man dared not reveal these inner thoughts. He suppressed his disordered breathing and said in a deep voice:
“An honest person doesn’t do things in secret. With the strength you’ve shown tonight, you could easily be a leader in any organization, wielding wealth and power. There’s no need for you to take the Special Investigations Team exam and become an ordinary agent under someone else’s control.”

"Since you went to such lengths to infiltrate, you must have your own ulterior motives and purposes."

Fang Cheng did not respond.

The golden flames burning around him were particularly dazzling in the darkness.

His life pursuits and desire for power have long transcended the realm of material enjoyment and fame.

Ordinary people would not understand, and he was too lazy to explain it to a dying man.

Seeing that Fang Cheng remained silent, the masked man continued to probe:

"You don't need to explain, and I don't have the strange habit of prying into other people's secrets."

"In the end, there is no deep-seated hatred between us; tonight is just a brief struggle for interests..."

"Have you finished giving your last words?"

Fang Cheng impatiently interrupted him:
"Let me send you on your way now."

As soon as he finished speaking, the muscles in his right arm swelled instantly, and the veins bulged out like writhing dragons.

The powerful true energy within his dantian surged rapidly into his fist, and golden flames suddenly erupted, bursting forth with suffocatingly high temperatures.

Without any hesitation, Fang Cheng suddenly exerted force from his waist, delivering a powerful punch to the masked man's face.

A battle should be fought to the fullest; how can it be resolved by mere words?!
The masked man was terrified.

At the critical moment of life and death, he suddenly raised his head and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"I trust you!!!"

"boom--"

Fang Cheng's right fist, accompanied by a deafening sonic boom, stopped abruptly less than half a centimeter in front of the masked man's nose.

The violent gale force wrapped around the fist blasted through his body.

The mud behind the masked man was instantly cleared away, forming a fan-shaped area tens of meters long.

Broken branches, mixed with dirt and debris, pelted his face and shoulders with a crackling sound.

The masked man's pupils trembled violently, and his heart pounded wildly in his chest like a drum.

Although his face was hidden by the mask, he still forced his back to straighten and did not take a single step back, managing to keep his balance.

When faced with a life-or-death situation, this courage is truly befitting of a strong person.

"Believe me?"

Fang Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly, his fist hovering steadily in mid-air as he looked down at him.
"What do you mean? You'd better make things clear before I make a decision."

The golden flames surrounding him contracted and expanded as if breathing, exuding a chilling sense of oppression.

The masked man's chest heaved violently. He took a deep breath, and his tone quickly regained its usual calm:

"You've already passed through that entrance to the ruins and gone to the other world, right?"

Fang Cheng's eyes were calm as still water, but the flames on his clenched fists were still burning fiercely.

There was neither affirmation nor denial.

"Brother Fang."

The masked man met Fang Cheng's cold gaze without flinching, his tone becoming exceptionally sincere:

"I now believe that you did indeed rely solely on your physical strength to penetrate that golden barrier and cross the passage between the two worlds."

His eyes darted slightly, and he couldn't help but glance at Fang Cheng's deadly fist:

"You've really accomplished something remarkable, even unbelievable to me. I'm completely convinced, but..."

After offering a few flattering words, the masked man changed his tone, becoming more assertive:

"The internal structure of the spatial passage is extremely unstable. If you try to force it open by brute force, it will easily cause spatial turbulence. At best, you will be swept into the void and lose your way; at worst, you will be torn to pieces by the violent spatial forces."

He paused here, his gaze fixed intently on Fang Cheng's eyes:
“Brother Fang, you’ve only been in the Other Shore World for a few hours, yet you’ve rushed back.”

"You must have sensed the instability of the passage and were worried about being stranded there and unable to return, right? Perhaps you already suffered from this kind of hardship when you were traversing it?"

A barely perceptible glint flashed deep in Fang Cheng's eyes, but he controlled it perfectly, his expression remaining indifferent.

When he returned from the other world, he did indeed force his way through against extremely strong spatial repulsion.

He had a deep understanding of the turbulent spatial currents within the passage that felt like they were tearing his body apart bit by bit.

Seeing Fang Cheng standing there deep in thought, the masked man knew he had made the right bet, and his tone became even more confident:
“Brother Fang, although you are very strong, you obviously do not understand the specific operating principle of the space channel. You do not know how to establish a stable frequency band, nor do you have mastered the method to truly open the entrance to the ruins.”

Fang Cheng paused for a moment, then asked coldly:
"Could it be that you can?"

Hearing Fang Cheng finally respond, the masked man secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

My life is half saved.

"Of course I know all of this. When it comes to mastering the underlying logic of the spatial passage and the intelligence of the other world, in the entire Eastern Capital, if I claim to be second, no one dares to claim to be first."

He straightened his back, boasted a few words, and then threw out his most important bargaining chip:
"If you're interested, I can teach you these methods. Or, once the passage has cooled down again, we can go in together and work together to develop the resources inside."

Fang Cheng lowered his eyelids slightly and remained silent.

If what the other party said is true, this person does indeed have great value to be kept around.

After all, he absolutely did not want to risk his life and withstand spatial turbulence every time he traveled between the two worlds.

They didn't want to be forced to retreat after only a few hours, before they could even officially begin their operation, after entering the other world.

The masked man was extremely adept at reading people's expressions and moods.

He noticed that the golden light on Fang Cheng's fist had weakened slightly, and immediately pressed his advantage:
“I completely understand why you took the Special Investigations Team exam, hoping to gain an official identity and put on an act.”

"Actually, we're on the same page on this issue, and I won't use it to threaten you."

At this point, he curled his finger and touched the now completely dull diamond-shaped crystal on his chest:
"This set of bio-armor is bound to my vital signs. It is both my powerful support and the shackle that binds me."

"If I die, it will be a major financial loss for the Special Investigations Team, and they will definitely do everything they can to find the killer."

The masked man's eyes appeared exceptionally sincere at this moment, and he spoke frankly:
“In this way, your identity will be easily exposed. Not only will your exam qualification be invalidated, but you will also face relentless pursuit and manhunt by the state.” He explained logically, then offered the most suitable condition for the current situation:
"Keep me alive. I will use my authority to erase all traces of the battle and surveillance logs in this area tonight during the subsequent investigation."

"Moreover, when you work in the Special Investigations Unit in the future, the two of us can completely cover for each other and help each other."

"And one last thing."

The masked man slowly stood up, casually brushing the withered leaves and mud off his thighs:
"The things in the ruins are extremely complicated. Even if you obtain rare resources in the other world, it will be difficult for the black market outside to handle them safely."

"You need an agent who is inside the system and has extensive connections to help you launder and monetize these resources."

"And I am the best choice for you."

These reasons are interconnected, ranging from technical support to identity concealment and monetization, directly addressing the pain points Fang Cheng is currently facing.

After thinking for a few seconds, Fang Cheng slowly withdrew his right fist.

The boiling internal energy gradually subsided, and the suffocating golden flames around his body also receded into his body.

"Since it's a collaboration, let's adopt a collaborative attitude."

Fang Cheng's voice was cold and hard as he stared intently at the masked man:
"Hiding your head and tail, what kind of sincerity is that? Take off that thing on your face first."

Upon hearing this, the masked man stiffened slightly.

This bronze mask was not only a physical defense, but also a disguise for him to cross official lines and secretly carry out illegal activities.

But looking into Fang Cheng's emotionless eyes, he knew there was no room for negotiation at this moment.

Although the humanoid Tyrannosaurus Rex in front of us is somewhat reasonable, it certainly doesn't have much patience left.

He then raised his hands and used his thumbs to hook into the hidden slots on either side of the mask's chin.

With a soft "click," the internal sealing valve loosened.

He ripped off the mask and held it in his hand.

Then, a resolute face with high cheekbones and a neat short beard was revealed.

The man was about forty years old and had a faint, old scar near his eye.

This did not affect his image; on the contrary, it added to his military bearing and imposing presence.

"My name is Lu Tianming."

He looked directly at Fang Cheng with an open and honest gaze, and revealed his real name:

"Head of the Internal Investigation Section, Special Investigation Team Headquarters, Rank: Special Investigator."

Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but ask:
"The head of the Internal Investigation Department, a high-ranking official, sneaks into his own examination hall to commit theft?"

"Finding the entrance to the ruins is something the special search team can easily do by issuing a single order and dispatching a few reconnaissance squads to turn this forest upside down. Why would you, the section chief, need to sneak around like this in the middle of the night and do it all by yourself?"

While raising his questions, his tone also revealed undisguised mockery.

Lu Tianming gave a wry smile, which pulled at the bruise on the corner of his mouth, and he couldn't help but gasp.

"Finding the entrance to the ruins is not as easy as you think. It's entirely a matter of chance. Even if you send out a lot of people, you still might not find it."

"I came here in person to take control of the situation and prevent any unforeseen complications."

"Besides, the waters inside the Special Investigations Team are much muddier than you imagine."

At this point, he lowered his voice, his tone becoming serious:
"Some things are too complicated to explain in a short time..."

"Waaah—waaah—"

Before he could finish speaking, a loud and piercing police siren suddenly blared from afar, abruptly interrupting Lu Tianming.

Two beams of white searchlight pierced through the thick fog, like two sharp swords sweeping across the forest.

The tires of the heavy off-road vehicle sputtered and cracked as they rolled over the bushes.

Short, professional tactical commands drifted faintly on the night breeze.

Clearly, a large number of fully armed personnel are being deployed and advancing, approaching this devastated battlefield.

Lu Tianming's expression changed drastically, and he turned his head to look in the direction the light was sweeping from.

"The first echelon of the Xishan defense team has arrived."

He quickly looked away and spoke faster:
"I have revealed my true identity to you, and this is my way of showing my sincerity."

"We can discuss other matters in detail another time. Otherwise, if they find us here, none of us will escape responsibility!"

After saying that, he gave Fang Cheng a deep look, and without waiting for the other party's consent, he suddenly turned around.

With his remaining strength, he ran wildly toward the dark, dense forest on the other side, untouched by the light.

In the blink of an eye, his figure completely disappeared into the thick fog.

Fang Cheng stood still, staring at the direction Lu Tianming had quickly disappeared into, without taking a step to chase after him.

The roar of the off-road vehicle's engine grew clearer, and the spotlight beams pierced through the gaps in the bushes, casting dappled shadows on the ruins not far away.

The distance is already very close.

The fierce battle just now clearly alerted the special search team's defensive forces stationed in the Xishan restricted area.

Fang Cheng didn't linger and turned to run towards the hidden entrance to the ruins several kilometers away.

The mercenary corpses left at the scene, along with the messy battle traces on the ground, must be cleaned up and disguised before the main force completely seals off the area.

We must not let anyone find out that someone passed through that golden barrier tonight, thus exposing our secrets.

Fang Cheng exerted force with both legs, and like a sharp arrow flying close to the ground, he darted into the depths of the thick fog.

As his running speed increased, he keenly noticed something was wrong with his body.

The oncoming gust of wind seemed to transform into an invisible lifting force.

With a casual flick of the toes over a moss-covered rock, the person glided forward dozens of meters with the wind.

The downward trend became extremely weak, and the body felt lighter and lighter as it ran.

In the end, he didn't even need to push off the ground; he could leap across extremely long distances simply by lightly touching the tips of horizontal branches or tall grass with his toes.

The surrounding scenery blurred into afterimages on both sides of my field of vision.

A feeling of exhilaration, as if freed from the constraints of gravity and ready to take flight, spread through my heart.

"This is?"

Fang Cheng's heart stirred slightly, as if he were deep in thought.

At that very moment, a dazzling light suddenly burst forth before our eyes.

A pale blue screen rapidly unfolded on the retina, and several lines of clear notification messages appeared:

Congratulations! Through persistent training and reflection, you have broken through the limits of human hang time and unlocked the skill of flight.

[Flight Level 0 (0/100)] (End of Chapter)