National College Entrance Exam Champion

The Cultural Course Exam results came out less than ten days after the College Entrance Exam.

Su Yi entered his exam admission number and confirmed his identity.

He opened the results page and glanced over it, still feeling a little surprised.

Chinese: 150

Math: 150

History, Politics, and Geography: 150

Physics, Chemistry, and Biology: 300

Total: 750

A perfect score on the College Entrance Exam. He'd thought he might lose a point or two in Chinese or politics; he usually did on practice tests.

But it made sense. With his comprehension and memory greatly improved, plenty of students earned perfect scores on the College Entrance Exam each year.

The real deciding factor was still the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam.

Name: Su Yi

Vitality: 285 cal

Specialty Course: 100 points (out of 100)

Practical Test: 100 points (out of 100)

A perfect result!

He'd been expecting it, but when he saw his scores in black and white, Su Yi still couldn't keep calm.

Demon City Top Scholar! National College Entrance Exam Champion!

And he'd scored full marks in both the academic and martial arts exams!!!

The media and TV stations that got the news nearly blew up the Magic Capital Affiliated High School's office with calls.

"Principal, Magic Martial Academy TV is on the phone..."

"Principal, Huaguo News is calling..."

The principal of the Magic Capital Affiliated High School, who'd been waiting for the College Entrance Exam results, called Su Yi personally to congratulate him and bring up the possibility of an interview.

Su Yi's eyes lit up. This was exactly what he'd been waiting for.

"Ahem." After composing himself a little, Su Yi said gently, "Principal, wouldn't an interview be a lot of trouble?"

"Not at all. We can do a phone interview."

The principal, who'd been trying to figure out how to persuade Su Yi, answered at once. With so many newspapers and TV stations interested, the publicity would be incredible.

"You only need to do one interview. You can authorize other newspapers and TV stations to use it for free."

Su Yi drew out his reply hesitantly. "I see..."

"Ahem, Su Yi, just think of it as doing the school a favor. We're about to start recruiting new students, and we could really use the publicity."

Hearing Su Yi's hesitation, the principal quickly appealed to his sense of loyalty.

"Hmm... All right, then. I'll do a TV interview."

When Su Yi finally agreed, the principal let out a sigh of relief.

"By the way, Su Yi. You're the National Top Scholar this year. The Education Department is preparing to award you another five million in scholarships, and the school has set aside three million for you as well."

"Okay. Thank you, Principal."

Demon City TV began its exclusive interview.

At Su Yi's home.

Looking at the handsome, sunny, and vibrant young man, the reporter began with a question. "How did you manage to get full marks?"

Su Yi smiled modestly. "Hard work, talent, and a little luck."

The reporter smiled. "You're very modest. You're already a martial artist. Could you share your thoughts on martial artists?"

Su Yi thought for a moment, then answered seriously. "Martial artists are a privileged class. Many people don't understand why they hold such a high status. Even my parents, who were martial artists themselves, never told me why."

"Your parents?" the reporter asked curiously.

"Yes. They died on a mission three years ago."

"I'm so sorry." The reporter apologized repeatedly.

Su Yi didn't seem to mind. He waved a hand and continued, "It's okay. I've gotten used to it. I don't know whether martial artists deserve such a high status. Maybe they have responsibilities of their own.

"The Cult? The Investigation Bureau?

"I don't know, and no one ever told me. But I think there must be a reason they kept it quiet. The government wouldn't harm us."

Su Yi shrugged and continued confidently, "I'm already at the Second-Rank Mid Stage, and I'll soon be entering Magic Capital Martial Arts University. With my talent, I should be able to break through the Lower Three Grades very quickly.

"If there really is some responsibility martial artists have to bear, I think I'm ready for it."

A beam of sunlight streamed in, illuminating Su Yi's face.

So radiant. The reporter was sure this moment would be etched in many people's memories.

Coming back to herself, the reporter gathered her thoughts. "You said you're already a Second-Rank Mid Stage martial artist?"

When Su Yi nodded, she continued in surprise, "How have you progressed so quickly? Your vitality score on the martial arts exam should have been at the First-Rank Mid Stage."

The reporter had done her homework before coming. She knew some basic information about Su Yi, such as his school and his Third Bone Tempering.

"Resources and hard work. You need both."

"Could you give us your opinion of Magic Capital Martial Arts University?"

"My father was a mentor at Magic Martial Academy, so..."

Soon, the newspaper articles and interview were released.

"He's so handsome!"

"Full marks in both the academic and martial arts exams? They should dissect him just to make sure he's human."

"Second-Rank Mid Stage? Are Demon City's prodigies all this terrifying?"

"Third Bone Tempering? I can't even get through one!"

"I can't even pass the physical fitness test. Is the gap between people really this huge?"

"Yi's the man!!!"

"Good! With a younger generation like him, what do we old-timers have to fear?"

"..."

Su Yi's interview caused a nationwide sensation almost instantly.

The National College Entrance Exam Champion with full marks in both the academic and martial arts exams!

A Second-Rank Mid Stage martial artist!!

And a martial artist who'd broken through after Third Bone Tempering!!!

Any one of these achievements was remarkable. Yet someone had managed all three.

People began discussing how anyone could reach such heights.

Su Yi also officially gained a new title: "Other People's Child!"

Some students had called him that at school already, but it had only been a small-scale thing.

Now the whole country was calling him that.

Both his parents were gone, yet he'd persevered and become the National College Entrance Exam Champion.

He was the ideal child in the eyes of countless parents!

To girls, Su Yi—strong and confident, with a radiant smile and a gentle manner—was an Unreachable Flower, a beauty no one dared approach.

Good grades, strong martial skills, handsome, and gentle-spoken.

A boy like him was the perfect template for a dream boyfriend.

Boys, on the other hand, mostly just admired and envied him.

Few begrudged him his success. People got resentful when the gap wasn't too big.

With a gap this wide, they could only let it go.

But those most affected were the mid- and high-rank martial artists, because they were the only ones who were martial artists in the true sense, the ones who truly fulfilled their responsibilities.

They'd shouldered the burden for decades, across generations.

When they saw the reports, countless people were moved to tears.

They'd held up humanity's backbone for the sake of their descendants' happiness.

So many had died in the Underground Caves, forgotten by the world.

But to have a younger generation understand them, even follow in their footsteps, was a joy.

And a tragedy.

They knew that dying on a mission probably meant dying in the Underground Caves.

Su Yi was at the Second-Rank Mid Stage. Once he reached the Third Rank, he'd learn about the Underground Caves.

In the end, he'd walk the same road they had.

At that moment, Su Yi was quietly watching his Energy Points rise.

It had been only four hours since the reports came out, and he'd already accumulated 2,200 Energy Points. Adding what he'd saved over the past twenty-odd days, he now had 7,400.

They were increasing by an average of 550 an hour, as many as he'd gotten in the previous four or five days. And they were still surging.

He knew the rush wouldn't last long, but he hoped it would earn him a few more points to use in the near future.

He wouldn't be able to influence the whole country so easily next time.

This time, he'd only managed it because the College Entrance Exam had drawn the attention of the entire nation.

Maybe next year he could ride the wave again with an interview during the College Entrance Exam.

A little over four hours later, his Energy Points reached ten thousand.

Su Yi immediately began optimizing the Tempering Method.

Ten thousand Energy Points vanished in an instant.

Name: Su Yi

Realm: Second-Rank Martial Artist

Vitality: 405/440 cal

Spirit: 477 Hz/489 Hz

Bone Tempering: 97 bones (90%), 1 bone (32%), 108 bones (30%)

Knowledge: Mid Grade Combat Method—Falling Blossom Sword—Minor Achievement {Optimization +1}; Mid-Grade Footwork—Cloud Step—Minor Achievement {Optimization +1}; Basic Cultivation Method—Tempering Method {Optimization +3}; Horse Stance Stake {Optimization +1}—Void Standing Realm; Basic Fist Technique—Minor Achievement;

Basic Leg Technique—Major Achievement; Basic Sword Technique—Major Achievement {Optimization +1};

Energy: 23 points

Damage Status: 4.65%

The optimization was complete. The Tempering Method now increased vitality absorption by 30% and bone-tempering speed by 30%, while reducing vitality consumption by 30%.

It was a formidable effect. The price was that he had to start accumulating Energy Points all over again.

Still, Su Yi calculated that after the peak of the attention died down over the next few days, the rate shouldn't drop too sharply.

After all, the internet hadn't exploded the way it would in later generations.

That kind of situation would really make Energy Points hard to collect.

Su Yi slowly planned how to use his Energy Points. Optimizing each of his Mid Grade Combat Methods one more time would cost another 20,000 points.

As for Deduction, he tried it out briefly. Creating a Basic Battle Art now only cost 500 Energy Points.

At first, he hadn't even been able to use Deduction, and he'd thought the function was broken.

Only after cultivating Stake Standing and the Tempering Method did he understand: Deduction couldn't create something out of nothing. At least, it couldn't do that yet.

Back then, creating a Basic Battle Art had cost 1,000 Energy Points. Creating a Mid Grade Combat Method, however, had cost 100,000.

Even now, creating a Mid Grade Combat Method still required 50,000 Energy Points.

The cost was so high that it simply wasn't worth it. In Su Yi's eyes, there was no need to waste Energy Points on these Battle Arts, not even High Rank ones.

He could learn them at a Martial University. What he truly needed were the Spirit Cultivation Method, Golden Body Nine-Tempering Method, Spirit Battle Art, and the like.

Those cultivation methods were what mattered for high-rank cultivation.

Su Yi couldn't go to the Realm Land yet.

He had no way to learn those combat methods. Was he supposed to count on the Town Guardian King to give them to him?

If he'd been willing to, he would have done it already.

After weighing it all up, he decided that using Deduction on the Book of Knowledge was the best option.

Su Yi's understanding of how to use his spiritual power was still too shallow; in fact, he hardly used it at all.

Without reaching 500 Hz, he couldn't even sense or capture Energy Particles.

So he couldn't deduce a Spirit Cultivation Method at all. Even if he could, he estimated it would cost more than a million Energy Points. That was assuming he had some understanding of how to use spiritual power.