28: Chapter 28 The Superpowered College Entrance Examination Arrives

In the room 307 cultivation hall, Zhang Wen withdrew his fist and stood still, a faint numbness still lingering in the Thunder-patterned bracers on his palms.

Just now, during the final practice of "Thunder Wrath: Instant Prison Kill", the Lightning Radiance channeled by his fingertips exploded onto the wooden stake, creating a bowl-sized charred crater; he gazed at the scorch mark, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

Over the past three months, he had poured almost all his time into Cultivation.

Every day, before dawn, he would go to the rooftop to absorb Spiritual Qi; at noon, he would practice boxing under the scorching sun to stabilize his spiritual power; and in the evening, he would deduce the circulation routes of his Thunder Element Cultivation Technique.

His cultivation in the Forming Realm had long been as steady as a rock, and when his spiritual power circulated within his body, it surged like a river, no longer having the slightest obstruction.

As for that SSS-Rank "Thunder Wrath: Instant Prison Kill", he had gone from having his arms numbed by electricity when initially channeling lightning to now being able to smoothly complete the entire sequence of "High-speed Dash - Lock-on - Burst"; although it was far from reaching Major Achievement, its destructive power alone was enough to shock him.

Just like when he tested the move against the force-measuring stone yesterday, it was merely an Entry-Level lightning burst, yet it had directly shattered a black iron slab capable of withstanding a full-strength strike from someone who had just entered the Forming Realm.

As the flying debris grazed his cheek, Zhang Wen stared at the pile of ruins emitting wisps of smoke, feeling the terror of this Cultivation Technique truly for the first time.

It was not a gradual suppression, but a nearly brutal, instantaneous destruction; no wonder the System labeled it with the words "Single-Target Instant Kill".

He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and when his fingertips touched his phone, the screen happened to light up with the date.

"June 6th..." Zhang Wen muttered to himself, suddenly realizing, "Calculating the time, tomorrow should be the Ability College Entrance Exam."

This exam was the only path for Awakened ability users to enter higher education institutions today; it not only required testing Spiritual Qi intensity but also included practical combat assessments, with a difficulty comparable to thousands of troops crossing a single-log bridge.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

This was the most direct opportunity for him to escape his current situation, and absolutely nothing could go wrong.

Just as he was thinking this, his phone suddenly vibrated, and the words "Director Wang" danced on the screen.

Zhang Wen swiped to answer, and the Dean of Students' signature booming voice immediately came through the receiver, accompanied by a bit of static: "Hey, Zhang Wen! It's me, Director Wang!"

"Hello, Director Wang." Zhang Wen turned sideways to avoid the wind blowing in his face.

"Hey, hey," Director Wang's voice sounded a bit hurried, "I have something to tell you. Remember to come to school this afternoon. All senior year ability examinees must go. There are some pre-exam precautions to emphasize, and the admission tickets need to be distributed."

He paused, then suddenly lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of gravity, "Let me give you a heads-up. This year, our Dragon country has produced quite a few Geniuses! Just from what I know, there are two others who have Awakened an SSS-Rank ability like you, and they are both promising candidates that major prestigious schools are eyeing... This national top scorer title won't be so easy to get."

Zhang Wen wanted to ask a couple more questions, but the "beep-beep" of the busy signal had already come from the other end.

He held up his phone for two seconds and smiled helplessly.

Director Wang was still the same, always in a rush; he had hung up before Zhang Wen could even get a word in.

"SSS-Rank, huh..." Zhang Wen put his phone back in his pocket, his gaze darkening.

Ability Rank is different from Cultivation Technique rating; SSS-Rank ability users are one in ten thousand, naturally possessing stronger affinity for Spiritual Qi.

Although his Thunder Element Cultivation Technique was strong, he actually did not have an advantage in terms of cultivation resources.

"Hmph, I'm really looking forward to it." He rotated his wrists, the skin under the Thunder-patterned bracers feeling slightly hot, "I just wonder how they compare in cultivation?"

If they hadn't even reached the Forming Realm, then no matter how good their ability was, it would just be for show.

Zhang Wen turned and walked home, his pace faster than when he had come.

He took a quick shower, changed into a clean school uniform, and adjusted his collar in the mirror.

The youth in the mirror had a tall and straight figure, his eyes carrying a sharp glint honed from long-term Cultivation, though his jawline still revealed a touch of youthful immaturity.

When he arrived at school, quite a few students had already gathered in front of the teaching building, discussing tomorrow's exam in small groups.

Director Wang was standing in front of the bulletin board distributing admission tickets; seeing Zhang Wen arrive, he immediately waved, "Zhang Wen! Over here!"

He took the admission ticket; the photo on the card had been taken half a year ago, when there was still a bruise on his face from boxing practice.

Director Wang patted his shoulder, his voice booming, "Don't be nervous, just perform as usual! Oh right, the principal is waiting for you in the office; he wants you to go over."

Zhang Wen was stunned, "The principal is looking for me?"

"Yeah, I guess he wants to give you some encouragement." Director Wang smiled until his face wrinkled, "Go on, go on, that room at the far east end of the third floor."

When he pushed open the door to the principal's office, Zhang Wen paused in surprise.

In the corner where the rattan chair usually sat, a thin figure now stood.

The principal was still wearing that washed-out Zhongshan suit, his silver hair emitting a soft light in the halo of the ceiling lamp, yet his whole being was surrounded by a strange calmness.

It was like an ancient pine in a deep valley; it looked ordinary, but its roots were already coiled deep into the earth, hiding an unshakeable weight.

"You're here?" The principal turned around, his hands caressing a palm-sized bronze compass.

The surface of the compass was engraved with dense cloud patterns, and the edges were inlaid with a circle of antique copper flowers; it emitted a "click" sound when rotated, carrying a warm luster polished by the years.

"Sit down!"

Zhang Wen sat down on the chair opposite, his palms slightly sweating.

This old principal was said to have been a powerful ability user when he was young, and later retired due to injury to teach; no one in the school dared to play tricks in front of him.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow's exam?" The principal put down the documents and took a sip from his teacup.

"I'm alright," Zhang Wen answered truthfully.

The principal smiled and took a stack of papers from his drawer, "This is this year's supplementary syllabus; take a look. The practical combat assessment has added a team cooperation segment; it's no longer about fighting alone, so remember to pay attention to your teammates' coordination."

He paused, his tone becoming serious, "Also, there are shielding devices in the exam hall, so you must prepare protective gear and Medicinal Pill in advance."

Zhang Wen took the papers and read them carefully; the principal continued, "Director Wang told me that you've made great progress over the past few months. I know your family situation is poor, and you've had to rely on your own exploration for Cultivation, which isn't easy."

He looked at Zhang Wen, his eyes filled with expectations, "Our school hasn't produced students for top universities in years; I don't expect you to definitely take first place, but I hope you can go further, to let those who look down on you see that we, who come from grassroots backgrounds, can still make a name for ourselves."

The last sentence was like a pebble thrown into Zhang Wen's heart, causing ripples to spread.

He thought of his parents' hard work, the gossip at the alley entrance, the reminders from Diminutive for Ding Siyi, and the temperature of the jinglan pendant in his palm.

"I understand, Principal." He stood up, his back straight, "I won't let you down."

The principal nodded with satisfaction, "Go on, prepare well."

When he walked out of the office, the setting sun was shining obliquely onto the corridor, stretching his shadow very long.

Zhang Wen gripped the admission ticket in his hand, his fingertips brushing over the four characters "Ability College Entrance Exam".

Tomorrow, it would be the moment to test everything.