Candidates Confirmed (Please Bookmark, Please Recommend)

A brand-new week began once more.

The Senior One freshmen underwent class division between academics and martial arts. Those who developed Jing Li within a month became Martial Arts Students.

From then on, academic students and Martial Arts Students would find it difficult to have much interaction, because their classes were not located in the same teaching building. Martial Arts Students had their own dedicated Martial Arts Building.

Even if Martial Arts Students ultimately failed to get into Martial Arts University, becoming Quasi-Martial Artists would still make it easier for them to find work than ordinary academic students. Even if academic students got into university, they would merely be one among the billions of ordinary people in Dragon Ascending Nation.

However, failing to become a Martial Arts Student did not mean academic students had lost their chance to change their fate.

As long as their academic performance was outstanding and they possessed all sorts of unconventional ideas, if they could get into the Academy of Sciences and work there, their status would be no lower than that of ordinary Martial Artists.

For example, the inventors of things like mobile phones, computers, and cars possessed enough wealth to last ten lifetimes. Though they themselves had missed the opportunity to cultivate, they could provide their children and grandchildren with the best resources.

But such people were far rarer than Martial Artists.

Dragon Ascending Nation had twenty-nine Martial Arts Universities, but only three Academies of Sciences.

If the ratio of becoming a Martial Arts Student was one in ten, and getting into Martial Arts University was one in a thousand, then entering the Academy of Sciences was one in ten thousand—far more difficult than getting into Martial Arts University.

Having failed to become Martial Arts Students, academic students could only devote themselves wholeheartedly to studying.

They had already missed one of the two opportunities in life to change their fate. Or rather, they simply lacked the talent for martial arts; no matter how much time they spent, their achievements would be limited. Leaving the field early was also a good thing.

This way, they could focus all their thoughts on studying.

The hot-blooded passion of martial arts had little to do with them, but studying hard could create better living conditions for the next generation. Each generation would be stronger than the last, and eventually, outstanding descendants who became Martial Artists would emerge.

Their inability to become Martial Artists did not mean their descendants would never have a day to rise.

The Senior One martial arts freshmen underwent class division. Students who developed Jing Li after receiving strength transmission twice entered Martial Arts Class A; those who developed Jing Li after three transmissions entered Martial Arts Class B; the rest went to Martial Arts Class C.

Martial Arts Class A had only eighteen Martial Arts Students in total.

However, these eighteen Martial Arts Students were not necessarily fixed. If Martial Arts Students from Martial Arts Class B or Martial Arts Class C performed exceptionally well, they could apply to challenge a Martial Arts Student from Martial Arts Class A.

Once the challenge succeeded, the two sides would exchange classes.

Therefore, no one relaxed after the class division. Instead, they trained even harder.

Especially after Martial Arts Teacher Zhou Wu announced the Freshman Martial Arts Exchange Competition, the Martial Arts Students of Martial Arts Class A trained even more frantically. Many applied to their families for funds and smeared Secret Medicinal Oil over themselves while training, training madly while ensuring their bodies were not damaged.

Training like this every day would definitely be too much for their ordinary family circumstances.

But for just one week, it was not a problem. It would only mean an extra expenditure of one or two thousand yuan.

Everyone was training like mad, and Qin Fen was no exception. He squeezed every last bit of time, throwing himself heart and soul into the vast sea of martial arts practice. His Thunderclap Fist had already reached the First Glimpse of the Path realm. With just over thirty more proficiency points, he could reach the realm of Entering the Hall and Reaching the Inner Chamber, where its power would be far greater than at First Glimpse of the Path.

In the mornings, Qin Fen attended theoretical classes at school with his classmates. In the afternoons, however, he went to Thunder Spirit Martial Arts Hall to train. Although he no longer needed to attend lectures, he still had to get a massage before practicing Thunderclap Fist.

Combined with the effects of the medicinal ointment, it was much more effective than practicing Thunderclap Fist alone, and it could also prevent bone injuries.

Qin Fen withdrew another three thousand yuan from his meal card. His daily expenses would increase considerably, but as long as he could take first place in the Freshman Martial Arts Exchange Competition, he would earn back everything he had spent during this period.

First place came with a fifty-thousand-yuan prize.

Second place came with a thirty-thousand-yuan prize.

Third place came with ten thousand yuan.

Qin Fen's ambition was to at least place in the top three.

According to past statistics, aside from the three elite martial arts schools, among the other ten martial arts high schools in Yang City, a Senior One Martial Arts Student who reached the Third Realm of Jing Li, Smooth Strength, would only appear once every three or four years.

Qin Fen did not yet know the strength of the Martial Arts Students from the other schools, so he did not dare conclude rashly that he would definitely take first place. As long as his Thunderclap Fist reached the realm of Entering the Hall and Reaching the Inner Chamber, there would surely be a place for him in the top three.

He attended theoretical classes in the morning, trained at the martial arts hall in the afternoon, and sparred with Chen Bo when he returned at night.

His best friend Chen Bo had also developed Jing Li after two strength transmissions and entered Martial Arts Class A. He wanted to fight for one of the remaining three slots to participate in the Freshman Martial Arts Exchange Competition hosted by Fourth High School.

Since Chen Bo had that fighting spirit, Qin Fen naturally did everything he could to help him.

After each sparring session, he could also gain 1 point of Righteous Qi Value.

October 11th, Sunday.

Today was the final day to register for the Freshman Martial Arts Exchange Competition.

At eight thirty in the morning, all the students of Martial Arts Class A gathered together. Today, they would select the five slots for the Freshman Martial Arts Exchange Competition. Two slots had already been decided: Qin Fen and Shi Jian.

No one had any objections to this.

Qin Fen and Shi Jian were indeed the strongest in Martial Arts Class A.

Qin Fen had reached the Second Realm of Jing Li. Although Shi Jian had yet to break through to Flowing Strength, after a week of hard cultivation, he was already very close. At the latest, he would break through after the Freshman Martial Arts Exchange Competition ended.

There were five slots for the Freshman Martial Arts Exchange Competition, leaving three for the other sixteen students of Martial Arts Class A to compete over.

Zhou Wu conducted strength tests, neural reaction tests, and various physical fitness tests on the sixteen students. Then came the final combat test. The top three in overall average score would receive the remaining three slots.

After two hours of testing, the candidates for the remaining three slots were finally decided.

Qin Fen knew all three of them: Shen Qiu, Li Heng, and his best friend Chen Bo.

"I'll submit your information later. Tomorrow, you'll follow me to Fourth High School to participate in the Freshman Martial Arts Exchange Competition," Zhou Wu said. "Don't train too late today. Go back early and rest, replenish your energy, and I hope you can achieve good results and bring honor to the school. Those who weren't selected need not be discouraged either. Work hard in the coming training sessions and strive to make greater progress. If the school leaders see your efforts, they will also provide a certain amount of resource rewards."

"Yes, Teacher."

All the students answered in unison, their voices loud and clear.