Venomous Snake

Looking at the test results on the screen, Chen Mochuan nodded to himself, though he knew this was not his limit.

In fact, he could clearly feel that there was still significant room for comprehension and improvement in his technique for exerting Clear Force. If he could cultivate diligently for a while longer, his control over his body's power would definitely reach another level.

Having been primed by the terrifying surge in his blood-qi value earlier, the students present seemed somewhat numb; the results of this punch power test did not trigger much of an uproar, only small pockets of discussion.

"95%? This level of control... that's just ridiculous!"

"So what if his control is high? His base blood-qi value is so low, what's the point?"

"Do you think this is still the last monthly exam? Don't keep saying his base is low. Look closely—the absolute power of this punch has already surpassed Wei Shaohua, whose blood-qi broke 5..."

"Damn, at this rate, it looks like I've become the bottom of the barrel..."

"I'm more curious about how he managed to raise his blood-qi so quickly while simultaneously training his body control to such a monstrous level? This defies logic..."

"Need you ask? He must have awakened a Spirit Talent, otherwise, it's completely unexplainable!"

In the crowd, Lu Ren was one of the few who did not participate in the discussion. Like a viper hidden in the shadows, his gaze was cold and venomous as he stared unblinkingly at Chen Mochuan's figure, his eyes churning with jealousy, resentment, and a hint of indescribable shock.

As veteran martial arts instructors, Han Zhen and Lin Hong saw things much more deeply than the students.

Lin Hong leaned in closer and whispered, "Old Han, this kid has only been grasping Clear Force for less than a month, right? Looking at his power output just now, his force circulation is already quite refined. You've clearly put a lot of effort into his fist techniques."

Hearing this, Han Zhen revealed a helpless, bitter smile. "You might not believe it, but I've only pointed him in the right direction a few times at critical moments. The specific application and realization of Clear Force were basically all figured out through his own repeated practice and contemplation..."

Lin Hong was stunned for a moment, then recalled the incredible speed at which Chen Mochuan had improved his Root-Solidifying Stance, and immediately felt relieved. "True... with the comprehension and extreme self-discipline this child has shown, we really don't need to worry too much."

Han Zhen affirmed, "Exactly. For a student like him, excessive interference might actually disrupt his own cultivation rhythm. We only need to provide guidance at the appropriate times to ensure he doesn't take any detours."

Lin Hong nodded in deep agreement, sighing, "To be honest, if his body hadn't had issues over the past year, leading to a long-term slump in his blood-qi, his current achievements with his talent and temperament would likely be no worse than the two Big Six Seed candidates at First High School. It's a real pity."

Han Zhen naturally knew who Lin Hong meant by the "Big Six Seed" candidates; their talent was so rare that it had been seen only a handful of times in Antu City over the last decade, and their admission into the "Big Six" was practically a certainty.

He took a deep look at the calm youth not far away and said softly, "Perhaps it's not too late for him to catch up now."

As Chen Mochuan finished his three punch power tests, the two men stopped their conversation.

The results of the three punches were identical: 427 kilograms.

This stable result was precisely what indicated that his control over his own strength had reached a remarkably exquisite level.

As Chen Mochuan left the arena, he attracted the gazes of many classmates along the way. Many smiled and struck up conversations with him, and he responded to each with a nod.

When someone directly asked if he had awakened a Spirit Talent, he admitted it frankly, which undoubtedly triggered a new round of small-scale heated discussion.

However, there were always discordant voices. "Chen Mochuan, what exactly is your Spirit Talent ability?"

Chen Mochuan looked at the tall, sturdy boy who had spoken but did not answer. Even when faced with such an abrupt and unfriendly inquiry, he did not get angry or put on a cold face; he simply acted as if he hadn't heard and walked straight past him.

"Tch, why the silent treatment? He's gotten so arrogant after awakening..." a mutter came from behind him.

Chen Mochuan still paid no mind and quickly returned to Li Biao's side.

Li Biao glared at the tall boy with dissatisfaction, looking thoroughly annoyed. "Does this guy have a problem? He specifically came to ask about my Spirit Talent earlier, and I shut him down. Now he actually has the nerve to ask you! Seriously..."

Chen Mochuan glanced over there. "Perhaps he's both malicious and stupid, but he's likely being used as a pawn by someone else."

"You mean... Lu Ren put him up to it?" Li Biao immediately understood, looking at Lu Ren standing beside the tall boy, thoughtful. "He's always had it out for you, especially after his brother's failed duel last time... I have a feeling this guy is brewing something nasty. We need to be careful."

"Understood," Chen Mochuan nodded.

Ever since the Lu brothers had resorted to using an Energy Burning Potion during their last duel, he had already categorized Lu Ren as someone to be wary of, though they had no daily interaction, keeping things peaceful for the time being.

The exam continued, and after Chen Mochuan, there were no more performances that made anyone's eyes light up.

After an hour, the comprehensive physical fitness exam for the seventy students in the key class was concluded.

In terms of blood-qi, Jiang Hao and Su Zhining, both over 7.5, remained in a league of their own. Li Biao broke into the top five for the first time with a score of 6.96, though the gap between him and them was significant, while Chen Mochuan finally shed his position at the bottom of the class.

"Clap, clap, clap!" Han Zhen clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

"Alright, everyone, take a moment to adjust your state. Next, we will conduct the assessments for the two basic cultivation techniques—the Root-Solidifying Stance and the Foundation Building Fist—as well as the simulated combat."

As per tradition, the subsequent assessments would all be completed in the Virtual World.

Due to the limited number of Virtual Pods, students needed to go in batches, ten at a time.

"Wei Shaohua, Zhang Maoli..."

The first batch of students called by Han Zhen entered their assigned Virtual Pods one by one and began their respective assessments.

Since ten people could participate in the assessment simultaneously each round, the pace of the exam was not slow.

About an hour and a half later, it was the turn of the final group of candidates, which included Chen Mochuan.

By this time, the individual rankings for the first two items for the top sixty candidates had already been calculated and were being displayed in real-time on the giant projection screen inside the Martial Arts Arena.

On the simulated combat leaderboard, Jiang Hao and Su Zhining were leading everyone else by a massive margin.

And perhaps stimulated by Chen Mochuan breaking through both basic cultivation techniques to the "Great Success" realm last month, the students in the key class had generally shown significant improvement in their technique realms this time.

Although no one else had reached "Great Success" in both, there were six people who had reached the "Great Success" realm in a single technique, which made Han Zhen and Lin Hong feel quite gratified.

On the basic cultivation technique leaderboard, Jiang Hao and Su Zhining still held the top two spots, but the gap between them and those behind them was no longer large.

As Chen Mochuan lay into the Virtual Pod and the hatch slowly closed, almost all eyes outside the arena focused on this spot.

Everyone knew clearly that the top spot on the basic cultivation technique leaderboard was about to change hands.