Virtual Human

As the clock hand precisely pointed to nine o'clock in the morning.

A clear system announcement echoed above the Qingshi No.3 High School field: "The Senior Year Final Martial Arts Assessment has officially begun!"

In an instant, the enormous floating screen at the center of the plaza seemed to come alive. Within its hundreds of divided displays, the first batch of students entering the Virtual World all began to move at once.

Some rushed eagerly forward, while others moved with steady composure from the initial waiting area toward the weapon racks, swiftly choosing their weapons—sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, hammers, whips... Their forms varied as light and shadow flickered.

Then, their figures streamed toward the massive arena suspended in the void, fifty meters long and fifty meters wide.

Their movements came in every variety. Some spread their arms like eagles taking flight, leaping onto the high platform with a low shout, their clothes snapping in the wind as they displayed extraordinary skill.

Others stepped forward solemnly, climbing one invisible stair after another, their brows heavy with gravity.

"Look! Xue Jun got a close-up!" An excited voice suddenly rang out from the Class 21 crowd, instantly drawing the class's attention.

Without needing further prompting, everyone's eyes—including Li Wen's, though he had seemed to be resting with his eyes closed while his thoughts churned uneasily—instinctively turned toward the specially enlarged display.

The picture was so clear that even the confident gleam in Xue Jun's eyes could be seen distinctly.

Xue Jun, the outstanding student who had held the top spot in Class 21's martial arts skills for the past three years, was undoubtedly the class's pride and favorite topic of conversation.

At that moment, he stood at the center of the arena, straight as a pine tree, gripping a nearly three-meter-long Silver-White Long Spear.

The spearhead slanted toward the ground, its cold gleam contained within.

Beneath swordlike brows, his eyes shone like stars. A faint smile played on his lips, and the calm certainty he exuded was the temperament forged by countless training sessions and victories.

"Wow... so handsome!" A girl's restrained voice drifted out, carrying a trace of admiration.

Unlike the girls, the boys quickly focused on strength and rankings.

"How high can Boss Xue climb in the grade rankings this time? He was already twenty-third in the midterms, and that was just after he'd reached Peak Spear Art Initiation."

Yue Ruijie, who ranked third in the class and was clearly close to Xue Jun, knew the situation quite well.

"I heard he's improved a lot this semester. I think... the top fifteen should be a sure thing!" another boy predicted boldly.

"Heh, our class's martial arts scores are probably going to soar this time. Xue Jun alone isn't enough—don't forget Li Wen, the Dark Horse that burst onto the scene!" The topic abruptly turned toward Li Wen, seated in the back row.

"Old Wang must be over the moon. Lately, even when he walks, it looks like he's riding the wind."

"Hahaha, absolutely!"

"It's starting! Look!" An urgent low cry cut through their chatter.

Everyone's gaze instantly converged.

At the far end of every arena on the screens, an identical Virtual Human appeared at the same time—a middle-aged man in a plain black robe, his face blurred, holding nothing but an utterly ordinary Eyebrow-Level Wooden Staff.

At this moment, every examinee, along with the Virtual Human, had been forcibly set by the system to exactly the same Flesh Rank baseline.

This assessment existed solely for the realm of technique!

Conditions impossible to achieve in the real world were perfectly realized within the virtual space.

That was why No.3 High School spared no expense or effort in conducting virtual assessments—to eliminate differences in physical strength and look only at one's understanding, control, and application of martial techniques!

Li Wen sat upright on his stool, his earlier daze gone.

With his head raised, his sharp gaze locked tightly onto Xue Jun's display, like a high-speed recording and analysis device.

Unlike the order of questions in academic examinations, the Virtual Humans in the Martial Arts Assessment appeared in a strictly ascending sequence of strength.

The clearest mark distinguishing their strength was the color of their robes!

Relevant knowledge flashed clearly through Li Wen's mind: the lowest black robe corresponded to—Advanced Technique Initiation.

After that came, in order:

White Robe: Advanced Technique - Minor Accomplishment

Red Robe: Advanced Technique - Greater Accomplishment

Orange Robe: Advanced Technique - Perfection

Yellow Robe: Peak Technique - Entry

Green Robe: Peak Technique - Minor Accomplishment

Cyan Robe: Peak Technique - Greater Accomplishment

Blue Robe: Peak Technique - Perfection

And finally, the Purple Robe: the legendary Unity Realm!

Nine colors in all, representing a chasm between heaven and earth from mediocrity to excellence.

Throughout Li Wen's previous school life, he had never even seen a Blue Robe, much less the Purple-Robed One that represented the pinnacle of human and technique becoming one?

That was a term that existed only in upperclassmen's legends. As his thoughts raced, the first battles had already erupted in full swing.

On Xue Jun's arena.

The black-robed Virtual Human had only just solidified, before it could make any unnecessary movement.

A silver line suddenly tore through the air! "Pfft—" A faint cracking sound rang out.

The black-robed figure on the screen, struck by Xue Jun's casually extended spearpoint, was like a punctured bubble, turning into tiny specks of light and silently scattering from the center of the arena.

Xue Jun had not even moved half a step!

Elsewhere, however, not every display showed such overwhelming victories.

Some students who clearly leaned toward the academic path struggled tremendously even against the weakest black-robed Virtual Human, locked in a tug-of-war between attack and defense, danger lurking at every turn.

One student who had inadvertently been caught by the close-up camera was in precisely such an embarrassing situation.

While the winners in other displays had already decided their matches and stood waiting for their next opponents, he was still desperately parrying beneath a wooden staff, drenched in sweat.

Perhaps feeling that the scene was not martial enough, the close-up camera soon switched to another student who was easily dispatching his opponent.

Meanwhile, where the black-robed man had vanished on Xue Jun's arena, white light rose—the second virtual opponent, the White Robe, entered the stage!

This represented a technique realm of Advanced Technique - Minor Accomplishment.

This was the threshold Li Wen had only reached through bitter cultivation before awakening his Prior Wisdom and obtaining the Scholar path.

During the midterm assessment, he had once exhausted every ounce of strength to barely defeat the White Robe, only to fall before the subsequent Virtual Human representing Advanced Technique - Greater Accomplishment.

But to Xue Jun, this White Robe was no fundamentally different from the previous black-robed one.

Another thrust! Silent, yet so fast that the watching students could not fully catch even the trajectory of the spear shaft!

The white figure on the screen was like thin snow beneath a blazing sun, instantly melting into an even more dazzling burst of white light.

Xue Jun still had not moved from his spot, and the long spear looked as though it had never even been raised.

Next came the red-robed Virtual Human—Advanced Technique - Greater Accomplishment. This time, Xue Jun's movements finally changed.

Though he still ended the battle swiftly, his spear techniques clearly contained subtler variations and more refined use of force.

Not everyone was doing so well.

From the moment the White Robe appeared, it was as though an elimination valve had been opened.

"Ah!"

"Bang!"

"Pfft—"

Simulated impact sounds and the cries of defeated students rang out from the screens from time to time. One display after another dimmed, and the names shown on them faded to gray.

The number of remaining live displays on the giant screen plummeted.