Exam Complete

In the blink of an eye, May 3 arrived. Today was the day the physical examination cutoff score would be announced, and everyone would find out their results.

Over the past two days, Lu Hao had tempered another bone. Only the final ten remained before he could break through to Rank Two.

When they arrived at the Martial Arts Training Room, the teachers would announce everyone's results, along with the cutoff score set by the Ministry of Education.

Those who passed would stay for the next exam.

Those who failed would leave that afternoon.

It was simple and straightforward, just like martial artists.

At 8:30 in the morning, all the students gathered on the martial arts field, waiting for the teachers to arrive.

The field was filled with students talking, and a tense atmosphere spread everywhere.

Before long, the principal arrived with a group of teachers.

"Students, quiet down. The Ministry of Education has issued the cutoff score, and your results are ready too."

"This year's cutoff is higher than we expected—quite a bit higher than last year's. Those who didn't make it, don't be discouraged. There are plenty of prospects in the arts track."

After offering a few words of comfort, the principal announced this year's cutoff score.

"The Ministry of Education has just announced that the cutoff for Vital Blood is 112 cal."

"That's four cal higher than last year."

As soon as the principal announced the score, the students began chattering noisily. The cutoff had risen by four cal, and for those without much talent, those four cal were an insurmountable barrier.

"112 cal? That was the admission cutoff for Martial Universities last year. How is it the passing score this year?"

"It's over, I'm done for. I was expecting it to rise, but I thought it would only go up to 110 cal."

"Why did it increase so much? If it hadn't gone up that much, I definitely would've passed."

The students at the Martial Arts Training Room displayed every facet of human nature. The disappointment and anger were especially clear on the faces of students whose Vital Blood ranged from 108 to 112 cal.

"Students, quiet down, please."

"Although this year's cutoff really was higher than we expected, it's understandable.

"People's living standards have gradually improved, so Vital Blood has generally risen too. That's why the cutoff has increased so much.

"But students, there are many paths in life, and each has its own success stories. Even if you don't pursue the martial arts, you can take other paths and still accomplish great things.

"Next, you can go to your teachers to check your results."

"We'd also like to congratulate Lu Hao from Grade 12 Class 8. He has the highest Vital Blood of anyone at the Magic City exam sites, reaching 292 cal.

"If nothing unexpected happens, Lu Hao will be ranked first in Magic City—and first nationwide as well."

"Those who passed shouldn't relax just yet. The practical exam is on the seventh. Passing the physical examination alone isn't enough; if you fail the practical exam, you still won't be able to attend a Martial University."

No one paid any attention to the principal's remaining words. When they heard that Lu Hao's Vital Blood had reached 292 cal and that he might be ranked first nationwide, students from the other classes turned to look at Class 8, curious to see what made the legendary Lu Hao so special.

Every student in Grade 12 Class 8 stared at Lu Hao in shock. They knew him—at the end of last semester, he had only tempered one bone.

But after one semester away, he had taken off, becoming the top student nationwide with 292 cal of Vital Blood.

How could someone like that be my classmate?

Lu Hao smiled at his classmates. After they had looked at him for a while, they stopped paying much attention. They might be surprised, but none of them were truly close friends of his.

After the initial surprise and a few words of praise, the other students went to Li Mingjie to check their results.

Even those who thought they wouldn't pass went over. There was always a chance, right? Maybe they'd done well enough to make it.

Lu Hao wasn't surprised. This was the real world, after all, not some brainless story.

Most people just thought Lu Hao had high Vital Blood and was impressive. Then they forgot about it. At most, they remembered his name and that he was the top student in the college entrance examination with 292 cal of Vital Blood. They didn't remember anything else.

In the real world, people didn't just jump out to mock others, and no one would come running over to curry favor with him, either.

After all, the young people of this era were brimming with confidence. They thought, What's the big deal? I could do that too.

The cutoff had risen quite a bit this year, but Beiding No. 1 High School still had a strong standard of education. Nearly thirty of the fifty students in Grade 12 Class 8 passed, and about half the students in the whole school did too.

Many students who checked their results with Li Mingjie burst into tears. Failing meant they couldn't pursue the martial arts and would have to take the arts track instead.

Quite a few others roared in frustration, venting their anger. They had fallen just one or two cal short of the cutoff. If it hadn't risen, they would have passed.

Some students had failed, of course, but others had done unexpectedly well and passed, cheering with delight.

The martial arts field played host to scene after scene of life in all its variety.

Lu Hao didn't stick around. He rented a small Martial Arts Training Room nearby and continued practicing. His results had been exactly what he'd expected.

That evening, he called his mother and told her how the physical exam had gone. They chatted for a bit.

On April 7, the practical exam began. There were quite a few fewer people than at the physical examination; those who had failed had already gone home to study for the arts track.

The practical exam was quite simple. Its main purpose was to check whether someone had relied on pills to build up their strength. Those who had done so clearly had less control over their bodies, and their Vital Blood was unstable.

The tests covered basic skills, including a 3,000-meter run, pull-ups, and reaction speed. Compared with the atmosphere at the physical examination, things were much more relaxed.

After all, as long as someone hadn't built themselves up by guzzling pills, they could usually pass. Still, Lu Hao did see a few people get eliminated.

It took three full hours to complete all the tests. The only thing left was the specialized exam.

That would be even less of a problem for Lu Hao. His mental strength was as high as 299, and he learned exceptionally quickly. He had already studied quite a bit at home, so he'd be fine.

On April 10, the specialized exam began. Lu Hao entered the exam hall and finished everything in less than an hour and a half. He estimated that he'd gotten over ninety percent of the questions right, so he was sure to pass.

Afterward, the school organized the students' return to campus. They could spend the remaining time as they wished, until it was time to take the academic-subject exams for the college entrance examination.

Lu Hao went home, preparing to take on more missions. He hadn't wasted these ten days; he had tempered four bones, bringing his total to fifty-five. Only the final seven bones remained.

Even if he couldn't find any criminals and earn Slaughter Points, he could still break through in half a month.

Meanwhile, Fang Ping had just finished the specialized exam when he was drawn into the first fight of his life. A Rank One member of the Evil Cult got into a struggle with him. They were both amateurs, but fortunately, Fang Ping held his own.