Level Six, Level Five

The green apricots shed their fuzz and took on the rouge of early summer; pomegranate blossoms ignited their skirts of crimson sincerity.

Once May had passed, the Gaokao drew ever nearer, and Zhao Rui had no choice but to temporarily set aside the great task of "sparring practice" and focus on preparing for the exams.

The atmosphere throughout the school had turned solemn and quiet, permeated by a tense air.

Even the number of students exercising or strolling about on the field had dwindled considerably.

"Our class did very poorly on the third mock exam. At present, only around a dozen students can reach the undergraduate cutoff line. I hope the remaining students will step up their revision and raise their grades as soon as possible..."

During class, their homeroom teacher, Xue Maohua, earnestly advised everyone.

"Ah, I'm one of those students the teacher has already given up on!"

Yang Fan sighed softly. To be honest, he wanted to do well in school too. Who was born wanting to rot away?

"What a pretentious fuss!"

Zhao Rui chuckled. This guy never had any proper sense. He clearly had no desire to study, and his father had clearly already found him a university.

If his own father had money, he would choose to lie flat too.

Who wouldn't want to eat, drink, play, and enjoy themselves? Why insist on striving so hard?

"In a few days, the school will be taking graduation photos together. Everyone, make your preparations. If you have any good suggestions, you can speak with the teacher in advance. Class monitor, gather the class officers and discuss it!"

After arranging next week's photo shoot, the homeroom teacher left the classroom.

A wave of noisy discussion immediately rose in the classroom.

"We're taking graduation photos! I need to get a good-looking haircut!"

"No need. No hairstyle will make you look good!"

"Damn!"

"Do we need to buy matching outfits, or wear our school uniforms?"

"School uniforms. They'll be more meaningful as a keepsake!"

"I still think buying matching outfits would be better!"

For third-year high school students about to graduate, taking graduation photos was quite an important matter.

After all, they had spent three years of high school together. In another month, they would scatter to the four winds, and their reluctance to part overflowed beyond words.

"Zhao Rui! Luo Min should be back by the time we take the graduation photos, right? How about I prepare a confession ceremony for you?"

Yang Fan raised his brows and teased.

"Zhao Rui, are you going to confess to Luo Min?"

Sun Tiantian, seated in the row ahead, immediately turned around nervously at his words, her burning gaze fixed on Zhao Rui.

The girl's feelings were laid bare in that instant.

"What are you talking about? Don't listen to Yang Fan's nonsense!"

Zhao Rui shot Yang Fan a glare, then turned to the girl and spoke casually.

It was not that he was deliberately trying to explain himself. He simply had no interest in Luo Min at all.

Whether it was before he had received memories of his past life or now, he had never had the slightest thought toward this "peerless beautiful woman" in everyone else's eyes.

His tastes probably just had not grown in that direction.

Yeah, it was like how he had felt about Guan Xiaotong in his previous life. She was pretty, and her figure was beyond reproach—especially those long legs, which were simply too perfect.

But still, he just did not have that sort of urge to do that with her.

"Really? Then... then who in our class do you like?"

Sun Tiantian brushed the stray hairs by her ear aside. Her face reddened slightly, yet she tried to sound casual.

"I don't have anyone I like. If I had to name one..."

Zhao Rui paused. The girl's expression instantly tightened as she looked at him with both hesitation and nervousness. "Who?"

"Of course, martial arts!"

Zhao Rui grinned.

"You're awful. Martial arts isn't a girl!"

Sun Tiantian immediately realized Zhao Rui was teasing her and protested.

"Zhao Rui, Sun Tiantian, you two have gone far enough. Have you considered how I, the principal wife, feel?"

"You're awful! Whose principal wife are you?"

Sun Tiantian frowned and lightly scolded Yang Fan.

"Brother Rui's, of course! Right, Brother Rui? This servant girl likes you so much!"

Yang Fan swayed his hips and curled his fingers, striking the pose of a bashful woman. Combined with his somewhat plump build, it made Sun Tiantian unable to hold back her laughter. She grabbed a textbook and hurled it at him.

"You're disgusting! So awful!"

"You're the awful one!"

Yang Fan retorted without yielding.

"Stop, stop! I can't take it anymore!"

Zhao Rui shuddered, feeling goosebumps rise all over his body.

"You heartless stinking man! Now that you have Xiao Tiantian, you don't want me anymore!"

Yang Fan became more and more addicted to the act.

Just then, a commotion came from the classroom doorway.

"Did you hear? Xu Chongming broke through to Level Six Martial Artist!"

"Who's that?"

"A student from Class Two. He usually kept his light hidden under a bushel, but when he made a move, he dropped a king bomb!"

The conversation outside the door carried clearly into every corner of the classroom.

"Damn, for real? I know this Xu Chongming. Last year, he was only Level Four!"

"Real or not, he's seriously impressive!"

Those in the class who knew him immediately began whispering to the people around them.

Everyone in the class was a Martial Arts Student. No matter how poor their level, they still possessed the ability to channel true qi into their ears, giving them hearing superior to ordinary people.

At once, the topic in class shifted from graduation photos to discussing a Level Six Martial Artist.

For ordinary undergraduate Martial Arts Students, the minimum martial arts level required was Level Two, though it was generally Level Three.

At that level, getting into an undergraduate university still required outstanding academic scores. If one's academic subjects did not meet the standard, they still would not get into university.

As for Level Four Martial Arts Students, they were somewhat caught between high and low. Students at that level might have their academic score requirements lowered by certain universities and be admitted on merit.

Or they might, like most other applicants, choose their schools based on their exam scores.

However, they already met the admissions requirements for Martial Arts Students at key universities and had a chance to enter one.

Level Five was definitely key-university standard. Some schools might even admit them on merit with reduced score requirements.

Once one reached Level Six, there was no need to worry about academic subjects at all. So long as you were not completely ignorant and incompetent, you could take your pick of key universities.

As for Level Seven, it was no longer a matter of being admitted, but a matter of which school you wanted to attend.

This was roughly similar to the Gaokao or athletic champions in his previous life.

It was just that, in this life, martial arts had replaced athletic specialties and was valued even more highly by the court.

After hearing everyone's discussion, Zhao Rui could not help secretly clenching his resolve.

He had previously remained at Level Three. After adding points through the system, the Cloud Hand Plucks Stars he had practiced had already reached its critical threshold.

He only needed to complete one more point addition to reach the proficient level.

And that level corresponded to strength above that of a Level Four Martial Artist.

There was still one month until the Gaokao. He could absolutely finish copying Wing Chun Inquiry and Senior Disciple Brother's Cloud Hand Plucks Stars before then.

That would add two more points.

"Level Four!" A trace of eager anticipation rose within Zhao Rui.

"I'm only Level Two. Sigh, there's no comparing, no comparing!"

Yang Fan sighed. He was truly depressed. They were both human, so why was the gap so enormous?

"If we're comparing who's fatter, none of them can beat you!"

At that moment, Xiao Xue, who had not turned around in the front row, softly spoke in a faint, ghostly tone.

"..."

"Giggle!"

Sun Tiantian laughed so hard that she rocked forward and back, joining in, "That's right, that's right! Yang Fan, you do have your strengths!"

"That's enough, you two!"

Yang Fan's face darkened. He snorted twice and said, "Women and petty men alone are hard to raise!"

"Giggle!"

(End of this chapter)