Time slipped away without a sound amid the grueling cultivation.
A full month had passed since Jiang Hao entered the Key Class.
His life had been compressed to the bare essentials over the past month.
School.
The Virtual Immersion System.
A monotonous but incredibly fulfilling routine, back and forth between the two.
After all, Jiang Hao could clearly feel himself undergoing a dramatic transformation every single day.
He had exhausted the five bottles of Medium-grade Nutrient Solution from his B-Class Treatment in the very first week.
The two precious bottles of High-grade Nutrient Solution from Su Qingning had sustained him for ten days.
After advancing to A-Class Treatment, he had completely absorbed those three bottles of High-grade Nutrient Solution just last night.
Five bottles of High-grade Nutrient Solution and five bottles of Medium-grade Nutrient Solution in total.
In just one short month, Jiang Hao's bottomless body had devoured resources worth a staggering six hundred thousand Alliance Coins.
In return, his strength had skyrocketed.
To prepare for the end-of-month assessment,
and, more importantly, to fulfill his promise to Song Jun—the one about reaching 12.0 Blood Qi—
Jiang Hao had devoted nearly all his energy to practicing Stance Training over the past two weeks.
His Blood Qi Intensity had long since broken through the 10.0 barrier for Martial Trainees.
He had even crossed the thresholds of 11.0, 12.0, and 13.0!
In the end, it had settled at a terrifying number.
13.4!
The higher one's Blood Qi climbed,
the more immense the accumulation and refinement required.
His Stance Training had played no small part in such a terrifying increase.
Fueled by an enormous supply of resources and the boost from Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence, his Nine Revolutions Stance Skill had broken through its Eighth Turn bottleneck several days ago.
He had successfully entered the Ninth Turn!
[Nine Revolutions Stance Skill Mastery · Ninth Turn (10/100)]
As for his Tidal Wave Spear Technique,
after intense combat training in the Virtual Immersion System, he had also successfully mastered the third layer of force-stacking!
Combined with his perfected Spear Arts and Spear Intent, the explosive power of three stacked layers gave Jiang Hao the confidence that his full-force strike could now match a powerhouse with 15.0 Blood Qi!
He had awakened the system!
In just two short months,
Jiang Hao felt that his life had undergone a complete transformation.
The morning sunlight streamed through the window and spilled across the floor.
The first day of a new month.
The day of the Key Class Assessment.
Jiang Hao stood at the school gates and drew in a deep breath of the cool morning air.
His gaze was calm,
but battle intent surged in his heart.
With a thought, Jiang Hao brought up his Personal Panel.
[Host: Jiang Hao] [Strength: 13.4 (Blood Qi Intensity)] [Nine Revolutions Stance Skill Mastery · Ninth Turn (10/100)] [Martial Skills: Spear Intent (15/100), Tidal Wave Spear Technique · Minor Accomplishment (85/100)]
Looking at this impressive set of stats, Jiang Hao's lips curled into a confident smile.
His Spear Intent's proficiency had increased by 15 points over the past month.
His Tidal Wave Spear Technique was also on the verge of reaching the peak of Minor Accomplishment.
With stats like these...
I should have no trouble suppressing Zhao Wuji.
As for Lin Fan...
Jiang Hao's gaze grew profound.
Lin Fan's 12.1 Blood Qi was already old news from a month ago.
As an A-Class Treatment student, he had received guidance from an elite instructor this past month, so his strength had surely surged too.
Still, even if he's broken through to 13.0, I'm not afraid of him.
Unbidden, that snow-white, aloof figure surfaced in Jiang Hao's mind.
Su Qingning.
This Sun-level Prodigy was the one he truly needed to watch out for.
There are still five months until the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam.
The threshold for a top Martial Arts University is 20 Blood Qi.
Jiang Hao's brows knit slightly.
Her publicly known Blood Qi is 15.0 right now.
She'd have to cross a chasm of 5.0 in five months?
Even with Sun-level talent, that would be incredibly difficult, wouldn't it?
A trace of understanding flashed through Jiang Hao's eyes.
The only explanation is that she's been hiding her strength.
As for Su Qingning's true Blood Qi, it must be far more than 15.0. Just how much she's holding back is anyone's guess.
Jiang Hao put those thoughts aside, washed up with a surge of Blood Qi, and headed to school!
He strode through the school gates.
The dedicated Training Hall for the Senior Year Key Class.
The atmosphere was especially tense today.
All twenty-four students had arrived, including Jiang Hao and the three other new members.
The Virtual Immersion Devices, usually humming away, were all on standby now. The hall was silent.
Nobody entered the virtual space.
Everyone wore crisp martial arts uniforms and waited quietly in the center of the hall.
The air was thick with tension and the sharp tang of competition.
Instructor Luo Cheng stepped into the hall right on time.
"Quiet!"
His authoritative voice rang out, and the entire room fell silent in an instant.
Luo Cheng's sharp gaze swept over everyone.
"You all know the rules for the Monthly Assessment."
"Those with A- or C-Class Treatment must accept challenges from students with B- or D-Class Treatment."
"Losers will have their treatment downgraded."
"Winners will have their treatment upgraded."
"But first,"
"everyone will come up in order"
"and test your Blood Qi Intensity for this month!"
As Luo Cheng finished speaking, the Training Hall for the Senior Year Key Class grew so tense it felt as if water could drip from the air.
Every gaze converged on the cold testing machine in the center of the hall, its metallic surface glinting.
The Monthly Assessment had officially begun.
It was also the first major test Jiang Hao had faced since entering the Key Class.
But this time, the focus of the test
wasn't Su Qingning, Lin Fan, or Zhao Wuji!
It was Jiang Hao!
As soon as Luo Cheng announced the start, some students fixed their eyes on Jiang Hao and began whispering among themselves!
"Hey, how high do you think Jiang Hao's Blood Qi will be this month?"
"Hard to say. He was already at 10.45 last month, and then he got A-Class Treatment and comprehended Spear Intent. His progress must've been fast."
"I'm guessing 11.5 at most."
A returning student with C-Class Treatment lowered his voice and analyzed the situation sourly.
"An increase of 1.5 in a month? You're giving him too much credit!"
Someone beside him immediately objected.
"Once your Blood Qi passes 10.0, every increase of 0.1 is as hard as climbing to heaven!"
"He got lucky last month. He broke through several Stance Training bottlenecks in a row, and that's what let his Blood Qi soar."
"He's bound to slow down this month. I bet he'll reach 11.0 at most!"
"Exactly. Last month was just luck. There's no way he can keep up that freakish pace this month."
"But I heard from someone in Class Two that he made a bet with Instructor Song Jun. He's aiming for 12.0."
"12.0? What a joke! That would put him on par with Senior Lin Fan and Senior Zhao Wuji, wouldn't it?"
The moment that guess was voiced, it drew a wave of laughter from those nearby.
"Come on, an increase from 10.45 to 12.0 in a single month? What does he think he is, the Campus Belle Su?"
"If he reaches 12.0, I'll eat this floor right here!"
The crowd buzzed with speculation, but the highest figure they could bring themselves to accept was 12.0.
And even that was the outcome they were least willing to believe.
Up on the platform,
Luo Cheng wore an impassive expression.
"Silence."
"The assessment begins."
"Starting in enrollment order, Wang Hao, come up for your test."
Holding his Personal Terminal, Luo Cheng began recording the results in detail.
"Yes!"
Wang Hao stepped forward, drew a deep breath, and suddenly slammed out a punch!
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