Assessment

On the rostrum of the sports field stood Li Gang, the homeroom teacher of the Body Tempering Class. He was a burly, stern-faced middle-aged martial artist, said to have long ago reached the Martial Master realm. His gaze swept over the students below like a falcon's, making everyone involuntarily nervous.

"Quiet!" Li Gang's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority, instantly silencing the whispers on the field. "The rules for today's monthly assessment remain unchanged. Fail the Vitality Test, and you're expelled! Fail Basic Fist Technique, and you're expelled! Score below sixty in the Exotic Beast Combat Simulation, and you're also expelled! Now, the assessment begins!"

First up was the Vitality Test. The students lined up and took turns placing their hands on a large black stone tablet. The tablet would display a corresponding numerical value based on the strength of their Blood Essence.

"Wang Hu, Blood Essence 0.63, passed!"

"Zhang Meng, Blood Essence 0.51, passed!"

"Zhao Lei, Blood Essence 0.39, failed! Pack your things, you don't need to come this afternoon!"

As names were called out, some rejoiced while others despaired. The students who failed turned ashen-faced and left the field in a daze.

Soon, it was Fang Yan's turn. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and placed his right hand on the stone tablet.

The next second, the stone tablet flashed, and a conspicuous number popped out—0.86!

"Fang Yan, Blood Essence 0.86, excellent!" A flicker of surprise flashed in Li Gang's eyes. He clearly hadn't expected this usually unremarkable student to have such a high Blood Essence value.

The surrounding students erupted.

"Did I see that right? 0.86? That's almost the level of Body Tempering Ninth Layer!"

"Didn't Lin Hao bully him yesterday? How did he suddenly get so strong?"

"He must have gotten lucky, eaten some heavenly treasure!"

Amidst the crowd, Lin Hao's expression was so dark it looked like water could drip from it. He had thought his Blood Essence value of 0.74 would secure him first place, but he never expected Fang Yan to surpass him. He stared intently at Fang Yan, his eyes filled with jealousy and resentment.

Fang Yan ignored the chatter and calmly walked off the stage. The Vitality Test was just an appetizer; the real test was yet to come.

Next was the Basic Fist Technique demonstration. The students had to perform the Basic Fist Technique completely in front of Li Gang, who would then score them based on the standardization of their moves, power, and speed.

Lin Hao went first. He executed his Basic Fist Technique with great vigor, and his moves were quite standard, clearly showing he had put in a lot of effort.

"Lin Hao, Basic Fist Technique, 85 points, passed!" Li Gang nodded, giving a good evaluation.

Lin Hao glanced triumphantly at Fang Yan, as if to say, "So what if you won the Blood Essence test? You're still no match for me in fist technique."

Fang Yan paid him no mind. He walked to the center of the field and assumed his starting stance.

Taking a deep breath, Fang Yan circulated the Blood Essence within him and, following the principles of the "Straight Punch," slowly threw his first punch.

"Hah!"

The punch was thrown without earth-shattering sound, but it carried a unique rhythm. His fist traced a precise arc through the air, moving as fast as lightning, with a steady and condensed power.

Then came the second punch, the third punch... Fang Yan's movements became faster and smoother. Every move of the Basic Fist Technique seemed to be imbued with new life in his hands. Especially when he executed the "Straight Punch," a faint airflow reappeared around his fist, causing Li Gang's eyes to light up.

"Good!" Li Gang couldn't help but exclaim.

When Fang Yan finished his last punch and returned to his stance, the field fell silent. Everyone was awestruck by his fluid, powerful fist technique.

"Fang Yan, Basic Fist Technique, 98 points! Excellent!" Li Gang's voice held a hint of excitement. "Especially that Straight Punch, you've grasped the essence of the move, far surpassing students of the same realm!"

98 points! The moment this score was announced, the entire crowd was in an uproar. This was already the highest score in the history of the Body Tempering Class!

Lin Hao's face instantly turned crimson, then green and white, looking extremely ugly. His proud fist technique was so vulnerable in front of Fang Yan.

The final assessment was the Exotic Beast Combat Simulation. This was a virtual combat scenario where students had to enter a specially designed pod and fight against virtual exotic beasts. The scoring criteria not only depended on whether they could defeat the exotic beast but also on their combat skills and efficiency.

One by one, the students entered the pod. Some successfully defeated the exotic beasts, while others were "badly wounded" by the virtual beasts and retreated in embarrassment.

Finally, it was Fang Yan's turn. He walked into the pod and lay down. The next second, a wave of dizziness washed over him, and his consciousness instantly entered a virtual forest.

[Combat Simulation begins. Opponent: First-tier Exotic Beast, Black Wind Wolf. Level: Body Tempering Fourth Layer.]

The system's prompt sounded in his mind. At the same time, a massive, jet-black wolf appeared before Fang Yan. Its eyes gleamed fiercely, its sharp fangs bared, and it let out a low growl at Fang Yan.

The Black Wind Wolf was incredibly fast. After its roar, it turned into a black blur and lunged at Fang Yan.

Fang Yan's eyes sharpened, and he showed no panic. He circulated his Blood Essence and executed the "Wind-Treading Steps." His footwork was light, like fallen leaves in the wind, easily evading the Black Wind Wolf's pounce.

"Now!"

Fang Yan seized the moment the Black Wind Wolf missed its attack. He lunged forward, channeling all his strength into his right fist, which carried a faint airflow, and struck the Black Wind Wolf's head fiercely.

"Straight Punch!"

"Bang!"

The punch landed. The Black Wind Wolf let out a scream, its massive body sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground. It twitched a few times before lying still.

[Combat Simulation ends. Score: 100 points! Perfect!]

When Fang Yan emerged from the pod, Li Gang immediately stepped forward, a rare smile on his face. "Fang Yan, you've done very well! You are the first place in this assessment! From today onwards, you are the Class Leader of the Body Tempering Class!"

"Thank you, Teacher!" Fang Yan replied respectfully.

The surrounding students looked at Fang Yan with awe in their eyes. In a single day, Fang Yan had transformed from an unknown student to the first place and Class Leader of the Body Tempering Class. This change was truly rapid.

Lin Hao stood in the crowd, watching Fang Yan, who was surrounded by others, his eyes filled with unwillingness and malice. He clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails digging deep into his palms, and silently vowed, "Fang Yan, just you wait! I will definitely surpass you!"

Fang Yan naturally noticed Lin Hao's gaze but didn't dwell on it. He knew this was just the beginning of his Martial Dao journey, and many more challenges awaited him in the future.

After the assessment, Li Gang found Fang Yan alone.

"Fang Yan, your talent is excellent, especially in fist techniques; you have great comprehension," Li Gang said earnestly, looking at Fang Yan. "I have already applied to the school to recommend you to the Elite Class. The resources in the Elite Class are much better than those in the Body Tempering Class and will be more beneficial for your growth."

"Thank you, Teacher!" Fang Yan rejoiced internally. The Elite Class, that was the top-tier class in the Martial School, only the most outstanding students could enter.

"However, the competition in the Elite Class is even fiercer, so you need to be mentally prepared," Li Gang reminded him. "You can report to the Elite Class tomorrow."

After bidding farewell to Li Gang, Fang Yan felt exceptionally excited. He took out his phone and looked at the data on his system panel:

Host: Fang Yan
Realm: Eighth Layer of Body Tempering
Blood Essence: 0.86
Skills: Basic Fist Technique (Novice 40%, Comprehended "Straight Punch"), Wind-Treading Steps (Novice 10%), Basic Sword Technique (Novice 10%)
Items: Body Tempering Realm Qi and Blood Pill x1
Willpower: 65/100

"The Elite Class, huh? Here I come!" Fang Yan clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with determination. He believed that in the Elite Class, he would definitely be able to grow faster and get closer to his Martial Dao peak.