115: Chapter 115 Sword Intent 60%

The growth of power had never stagnated.

This half-month was for consolidation, for sprinting, and even more so for accumulating strength for the next segment of the journey.

Various thoughts flashed through his mind. After having breakfast at home with his parents, Li Wen left the house and headed for Qishi No. 3 Middle School.

Today was an important milestone.

The atmosphere on campus was different from the usual killing Intent found on the training grounds in the early morning.

The senior year floors were filled with a clamor of excitement, anticipation, and a hint of nervousness.

Today was the day for college entrance examination registration.

The entire senior class of Qishi No. 3 Middle School seemed to be injected with an invisible vitality.

Even the students who usually kept their heads down in study had a bit more solemnity and hard-to-conceal hope on their faces today.

The corridors were filled with the sound of conversation, and the classrooms were even more bustling.

—

Liberal arts or martial arts? This was perhaps a topic many families had debated for a long time.

Today, that thin form in everyone's hands would place the first stamp on their path for the next few years.

The atmosphere in the Flying Star Class was even more heated.

Everyone had set their hearts on martial arts universities since the beginning of their martial arts enlightenment; the focus of discussion now had long surpassed the choice itself.

They were arguing about who could get into which first-rate martial arts universities, and who had the potential to strike for the top-tier ones.

Such as the top-tier prestigious schools local to Jiangnan Province, or the potential of China's traditional 'The Four Great Factions'.

But all discussions ultimately and unavoidably converged, with an indescribable excitement, on the same name and the same goal—Li Wen, could he get into Kindling University?

Kindling University!

These two words themselves were like a sacred temple standing atop the clouds.

In the hundred-year history of Qishi No. 3 Middle School, let alone Kindling University—a global top-tier institution representing the highest level of martial arts education in the Human Alliance—

even the gates of China's traditional 'The Four Great Factions' top-tier martial arts schools had never been successfully pushed open by a student from this school.

In any previous class of students, if someone said someone from Third Middle School could apply for Xinhuo, it would definitely be a ridiculous tale the entire county would treat as a joke; even calling it a pipe dream wouldn't suffice to describe such idiocy.

However, now, this myth that they hadn't even dared to hope for in their dreams had appeared so realistically and dazzlingly by their side, sitting vividly in the classroom of the Flying Star Class.

Every year, Kindling University recruits a mere two hundred prodigies in total from the mother planet Earth and the other three major human immigrant planets under the jurisdiction of the Human Alliance.

Although the slots seemed scattered, Earth, as the mother planet, occupied the absolute lion's share.

Admission information from previous years showed that the total number of students from the other three planets was usually only twenty or thirty; the remaining one hundred and seventy or eighty precious spots would be fiercely contested by the absolute top geniuses among nearly a hundred million teenagers on Earth.

In the eyes of everyone in the Flying Star Class, Li Wen possessed the 'entry ticket' and 'basic foundation' to strike for this goal.

In the provincial second mock exam, he ranked second in total score in Jiangnan Province!

First in the province for cultural subjects, and first in the province for combat techniques!

What a brilliant double achievement this was.

Especially being first in combat techniques; that was an honor carved out with real blades and spears in an ultimate chaotic battle that included the provincial capital's top Momentum Realm prodigies like Chu Feng, Nangong Xue, and Lin Xuan. It carried immense weight.

This was enough to prove his top-tier level in combat—the metric Kindling University valued most.

"Brother Wen is first in culture and first in technique; the chance of getting into Kindling University is very high!"

"Yeah, what Kindling University values most is combat and potential."

The only thing that caused a flicker of hidden worry in their hearts was Li Wen's Physical Body Rank.

Even compared to those monsters in the top ten of the provincial second mock, the gap was still significant, let alone compared to that group of geniuses from all of humanity.

"The pity is Brother Wen's Physical Body Rank—"

Huang Hao sighed softly, voicing everyone's thoughts. "Compared to freaks like Chu Feng and Lin Xuan, he's at a disadvantage, let alone compared to the top geniuses from various countries globally."

And indeed, that was the case.

Among the top ten total scores in the provincial second mock, except for Li Wen—the anomaly who forced his way to the top of the list despite not having reached the official Rank—the rest were all beings who had long since stepped into the Advanced Martial Artist Realm.

Under the scoring rules of the mock college entrance exam, their Physical Body Rank scores were all perfect marks.

Li Wen's 8.7 at the time created a massive chasm in this single category; this was the main reason why, despite having the double first-place titles in hand, his final total score still sat slightly below Chu Feng's by a narrow margin.

"But Brother Wen still has time," a voice rang out with anticipation, dispelling some of the worry. "Kindling University's independent assessment is on June 1st; there's still more than half a month left."

Half a month might not be enough for ordinary people.

But for Li Wen, who possessed the top-tier resources of an S-Rank Core Seed Contract, whose Primordial Spirit Power had entered the second level, whose Cultivation speed far exceeded common logic, and who possessed the divine Cultivation acceleration skill Absolute Focus, this meant infinite possibilities.

"Right, with Brother Wen's freakish growth rate, stepping into the Martial Artist Rank shouldn't be hard—" There was no need for further words; a light of hope ignited in everyone's eyes.

The 10:00 AM school bell rang like a rest note, instantly quieting the campus clamor.

The Flying Star Class's instructor walked into the classroom holding a stack of neat forms. His face was as serious as ever, but a special spark was hidden deep in his eyes.

He cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Students, college entrance exam registration begins now. Class Monitor Wang Yue, come up and collect the forms in order of seating."

The classroom became so quiet you could hear a pin drop; all eyes were focused on those papers that would determine their fates.

Class Monitor Wang Yue walked up to the podium, and Teacher Zhang personally handed him the plain 'Higher Education Institution Application Confirmation Forms (Liberal Arts/Martial Arts)' one by one.

Students took the forms; some lowered their heads to read carefully, while others exchanged a knowing look with their deskmates. A low sound of paper rustling filled the classroom.

It was time for Li Wen's seat.

Class Monitor Wang Yue handed over an ordinary registration form in sequence.

However, just then, Teacher Zhang's voice rang out clearly: "Li Wen."

Under the watchful eyes of the entire class, Teacher Zhang personally and carefully picked a single form from the very top of the stack on the podium, bypassed the class monitor, and handed it directly to Li Wen.

The moment this form appeared, it attracted all eyes.

Its material was obviously different; it wasn't ordinary paper, but a special material with a soft resilience, an ivory white base color, and a fine texture.

Most strikingly, at the very top of the form, there was no printed text title, but an emblem pattern etched in special metal foil—a totem of a leaping silver flame surrounding a deep star.

This emblem shimmered with a restrained and noble silver luster under the lights, releasing an indescribable sense of majesty and weight.

The Kindling University crest.

The entire Flying Star Class's breath hitched.

Everyone's eyes were firmly nailed to that small form, filled with indescribable envy.

This form was not just a registration form; it was the highest pass to the Peak of human martial arts.

This was the threshold set by Kindling University—unless one reached the Momentum Realm before age twenty and signed a contract with Kindling Hall in advance, they had absolutely no qualification to obtain it.

It was itself an iron rule for screening true geniuses, eliminating all overconfident delusions.

Ever since the news of him slaying the Iron-Armored Earth Dragon Beast caused a sensation in the county; ever since Li Wen displayed Momentum Realm Saber Intent on the provincial second mock arena, killing Zhao Chi as easily as chopping vegetables.

Especially when this specially made application form, representing the recognition of the highest martial arts institution of humanity, was truly and tangibly handed to Li Wen.

In the hearts of all the students in the Flying Star Class, that last bit of sourness or complex emotion that might have remained from when they learned Li Wen received an A-Rank contract—

had long since been replaced by purer, stronger emotions: deep envy and heartfelt admiration.

It was even a sense of awe that naturally arose when facing a high mountain whose Peak could no longer be seen.

When someone is only one step ahead of you, you might feel jealous, unwilling, and think of catching up.

But when this peer has already leaped into the clouds, standing at a height that makes you dizzy just looking up, all that remains in the heart is the purest praise and a sense of looking up at a great mountain.

Li Wen calmly accepted this application form carrying infinite weight; his fingertips could clearly feel the three-dimensional texture and slight coolness of that emblem.

His face did not show the excitement or wild joy everyone expected, only a kind of indifference.

He placed this 'Proof of Xinhuo', symbolizing the new starting point of his journey, gently and squarely on the desk in front of him, waiting for the moment to put pen to paper.

The final step of the leap—the Physical Body entering the Rank and the completion of his Blade Technique—was right before his eyes.

The gate to the highest martial arts institution of humanity had slowly opened to him.

Two days later.

Just as Li Wen had estimated two days ago, while he was in his exclusive cultivation room at the Kindling Hall Qishi Branch in the afternoon, the last trace of sluggishness in the Shou Que Style completely vanished into thin air.

As this defensive Blade Technique reached Perfection, a thicker and more harmonious Concept flooded into his heart.

【Technique: Blade Technique · Momentum Realm (60%)】

The crystal-clear realization made the corners of Li Wen's mouth curl slightly.

Of the five styles of the Flowing Rainbow Startling Magpie Chapter, Lve Ying, Die Lang, and Shou Que had reached the Peak; three out of five were mastered, and the remaining two styles were just ahead.

Without any delay, he walked toward the virtual pod.

With a thought, his figure appeared in the next second within the Legacy space of the virtual world.

It was still that vast starry sky, with the brilliant galaxy beneath his feet.

He headed straight for the 【Technique Legacy Area · Blade Technique Category】 with practiced ease. As his mind willed it, the figure of the virtual Blade Technique Grandmaster from last time, holding a dark gold ancient wooden blade, instantly condensed.

“Teacher, I am here to learn the fourth style of the Flowing Rainbow Startling Magpie Chapter—the Drooping Heaven Stance.” Li Wen's voice carried a hint of anticipation and Battle Intent.

The Virtual Mentor's face was blurred, yet it seemed to radiate a hint of approval.

He did not say much; the seemingly ordinary wooden blade in his hand suddenly rose, and in an instant, the world changed color!

There was no earth-shattering eruption of power; instead, it was replaced by a 'Domain' that covered everything.

As the Virtual Mentor's blade tip moved slightly, streaks of rainbow light flowed and poured down like a waterfall falling from the Nine Heavens.