As a long-established school in Dongjiang City, Dongjiang No. 1 High had a strong teaching staff, and its facilities were more than adequate.
Today, its largest comprehensive gymnasium had been temporarily requisitioned by the city and designated as the collective diagnostic examination venue for the five martial-track high schools in Dongjiang City’s eastern district.
The vast space, covering over ten thousand square meters, was brightly lit, the atmosphere solemn and tense.
More than a thousand senior-year students had gathered here, standing in clearly divided sections according to their respective schools.
Here, they would take the final—and most important—joint diagnostic exam before the college entrance examination.
In the panoramic observation room at the highest point of the exam venue, the atmosphere was equally grave.
An old man with graying hair but a ramrod-straight back stood at the center of the crowd, his hands clasped behind him as he looked down over the dark mass of people below.
He was the principal of Dongjiang No. 1 High, Wang Zhengguo.
No joy or anger could be seen on his face, but the slight trembling of his fingers betrayed his current state of mind.
Beside him stood several people of similar age.
They were all principals or deans from the other high schools.
“Principal Wang, I heard your No. 1 High has produced quite a few promising seedlings this year. Among them, there’s even a girl who has a chance at competing for a special admission spot at Shangjing Martial University.”
The principal of Dongjiang No. 3 High spoke with a smile, breaking the silence.
Wang Zhengguo also revealed a faint smile. “Hehe, you must be talking about Zhang Yuqing. She is indeed exceptionally gifted, and she’s also very hardworking. But you flatter her.”
Though he said this, his gaze swept imperceptibly across the crowd below.
Dongjiang No. 1 High’s overall admission rate this year—especially the number of admissions to top martial universities—was directly tied to the school’s future reputation and the Education Bureau’s allocation of resources.
One Zhang Yuqing was still far from enough.
Inside the gymnasium.
At the front of Dongjiang No. 1 High’s formation.
Dean Zhao Lixin wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and held an electronic notepad in his hand. With a stern face, he paced back and forth through the venue.
His sharp gaze was like a searchlight, sweeping over every young and nervous face.
“Quiet!”
“Maintain formation!”
“If you can’t even withstand this bit of pressure, what martial track are you taking?”
His low rebukes made the already oppressive air feel even heavier.
When his gaze passed over the top students of Senior Class One, it would unconsciously slow, carrying a hint of satisfaction.
As for the students standing in the rear rows, their expressions uneasy, he did not even have the interest to spare them an extra glance.
In the area for Senior Class Seven.
Chen Meng stood with his arms crossed before his chest, leaning quietly against the wall like a silent statue.
His line of sight passed over the nervous faces in front of him and finally landed on a figure in the middle of the formation.
Lin Ye.
This student’s previous impression on him had been precisely that—no impression.
Like most students in the class, he had no outstanding specialties.
Completely ordinary.
But over the past two weeks, under Chen Meng’s observations—some deliberate, some by chance—
Lin Ye’s transformation could be called a complete rebirth.
That was why Chen Meng held a trace of expectation for Lin Ye.
Two weeks, for an ordinary student, was nothing more than a drop in the bucket.
Just how far could this kid go?
Whether he was a mule or a horse, today, he would have to be brought out for a run.
As time passed and the various pre-exam preparations proceeded in order, the atmosphere in the venue grew even more anxious and tense.
The top students, led by Zhang Yuqing.
Some closed their eyes to rest their minds, while others remained calm and composed, turning a deaf ear to all the noise around them.
They were natural focal points, long since accustomed to being the center of attention.
Their goal was not merely to meet the standard, nor was it to compare themselves with students from their own school.
It was to compare with themselves, and with the other top students in the city.
If they could enter the citywide rankings,
then they would naturally receive more preferential allocation of resources.
Most of the people in the formation, however, were “ordinary people” like Li Jun.
Their faces were filled with tension and anxiety as they checked their wristwatches and equipment over and over, quietly encouraging one another with the companions beside them.
Their goal was simple, and very realistic.
To meet the standard.
To obtain that admission ticket leading to a martial university.
Li Jun’s gaze unconsciously turned toward Lin Ye not far away. He wanted to go over and say a few words, to bolster his own courage.
But when his eyes met Lin Ye’s, his feet seemed to be nailed in place.
It was still that familiar face, but Li Jun could clearly sense it—
This deskmate of his, who for two and a half years had practically teamed up with him to game every day, declaring that he would become a third-rate martial artist and find a job as a security guard—
had changed.
He had changed so much that Li Jun even felt he was somewhat unfamiliar.
Lin Ye was very calm.
So calm it was frightening.
It was as though the suffocating tension all around him was nothing more than a breeze brushing his face.
At this moment, Lin Ye was indeed the most out-of-place existence in the entire venue.
He simply stood there calmly, his breathing long and steady, his eyes as still as an ancient well.
Bzzzt—
An ear-piercing electric bell rang throughout the entire gymnasium!
All clamor instantly ceased.
Everyone’s gaze turned in unison toward the dozen or so LCD screens hanging directly above the gymnasium.
Light flowed across the largest central screen, and lines of large characters began scrolling rapidly before finally freezing in place.
[Joint Diagnostic Exam, officially begins!]
[First item: Punch Force Test!]
[All schools and classes, please proceed to the testing grounds according to instructions and conduct the test in randomized roster order!]
At the same time, a solemn voice sounded from the gymnasium’s speakers.
“The examination has officially begun. All invigilators, please take your positions.”
Chen Meng led the students of Senior Class Seven to Testing Ground No. 3.
The crowd automatically parted to form a path.
The student whose name was called took a deep breath and walked with heavy steps toward the row of punch-force targets gleaming with cold metallic light.
Lin Ye’s name had been placed in the relatively later thirteenth group.
“First group, Class Three, Li Hao, 365 kilograms! Pass!”
As the invigilator announced the result in a ringing voice, Testing Ground No. 3 erupted in a small cheer.
The buzz-cut boy named Li Hao went soft all over the moment he saw his score, his face filled with the wild joy of surviving a disaster.
350 kilograms.
This was the latest punch-force cutoff set for this year, a full 25 kilograms higher than last year.
Being able to surpass this line meant that the first—and most important—threshold of his martial-track career had been crossed.
“Not bad, Haozi! A good start!”
“Damn, that scared me to death. I saw his face go white just now and thought he was finished.”
The crowd buzzed with discussion, envy and tension intertwining.
One student after another stepped onto the testing platform.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Dull striking sounds and announced results rose and fell one after another.
“Class Two, Zhao Lei, 341 kilograms, fail!”
“Class Five, Sun Qi, 328 kilograms, fail!”
“Class One, Zhou Kai, 478 kilograms! Excellent!”
“Class Seven, Li Jun, 350 kilograms, pass!”
Li Jun was so nervous that he nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
Returning to the formation, Li Jun said to Lin Ye, “That scared me to death!”
Lin Ye smiled faintly. “Passing is enough.”
“Next, Lin Ye!”
As Lin Ye’s name was called, Li Jun also suppressed the joy of having survived and cheered Lin Ye on.
“Ah Ye, do your best! You can do it!!”
Lin Ye nodded and walked up.