8: Chapter 8 The Monthly Exam is Coming

In a great mood, Qin Yan rested for a moment before leaving the gymnasium to head home.

His steps were light along the way, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

As he neared the residential complex, he saw that familiar figure from a distance once again.

Qin Xiaoxi also saw her brother; her big eyes immediately lit up, and she jogged forward to meet him.

“Qin Yan!”

Seeing his younger sister waiting for him to come home every night without fail, the softest part of Qin Yan's heart was always touched, and the day's exhaustion seemed to be cured instantly.

“Xiao Xi, let's go home,” he said softly, his tone unusually gentle.

“Why are you so late today? Did you sneak in extra practice again?”

Qin Xiaoxi leaned in, wrinkling her nose like a puppy to sniff him. “You smell like sweat. Remember to take a shower as soon as we get home.”

“Fine, fine, fine. I'll go wash up as soon as I step through the door.”

“That's more like it! Hurry, hurry! Mom left some late-night snacks for you; they'll get cold if you don't eat them soon!”

Qin Xiaoxi skipped along in front to lead the way, her ponytail bouncing lively in the night breeze.

The siblings walked home together, chatting and laughing.

Upon returning home, Qin Yan quickly finished washing up, ate his meal, gave his parents a brief greeting, and then retreated to his room as usual.

His family had long since grown accustomed to this; becoming a Martial Artist was simply too difficult.

Back in his room, once the door was closed, the calm on Qin Yan's face was instantly replaced by excitement.

He walked quickly to his desk, took a deep breath, and slowly pulled open the drawer.

Inside the drawer, twelve bottles of crimson qi and blood potion were lined up quietly, shimmering with an enticing luster.

There were the ten bottles bought with the twenty thousand yuan his father had given him, plus one bottle his parents had scraped together by living frugally this month, and one bottle he had saved from last month—his entire net worth was right here.

Success or failure depended on this single move!

Qin Yan didn't hesitate to pick up a bottle, unscrew the cap, tilt his head back, and gulp it down in a few mouthfuls.

Once the potion hit his stomach, it quickly transformed into a scorching torrent that exploded within his body!

Qin Yan immediately moved to the center of the room and assumed his position—arms held as if supporting a weight, feet gripping the ground—and the Perfection-level Sky-Supporting One Qi Stance began to operate instantly!

Buzz!

It was as if a sluice gate inside his body had been opened; his Qi and blood surged at an unprecedented speed, frantically absorbing the energy from the potion.

His skin turned bright red at a visible rate, and wisps of white steam rose from every pore of his body. The temperature in the entire room seemed to rise slightly.

“This effect... is too strong!”

Qin Yan was secretly shocked.

The absorption efficiency of a Perfection-level Stance Training was more than several times stronger than his previous third-tier stance!

The medicinal power that would have normally taken nearly an hour to barely absorb was now being greedily devoured by his body in less than fifteen minutes!

After absorbing one bottle, Qin Yan could clearly feel the activity and growth of the Qi and blood in his body, but when he checked the System panel, his Qi and blood value remained at 67 cal, not making an immediate Breakthrough.

This was normal; the improvement of Qi and blood required accumulation. If growth could be seen so easily, the path of a Martial Artist wouldn't be so difficult.

Without the slightest pause, Qin Yan immediately picked up a second bottle of qi and blood potion and downed it again!

Another fifteen minutes passed, and the second bottle's medicinal power was fully absorbed. This time, the number on the System panel finally jumped—Qi and blood: 68 cal!

It’s working!

Qin Yan's gaze became incredibly burning as he looked at the ten remaining bottles of qi and blood potion in the drawer.

“Tomorrow is the Monthly Exam... Whether I can break into the top ten of the grade and get that reward depends on you all!”

He reached out and firmly grabbed the remaining potions.

This would be a sleepless night.

But even more so, it was the night Qin Yan would break out of his cocoon and see his strength skyrocket!

...

The next day, Qin Yan walked out of his room feeling refreshed. There was no trace of exhaustion from staying up all night in his eyes; instead, they contained a sharp inner light, and his aura seemed to have become a few points more concentrated.

As usual, he left home silently at four in the morning, his figure merging into the city that had not yet awakened, resolute and solitary.

Arriving at the school and entering the empty gymnasium, he picked up the long spear once more and began his morning practice with total concentration.

After two hours of Cultivation, he headed to the cafeteria for breakfast.

5 huaxia coins vanished instantly.

By the time he finished breakfast, it was nearly seven o'clock. The cafeteria was gradually becoming lively as students arrived one after another to eat.

“Brother Yan, you're still here so early.”

Zhou Yuan carried his nutritional meal and sat down opposite Qin Yan, saying with a smile, “Brother Yan, did you sneak in extra practice this morning? Is that why you came so early?”

Qin Yan smiled and said, “So you found me out.”

“Hehe, how long did you practice?”

“Two hours.”

“Brother Yan, that joke isn't funny at all.”

“I'm not joking.”

“Alright, Brother Yan, I believe you.”

However, Zhou Yuan's expression was one of complete disbelief.

Qin Yan: “...” He shook his head helplessly, knowing that such a thing was indeed difficult for people to fully believe.

...

After the meal was over.

The two left the cafeteria and followed the flow of people toward the school's large sports field.

Today was the day of the Monthly Exam, and the first item, the Qi and blood test, was being held on the sports field.

The closer they got to the field, the more solemn the atmosphere became.

The road was filled almost entirely with hurried third-year students, each with varying degrees of tension and anticipation on their faces.

There were low-voiced discussions, muttered self-encouragement, and friends patting each other's shoulders for support.

When they reached the field, there was already a dense mass of heads before them.

Each class stood in its designated area, and the lines were fairly orderly.

“Qin Yan, over here!”

Qin Yan looked toward the sound and saw Lin Yang standing at the very front of the Class (1) queue, waving at him.

As the overall number one in the class, he naturally stood at the head of the line.

The two quickly walked toward their class's queue.

“Morning, Lin Yang,” Qin Yan greeted him.

After the greeting, Qin Yan and Lin Yang began to chat.

“Qin Yan, do you see those ten silver-gray big guys on the field?”

Qin Yan followed his finger.

He saw ten capsule-style instruments with a very high-tech design neatly arranged in the center of the field.

They were streamlined and silver-gray, with their doors tightly closed. The words “Certified by the General Administration of Martial Arts” were clearly printed on the side. Behind each capsule was a large electronic display screen; currently, the screens were dark, waiting for data activation.

“Those are the latest version of the Qi and blood detection capsules,”

Lin Yang's voice carried a hint of solemnity. “They are exactly the same specifications as those that will be used in this year's College Entrance Examination. The school is following the examination standards completely this time, so the error margin is extremely small.

During the test, you just need to lie inside and circulate your Qi and blood with all your might. The final value will be displayed in real-time on the screen behind you for everyone to see.”

He paused, a trace of undetectable nervousness entering his tone: “The last time I was tested, my Qi and blood was 78 cal. I wonder how much progress... I'll have made this time.”