"Shi Yan, tell me, did you go bother her again?"
Liu Wang sized Shi Yan up and down, his brows knitted tightly.
He figured Shi Yan's bootlicker tendencies had flared up again. Otherwise, why would an A-Class school belle make such a huge fuss just to isolate him?
Shi Yan was speechless. "Am I that kind of person?"
He then recounted what had happened when he encountered Lu Jiaojiao at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.
Naturally, he did not reveal his exact stats.
Lest Liu Wang be unable to take it.
No, Liu Wang was already unable to take it.
"Y-you-you mean you're a First-Order Warrior now?"
Liu Wang clutched his chest and staggered back several steps, his face full of shock.
He did not want to believe it, but when he saw the saber in Shi Yan's hand, he had no choice but to believe.
It was simply too surreal. After not seeing each other for one night, the dead-last student with 1.7 cards of Blood Vitality had become someone he had to look up to.
One had to know that he only had 3.6 cards of Blood Vitality right now.
"Big Brother—no, Great Emperor Shi, are you some powerhouse reincarnated into this world? Have mercy and lead me to the pinnacle of martial arts."
Liu Wang's eyes reddened as he grabbed Shi Yan's arm, overflowing with envy and jealousy.
No wonder the school belle had targeted Shi Yan. She must have been just like him, blinded by jealousy.
"Get lost."
Shi Yan shoved the fat man's hand away, his face filled with disgust.
Still, Liu Wang had come pretty close to guessing the truth.
"Fatty, don't lose heart either. Your luck just hasn't arrived yet." Shi Yan made up an excuse for his sudden growth. "I was lucky. Yesterday, I accidentally did the Monster Suppression Bureau a huge favor, then received a generous reward. That was how I improved."
Killing demonic beasts did indeed count as helping the Monster Suppression Bureau.
And there really was a reward, though he had not had time to collect it yet.
After spinning a tale that was half true and half false, Liu Wang believed him.
"Shi Yan, does this count as cheating before the exam?"
Liu Wang looked miserable, lamenting the injustice of fate.
Because of the school belle incident, he had come to comfort Shi Yan. Now, the tables had turned, and he was the one who needed comforting.
"I'll help you cheat too."
Shi Yan smiled mysteriously, deciding to give the Basic Body Tempering Medicine they would receive later to Fatty.
Any student registered for the Martial Arts Examination would receive a dose of Basic Body Tempering Medicine today.
If he took it himself, it would only raise his Blood Vitality by around one card. It would do little to improve his strength, so he might as well give it to Liu Wang.
One card of Blood Vitality could increase one's strength by roughly a hundred jin. With one more card of Blood Vitality, Liu Wang's ability to kill demonic beasts would become several times stronger.
"Don't. There's too much of a gap between us. You shouldn't team up with me."
Liu Wang looked wary and instinctively took a step back.
Teaming up was not forbidden during the Martial Arts Examination. Candidates could help one another and make up for each other's shortcomings, improving the efficiency of killing demonic beasts. This was something the country was happy to see.
But score farming was an exception.
Every year during the Martial Arts Examination, some people used various methods to hire stronger candidates to carry them to high scores. The result was that the vast majority of those whose strength did not match their scores died.
They did not die at the hands of people, but in the jaws of demonic beasts.
For those with abnormal scores, they would receive a "reward" after the Martial Arts Examination ended.
That was, they would be given a mission matching their score. Once they completed it, they would receive a generous reward.
Unfortunately, no one had ever completed this extra reward. The vast majority died during the mission.
Think about it. Someone with the ability to score thirty points going to do work worth ninety points—wasn't that courting death?
"Don't worry. I'll solo. Let's get to the classroom first, or we'll be late."
After checking the time, the two hurried toward the classroom.
Ten seconds before Qin Feng, Shi Yan and Liu Wang entered the classroom.
As expected, Qin Feng brought news that this year's Martial Arts Examination in South of the Yangtze had changed examination venues.
He then explained some of the advantages local examinees could make use of.
After that, the Basic Body Tempering Medicine was distributed.
"You really gave it to me?"
After Qin Feng left, Liu Wang stared at the small medicine bottle in his hand, his face full of astonishment.
So this was the cheating Shi Yan had meant.
"Of course. Do you want it or not? I've taken intermediate-grade medicine before. This basic stuff is useless to me now."
"I want it! Thanks, Dad."
"Go take it in the school training room. There'll be teachers watching over you there."
After the medicine was distributed, everyone would gather in one place to take it. Teachers would also stand guard there in case anyone experienced adverse reactions.
However, before the two had even made it halfway there, Shi Yan was called away by a phone call from Qin Feng.
A few minutes later.
Inside Qin Feng's office.
"Put it down. With its sheath on, it won't damage the floor."
Qin Feng pointed at the Lava Spirit Devouring Saber in Shi Yan's hand, then warmly poured him a cup of hot water.
As a former key figure in the Monster Suppression Bureau, he knew about this saber from the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.
"Thank you, Teacher."
Shi Yan accepted the cup, inwardly smiling bitterly.
What had happened to him last night had probably already reached Qin Feng's ears.
After all, quite a few people in Baiyun City's Monster Suppression Bureau had once been Qin Feng's subordinates.
What was strange was that Qin Feng even recognized a B-class saber from the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.
"It's a good thing that your strength has improved. I won't ask how you improved, and you shouldn't tell anyone either. What martial artists fear most is having their secrets known by others."
Qin Feng took a sip of water and began giving Shi Yan special coaching.
"I called you here because I want to tell you about some precautions for the Martial Arts Examination."
Hearing this, Shi Yan straightened up and listened attentively.
Qin Feng had called him here alone, so what he was about to say was certainly knowledge not covered in class.
"Remember, the Martial Arts Examination is not merely a game of earning points. It is a test of survival."
Seeing Shi Yan sit upright and composed, the usually stern Qin Feng revealed a look of approval.
"Not only in the Martial Arts Examination—after you enter university, you must treat every assessment as a test of survival."
"A living martial artist is a true martial artist."
"Back to the Martial Arts Examination. It lasts twenty-four hours. You must use your time wisely, distribute your strength reasonably, and pay attention to when you replenish your energy..."
"One last emphasis: just like previous years, Martial Arts Examination scores consist of base points and bonus points, totaling 750 points and 250 points respectively."
"Teacher hopes you only take the base points. Don't touch those 250 points."
"In every Martial Arts Examination, there are Second-Order Demonic Beasts in the Core Zone. That is the area where the bonus points are."
"You've gained a great deal of strength in a short time, and you need time to digest it. The base points are enough to get you into a top Martial Arts University. Don't even think about earning bonus points."
"Not even if you form a team. Second-Order Demonic Beasts are still not something you can handle."
"All right, go back and familiarize yourself with that saber. As long as it hasn't reached A-Class, you can bring it into the examination grounds."
With that, Qin Feng rose to his feet, ending this little lesson.
Shi Yan thanked him once more and left respectfully.
Honestly, he had gained a great deal from this special coaching session.
Because his former self had been too useless, he had never actively sought out much information. Qin Feng's explanation this time was no different from opening a new door for him.
"Anything below A-Class can be brought into the examination grounds."
He raised the saber in his hand, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Buddy, the Martial Arts Examination is counting on you."
Saying that, he headed for the school training room...
Time passed.
In the blink of an eye, two days went by.
This year's Martial Arts Examination had officially arrived!
Before you continue