Inside the Training Room.
Every student in Class 3-2 held their breath. The atmosphere was heavier than ever.
Everyone knew what day it was.
Song Jun stood at the front of Class 3-2, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.
"You all know the Key Class Assessment standards."
"Those whose Blood Qi Intensity has reached 9.0..."
"Step forward!"
As his words fell.
Everyone's gaze flashed toward two people.
Lin Qiu!
Jiang Hao!
Under everyone's watchful eyes.
Jiang Hao remained calm and stepped forward without hesitation.
At the same time.
Lin Qiu stepped out too, his face full of arrogance.
Once he was out front, Lin Qiu shot Jiang Hao a provocative look.
Jiang Hao ignored him, as if he were nothing but air.
At the moment, only the two of them in Class 3-2 had reached the 9.0 standard!
When Song Jun saw Jiang Hao really step forward, a barely noticeable smile flickered in his fathomless eyes.
"Good."
Song Jun's voice remained steady.
"You two will take the final Blood Qi Intensity test."
"To confirm that you meet the standard."
Lin Qiu's eyes lit up at once.
How could he pass up a chance to show off!
He'd been waiting seven days for this moment!
He was going to trample Jiang Hao underfoot in front of the whole class!
"Teacher, I'll go first!"
Lin Qiu stepped forward first, brimming with confidence.
Song Jun nodded at the sight!
Lin Qiu strode confidently toward the Blood Qi Intensity testing machine!
Jiang Hao wasn't in a hurry either.
He wanted to see.
In a moment...
Would Lin Qiu still look so arrogant when he saw his own Blood Qi Intensity? Would he still be so confident?
Lin Qiu had no idea what Jiang Hao was thinking. He walked up to the Blood Qi Intensity testing machine.
He took a deep breath.
Then Lin Qiu let out a thunderous shout!
"Hah!"
"Bang!"
A dull, thunderous boom, far louder than any he'd made before!
The numbers on the machine began to climb wildly!
8.5!
9.0!
9.2!
At last, they slowly settled!
[9.35]!
"Whoa—!"
The whole room erupted!
"N-nine point three five?"
"Did I read that right? 9.35!"
"Damn... Brother Qiu's Blood Qi only just reached 9.3 three days ago, didn't it?"
"His Blood Qi Intensity went up by 0.05 in three days? That's terrifying!"
"Only High-grade Nutrient Solution could boost it that fast. One vial costs 100,000 Alliance Coins—that's insane!"
Hearing the gasps around him, Lin Qiu's eyes filled with smug delight.
Even Song Jun, up on the platform, gave a rare nod.
"Not bad."
Praised by his teacher, Lin Qiu grew even more pleased.
He turned around and looked at Jiang Hao with the mocking air of a victor.
"Jiang Hao, your turn."
"Make sure you give it everything you've got."
"If you don't even reach 9.0..."
"You'll be humiliated in front of everyone!"
Jiang Hao said nothing.
Ignoring Lin Qiu's taunts and all the chatter around him, Jiang Hao slowly walked up to the Blood Qi Intensity testing machine.
Lu Ming stood among the crowd, staring intently at Jiang Hao's back.
His heart was in his throat!
And yet, for some reason, Lu Ming believed in him!
He felt that his good friend, Brother Jiang, was definitely not as simple as he seemed!
Just like last time!
Jiang Hao had said he'd get even!
And Jiang Hao really had gotten even—with one shot!
Under Lin Qiu's smug, mocking gaze.
Amid the crowd's certainty that Lin Qiu would crush Jiang Hao without mercy.
Jiang Hao stood in place.
He didn't make a show of winding up like Lin Qiu had.
Jiang Hao simply raised his fist, calm and composed.
Then.
He casually threw a punch.
"Bang!"
A deep, drumlike boom exploded through the Training Room!
It sounded even heavier than Lin Qiu's!
The numbers on the machine blurred in an instant!
It skipped past 8.5!
Skipped past 9.0!
It even skipped past 9.3!
Then, under the whole room's deathly still gaze, it stopped at a number that left everyone breathless!
[9.5]!
"..."
In that instant!
The Training Room fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
The smug look on Lin Qiu's face froze, and his pupils shrank to pinpoints!
Every student's chatter stopped dead!
Everyone stared wide-eyed!
It was as if time itself had frozen!
"No!"
"Impossible!"
Lin Qiu came back to his senses, the smug arrogance on his face instantly replaced by a savage expression!
"The machine must be malfunctioning!"
"Right! It's definitely broken!"
Lin Qiu's outburst jolted the other students out of their stupor!
The Training Room erupted into an uproar ten times louder than before!
"9.5! Holy shit! Did I really see that right?!"
"Lin Qiu was only at 8.1 a month ago!"
"How is this possible? How the hell did he train?"
"Blood Qi Intensity of 9.5! Th-that's already beyond the Key Class standard, isn't it?"
"This is bullshit! The machine's definitely broken. How could Jiang Hao score higher than Lin Qiu?"
"Right, Brother Qiu just scored 9.35, and Jiang Hao got 9.5 with one punch? I don't believe it!"
The chatter around them was full of doubt and disbelief.
Jiang Hao remained calm. He didn't turn around to look at Lin Qiu.
He simply lowered his fist.
Then.
Under everyone's watchful eyes.
He casually threw a second punch.
"Bang!"
A dull thud!
The number shot upward!
[9.51]!
Jiang Hao didn't stop.
A third punch!
"Bang!"
[9.55]!
"..."
The whole room was dumbstruck again!
If the first reading had been a fluke, a machine malfunction...
Then what did these two consecutive readings, each higher than the last, mean?!
Now.
Lin Qiu finally lost control!
His legs suddenly gave way, and he staggered, nearly collapsing to the floor!
"N-no... impossible..."
Lin Qiu's face was ashen. He murmured like a man who'd lost his soul.
"9.5..."
"How could you... how could you reach 9.5?!"
Lin Qiu's confidence crumbled completely!
One month!
Just one month ago, this guy had been at 8.1!
Now he was at 9.5!
A full 1.4 increase in Blood Qi Intensity!
That kind of terrifying rate of improvement wasn't something an ordinary class student could manage!
Even in the Key Class, with all its resources!
Even the prodigies with Star Grade Talents couldn't possibly do it!
Up on the platform.
Song Jun's eyes widened slightly too!
He'd known Jiang Hao's Moon-level Talent would be formidable!
But he hadn't expected it to be this powerful!
That proved it!
Jiang Hao's talent was still transforming!
9.5!
After his brief shock, Song Jun was swept by boundless joy!
He'd struck gold!
After coming back to himself, Song Jun's sharp gaze swept across the entire class!
"Did you all see that!"
Song Jun's voice rang out like a great bronze bell!
"Jiang Hao had a qi-and-blood value of 8.1 a month ago!"
"One month later, it's 9.5!"
"Are you still complaining that your Martial Bones aren't good enough, or that you don't have enough resources?"
"Talent doesn't decide everything!"
"Diligence and perseverance—those are the foundation of martial arts!"
"Every one of you should learn from Jiang Hao!"
Song Jun spared no praise in making Jiang Hao a role model for the entire class, then gave the others a fierce dressing-down.
After he finished.
The admiration in Song Jun's eyes as he looked at Jiang Hao was almost overflowing.
"Jiang Hao, Lin Qiu."
"You two, come with me."
"We're going to the Assessment Room for the final Key Class Assessment!"
"Yes, Instructor!"
Jiang Hao replied calmly.
Lin Qiu, meanwhile, trembled all over, looking utterly devastated. He followed behind the two of them in a daze, his earlier arrogance and smugness long gone.
Only endless numbness remained.
Lin Qiu was completely numb!
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