Lin Ye remained calm when he saw the number.
After all, his status panel displayed his information in real time. He knew exactly what his stats were without needing a test, and he wasn't about to get arrogant over them.
The number might look pretty good and put him ahead of most examinees, but in this group, it wasn't much to brag about. He ranked second from the bottom.
Yet to those who knew him, the number hit like a bolt of thunder!
The smiles froze on Zhou Qian and Zhao Qiang's faces. They stared at Lin Ye in disbelief. They clearly remembered that at the citywide mock exam two months ago, his Blood Qi Value had been 218—just over 200.
How long had it been?
A little over two months, and he'd gained 117 points!
What kind of terrifying rate of progress was that? Even with resources funneled his way through the Key Cultivation Program, that was still an astonishing leap.
Wang Tao's mouth fell open. You could almost fit an egg inside.
He'd watched Lin Ye claw his way up from the middle and lower ranks of the class!
His rate of progress... was practically inhuman.
Virtually like having cheats.
Of everyone present, only the invigilating teacher and Chu Tiange didn't react much. Chu Tiange merely glanced at Lin Ye. A Blood Qi Value of 335 was barely any different from an ordinary person's in his eyes, far below his own and not worth his attention.
After leaving the testing room, Lin Ye and the others headed to the Rest Area.
As usual, they had to wait until the morning tests were over before examinees could leave in groups.
Fortunately, Blood Qi testing was quick, and it was soon finished. Lin Ye and Wang Tao left the exam site one after the other, but the moment they stepped through the gates of Linjiang No. 1 High School, the Smart Wristwatches on their wrists started buzzing nonstop.
The class group chat had already exploded.
"Latest results! Our class monitor, Li Weiwei, has a Blood Qi Value of 469. She's reached the Peak Body Forging Stage. Truly terrifying!"
"Zhang Zhen, our Martial Dao class representative, is impressive too. His Blood Qi Value is 439, close to the Peak Body Forging Stage."
"And what about Sister Qian and Brother Qiang? Their scores have to be high too, right? @Zhou Qian @Zhao Qiang"
"I heard that the big shot Chu Tiange broke 500. Is that true? Can anyone confirm?"
"It's true. I was at the same exam site. As soon as we came out, someone asked him about it, and he said it himself. 524, Blood-Qi Realm!"
"Holy crap! 524? Doesn't that mean he's got the top spot in the bag?"
"Not necessarily. A few monsters from other schools might be even stronger than our Chu."
"True. Speaking of which, does anyone know Lin Ye's Blood Qi Value? I'm really curious."
"I'm curious too. Brother Night had 218 last time. He must've made a big jump this time, right? Someone spill!"
"Yeah, I've seen Brother Night quietly practicing these past two months. Every night, when I leave, the lights in our class's Martial Arts Hall are still on. He must've made a lot of progress."
"Yikes, he sticks with it every single day. That's some serious grinding."
"Obviously. How else do you think he made such a big leap?"
"Enough talk. I want to know too! @Lin Ye"
The messages flew by, and plenty of classmates tagged Lin Ye, curious to know how he'd done this time.
After all, his progress at the last mock exam had stunned the whole class. Naturally, everyone had high hopes for his results in the High School Entrance Exam.
Lin Ye didn't reply in the group. He didn't really like showing off his Blood Qi Value there. It always made him feel like an old woman boasting about her own melons.
A little while later, someone sent a message: "I know... Brother Night's Blood Qi Value this time is 335."
The group fell silent for a moment.
Then more messages exploded onto the screen.
"335??? Seriously?"
"Wait, did I read that right? Wasn't he at 218 last time? That's insane—it's only been two months!"
"Yikes... 117 points in two months?! Nearly 60 a month on average. What kind of monstrous progress is that?!"
"Is the Key Cultivation Program really that powerful?!"
"I remember Brother Night had only been in the program for a little over a month, right? That kind of efficiency..."
"As expected of Brother Night! Quietly getting rich while everyone else is watching!"
"Qingjiang Martial University is a sure thing now, right?!"
"More than that. He might even have a shot at East Sea Martial University. Don't forget, Brother Night's combat score was pretty high last time."
"That's incredible! I'm on my knees for Brother Night!"
The chat filled with astonishment, envy, and congratulations. Those who had doubted Lin Ye could keep up his breakneck pace were now thoroughly convinced.
At home, their homeroom teacher, Chen Guo'an, was also quietly following the group chat.
He wasn't particularly surprised by Li Weiwei and Zhang Zhen's Blood Qi Values. But when he saw Lin Ye's had reached 335, he pushed up his glasses and smiled with satisfaction. He remembered Lin Ye's family circumstances; it was easy to imagine how hard he'd worked to make such progress. The school had certainly helped, but ultimately, everything came down to Lin Ye's own effort.
Meanwhile, in the teachers' Rest Room at Second High School...
Since the afternoon obstacle course exam had yet to begin, the Martial Dao teachers from various schools who'd been assigned as invigilators finally had a brief moment to spare. They'd gathered in the Rest Room, sipping tea and easing their slightly weary bodies.
Among them, several veteran Martial Dao teachers from Linjiang District sat around a round table by the window, casually discussing what they'd seen at the morning Blood Qi tests.
"Old Zheng, your Third High School did pretty well this time."
The speaker was the Martial Dao team leader from Second High School, a balding, middle-aged man. He took a sip of tea. "Chu Tiange, 524, Blood-Qi Realm. In past years, that score would've been good enough for a top-three finish in the city, wouldn't it?"
One of the Martial Dao teachers on invigilation duty was from Class One. His surname was Zhou. Hearing the team leader from Second High School praise his student, the corners of his mouth lifted before he could stop them. Still, he said modestly, "Chu Tiange earned it through his own hard work, and his family's been supportive. But it's the High School Entrance Exam—what matters is how he performs from here on. The obstacle course and the Ranking Tournament are unpredictable."
That was what he said, but he couldn't hide the pride in his eyes. After all, the results of top students directly affected a teacher's evaluations and reputation.
The other teachers chimed in, each bringing up a few standout students from their own classes. The atmosphere seemed wonderfully "harmonious."
Zheng Huai held his thermos and sipped his tea, listening quietly without joining in.
He'd seen the messages in the group chat. Li Weiwei's results were good, but she was still a ways behind a talent like Chu Tiange. Still, it was good as long as his students were making progress.
"Old Zheng, I remember you've got quite a few promising students in your class too. How did Li Weiwei and Zhang Zhen do on the Blood Qi test?"
The Martial Dao team leader from Second High School, who was on fairly good terms with Zheng Huai, asked him.
"Not bad. Li Weiwei got 469, and Zhang Zhen got 439."
Zheng Huai smiled.
"469 and 439? One at the Peak Body Forging Stage, the other close to it?"
"Those are pretty good."
The team leader from Second High School nodded. He knew that Class Five, the class Zheng Huai taught, wasn't one of the school's top classes, so producing two talented students was already quite an achievement—especially the first one, who'd transferred into Zheng Huai's class by chance.
"By the way," a female teacher from Fourth High School said, flipping through the temporary score sheet for the schools. "Teacher Zheng, I heard there was a student in your class who made big progress at the last mock exam. Lin Ye, was it? What was his Blood Qi score this time? Around 300, I imagine?" She asked casually, and the attention of a few teachers nearby drifted over. Aside from the top students, everyone was most interested in those who'd made "big progress." But not many could sustain it and deliver when it mattered in the High School Entrance Exam.
Zheng Huai raised his eyes, set down his thermos, and replied evenly, "Yes, he took the test. Not bad."
Instead of giving the number right away, he asked, "Teacher Zhou, how did Zhou Zhen do this time?" Zhou Zhen was also in the Key Cultivation Program. He was a little weaker than Zhang Zhen, but quite hardworking, and one of the candidates Teacher Zhou was pushing for the program.
Zhou was enjoying the attention his top students had brought him. He answered without thinking, "Zhou Zhen? Not bad. 371. About what I expected—not a huge improvement."
He paused, remembering what they'd been discussing, then spoke to Zheng Huai with the air of an older colleague passing judgment on a junior. "Old Zheng, I remember Lin Ye. He got second place overall last time with a Blood Qi Value of 218. That was impressive. But students who make a big push like that often run out of steam. Blood Qi gets harder and harder to raise as you go, and around 300 is a major hurdle. That's when the returns on resources start to diminish. If he can push from 218 to around 270 in two months, getting close to 300, that'll count as a success. Teacher Zheng, don't be too harsh on your students. Blood Qi really does get harder to improve the further you go."
His words sounded reassuring, but there was an unmistakable hint of superiority beneath them. Zheng Huai showed no expression. He merely murmured, "Mm," picked up his cup, and took a sip of water, as if he didn't care what Teacher Zhou thought.
Just then, the female teacher from Fourth High School seemed to spot something on the score sheet. She tapped the paper with her finger and let out a soft, "Huh?"
"Teacher Zheng," she said, looking up at him with a strange expression. Then she checked the sheet again, as if to make sure. "Does it say that Lin Ye in your class has a Blood Qi Value of 335? Is that a mistake?"
Her voice rose slightly as she spoke.
"Hmm, how much?!"
"335?!"
The Rest Room, which had been noisy just moments ago, suddenly fell silent.
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