Can't Keep It Hidden, Testing Begins

At half past eleven that night, Lin Ye quietly pushed open the front door.

The living room light was still on. His mother, Wang Xiulan, sat on the sofa with a half-knitted sweater in her hands.

"Mom, you're still awake?"

"Waiting for you."

Wang Xiulan set down the sweater and looked Lin Ye over—his sweat-soaked hair, his faintly trembling arms, and those eyes that remained unnaturally bright despite his exhaustion. She stood, walked over to him, and touched his training uniform. It was drenched. Then she touched his arm; the muscles were still twitching slightly, the physiological response after intense training.

"You went to practice martial arts again?"

Wang Xiulan's voice was very soft.

"There's a test tomorrow, so I practiced a little longer."

Lin Ye tried to make his voice sound natural. Wang Xiulan silently watched him for a long time, so long that Lin Ye nearly confessed everything. Only then did she softly say, "Go take a shower. The water's hot."

"Okay."

Lin Ye quietly let out a breath, then went into his room to get some clothes before heading straight for the bathroom.

Under the shower, hot water cascaded over his body. Lin Ye looked at his reflection in the mirror and fell silent for a moment. He knew perfectly well that his mother, Wang Xiulan, already knew about his martial arts training—or rather, she had noticed something yesterday.

He knew he could not keep it hidden, nor did he intend to. He simply hoped to wait until he had achieved something before telling his parents, so they would worry less.

"Tomorrow, I'll give it everything I have."

Lin Ye made up his mind.

Meanwhile, in his parents' bedroom.

Wang Xiulan lay back down and softly said, "Jianguo, Xiao Ye... he's training in martial arts like his life depends on it."

Lin Jianguo turned over. His expression could not be seen in the darkness. "You're sure?"

"His clothes were soaked through, his arms were shaking badly, and his eyes were frighteningly bright."

Wang Xiulan's voice trembled slightly. "He looked exactly like his little uncle did back then..."

The room fell silent at once. Moonlight slipped through the gap in the curtains, cutting a silver-white line across the floor. After a long time, Lin Jianguo finally spoke. "That brat is just like him. He still wants to walk this road. We can't stop him."

"But..."

"I know."

Lin Jianguo interrupted his wife. "I know how hard this road is, how bitter it is, how much money it burns. His little uncle back then... forget it."

Silence filled the bedroom once more.

"But if the child wants to fight for it,"

Lin Jianguo's voice was low. "Then as his parents, we can't hold him back."

Wang Xiulan said nothing. She merely wiped at the corner of her eye.

"Tomorrow, I'll go talk to Old Liu."

After a moment of silence, Lin Jianguo said, "His son got into the Martial Dao Academy last year. I'll ask where he bought those Nutrient Agents and how to get them at a good price."

"But the money..."

"I'll think of something." Lin Jianguo took his wife's hand. "Overtime, or I'll take on some side jobs. The child only has three months left. We'll... support him this once."

"If he doesn't make it, at least he won't be left with an obsession in his heart. That would be good too."

Wang Xiulan finally could not hold it in any longer and began to cry quietly. Lin Jianguo gently patted her back without saying another word.

Friday morning's classes passed peacefully as usual.

History class reviewed the timeline of the Star Alliance's technological transfers. Math class derived formulas for physical energy expenditure under different gravitational environments. Star Alliance Common Language practiced basic greetings and introductions. Lin Ye sat upright in class, his notes neat and orderly, but deep down, his mind had long been fixed on the afternoon's test.

At two-thirty in the afternoon, the atmosphere inside the Martial Arts Pavilion was solemn.

The fifty-two students of Class Five stood in orderly ranks. Zheng Huai stood before them, broad and powerful, while an additional silver-gray Portable Blood Qi Tester sat on the equipment table beside him.

"Same old rules. Blood Qi first."

Zheng Huai adjusted the device, his voice steady. "Zhang Zhen, record the results."

"Yes."

Holding an electronic record board, Zhang Zhen stood to the side, ready to record everyone's Blood Qi Value.

Once the adjustments were complete, everyone began testing in student-number order.

As class monitor, Li Weiwei stepped forward first. She pressed her palm against the sensor area, and three seconds later, the screen lit up:

[Blood Qi Value: 393 calories]

"393. Steady improvement."

Zhang Zhen recorded the result in an even tone. Li Weiwei gave a faint nod and returned to the line.

Compared to last time, her Blood Qi had taken a great step forward within the Late Body Tempering Stage, firmly securing first place in the class.

Next was Zhang Zhen himself. He pressed his palm against the sensor area, and the tester screen lit up shortly afterward.

[Blood Qi Value: 378 calories]

A Blood Qi Value of 378 was also an improvement from before. Though still below class monitor Li Weiwei, he ranked among the class's top tier.

Then came Zhao Qiang: 325 calories; Zhou Qian: 298 calories; Wang Hao: 292 calories; Chen Lin: 313 calories... Aside from a few people, most students' Blood Qi Values fell between 150 and 300, the range of the Body Forging Mid-Stage.

"Lin Ye."

Hearing his name called from the platform, Lin Ye walked forward and placed his palm against the cold sensor area. A low hum came from inside the device.

Three seconds later, the result appeared:

[Blood Qi Value: 138 calories]

Barely noticeable Ripples spread through the line. One hundred thirty-eight calories still fell within the Early Body Tempering Stage, with some distance remaining before the mid-stage standard.

But Lin Ye felt it was acceptable. Compared with the 130 units from his previous test, he had improved by 8 points. The increase was not much, but compared to most students studying liberal arts, it was still a respectable improvement.

"138, up 8 points."

Zhang Zhen glanced up at Lin Ye as he recorded it. Zheng Huai, who had heard the result beside him, gave a faint nod. "Keep up with your nutrition and persist."

He knew Lin Ye's Stake Training had just broken through and that his Blood Qi microcirculation had only recently formed. If his nutrition kept up, his Blood Qi should see a substantial increase later on.

"Yes."

Lin Ye nodded and calmly stepped back. He understood that Blood Qi growth was not accomplished in a single day and could not be rushed. At the same time, he knew that his reliance today was not his Blood Qi Value.

Half an hour later, the Blood Qi testing was complete.

Zheng Huai walked to the center of the training ground and swept his gaze over the entire class. "Next is the combat test. The rules are simple—I will fight each of you one at a time and score you based on your performance, adaptability, and use of techniques. I'll begin by responding with Body Forging Mid-Stage cultivation and Proficient Grade Rolling Stone Fist, then gradually increase my strength depending on the situation. The longer you last and the better you perform, the higher your score."

He paused, then added, "This simulates the scoring method for the High School Entrance Exam's combat segment. At that stage, you will not be facing stationary Force Testing Stakes, but living, breathing opponents."

As soon as the words fell, the atmosphere became heavy.

Zhang Zhen randomly rearranged the names on the electronic record board and called people up in order.

The first to take the field was Zhang Hao.

He took a deep breath and assumed the opening stance of Rolling Stone Fist. Zheng Huai stood with his hands behind his back, signaling for him to attack.

With a low shout, Zhang Hao stepped forward and charged, driving a straight punch ahead.

Zheng Huai shifted his body slightly and casually brushed aside the punch with his left hand. Zhang Hao's fist Momentum immediately veered off course, and he staggered two steps. Before he could adjust, Zheng Huai's right hand followed like a shadow, lightly pressing against his shoulder.

"85 points."

"Next."

Zheng Huai withdrew his hand. Zhang Hao's face was filled with regret; the entire exchange had lasted only two moves.

Next came Zhou Qian. Her footwork was agile, and she tried to circle and maneuver, but Zheng Huai's steps looked casual while always sealing off her escape routes. On the Seventh move, after a feint, her side kick was easily caught by Zheng Huai at the ankle. With a light push, she lost her balance.

"Your footwork is decent, but there are too many feints. You aren't decisive enough."

"158 points."

Then Zhao Qiang was called. Zheng Huai knew that Zhao Qiang's Blood Qi Value was not low, that he had Late Body Tempering Stage cultivation, and that his Rolling Stone Fist had reached the peak of the Proficient Grade. Every move he made was orderly and methodical. Thus, while Zheng Huai responded using only Body Forging Mid-Stage cultivation and Proficient Grade fist techniques, it was difficult to defeat Zhao Qiang. By the fifth move, Zheng Huai raised his fist technique to Mastery Grade.

With the boost of Mastery Grade Rolling Stone Fist, combined with Zheng Huai's greater experience, Zhao Qiang only fell on the eleventh move.

"Not bad. Your power is steadier than last time."

"192 points."

Zheng Huai rarely offered praise. Zhao Qiang's face brightened with delight. As he stepped down, he cast Lin Ye a somewhat smug glance, but Lin Ye did not understand why.

The testing continued.

Most students could not last more than three or five moves against Zheng Huai before being defeated. Only Li Weiwei and Zhang Zhen could endure several more exchanges.

When Li Weiwei stepped onto the field, everyone's attention focused on her.

Even her opening stance differed from the others—her feet rooted like an old tree gripping the earth, her fist frame steady as a mountain, her breathing long and flowing like a stream. These were the signs of Great Success Grade Rolling Stone Fist.

A trace of approval flashed through Zheng Huai's eyes. The force behind his attacks quietly increased. The two exchanged more than a dozen moves before Li Weiwei was finally defeated by the more seasoned Zheng Huai on the twenty-third move.

"Not bad. Your Rolling Stone Fist has reached Great Success. You're still a little short of Consummation."

After the exchange, Zheng Huai looked at Li Weiwei with renewed approval. "No wonder you're first in our class."

Next came Zhang Zhen. His performance was even steadier. Because his theoretical foundation was solid, he strove for precision in every move. Though he was not as practiced as Li Weiwei, his defense was exceptionally stable, and he likewise lasted more than a dozen moves before losing.

"Your foundation is solid, but your adaptability is slightly lacking."

"Your Rolling Stone Fist is also nearing Great Success. You can consider asking Li Weiwei for more guidance."

"Next, Lin Ye."

Hearing this, Lin Ye took a deep breath and walked out from the line to the center of the training ground.

At the same time, the gazes from the sidelines converged upon him. Zhao Qiang and most of the others believed Lin Ye probably would not even last three moves.