69: Chapter 69 First Glimpse of Talent

Chapter 69: Edge Revealed (Seeking Subscriptions)

It wasn't time for the examinees to enter yet, so everyone from the entire senior year was waiting downstairs, a dense crowd where the air was thick with tension and excitement.

The first day was still the assessment for the six cultural subjects.

The morning sunlight pierced through the window lattices of the teaching building, casting mottled shadows onto the silent examination hall.

Li Wen sat in the seat marked with his examination number, a test paper spread out before him.

The cultural examination for the first day officially began.

Chinese, History, Mathematics — — — — the test questions unfolded before his eyes in sequence.

Thanks to the powerful passive ability of the [Scholar] profession, [One Proof, Eternal Proof], all the knowledge he had learned in class and from review materials was etched clearly in the depths of his mind, ready to be used at any moment.

Li Wen wrote with flying speed; the answers flowing from his pen were logically clear, and his handwriting neat.

For the basic and intermediate questions that required memory, he didn't need to activate [Absolute Focus] at all.

His spirit was in a naturally clear state, as if he were leisurely strolling through a river of knowledge.

Only when he reached the final, most difficult problems in the Mathematics section—with their tricky angles and complex logical chains—did he slightly concentrate his attention.

The same situation occurred with the final challenging problems in the other five subjects.

At this point, he subtly moved his thoughts and mobilized the powerful analytical and deductive capabilities of [Absolute Focus].

His vision instantly focused; every word on the test paper seemed magnified and analyzed, the connection between the problem statement and the known conditions instantly became clear, and the path to the solution opened up suddenly.

Even so, he was only utilizing the skill to break through obstacles, not relying on it.

As for using his Divine Sense to cheat on the Primordial Spirit level? Li Wen let out a faint, scornful smile inwardly.

Setting aside the fact that the examination discipline and his pride forbade it, just looking at the classmates around him scratching their heads and frowning—their skill level was too low; sweeping his Divine Sense over them yielded nothing worth copying.

Three subjects in the morning, three in the afternoon.

Test papers were exchanged like flowing water. Inside the examination hall, there was only the rustling sound of writing and the occasional sound of a page turning.

Li Wen's answering rhythm remained consistently stable and efficient, like a precisely running machine.

As the sun slanted westward, when the bell for handing in the last subject rang, the cultural examination ended.

Li Wen calmly put away his stationery and walked out of the examination hall with the dispersing crowd.

The clamor of discussion rushed back into his ears, but his heart was utterly clear and bright.

He knew that the quality of his answer sheets absolutely lived up to the effort of the past month.

Night fell, and the County Central Hospital was enveloped in tranquility; Li Hong on the hospital bed was already fast asleep.

However, the independent martial arts room at Qingshi No. 3 Middle School was still lit up.

Li Wen stood alone in the center of the space, not holding a blade in his hand.

His eyes were slightly closed, his entire aura retracted, as if he had merged into one with the surrounding alloy walls and the cold light.

The [Splitting Edge Golden Fiend Method] circulated quietly within his body.

Deep within the Sea of Consciousness, the jade-like Primordial Spirit, sitting cross-legged, slowly emitted a gentle radiance, its intent precisely guiding every surge of surging Qi.

Unlike the initial broad, indiscriminate flooding, the circulation of the Cultivation Technique at this moment had reached ultimate efficiency and precision under the Primordial Spirit's inner gaze.

The massive torrent of Qi was no longer a scattered impact but transformed into hundreds of fine, condensed energy drills, precisely striking every minute corner of his body awaiting tempering.

The toughest fibrous connection points deep within the periosteum, the hard-to-reach weak fascial gaps between the organs, the most subtle damage and remodeling nodes at the extremities of the muscle tissue — — — —

Every impact was accompanied by the deepest rejoicing and strengthening of the cells.

Every circulation of the Heavenly Cycle was a subtle leap in his life level.

Invisible energy particles in the air were drawn by the Cultivation Technique, slowly and firmly integrating into his physical form.

Li Wen, while Cultivating, sank his mind into a profound stillness.

He clearly felt the changes occurring in his body under the dual blessing of the Cultivation Technique and his Primordial Spirit.

Strength settled between his tendons and bones and muscles; toughness and resistance to blows quietly increased with every oscillation of Qi; his reaction nerve endings seemed to become sharper — — — —

Two hours of deep Cultivation ended.

Li Wen slowly opened his eyes; a fleeting golden light seemed to flash in the depths of his pupils.

He carefully experienced it and could clearly feel that his body's foundational strength had seen another slight improvement.

That was clear proof of the Physical Body Rank advancing forward.

With a slight movement of his thought, a semi-transparent panel visible only to him quietly unfolded before his eyes:

[Name: Li Wen]

[Age: 18 Years]

[Realm: Unranked (7.9 → 8.0 Rank)]

[Profession: Scholar Lv7 (92 → 200 / 6400) scholar experience]

[Skill: Blade Technique - Unity Realm (Control 75 → 77 / 100)]

[Cultivation Technique: Splitting Edge Golden Fiend Method (Perfection)]

The Physical Body Rank had finally changed from starting with 7 to starting with 8, leaving him only half a step away from the threshold of a top-tier martial arts university.

Control also arduously increased by 2 percentage points, reaching 77%.

The closer one got to the one-hundred-percent Realm, the harder every bit of progress became, requiring deeper comprehension and more refined polishing; the scholar experience value also saw a small increase.

Li Wen let out a long breath, his exhalation long and drawn out, stirring a slight breeze in the silent martial arts room.

He did not practice his Blade Technique again but relaxed his mind, slowly stabilizing the Qi within his body.

Today's gains were sufficient; he needed to conserve strength for tomorrow's tough battle.

The passage of a night slipped by quietly.

March 21st, early morning.

The sports field of Qingshi No. 3 Middle School had been temporarily converted into a massive assessment site, the atmosphere far more solemn and severe than the cultural exams yesterday.

The air was permeated with the smell of burgeoning Qi, and everyone was eager to try.

The first assessment item: Physical Body Rank testing.

Long queues formed in front of the Physical Body Qi Testing Machine, the Strength Testing Machine, the Extreme Speed Track, and the Reaction Tester — — — —

The voices of the examiners and the beeps of the equipment rose and fell alternately.

"Next, Li Wen!"

When Li Wen's name was called, many gazes instantly focused on him.

The first item was testing Physical Body Qi. Li Wen calmly stepped up and urged the Qi within his body to flow rapidly.

— —

"Li Wen, Physical Body Rank 8.0 Rank!"

Once the number on the display screen stabilized, waves of gasps quickly erupted from the crowd.

"Holy crap! During the Flying Star Class selection over a month ago, wasn't he just over Rank 7?"

"Hiss — — — — This rate of improvement — — — — Not even a rocket is this fast!"

"Good heavens, no wonder he could get into the Flying Star Class and even spread rumors about reaching the Unity Realm! This is too monstrous!"

"One month — one Rank?! What kind of terrifying efficiency is this?" Whispers boiled like hot water.

Physical Body Rank was the cornerstone of martial arts; improving one Rank in a month—this speed was unheard of, enough to silence any doubt, leaving only pure shock and reverence.

"Next item, strength test!" The teacher responsible for recording took down Li Wen's Physical Body Rank and announced the next item.

Li Wen calmly walked onto the strength testing platform, without adopting any exaggerated posture, simply standing steadily, taking a deep breath, and letting the Qi in his body flow naturally to exert force.

Bang!

A dull yet powerful impact sound rang out; the numbers on the display flickered wildly, finally settling on a value that instantly silenced the entire venue — — 10.8 Rank!

"10.8 Rank?" The recording examiner subconsciously repeated the number once, and after confirming it was correct, announced it out loud.