Li Ziyu's Ranking, the Mayor's Unease

In the room.

Li Ziyu was already lying on the sofa.

On the coffee table sat a cup of steaming tea, and an old TV program was playing on the old television opposite.

Sitting on the sofa watching TV was a habit he had kept even after getting off work in his previous life.

For the many days since he had transmigrated, a string in his heart had always been taut. After this Martial Arts Examination, he felt a bit more relaxed.

After watching for a while, Li Ziyu casually picked up the remote and turned off the TV, starting to ponder his gains from this time and his plans for the future.

"Open system panel."

Name: Li Ziyu.

Realm: Level 1 Advanced Martial Artist (+).

Combat Skills: Peak Raging Bull Body Tempering Method, Peak Movement Technique, Peak Blade Technique, Advanced Vajra Body (+), Gale Blade Technique (+).

System: Martial God System.

Function: Can absorb all things, enhance Qi and Blood. Other functions await discovery by the host.

After killing that Level 2 fierce beast, the Bloody Violent Bear, he could already upgrade!

Looking at the plus sign on the system, Li Ziyu's lips couldn't help but curve slightly.

"Peak Level Blade Technique, Peak Level Movement Technique, Peak Level Raging Bull Body Tempering Technique."

"Attack speed and defense – all three have reached the peak level. Participating in the Martial Arts Examination this time was absolutely the right decision!"

Basic martial skills, unlike Qi and Blood, could not have their cultivation speed accelerated by taking pills or external help.

To cultivate basic martial skills to a profound level, apart from comprehension and day-after-day hard training, there was no other way.

As far as he knew, even martial arts prodigies with exceptional talent needed at least five years, or even ten years, of effort to cultivate a basic martial skill to the peak realm.

For someone like him, only seventeen years old, to possess two peak-level martial skills and one peak-level Level 2 Body Tempering Battle Skill was almost unheard of.

Not to mention, this was only one of his gains from the Martial Arts Examination.

His realm could also be improved now!

"System, upgrade my realm!"

Li Ziyu clenched his fist, his expression agitated as he whispered.

As his voice fell, on the system panel, the words "Level 1 Advanced Martial Artist" were replaced by "Peak Level 1 Martial Artist."

And with the change in his realm on the system panel.

Li Ziyu felt a wave of heat surge from his heart, followed by the rhythmic contraction of his heart, constantly pressurizing his blood.

This heat flowed with his blood, spreading to every part of his body.

His exterior turned red, like a ripe prawn, or like molten red lava.

His body emitted a scorching heat, and wisps of white steam continuously rose from his skin, evaporating.

In an instant, the small living room was filled with mist.

"Mom, someone in the living room next door is taking a bath. Look, the mist has reached the living room," a child playing nearby exclaimed, pointing at the floor where Li Ziyu's home was.

The adult looked in the direction the child was pointing but saw no steam; everything appeared normal.

He flicked the child's head, thinking he was joking. "Nonsense, who would take a bath in the living room?"

"I really saw it..."

Inside the room.

Li Ziyu curiously examined his hands.

The process of his upgrade just now was too painful and completely different from what was described in the books.

Moreover, it had produced so much steam, making him feel as if the blood in his body was about to boil. This was absolutely not a normal advancement phenomenon.

However, after searching online for a while, Li Ziyu found the answer.

"It is said that when a Body Tempering Method is cultivated to a profound level, and then the realm is broken through, various anomalies will occur."

"This is a phenomenon of the body undergoing metamorphosis due to its extreme strength. It's called a Limit Breakthrough online. It seems that's what just happened to me."

Li Ziyu looked at his hands and arms.

Indeed, after this breakthrough, he felt that his skin had become fairer and more resilient.

It was as if his skin was covered with a layer of cowhide.

Li Ziyu took a fruit knife from the kitchen and made a cut on his palm.

With a shlick, the tip of the fruit knife met his skin with a dull thud.

However, instead of piercing the skin and drawing blood as usual, his skin simply pressed down before bouncing back.

"It seems ordinary blade edges are no longer enough to break my defenses."

Li Ziyu waved his fists a few times in the air, accompanied by rings of white airflow. A crisp cracking sound echoed through the air.

"My strength has also improved. If I encounter that Level 2 early-stage fierce beast again, I probably won't need three moves. I'll kill it with just two punches!"

"I can even fight a Level 2 mid-stage fierce beast!"

Li Ziyu mused to himself. The reason his physique was so powerful now was definitely not just because he was a typical Peak Level 1 Martial Artist. The Raging Bull Body Tempering Method, a Body Tempering Battle Skill, must have played a part.

"They say that above the Peak Level, there's an even higher tier, known as Mastery Level."

"When a Battle Skill is cultivated to the Mastery Level, it undergoes a qualitative change. Even a Level 1 Battle Skill can achieve an effect comparable to a Level 2 Battle Skill."

"Tsk, I wonder what would happen if I cultivated all my Battle Skills and martial skills to the Mastery Level."

"At that time, perhaps challenging opponents above my level would be as easy as slicing vegetables, right?"

Night.

The moon hung high, and the starlight was bright.

Occasionally, dark clouds drifted by, obscuring the starlight, making it appear and disappear.

Many people in Xujiang City had fallen asleep, but at this moment, the mayor's office was brightly lit.

Mayor Wang Jiannan sat upright in his office chair, staring intently at the desktop computer screen on his desk.

Behind him, Secretary Wang, the principal of Middle School No. 1, the principals of Middle Schools No. 2 and 3, as well as the director of the Education Bureau and other high-ranking officials, were all staring at the screen, their breathing momentarily imperceptible.

"The national Martial Arts Examination rankings are out!"

"Quick! Directly open to the top twenty rankings and see if Li Ziyu is among them."

The clock on the desk struck midnight. Wang Jiannan leaned forward, his expression tense.

The convention for the Martial Arts Examination was to release the rankings first, followed by the scores.

It was now possible to check the rankings.

Secretary Wang immediately stepped forward and began operating the computer with the mouse.

The first page of the Martial Arts Examination results appeared, displaying twenty names from top to bottom.

Several principals and the director of the Education Bureau crowded around.

The allocation of resources to each city was determined by the local Martial Arts Examination results. If a student under their jurisdiction made it into the national rankings, their area would definitely receive resource allocation, and everyone present would benefit.

It could be said that Li Ziyu's national ranking was directly related to the interests of everyone present.

After the Martial Arts Examination and the celebratory dinner, everyone was too excited and nervous to sleep.

So, they all followed Wang Jiannan to his office to await the results of the Martial Arts Examination.

"Li Ziyu should be at least in the top ten this time, right?"

"Probably. The students from the capital and the magic capital are quite strong. But Li Ziyu really lived up to expectations; I estimate his ranking should be around fifth to tenth place."

"Amazing!"

The scene fell silent. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the computer screen.

They started looking from the twentieth name downwards.

"Hmm, the people above are basically from the magic capital and the capital. Their educational resources are incomparable to ours, which is understandable."

Wang Jiannan looked at each name from bottom to top, commenting as he went.

"Huh? Li Ziyu's name isn't among the tenth to twentieth places. Could he be in the fifth to tenth places?"

Seeing that Li Ziyu's name was not between the tenth and twentieth positions, Wang Jiannan furrowed his brow slightly.

However, remembering Li Ziyu's performance, he didn't panic.

With a slight click of the mouse, he turned to the next page.

Another five names appeared on the screen.

"What?"

"What's going on? Why isn't Li Ziyu's name among the fifth to tenth?"

Wang Jiannan was slightly startled, his brow furrowed as he looked at the names displayed on the screen. Had he underestimated the strength of the students from other cities?

Li Ziyu didn't make the list?

The other principals also felt a chill in their hearts. Could Li Ziyu be ranked outside the top twenty?

The difference between the national top twenty and the bottom twenty was significant. The top twenty qualified to represent their respective Martial Arts Universities in the Youth Martial Arts University League.

But that shouldn't be the case. Li Ziyu's performance in the Martial Arts Examination was clearly so outstanding.

Could it be…

The principals exchanged glances, contemplating a result they wouldn't have even dared to imagine in their dreams.