45: Li Ziyu's ranking, the anxious mayor
Inside the room.
Li Ziyu was already lying on the sofa.
On the coffee table, there was a steaming cup of tea, and on the old television opposite, an old TV program was still playing.
Watching TV while sitting on the sofa was a habit he had maintained after work in his previous life.
For so many days since he transmigrated, there had always been a string taut in his heart, but after this Martial Exam, he felt a bit more relaxed.
After watching for a while, Li Ziyu casually picked up the remote control and turned off the TV, beginning to ponder his gains from this time and his plans for the future.
“Open System Panel”
Name: Li Ziyu.
Realm: First Level Advanced Martial Artist (+).
Battle Skills: Peak Savage Bull Body Tempering Method, Peak Body Technique, Peak Blade Technique, Advanced Vajra Body (+), Swift Wind Blade Technique (+).
System: Martial God System.
Function: Can absorb all things, increase Qi and Blood; other functions await the host’s self-discovery.
After killing that Second Level Fierce Beast, the Bloody Violent Bear, he could already upgrade!
Looking at the plus sign next to the system, Li Ziyu couldn't help but curve his lips slightly.
“Peak Blade Technique, Peak Body Technique, Peak Mad Bull Tempering Method.”
“Attack speed and defense, all three in one have reached the peak level; it was truly the right decision to participate in this Martial Exam!”
Basic Martial Skills are not like Qi and Blood; they cannot be accelerated through taking elixirs or external forces.
To cultivate basic Martial Skills to a profound level, there is no other way besides comprehension and diligent daily practice.
According to what he understood, even a Martial Arts genius with extraordinary talent would need at least five, or even ten, years of effort to cultivate a basic Martial Skill to the Peak Realm.
Someone like him, who was only seventeen, possessing two Peak Level Martial Skills and one Peak Level Second Level Body Tempering Battle Skill, was almost nonexistent.
What’s more, this was just one of the gains he acquired during the Martial Exam.
His realm could also be improved now!
“System, upgrade my realm!”
Li Ziyu clenched his fists, his expression excited as he whispered.
As his words fell, on the system panel, the words “First Level Advanced Martial Artist” were replaced by “First Level Peak Martial Artist.”
And with the change in realm on the system panel.
Li Ziyu felt a wave of heat surge from his heart, then, accompanied by his heart contracting rhythmically, it continuously pressurized his blood.
This heat flowed with his blood, spreading to all his limbs and bones.
His entire body turned crimson, like a cooked shrimp or molten lava.
Scalding heat emanated from him, and plumes of steaming white mist continuously rose from his body, evaporating.
In an instant, the small living room was completely filled with mist.
“Mom, someone opposite is taking a bath in their living room, look, the mist has reached our living room!”
A child playing next door pointed at the floor where Li Ziyu’s home was located and cried out in surprise.
The adult looked in the direction the child was pointing but saw no steam, everything was normal.
He patted the child’s head, thinking he was joking:
“Nonsense, how could anyone take a bath in the living room?”
“But I clearly saw it…”
Inside the room.
Li Ziyu curiously examined his hands.
The previous upgrade and process were too uncomfortable, completely different from what was described in books.
And it produced so much steam; he almost felt as if the blood in his body was boiling. This was definitely not a phenomenon of ordinary advancement.
However, after searching online for a while, Li Ziyu found the answer.
“It is said that when one cultivates a Body Refinement Method to a profound realm and then breaks through, various anomalies will occur.”
“This is a phenomenon of the body being too powerful and undergoing a transformation. Online, this is called an ‘Extreme Breakthrough.’ It seems that’s what I just experienced.”
Li Ziyu examined his hands and arms.
Indeed, after this breakthrough, he felt that his skin had become fairer and more resilient.
It was as if his surface was covered with a layer of cowhide.
Li Ziyu took a fruit Knife from the kitchen and drew it across his palm.
With a screech, the tip of the fruit Knife made a dull thud against his skin.
However, it did not pierce the skin and draw blood as usual; the skin simply pressed down and then sprang back.
“It seems ordinary blades are no longer enough to break through my defense.”
Li Ziyu threw a few punches into the air, accompanied by swirling white air currents, and a series of popping sounds echoed in the air.
“My strength has also increased compared to before. If I encounter that Second Level Low-Tier Fierce Beast again, I probably won’t even need three kicks; two punches would be enough to kill it!”
“I can even fight a Second Level Mid-Tier Fierce Beast!”
Li Ziyu thought to himself. The reason his physique was so powerful now was certainly not something an ordinary First Level Peak Martial Artist could achieve; the Body Tempering Battle Skill, Mad Bull Tempering Method, must have contributed to it.
“It is said that above the Peak Level, there is an even higher level called the Control Level.”
“When a Battle Skill is cultivated to the Control Level, it undergoes a qualitative change, allowing even a First Level Battle Skill to exert an effect no less than a Second Level Battle Skill.”
“Tsk, I wonder what the effect would be if I cultivated all my Battle Skills and Martial Skills to the Control Level.”
“By then, perhaps challenging opponents above my level would be as simple as cutting melons and vegetables for me.”
…
Night.
The moon hung high, and the starlight was clear.
Occasionally, dark clouds drifted by, obscuring the starlight, making it appear and disappear.
Many people in Xu Jiang City had fallen into a deep sleep, but at this moment, the Mayor’s office was brightly lit.
Mayor Wang Jiannan sat upright in front of his office chair, staring intently at the desktop computer screen on his desk.
Behind him, Secretary Wang, the principal of First High School, the principals of Second and Third High School, including high-ranking officials from the Education Bureau, also stared unblinkingly at the screen, their breathing momentarily inaudible.
“The national Martial Exam rankings are out!”
“Quick! Go directly to the top twenty rankings and see if Li Ziyu is on the list.”
The clock on the desk pointed to midnight, and Mayor Wang Jiannan leaned forward, his expression tense.
The Martial Exam custom was to release rankings first, then scores.
Now, the rankings could be checked.
Secretary Wang immediately stepped forward and operated the computer with the mouse.
Opening the first page of the Martial Exam results, twenty names appeared from top to bottom.
Several principals and high-ranking officials from the Education Bureau quickly gathered around.
The allocation of resources for each city was entirely determined by the local Martial Exam results. If there were candidates from their jurisdiction who made it into the national rankings, they would undoubtedly receive resource allocation, and everyone present would benefit.
It could be said that Li Ziyu’s national ranking concerned the interests of everyone present.
After the Martial Exam ended and they finished their meal, everyone was too excited and anxious to sleep.
So, they all followed Wang Jiannan to the office, waiting for the Martial Exam results.
“Li Ziyu should be at least in the top ten this time, right?”
“Probably close. The strength of candidates from the Capital and Magic City is relatively strong, but Li Ziyu indeed lived up to expectations. I estimate his ranking should be around fifth to tenth.”
“Amazing!”
The scene fell silent for a moment, everyone holding their breath, their eyes unblinking as they stared at the computer screen.
They looked from the bottom, the twentieth place, upwards.
“Hmm, the people above are basically from the Magic City and the Capital. Their educational resources are incomparable to ours, so it’s understandable.”
Wang Jiannan looked at each name from bottom to top, commenting on each one.
“Hmm? Li Ziyu’s name isn’t among the tenth to twentieth places. Is he perhaps in the fifth to tenth place?”
Seeing that Li Ziyu’s name was not between the tenth and twentieth places, Wang Jiannan frowned slightly.
However, thinking of Li Ziyu’s score, he was not flustered.
With a gentle click of the mouse, he turned to the next page.
Five more names appeared on it.
“Hmm?”
“What’s going on? Why isn’t Li Ziyu’s name among the fifth to tenth?”
Wang Jiannan was slightly surprised, his brows tightly furrowed as he looked at the names displayed on the screen. Could it be that he had underestimated the strength of Martial Exam candidates from other cities?
Li Ziyu didn't make the list?
The other principals also felt a chill in their hearts. Could it be that Li Ziyu was outside the top twenty?
The weight of being in the top twenty nationally and outside the top twenty was completely different; the top twenty had the qualification to represent various Martial Arts Universities in the Youth Martial Arts University League.
But that shouldn’t be the case; Li Ziyu’s performance in the Martial Exam was clearly so dazzling.
Could it be…
The principals exchanged glances, thinking of a result they wouldn't even dare to dream of.