A Difficult Choice

Host: Xu Zhiming

Aptitude: Grade C

Level: Level 9

Vitality: 39.99 (Quality 2.3)

Mental Power: 2.88

Skill: Spearmanship

Martial Skills: D-grade Wind Thunder Fist (Seventh Layer); A-grade Coiling Dragon Surging Waves (Incomplete)

Martial Arts Visualization Diagram: C-grade Rolling Heavenly Thunder

Xu Zhiming swept his gaze over it, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes.

No wonder he had felt increasingly clear-headed lately. His Mental Power had been rising.

The panel had also gained two new entries: aptitude and skill.

Skill referred to one's level of mastery over various Martial Vessels.

In other words, it was close-combat ability.

His spearmanship had yet to break through the beginner level, and the One Hundred and Eight Forms had not appeared on the panel either.

However, Xu Zhiming felt that the One Hundred and Eight Forms were extremely useful and could be practiced indefinitely.

He could clearly sense that his understanding of Coiling Dragon Surging Waves was gradually deepening.

But since he had only practiced it for a week, the improvement was not yet obvious.

Many students had gathered around the two of them. It was nearly seven o'clock, and most people were already exhausted from training.

Those who remained wanted to see who would win in the end.

When most people saw Wang Ma stop, apparently worn out, they were all stunned.

"Holy crap, Wang Ma is second in the school, and he still couldn't outwork Xu Zhiming?"

"Too strong, too strong. He's grinding so hard. Look, he's still refining Monster Beast Essence Blood. He's more beastly than a workhorse."

"You can't out-grind him. There's no way. Thank goodness we aren't running in the same lane. Xu Zhiming and the others are all sprinting for the top three universities."

"I think I can still practice my Martial Skill two more times before going back."

Quite a few students who had been about to leave went back and practiced their Martial Skills twice more, dragging their even more exhausted bodies afterward.

They looked at Xu Zhiming with utter admiration.

"If Xu Zhiming can keep going, then I can keep studying too!"

Zeng Hao stood to the side, his eyes shining.

Three minutes later, he plopped down on the ground, sweat dripping from his back onto the floor.

He stared blankly at the sky. He wanted so badly to sleep—then he would not have to watch others grind themselves to the bone.

Seeing that Xu Zhiming had not stopped, Wang Ma went over to test his Vitality.

It had risen by less than 0.3. A large barrel of Level 30 Monster Beast Essence Blood was still sitting there.

Excitement flashed through his eyes. A 100-milliliter bottle of Level 30 Monster Beast Essence Blood cost at least 150,000 outside.

He had already drunk more than ten bottles just now.

"Teacher Huang, does that mean I passed your assessment too?"

Huang Yilong nodded.

He thought this big fellow, Wang Ma, was not bad.

Even though Wang Ma could not compare to Xu Zhiming, he was not jealous. Instead, he admired him greatly.

Though his face was full of unwillingness.

This was true competition.

"Yes. Your combat strength should be about the same as Xu Zhiming's. You two will spar in actual combat tomorrow."

Wang Ma's eyes widened, his heart surging with excitement.

Tomorrow, he would see how he could win back some face through actual combat.

He had watched Xu Zhiming's combat videos. Xu Zhiming was decisive and powerful.

But Xu Zhiming had improved too quickly. His combat talent was decent, but that could not conceal his lack of combat experience.

After all, Wang Ma had sparred with Feng Li many times. His combat experience was far richer than Xu Zhiming's.

"Fine, Xu Zhiming. We'll spar tomorrow and see whose strength is greater!"

Xu Zhiming nodded.

Having a sparring partner was not bad. Combat strength was not merely about visible things like Vitality.

Combat experience was also extremely important.

You diligently refined Monster Beast Essence Blood. Vitality increased by 0.1. 10x Critical Hit triggered. Vitality increased by 1.

Vitality: 41.15

Xu Zhiming let out a long breath and glanced reluctantly at the barrel of Level 30 Monster Beast Essence Blood.

There was still so much left. He wondered whether Teacher Huang would sell it.

If he could refine all of it, he wondered how much his strength would increase.

Huang Yilong put the lid back on, preparing to carry it away and store it in the Training Room.

"Teacher Huang, the energy in Monster Beast Essence Blood might dissipate, right?"

"Could you sell some to me?"

Huang Yilong was taken aback. This kid had gotten a taste of the sweetness, had he?

He would not ask him to practice the One Hundred and Eight Forms of Spearmanship now. There would come a time when he had to ask for it.

"Sure, but I think you might regret it."

Xu Zhiming shook his head repeatedly. How could he possibly regret it?

Such good Monster Beast Essence Blood—and he still had quite a bit of money on him.

The more than 700,000 First High School had compensated him, the 200,000 cash reward Second High School gave each month, and the money from selling the E-grade Visualization Chart—

Altogether, he had more than three million.

As for the cash Meng Tian had previously promised for helping him break through the fourth layer of Wind Thunder Fist, Xu Zhiming had decided not to take it.

The things others had given him were already more than enough.

The C-grade Rolling Heavenly Thunder and the A-grade Coiling Dragon Surging Waves were each only one final layer short of completion.

Together, those two had to be worth at least two hundred million, right?

He searched online, but there was no reference price for A-grade Martial Skills.

B-grade Martial Skills cost over a hundred million. A-grade ones were surely even more precious.

Huang Yilong looked at Xu Zhiming, an evil grin curling across his lips.

"Since you want to buy it, I can sell it to you."

"I was originally planning to let you all drink this whole barrel of Monster Beast Essence Blood. Whoever drank the most, that was their own ability."

"Then I'll find a chance to go out and kill a few more."

The smile on Xu Zhiming's face froze.

"Teacher, I didn't bring any money today. I'll buy some after I have money later."

Without giving Huang Yilong a chance to speak, Xu Zhiming turned and ran.

Zeng Hao and the others beside him stared, dumbfounded.

"Hahahahaha..."

For a moment, the air was filled with cheerful air.

On the way home, Xu Zhiming saw the messages Zhang Wei and the others had sent.

They explained the details of this Ten-School Joint Examination.

The rules had changed from what had previously been circulated.

Each city could only send three people. Those thirty people would compete for first place.

Only the top thirty would receive rewards. The remaining seventy would get nothing.

The sudden rule change gave Xu Zhiming a sense that it was all rather childish.

"On May 1st, every city will submit the names of its top three."

Xu Zhiming stopped worrying about it.

He estimated that his current combat strength was not enough to defeat Qiu Yingzong.

Cloud Water City was very small, with only First High School and Second High School.

At present, only three people could threaten him.

Feng Li, Qiu Yingzong, and Wang Ma.

That was not counting the possibility that they had hidden trump cards.

Feng Li especially gave him an unfathomable feeling.

Meng Tian, with Vitality above seventy, had been kicked flying by Feng Li without any ability to fight back.

Compared to them, Wang Ma was less of a threat.

Tomorrow, he would learn just how strong Wang Ma was.

Xu Zhiming opened the message Meng Tian had sent.

"Brother Xu, remember to accept the potions your little brother sends you every day."

Xu Zhiming's gaze sharpened. What daily potions?

He sent a message to ask.

"Brother Xu, wait a moment. I'm going to beat someone up."

Xu Zhiyuan put down his phone, utterly baffled.

Never mind. He would practice Rolling Heavenly Thunder.

"Principal Zhao Deyun said that someone would soon come to assess my Heavenly Pride rank."

"There are three ranks: Soldier, General, and King. Based on my current strength, I should count as General rank."

"The greater the potential, the more easily the cults will set their sights on you, but you will also receive more resources."

"It really is a difficult choice."