Arena Combat Assessment

[Name: Jiang Ye]

[Physique: Mortal Body (Class D → Class C)]

[Cultivation Method]

Star Martial Cultivation Method: Beginner (99%)

[Achievement]

Martial Arts Grandmaster

A panel appeared before Jiang Ye.

Jiang Ye quickly gathered his thoughts and began to examine it.

"Physique Enhancement? Does that mean my physical fitness has improved?"

He could see that.

His physique had risen from [Mortal Body, Class D] to [Mortal Body, Class C].

Jiang Ye carefully felt the changes. In that instant just now, his body really did seem to have changed in some way.

First, his five senses had become sharper.

Second, his body seemed to have grown much lighter.

It was as if the turbid air inside him had been expelled, leaving his body and spirit refreshed.

These changes were all subtle, not very noticeable, but Jiang Ye had indeed felt them.

"The improvement doesn't seem very big, but it's only natural that going from Class D to Class C wouldn't bring a massive change."

Jiang Ye drew a deep breath.

A stronger physique should have an effect on combat.

He'd find out exactly how much of a difference it made in the assessments coming up.

Meanwhile.

In Class Nine, all the students had finished their punch force tests one after another.

The electronic blackboard at the back of the classroom immediately displayed the rankings for the test.

Jiang Ye glanced at his rank.

His punch force was 245 kilograms, putting him in 35th place in the class.

"Over the winter break, I passed five people."

A faint smile appeared on Jiang Ye's face. At the end-of-term exams last semester, he'd ranked 40th.

There were a hundred students in the class. That wasn't a bad rank.

However, the punch force test was only the beginning.

The speed test and combat test were still to come.

The final ranking for the assessment would be based on a combined score from all three tests.

After his physique enhancement, Jiang Ye might rank higher in the next two tests.

"Speed assessment begins."

The female teacher on the platform spoke calmly.

She pressed a button on the wall, and the Punch Force Tester in the center of the classroom slowly descended.

At the same time, a silver-white treadmill rose from the floor.

"First, Li Zhichao."

A boy with a pointy head stepped out of line and began his speed test.

The other students followed one after another.

Meanwhile, the rankings on the electronic blackboard at the back of the classroom kept updating.

"Li Zhichao: 14.9 meters per second"

"Wen Yuehui: 12.7 meters per second"

"Zeng Niu: 10.9 meters per second"

"Next, Jiang Ye."

The female teacher called out.

"Yes, Teacher Chen."

Jiang Ye stood up and walked toward the treadmill.

The female teacher was named Chen Zilu. She was Class Nine's martial arts teacher, very young and exceptionally beautiful, with snow-white skin. The boys adored her.

Jiang Ye stepped onto the treadmill. It was set to a hundred-meter run, and his peak speed during the run would be his score.

"Begin."

BOOM!

The instant Jiang Ye took a step, the treadmill roared to life.

Light flashed along the track, precisely measuring his speed with every stride.

Soon, the hundred-meter test was over.

Jiang Ye's result appeared on the electronic blackboard: "12.0 meters per second."

"He actually hit 12 meters per second?"

"Was that a mistake?"

Quite a few people in the classroom looked astonished.

Twelve meters per second was the speed standard for Minor Accomplishment in the Cultivation Method.

But Jiang Ye clearly hadn't reached that level yet.

Chen Zilu looked at Jiang Ye too and smiled. "Looks like Jiang Ye trained hard on his speed over winter break, didn't you?"

Jiang Ye remained silent.

"Everyone saw that, right? This is the result of perseverance and hard work. You should all learn from Jiang Ye."

Chen Zilu turned to the others, sparing no praise for Jiang Ye.

Only Jiang Ye knew.

His speed had broken the 12-meters-per-second barrier probably because of the Physique Enhancement just now.

"My control over my body seems to have improved, too."

Jiang Ye savored the feeling. "My Cultivation Method hasn't advanced, but I'm stronger than before."

So this was Physique Enhancement?

It really was something extraordinary!

The speed assessment rankings were now out.

Jiang Ye returned to his spot and looked toward the electronic blackboard.

"30th place."

"Too bad. If I'd gotten this rank in last semester's final exams, I could've applied for financial aid this year."

Jiang Ye felt happy, but also a little regretful.

He was an orphan, raised by his adoptive parents.

They were both low-level workers, and their financial situation was quite ordinary.

In circumstances like his, he could apply for assistance from the school, provided his grades put him in the top thirty in his class.

"A Ye, congrats on making the top thirty."

Beside him, a brown-skinned youth said with a sigh, "One winter break, and you climbed a whole ten places. That's incredible!"

Jiang Ye looked at him and smiled. "I've still got a long way to go before I can catch up to you."

The brown-skinned youth was named Wen Yuehui, and he was Jiang Ye's good friend.

He was also one of the top ten students in Class Nine, and he'd already achieved Minor Accomplishment in the Star Martial Cultivation Method.

"Catch up to me?"

Wen Yuehui shook his head with a sigh. "Then you'd better work hard. It won't be easy to catch up with me."

That was what he said aloud, but in his heart, he'd already resolved to buckle down again once he got back.

He was happy to see his buddy making such huge strides.

But if his buddy really overtook him, then he'd be in for a rough time.

Even so, he believed that if he got serious about working hard, Jiang Ye had almost no chance of catching up, not with his current rank.

Jiang Ye made a quiet resolution of his own. "Let's set a small goal: make the top ten before the end of sophomore year!"

That had once been the goal he'd set for himself before the college entrance exams.

But now that he had a system, things were naturally different.

"Next, we'll begin the combat assessment."

"The combat assessment for the martial arts college entrance exams consists of arena combat and the Virtual Starry Sky assessment."

"Due to limited conditions, this time we'll only be holding the Arena Combat Assessment."

Chen Zilu said lightly, "I'll suppress my strength to the Beginner level of the Star Martial Cultivation Method and spar with you."

"But remember, in the martial arts college entrance exams, you'll face opponents who've reached Great Accomplishment in their Cultivation Method."

Great Accomplishment in the Star Martial Cultivation Method was the minimum standard for the martial arts college entrance exams.

If students in the Ordinary Class could reach this standard before the exams, they'd have roughly a fifty-percent chance of getting into a Martial Arts University.

Of course, Martial Arts Universities had different tiers.

The top tier was led by the ten prestigious schools, followed by the Twenty-Five School Alliance, and then the hundred Ordinary Martial Arts Universities.

For students in the Ordinary Class, getting into an Ordinary Martial Arts University was already quite an achievement.

"WHIRR!"

Chen Zilu stepped on a button in the floor. At once, a corner of the classroom lit up.

A silver-white circular arena ten meters in diameter rose from the floor.

Chen Zilu stepped onto the arena and swept her gaze over the students below.

The combat assessment began soon after.

Although Chen Zilu had suppressed her level to Beginner in the Star Martial Cultivation Method,

Even when facing the top ten students in the class, she decided the winner in fewer than ten moves.

"Next."

"Next."

"Next!"

Cool, sharp shouts rang out from the arena again and again.

"The teacher's fundamentals are so solid." Below, Jiang Ye watched Chen Zilu intently, longing for the same skill.

Combat was one of the most important parts of martial arts.

And the fundamentals were the crucial first step toward mastering combat.

Chen Zilu easily defeated opponents at Minor Accomplishment while fighting at the Beginner level.

That was thanks to her incredibly solid fundamentals. No matter how fiercely her opponents attacked, she stood firm as a mountain.

"I wonder how much the Physique Enhancement has improved my combat ability."

Jiang Ye felt a little anticipation too.

Time passed.

At last, it was Jiang Ye's turn again.

What Jiang Ye hadn't expected was that, just as he began his combat assessment, something unexpected happened!