"Holy shit!"
"Brother Li isn't just a legendary punching bag—he can even land a successful counterattack when they least expect it!"
"Teacher Su was using Blood Essence Level 9.0 just now, right? He managed to counterattack despite a 2.6-level gap in Blood Essence?"
"Brother Li's martial arts talent is absurd. His timing with that Drooping Cloud Hand was incredible!"
"This is way too enviable... astounding."
"But why did I hear such a hard cracking sound just now? Could it be that Teacher Su padded—"
"Cough, cough, cough! Drink some water, hurry!"
Under normal circumstances, someone at Blood Essence Level 9.0 could easily instantly defeat an opponent at Blood Essence Level 7.0 or 8.0, let alone Li Xijun, who was only at 6.4.
The gap in physique, strength, and speed between the two sides was too great. He should have had virtually no chance of hitting her.
Yet Li Xijun, with cultivation in the Spirit Solidification Realm, had seized that opportunity and successfully planted a palm strike on Su Nianying's chest.
The entire Martial Arts Class found it unbelievable.
Even Su Nianyi held her sketchbook and stared unblinkingly at the scene before her, looking thoughtful.
Li Xijun himself was equally incredulous.
That strike had purely been because he had just broken through, felt exhilarated from getting beaten up, and had been unable to restrain his surging battle intent as he attacked with full force.
He had assumed she would use speed beyond Blood Essence Level 9.0 to dodge it easily.
He had never expected this tall, regal beauty to genuinely limit her strength to the Blood Essence Level 9.0 range and take his palm strike head-on.
"Student Li Xijun, it's time to take your hand away."
Su Nianying appeared entirely unconcerned as she continued her assessment.
"Your mastery of the True Martial Thirty-Six Forms is quite good. Although your Drooping Cloud Hand has not yet reached major mastery, its momentum is fierce enough to nearly match the attacks of a martial artist who has killed before."
"Your Spirit Level and martial arts talent both far surpass those of your peers. If you can rank among the top hundred in this monthly exam, I'll give you a private Martial Arts Classroom and a matching Nanofiber Suit for training."
Seeing that Su Nianying seemed concerned only with the power of his martial arts killing move, the Drooping Cloud Hand,
Li Xijun hurriedly withdrew his hand. Upon hearing her offer, he quickly thanked her as well.
"Thank you, Teacher Su."
For some reason, Li Xijun always felt awkward calling her "teacher."
Su Nianying merely nodded slightly and continued instructing him.
"You have excellent talent, but unfortunately, you started somewhat late. You are only at Level 6.4 now."
"From now on, stop practicing whatever external skill boxing art you've been using. Focus on raising your Blood Essence Level."
"After Mortal Shedding Realm martial artists cast off their mortal flesh, when they are attacked, their bodies instinctively become like mine—harder than alloy steel. It is far, far more effective than exhausting yourself tempering your body."
Her words seemed to be both instruction and an explanation for the earlier accident.
"As your teacher, I'll personally sponsor your Blood Essence Potions for the next five months. You must also maintain your previous cultivation speed. At Level 6, increasing by 0.1 every five days should not be difficult. At Level 7, estimate ten days for each 0.1-level breakthrough. Strive to reach Blood Essence Level 8.0 by the end of the term."
"You may also ask me about anything you do not understand regarding the basic cultivation method."
"If you can place in the top thirty of the grade in this semester's final exam, I will personally guide you in advanced blade art training."
Having completed the practical assessment, Su Nianying walked away on her long legs.
The entirety of Martial Arts Class Six behind her immediately erupted.
"Did I hear that right?"
"Holy shit, Brother Li is going places!"
"Brother Li, that's an Outer Scenery Expert! A teacher who graduated from the Federation's top academy, Imperial Capital Two Heavens Spring Dawn Palace, is personally guiding you!"
"My god, if this were ancient times, Brother Li, wouldn't that make you the personal disciple of an Outer Scenery Expert? You'd be able to swagger through Bocheng!"
Nearly every student in Martial Arts Class Six crowded around him.
Though they were not yet as calculating as adults in society,
the crisis-ridden environment of this world, along with their identities as martial arts students preparing for military service, had taught them well the importance of finding someone powerful to rely on.
Even Ye Liuyun lowered his voice beside Li Xijun and said,
"Thunder God Thunder Sage of the Federation's Western Alliance studied under the Wind Sage for a time. When he achieved major mastery in his blade art, he engraved it upon the stone carvings of Clear Spring Dawn Palace. It was later refined by several teachers into one of the Federation's strongest Thunder Blade Arts."
"Xijun, you must seize this opportunity!"
Even Ye Liuyun rarely lost his composure. His heavier tone made Li Xijun take the matter seriously.
Li Xijun, however, remained very calm. He merely nodded slightly and smiled as he dealt with his classmates' various attempts to cling to him.
Elsewhere,
after leaving the room, Su Nianying walked down the quiet corridor with her usual proud and cool expression.
But Su Nianyi, who held her sketchbook and looked like a quiet young girl,
kept glancing at her chest, the corners of her lips slightly raised as though she were deep in thought.
Finally unable to endure it any longer, Su Nianying reached out to twist her Sister's ear. Su Nianyi easily dodged and could no longer hold back her snickering.
"You're still laughing! You act so well-behaved normally, but you're full of mischief underneath!"
"Who told someone to be so rigid? I already said his Psychic Power was about to awaken, yet you still dared to underestimate him. To avoid embarrassment, you even brought out your extraordinary body."
"Su Nianyi!"
The sisters, who had not seen each other in a long time, teased and bickered all the way until they entered Su Nianying's office, where they finally settled down.
That evening,
No.7 Middle School, a key high school, efficiently released the monthly exam rankings for all students after school to view.
But this time,
as news of what had happened to Li Xijun during Martial Arts Class Six's practical exam spread,
none of the students in the entire grade cared about their own scores. Instead, they all stared at the ranking board, searching for the placement of the genius who had caught an Outer Scenery Expert's attention.
Someone as dark-minded as Zhou Yibai first checked the names ranked between one hundred and two hundred, desperately hoping to see Li Xijun's name there.
Those more concerned with themselves, like Zhou Shenghao and Ye Liuyun, looked at the ranges from tenth to twentieth and thirtieth to fortieth in the grade respectively. Only after finding their own rankings to their satisfaction did they look further down for Li Xijun's name.
"He made it to eighty-second in the grade." A familiar but trembling female voice rang out beside the three of them.
The students gathered beneath the announcement wall were also drawn by Liu Yunmeng's words.
Nearly everyone's gaze landed on the name Li Xijun, which had appeared among the grade's top hundred.
Ever since this person had obtained some resources at the start of school, he had soared straight into the sky.
In just one month, he had climbed from 240th place to eighty-second in the grade.
He had gone from someone with little hope of getting into any of the thirty-three Martial Arts Universities to a blade art disciple claimed in advance by an Outer Scenery Expert, a teacher from Clear Spring Dawn Palace.
"That's terrifying. If he keeps cultivating for another eight months, what level will he reach by next June's College Entrance Exam?"
Someone in the crowd could not help asking.
But everyone fell silent.
Before you continue